Virtually Free with Ashlee

Struggling to find the time to start your VA business while working full-time (or around family)? In this episode of Virtually Free, I’m sharing practical strategies for time blocking, energy management and more to get you moving.

One of the biggest reasons people don’t start their VA business?

They think they don’t have the time.

Whether you're working a 9–5, juggling the school run, or just trying to stay afloat in life — I see you. And I promise: you can build your business even in the cracks of your day.

This episode is all about ditching the overwhelm and finding practical ways to carve out space to launch and grow your VA biz — without quitting your job or sacrificing your sanity.

Inside, I walk you through:

How to reclaim 2–5 hours a week (without waking up at 5am)

My weekly Sunday planning ritual that keeps me consistent

How I built my business in short windows around babies (and what it taught me)

The importance of energy management vs time management

Boundaries and systems my clients use to take calls, book clients, and grow while still working full-time

Whether you’re in the early stages or still thinking about it, this episode is your permission slip to start now — using what you’ve got, right where you are.

• Download the VA Starter Kit: Click here
• Work with me / Explore my services: www.ashleethomas.com.au
• Come say hey on IG: @ashleethomas.vacoach

We’ve all seen the laptop by the pool, passive income while you sleep promises floating around Instagram... but if you’ve been in the online space for more than five minutes, you know better.

In this episode of Virtually Free, I’m breaking down 6 of the biggest myths that keep service providers stuck, second guessing, and chasing someone else’s version of success.

Whether you’re just getting started or you’re deep in the work and wondering “Why doesn’t this feel like freedom?” this one’s for you.

In this episode I cover:

✨ The truth about passive income (and why it’s not always the goal)

✨ Why being “fully booked” isn’t a measure of success

✨ The myth that you need to scale fast to be legit

✨ Why you don’t have to show up everywhere to grow

✨ The BS around overnight success stories

✨ And how to stop building a business that drains you instead of supports you

If you’re ready to cut through the noise and build a business that actually fits your life, this is your reminder: You get to do it differently.

Download the VA Starter Kit : https://www.ashleethomas.site/f/va-starter-kit-copy

📲 Connect on Instagram: @ashleethomas.vacoach

In this episode I am pulling back the curtain and walking through the real structure of this our Expansion Mastermind so you know exactly how it’s built to help you create predictable income, simplify your business model, and finally have the space to grow without burning out.

🧠 The exact structure of the mastermind:

📦 What’s inside the VA Expansion Slack space:

🎯 The 3S Framework (Strategy, Systems, Structure)

→ Strategy: Refine what you sell and how you grow

→ Systems: Clean up the chaos and protect your time

→ Structure: Build a business model that fits your life

📈 Real client wins:

This is a high-touch mastermind for established VAs, social media managers and creatives who want:

 ✅ More clarity and confidence in their business model

✅Real-time coaching and accountability

✅ A personalised roadmap with strategic guidance

✅ A small, high-level community that actually gets it

📩 Apply now → https://www.ashleethomas.site/courses/vaemastermind

● Instagram: ashleethomas.vacoach

● Website: www.ashleethomas.com.au

● Join the community: Startup Virtual Assistants Australia

Virtually Free is the go-to podcast for virtual assistants, online service providers, and digital entrepreneurs who want to build profitable, flexible businesses that support their lives—not consume them.

Hosted by VA coach and business mentor Ashlee Thomas, each episode is filled with real talk, practical strategies, and mindset shifts to help you scale sustainably, ditch the hustle mentality, and grow with ease.

New episodes released weekly. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!

Most VAs and service providers are familiar with courses. Some have worked with coaches. But masterminds? They’re often misunderstood or dismissed entirely because no one’s ever really explained what they are or how they work.

In today’s episode, I’m breaking it all down.

We’re talking about what makes masterminds so powerful when you’re already established  and why I created Expansion Mastermind specifically for VAs, social media managers and creatives who are established, busy, talented and... stuck.

You’ll hear why a mastermind isn’t just “a group program,” and how it gives you the clarity, structure, and high-level strategy you can’t get from another 12-week course.

✨ What actually happens inside a mastermind (and how it’s different from coaching or courses)

✨ Why VA Expansion was built for the in-between growth stage - when you’ve outgrown your current model but have no time to focus on the next stage

✨ What makes this mastermind unique: small cohort, high-touch support, 1:1 access, and actual momentum

✨ Real client results: tripling rates, simplifying offers, launching VIP Days, and building better systems that support more income without more hours.

