Why Some Virtual Assistants Break Through—And Others Stay Stuck

Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hey there and welcome back to the OBM show.
I'm Sarah Noked and if you arean online business manager or
even a VA looking to level up,today's episode is going to be a
total game changer because weare diving into really the one
skill that is going to set youapart from the other online

(00:20):
support professionals.
And it's not about knowing thelatest tech tools or working
around the clock.
It's really about something thattruly transforms not just your
career, but And that is whytoday I really want to talk
about strategic planning.
So when you can create andexecute a plan that gives your

(00:43):
clients their time back anddrives real results, you
absolutely become indispensable.
So whether you are looking toland premium clients, raise your
rates or step confidently into aleadership role, this is the
episode for you.
Welcome to the OBM Show, thepodcast that pulls back the

(01:06):
curtain on what it really takesto thrive as an online business
manager and help businessesscale without burning out.
I'm your host, Sarah Noked,agency owner, OBM mentor, and
founder of OBM School.
I've been working in the backend of online businesses since
2009, building systems, managingremote teams, and mentoring OBMs

(01:30):
who make businesses run likeclockwork.
Now, I've seen what works, whatdoesn't, and the messy middle
that no one talks about.
Here, we get real about thetools, strategies, and stories
that drive sustainability.
If you're ready to stop spinningyour wheels, step into your

(01:54):
leadership role, and see whatactually happens behind the
scenes of thriving businesses,you're in the right place.
Let's get started.
Now, let's start today with whystrategic planning is such a
massive game changer for onlinebusiness managers, especially,
but also all service supportprofessionals.

(02:15):
Now, as an online businessmanager, we already know that
your role is not just aboutchecking off tasks or managing a
list or even just managing dailyoperations.
You are the person who isresponsible to see the bigger
picture and to know how to helpyour clients get there.
So you're not not justresponsible for keeping the

(02:36):
wheels turning, you're actuallyhelping your client build the
roadmap to get them to theirdestination.
Let's be real, mostentrepreneurs are definitely
overwhelmed because they arejuggling a million things from
scaling their businesses togrowing a team to trying to stay
sane and up to date with all thelatest and greatest.

(03:00):
What they need isn't someone tojust handle tasks.
What they need is someone whocan come in, see through the
chaos, and create a clear,actionable plan.
And that, my friends, is wherestrategic planning comes in.
It's when you can really delivera roadmap that not only helps
your clients hit their goals,but also gives them back their

(03:22):
most valuable resource, theirtime, you are not just another
contractor.
You are a partner in theirsuccess.
And that's what makes OBMs standout.
Now you might be thinking, okay,Sarah, strategic planning sounds
great.
But what does that actuallymean?
So it really starts withunderstanding your client's

(03:43):
goals.
And this is what I've come tounderstand through training
inside of our OBM school thatwhen you don't know the client's
goals, and you don't know theclient's vision, it's like you
have your hands tied behind yourback.
So it really does start withunderstanding your client's
goals.
What do they want to achieve inthe next 90 days, six months, a
year?
Once you've got that clarified,your role then is to reverse

(04:07):
engineer the steps to get themthere.
And it's not just about settinggoals.
It's about mapping out thetimelines and the key
milestones.
It's about figuring out who todelegate those tasks to across
the team and make sure thateveryone is actually
accountable.
It's about creating thoseworkflows that are going to

(04:28):
streamline operations andhopefully cut out some necessary
steps and hopefully add in somejuicy automation because that is
where it's at.
But most importantly, it isreally about planning so that
you can anticipate thoseroadblocks that will inevitably
happen, right guys?

(04:49):
This is business.
This is not some clean,organized thing.
And most importantly, when youcan anticipate those roadblocks
and come up with solutions andpresent those solutions to your
client before they become aproblem, you are then so
valuable.
What a valuable asset to yourclient.
And it is one of the coreelements inside OBM school.

(05:12):
It's not just about learning howto make a plan.
It's really about knowing how toimplement it effectively to get
results.
It might feel verycounterintuitive to start with
with a 90-day plan or maybe itdoesn't.
Maybe you just kind of want tohit the ground running and get
your hands dirty and get inthere.
But I promise you, if you cansort of slow down and map it

(05:34):
out, it's going to become aroadmap for both you and your
client.
And the best part of all is itwill help to really set
expectations.
The truth is, is thatentrepreneurs often feel like
they have to do everythingthemselves.
And a lot of the times when youas an OBM start to work with a
client, you will see that theyhave these behaviors where they

(05:56):
are used to doing things ontheir own.
And that does take someadjusting.
But when you can gain that trustby stepping in and saying, hey,
I've got this, and then delivera plan that keeps things running
smoothly, you are good.
giving them the freedom to takea vacation.
You're not just solving aproblem.

