The Simpler Business Podcast with Marissa Roberts Marissa Roberts

Being a business owner often means wearing multiple hats and juggling multiple tasks all by yourself. You want to do it all because you’re very conscious of your budget and need to be able to afford to run your business as it grows. But once you start to see consistent sales and cash flow, you get even busier managing your deliverables, and your business growth should not come at the expense of your efficiency or your personal wellbeing. 



When that momentum starts to build - that’s when you need to hire help, and a Virtual Assistant (or VA) is the ideal place to start!



Your VA can take care of so many business tasks, freeing you up to focus on the core activities that really need you - your face, your experience, your personality. But many entrepreneurs, particularly those in the first few years of running their business, find the process of finding and hiring a VA a bit too overwhelming, and as a result tend to put it off and struggle on by themselves (often burning out in the process!)



Where do you begin when looking for a VA? What should you look for in terms of their skills? How do you ensure they align with your business values and needs? 



My guest today one half of an incredible team that specialises in helping business owners find the perfect VA, and helping VAs establish their virtual assistant business so that the client & VA relationship can be the perfect match! They help people demystify the process, providing clear, actionable insights to seamlessly integrate a VA into the business, ensuring that it’s not just another task to check off your to do list, but a strategic move towards sustainable growth and work-life balance.



Founded in February 2019, the Newcastle Virtual Assistants is the brainchild of Adrienne Donnelly and Jane Ekholm.



They are passionate about the Virtual Assistant industry in Australia and provide a space for their members to thrive, offering them mentoring, resources, guidance, connection, and learning opportunities.



They not only act as a conduit between business owners and local Virtual Assistants through education and matchmaking, they also work with industry partners to continue to raise the profile and ensure the quality of the VA industry in our community, and beyond.



Adrienne and Jane have helped more than 40 business owners find a VA through their matchmaking service, and they’re looking forward to helping even more people in the business community! They understand that business owners put off the search because they are time poor, and that is how they can help.

Tune in as Adrienne and I chat about one of the common pain points for business owners when it comes to the search for a VA, how a matchmaking service can help that pain point, some success stories of people they have helped, and how their matchmaking service came to life!

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Ready to simplify your business? Start with these resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.marissaroberts.com/resources/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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We’re talking about creativity today because creatives are often undervalued and restrained.

People think being creative is a soft skill, a nice thing to do but don’t consider it a business builder - and they’re wrong.

Whether you work for yourself or for a company, your creativity is one of your most powerful assets.

Companies and corporations suffer from high turnover, lack of job ownership and loss of profits because they focus on enforcing how someone else did the job before the new hire and stifling all ability to let employees adjust their job to work better individually, providing higher efficiency, pride in their work and overall happiness with their job.
Employees are humans, not machines. 

And for business owners, creativity is a must if you’re looking to stand out and really connect with your customers. The ability to think outside the box can transform your brand, making it more relatable and memorable to your target audience.
Embracing creativity leads to innovative approaches to marketing, product development, and customer experience , not to mention increased engagement and loyalty. In a marketplace where consumers are bombarded with choices, letting creativity lead the way is your best strategy to capture attention and drive your business success.

My guest today is on a mission is to inspire and empower Creatives with the tools they need to be successful, and to teach corporations to embrace the creativity of their employees!

Paul Pape is a seasoned artist, designer, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the creative industry. Paul’s journey began with a passion for education stemming from a need to escape an abusive childhood. Eventually, he found his way to design and fabrication, which led to the creation of thousands of personalised products for clients worldwide. In recent years, Paul has pivoted to empowering fellow Creatives, sharing his expertise and insights to help them transform their passions into successful businesses. As a speaker, educator, and mentor, Paul inspires others to unleash their creative potential and find fulfilment in their personal and professional lives.

Tune in as Paul and I talk about the turning point that made him realise his passion for helping others tap into their creative potential, how he adapts his approach to creativity and empowerment to fit the unique needs of diverse clients, some common misconceptions about creativity in the business world, and how to figure out what to charge when you’re a Creative!

See more Paul at his website or on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn

Get Paul’s free resource How to figure out what to charge for Creatives:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nhbby0dx6qmosppbsyuzs/To-Charge.pdf?rlkey=scu2lq54p0bux3i9kq99jan1g&dl=0 

So many of us think owning a business is going to give us better work life balance than a 9-5 or working under someone else, but the reality is many new business owners end up working 24/7, burning out, getting sick, and it’s almost seen as a right of passage for business owners. 

At this point we start to make the necessary changes, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could skip the struggle and simply follow a better path from the start?

If you’re not enjoying your day to day journey of building your business, you won’t be able to fully enjoy or appreciate your results when you do start seeing your definition of success. 

My guest today is on a mission to show entrepreneurs that the possibilities of what they can achieve in life is truly limitless and that the only thing that is stopping them from getting from where they are now to where they want to be, is their mindset & skillset (both of which you have the power to shift). 

