Transcript: From Hotel Sales to Business Coach–One Woman’s Leap Beyond the 9–5

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Sasha: [00:00:00] I think probably one of my biggest lessons is sometimes we can, you know, look at other women and be like, oh, you know, how could I ever get there? And the one piece of information that I just told from a business coach was, if they can do it, you can do it. 

Host: Welcome to take a Beat, a podcast dedicated to sharing tips and strategies for hitting pause on the hustle, getting clear on your direction and heading toward the light that you envision.

Today's episode is an interview with Sasha Ebert, who started her own virtual assistant business after losing her hotel sales job. During the pandemic, Sasha experienced relatively quick success as an entrepreneur securing her first client within 24 hours and becoming fully booked within three weeks.

Within another six months, Sasha had scaled her business, hiring 15 other virtual assistants and managing a national team. She now coaches other women how to do [00:01:00] the same so that they can create a life more in their terms. Take a listen to hear more of Sasha's story, as well as her tips and advice for starting and then scaling an online business.

I know that you became an entrepreneur somewhat quickly, like almost overnight. Yes, 

Sasha: it happened very fast.

Host: How did it all get started?

Sasha: Yeah, so I was working in hotels. I'd been in hotels for nearly 25 years, and then we had a global pandemic and we were the first hotel that became part of the quarantine program here in Australia.

That's how we housed all of our international rivals in our hotels. So we were the first ones to go down. I was a sales director, so don't need any more sales because we are, we are closed, essentially. And it was a, you know, probably about 12 months in and out of different jobs. And I took a small stint of real estate.

During the pandemic, I decided to do a bit of network marketing and was doing a brand called Body Shop at home. Everybody was at home, so I [00:02:00] was doing face mask parties and everyone had their wine there 'cause of what was going out. And I went to give some of the products to an ex-colleague in the hotel industry that I'd worked with before.

She bought some of the stuff online and we went and had a coffee. Gave her the stuff, and this was when you had to sit outside of the cafe, you had to get takeaway. You couldn't sit inside the cafe. So it was still very much in COVID times. And she told me that she had started her own business as a virtual assistant, didn't know what a virtual assistant was, and she said that she was making more in her business in three days that she was there working in the five, five day hotel industry.

So I just asked so many questions. I had a i'd me to all of the Facebook groups, and I probably sat on the sidelines for about six months being like, oh, could I do it? Could I not? And in hindsight, I probably should have jumped quicker. But then I had literally one day in the office when I wasn't treated very well, they had me doing the same task every day, all day for five days.

Like, there's gotta be something else. And then just one night I [00:03:00] saw a few leads in Facebook and I decided to set my business up and. Literally within the 24 hours I had my first client. 

Host: So you started as a virtual assistant yourself, and eventually, it sounds like you started to hire other virtual assistants to grow your business.

Sasha: Correct? Yeah. So it was just me for a little bit. I was fully booked in three weeks and then I was earning more than I was in my hotel job within about six weeks. And then I was just like, okay, well what do I do now? I'm fully booked, I'm, you know, earning reasonable money. The only way to grow is to hire.

So we grew to a team of 15 within about six months. 

Host: That's incredible. I mean, it sounds like you had a lot of success right out of the gate. Were you encountering any challenges early on? 

Sasha: Absolutely. I was literally making it up as I went. I had no idea what I was doing. I just kept on trying things. You know, especially coming from a sales background, a lot of people are like, oh, you must have just got sales.

I actually have to unlearn a lot of the sales process because it was very much a convincing type of energy and sales. And really typical corporate nine to [00:04:00] five sales. Whereas moving into business, it's really more about connection and solving people's problems. So there was a lot that I learned in a very short period of time, as well as just where to be.

And there was no strategy. It wasn't like I was had, I didn't have an Instagram strategy. I didn't even have Instagram for the first six months. It was literally just networking, talking to everybody, trying and testing things. Then of course with hiring team, I mean, I'd been a team manager before, but when you hire and they're in your business, it's all on you.