This mastermind is for established VAs and service providers who are ready to:

✅ Restructure their offers for more income, clarity AND freedom

✅ Step out of the client-churn cycle and escape the time for money trap

✅ Build a business model that supports their time, energy, and goals

✅ Finally stop doing it all alone.

We start on September on September 10 and spots are limited.

📩 Apply now → https://www.ashleethomas.site/courses/vaemastermind

● Instagram: ashleethomas.vacoach

● Website: www.ashleethomas.com.au

● Join the community: Startup Virtual Assistants Australia

Virtually Free is the go-to podcast for virtual assistants, online service providers, and digital entrepreneurs who want to build profitable, flexible businesses that support their lives—not consume them.

Hosted by VA coach and business mentor Ashlee Thomas, each episode is filled with real talk, practical strategies, and mindset shifts to help you scale sustainably, ditch the hustle mentality, and grow with ease.

New episodes released weekly. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!

In this episode, I chat with content strategist and former VA Expansion Mastermind client Bree, about how to shift your content from “just blending in” to standing out and calling in the right-fit clients. Bree is a content strategist and mentor for service providers ready to elevate their messaging and attract aligned, premium clients. After starting as a virtual assistant, she now helps others step into their next level of business with strategy-led, personality-packed content that converts 

In this episode we dive into what personality-driven content really looks like (hint: it’s not oversharing or being fake relatable), and how Bree made intentional changes to her messaging that elevated her brand, filtered out misaligned clients, and led to more consistent leads.

Whether you're early in business or refining your brand to attract premium clients, this episode gives you tangible content tips you can start using today.

• The biggest mistake most service providers make when creating content early on
• 
  
• Why “same as everyone else” content doesn’t convert (and what to do instead)
• 
  
• What personality-driven content actually means—and how to create it in your voice
• 
  
• How Breanna used content strategy to shift her offers and attract better-fit clients
• 
  
• Bree’s #1 tip if you’re ready to shift your messaging starting today

Links:

👉 Follow Breanna on Instagram: @everydaydigital for content creation tips, advice and personality ;)

👉 Click here to find out more about Bree's Instagram Strategy Audit

Pssst… We are currently launching our VA Expansion Mastermind. The high-level mastermind for established VAs, social media managers, creatives and online service providers. This is a 6 month container to scale your business beyond booked and busy, giving you the freedom you’ve always wanted.. With the right strategy, systems, and the kind of support that gets you moving. 

You can find out more about the Mastermind here

● Instagram: ashleethomas.vacoach

● Website: www.ashleethomas.com.au

● Join the community: Startup Virtual Assistants Australia

Virtually Free is the go-to podcast for virtual assistants, online service providers, and digital entrepreneurs who want to build profitable, flexible businesses that support their lives—not consume them.

Hosted by VA coach and business mentor Ashlee Thomas, each episode is filled with real talk, practical strategies, and mindset shifts to help you scale sustainably, ditch the hustle mentality, and grow with ease.

New episodes released weekly. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!

This year has tested me in more ways than one.

The kind of season that forces you to pause, reassess, and redefine what really matters, not just in life, but in business too. While I’m all about transparency, I also believe in sharing from a place of reflection, not reaction.

In this episode, I’m walking you through the biggest takeaways from this heavy season and what it’s taught me about the way I’ve structured my business, including:

• Why flexibility in your business model isn’t a luxury (it’s a necessity)
• The power of building a network that grounds and uplifts you
• How loving your work can create an anchor during tough times
• The permission you might need to not share everything online
• Why your business can be a safe, healing space - even when life feels hard
• What it really looks like to show up with softness, not pressure

Whether you’re deep in a tough chapter or just rethinking how you want to run your business going forward, this one’s for you. 

🔗 Links & Resources:

🖥 Save Your Seat: 3 Steps to Predictable Income Without More Clients or More Hours August 27th. Register here https://www.ashleethomas.site/webinar/steps-to-create-predictable-income-without-more-clients-or-more-hours/register

📲 Follow Ashlee on Instagram: @ashleethomas.vacoach

This episode is a must-listen for any VA, OBM, or freelancer who feels like they’re constantly juggling too many clients and not making enough money. In this episode, I explore what it would look like to grow your business by simplifying it. 

