041: How Fractional Executive Assistants Can Transform Your Business with Elevate’s Ashley Carlson & Nichole Hughes

Welcome to this special episode of The Pineapple Perspective with your host, Troy Hooper. In today’s episode, we’re joined by two incredible guests — Ashley Carlson, Founder and CEO of Elevate Business Solutions, and Nichole Hughes, Lead Executive Assistant at Elevate. Together, they share how their innovative approach to fractional executive assistant services helps busy executives, entrepreneurs, and business leaders streamline operations, regain work-life balance, and elevate their businesses to the next level.

As a client of Elevate, I’ve experienced firsthand how Ashley, Nichole, and their team don’t just “check boxes” — they become strategic partners in your business. They proactively identify areas for improvement, anticipate needs before they arise, and create scalable systems that save time and reduce stress. From managing email and calendars to coordinating vendor communications, booking personal travel, and even overseeing podcast production, Elevate offers a holistic support system that helps leaders focus on growth, not just daily tasks.

In this conversation, Ashley shares her journey from hospitality professional to entrepreneur, and why her passion for service and efficiency led to the creation of Elevate. Nichole highlights the unique collaborative structure that sets Elevate apart from basic VA services, allowing their clients to benefit from not just one assistant, but an entire team of experts. We also dive into how technology — from live document sharing to Slack collaboration and calendar automation — enhances the remote support process.

We cover how business owners know when it’s time to “graduate” from fractional support to full-time in-house assistance and how Elevate helps make that transition smooth. Plus, if you’ve ever wanted to launch your own podcast but felt overwhelmed by the logistics, you’ll love hearing how Elevate handles everything from scheduling to production and guest management — leaving you free to simply show up and have meaningful conversations.

Topics Discussed in the Episode:

• How Elevate Business Solutions provides strategic, fractional executive assistant services for busy entrepreneurs and executives

• The importance of proactive support and identifying tasks before they become problems

• Leveraging technology (Slack, Calendly, Google Drive) to streamline communication and operations

• When and how to transition from fractional EA services to hiring a full-time, in-house assistant

• Full-service podcast management as an extension of executive assistant services

 

Connect with Elevate, Ashley, and Nichole:

https://elevatevbsolutions.com/

https://www.instagram.com/elevatevbsolutions/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/elevate-virtual-assistant-services

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleymcarlson/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholedhughes/ 

https://elevatevbsolutions.com/get-it-done-service

https://elevatevbsolutions.com/contact

 

This show is sponsored by Pepper Lunch. Find a location near you!

Production and Administration work completed by Smart Podcast Solutions and Elevate Virtual Business Solutions.