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I have some big news, that I wanted to share with you personally, an important update regarding Up Close & Virtual.
Sadly, I’ve taken the very difficult decision to pause my podcast recording. I’ve been handed the most fantastic opportunity with a long-term client, whose business I’m passionate about. However, with the increased responsibilities and time constraints something has to give.
It’s been a tough decision to make; I’ve loved every single recording and got to know some truly inspirational VAs and business owners. Each and every guest has invested in me or given up their precious time to chat with me and share their experiences, which I know has empowered lots of people to set out on their own business journey.
To all the esteemed guests, I extend my sincerest and most heartfelt thanks. Your willingness to share your insights and expertise has meant the world to me, and I'm truly grateful.
To our loyal listeners, thank you for tuning in! I’ve been amazed at the growing number of you who regularly listen, comment, and send your words of encouragement. I promise to keep you updated on any developments regarding the podcast's return.
Thank you all for being part of my podcasting journey. Your support fuels my passion, and I can't wait to reconnect with you all very soon.
It’s not goodbye, just au revoir.
Kx
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Robyn Greaves of Start Sort Scale joins me this week.
Robyn is a full-time digital nomad and start-up founder. She spends her time travelling the world and collaborating with business owners to automate their processes and set them up to scale. She is passionate about giving people the freedom to work from anywhere and live life on their own terms.
Prior to launching her business, Start Sort Scale, Robyn spent 15 years as an Executive Assistant across diverse industries including not-for-profit, media publishing, and digital businesses. In 2021, Robyn won an Australian Admin Award for excellence in a multi-functional admin role.
Robyn's passion for the pivotal role of Assistants led her to create "Mastering the Power of ChatGPT: a Guide for Executive Assistants and Virtual Assistants" and the online course "Intro to AI for Executive Assistants." She has emerged as a leading voice in this space, empowering administrative professionals to leverage Artificial Intelligence and get their work done faster, with less effort.
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-greaves/
Instagram: @start.sort.scale
Buy the ChatGPT Guide: https://startsortscale.com/chatgptguide/
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I'm delighted to welcome Amy Goss of onethreefourcreative to the show this week.
Amy is a creative freelancer and Virtual Assistant and was recently runner up in the Best VA Newcomer category at the UK VA Awards in 2023.
Having started her career at a creative design agency which specialised in Sci-Communications; Amy gained invaluable insights and experiences into how some of the world’s biggest household named brands are run. After nearly three and half years and a late diagnosis of ADHD, using the skills and knowledge she’d acquired in the role, Amy decided to take a leap of faith in mid-2022 and branch out on her own.
A venture born out of the belief that small businesses and neurodivergents deserve the same level of support as their larger counterparts. Amy’s goal is to not only assist small business owners, but also fellow neurodivergents in reaching their full potential and to help her clients become the best version of themselves and reach their goals.
Learn all about Amy on the links below:
Website: https://www.onethreefourcreative.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onethreefourcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/onethreefourcreative
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My first guest of 2024 is the lovely Amy Russell, a multi-award winning VA, with over 30 years in administration, HR and Office management.
She manages a team of 15 based across the UK. Her passions are finding efficiencies within businesses and providing flexibility for her clients and team. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Administrative Management and an accredited VA with The Society of Virtual Assistants. Her accolades include Winner of Lead VA with a Large Team & Runner Up Outstanding VA - UK VA Awards 2022, Winner of VA of the Year - PA Hub Awards 2022, and Runner Up North East VA of the Year 2021.
A keen runner, she regularly takes part in parkrun, and other 5K road races. She loves collecting racing “bling” – runners speak for medals! To relax she enjoys a good crime thriller or autobiography, as well as a tough jigsaw and has just rediscovered her love of sewing. Amy loves to travel within the UK and overseas, with her husband and daughter.
Learn more about Amy on the links below:
https://crescentva.co.uk/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyrussellcrescentva/
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It was an absolute pleasure to have Caroline Marshall on the show this week.
Caroline is the founder of a multi award winning Virtual Assistant Agency, Upsource: a team of VAs who provide expert Virtual Assistance to Entrepreneurs, HNWs, Startups, Scale ups and SME’s.
She launched Upsource in lockdown 2020: not sure of where she stood in her career, pregnant with her second child, having previously been made redundant before her child had turned one.
She went back to what she excelled at – providing businesses invaluable support as a Virtual Assistant. The plan was to build the business for 6 months, and then take some proper maternity leave. By the time Caroline was ready to welcome her second baby they had grown to a team of 5!
