Virtual assistant pricing structure….sound confusing? Well, I am about to tell you a reason I DON’T want you to follow this “popular” advice.
Oh, mama.
I just saw yet another “guru” offering the same tired advice to aspiring VAs — and it’s making me nuts.
Every time I see an “expert” telling people to create “packages,” I cringe. Sure, it sounds like a good idea up front. You’re pre-selling a block of time. You have guaranteed income! But there’s a major downside to this virtual assistant pricing structure strategy.
And in today’s episode of FreeMamaTV, I’ll tell you exactly why selling “packages” is such a bad idea — and what you should do instead.
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If you want real freedom in your business, then you need to ditch the bad advice and start using my favorite pricing structure today. This virtual assistant pricing structure is the ONLY way you’re going to be able to scale your business and earn the money you deserve for the work you’re doing.
Go watch today’s episode of FreeMamaTV. It’s basically money in the bank.
Feeling overwhelmed? Here’s why — and what to do when you feel overwhelmed.
A funny thing happened the other week, mama.
There I was, minding my own business, sitting quietly in a chair, doing nothing to attract attention when suddenly I found myself labeled as Class Mom for Henry AND Treasurer for Daphne’s Girl Scout troop in the SAME WEEK.
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Okay, maybe it didn’t happen exactly like that.
Maybe it was more that Henry’s teacher sent out an email saying that there was no class parent yet, and since Henry is The Child About Whom I Worry Constantly, the guilt overwhelmed me in actual waves, and I wrote back to volunteer myself.
And then, we were at a Girl Scouts meeting, and they needed a treasurer, and I’m thinking that it probably doesn’t involve complex financial planning (FINGERS CROSSED), and it’s probably something I can handle, so up went my hand.
The point is, I said yes — which is something I haven’t done in this situation in a while.
Back when we lived in Kansas City, I was the Volunteer Queen.
And by the way, that does not mean that I was the person in charge of picking the volunteers. No, no, Volunteer SERVANT is probably a more apt description, because there was not an empty day on my calendar. I was on over a dozen boards, and I spent many, many hours volunteering on behalf of organizations that mattered to me.
And then we moved to Houston.
It wasn’t an easy time. I was 12 weeks pregnant and violently ill all the time. I had no support system in place, kids who needed me, and a fledgling freelancing business.
Anything that wasn’t specifically for my family or my business wasn’t just a no — it was a (you should pardon the expression) HELL NO.
It wasn’t just volunteering that fell off the radar. It was social events, anything purely for enjoyment, watching television, reading books — none of it happened during that time. It was a season of no, and it lasted a good three years.
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But this year, I took a look around and realized that my family and my business are both in a good place, which means that I can start to say yes again.
You have to realize that every time you say yes to something, you’re saying no to something else — and the other way around.
For example, being Henry’s Class Mom means that I am NOT available in my business on Thursdays in December because I’ll be over at the elementary school, pinning artwork on the walls, putting canned food in boxes, and other things that require my physical presence in a location other than my beloved home office.
It’s important to honor the seasons of yes and the seasons of no in your life. When you say no to the PTA and the food drive and the babysitting your neighbor’s kids and even not signing the kids up for soccer club, you’re saying no so that you can say yes to other things.
Whether that’s building holding your newborn — or nurturing your newborn business, or investing in your marriage, or caring for an aging parent, or anything else — that’s up to you.
Give your babies — and your business — the time and attention they deserve, because they really are only little for a little while.
And the thing about seasons is that they do eventually pass. Even in the middle of winter, when it’s dark at 2pm, and you can feel the cold in your bones, you know that come May (or February, here in Houston), the sun will come out to warm the earth again.
No matter what season you’re in right now, Mama, honor it. These days matter, and the work you are doing right now is the work you’re meant to do at this moment. And that, mama, is what to do when you feel overwhelmed.
Attracting high end clients…does that feel like an impossibility? Want to know what high-end clients are looking for? We’ve got the goods!
Are you sitting down, mama?
Today on FreeMamaTV, I’m pulling back the curtain on exactly what attracting high end client takes…what they want, what they’re looking for, and what they don’t care about at all.
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It’s true.
If you’ve been wondering why other people get paid top dollar while you’re struggling, this episode will give you all the answers.
You’ll learn what separates high-paying clients from everyone else out there, what that means for you and how you position your services, and the one thing that will make YOU the obvious choice for high-end clients who are looking for help.
Even better — after you watch this episode, you’ll understand exactly why offering discounts or low prices will never get you the clients you really want.
Ready to up your game — and your prices — and start attracting attracting high end clients? Head on over to FreeMamaTV!
Have you ever been simultaneously exhausted and elated? Like, in those moments right after you have a baby, when you feel like if you could just get out of bed, you could run a marathon carried solely by adrenaline, but since you can’t get out of bed, maybe you’ll just sleep for the next 6 years.
