SHOW NOTES:
Hustle, burnout, and overwhelm, oh my! If any of these words describe how you feel in your business right now, then our guest expert, Ashley Artley, is here to help.
Ashley is a VA (virtual assistant) and helps mompreneurs just like you. A VA can help with many tasks in your business, including social media management, content creation and scheduling, email marketing, and more!
I couldn’t run the Successful Networking Moms community, my social media accounts, and the podcast without support. And it may be just the kind of support you need, too, mama.
We chat about what tasks a VA can handle for you, how to get started when hiring a VA, and more in today’s episode!
Connect with Ashley, click here.
Join the Successful Networking Moms Facebook community, click here.
For a 1:1 breakthrough session, click here.
LOOM Software: loom.com
Episode Transcript:
Shelley: (00:00)
Hey mama. Welcome to the show today. We are bringing you a special guest interview with Ashley Artley. And let me tell you, you are in for some goodness today. Ashley is not only near and dear to me as she is the virtual assistant that serves the successful networking mom’s Facebook community. She works with me hand in hand in my business. We’re are gonna chat a little bit about that, but this is also an episode that is an encouragement for moms who are in their business, and they feel like they are just constantly hustling that the mundane time consuming tasks are just taking over their life and they don’t know how to get back that clarity and that phone focus and the creativity, and really get back to doing things in their business that they love and that got them excited. And the whole reason that you started your business in the first place and listen, if that’s you, I get it.
Shelley: (00:53)
There is no shame in being caught up in the day today of your business and feeling like sometimes your business is running. You I’ve been there before. I feel like a lot of us moms get into that rut, but I’m here to tell you that if that’s where you are today, that’s the place that you are in your business. Then it’s probably time to start outsourcing, delegating and getting some help in your business. Bringing someone in that can help you with those mundane time consuming tasks and taking some things off your plate. And if you’re thinking to yourself, ah, Shelly, I can’t do that. Like this is my business, my home base business. I can’t bring in a team member or I can’t outsource. I can’t delegate. Like I have to do it on myself. Well, that’s what we’re talking about today. And we’ve got some tips for you to get started and getting help in your business.
Shelley: (01:44)
What a virtual assistant can do to help you move in that direction. It is such a help, such a relief when you have someone else that can help you with your business, but not only that you will see your business grow substantially. I know that when I started delegating and outsourcing some tasks and getting some hands on help at is really when my business started to take off. And I want that for you too, because I believe that as moms, we can create successful thriving businesses online, but that doesn’t mean that we have to become a slave to social media or that we have to give up every inch of our sanity and that our businesses have to run our lives. So let’s work smarter, not harder. And that’s what we’re talking about with Ashley today. And speaking of working smarter, not harder, if you are ready to get a system in place for your business and you know that you want to grow it online and using social media, but you really haven’t figured out what kind of content to post to get sales.
Shelley: (02:43)
What kind of conversations to have with potential team members to grow your team. And you’re just feeling stuck. You feel like you are spending so much time online with little to no results. Then now is the time to join us in the group growth blueprint. If you don’t know what that is, check it out. Group growth, blueprint.com. It is a self-led course where I will teach you how to start, how to grow, how to optimize, and then monetize your Facebook group so that you not only generate leads and prospects on autopilot at 24 7, but you also are able to turn those people in to team members and customers and grow your network marketing business from home. It’s phenomenal, but now’s the time to get in there because Ashley is actually going to be jumping into a private community that we’ve created just for the members of the group growth blueprint. You’re gonna get one on one attention and support to help you implement everything that you’re in the course. So for the price of just a standalone course, we are now offering this one-on-one personalized support because we wanna make sure that you are able to see results and that you’re able to have a lot of success in your network marketing business, and that you’re able to do that faster. So now is the time to jump in again, group growth, blueprint.com, and we are gonna get started chatting with Ashley.
Shelley: (04:08)
Hey mama, feel like you’ve tried it all to grow your business online. Every social media script, trick or hack doing exactly what your upline tells you, but you still feel like you’re missing something. We’ll Google no more. It’s time to stop up hustling every day and starting from zero every month. Hi, I’m Shelly. I’m a marketing coach and proud entrepreneur that after a 10 year career in corporate advertising and sales decided to use my skills and talents to build an online business. I don’t have any get rich quick promises for you here because those don’t work anyway. But I do bring you weekly insight and try to help you put real marketing back into network marketing. If you’re ready to reach more people with your message and lead from a place of service, then I can show you how to run a profitable online business, automated to save you time and do it all around your life. As a mom, you’re in the right place for welcome to the successful networking mom’s community. Let’s get started.