We’re covering:

• Why chasing 10+ clients might be the fastest path to burnout
• The numbers behind a “3 client model”
• Real-life client stories that prove high-ticket, high-impact offers are totally doable
• Common fears (like “no one will pay that much”) and how to overcome them
• What to rethink if your calendar is full but your energy is fried.

🔗 Links & Resources:

🖥 Save Your Seat: 3 Steps to Predictable Income Without More Clients or More Hours August 27th (date change). Register here https://www.ashleethomas.site/webinar/steps-to-create-predictable-income-without-more-clients-or-more-hours/register

📲 Follow Ashlee on Instagram: @ashleethomas.vacoach

After launching as a VA to rebranding as a digital marketer - this episode is packed with insights, mindset shifts, and some serious gold if you’re thinking about leveling up your offers or positioning

Mon helps creative service providers build presence and attract leads, without burning out or selling out. She is not only a powerhouse when it comes to socials and overall marketing strategy, but she’s also a previous client inside the Expansion Mastermind. I’ve had the privilege of watching her evolve her brand and business over the past year, and I knew I had to bring her on to share the behind-the-scenes of what that journey has looked like.

✔️ What her business looked like before adding premium services

✔️ The strategies she adopted to re-brand and stand out as a digital marketer

✔️ How the expansion mastermind helped her level up

✔️ Current marketing trends VAs and service providers can be using to gain more traction online and position themselves as the go-to in their niche 

If you’re on the client treadmill and crave more flexibility in your business, know that there is another way - A hybrid model. The perfect blend of done-for-you client delivery and strategic offers that give you back more time and freedom. 

Links:

Connect with Mon from Bold Type Marketing here

Apply to the VAE Mastermind here

If you’ve built a solid client base, stayed booked, and kept busy but still feel like things aren’t quite working, this one’s for you. In this episode, I am revealing three of the most common (and overlooked) reasons your business may be stuck and the shifts you can make to change direction.

You’ll hear:

• The hidden cost of pricing based on time (and how to shift to value based pricing)
• Why flexible, people pleasing offers are actually sabotaging your growth
• How depending on “being on” is draining your business and your energy
• A behind-the-scenes peek at the recent NFY Planning Session (and the real numbers that shocked everyone).

If your calendar is full but your profit still isn’t where you want it this episode will help you zoom out and re-align. PS Stay tuned as I will be releasing a FREE and exciting way to learn more about how to create a consistent income without working MORE hours and hiring MORE clients. 

● Instagram: ashleethomas.vacoach

● Website: www.ashleethomas.com.au

● Join the community: Startup Virtual Assistants Australia

Virtually Free is the go-to podcast for virtual assistants, online service providers, and digital entrepreneurs who want to build profitable, flexible businesses that support their lives—not consume them.

Hosted by VA coach and business mentor Ashlee Thomas, each episode is filled with real talk, practical strategies, and mindset shifts to help you scale sustainably, ditch the hustle mentality, and grow with ease.

New episodes released weekly. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!

If you’ve ever felt like your applications go into a black hole, this episode is for you as I sit  down with Fiona Campbell, founder of the Virtual Assistant Lead Network and Thought Penny, to dig into what really works (and what doesn’t) when applying for VA roles and attracting high quality leads.

With 17+ years of experience across PA, EA, and VA roles, Fiona shares insights from behind the scenes of one of Australia’s most trusted VA networks, plus practical ways you can stop winging it and start getting noticed for all the right reasons.

✔️ How to stand out in a crowded application process

✔️ Why some applications get passed over (even if you're qualified)

✔️ The biggest mistakes VAs make when chasing leads

✔️ Whether it’s ever OK to follow up (and how to do it without being pushy)

✔️ The tiny detail in your response that might be making all the difference

✔️ Strategies to gain traction iif you’re applying but not landing any roles.

If you’re ready to ditch the chaos and finally land leads that align with your zone of genius, Fiona’s got a gift for you!

👉 Get 40% OFF your first month or year of membership to the VA Lead Network" VA Lead Network

Use the code AshleeThomasMonthly or AshleeThomasAnnual at checkout.

• Website: valeadnetwork.com.au
• Instagram: @virtual.assistant.lead.network