What word best describes how you want 2025 to be?

Think of your Word Of The Year as your guiding word for the year ahead. It’s the word that will help you stay aligned with your vision, it’s the intention behind everything you’ll do, and it’s what will keep you grounded in what matters most.

It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of client work and before you know it, you’re saying YES to everything and everyone, leaving nothing left in the tank and ending up with a business (and life!) you’re not entirely sure you recognise (or want).

Setting yourself word for 2025 is a perfect addition to your goal-setting for the year ahead and could be the single most powerful decision you make this year.

In this episode you’ll learn why setting a Word of The Year is such a transformative exercise and how to do it in a meaningful and intentional way.

Sub-Contractor, Freelancer or Agency Owner?

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Sam + Jo xo

As your VA biz evolves, a 'set and forget' approach can lead to complacency - and nothing good comes from that!

We know how easy it is to get caught up in day-to-day client work, but ignoring vital elements like your website copy, contracts, socials, systems and processes will only make it harder to catch up later.

The solution?

Regularly reviewing your business fundamentals typically requires only minor tweaks. But let things gather dust too long, and those tweaks can turn into major overhauls.

Remember folks: keeping up is always easier than catching up!

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The reasons why nothing in biz is set and forget – as much as we wished otherwise.
• The triggers reminding you something you set and forgot needs revisiting and revising.
• The list of things in your VA biz to review, tweak and update regularly.
• Why the transition from Freelancer to Agency Owner puts a spotlight on your-out-of-date messaging, tools, pricing and more.

Sub-Contractor, Freelancer or Agency Owner?

Your perfect virtual assistant pathway is just minutes away! Take the quiz here.

Sam + Jo xo

A question we’re getting asked a lot right now is how the current uncertain economic climate is affecting the VA industry and whether or not that should influence someone’s decision to launch their business - or stick at their 9-5.

We’re not here to bullsh*t you or beat around the bush. There are virtual assistants who are thriving, and others who are barely surviving.

Want to know exactly what the VAs who are thriving are doing? Then hit play, cos we’re spilling all the not-so-secret trade secrets.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• What you need to do to have a thriving VA business in an uncertain economic climate.
• Why confirmation bias could be the end of your business.
• How to avoid the feast and famine cycle.
• Why referrals only get you so far.

Book your private Coaching Call here.

Find out more about Launch in 30 Days here.

Sub-Contractor, Freelancer or Agency Owner?

Your perfect virtual assistant pathway is just minutes away! Take the quiz here.

In this eye-opening episode, Sam dives deep into her personal journey through perimenopause, revealing why it’s so much more than just the infamous hot flushes.

Grab your tissues and get ready to have your misconceptions challenged around this often-misunderstood phase of life.

With honesty and vulnerability, Sam bravely addresses the mental health challenges that can accompany perimenopause and dispels the myths surrounding hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Our hope is that this episode provides clarity and support to women in their 40s who are facing similar struggles.

Join us for a conversation that aims to empower, enlighten and educate, breaking the silence around perimenopause for those who may be suffering in silence.

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns or treatment options.

Trigger Warning: This episode briefly touches on topics related to suicidal thoughts, which may be sensitive to some listeners.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The perimenopause symptoms that will surprise you.
• The defining moment when Sam realised she needed help.
• How one documentary saved Sam’s marriage, and her life.
• Why hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is not the villain it’s been made out to be.

Resources:

• The 34 Symptoms of Perimenopause by Happy Healthy You
• Must watch/listen to Diary of A CEO Podcast Interview with Dr Mandy Pelz (Fasting, Hormones, Cycles, Perimenopause)
• Sex, Myths And The Menopause documentary (Davina McCall)
• Sex, Mind And The Menopause documentary (Davina McCall)

Sub-Contractor, Freelancer or Agency Owner?

Your perfect virtual assistant pathway is just minutes away! Take the quiz here.

Sam + Jo xo

Freelance Event & Sponsorship Manager Tania DeJonge from Virtually There took home the biggest crown of the night at this year’s Thankyou Payroll New Zealand Virtual Assistant Awards, but that's not all!

As well as her deserving win of VA of The Year, Tania is also in the possession of Top Performing VA Freelancer AND Best VA Speciality or Niche for 2024!!

Has it all sunk in yet? Not on your life! Tania is well and truly still in a 'pinch me now, this can't be real' phase of her success.

But that didn’t stop one of the most loved VAs in Aotearoa from sitting down with us just days after her big wins to share her inspiring 9 year (and counting!) business journey, the gold nuggies she has for other VAs who are experiencing the same struggles she’s overcome, and why community and connection are so important in the VA space.

#itsavibe!

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The niche that changed EVERYTHING!
• The structured business planning system that helped Tania become an award-winning VA.
• The reasons Tania kept entering the NZ VA Awards despite never getting past finalist status for 3 years straight.
• Why Tania moved from an embarrassing low casual hourly rate to fixed fee packages, and how it enabled her to reach $15k revenue months.
• The perimenopause/menopause symptoms that lost Tania clients and what she advises all VAs do in order to prevent the same happening to them.

Connect with Tania from Virtually There here and see how she can help you create epic events that captivate and inspire:

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

Sub-Contractor, Freelancer or Agency Owner?