2023 has seen Upsource grow to a 30 woman strong Business & Lifestyle support agency and the launch of passion project, the Bump to Business Owner podcast.
Learn more about Caroline below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepooley/
https://www.instagram.com/weareupsource/
https://www.instagram.com/bumptobusinessowner/
https://podfollow.com/1695056315
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Sam J Hogwood from Escape From The City is my lovely guest on the latest episode of the podcast.
After 20 years as an EA in London, Sam embarked on a new adventure as a VA in 2019. As her business grew, so did her love of writing. Sam's business evolved through the pandemic, and after training & working with a couple of fantastic copy coaches and mentors, she became a copywriter and researcher.
Sam helps business owners straighten out messy ideas in their head by writing impactful, persuasive copy that tells the story of them and their brand - copy that resonates with their ideal client. She writes what you want to say in the form of website copy, blogs, case studies, articles, newsletters, and more. Sam has always been interested in people and what makes us tick, and especially likes to help people who find it difficult to be heard above the noisy digital chatter.
A detail-orientated person, she also has in depth research skills. She loves the challenge of unravelling large amounts of information into concise, easy to digest information. Her city days had her managing large, complex diaries and inboxes as well as being the communication glue between depts and that’s where those skills developed.
Learn more about Sam on the links below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-j-hogwood-escape-from-the-city-content-creation/
https://www.instagram.com/sam_escapefromthecity/
https://www.facebook.com/samjhogwoodescapefromthecity
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It was a pleasure to have Hana Gray, the founder of the The Office Management Group, on the show this week.
The Office Management Group, is a unique, specialist consultancy and space for office and administrative professionals worldwide via an online Portal and Course, as well as the Awards and other initiatives.
Underpinned by her core belief that offices and office personnel are the backbone of any business, Hana’s mission is to support, and ultimately empower, professionals across all aspects of office operations.
Far beyond helping to build efficient and profitable office operations, the wider vision is to elevate, celebrate and recognise these amazing multi-tasking and multi-talented individuals and the office management profession as a whole.
Learn more about Hana on the links below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hana-gray-theomg/
https://www.instagram.com/theofficemanagementgroup/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu32FyA4tsIHukDUpvWCuww
https://www.facebook.com/theOMG2020
https://open.spotify.com/episode/51x5SQlbo2VHXCziA1GaMA?si=cbc61a68e2f64803
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It was a pleasure to welcome the lovely Holly Copsey, founder of the award winning Virtually Priceless, to the show.
Holly launched Virtually Priceless following a successful City career, where she was the right-hand woman to senior leaders in the financial services industry. Her background includes the roles of EA to the Global CEO of Barclaycard and for the Chairman of Lloyds Banking Group. She is now focused on building an exceptional team to support ambitious clients and helping them to achieve their goals.
Holly brings a wealth of experience and provides strategic advice to clients, often becoming a highly trusted partner in their businesses. She is adept in dealing with a range of influential stakeholders and understands how to manage senior relationships effectively. She is particularly passionate about supporting business owners through periods of rapid growth and strives to provide excellence and flexibility to clients.
Holly has a degree in Business Studies and a Pitman Executive PA qualification. When she’s not looking after clients, she loves spending time at the stables with her horses and two young children, hiking around the Essex countryside or working on her dream garden project.
Learn more about Holly here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollycopsey/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuallypriceless
https://www.instagram.com/virtuallypriceless/
https://www.facebook.com/VirtuallyPriceless
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The lovely Bee Higgins joined me this week.
Bee is a creative copywriter, content writer and messaging mentor for heart-led small business owners ready to express their unique magic with words. From 1:1 mentoring sessions, done-for-you offerings and her group membership, Bloom With Bee, there are a myriad of ways to work with Bee to attract kindred clients and nip copy and content overwhelm in the bud.
When she's not at her desk, you'll find her reading secondhand books, padding the village fields with her dog, and seeking poetry in everyday moments.
Learn more about Bee here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bee-higgins/
https://www.instagram.com/bloomwithbeecopy/
https://twitter.com/BloomWithBee
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The award winning Joanne Manville is my guest this week and I was delighted to welcome her to the show.