Shelley: (05:05)
Hey everybody. Okay. So I’m so excited to dive into this chat today with Ashley Artley. Now, if you guys have heard the podcast or you’ve been in the Facebook group, then you probably know who she is because she actually is helping us the successful networking model podcast, and the group could not run without Ashley. And so I wanted to bring her on and let you guys hear from her about what a virtual assistant is, what they do, how they help their clients. Because if you guys are stuck in this constant cycle of feeling like you have to do everything yourself in your business, and you’re getting kind of burn at out, and you know, you need some help, but you don’t know where to start. This is gonna be a great conversation for you guys today. So welcome Ashley. Thank you for being on with us. Thank you
Ashley: (05:52)
For having me, Shelly. Um, welcome. This is fun to actually be on the podcast instead of listening to it.
Shelley: (05:58)
Ashley: (06:12)
Okay. Like, um, like she said, I’m a virtual assistant and I live in, in Michigan and I’m in the Detroit Metro area. I am a mom of seven, seven little children around the age of 11 all the way down to five weeks. And I’m busy. Like all moms
Shelley: (06:38)
Yep. That’s awesome. And okay guys, so you’ve probably heard if you’ve listened to the podcast I’m in Alabama and Ashley is in Michigan. So that’s the great thing about having like an online business is we’ve actually never met in person. I feel like I know her though, of course, and we can get things done and collaborate and worked to, we do it all online. So that’s the beauty of what a virtual assistant can offer you is that it’s a team member that doesn’t have to be in your home or in your office. Like we are into totally different parts of the us and yet still work really well together. So that’s one really cool thing. But just in general, if, um, our listeners have no idea what a virtual assistant is, or they don’t know what a virtual assistant does or how they help business owners, can you give ’em a little bit of a background about what is a VA? Like, what do they do for their clients?
Ashley: (07:29)
Yeah. So, um, well first the thing, um, to say that VA is the appreciate abbreviation for virtual assistant mm-hmm
Shelley: (08:13)
That’s exactly right. And once you start outsourcing and delegating a couple of things, you’ll probably think of even more things that you could get help with. So that’s the beauty of it as well, just to give you an example in my business. So Ashley helps us with managing the Facebook groups, email marketing, scheduling out posts and things. So if you see posts that are made or interactions or emails coming out, it’s probably actually Ashley scheduling and doing all of that. So there’s a lot that a virtual assistant can help you with. Definitely. So what are some of the things that you love the best? Like what are your favorite things to do for your clients specifically?
Ashley: (08:54)
Okay, so I, I like doing it all, but one of my favorite things, and it’s just so satisfying to have like a month of things scheduled out like a month of posts or a month of content, or, you know, it’s just like so satisfying to see the entire month filled up and it’s like ready to go. That, that to me is really satisfying, but I do love everything. And I think what for me is like the biggest, um, kind of benefit to me in doing the work for my clients is that I get to free them up to be able to do what they love to do and be able to do it well. And so like my wins are seeing my clients win, you know, like seeing them being successful or grow their business or hitting that next, you know, mark that they wanted to hit. And knowing that I had like just a small piece in that, because I took something off of their plate. So that’s what I love to do.
Shelley: (09:46)
And that’s a great point. OK. Cause I wanna talk about that for a sec, with the scheduling out a month in advance and taking that off their plate because the majority of us probably did not start home based businesses to just schedule posts and to be writing content all the time. Right. But it’s one of those things that has to be done. And so when that part is outsourced and you have someone else that can help you with that, you really get to be more creative. You get to do the things in your business that are in your wheelhouse, that are your particular skill set. And I know I hear a lot of mom saying, well, if I’m gonna grow a business online, like just the content itself is daunting. And the idea that like they have to constantly be on social media posting is just daunting. But when you have someone that is doing that for you, that’s not your reality anymore. You don’t have to constantly be on social media, constantly be posting. You can actually do the things and work with the people and pour into your team and do the things that you actually get excited about. So, but yes, it’s extremely fulfilling when you look and you see that whole month of content is planned out. Ready to go. Awesome.
Ashley: (10:56)
Yeah.
Shelley: (10:57)
I have a question about how you got started. Like how did you even know about becoming a virtual assistant? Like how did that get on your radar and how did you get started?
Ashley: (11:06)
Yeah, so it’s a kinda a funny story. So I had a friend of mine who, um, we like literally once a year go and get Manny pets together once a year. Cause like that’s, we have to carve out.
Ashley: (11:19)
So we went and got it done and we were on the way back. And she was telling me a little bit about what she does and she is an online business manager. So she does it like with systems and, you know, like runs the whole system of people, of their businesses. Mm-hmm
Shelley: (12:05)
That’s amazing. Yeah. And I bet when you look back, like in three years, all the stuff that you learned and been able to help people with it’s crazy, huh?
Ashley: (12:11)
Yes. Yeah. It is. It is crazy. And it’s interesting because, um, like I learn a skill and then someone asked me to do something else. I’m like, I could figure that out and I learned another skill
Shelley: (12:22)
So I say this all the time that everything is figure outable. And so if you have that mindset, then yeah, you can help people with all kinds of things, because let’s be honest as this is sometimes they don’t wanna figure it out on their own. They would rather have somebody that is like, you that’s like, okay, I can figure that out. I can learn it. And then they don’t have to learn 1,000,001 new skills. They just have someone that can do that for them. That’s so cool.