(06:19):
You're giving them time to spendwith their family or even to
finally focus on the parts oftheir business that only they
can really handle.
And that, my friends, is whatsets OBMs apart from other
service support professionals.
You're not just making thingseasier, you're making things
possible.
When you can confidently stepinto a client's business and

(06:42):
create a plan that deliversresults, you position yourself
as a high value partner.
And that means that you can thencharge more premium rates, you
can take the time to build alonger term client relationship,
and you will get referrals fromclients who are satisfied and

(07:03):
cannot stop singing yourpraises.
So it's really a big differencebetween being seen as someone
who just helps out and beingrecognized as someone who drives
the business forward.
And the best part is thatstrategic planning is a skill
that you can learn.
In the OBM accreditationprogram, we teach you exactly

(07:26):
how to master this skill so thatyou can show up with confidence
and deliver exceptional results.
Quick interruption here.
Now, if you are ready to takeyour OBM career to the next
level, you have got to check outour OBM accreditation program.
This This OBM certificationprogram is the only CPD

(07:47):
certified program on the marketand it is designed to give you
the skills, confidence, andcredibility to stand out as a
leader in this space.
Whether you are transitioningfrom VA work or looking to
refine your online businessmanagement skills, this program
has everything that you need toelevate your career.

(08:09):
Now head on over toobmacreditation.com to check it
out and to apply for free today.
All right, let's get back intoit.
Strategic planning is somethingthat is very, very important and
it doesn't always feel likethere's room and space for this.
I know this to be true because Irealized that this was the

(08:33):
source in my own agency forvetting clients.
And here is the bottom line.
It's not about, obviously a bigpart of this is being there to
support your clients, that goeswithout saying.
As someone who trains OBMs tobuild solid businesses, the
other piece of this is makingsure that you are vetting and

(08:55):
bringing on clients thatactually are going to serve your
own business.
Yes, strategic planning reallybenefits your clients, but the
more, I think, important thingto mention here is that it's
really about making yourbusiness better.
And when you do strategicplanning with your clients, it

(09:16):
really helps to identify thosered flags that you probably
won't really identify when youdive straight into a retainer
and you have really no cleargoals.
So I know this to be truebecause when I was starting my
OBM business, naturally, I didwhat most of you do.

(09:36):
And that is like you dive headinto what the client's working
on, you dive head into the hairon fire, launch, whatever,
whatever Whatever is on fire,you're like, give it to me.
I can handle it.
But I want you to take thisseemingly counterintuitive
approach and slow down and taketime to actually plan out those

(10:01):
next 90 days with SMART goalsand your minimum retainer in
mind.
So inside of OBM school, Ialways...
advise our students to start ata 20 to 30 hour retainer.
Could you do an 80 hour a monthretainer?
Of course you could.
You could do 100 hours a monthfor your client.

(10:23):
But it's really in those first90 days, it is imperative to set
the right expectations with yourclients.
And I promise diving in to openended, you know, loosey goosey
retainer is not going to help tocreate those expectations and

(10:44):
boundaries that you are lookingfor.
And what will ultimately happenis you will onboard clients that
are not a good fit because youhaven't taken the time to slow
down to then speed up later withthe client.
So in my own agency, when I was,especially at the beginning
days, I would say back in 2012,when I was scaling my agency

(11:08):
back then with employees, yes, Ihad four full-time employees on
my team, five with myselfincluded, delivering services to
clients.
And I realized through that, Iwould say, very uncomfortable
agency growth spurt that Ireally, really needed to vet my

(11:30):
clients because as someone andI'm not afraid to admit this, I
do borderline on peoplepleasing.
And while I've come to recognizethe double edged sword in that,
as you know, the one side of itbeing really positive, and then
the other side of it being verydetrimental, I do recognize that
as a skill that has made me verysuccessful.

(11:52):
And that has made me able toovercome a lot as an online
business manager.
So if you are a people pleaser,you are amongst friends, and I
want you to know that it is nota bad quality.
It is actually a quality that isgoing to keep you on your toes
and benefiting your clients.

(12:13):
It is, I think, naturally a partof our heart of service
personality.
Now, here is the bottom line.
If you want to stand out in2025, strategic planning is
wholeheartedly and has alwaysbeen the thing to do.
It's really the differencebetween being seen as just

(12:34):
another service provider andbecoming a true partner in your
client's success.
And really and truly, guys, thebest part is that you don't have
to figure this out on your own.
All of our frameworks are bakedinto OBM School, including the
sales framework and the over theline to working successfully

(12:58):
with your clients.
Before we wrap up, I havesomething exciting to share.
If you are ready to take yourOBM career to the next level,
applications for OBMaccreditation, that's our OBM
school certification program,are now open.
Now, this is the only CPDcertified program designed

(13:20):
specifically for online businessmanagers who want to master
advanced skills, buildunshakable confidence, and gain
the credibility necessary tostand out in Thank you.

(13:56):
It is completely free to apply.
Head on over toobmacreditation.com to get
started today.
This could be the game-changingstep that absolutely transforms
your career and helps you buildthe business you've always
dreamed of.
If today's episode resonatedwith you, I'd love for you to

(14:18):
subscribe, leave a review orshare this with somebody who is
ready to level up their career.
Until next time, keep building,keep dreaming and let's create
the career and life you love.
I will see you in the nextepisode.

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