Joanne worked for over 10 years as an Executive PA and launched Joanne Manville Virtual Assistance in 2015. She had a very exciting few years, growing her business to include a team of specialist associates and winning UK Outstanding VA in 2019 and 2020. Drawing on her love of admin and organising, Joanne and her team support growing businesses by giving them the time and space to focus on what they do best. Joanne loves assisting business owners, coaches and entrepreneurs strategically, helping them understand what to outsource and what approach will benefit their the business the most.
Aside from her passion to support growing businesses, Joanne enjoys walks with friends on Dartmoor, the challenge of Escape Rooms and a good giggle at a Comedy Night.
Learn more about Joanne here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannemanville-virtual-assistant/
https://www.joannemanville.co.uk/
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For this episode, I welcomed the inspirational Chela Hardy to the show.
Chela Hardy of AskChela LLC is a former Executive Assistant who transitioned into a career as a Virtual Assistant in 2001 providing general administrative services to small business owners. Since 2008, she has worked in her business as a Virtual Author & Speaker Assistant, offering a specific set of services (including publishing project management and book marketing brainstorming) to author and speaker clients around the country.
Chela’s longtime presence in the virtual assistance industry has led her to coaching and mentoring several aspiring and new Virtual Assistants into their own careers. The author of Noted! Business Lessons Learned from Twenty-Two Years of Virtual Assistance and Become a More Confident Virtual Assistant: Quick Tips to Help You Believe in Your Entrepreneurial Self, Visualize Success and Grow Your Business, Chela blogs about the VA industry at AskChela.com and has recently launched Chela’s BizDev Binder for Virtual Assistants.
Links for Chela:
https://www.instagram.com/askchela/
https://www.facebook.com/chela.hardy.37
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelahardy/
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It's the first episode of Season 2 and we are back with the wonderful Lucy Everett - The Holistic Business Coach.
Lucy Everett is The Holistic Business Coach and calls her approach ‘business coaching done differently,’ because she believes that the success of our career or business is underpinned by how happy we feel in our personal lives. Her coaching method is all about reviewing life & work as a whole in order to set goals and move towards them with intention and ease – which is reflected in the holistic approach.
She has been on her own journey with personal development for over 10 years, and loves to help people unpack their limiting beliefs, combat lack of confidence and uncover their true greatness.
Lucy became a certified coach in 2021 after several years of running her own small business as a Virtual Assistant. Previously she worked for a global HR provider in the City, and prior to that she spent 10 years as a jewellery buyer for a High Street retailer. Her diverse experience in corporate & creative roles has cultivated a love of strategy which means she’s able to support her clients with business growth as well as personal growth.
Instagram; @lucyeverettcoaching
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucyeverettcoaching/
Website: https://lucyeverettcoaching.podia.com/the-mindful-business-membership
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I am thrilled to welcome an absolute powerhouse of the VA world, Amanda Johnson - Award-winning Virtual Assistant Coach, Trainer and Mentor, International Speaker, and proud Military Veteran.
On her retirement from the military in 2012, Amanda launched her own VA business.. She now works primarily with those wanting to set up a VA business and those who want to grow an awesome and authentic business.
Amanda launched her VA business after a personal tragedy caused her to re-evaluate life; so she understands the drivers behind creating a business that is right for the individual rather than creating someone else’s idea of a business.
Amanda is well known for her genuine, no-nonsense and straight talking advice and support and uses her leadership skills across her coaching, training and mentoring.
In 2021, VACT Limited purchased the UK VA Conference, UK VA Awards and the BeMyVA Directory and theses are all now part of the VACT brand. Amanda is a proud advocate and supporter of the wider VA industry and was recently invited to become a founding member of the Society of Virtual Assistants Advisory Board.
Amanda lives on the south coast of the UK with her husband, Andrew (who runs his own business and is also a military veteran), their two young children, James and Jacob and really does live by her core values and ethos, which is to inspire, support and challenge those wanting a Virtual Assistant business. She likes to travel in her motorhome, to drink expensive champagne, Belgian beer and Belgian chocolate (as a result of living in Belgium during her military days!) and drinks way too much fizzy pop!
VACT Website: www.vact.co.uk
UK VA Conference Website: https://vaconference.co.uk/
BeMyVA Website: https://vaconference.co.uk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandaconstancejohnson/
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Episode 21 of Up Close & Virtual introduces you to Indiana Julian, a 'marketing minded VA'.
