13. From Virtual Project Manager to Virtual Assistant Business Coach and Author | Christine Seibold

Today, we're chatting with Christine Seibold, a virtual assistant business & mindset coach and author. 

Christine's entrepreneurial journey wasn't a linear path. Starting as a virtual assistant and project manager, one day while wandering the streets of Panama, Christine realized she desired more than virtual assistance.

Driven by her desire to make a more profound impact, Christine pursued life and business coaching, transitioning from VA work to coaching programs and online academies. 

Christine talks about her battle with imposter syndrome, setting boundaries, and overcoming the fear of failure. She shares about the challenges she faced, transforming doubts into self-belief and determination.

Throughout her story, Christine emphasizes the transformative power of mindset shifts, self-discovery, and perseverance in building a thriving business while nurturing a healthy work-life balance.

Connect with Christine:
Website www.freelancenfreedom.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/freelancenfreedom/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/blondiewithoutborders/
Programme Virtual Freedom Academy
Get the Book Blondie Without Borders
Join the Facebook group Virtual Assistant (VA) Freedom Tribe
Book: The Gap and The Gain: The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success

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Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists

Transcript

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[00:00:00] Andrea Elibero: Andrea here, your host and passionate business coach and scaling strategist for Soulful Service Providers and Coaches. Welcome to another episode of Soulpreneur Scaling Stories. Have you ever wanted to look behind the curtain of your fellow entrepreneur's business to see what actually went into scaling it?

Well, you are in for a treat because that's exactly what we are doing here. In each episode, we will be uncovering the truth the lessons and the stories behind what it truly takes for solepreneurs to scale their businesses intentionally. I'm hoping that their stories will help you to unlock the true potential of your business so you can create your own soulful, abundant, and aligned laptop lifestyle through intentional scaling.

So whether you're just starting out on your scaling journey, or you're a seasoned entrepreneur seeking inspiration, this episode has something incredible in store for you. Are you ready to rise, grow, and create? Create a business that fully supports your dream life. Well, let's dive in. Before we begin, make sure to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an empowering episode filled with real stories and soulful insights. Hello. Hello. Welcome to another episode of Soulpreneur Scaling Stories. I am here with a very special guest today, Andrea Singletary, who is a podcast host and strategist. I'm really excited because I have worked with her personally and I know that she's amazing and I've seen some pieces of her story and I cannot wait for her to share with you.

Andrea Elibero: Hello, hello. So today we have virtual assistant business coach Christine Seibel joining us to share her scaling story. Welcome Christine. Thank you for being here today,

[00:01:22] Christine Seibold: here today.

Thank you. Thanks for the invitation.

[00:01:25] Andrea Elibero: of course. So, uh, Christine and I go back a while. We know each other in real life, but please introduce yourself to everybody and tell us what your business looks like today.

[00:01:35] Christine Seibold: looks like today.

All right. So I started my business back in 2018. I'm originally from Boston. I was working as a project manager at Harvard University at the time. And after a couple years there, although I was there for five years, after about two years I had had it and I was like, I need something more. I need something else.

for me. Um, I did want to finish my master's there. So I stayed until I graduated in 2018. And then the fall of 2018, I packed up my suitcase and went with my husband and moved to Miami, Florida, where I opened freelance and freedom, which is my business today. However, um, today it looks a lot different from back then.

So I started out as a virtual assistant or like a virtual project manager. Um, learned many, many lessons along the way, including the fact that I thought that I just wanted freedom, the freedom to travel, the freedom to, you know, just have flexibility of time, be with my family. But as I was like standing in the streets of Panama, I had this like Big assumption or realization, I guess, that being a virtual assistant wasn't for me.

Um, I just felt like my skills were better used. And while I liked helping women or my clients, um, I just felt like I was meant to do more for me. So I got certified as a life business coach and, um, quickly transitioned. You know, I was doing part VA work, part coaching work, um, created my own coaching program to help women start their own businesses.

And today I have a virtual assistant academy online. Um, I do one on one coaching and helping women in a couple different programs start their own businesses and some mindset coaching as well. So many parts. I'm also an author. Um, sometimes I focus on setting boundaries, which is like a huge. theme when you start your own business and coming up, and so I have a book sharing my life and my lack of boundaries as I grew up and became an adult.

[00:03:49] Andrea Elibero: of this

[00:03:49] Christine Seibold: the book?

Uh, Blondie Without Borders.