That was me for a solid three days after we wrapped the first ever Free Mama 3-Day Retreat.
First of all, it was just plain fun to be in a room with so many Free Mamas at once. The hugs. The stories. The laughter.
But also: the learning. The growth. It was everything I could have asked for, and beyond my wildest dreams, and I’m so filled with love and joy right now that I’m a bit annoying to be around.
It was kind of amazing to meet up with mamas who started the program a year ago — to see how far they’ve come, to hear them talking about how their lives have changed, and to watch them talking to people who are just getting started in this world.
In just a year, some of these women have completely transformed their lives. They’re more confident. They know stuff. They’re true Free Mamas — and they want even more for themselves.
Which is why I had to take a huge leap and create the NEXT level program, designed to support you as you step into the incredible space you can occupy in this world: The Inner Circle.
Here’s the thing, Mama. The Inner Circle has limited spots, and 16 of them have already been claimed.
I announced The Inner Circle on the second day of the 3-Day Event, and before the end of the weekend, Lauren Lorentz signed up. She originally came to the Free Mama Movement because she was drowning in an MLM and she knew there had to be a better way.
I knew that Lauren and I were soulmates when she described The Free Mama as “a way I can have my cake and eat it too,” because you know exactly how much I love cake.
Coming into the 3-Day Event, Lauren told me she felt that stirring inside her that told her there was more to her story. “I knew I was playing small, and I wanted to know how to play big,” she told me.
Chills, right?
Jennifer Leavitt also signed up for The Inner Circle. Now, on the surface, Jennifer has it all. She has a super cozy job, and every time she thinks about walking away, they make it harder for her to go. They throw more money at her, let her work from home, and so on.
Yes, it’s an investment in yourself to join a mastermind group for women. Yes, it’s a big, huge, terrifying leap. But this is real. This is how you actually make a change in your life and get the things you’ve been saying you want.
This is how you stop playing small and start living the life you were meant for.
Camera shy? Read this for 5 super-practical tips that will cure you and teach you how to speak confidently on camera!
I mean, just how scary is it when you’re facing down a camera with a blinking red light?
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I’ve been right there with you, Mama. In fact, the first time I went live in my Facebook group, I peed my pants. #truth #alwaysclassy
The thing is, video has been the most effective way for me— and for so many Free Mamas — to connect with clients. It just makes everything so personal, so ignoring it isn’t going to work. You have to learn how to speak confidently on camera!
That’s why I’m super excited about today’s episode of FreeMamaTV, where I’m sharing 5 super-practical, super helpful tips for how to speak confidently on camera.
If you’ve been putting off making videos, or if you simply don’t feel like you’re rocking the camera, make sure you watch this episode — especially my last tip. It’ll change your life!
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Click play and check out today’s episode of FreeMamaTV! And I’ll see YOU on camera soon!
Have you been struggling to get your name out there, mama?
If you get overwhelmed every time you think about marketing your business, you’re not alone. Maybe you’re worried that it’s going to cost you a fortune — or that you’ll have to learn every little detail and nuance of Every. Single. Social. Platform.
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Good news, Mama. Today on FreeMamaTV we’re going to get you super focused on the RIGHT, free ways to market your online business — without any of that nasty overwhelm to slow you down.
If you want my best tips for getting in front of the right clients for you — plus how to do it all for freeand without making yourself nuts — then don’t miss today’s episode!
A few weeks ago, Justin and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. 🥂Flipping back through our photos was definitely a laugh — but it also reminded me of how little a single snapshot can capture.
If you look at a picture of my life today, you’ll see one thing — but it’s just one frozen moment. Sure, right now, Justin and I are both doing what we love, but a year or two (or five or eight) ago, you’d have seen something very different.
Ten years ago — before kids, before a mortgage, before we started our “grown up” lives — we had big dreams. We met through a program called University of Dreams, after all. We both interned with the program in 2002, and returned the following year to run the internship program.
(Fun fact: all of our mutual friends assumed we were dating, even though we were just friends. Turns out they all saw what was happening way before we did.)
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In the early days of our marriage, it was Justin who was much more willing to do entrepreneurial things. In fact, when he talks about it, he calls it “taking risks” which tells you a little something about the different ways we see this.
And yes, I also wanted to do big things, but there was that instinct for stability that kicked in, and at first I was really happy in my job.
I think that’s been a big part of what makes us work as a couple: we’ve been able to trade off over the years. At different times in our marriage, we’ve each been the one to hold the steady job, and we’ve each been the one to go after those big dreams. It’s part of what keeps marriage strong.
And please don’t misunderstand: we love each other, but we’ve done this very imperfectly. We’ve had plenty of fear-driven arguments — no one enjoys feeling unstable!