I'm delighted to have Indiana Julian as my guest on the show this week. Indiana first worked as a VA during her university years and then transitioned into a variety of different roles in sales and marketing, before returning to work as a VA in January 2022. Since setting up Indiana Julian Consultancy Ltd in March 2022, her business has grown from strength to strength and she now has three team members, helping business owners with their LinkedIn personal brand, their marketing & administrative processes. Indiana's expertise in sales and marketing have been instrumental in transforming her virtual assistance services into a thriving niche, realising the potential of LinkedIn as a business growth platform, and developing strategies to help her clients establish authority, expand their network, and generate valuable leads.
We talked about being a VA as a side hustle at university, how to harness the power of LinkedIn and Indi’s exciting future digital nomad plans.
Currently based in Cardiff Indi serves clients all over the UK (And a couple beyond )! When not working Indiana enjoys scenic walks, travelling & sipping chai lattes in coffee shops.
Find out more about Indiana on the links below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/indiana-julian-bsc/
https://instagram.com/indianajulian.va
https://www.indianajulian.co.uk/
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I can't believe we've reached Episode 20 of Up Close and Virtual!
I was absolutely delighted to welcome Gwen Backhouse to the show this week.
Gwen has been a Virtual Assistant now for nine years, with twenty-three years of experience in the business admin/PA industry. Now working with a team of associates, Gwen has won the top awards in the industry, and even made UK VA Awards history when she went from winning the Best Newcomer Award in 2015 and then went on to win Outstanding UK VA Award in 2018 in the space of three years, a still unbeaten record. Gwen is now a judge for the UK VA Awards and has also judged for the West Midlands PA Awards too.
One thing Gwen is passionate about is collaboration within the VA industry and as a result, she co-founded the North East VA Conference with fellow VA Amy Russell, which saw its first event this year and was a great success. Also, since February 2023, Gwen has taken over the running of the Society of Virtual Assistants to help and support Virtual Assistants across the UK.
When she's not VA-ing, Gwen plays fiddle in a ceilidh band, loves jigsaws, singing (badly) and gardening. She lives in Brampton, Cumbria with her husband, a German Shepherd (Athena) and two guinea pigs (Pete & Manu).
Website: https://www.curlewsecretarial.co.uk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virtualassistantcumbria/
Facebook: : https://www.facebook.com/curlewsecretarial
SVA Website: https://www.societyofvirtualassistants.co.uk
North East VA Conference: https://www.nevac.co.uk/
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For Episode 19, I welcome a very special guest, Jessica McBride, to talk all things ChatGPT and much more...
Jessica McBride is the founder of Tech Savvy Assistant, a platform dedicated to leveraging technology to streamline administrative tasks. With over a decade of experience in the administrative profession, Jessica has garnered deep insights into the intricacies of the role and the potential of technology to revolutionize it.
Jessica's passion lies in teaching. She is driven by the desire to empower other administrative professionals to harness the power of technology, thus simplifying their roles and enhancing their productivity. She accomplishes this through a variety of mediums including speaking events, educational workshops, and personalized coaching and support. Jessica's ability to elucidate complex technological concepts and her infectious enthusiasm make her a highly sought-after speaker and educator.
Beyond her speaking engagements and workshops, Jessica is also an author. Her insightful and concise books, available on Amazon, provide further tools and strategies for integrating technology into administrative roles. They have been praised for their practicality, clarity, and the tangible improvements they bring to their readers' professional lives.
To learn more about Jessica McBride and the services offered by Tech Savvy Assistant, you can visit her website at techsavvyassistant.com. For inquiries, coaching requests, or to invite Jessica to your next event, she can be reached at [email protected]. Jessica's innovative approach, expertise, and dedication make her a dynamic force in the realm of administrative technology. Connect with her today and discover how technology can transform your administrative processes.
Instagram
LinkedIn
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For Episode 18 of Up Close and Virtual, the Katie-VA Business podcast, I was delighted to welcome Cara Birkett, of Miss B VA.
Cara has been an Executive Assistant for 17 years and after being made redundant in December 2020, she opened her own Virtual Assistant business, Miss B VA.
Through Miss B VA, Cara helps Sales Professionals to grow their business by providing virtual assistance on their time-consuming tasks. She supports them in three areas; classic executive support, social media, and her favourite, PowerPoint. Cara understands the importance of being proactive, meaning she is an expert when it comes to scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, project planning &managing travel arrangements. She has also developed the ability to anticipate roadblocks & create effective alternative plans. Her greatest value to any Executive is her ability to work independently, freeing up their time to focus on the needs of the business.