So there was definitely some hard lessons and then growing so fast to a team of 15, I just became a team manager and I was just like, I can't, I physically can't do anything. I'm literally just managing the team 24 7. I'm like, this isn't, you know, this isn't why I've started my business. And then I struggled to service the clients that I had.

So lots of learning, lots of harsh learnings really quickly because I didn't have a choice. I had to learn and I had to pivot really quickly when things were kind of disjointed or weren't working. 

Host: And how did you [00:05:00] determine that things weren't working and that you needed to pivot versus giving things more time to grow or to incubate?

Sasha: Yeah, it was probably, I guess the results with the clients. So you, if I was talking about the way to put a promo post in a Facebook group. If it was working and I was getting comments, sometimes I'd put a lead magnet into a group and I would get 150 comments. I'm like, okay, well put that in the This works file.

You know, or if that tanked or it didn't work, I'd be like, okay, well let's scrap that or let's tweak it. And I'm not a trained copywriter. I really didn't know anything about marketing. So it was a literally trial and error with all of those. But we really kind of paid it off on the results in terms of engagement and results, in terms of discovery calls, which then led into potential clients.

And I think because I've done the work, I'm very much into with what feels good and what doesn't feel good. And I'd say right back in the beginning of my business, I would've been making a head decision rather than a heart decision. So I [00:06:00] think it's about just actually being true to yourself to be like, this is, this is it for me.

And if you are unsure, just try different things. There's no harm in saying, okay, I'm gonna try this today. I'm gonna try this today. Dip your toe in, get a feeling for it as well. Yeah, there's no harm. Midnight. And be okay with failing as well. I think there's definitely lessons in failing and I think a lot of us, they, we don't pick decisions because we're like, oh, what if it doesn't work out?

But. That's okay. They say that all the lessons in life are in the failures and be okay to fail again and again and again, and be okay with that. And I think it just makes us stronger as women and stronger as entrepreneurs. And once we're okay with that, it, it can change the game. Whereas a lot of people, their ego gets bruised or they're like, oh, it didn't work.

It's shameful. So really try to, you know, move past all of those feelings and know that you're on the right track and you just get to try and, you know, they. There's a lot of memes that go around on Instagram, like some of the huge, like the big names, the entrepreneurs, they have failed time and time again, but what has made them [00:07:00] successful now is because of all the times they just got back up again.

Host: On that note, what made you wanna keep going and then to keep growing, you know, to keep expanding your business? 

Sasha: I guess I've just always been one very competitive, it's just in my nature, and then I was just like, well, why would we stop here? I am a solo mom, so I'm a one income family. So I've always kind of felt that, you know, to be able to provide for my daughter or to kinda give her the best life, probably need to earn double what, um, what I had been because I need to kind of account for, for two incomes.

And I was just like, well, if we can grow it here, where could we be in five to 10 years? So just always really having bigger, bigger goals and wanting to create a really huge thriving business. 

Host: You mentioned being a single mom. How did your new business and growing so fast change your way of life? Coming from a more corporate background?

Sasha: So much more freedom. But what happened was it was [00:08:00] only about four months in that I was, I really, really sorry. I really uncovered the fact that this was flexible and I think for women and for moms, it's super important. I was just like, I've really kind of stumbled across things. So it was only about four months in that I started.

Showing other women how to do it as well. So, you know, that's where I kind of pivoted to the coaching space, even though I didn't know what a business coach was there at the time. And that's when I actually found a deeper meaning to what I was doing. 'cause I'm just like, not only do I get to help businesses, but I actually get to help moms, females actually create what I've created.

So that's where it kind of changed everything for me because I was able to go to to daycare when I had things on, or I could have some me time during the week. So that bit just became really super important and that really kind of added to the mission and that's kind of where things kind of pivoted in about year two, I went all in on coaching and we still have the virtual assistant business now, and the team managed that wholly and solely.[00:09:00] 

But all my love and all my purpose is helping other women not only break free from that nine to five cycle, but now kind of once they jump into business, actually create a a really large, amazing business that they can have the freedom of choice. 

Host: Are you, for the most part, coaching other women who are interested in starting their own virtual assistant business?

Or have you expanded to coaching women who are looking to start any type of business? 

Sasha: It started off with virtual assistant businesses or ones that wanted to start a virtual assistant business, but as I've grown as a coach now, as my strategies have grown, we've really kind of pivoted a little bit more into helping coaches because I, I have built, you know, quite a, a large successful coaching business.

So, you know, I wanna help other women do that too. So today we support VA's coaches and online service-based businesses, so anything from graphic designers, website designers. We have a couple of photographers in our mix, and even most recently we've had some organic food company inquiries where they're more just, it's themselves wanna grow bigger and even [00:10:00] mortgage brokers.

So really kind of open to working with different online businesses where the framework would fit their business model. It doesn't work for all businesses, and I certainly don't say that we, we can help every business, but as long as I can see that the framework can be mapped across into what they do, we, we kind of open up that, that space for them as well.

Host: It does sound like you have a passion for the coaching side of things. What do you like most about it? 

Sasha: I love the feedback that I get when something has changed for them. They get to think a little bit differently and they're like, oh, actually I can do it sort of when the penny drops. And they're like, this is just a whole nother way of living.

And I'm like, oh, my job is done. This is why I do what I do when they actually just get to live a life that they choose. So that's probably the pivotal moment for me, and I'm like, yep, this is, this is it. 

Host: Have you seen any common challenges among the women that you're coaching? 

Sasha: The most common challenge that I find is mindset.

Okay. It always comes down to mindset. So when we start [00:11:00] talking about money or increasing prices or packages, no matter which industry it's in, it's the same. And I think that. As women, it's probably harder. You know, I've worked with a few men and there's, they have no qualms. They're like, yeah, cool. I'll just have all my prices today, or I'll just ask for more money.

So, but for females, there's a whole lot of other stuff that comes up. You know, am I Whitney enough? Am I good enough? All of those things. So I do have, uh, all my coaching qualifications that I can help them pivot through that. And I think that's probably the most important part, because you could teach strategy.

All day, every day. And until you can back it, until you can embody it, and until you can believe in self and know that you can actually make a difference for your clients, then they struggle. You know, they can learn all the strategy to double their rate. When they jump on a discovery call, all their fee builds up and they're like, oh, I'll just do it for this.

And then they go 10 steps backwards. So that I find is the commonality around people, and that's why there's so much focus on that in. What I do because I help them [00:12:00] change and actually see themselves differently and actually see their business a bit differently as well. Do you 

Host: Do you yourself have any tips around mindset that have been helpful?

Sasha: Yeah, I think it's, uh, it's, I, the common one that I use is a reframe. So anytime thoughts come up for us, you know, it'd be like, oh, the client's not gonna pay for it, is just turn that thought into a positive to be like, well, what if they actually say yes or rather than jumping on a discovery call? I need this client because I need the money rather than actually I get to help this client today.

And just in that moment, being aware of it and turning it into a, a positive frame will slowly to surely compound over time. And you will start believing in yourself in a different way and looking at things a different way. And they, they say that a positive mindset, just, it just, what's the word? It kind of like is a domino effect to consistent, positive mindset.

Host: And it takes some of the pressure off.

Sasha: Yeah. 'cause a lot of time the pressure comes from ourselves. So, you know, if we take that away, then we can just show [00:13:00] off in a very different way. 

Host: How do you, as an entrepreneur and as a single mom, how do you balance all the responsibilities and show up in each area as your best self?

Sasha: This was a hard one to learn, and especially being, you know, on, on my own since the very beginning. I struggled to ask for help. And what I've learned over time is you, you need to ask for help and you can go further with other people. So that stems started in the business, getting in support and asking for support, either by other business partners, you know, getting the support of an accountant or in all the areas that I was just like, okay, that I'm not an expert in.

So I can stop in the areas that I'm an expert and then map that across into mum life as well. So ask you for help or you know, if I meet a couple of days to catch up, calling on mom and saying, actually, I really need you now. And even outsourcing the laundry, getting a cleaner in. Because the worst thing that I fear is that I spend all weekend cleaning, doing the [00:14:00] washing, and not being present for my daughter when you know, when she's home from school.