[00:03:53] Andrea Elibero: good. I have read it. I'm not just saying that because I know you. It was a very, uh, Christine, Miss Christine has gone on a lot of adventures and done lots of things and lots of experiences in life. Um, so this journey, Is I want to break it down a little bit because you have started as a VA and now you're coaching and author and Doing all sorts of things.

So let's back up and you said that you had realized one day like, oh, you know what? Like this isn't my path Maybe I don't want to actually be a VA. So I would love to know how you got from this Thought of this isn't exactly what i'm meant to do into I want to coach

[00:04:34] Christine Seibold: coach.

So a lot of, um, doubt came in my mind, of course, because I had never really coached before.

I always kind of consider myself a leader, but the thought, I just knew I didn't want to be a VA. So that was the first thing that became clear. Um, and then I thought, well, How do I want to help people or help women? Um, and so I thought, well, people. I thought by sharing my story that other women could identify with me and I focused on the freedom.

So my business name never changed. So I first had freedom through being a virtual assistant, but then I realized, well, I can have freedom really working anyway, virtually online and helping other women get that freedom. So that was when it took a lot of meditation, a lot of self discovery, journaling, um, and figuring out what that looked like.

But I realized. I definitely had, um, fear because I was around of, you know, Andrea and I met in a women's community and there was a lot of coaches in there and kind of like, spiritual gurus and just different kind of leading and coaching. And I had imposter syndrome big time of like, well, I could never be like them or I could never help someone like she's helping this person.

Um, but slowly but surely with a lot of affirmations, I started to believe in myself. And when I finally started working with women and I saw the results they were getting and saw that I really was helping them, I'm like, I'm helping them make their dreams come true. That really was like an aha moment that I could do it and kind of gave me the confidence to just keep going.

[00:06:31] Andrea Elibero: So let's break this down even further because I think these steps are super, super important to really dive into. So one, it was a journey, right? Going from VA to coach was a whole journey. It didn't happen overnight. Two, it sounds like you had tools that really helped you to step into that role and overcome the imposter syndrome.

So you mentioned, Meditation, affirmations. So what were the tools that you specifically worked on and what, how did you, what did you use to overcome the imposter syndrome that you were feeling?

[00:07:01] Christine Seibold: that you were feeling?

Hmm. So I just took more time to get to know myself because when you leave the corporate world, you're, we are often trained, our brains are trained to just, you know, do what the manager says.

And then you become an entrepreneur and you're like, I have all this free time. And I was first working 24 seven. With all the VA clients like I didn't know how many were my limit Which is I think a common thing that happens when you first start so I had like 10 at one point I was like going insane, you know And it was also just that fear of failure like not wanting to fail You know my first couple years in business and just like doing all I could to replace my income.

So um So there was like realizing the fact that I needed to set boundaries with my time with I became very unhealthy, unhealthy since I was working so many hours. I wasn't cooking. So I was just like ordering out, you know, and, um, and then also saying no to clients that didn't serve me. So in my book, I talk about this crazy woman that I first started working with when I moved to Miami and That didn't work out.

So,

[00:08:08] Andrea Elibero: was like, so there was like smoking involved in like weird errands and things. Right. I remember some of this,

[00:08:13] Christine Seibold: remember some of this.

Yes, smoking cigarettes constantly in my face while I have asthma. And my sister's like, why is your voice changing? Like it was, it was like constant smoking, but. Me telling her no once wasn't enough, you know, so I had to, I should have been more strict with her But there were so many things with her, like so many red flags

[00:08:34] Andrea Elibero: it's also part of the learning process, not

[00:08:36] Christine Seibold: process,

[00:08:36] Andrea Elibero: too much from what we were talking about, but this whole boundary setting and figuring out the clients and. You know, when you're a service provider, like all of that stuff is kind of like the stuff you, everybody goes through and has to learn when they're starting their business.

[00:08:48] Christine Seibold: their business

[00:08:49] Andrea Elibero: this is a, right, a very common journey.

[00:08:51] Christine Seibold: journey

Absolutely.

[00:08:53] Andrea Elibero: transitioning from that into, out or out of that, um, sorry, continue.

[00:08:58] Christine Seibold: sorry, continue.

That's okay. So, um, I think I, I rarely deal with imposter syndrome these days and I think it's because of the confidence I've built in myself. So then we unpack that. So how do we get the confidence? So I actually made a video on this this morning and I was talking about.