Cara is a PowerPoint expert, a Power Queen, as she likes to call herself. When she was niching down and deciding how she wanted to shape her VA business, she knew PowerPoint was a skill she wanted to offer to her clients. Most people think PowerPoint is old fashioned and boring to use but it is a fantastic platform and Cara is here to show her clients just what a fabulous tool it can be!
Cara firmly believes that organisation is the key to any successful project, and she prides herself on being organised, so you don’t have to.
Links for Cara below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-birkett-virtual-assistant/
https://missbva.co.uk/
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For Episode 17 of Up Close and Virtual, Jenny Lovell of Northern Star VA joined me to talk about her business journey and transition from a Personal Assistant and Internal Communications Specialist to a Virtual Assistant.
Jenny Lovell is a Virtual Assistant and founder of Northern Star VA Ltd. With over 18 years’ combined experience as a Personal Assistant and Internal Communications Specialist. She is passionate about enabling ambitious business owners to grow their businesses by offering creative and technical support with growing their email lists, launching memberships and administrative support. She was born and raised in the North-west of England (Lancashire, Cumbria and Cheshire), but has now settled on the South Coast in Hampshire where she lives with her husband and two young children.
Join us as we dive deeper into her journey and learn how she can guide you towards organisational bliss!
Links for Jenny below:
www.northernstarva.co.uk
www.instagram.com/northern_star_va
www.facebook.com/NorthernStarVA
www.linkedin.com/in/jennymlovell
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I am delighted to welcome Julie Chandler of Intuitively Led for Episode 16 of Up Close and Virtual, the Katie-VA Business podcast.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Julie Chandler, an intuition coach and business development professional. Julie is on a mission to help 10,000 women become intuitively led in their business, and she's here to share her insights on how to harness the power of the universe and intuition to create flow and ease in your business. With over a decade of experience in offering practical guidance within the back end of people's businesses, Julie is known for her unique blend of mixing all her skills and abilities to empower women to connect with their intuition and trust it. So let's dive in and learn from Julie's expertise on how to combine the power of the universe with your business growth.
Julie Chandler is a recognised expert in both the Intuition and Business Coaching spaces with 18 + years of experience working with and teaching intuition and universal energy. As an Intuitive Business Coach, Julie Chandler has achieved industry notoriety and has been featured in countless publications including Daily Mail and Metro as a trusted expert on spiritual, intuitive and energy insights. Bringing a refreshing take on a traditional 'woo' industry, Julie brings a down-to-earth and simple view to working with Intuition, the universe and energy for your business success.
Whether teaching Intuition, Tarot, guiding clients through her signature program b-Y.O.U Aligned or as the host of the Intuitively Led podcast, Julie takes things back to simplicity, reminding you that you're the main character in your success story.
Links for Julie below:
https://www.juliechandler.co.uk/
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intuitivelyled
https://www.instagram.com/juliechandler__/
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I'm delighted to have Sarah Jane as my guest for Episode 15 of Up Close and Virtual, the Katie-VA Business podcast.
Sarah-Jane is a highly experienced administrative support professional with over 35 years of experience in the industry.
She has worked in some of London's top law firms as a legal PA, as well as in the C Suite for a large Japanese company. In the last 20 years, Sarah-Jane has worked in the entertainment industry, starting at a music management company before moving on to become the Manager's assistant for the well-known UK Band Take That for nearly ten years. She has worked as an employed assistant, freelance assistant, and virtual assistant, giving her a wealth of knowledge and experience in all areas of administrative support.
Sarah-Jane is a "client first" person who prides herself on delivering a personalized, right-hand [wo]man service to whoever she works with. She has been described as the "epitome of a first-class assistant" and strives to live up to that title. Sarah-Jane is a self-proclaimed geek who loves technology, apps, and programs, and is always on the lookout for something that improves on whatever they are doing. She is the kind of person who will put systems and processes in place whilst nobody is looking, making everything more time-efficient and easy to find.
Sarah-Jane started her virtual assistant business in 2017 and has been bowled over by the online business world ever since. She finds the vast opportunities available to really grow your business and the mechanics of that super exciting. Her VA client roster (past and present) includes celebrities, Lords & Ladies, High Net Worth Individuals, Influencers, Innovators, and Inventors.
After many years of working and living in Central London, Sarah-Jane now lives in Kent, by the sea, with her dog, enjoying the benefits of designing her life to suit her.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahjaneheath/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahjaneheath/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sjheathva/
https://www.facebook.com/sarahjaneheathonline
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