Grow Your VA & OBM Business: Soulpreneur Scaling Stories

Hosted by Andrea Elibero I Business Coach for Virtual Assistants & OBMs

Business Entrepreneurship

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Episodes

132

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

You started your VA or OBM business for freedom, but somewhere along the way, it became chaotic. Whether you're scaling into overwhelm or feeling burned out and bored, there's a better way to grow. This podcast helps virtual assistants, online business managers, & done for you service pros identify their unstructured expertise and build it into a signature method, so they can stop trading hours for dollars and start running a business that pays them for outcomes. With a mix of solo episodes and guest interviews, you'll get practical strategies and psychology-backed insights to move from unstructured expertise to a clear method, intentional positioning, and sustainable growth. We'll cover questions like: Why do I keep attracting clients for work I've outgrown? How do I know if I'm ready to specialize? Should I force myself into industry labels or create my own positioning? Why do I keep downplaying what I'm actually good at? How do I stop working 50+ hour weeks at the same income level? How do I raise my rates without losing all my clients? Is my offer wrong, or is it my audience? Should I quit my business or just evolve it? Why are people excited about my work but not buying? How do I know if this is fear or real misalignment? How do I make decisions from clarity instead of desperation? What makes this podcast different: I'm Andrea, a certified OBM who started as a VA in 2019 and built my own service business from the ground up. With 7 years of clinical psychology training (master's degree before leaving the PhD program), I bring therapy-level insight into business coaching. I don't teach generic "grow your audience" advice that doesn't work for DFY service providers. Instead, I focus on psychology-backed strategies tailored specifically to how VA and OBM businesses actually work - addressing both the external positioning work and the internal nervous system shifts needed to make sustainable change. This isn't about hustle culture. It's about building a business that supports your actual life, with relationship-based marketing strategies designed for VAs & OBMs. Ready to turn your unstructured expertise into a signature method? Press play.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 15, 2026Episode 13040 min

130. The Capsule Blog Strategy That Gets Service Providers Booked Out Without Daily Marketing w/ Jana Osofsky

If you are a service provider who hates the idea of marketing every day, this episode is going to change how you think about blogging entirely. I am joined by Jana Osofsky, content strategist and creator of the High Leverage Content program, who started as a VA and built her entire business around a small set of strategic blog posts she calls a capsule blog.In this episode, we get into Jana's journey from VA to content strategist, what a capsule blog actually is, and how she got her marketing down to one day a month.Key Points Covered:✨ Jana's path from corporate HR to VA to running a one-to-many program✨ What a capsule blog is and why it is only 12 to 20 posts, not endless content✨ The three-part system: repurposing, resharing, and leveraging in sales✨ Why referrals alone can keep you stuck when you want to change how you work✨ How Jana got her marketing down to one day a month✨ Why you do not need to be a blogger to have a blog that gets you clientsConnect with Jana O:WebsiteInstagramThreadsFree Blog Plus Repurposing Method Training 📩 I read every message, come find me on Instagram!Send us Fan MailFor VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours.BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDITFree 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible.FREE RESOURCESTools, trainings & community.WORK WITH MEExpansion: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite.Effortless Attraction: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct)Foundations to Flow: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn | YouTube Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists

June 8, 2026Episode 12916 min

129. Direction vs Pressure: Are VAs and OBMs Building Toward the Wrong Business Goal?

If you are a VA, OBM, or done-for-you service provider who is making progress but something keeps feeling slightly off, this episode is going to name exactly what that is. It is not burnout. It is not a strategy problem. It might be that the goal you are building toward was never actually yours to begin with.This episode gets into the difference between direction and pressure, why so many capable service providers end up chasing borrowed visions, and three questions to help you figure out which one you are actually in right now.Key Points Covered:✨ The difference between direction and pressure (and why they can look identical from the outside)✨ What a borrowed vision is and how most business owners end up with one without realizing it✨ Why a better strategy will not fix a goal that was never yours✨ A client story: she came in wanting an agency and discovered something completely different✨ Three questions to help you find your own direction right now✨ Why friction in your business might be a vision problem, not a strategy problem📩 I read every message, come find me on Instagram: @SoulfulBizCoachAndreaSend us Fan MailFor VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours.BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDITFree 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible.FREE RESOURCESTools, trainings & community.WORK WITH MEExpansion: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite.Effortless Attraction: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct)Foundations to Flow: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn | YouTube Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists

June 1, 2026Episode 12815 min

128. The Truth About $25/hr OBM Job Posts (And Why You Need to Stop Applying)

If you are an OBM or ops strategist who has seen those $25 an hour job posts and felt that mix of frustration and quiet defeat, this episode is for you. That rate is not what the market pays. It is what one small corner of the market pays, and it is not the corner you want to be in.This episode gets into why those posts exist, what happens when you say yes to them, and the real shift that gets you out of that market entirely and into one where clients are seeking you out.Key Points Covered:✨ Why $25/hr OBM job posts are not the market rate, just one corner of it✨ What happens in a client relationship that starts with a fundamental mismatch in value✨ The two ways to get clients and why only one of them leads to being sought after✨ Why applying to more listings will never get you paid what you are worth✨ What having a clear method actually means (and it is not niching into a weird narrow specialty)✨ How to use that frustration as information about where you have outgrown 🎓 Join the FREE Slow Morning Studio, a five-day email experience to build your method and offer.Send us Fan MailFor VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours.BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDITFree 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible.FREE RESOURCESTools, trainings & community.WORK WITH MEExpansion: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite.Effortless Attraction: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct)Foundations to Flow: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn | YouTube Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists

May 25, 2026Episode 12715 min

127. The Income Model That Grows With You: Stop Trading Time for Money

If you are a VA or OBM who is busy, good at what you do, and still not seeing your income grow, this episode is for you. The problem is almost never effort or skill. It is the structure of your income model, and there is a straightforward fix for it.In this episode, I walk through the two-bucket income model that my clients use to build stability and growth at the same time, without burning out or maxing out their calendar.Key Points Covered:✨ Why the hourly retainer model creates a ceiling no matter how good you are✨ The invisible drain of scope creep, fires, and cognitive overload that comes with it✨ The two-bucket model: foundational income and growth income✨ What a core offer is, how it works, and why it is not based on hours✨ A real client example: 8 clients, $4,800/month, 30 hours a week, and what changed✨ Two questions to ask yourself to build the model that fits your life 🧮 Free Income Calculator (no email required)Send us Fan MailFor VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours.BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDITFree 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible.FREE RESOURCESTools, trainings & community.WORK WITH MEExpansion: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite.Effortless Attraction: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct)Foundations to Flow: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn | YouTube Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists

May 18, 2026Episode 12629 min

126. How to Go From Solo VA to OBM to Agency Owner (The Real Path) w/ Sakshi Khatri

If you are a VA or OBM wondering what scaling your online service business actually looks like, this episode is a real example of it. Sakshi Khatri went from solo OBM to agency founder in under a year. Today she runs Blueprint and Bloom, a fully registered agency with a team of eight handling backend systems, launch management, website builds, and social media for women founders.In this episode, we get into exactly what shifted in her VA to OBM to agency transition, how she built her client base so fast, and what she is still figuring out along the way.Key Points Covered:✨ Why Sakshi cold-messaged 20 OBMs when she wanted to level up✨ How getting her offers clear was the turning point that changed everything✨ The word-of-mouth and referral strategy that filled her agency fast✨ What it actually feels like to hand your client work to a team✨ Why 80% of VAs are probably already doing OBM-level work✨ The mindset block that kept her calling herself a VA longer than she should have Connect with Sakshi:WebsiteInstagramInstagramLinkedInGet The Founder's Backend Toolkit FREEFree 30-Minute “Backend Clarity Call”Send us Fan MailFor VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours.BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDITFree 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible.FREE RESOURCESTools, trainings & community.WORK WITH MEExpansion: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite.Effortless Attraction: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct)Foundations to Flow: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn | YouTube Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists

May 11, 2026Episode 12512 min

125. The VA/OBM Niche Positioning Shift That Actually Works in 2026

Hot take: the most powerful niche you can have in 2026 has nothing to do with choosing an industry.If you have ever tried to niche down but nothing felt quite right, or you did pick a niche and you are still blending in with everyone else who does the same thing, this episode is going to explain why and give you a better way to think about it.In this episode, I get into why traditional industry niching is no longer enough on its own, three real client examples of what values-based positioning actually looks like, and the three questions to ask yourself so you can do the same thing.Key Points Covered:✨ Why "I help coaches with X" is a category, not a differentiator✨ Three client examples of niching by values, working style, and beliefs instead of industry✨ The three questions to weave into your messaging: who are you, how do you work, and what do you believe✨ Why values-based positioning attracts better clients, longer retention, and less scope creep✨ How to figure out your values if you have no idea where to startSend us Fan MailFor VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours.BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDITFree 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible.FREE RESOURCESTools, trainings & community.WORK WITH MEExpansion: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite.Effortless Attraction: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct)Foundations to Flow: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn | YouTube Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists

May 4, 2026Episode 12413 min

124. Pricing Confidence for VAs and OBMs: Visibility, Messaging and Identity

You raised your rates. Things got quiet. And now you are wondering if you made a mistake.Before you touch your pricing, listen to this episode. What feels like a pricing problem is almost never actually a pricing problem, and reacting to the quiet by lowering your rates might be the one move that keeps you stuck the longest.In this episode, I walk you through the four real reasons things slow down after a rate increase, and the mindset shifts that will help you actually stand behind your new number.Key Points Covered:✨ The four things to look at before you ever consider lowering your rates: visibility, positioning, messaging, and audience✨ Why correlation is not causation when it comes to pricing and slow inquiries✨ How task-based messaging keeps your prices feeling like a mismatch, to clients and to you✨ Why confidence comes after you raise your rates, not before✨ The hidden cost of undercharging that nobody talks about✨ How to tell if you are making a strategic decision or a panic decisionCheck out these episodes too:Episode 121: VAs and OBMs: You're Not Undercharging, You're Under ArticulatingEpisode 123: Pivoting Your Online Business as a VA or OBM Without Starting from ScratchSend us Fan MailFor VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours.BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDITFree 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible.FREE RESOURCESTools, trainings & community.WORK WITH MEExpansion: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite.Effortless Attraction: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct)Foundations to Flow: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn | YouTube Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists

April 27, 2026Episode 12312 min

123. Pivoting Your Online Business as a VA or OBM Without Starting from Scratch

If you are pivoting your online business and it feels like you are shouting into the void, this episode is for you. That gap between where you were and where you are going is not a sign that something is wrong. It is a specific stage of growth, and there is a way to move through it without the overwhelm.In this episode, I get into the two mistakes I see VAs and OBMs make when pivoting that stall everything, and what to do instead so your audience is ready when your offer is.Key Points Covered:✨ Why posting to your old audience during a pivot keeps you stuck✨ The mistake of building your offer before building your audience✨ How to grow a new aligned audience while building your new offer✨ The mindset shift that makes pivoting feel freeing instead of terrifying✨ Why owning your new identity is what makes everything move fasterSend us Fan MailFor VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours.BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDITFree 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible.FREE RESOURCESTools, trainings & community.WORK WITH MEExpansion: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite.Effortless Attraction: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct)Foundations to Flow: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn | YouTube Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists

April 20, 2026Episode 12235 min

122. Stop Chasing the Next Level: What Building a Business on Your Own Terms Actually Looks Like w/ Alyssa Schneider

Ever feel like you're supposed to niche down, pick one platform, and follow the "right" growth path, but none of it actually feels right for you?In this episode, I'm joined by Alyssa Schneider, operations strategist and founder of Creating Freedom Agency. Alyssa has had one of the most genuinely interesting business paths I've come across, from psychology grad to struggling healer, to VA, to OBM, to running a full agency, and she has some really refreshing takes on how to build a business that actually fits you.We talk about what it means to niche by values instead of industry, the identity shifts that come with every big pivot, and what it really looked like to bring a team in front of clients for the first time. We also get into a mindset reframe that I think you should literally write down.Key Points Covered: ✨ Niching by values instead of industry✨ Identity shifts that come with every pivot✨ "I trust myself to figure it out", the mindset that builds resilience✨ Using a psychology background to do human-first operations work✨ Introducing your team to clients when it doesn't go smoothly✨ Treating your business like your VIP client✨ Knowing your stopping point, and why that's a power move🎙️ Connect with Alyssa: WebsiteInstagramThreadsGrab your Free SOP TemplateSend us Fan MailFor VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours.BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDITFree 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible.FREE RESOURCESTools, trainings & community.WORK WITH MEExpansion: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite.Effortless Attraction: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct)Foundations to Flow: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn | YouTube Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists

April 13, 2026Episode 1219 min

121. VAs & OBMs: You're Not Undercharging. You're Under-Articulating

"I know I could charge more, but I don't know how to ask for it."I hear this constantly in business audits. From experienced VAs and OBMs who get results, whose clients renew and refer. They're the backbone of their client's businesses, but they're still not charging what they should be.The problem isn't confidence or money mindset. The real issue? Their work has spoken for itself. They've grown through referrals without ever having to articulate the impact they make. So they've skipped developing the language.And you cannot charge for what you cannot articulate. If you can't say it, you can't sell it. So you default to proving it by doing, staying late, overdelivering, trying to justify higher rates while staying at the lower one.In this episode, I'm breaking down the 3 questions that will give you the language that matches the depth of what you create.⚡️ Effortless Attraction (8-week marketing intensive) is open until April 17th: Join us inside!Send us Fan MailFor VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours.BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDITFree 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible.FREE RESOURCESTools, trainings & community.WORK WITH MEExpansion: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite.Effortless Attraction: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct)Foundations to Flow: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn | YouTube Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists