From Hesitation to Transformation: Sarah & Laura’s Honest Conversation About Working with a VA
An interview with Laura and Sarah.
Jess: Sarah, first question for you. What drove you to take the leap to find a VA?
Sarah: “At first, I honestly don’t remember — which says a lot about how quickly things shifted. Initially, I was scared about making the financial commitment, worried it would weigh me down. But very quickly, I felt free of that burden. Within a week of having Laura, I’d saved what I was paying in time alone. The shift was immediate. I went from praying for miracles to actually moving forward.
I realised my self-awareness was key: I was stopping my business from progressing by trying to fix everything myself. The truth is, you grow a business by bringing other people in. I asked myself if I gave this mess up to somebody qualified, what’s the opportunity?”
Jess: Sarah, what were your biggest fears or hesitations before taking on a VA?
Sarah: “That we wouldn’t get on. That I’d become defensive, embarrassed about the mess I’d let things get to. I thought I might retreat and hold on tighter to everything. I was scared I wouldn’t know how to delegate or that I’d hate it. But actually, the reverse happened. I’ve learned to love it — even if I’m still learning how to do it well. At one point I even over-delegated, handing Laura things from my personal inbox and overloading her with too much. But I’ve learned balance and learned what to delegate and not. I really enjoy the skill of delegating effectively now.”
Jess: Laura, why do you love being a VA?
Laura: “Because of relationships like this. Too often, clients say they want to let you in but keep you on the outside, drip-feeding tasks, and then wonder why you can’t make a big difference. With Sarah, it’s been about connection, trust, and understanding the whole business, she let me in to everything and now I can see the bigger picture, and contribute beyond ‘task ticking’. That’s what being a VA is really about for me. Even small actions can create ripple effects that become huge.”
Jess: What went through your head during that first call?
Laura: “Where has Sarah been all my life? Honestly, my confidence was at an all-time low back then. I went into that call guarded, not wanting to get hurt by another client that doesn’t value me. But within 10 minutes, Sarah had me talking authentically — not who she wanted me to be, but who I actually am. By the time we finished, I knew the relationship was going to be special. It turned out even better than I expected.”
Sarah: “I went into that call thinking, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing here, I don’t know what having a VA means.’ So instead of trying to prove myself as a client, I focused on finding out who Laura was, not just what she could do for me. That’s what made it feel like a connection rather than an interview. It was joyous. Calm. Fun. A meeting of hearts and minds. I thought: this person can help me”
Jess: Sarah, what was important for you in the first few weeks?
Sarah: “Time and commitment. Showing up, asking questions, and creating conditions for honesty. I wanted a space where either of us could say, ‘I don’t understand this’ or ‘I don’t know how to do this’ without judgement. I didn’t want a transactional tick-box relationship — I wanted transformation. That meant carving out space for questions, listening, and openness.”
Jess: Laura, what were the first things you tackled?
Laura: “I didn’t jump into a task list. I investigated. It was about piecing together the puzzle. I scrolled through LinkedIn, read past projects, looked at client names and deliverables, and asked lots of questions. I wanted to understand the business to build a full picture before diving in. It then allowed me to start suggesting changes — some of which made Sarah uncomfortable, but that’s part of growth. And Sarah trusted me enough to lean into it.”
Sarah: “Exactly. I knew if Laura was suggesting something, it was for my benefit. Even when I resisted, I trusted her judgement. I remember the first time I felt uncomfortable was when Laura suggested using Asana. I thought, ‘She’s trying to systemise me!’ But now, if it’s not in Asana, it doesn’t get done. It took days, not months, for it to embed. The discomfort was part of the growth — and I trusted her to guide me because I could see she was genuinely invested in me and my business.”
Jess: How did you accelerate the relationship and build trust?
Sarah: “We used the Emotional Culture Deck. I laid it out honestly: I said I’m going to be guarded, defensive, even embarrassed sometimes. But I also knew Laura would get the best of me too. It was like showing someone your house — you bake bread so it smells good, but you’re also honest that the kitchen is 25 years old. I wanted Laura to know the reality and be curious about working with me.”
Laura: “That honesty made it easier for me to be open back. We even picked three of the same cards — connected, confident, secure. That connection meant when things went wrong later, we had a framework to talk about it without blame. It meant we started from a place of trust instead of performance.”
Jess: What happened when things went wrong?
Sarah: “We had challenges — this hasn’t been nirvana. But because we’d built honesty, we could say, ‘I feel disappointed’ rather than attacking. It meant we managed issues ourselves without involving Jess. That self-managing trust was huge.”
Laura: “If Sarah had gone behind my back to Jess, it would have felt like cheating. Instead, we spoke directly, which built even more trust.”
Jess: Laura, what has been your biggest takeaway from this whole experience?
Laura: “The investment in connection. I always knew it mattered, but this has proven just how transformational it can be — for me as a VA, for how I show up, and for our relationship.”
Jess: Sarah, how does having a VA change the way you work now?
Sarah: “I work with more intention now. Planning, prioritising, scheduling. I’ve unlearned bad habits and relearned better ones with Laura’s support. It’s transformed me and my business.”
Jess: Final question — any advice or last comments?
Sarah: “To VAs: know and value your worth. Business owners may not always enter with the right mindset. Quickly evaluate if a client will value your value — because you’re not just a box ticker, you’re worth it.
To business owners: don’t treat your VA as a transaction. Ai can do that. If you want transformation, commit to it, invest time in the relationship and filling in the bigger picture for them.”
Laura: “Don’t call it a discovery call — it’s about finding values, morals, and emotions. That’s the cornerstone of a relationship. Get that right, and the rest follows.”