Nearly every time I go to a Free Mama meetup, someone asks how Justin feels about my business, and if he’s always supported me. The short answer is “Yes, he’s always wanted me to be happy and successful,” but the long answer is messy and complicated and real — just like your life.
It’s easy to grab this picture and freeze it and ignore everything that came before. But that would be a bit like believing someone’s social media feed is an accurate representation of real life.
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At the end of the day, I think the biggest thing I’ve learned about what keeps marriage strong in the last ten years of marriage is that it’s about finding balance. You’re both probably not going to get everything you want all of the time, and it’s about giving each other the space and support so that you can both be pretty happy most of the time.
Which sounds straightforward, but it takes real work — and that’s the other thing I’ve learned. A strong marriage needs nurturing. You have to be on the same team, and you have to know that it’s going to take practice and patience to get where you want to go. We remind ourselves of that (sometimes very loudly) on a regular basis.
And please, please don’t think I’m trying to tell you that I know all the secrets to a happy marriage, or that mine is perfect. Like I said, our path is wildly imperfect, and we are learning more about ourselves — and each other — every day.
My friend Monica from The Brighter Side of Life is going to be hosting a marriage summit that talks all about these marriage secrets – and I’m going to be a participating as a speaker! I would love if you joined us there!
Think tactical, practical advice on optimizing your online presence to draw clients to you, how and where to go looking for opportunities, and what to say and do when you connect with a client.
If you’re serious about your business, then back away from the branding board and logo design sites, and head on over to FreeMamaTV to get the real goods, and start working on side gigs to make extra money online!
Do you remember your kindergarten art class? I do. My teacher was Mrs. Rosser, and one day she had us working on a project. I started drawing, and a few minutes later, I made a fateful mistake.
I looked over at what my tablemate Karen was doing. And her picture was way better than mine.
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I traded in my sheet of paper, and started over, copying Karen as precisely as I could. Her picture was good, so obviously I needed mine to look like hers, so that mine would be good.
That was my first major bout of Comparisonitis, and it was not fun, especially because it ended with me being shamed in front of the entire class for copying. I still don’t do art today, so thanks, Mrs. Rosser!
When I got my first real job, it was working for the magazine division of the Kansas City Star. I replaced a woman named Gwen Heffner, who left to have a baby — and went on to become an Instagram star.
Everyone who met me at work called me “the new Gwen,” which did nothing for my self esteem. And when I scrolled through Gwen’s amazing feed on social media, as she built an incredible new career, I could feel myself shrinking inside my skin.
I certainly wasn’t going to try to copy Gwen — I’d internalized that lesson — but I couldn’t help feeling inferior every time I picked up my phone, every time someone mentioned her name, every time someone called me “the new Gwen.”
Ultimately, I had to unfollow her for a time — I needed that boundary. And maybe you do, too. I knew that I had to stop comparing myself to others.
If there’s someone who constantly makes you feel like you’re not enough, then maybe it’s time to let go. Unfollow. Delete.
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Because you ARE enough, Mama, and comparing yourself to anyone besides the you of yesterday is not helpful.
Yes, some people have more experience than you. Yes, some people are ahead of you in business. But you know what else?
Some people are behind you and have less experience than you do.
If your son or daughter came home and said someone else in her class was a better speller, or could ride a bike faster or anything else, what would you tell her? Would you recommend that she keep comparing herself to the kids around her, or would you encourage her to keep working on herself?
And if another Free Mama came to you and said that your success made her feel intimidated, what would you say then?
So… why do we think it’s okay to compare ourselves to others? Why do we keep asking ourselves, “Why can’t I stop comparing myself to others?”
That mama you’re watching? You don’t know the whole story. You weren’t there for her late nights, the time she cried in her car, or the day she thought about giving it all up.
Sure, the Insta feed is pretty, but that’s the highlight reel. At the end of the day, she’s got spit-up on her shirt and something squishy in her shoes, just like the rest of us.
Set boundaries in your business — and your life. Protect yourself from getting caught up in the comparison game, because it’s a game you just can’t win.
The only person you need to look at is yourself. And Mama, from where I sit, you look amazing.
Forget Beyonce and her ring — I want you to put a bow on it. In today’s episode of FreeMamaTV, I’ll show you just how you can stand out to clients with qualities and skills of virtual assistant. You’ll learn just what it looks like to be super resourceful, willing to go the extra mile — and the obvious choice for the job.
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In fact, you’ll get to see some great real-world examples of what you can do to set yourself apart when you’re trying to land the clients — and after you get hired for the gig.
Clients go crazy for VAs who go above and beyond, and it really doesn’t have to involve a lot of extra effort on your part, just a few qualities and skills of virtual assistant!
With these tips and ideas in your back pocket, you have everything you need to land that dream client and deliver a top-quality experience that nets you ongoing work — and steady income.
