Stop the ‘Hire and Hope’: Experts’ Opinion—How Systems Turn Virtual Assistants into Self-Managing A-Players with Kirsten Graham, Co-CEO of Six Figure Business Coaching | Ep 250

🎙 In this episode, I sit down with Kirsten Graham, a direct competitor who also specialises in helping entrepreneurs to systemise their work and achieve freedom using virtual assistants and smart business systems. We compare our approaches, provide practical strategies and share hard-won lessons for hiring, onboarding and leading remote teams. I believe this is one of my best interviews in terms of value for you. You are listening to two passionate industry experts discuss, in depth, how they help people to create freedom in their businesses! KEY TAKEAWAYS 💡 Train Before You Trust: Kirsten hires people using the paid intern model. All hires are fully trained before they are trusted to work directly with clients.  💡 Stop Hiring on Hope: The “hire and hope” approach doesn´t work. Bringing someone on board without clear systems or expectations sets everyone up for frustration and failure. 💡 Be Careful with AI: Only adopt an AI solution if there’s a clear business case. Will it save time, generate revenue, or deliver meaningful value for your business? If you can’t answer “yes,” it’s best to skip the implementation. BEST MOMENTS 02:41 - 💬 “We really believe you lead people, you manage tasks - you manage tasks through systems and project management software.” — Kirsten 21:26 - 💬 “AI can help you. It's a tool. It shouldn't do your job for you.” — Kirsten  46:29 - 💬 “We have the same set of rules whether someone's based in the Philippines, South Africa, or they're in the UK, or Sweden, it doesn't matter to me.” — Steve TIMESTAMPED OVERVIEW 00:00 Streamlining Onboarding and Collaboration 07:16 Training VAs through a paid internship 10:15 Strong systems eliminate frustration 22:10 Where AI fits in 34:40 How systems set everyone up for success 49:00 The mindset shift from “hiring help” to “building assets” VALUABLE RESOURCES From Steve Day:  Free access to our flagship RECRUIT RIGHT FRAMEWORK Free access to our flagship DIDACT FRAMEWORK From Kirsten Graham: Double Your Income with a Marketing VA: https://outsourcingforbosses.com/ LINKS TO CONNECT WITH THE GUEST Website: https://sixfigurebusinesscoaching.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstengrahamsfbc/ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@sixfigurebusinesscoaching Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SixFigureBusinessCoaching Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kirsten.graham.3517 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sfbizcoaching/ ABOUT THE GUEST Kirsten Graham is the Co-CEO of Six Figure Business Coaching. She helps small business owners reclaim their time and increase visibility by using video marketing, podcast guesting, and smart outsourcing. She shows entrepreneurs how to build authority, attract quality leads, and put the right systems in place so they can grow their income without burning out. LINKS TO CONNECT WITH THE HOST Podcast: https://www.systemizeyoursuccess.com Website: https://systemsandoutsourcing.com/ Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/systemsandoutsourcing/ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/systemsandoutsourcing/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/systems_and_outsourcing/ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@drsteveday42 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drsteveday42 ABOUT THE HOST Steve moved to Sweden in 2015 and transformed how he ran his businesses—switching to a fully remote model. A former NHS doctor, with a background in computing and property investing, he now helps overwhelmed business owners systemise and outsource effectively. Through his courses and coaching, Steve teaches how to automate operations and work with affordable virtual assistants, freeing up time and increasing profits. He runs his UK-based businesses remotely with support from a team of UK and Filipino VAs, and is passionate about helping others build scalable, stress-free companies using smart systems and virtual support.