From Two Friends to a Full Company: The First Year of RefinedVA
What started as a favor for two friends turned into a business that’s now helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time and scale through virtual assistants. In this special one-year anniversary episode of The Unfiltered Sessions Podcast, Phillip Sessions pulls back the curtain on the messy beginnings, the pivotal hires, the early struggles, and the game-changing lessons learned in building RefinedVA.
You’ll hear the behind-the-scenes story of:
✅ How two friends became the spark for a business
✅ The sloppy first interviews (and what we learned)
✅ Why hiring “ahead of where you are” changes everything
✅ The team members who shaped the company’s future
✅ Why we launched the VA Training Academy (and what’s next)
✅ And why human touch will always beat AI
This isn’t just a story about business growth, it's about starting before you’re ready, learning as you go, and building something bigger than yourself.
If you’ve ever thought about hiring a virtual assistant, scaling beyond yourself, or just wondered what it really looks like to build a business in year one, this episode will give you both the raw truth and the hope that you can do it too.
🌐 Learn more about what I do at: https://www.refinedva.com/
🎙️ Audio Podcast : https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/1964444/dashboard
Let’s stay connected across all platforms:
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/iamphilipsessions/?hl=en
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@philipsessions
Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-sessions-b2986563/
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/therealphilipsessions
Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/user/philipsessions
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.