Depending on ourselves. So consistency and just the, the idea that you're not going to give up on yourself and you're going to figure it out no matter what leads you to reaching your goals or at least partially reaching your goals step by step, right? If you don't give up and you're like, I'm just going to figure this out or do it a different way until I do.

That will create confidence in, in ourself and belief in ourself that we, and then once we keep doing that and we see things are happening, then it's easier to believe and have confidence in ourselves, which then will build this foundation for not having. Imposter syndrome. So I, I've never been like a jealous person, so I don't look at people and I'm like, Oh, I wish I was like her, but I'm just like, Oh, how cool.

It's all in perspective. It's like how cool it is that she like is a fitness influencer that has this skin problem, but like is using it to create a platform and help other women, you know? So it's all how you look at your situation and combining that with the belief in yourself to overcome that imposter syndrome.

[00:10:26] Andrea Elibero: Yeah, so like this self trust and really building the muscle, right? So it's really a 

[00:10:31] Christine Seibold: a 

[00:10:31] Andrea Elibero: else in life. People say, Oh, I'm not good at this, but like, it's really just a practice and a learned thing. So, and I love that you said that it was the determination for you that you were just like, I'm doing this.

I'm going to figure it out. I'm like, I'm just going to keep going and not give up. And you just did it and you just kept going and

[00:10:49] Christine Seibold: just kept going

and didn't give up.

I think following that little voice in your stomach, like even during the pandemic, I panicked because I was like, I need income coming in and I had lost a couple of clients and I was even looking at the University of Miami's website to see if I could like go and be a manager there, you know, like I was at Harvard and I could not get myself to press the button to apply and I was just like my freedom, which was my why was way more important than applying for another nine to five job.

I'm like, I will figure it out and I will make it work. And so I think carrying that attitude and that belief throughout, no matter what I do. Um, and then after time, like it's been five years. I have a record now, so I can look back and be like, Well, that always worked out. It's always worked out, right? And I believe because it is my path, and it's meant to be, and so I know that it will eventually work out, even if it's not how I imagined

[00:11:47] Andrea Elibero: Yeah. Yeah, the intuition is so important. And actually, like, the first step is noticing. Right? It's like, oh, I'm feeling this. And actually, like, realizing that there's things happening in your body. 

[00:11:59] Christine Seibold: your 

[00:12:00] Andrea Elibero: so, paying attention is like, okay, this is happening in my body. Oh, that means something. Let's do an experiment.

Even if you don't totally trust yourself, let's do an experiment and see what happens if I actually listen to this intuition and follow. Like, let's try. You know, I think that's a really good first, a really good reframe that people can have. When they're like, oh, I haven't done this before, right? Like I haven't like built up the self trust so maybe look at it Like it's an experiment.

Let's just see what happens. Something's telling me not to press that button Let's see what happens if I don't press that button and apply for these jobs So I love that that you kept doing that and then just kept doing it. You were like, no, I'm doing this thing 

[00:12:37] Christine Seibold: thing 

[00:12:37] Andrea Elibero: I'm doing it period. It sounds like the determination was really the thing that really drove you that, and the other thing you said was that your why was so important, which I can definitely relate to, uh, which was the freedom.

You know, you're like, no, I can't do this. Like, this is what I, my vision is, and I'm doing everything I can to get there, right? To like achieve that vision and to live this dream that I planned out for

[00:13:00] Christine Seibold: planned out for

myself. Absolutely. Definitely. And I know it's kind of cliche, but I'll also just add gratitude.

Um, just plays such a big part also, I think in eliminating imposter syndrome, because if we're grateful for what we have in the moment, like, okay, I'm not the business coach I want to be yet, but, um, or I'm not the VA I want to be yet, but. I've done this, this, and this, and I'm grateful for that experience, right?

Or that's really how I've gotten over all the things I talk about in my book. Like, I'm grateful for the difficult experiences because they brought me to where I am today. So if we can look at them in that light and, um, if you're struggling to be grateful for something, you know, I love even just starting with saying like, thank you for having ten fingers and ten toes or or the ability to walk, you know, like simple things that some people don't have and just starting there and then bringing it inward into yourself and your business and your accomplishments.

[00:14:04] Andrea Elibero: Mm-Hmm. . Mm-Hmm. . Yes. Um, and. I forgot.

[00:14:09] Christine Seibold: I forgot.