So I make sure that all of that is done during the week and asking for help and sending things out. And I think in the beginning I had the mindset of, oh, that just sounds bougie, or that's gonna be expensive. But once I worked out, okay, well this is an investment and how much more time can I get back?

Then that started to change things. So really just asking for help in all aspects of our lives. 

Host: And how does that play into then you said you're a competitive person, so being able to ask for help, it almost sounds counterintuitive. 

Sasha: It is, and it's taken me a long time to be okay with that. Yeah. And I think once I sort of stepped into that, you know, sometimes even when I do it, I'm like, oh, it feels a little uncomfortable, or the ego's a little bit bruised, but I'm just like, no, it is okay to ask for help because we are only one person, we're only human.

And actually physically, like I've only got two hands, so I can't do everything. Myself. So it was a really hard lesson to learn and still every time I asked for help, there's a little bit of me in the background to be like, could [00:15:00] you just do it yourself? So it's again, learning to kind of quiet that to be like, no, I can actually go further faster by asking for help.

Host: Do you have any other advice, whether it's for women or just entrepreneurially minded people in general who wanna start something but are maybe afraid of that level of commitment, especially in the beginning. 

Sasha: Yeah, I think it's about knowing exactly what you want. So if you don't want a huge business just yet, you can get started with very little and find the love for it.

I mean, I definitely don't work 24 7. There are some times that I do put in the hours because I have big goals, so it's relative. But if they are just wanting to replace their income or just to be able to get a little bit of extra money to go on holidays, they get to choose that so you can craft the business how you choose.

And you could take your time as well. If you only have four hours a day to give, it's still more than zero at all. And be okay that if you wanna take a slower journey to entrepreneurship to, you know, [00:16:00] if you do have big dreams of building a business, but you know, you might have a lot of kids, you might have husband, you might have work commitments, be okay that you're on your own journey and comparison is not great.

We say, what is it like comparison analysis is be okay with your journey and where that's going. And just knowing that the only competitor is you yesterday. And the other thing that I say to a lot of my clients, because they create all of these very, very little lists for themselves in amongst trying to be a mom, trying to be a partner, and also just trying to be a woman.

And they get to the end of the day and they're like, oh, well I failed today because they didn't get my list done. So I always say to them, cool, you can have a list, but don't put the pressure on yourself to have it all done by today because. We all know everything takes much longer than we imagined in our heads.

When we get stuck in, it takes longer or we're perfectionists. So I always tell them, at least pick one thing that you are gonna commit to to get done that day, and then at least by the end of the day, you'll be like, well, I got that one thing done. So today is a success that you finished the day [00:17:00] on a positive note, and then at least if you look at it in the bigger picture, at the end of the year, you have done 365 things to actually move forward.

And that's where we play the long game. And a lot of people kind of look to that magic pill, well, why am I not further along? But actually consistency can just compound over time and you can get there. It just might take a little bit longer depending upon where you are in your life and the people that you have around you and where you wanna shape your energy.

Host: I think that also kind of plays into the idea of being your own boss, which some people might really resonate with and others might struggle with to varying degrees. Do you have any tips around holding yourself accountable when, when you are the boss? 

Sasha: I generally say that community is the best option for that.

So when you first get started, a lot of people feel a little bit lonely and they're like, miss that connection. Even though what I found when I found connection in the online space and other people in business, that the connection was actually so much deeper. The conversations were a lot more human connectivity, whereas, you know, in the corporate nine to five, it's just.[00:18:00] 

Really surface level conversations, going for coffee in the mornings or meeting in the lunchroom, they were never really substantial conversations. Whereas in business, it's so different. And I think that's one thing I did really early was I just connected with everybody and anyone. I found other virtual assistant that I was just like, Hey, do you wanna have a virtual coffee?

I'm over here, you know, on the Gold Coast, and everyone would be more than happy to jump on. And I'd be like, oh, how long have you been doing your business? And I just chatted to everybody, made connections, connected with people. On social media, and it's slowly but surely compounded over time that I now have this really big online community.

