Have you heard about the very exciting new virtual assistant conference coming to the heart of Manchester? The Manchester VA Conference is a brand-new event dedicated to VAs and OBMs who want to upskill, connect with like-minded people, and learn from inspiring speakers."It's just so nice to get out and meet people face to face that are doing the same thing that you are doing, that are facing the same challenges that you are facing, swap ideas."In this week's episode of The Visionary VA Podcast, I am joined by Emma Price and Victoria Baker, founders of The Manchester VA Conference, to talk all things community, connection, skills and why events like this matter.Key takeaways:1️⃣ Emma and Victoria noticed there were hardly any VA conferences happening up north (with most events based down south) so they decided to change that, and The Manchester VA Conference was born.2️⃣ The event features a diverse lineup of speakers covering everything from money mindset, AI and automations, to social media and beyond.3️⃣ You might recognise one of the speakers, that's me! I'll be doing a session all about helping VAs own their space, back themselves, and build the business they actually want.4️⃣ Attending VA conferences is so important for picking up new skills, learning from others, and building a network and community you can lean on.5️⃣ Putting together an all-day conference takes serious time, care and dedication, but as Emma and Victoria will tell you, it is absolutely worth it.

---The Manchester VA Conference is happening on Wednesday 6th May, make sure you grab your ticket today.

🔗 Grab your ticket

Check out previous episode, 'Networking for Virtual Assistants: Building Meaningful Connections'

🔗 Here's the linkAnd if you're attending the conference or you're based in the Manchester area, come along to the very first official in-person VA Handbook meetup since I took over. We’d love to see you there!

🔗 Grab your ticket

This episode is a really special one.

Joanne Munro, founder of The VA Handbook, joins me to share some exciting news about the next chapter for the business and community she’s built.

After years of growing The VA Handbook and supporting so many VAs on their journey, Jo has made the decision to step back - and I’m incredibly proud (and honoured) to be taking it forward.

In this conversation, we talk openly about:

• Jo’s journey building The VA Handbook and what she’s most proud of.

• How she knew it was the right time to move on.

• Why finding the right person to take it on mattered so much.

• What this transition means for the community.

• And what’s coming next.

This isn’t about something ending - it’s about building on everything that’s already been created and taking it into its next phase.

Key takeaways:

• Building a strong, supportive community takes time, consistency and care - but the impact it creates is huge.

• Knowing when to step back is just as important as knowing when to push forward.

• Trust, values and alignment matter when handing over something you’ve built.

• Growth often comes from making bold, sometimes uncomfortable decisions.

If you’re part of The VA Handbook community (or have been following along), this episode will give you a real insight into what’s ahead - and why there’s so much to be excited about.

Links and Resources

🔗 Follow Jo Munro on LinkedIn

🔗 Check out The VA Handbook

🔗 Sign up to the Espresso AI Newsletter

🔗 Check out all The Visionary VA Podcast

🔗 Check out The Visionary VA Circle

Don’t let the fear of hiring the wrong associate for your virtual assistant business get in the way of growing your team (and business).

“One of the biggest fears people have when they start building a team is hiring the wrong person. What if they’re not good enough, they let the client down or create more work instead of less?”

If you’d love to grow and build a team but too afraid of hiring the wrong person, this week’s episode of The Visionary VA Podcast is for you. We'll talk about the main reasons why associates don’t work out.

We’ll address setting expectations, knowing if someone is the right fit, what systems you need in place, and how leadership can help.

Key takeaways:

1️⃣ Skill is a factor when hiring, but it isn’t the most important thing. Communication, reliability, and attention to details are essential. Are they professional with clients or proactive and ask questions? You can teach systems but not attitude, work ethic and communication style.

2️⃣ A common reason why associate hires don’t work out is because expectations haven’t been clear enough from the start. If your new hires have to guess, this is where things go wrong.

3️⃣ The associates who work out best are the ones who feel like they’re part of something. They care about the business and take pride in their work. They’re not someone who is just logging hours.

There is always a risk when hiring associates, but there are things you can do to better safeguard yourself. You have to protect your business reputation, client relationships and team culture, so you have to let someone go when someone’s not the right fit.

Finding the right people to grow your team changes everything. Worrying is normal, but don’t let fear get in the way of your growth.

At some point this week, take time to think about what matters most to you when hiring an associate. Write them down and start to build your own hiring blueprint, one you can return to every time you're looking to grow your team.

Mentioned in the episode 👇

'Hiring Associates with Ease' ⁠⁠⁠free guide.⁠⁠⁠

Red Flags to Avoid when Hiring Virtual Assistants for Your Team episode - listen here.

Resources 👇

Free ⁠⁠⁠Monthly Metrics Tracker download.⁠⁠⁠

Get our ⁠⁠Free mini course⁠⁠ on Creating Solid Business Foundations.

Check out ⁠⁠our website⁠⁠.