[00:14:10] Andrea Elibero: Hold on, I'm going to get there, I forgot.

[00:14:12] Christine Seibold: there. I forgot.

[00:14:14] Andrea Elibero: The gratitude. Yeah, so not comparing yourself to other people. So there is a book, which of course right now I don't remember the name of, but if I do I'll put it in the show notes, that my client of mine, who is a business coach, was talking about that, talked about exactly this, which is compare yourself to your past self

[00:14:31] Christine Seibold: self.

Mm.

[00:14:32] Andrea Elibero: and to see what your journey has been and the growth that you've done, not to other people, not to your future self.

So it's focusing on the gains instead of the loss. Like, what have I gained so far? And that really puts things in a really, in a amazing perspective that people don't often like, like people love to focus on the things that like they don't have, right? They love to focus on like, oh, look at what this person is doing and what they seemingly are achieving on social media, which we all know may or may not be true, but right, there's telling a good story out there.

Instead of look at what I've done. Like, look at how much I've grown since a year ago. Look at how much like. Look at how far I've come. Look at all these clients I've served. Look at these people I've helped. Maybe it's not 50 people or 100 people or what I want to do just yet, but look at the difference I've made in these 5 or 10 people.

You know, so exactly, the reframe and practicing that gratitude is, and there's apps, like I have an app on my phone that is really nice, like a gratitude app that every morning you go in and you kind of type in your things, and it's kind of, again, one of those

[00:15:29] Christine Seibold: again, one of those muscles to train.

I do it in a notebook every morning because I like to write it out. Um, but even I keep a document that has like the list of my accomplishments for the year and then if I have a tough day, I can pull up that document and just be like, Oh, I actually did all of these things this year or even keeping a document of nice things that clients say about you or, you know, little, like, you know, if they leave something in your Facebook group or whatever it is, like, Thanking you.

You're like, okay, this is why I do this. Going back to helping other people get their freedom,

[00:16:03] Andrea Elibero: A hun right? Yeah. A hundred percent. Yes, and I highly recommend for anybody, anytime some, any client, anybody says something nice or write something, take a screenshot and save it because not only is it good for marketing, it's also good to go back to when you're feeling like, Oh, I don't know why I'm doing this, right?

It's a good reminder. I want to talk about your membership. So in your coaching, your method of delivery is having a membership. And I would love to hear about why you chose a membership. As opposed to any other method of delivering, you know, coaching delivery.

[00:16:37] Christine Seibold: Yeah. And I'll be completely honest. So I have the virtual freedom academy. So anyone who's looking to become a new virtual assistant or even reef, refresh, touch up on their skills, it's a monthly membership.

It's 27 a month. And why I was attracted to this model is because before the membership, I was doing one on one coaching, but charging two or 3, 000 per client. And, you know, it was an eight week, nine week program. Um, and, Every time I sold it, even though it's, I mean, in today's day and age, that's really not that much money.

You know, there's programs for 10, 20, you 

know thousands dollars 50 Yeah. Um but I still felt every time I sold it, I felt a little sleazy and I don't know why. Well, I do know why it's related to my upbringing and my beliefs around money, which I'm constantly working on. But, um. I just felt, I found, so I found this other coach and I felt very aligned with her and her program and that her most expensive program was $777 for the year.

And uh, I signed up and she had a 27 or no, a seven and a 49 I think as well, memberships, and she is able to serve so many people, which is also one of my goals, to help as many women as possible. At an affordable price and I just felt so aligned with it because I'm like I can create these videos once I do add new things to the membership every month for the members and new webinars and things but It's not so much heavy work on my end.

I'm still giving a ton of value. I'm truly helping people start their business and it's 27 and I'm like, that is a lunch. I'm like, can you not go out to lunch once a month and then just sign up to invest in yourself, you know? So instead of charging two or 3000, I'm charging 27. And that was really, that's really what lit me up because I, I can help so many people at an affordable price.

[00:18:42] Andrea Elibero: And I love that you started in one way, and you're like, Oh, this doesn't feel the me. And instead of just giving up on it or continue to do it or fight through yourself, you really, you looked for a solution and were like, what actually feels good for me? What excites me? And it sounds, and I could hear the difference, right?

