You’re More Than Just Organized: The Real Value of Being an Online Business Manager

What if being “organized” was actually the least valuable part of your skill set?

In this episode of The OBM Show, we’re digging into a major mindset shift that every Online Business Manager needs to make if they want to grow, lead, and land premium clients. Because here’s the truth: clients often say they’re looking for someone who’s organized—but what they need is a strategic partner.

I’ve had clients hire me for “organization,” thinking they needed someone to keep the trains running. But the real results didn’t come from my color-coded task boards or neat file structures. They came from leadership. Decision-making. Big-picture thinking. And for a long time, I didn’t position myself that way—and I paid the price.

In this episode, I’m sharing how to move from the role of “doer” to driver—and what it looks like to own your identity as the operational engine behind a business’s success.

Inside this episode, we cover:

• Why “organized” is a feature—not the benefit—and how to reframe your value
   
• Five powerful roles every OBM plays (even if they don’t call them that yet)
   
• Real language shifts to use in your website, proposals, and discovery calls
   
• How OBMs unintentionally downplay their worth—and what to say instead
   
• The link between this mindset shift and your pricing, burnout, and next-level growth

We also talk about the hidden cost of playing small—why vague support language keeps you stuck, how burnout creeps in when you operate below your level, and how positioning yourself as a leader opens the door to more trust, more autonomy, and more aligned client relationships.

If you’ve been stuck in the assistant zone—or struggling to explain what you really do—this episode will help you claim your identity as a leader, not a helper. Because you’re not just the one organizing the business. You’re the one keeping it moving forward.

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Thanks for tuning in to The OBM Show - your go-to podcast for Online Business Managers and entrepreneurs who want to scale strategically and sustainably.

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Until next time, keep building the business behind the business.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Tell me if this sounds familiar.
A potential client says, I justneed someone super organized to
keep everything moving.
And suddenly you're boxed in,not as a leader, not as a
strategic partner, but as thedoer, the helper, the person who
color codes the calendar anddouble checks the task lists.

(00:21):
Look, I've been there.
I've had clients hire me becausethey thought they needed
organization.
And sure, I am organized.
But what actually moves themneedle for them wasn't my file
naming conventions or mybeautifully templated standard
operating procedures.
My friends, it was and is thestrategy, the leadership, the

(00:44):
ability to see the big pictureand steer the team towards
results.
And at first, I didn't getcredit for that.
I wasn't positioned that way.
But everything changed when Istopped selling being organized
and started owning the realvalue I bring as an online
business manager.

(01:04):
And today, I want to help youmake that same shift.
Welcome to the OBM Show, thepodcast that pulls back the
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

(01:26):
founder of OBM School.
I've been working in the backend of online businesses since
2009, building systems, managingremote teams, and mentoring OBMs
who make businesses run likeclockwork.
Now, I've seen what works, whatdoesn't, and the messy middle
that no one talks about.

(01:46):
Here, we get real about thetools, strategies, and stories
that drive sustainable success,plus the tech mishaps, growing
pains, and lessons learned alongthe way.
If you're ready to stop spinningyour wheels, step into your
leadership role, and see whatactually happens behind the
scenes of thriving businesses,you're in the right place.

(02:09):
Let's get started.
Let's get started.
Here's the thing, my friends.
Clients will often say that theywant someone organized.
They might even think that thatis their biggest problem, is not
being organized.
But what do they actually need?
They need someone who can seearound corners.
Someone who doesn't just keepthe train running, but actually

(02:32):
makes sure that it's headed inthe right direction.
So being organized is a feature.
Strategic OBM leadership is thebenefit.
So let's break down the realvalue of an online business
manager.
So if you've been undersellingyourself or struggling to
explain what you really do, thisis your moment, my friends.

(02:54):
Here's how to start reframingyour value in client-facing
language.
So the first one is strategicpartner.
You don't just do the tasks.
You lead the process.
You make decisions.
You solve problems and offerdirection.

(03:16):
As a team leader, you managepeople, not just projects.
You handle hiring, onboarding,team culture, and
accountability.
As operations, You designworkflows that actually scale.
You optimize, you automate, andyou build systems that support

(03:41):
growth.
Now, in the accountabilitydepartment, your operational
decisions directly impact bottomline growth.
Okay, let me say that again.
Your operational decisionsdirectly impact bottom bottom
line growth.
The work you do fuels launches,increases retention, and helps

(04:03):
the business scale without thechaos.
This is the real work of an OBM,and it's time to start talking
about it that way.
Now, why is this mindset shiftaround what we do crucial for
growth?
There are three big reasons.
The first is pricing.

(04:23):
You can't charge high levelrates if you're selling low
level outcomes.
When you own your leadershiprole, your pricing follows.
Now the next thing ispositioning.
OBMs who lead with strategy getinvited into bigger rooms, more

(04:44):
trust, more responsibility, morerewarding client relationships.
And here's a little tip for youguys around strategy because I
was very intimidated by thisword, you know, even when I was
in corporate, okay?
But the thing that I realizedabout strategy is...
Part of our magical thing thatwe do with clients is goal

(05:07):
planning and setting out goalsand intentions.
And when you understand what thegoals are in a business and
where you wanna go, then you canput the strategy in place.
So if you are already getting alittle bit overwhelmed with this
idea of like, great, It'swonderful to say that OBMs who
lead with strategy get invitedinto bigger rooms, but I don't

(05:30):
know how to lead with strategy.
So part of leading with strategyfalls into some of those
conversations with clientsaround goals and being very
clear and setting SMART goals,that SMART acronym.
So remember that strategy isn'tintimidating.
It is just part and parcelunderstanding where the business

(05:52):
is going and what those biggoals are.
Now, the other piece of thismindset shift that is really
crucial for growth is preventingburnout.
Okay, public serviceannouncement here.
If you keep operating like theassistant when you are really
more like the architect,resentment will build.

(06:14):
You will start to feel invisibleand that, my friends, is not
sustainable.
Let's call out a few of the waysI see OBMs playing small.
The first one is using vague AFlanguage like I support clients,
quote unquote, instead of sayingsomething like I lead
operations.
Another way where I see OBMsundervalue themselves is by

(06:37):
still identifying as a virtualassistant or as some kind of
admin role, even when your workhas long since outgrown that
title.
And it might also look likeundercharging.
Okay, you might be nodding yourhead.
I am.
Because it doesn't feel likethat much work.

(06:59):
Okay, I used to feel like thisabout my being a sounding board
for clients, right?
But I love it.
It doesn't feel like that muchwork.
But honestly, the mental load,the decision making, the holding
space, the being the containerfor your client to dump all
their visionary fun stuff intois amazing.

(07:22):
It's a hard mental load, okay?
Leadership energy is real work.
Now, here's the truth.
It's not just about what you do.
It's about how you see yourself.
Okay, so for me, the turningpoint really came after a few
years of really owning the OBMrole.
And I was like, you know what?

(07:43):
I am, I'm not actually helping.
I am driving the businessforward, okay?
I was the one creatingstructure, guiding decisions,
and really keeping the teamaligned.
That's not support, my friends.
That is leadership.
So here's a practical tip.

(08:04):
I want you to update one piecethis week.
It could be your website bio.
It could be your discovery callscript.
It could be your email footer.
I want you to start usinglanguage that reflects the real
level that you operate at.
Because if you don't claim it,my friends, clients won't see

(08:26):
it.
Let me leave you with this.
You are not just organized.
I know you're organized.
We're all very organized.
But you're actually the enginebehind a business's momentum.
So here's your challenge.
Go review how you describe yourwork on your website, in your

(08:46):
proposals, even on yourInstagram bio.
And ask yourself this, does itreflect your real value or are
you still hiding behind somevague support language?
It's really time to stopdownplaying your role and start
owning your leadership.
Now, if you are ready to ownyour value and step into a

(09:07):
strategic leadership role as anOBM, go ahead and grab my free
OBM Starter Kit.
Inside, you'll find the exacttools I use to help OBMs
position themselves for premiumclients with clarity,
confidence, and leadershipenergy baked right in.
You can grab it over atobmschool.com forward slash
starter for free.

(09:27):
And I'd love to hear from you.
Let us know on Instagram.
You can DM me at sarahnoked orat the OBM school.
And let me know what's one skillthat you are done downplaying.
I want to celebrate you.
Now that's it for today.
Go take one bold step towardsbuilding the OBM business that

(09:51):
you actually want.
One that is strategic, spacious,and fully yours.
I am cheering you on every stepof the way.