Ashley: (12:47)
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And so you,
Shelley: (12:50)
Oh, go ahead.
Ashley: (12:52)
Then once you learn it, you know, once I learned it, I learned it, you know, it’s done
Shelley: (12:56)
Yes. And then you can apply it to like future clients, other clients that you have once you have that skill, it’s there. It’s with you.
Ashley: (13:02)
Yes, exactly.
Shelley: (13:04)
So what about, okay, so speaking of which you probably do a lot of different things for a lot of different clients, so you’ve kind of seen it all, so to speak in online BI um, what’s a tip that you would give to somebody that has never outsourced. They are carrying the weight of their entire business on their back and they’re like, I need help. I just don’t know where to get started. What are some of the first things they should outsource or some things they should get in place?
Ashley: (13:29)
Okay. I definitely think, um, one of the first things that you could outsource that is really some it’s just scheduling mm-hmm,
Shelley: (14:39)
Ashley: (14:43)
Exactly. So just being willing to let things go, you know, is very helpful. Yeah.
Shelley: (14:49)
Which is kinda a talking point in and of itself because I feel like we are, at least me and I feel like other women can relate to this. Like you’re a mom and you’re running a business and you just feel like you have to do it all yourself because either no one else can do it the way you would do it. Or, you know, you know how you want things. And so it almost feels like it be more daunting to try to release that. But I can tell you, I felt the same way I really needed help before I actually got help. Um, and I feel like a lot of people are probably in that same boat where it’s like, oh, I’m scared to hand off because I don’t know if anybody could do it the way I would do it or, or whatever. But the fact of the matter is once you show someone how you want it done.
Shelley: (15:34)
Yeah. A lot of the tasks that you’re doing in your business are probably time consuming in their tasks that someone else could help you with and could take off your plate. And so you’re getting stuck in this rut of doing everything. When really you should just be doing the things that only you can do, you know, you’re the face of your business, you’re the brand, it all. And so there are things that only you can do, but the rest of it, you really can train, teach and hand off. And so I think the sooner that they can, that you can get to that place in your mind where you’re like, okay, I can let go of this part. I can, I can outsource, I can delegate this. You don’t have to do it all at once. But little by little, the quicker that you can get there more free, that you’ll feel in your business.
Shelley: (16:14)
And it’s like you said, use the word blessing. And I think that’s exactly what it is because you don’t realize until you delegate that how much time it was actually taking you. And I know for me, I would always be like, well, I’m really not spending that much time scheduling or I’m really not spending that much time doing email marketing until I wasn’t doing it. And I was like, no, actually that took a really long time
Ashley: (16:45)
Yes. And also too, I think a great tool just in communicating that someone could use is something like loom where you can record your screen and show yourself doing the tasks that you want done. And then that way your VA knows exactly how you want it done and they, and they’ll have that recording to go back to you anytime they need to remember how you wanted it done. Mm-hmm
Shelley: (17:08)
That’s a really good tip. Yep. Loom L O O yeah. I’ll like that in the show notes actually be because I know we’ve used bloom and that’s, and I mean, just in general, that’s a good thing to have if you’re training your team too, and you’re wanting things that are duplicatable, just go ahead and record whatever your daily monotonous tasks are and then either share it with your team, share it with, um, a team member, share it with your VA. So that’s a really good, I’m glad you mentioned that.
Ashley: (17:35)
Yes. Awesome.
Shelley: (17:37)
So did you have anything else you wanted to share with everybody or how they can get in touch with you if they wanna, um, follow you or maybe reach out for some assistance?
Ashley: (17:47)
Yeah. I mean, if, if anyone wants to get in touch with me, they can just click on my profile and then I have my business link right there, lending hands and, you know, just reach out or send me a DM, which would be great. But yeah, so I’m pretty accessible.
Shelley: (18:02)
That’s awesome. And like I said, Ashley has been such a tremendous help to us and well, I say us, my husband and I, because it’s my business that I’m running. But the fact that some of my time is freed up has allowed me to do more things around the house and in the home. And my business has really grown since she came on board. So I am Prova you guys, you still have one, you’re probably, uh, at a point in your business when you need one before you realize you need one. So if you find that you’re doing like a lot of monotonous tasks or you feel like you’re just constantly hustling, then it’s probably time to reach out for some help.
Ashley: (18:38)
Yeah, exactly.
Shelley: (18:40)
Yeah. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for chatting with us Ashley. And of course everybody you’ll be seeing her around in the Facebook group. And we’ll talk to you later.
Ashley: (18:50)
Thank you for having me.
Shelley: (18:51)
You’re welcome.
Speaker 6: (18:53)
You’ve been listening to the successful networking moms podcast. If you are ready to take action, start reaching your sales, recruitment, and income goals. Now then join us in the successful networking moms Facebook group. This free community offers support from me, us the accountability of a thousand other networking moms, scaling their businesses, search on Facebook for successful networking moms, or check the show notes for the link to join.