And you're talking about it. You're like, I can help you, you know, like, like you can, anybody can afford this and you can change your life. And like, I could feel that from you. So it really felt different than you talking about one on one coaching. Not that you, you know. Like, for you, right? So like, that felt, like I could just feel that, and that's another one of those instances where the self trust, the intuition, like, the paying attention to, oh, what feels good for me, and

[00:19:22] Christine Seibold: me and

[00:19:22] Andrea Elibero: leaning into that.

[00:19:24] Christine Seibold: Yeah, and I even I pivoted midway through because I had a 7 a month program and a 49 and, you know, obviously the goal was to upgrade to the 49.

But with the 7 program again, I felt a little sleazy because they weren't getting the full package in the full picture. And people would get stuck and then they would want to leave. And so I'm like, why don't I just offer one thing that combines both programs where I really can help them and give them every single thing they need.

So I, again, I, I switched, I think, yeah, halfway through the year. I launched it in January of this year. So I switched in June, July ish. And then now it's just going so much smoother. And I feel like I'm not trying to, not that I was trying to fool them, but that they're getting everything that they want and need with the membership.

[00:20:12] Andrea Elibero: Yeah, and the other thing that I think is important is all this talk of

[00:20:16] Christine Seibold: is all this talk of pivoting.

Mm.

[00:20:19] Andrea Elibero: is a huge piece of it, right? Like, I've done this a thousand times. Also, myself and my own business, right? There's been a lot of tweaking and pivoting. Like, okay, I'm doing this. Okay, no, this works better. And,

[00:20:29] Christine Seibold: And

[00:20:30] Andrea Elibero: how do you know?

Or how do you decide, like, let's, like, I want to do something 

[00:20:35] Christine Seibold: I want

do something else.

[00:20:37] Andrea Elibero: It's kind of a weird, like, big, broad question, but it really is the same kind of, like,

[00:20:42] Christine Seibold: of, like,

[00:20:43] Andrea Elibero: self trust and things like that, that I think that people

[00:20:46] Christine Seibold: I think that people

[00:20:46] Andrea Elibero: to pivot.

[00:20:47] Christine Seibold: to pivot.

Yeah, so it's, it's a fine balance because I know a couple people that, like, they're constantly pivoting, and I'm like, you didn't even give it a try.

Like, a month or three months or even maybe six months, depending on what it is. But. Isn't really putting every single thing that you can into it or did you try this or that right because there's different strategies So there's that fine line of like like you said when do you know how to pivot and I I would say that The answer is again.

You want to be in tune with yourself? so I do a morning routine every morning and in that meditation things come up all the time and If they I would say if things keep coming up Um, then it's like that little voice, like that reminder that like, okay, it is time to pivot. Like this isn't for me. It doesn't feel aligned with me.

Um, like now is okay. But you also want to just check and ask yourself, like, is it, do I just want to pivot because it's uncomfortable and I'm not getting clients or it's not working, you know, or have I really done everything and maybe this isn't the right option for me. So you just have to be careful with that.

And not, because you don't want to constantly have to be creating things and changing, you know, the sales page. And it's a lot of work to be constantly

[00:22:08] Andrea Elibero: Yes. Pivoting, yes. Yeah, pivoting is a lot of work, and I think that you put it perfectly where it is really about the motivation behind why you're thinking of changing something. Is it because, like, truly, like, in your heart of hearts, is it because you are uncomfortable and you're like, oh, this isn't working, maybe, like, and then you kind of feel like you're doing something if you're like, oh, let me rearrange this and reorganize and make a new this, right, and then you kind of can trick yourself that you're actually working and doing things and you're actually avoiding the uncomfortable piece versus, like,

[00:22:40] Christine Seibold: like,

[00:22:40] Andrea Elibero: Like, the offer doesn't quite sit well with me and there's something that feels better, you know?

And, like, maybe my heart's not all in it or, like, something feels off. And really, like, examining and going deeper than just the surface

[00:22:53] Christine Seibold: the service.

I

think you really have to believe in what it is you're selling and in your offer. Uh, so that's huge. So before you pivot, say, and you start to outline or create the new thing, say, do I 100, am I 100 percent behind this? Do I 100 percent believe in this? I 100 percent believe that, and know, and I've seen now that my academy can help VAs.

So like, I'm all in, right? And again when it was the 7 and the 49 it didn't feel quite right and you know So like but even with the model like signing up with this woman's course last year I was like I a hundred percent believe and I'm aligned with Great value for low price, you know like this woman and she's helping thousands of people So, um, so now I'm just trying to get there,

[00:23:44] Andrea Elibero: Right, you're getting into the thousands of people point,

[00:23:49] Christine Seibold: for the hundreds first, but, um, but yeah, so ask yourself those questions before you 100 percent commit and start taking tons of action that could just be a waste of time.

