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In this episode, AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith is flipping the script on Disasters, Disappointments & Defeats. She will challenge your mindset, as well as your response.  In this week’s episode, Melissa shares: 1:09 - What all these things have in common; 1:54 - The opportunity you may not see at first glance; 2:45 - What Melissa encourages you to do; 4:55 - Melissa’s response to pick herself up; 6:39 - What really defines you in these moments; What do you do when you have disasters, disappointments, and defeats? Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Connect with Melissa on social media! Instagram: @melissasmithva  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/ Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when membership opens up again. We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

In this episode, AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith is asking how you are Making Your Requests Known. Plus, she’ll share how to know if it’s working or not. In this week’s episode, Melissa shares: 0:44 - Why this profound question should be answered with a yes or no; 1:40 - The importance of making your requests known; 5:08 - How making your requests known applies to your VA business; 6:23 - What makes a good request; 7:34 - The underestimation VAs often make; 8:43 - What to be concerned about (it’s not being salesy!); 10:16 - Why Melissa wants you to make your requests known; How will you make your requests known? Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Connect with Melissa on social media! Instagram: @melissasmithva  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/ Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when membership opens up again. We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

In this episode, AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith wants to know if you are talking or listening. More importantly, what you are talking and listening to when it comes to yourself. In this week’s episode, Melissa shares: 1:15 - Why talking to yourself is sometimes more necessary than listening; 2:05 - Taking an inventory of what you’re listening to; 2:30 - The importance of calling yourself by name when you talk to yourself; 3:50 - Examples of how Melissa talks to herself; 6:10 - Protecting yourself from what you’re listening to; 8:09 - Talking to yourself about your own value How will you start talking to yourself and what will you stop listening to? Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Connect with Melissa on social media! Instagram: @melissasmithva  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/ Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when membership opens up again. We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

In this episode, AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith shares her word for 2023 and what it means.   In this week’s episode, Melissa shares: 0:43 - A reminder of her word from 2022; 2:08 - Why she gives herself a year to live to out her word; 3:35 - How Melissa picked her word for 2023; 4:55 - Melissa’s word for 2023 and what it means; 6:56 - What she encourages you to do with your word; What is your word for 2023? Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Connect with Melissa on social media! Instagram: @melissasmithva  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/ Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when membership opens up again. We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

In this episode, AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith shares why she’s already overwhelmed this year and what she’s doing about it. It can work for you too!  In this week’s episode, Melissa shares: 0:45 - Why she is overwhelmed; 1:02 - Where the overwhelm is coming from; 2:55 - Why goals are goals, not deadlines; 3:15 - What to do when you’re overwhelmed; 5:25 - Why you don’t need to overwhelm yourself; What’s your best tip to beat feeling overwhelmed? Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Connect with Melissa on social media! Instagram: @melissasmithva  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/ Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when membership opens up again. We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

This month we’ve been bringing you the best of the best episodes of the year from the No Frills VA Podcast. Coming in at #3 is: Natural Born Leader with Latrice Prater.  Latrice Prater is the CEO of The Digital Solutions Team, an agency providing tech solutions to female business owners. In this episode, Latrice shares her journey of solo VA to creating a team of 14 in just two years! If you want to be inspired just listen to this episode with Latrice and learn how far she’s come in a short amount of time then go follow her and see how much she still continues to strive for. Latrice will be the first to tell you it’s not always pretty and it’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it. Listen (or listen again) to her inspiring journey.  In this episode, Latrice shares: 2:20 - Latrice’s background prior to becoming a VA; 2:41 - Why Latrice desired to become her own boss; 3:30 - The mindset work Latrice did to prepare herself for business; 4:21 - The power in being 100% authentic and transparent;  12:53 - How Latrice ensures her clients meet her values; 18:15 - How Latrice went from no plans of having a team to hiring six people in six months; 25:13 - Latrice’s struggle in delegating to her team; 27:57 - The benefit of having started 10 businesses prior to her VA business; 30:52  - Finding success and a winning strategy with ADHD; 34:40 - Why even good CEOs want to throw their business away! Prefer to watch the video? Click here to view it on our Youtube channel and don’t forget to subscribe. Past Podcast & Blogs featuring Latrice: FREEDOM TO DESIGN YOUR LIFEBLACK HISTORY MONTH & VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS-CELEBRATING LATRICE PRATER BLACK HISTORY MONTH & VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS   Connect with Latrice! Website: https://www.thedigitalsolutionsteam.com/ Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/latrice-prater/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vasupport4her/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/virtualsolutionsforher   Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when we open membership again! We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