Your perfect virtual assistant pathway is just minutes away! Take the quiz here.

We’ve carried out HUNDREDS of website reviews for virtual assistants over the years, helping them to improve their online presence.

And because of all those hours spent scrolling, reviewing and providing feedback we know first-hand the #1 most common mistake VAs are making time and time again when DIYing their site.

Today we’re sharing with you the simple tweak you can make to your website copy guaranteed to ensure you're not losing leads online.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The #1 mistake VAs make on their website and how to fix it fast!

Build your website in a day! Check out The Essential Website Template (plus tutorials!) for Virtual Assistants here.

Sam + Jo xo

Little did Sam know when setting her 2024 Word of The Year as ‘healthy’ just how drastically that would change her life both personally and professionally.

Sam isn’t sharing her journey to shame you into making similar changes in your life or to tell you her way is the only way – ‘cos it’s not!

Sam is opening up about her journey to getting healthy in all the ways in the hope it will help (maybe even inspire) other women in their 40’s who are having similar struggles.

There is so much overwhelming ‘wellness’ noise online that it can do more harm than good, so if this episode helps cut though the stress of not knowing where to start, then we reckon it’s worth opening up so vulnerably.

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns or treatment options.

Trigger Warning: This episode very lightly touches on topics relating to eating disorders which may be sensitive to some listeners.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Sam lost 35kgs in 9 months without setting foot in the gym or breaking a sweat.
• Why gut health matters.
• The life-style changes Sam has made in 2024 to work towards a healthy body, mind, business and family.
• The downsides of dramatic growth and how to overcome the guilt of being ‘selfish’ when investing in yourself.

The resources and products mentioned in this podcast:

Love Ya Guts Foundation Box (Culvic Humic Concentrate, Organic Bentonite Clay, Methyl Sulfonyl Methane, Liver Detox Tea, Collagen)

Magnesium Oil Spray, Salt Lab

Must watch/listen to Diary of A CEO Podcast Interview with Dr Mandy Pelz (Fasting, Hormones, Cycles, Perimenopause)

Live Cultured Goodness, Wildly

Turmeric Supplements

HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy)

(Although it wasn't mentioned specifically in the podcast, we want to make it very clear that throughout this journey Sam has been seeing her GP regularly for observation and testing ensuring the lifestyle changes she has made were safe ones for her personally.)

Sam + Jo xo

Yeah, we know. The most annoying thing you can say to an overthinker is for them to stop overthinking 😂

Lucky for our overthinking listeners, we’re not just telling you to stop overthinking, we’re telling you WHY your overthinking has made you overlook the very obvious solution to your service offering woes.

You’re welcome 😉

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The reasons EA services are are fabulous and in-demand niche for the right VAs.
• The types of virtual assistants who shouldn’t call themselves a virtual EA.
• The benefits for going all in on your virtual EA services.

Sub-Contractor, Freelancer or Agency Owner?

Your perfect virtual assistant pathway is just minutes away! Take the quiz here.

Sam + Jo xo

Agency owners and sub-contractors. This one’s for BOTH of you!

This is your friendly reminder that no matter the VA pathway you’re on, it’s likely you can be doing better.

We know you both have your unique frustrations with one another, and boy do we feel for you when the shit hits the fan or you’ve simply reached the end of your rope after being let down and disappointed one too many times.

We get it. It's not easy. In fact some days/weeks are so far from easy you may have one foot out the door already. But you've come this far - too far to give up now!

Sam has a unique insight into the issues that often take place between the two of you due to her ring-side seat as Founder of the Virtual Assistant Network of NZ.

To help save Sam’s sanity (and your own!) let’s all take a moment to understand both sides. Let’s step into one another’s shoes so next time something doesn’t go the way you expect you can understand why, learn from it, and do better next time around.

Or even better, pre-empt it!

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The most common complaints agency owners have about potential team members.
• The most common complaints potential team members have about agency owners.
• The things both sides can be doing better so everyone’s happy!
• What aspiring sub-contractors can do to ensure they're making a great first impression on the VANNZ Sub-Contractor/Employee Directory.

Sub-Contractor, Freelancer or Agency Owner?

Your perfect virtual assistant pathway is just minutes away! Take the quiz here.

Sam + Jo xo 

Before stepping foot into the VA space we need for everyone to understand the difference between billable and non-billable work.

Just cos you may be available to work X number of hours a week, doesn’t mean all of those hours will be spent supporting clients.  Anyone that tells you otherwise is delulu.

The reality is, in order to make this VA gig a profitable, successful one where you’re not working more hours than you were in your 9-5 and you're earning more than minimum wage, you can't be spending 100% of your available working hours on billable client work.

It's time to take your head out of the clouds when it comes to your available working hours and how they will be spent so you're accurate when forecasting your future revenue.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The percentage of your time you’ll need to spend on non-billable work as a Freelancer and Agency Owner.
• The non billable tasks you need to make a priority.
• Why your non billable hours increase even more as an Agency Owner.
• Why working ON your business is equally as important as working IN your business.
• How to ensure you’re pricing profitably, working at capacity and avoiding the dreaded Feast and Famine Cycle.

Get the Ultimate Pricing Calculator for Virtual Assistants here.

Download the Pre-Scale Checklists here.

Sam + Jo xo