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

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: @SoulfulBizCoachAndrea [https://www.instagram.com/soulfulbizcoachandrea/] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222430/fan_mail/new] For VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours. BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDIT [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/business-audit/]Free 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible. FREE RESOURCES [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/resources/] Tools, trainings & community. WORK WITH ME [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/] Expansion [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/expansion/]: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite. Effortless Attraction [https://embodied-soulpreneur.newzenler.com/courses/effortless-attraction-spring-2026]: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct) Foundations to Flow [https://embodied-soulpreneur.newzenler.com/courses/foundations-to-flow-group-master]: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/soulfulbizcoachandrea/] | Threads [https://www.threads.net/@soulfulbizcoachandrea] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaelibero/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@soulfulbizcoachandrea]  Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists [https://www.instagram.com/ferassists/]

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 [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/slow-morning-studio/], a five-day email experience to build your method and offer. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222430/fan_mail/new] For VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours. BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDIT [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/business-audit/]Free 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible. FREE RESOURCES [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/resources/] Tools, trainings & community. WORK WITH ME [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/] Expansion [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/expansion/]: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite. Effortless Attraction [https://embodied-soulpreneur.newzenler.com/courses/effortless-attraction-spring-2026]: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct) Foundations to Flow [https://embodied-soulpreneur.newzenler.com/courses/foundations-to-flow-group-master]: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/soulfulbizcoachandrea/] | Threads [https://www.threads.net/@soulfulbizcoachandrea] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaelibero/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@soulfulbizcoachandrea]  Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists [https://www.instagram.com/ferassists/]

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 [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BuXlLTVW9l5GV0PeOr7pYFNHy_jxSjD6m_8wQSKay9s/copy] (no email required) Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222430/fan_mail/new] For VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours. BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDIT [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/business-audit/]Free 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible. FREE RESOURCES [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/resources/] Tools, trainings & community. WORK WITH ME [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/] Expansion [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/expansion/]: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite. Effortless Attraction [https://embodied-soulpreneur.newzenler.com/courses/effortless-attraction-spring-2026]: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct) Foundations to Flow [https://embodied-soulpreneur.newzenler.com/courses/foundations-to-flow-group-master]: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/soulfulbizcoachandrea/] | Threads [https://www.threads.net/@soulfulbizcoachandrea] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaelibero/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@soulfulbizcoachandrea]  Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists [https://www.instagram.com/ferassists/]

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: Website [https://www.theblueprintandbloom.com/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/remotebizmanager/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theblueprintandbloom/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sakshikhatri-obm/] Get The Founder's Backend Toolkit FREE [https://www.theblueprintandbloom.com/get-your-freebie] Free 30-Minute “Backend Clarity Call” [https://tidycal.com/sakshiobm/30-minute-meeting] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222430/fan_mail/new] For VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours. BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDIT [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/business-audit/]Free 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible. FREE RESOURCES [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/resources/] Tools, trainings & community. WORK WITH ME [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/] Expansion [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/expansion/]: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite. Effortless Attraction [https://embodied-soulpreneur.newzenler.com/courses/effortless-attraction-spring-2026]: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct) Foundations to Flow [https://embodied-soulpreneur.newzenler.com/courses/foundations-to-flow-group-master]: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/soulfulbizcoachandrea/] | Threads [https://www.threads.net/@soulfulbizcoachandrea] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaelibero/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@soulfulbizcoachandrea]  Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists [https://www.instagram.com/ferassists/]

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 start Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222430/fan_mail/new] For VAs & OBMs turning expertise into a signature method and a business that pays for outcomes, not hours. BOOK A FREE BUSINESS AUDIT [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/business-audit/]Free 45-min call. Find your bottleneck, see what's possible. FREE RESOURCES [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/resources/] Tools, trainings & community. WORK WITH ME [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/] Expansion [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/expansion/]: 1:1 coaching to build your signature method and offer suite. Effortless Attraction [https://embodied-soulpreneur.newzenler.com/courses/effortless-attraction-spring-2026]: 8-Week Marketing Intensive (Apr & Oct) Foundations to Flow [https://embodied-soulpreneur.newzenler.com/courses/foundations-to-flow-group-master]: 8-Week Offer Design Intensive (Feb & July) Website [https://www.dancingleafsolutions.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/soulfulbizcoachandrea/] | Threads [https://www.threads.net/@soulfulbizcoachandrea] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaelibero/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@soulfulbizcoachandrea]  Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists [https://www.instagram.com/ferassists/]