This month we’re bringing you the best of the best episodes of the year from the No Frills VA Podcast. Coming in at #2 is: Transforming Your Life & Mind with Sherry Parks.  Sherry is a CPA, a money mindset coach, and a certified Life Coach who helps clients escape feeling trapped by their finances.  She is passionate about helping them change their mindset, emotions, and actions regarding money.  It’s always a good time to transform your life and mind and reach your next level in life and in business. Listen (or listen again) to this transformational episode.  In this episode, Sherry shares: 1:17 - How Melissa found Sherry; 2:14 - Sherry’s background; 5:07 - Why Sherry became a life coach; 9:09 - How Sherry defines abundance; 14:40 - Using affirmations to change your patterns; 18:48 - What Sherry is looking for when she creates affirmations with her clients; 20:00 - How Sherry uses emotions and actions to change mindsets; 24:23 - What we can do to make mindset shifts; 25:54 - The opportunity of being uncomfortable; 29:44 - What we can do now to no longer feel trapped by finances; 30:14 - How to get clarity on what you really want; Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Connect with Sherry! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1412224992154642  ttps://www.facebook.com/sherry.parks.965 www.livesinbalance.com  Mentioned in the show: The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks 8 Hacks to Attract Abundance - Sherry Parks Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when we open membership again! We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

This month we’re bringing you the best of the best episodes of the year from the No Frills VA Podcast. Coming in at #1 is: How to Find What Your Clients Truly Value. This is a very popular topic among VAs so it’s no surprise this episode received the most downloads of the year.  Listen (or listen again) as AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith shares how she unexpectedly found out how to find what clients truly value and how you can too!  In this episode, Melissa shares: 0:47 - What Melissa struggled with when she first started her business; 1:58 - A time when Melissa was floored by what someone valued; 3:45 - The value of being a seat filler; 5:00 - What you can do to find value; 6:14 - The point of finding what clients value; 7:50 - The only way to know what clients value most; 9:12 - Finding the sweet spot of speaking value; What’s your story about finding value? Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Connect with Melissa on social media! Instagram: @melissasmithva  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/ Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when we open membership again! We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

In this episode, AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith shares why the practice of gratitude is not enough unless you return kindness to yourself.  In this week’s episode, Melissa shares: 0:43 - How returning kindness to yourself is part of the gratitude process; 1:37 - How VAs return kindness to others but not themselves; 2:25 - Areas where VAs can but usually don’t return kindness to themselves; 3:03 - How you can be kind to yourself even in failure; 5:22 - How you can be kind to yourself when you don’t hit your goal; 6:37 - Being kind to yourself when you’re afraid; 8:00 - Why your future self needs kindness; How will you return kindness to yourself? Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Connect with Melissa on social media! Instagram: @melissasmithva  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/ Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when membership opens up again. We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

Dorie Clark is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Long Game and teaches for Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. In this episode Dorie shares: 3:29 - What it means to be a short-term thinker; 6:41 - Why we should be excited about exponential growth; 10:45 - The trade-off of being bad in order to be great; 16:55 - How we can think in decades; 22:09 - Learning to deal with obstacles differently; 28:52 - Dorie’s advice to those with shiny object syndrome; 37:26 - What to do when you don’t know where to start; The Long Game Self-Assessment: https://dorieclark.com/thelonggame/  Dorie’s Books: https://dorieclark.com/books/  Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Connect with Dorie! Twitter: https://twitter.com/dorieclark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doriec/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dorieclarkauthor/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dorieclark/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DorieClark Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when we open membership again! We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