Emily-Jane Sarroff is a graduate of Architectural Design, Jay Shetty Certified Life Coach, Business Mentor, social media figure, host of the Empower with Em Podcast, and a 6 figure business owner.

Her goal is to help people build their biz around their dream lifestyle, and not let their business dictate their life. 

Listen in as Em and I discuss why biz owners commonly feel guilt for having fun, some actionable steps to combat that, the importance of having fun in your biz - and the return on investment you get from it!

See more from Em at her website or on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn

Get Em’s 6 figure system training (to set up your biz from a place of alignment) 

https://empowerwithem.myflodesk.com/6figsystem 

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Ready to simplify your business? Start with these resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.marissaroberts.com/resources/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Are you jumping between marketing strategies without allowing them time to start working?

The allure of new marketing trends can be appealing- you notice someone else doing something you haven’t seen before , perceive them as more successful than you and feel like you should ditch your current strategy and follow theirs instead.

I don’t blame you. We live in a world of instant downloads and short attention spans and constantly chasing the new at the expense of nurturing the now. 

The truth is, most effective marketing strategies are like planting a garden; they require time, care, and consistency to see results. 

Jumping from one approach to another is like uprooting seedlings before they have a chance to grow, leaving you with nothing.

Here's what to do instead!

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This month in The Simpler Business Mastermind we're setting up your automated sales funnel! If you'd like to join us, head here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.marissaroberts.com/the-simpler-business-mastermind/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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Ready to simplify your business? Start with these resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.marissaroberts.com/resources/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Ok business owner, you have honed your skills, perfected your craft, and you're ready to make a real difference in people's lives. 

But there's one catch—you haven't actually started selling your coaching, services or courses because you don’t quite feel like you’re ready yet.

What’s holding you back?

Do you feel like your offers need to be perfect before you can sell them?

I’ve worked with small business owners for years now, and I’ve noticed it’s the same 3 blocks that come up repeatedly when it comes to selling their products and services:


They think they can’t make offers until their website is perfect
They don’t have testimonials yet to sell their offer for them
They’re focused too much on creation and not enough on selling.

Let’s look at each of these in a little more detail.

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This month in The Simpler Business Mastermind we're setting up your automated sales funnel! If you'd like to join us, head here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.marissaroberts.com/the-simpler-business-mastermind/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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Ready to simplify your business? Start with these resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.marissaroberts.com/resources/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠Come chat with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

How are you feeling right now, as a business owner?

Do any of these resonate with you right now?

“There has to be more to success than just money”

“Owning my own business can be lonely - I miss the support I had when I worked at my regular job”

“I’m showing up and doing all the things but feeling unfulfilled”

“I’ve had some great achievements but they’ve come at a price”

“I’m not sure I can sustain where I’m at in my business, let alone go to the next level.

Running your own business isn’t just about making money. You left the 9-5 to do something you love, to help people, to live and work on your own terms. You’re the heart & soul, the engine of your business, so there needs to be more to it than just leads, sales, and profits if you’re going to feel a sense of fulfilment from it. 

When was the last time you paused and took note of how you’re feeling?

Are you slogging it out trying to get enough clients, deliver the work on time, pay your bills and hopefully make some money for you too.

It might be time to shift focus a little, and give some attention to your personal wellbeing as a business owner.

You can accomplish so much more when you’re feeling good in your body, mind and spirit, and I’ve got the perfect guest to help you with that!

Sophie Jones is a distinguished business coach and breath work facilitator who helps entrepreneurs and professionals overcome limiting patterns that hinder their personal and professional growth.

Sophie faced adversity in her early twenties as a victim of human trafficking. Undeterred, she immersed herself in personal development and hard work, obtaining her real estate license at 23 and becoming a top producer in four different cities within a 12-year time period. 

In 2018, Sophie underwent a transformative shift, redefining her concept of success. Confronting challenges such as alcoholism and workaholism, she embraced sobriety and discovered the profound impact of breath work. This pivotal moment set her on a path to guide individuals with similar experiences.

Sophie specialises in working with outwardly successful individuals – CEOs, creatives, and entrepreneurs – who, despite conventional success, grapple with feelings of unworthiness and self-sabotage. Her approach focuses on internal transformations, helping clients achieve success from within. Sophie's no-nonsense personality creates an environment conducive to openness, facilitating significant transformations for her clients. 

Listen in as Sophie and I discuss why healing is necessary when growing your business, how breath work cultivates self-trust, what was it like building 5 businesses, her advice for someone just starting out, and the best way to realign with your purpose and power when going through hard time in life or business!

Sign up for your free breath work session

Take Sophie's Mini Method course

See more from Sophie at her website or on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn

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This month in The Simpler Business Mastermind we're creating your signature offer for more passive sales in your business. If you'd like to join us, head here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.marissaroberts.com/the-simpler-business-mastermind/⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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Ready to simplify your business? Start with these resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.marissaroberts.com/resources/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe, rate, and review us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ or your favourite podcast platform!

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⁠⁠⁠Come chat with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