Some people have never physically met in person, and I built really strong, deep connections with that. We could just sit there and have, you know, 10 to 20 minute voice notes back and forth, what's happening in your business? What's happening in your business? And I think a lot of people might sit there and suffer in silence.

So get outta your comfort zone. Post a thing on one of the Facebook groups to be like, is there a coworking session happen happening? Where can I meet other [00:19:00] women in business like me? And I think that that connection, you'll kind of find your people so that you actually have that not loneliness. And that kind of, you know, a lot of people are like, oh, I'm gonna go back to work for the, for the mental stimulation.

It's just like, but you can find that here in the online space. So I think that that's probably the biggest thing, especially not knowing what to do, is just find other women doing what you're doing. It just, you get to make some new friends, but also you get to learn from others that have. Maybe been there and done that and could kind of help you when things get a little bit sticky and be like, oh, I've never had this situation happen before.

Guaranteed somebody in your network could tell you what happened to them or how they even navigated through that problem. 

Host: As a closing question, what would you tell someone who's considering starting a business or venturing out on their own, but maybe they're on the fence about it or struggling with some self-doubt?

Sasha: Yeah, I think really s. Having the mindset one, if somebody else can do it, you can do it too. And there's no difference between any of us. And I think a lot of people are like, oh, well they're different. They [00:20:00] can do that. And do you know what, I had that belief in the beginning. I looked at all my friends and I'm like, oh, well you've got husbands.

You could literally quit your job today and you could try your, you know, you could try your business. For so long I believed that and I was just like, no, I, I actually want to do this. So I changed that. But I think for women that are jumping, wanting to jump in is find a business opportunity that kind of aligns to you is a lot of them just jumping in because they're like, oh, I wanna make a quick buck.

And it's just like I get, like a lot of people are struggling, especially since the pandemic and things like that, but there are lots of different opportunities out there. It doesn't have to just be one and don't just pick the one that you can see somebody on social media saying, oh my God, I made this money.

Because there are lots of steps that they took to get there. So I think really looking at, you know, whether it's that way marketing, whether it's a VA business, whether it's a e-commerce business, like find one that actually excites you. Because when you are working from alignment to all something that you enjoy, it doesn't feel like work.

So I think some [00:21:00] people forget about actually how it's gonna feel like working in it. I mean, I get some, some people that, that come in and they're like, oh, I didn't realize I'd have to do all this work to start my business. They just thought that it was gonna be, you know, cocktails on the beach in Bali.

And I'm like, well, you get to have that, but there are things that you need to do to get there. So you have to, you have to wanna love it. You have to wanna enjoy the work. And I think for me, that's why I found virtual assistant work quite easy because it was just, I literally just did everything I kind of doing.

In the office in my nine to five, and I just did it from home, so I already knew how to do it. So it became easy. But if you've never done e-commerce or if you've never done high ticket sales, or what's the, the other ones like digital marketing, like digital products. At the moment, you don't get, create a digital product and you're gonna get money when I sleep.

And that's probably, you know, the biggest fad at the moment, but. They don't tell you all of the work that you have to do to get into it. And if you don't have a marketing degree, you have to make it all up on your own. So find one that's just like, oh, that sounds like me. I could see the picture of me doing that day by day and be okay with picking [00:22:00] something that's gonna work for you rather than getting kind of wound up in what everyone is saying is, is amazing.

And I think when you're doing something that you love, you wanna work at it or you wanna see it through. And I think that's, that's really, you know, the, the main advice that I would give is find something that. Is for you and not for somebody else.

Host: To find out more about Sasha and her coaching services, you can visit her website, which is linked in the episode description. I hope this episode was helpful and shed some light on some of the challenges and some of the successes of starting your own endeavor. If you're feeling stuck or unmotivated in your current career and wanna make a change, but maybe don't know where to start, or it feels too overwhelming.

Check out, take a b coaching.com to learn more about a one-on-one coaching program designed to help you navigate a career pivot. Thanks for listening and take [00:23:00] care.