In this episode, AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith dares you to be brave enough to create a 20-year plan for your life. In this week’s episode, Melissa shares: 1:52 - Why this isn’t your normal VA plan; 2:42 - Why knowing full plan details isn’t brave; 4:57 - What your 20 year plan represents; 6:20 - Melissa shares her very first 20 year plan; 9:16 - The next 20 years; Are you brave enough? Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. There’s No Plan B for Your A-Game: Be the Best in the World at What You Do Connect with Melissa on social media! Instagram: @melissasmithva  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/ Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when membership opens up again. We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

In this episode, AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith shares why this time of year is the perfect time to say a good goodbye. In this week’s episode, Melissa shares: 0:58 - Why it’s always a good time to ask yourself if you need a good goodbye; 1:20 - What a good goodbye is; 2:24 - Melissa shares one of her most profound good goodbyes; 4:44 - Why good goodbyes can be challenging; 5:45 - The importance of marking your good goodbye with an occasion; 6:35 - What a good goodbye is not; What are saying goodbye to and saying hello to in the coming year? Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. The Good Goodbye: How to Navigate Change and Loss in Life, Love, and Work Connect with Melissa on social media! Instagram: @melissasmithva  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/ Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when membership opens up again. We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

Diana Aitchison is a VA specializing in Remote Operations for transformational tech organizations. Diana, being an "All the Things" VA is also nomadic and enjoys being a global foodie.   In this week’s episode, Diana shares: 2:14 - What it means to be a first generation Canadian; 5:11 - The bravery it takes to go out into the world; 5:49 - How Dee became a digital nomad; 9:45 - Getting her first clients; 11:07 - What Dee did right and what she would change looking back; 17:06 - Serving fewer clients at a high level we align best with; 24:40 - Dee’s hobby as a foodie that landed her on TV; 37:15 - What’s next for Dee; Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Connect with Diana! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/outandaboutva/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/haveforkwilltravel  IG: https://www.instagram.com/haveforkwilltravel/    Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when we open membership again! We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

In this episode, AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith congratulates you for asking (or even thinking) that There’s Gotta Be A Better Way!In this week’s episode, Melissa shares:0:54 - What to do when things don’t feel right in your VA business;1:20 - Why it’s okay not to have all the answers;2:08 - A point of frustration many VAs face;2:30 - Your answer for the best way to do something in your business;3:15 - Melissa’s encouragement;Do you have a different way of doing business?Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos.Connect with Melissa on social media!Instagram: @melissasmithva LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when membership opens up again. We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

In this episode, AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith shares how she's gone from having a very urgent, productive lifestyle to a non-urgent, yet still productive lifestyle.  In this week’s episode, Melissa shares:   1:25 - Three things that helped Melissa create a non-urgent, productive lifestyle; 1:43 - How Melissa unexpectedly let go of perfectionism; 2:39 - Creating deadlines to get things done and not perfect; 2:58 - Why believing everything is going to work out helped Melissa; 3:37 - The reason hard work is not sustainable; 4:56 - Working in your energy levels for yourself, not just your clients; 6:29 - What Melissa encourages you to do if you have already created a non-urgent, productive lifestyle; 7:10 - What being urgent takes from you and your business; What helps you feel non-urgent, yet productive so you can enjoy your business? Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Connect with Melissa on social media! Instagram: @melissasmithva  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/ Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when membership opens up again. We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

TaVona Denise is a Master Certified Coach who helps entrepreneurs not be miserable during their launches. In this week’s episode, TaVona shares: 1:49 - What is not talked about enough when it comes to launches; 2:38 - What launch trauma is; 3:02 - What happens when there is too much, too soon, too fast; 6:00 - How experiencing launch trauma is more than a mindset; 9:18 - Overcoming launch pre PTSD; 10:11 - TaVona’s favorite place to begin working with a client; 13:30 - Melissa shares her launch stories (success and failure); 18:52 - The first place to start on a launch trauma road to recovery; 21:10 - The story you tell yourself about your launch; 21:57 - The myths regarding a successful launch; 23:45 - How TaVona has sold over half a million dollars over the last two years without creating a program; 24:45 - Why TaVona doesn’t create her courses before she launches; 29:31 - Words of encouragement from TaVona regarding your next launch; Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Connect with TaVona! https://www.tavonadenise.com/  @tavonadenise    Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Membership is currently open and this is the last time this year you’ll be able to join. Join the AVA today! We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

In this episode, AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith talks about bad decisions. We all make them. It’s what we do after that counts.    “Bad decisions make good stories.” — Ellis Vidler   In this week’s episode, Melissa shares:   1:04 - What to do after you make a bad decision; 1:48 - Melissa’s story of a bad thing that happened in life; 3:00 - Melissa’s story of a bad decision she made in business; 4:11 - Why bad decisions make good stories; 4:38 - The powerful thing about creating your story; 5:15 - The story Melissa shares with potential clients; 6:58 - What to do if you don’t think you have a story;   What is your story?   Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos.   Connect with Melissa on social media! Instagram: @melissasmithva  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/   Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when we open membership this month! We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

In this episode, AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith talks about why networking feels icky and how to make it feel natural through relationship networking. In this week’s episode, Melissa shares: 1:29 - What makes VAs feel icky about networking; 1:56 - Why the amount of networking VAs participate in raises red flags; 2:23 - The solution the AVA offers to make networking easy; 3:12 - The real reason it feels icky to network; 3:40 - What you don’t have to worry about when you’re a member of the AVA; 4:42 - How not to sound salesy; 5:19 - The great thing about relationship networking; What is the best relationship networking story? Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Visit our blog for more on networking this month! Connect with Melissa on social media! Instagram: @melissasmithva  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/ Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when we open membership again! We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

Robbie Samuels is an author, speaker, and business growth strategy coach recognized as a networking expert by Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Lifehacker, and Inc. He is also a virtual event design consultant and executive Zoom producer recognized as an industry expert in the field of digital event design by JDC Events. In this week’s episode, Robbie shares: 1:32 - How the pandemic catapulted his business; 3:43 - What it meant to build a business and be an “overnight” success; 6:45 - Why it’s important to have an email list; 9:41 - What to include in your emails; 12:59 - What a little P problem is; 16:00 - Why the traditional sales funnel is broken; 21:49 - The reason you hesitate to invest in your business; 24:04 - Why people overestimate their ability; 28:15 - Offering value while networking; 30:05 - Why free content is valuable; 35:07 - Letting your network know what you do; 37:08 - Your throughline when you’re doing all the things; 38:50 - Having specific clients for your offers; 42:23 - How to wake up your network; 45:29 - What makes you a successful business owner; Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. FREE Gift: https://www.RobbieSamuels.com/nofrills - The Big Results Toolkit, which has several resources to help you implement the strategies in "Small List, Big Results: Launch a Successful Offer No Matter the Size of Your Email List."  Connect with Robbie! https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbiesamuels https://www.twitter.com/robbiesamuels https://www.facebook.com/robbiesamuels  Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when we open membership again! We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.

In this episode, AVA Founder & CEO, Melissa Smith shares why it’s important to network even when you’re a high-achiever. In this week’s episode, Melissa shares: 0:55 - Why the AVA is focusing on networking during the month of August; 1:20 - The disconnect between the value of networking and the action of networking; 2:10 - Problems that arise by doing it all on your own; 2:46 - Are you setting yourself up to benefit from your network? 4:12 - What if networking felt more natural? 4:51 - Why Melissa loves to network; What is your best networking story? Prefer to watch the video? Click here to watch it by visiting our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you get notified of future videos. Visit our blog for more on networking this month! Connect with Melissa on social media! Instagram: @melissasmithva  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/ Like the podcast? Want more with VAs like yourself? Join the AVA when we open membership again! We’re at associationofvas.com. We’d also love for you to share! You can tag us at @associationofvas on social media.