[00:23:59] Andrea Elibero: Yes, it's like, that's a really good point, too, because I think we've all done that, too, right? Like, and especially at the beginning, or especially when you're like, oh, yeah, I'll take on this client, or I'll do that thing without, like, first checking in with yourself. And like, how does this feel? And what is my actual vision?

To and how does this support my vision? I don't know if that also because you said before that you were feeling really burnt out from working so much and now you're your Workload is lessened right in terms of number of hours of what you're doing So, I don't know if that also has something to do with like this is how I want my life to look like

[00:24:34] Christine Seibold: look like.

Mm hmm.

[00:24:35] Andrea Elibero: like Creating your offer to support that I don't know if that had anything to do with

[00:24:40] Christine Seibold: Anything to do with it

as well. For sure. It's passive income. And I think, especially in America, it's go, go, go, right. No matter where you live. And, uh, you and I both live in Spain and things are much slower here. And I really have enjoyed like slowing down and just living in the moment and.

Having more free time because I have this passive income part. Um. You know, and not needing to be on one on one calls all the time, and I do some of that, of course, but not as much, so that, that definitely did play into it, too.

Awesome.

[00:25:21] Andrea Elibero: Awesome. I think we've talked about, um, some of these things, and my favorite questions because we've really kind of dove deep into the mindset and all of this. But in terms of hurdles, would you say that mindset was the biggest hurdle, or was there some other big hurdle that comes to mind when we think about your

[00:25:38] Christine Seibold: when we think about your scaling journey?

Hmm. Definitely believing in myself, because even if I'm like, okay, well, I can create the thing, but then will the people come, right? So there's that. Um. Another part of my business that I didn't mention in the beginning was I have this women's community here in Spain that I launched right in January of 2020 before the pandemic and I wasn't living in Spain at that time.

So it was super challenging to run it from Miami. Um, so same thing there. I had a lot of imposter syndrome back then because I'm like, well, I'm an American who speaks Spanish as a second language, like who's going to want to come to my events, right? Or join my membership. Um, But, you know, you attract, you just, again, you believing in yourself and attracting the people that are meant for you and who are meant for you to help.

Um, sorry, I forgot the question. What was it?

[00:26:33] Andrea Elibero: your hurdle, your 

[00:26:34] Christine Seibold: I on that tangent

Oh, the hurdle. Yes. Um, so yes, that goes with the mindset and believing in yourself. Um, I also used to have a big. issue with thinking negative thoughts about myself just even before starting a business. And my therapist, you know, that came from different abusive situations, but my therapist helped me drastically change that.

And now I almost never think negative thoughts about myself. So that comes with the business, but also personally or what I look like or whatever the issue is. So. Um, yeah, I would say mindset and setting boundaries. Setting boundaries was so huge in the beginning of saying yes to things I didn't want to say yes to, saying yes to clients I didn't want to say yes to, um, in all areas, right?

Spending money frivolously, you know, just not saying no to not eating healthy, like all the things. It's just, we have to say no to what doesn't serve us. And not ignore that little voice or that intuition with whatever situation, whether it's a relationship, food, business, whatever, like just learning to say no and being okay.

I think a lot of women feel guilty for saying no. And, you know, even with this woman, like smoking cigarettes in my face, I felt guilty for leaving her after a month. And I'm like, I'm going crazy, but I feel guilty. Like, just because I committed to her, you know, so. But it really will lead to happiness if you can say no to those things.

[00:28:08] Andrea Elibero: And not just for you on both sides too, right? Because the way that the way that when I

[00:28:15] Christine Seibold: when I

[00:28:16] Andrea Elibero: Was a PA and even now when things are not feeling aligned Then the way that I also like teach my clients my service provider clients to talk about this when they're like this isn't feeling good For me anymore. Like I don't actually want to be doing this work anymore.

It's a disservice to your clients Because you're not putting your all in, you're not excited about it anymore, and they deserve to be working with somebody, to have somebody helping them who loves what they're doing and who is passionate about it. Because then the work is gonna suffer, even if you're like trying your hardest, there's still something happens, where more mistakes are being made, or things just don't feel good, you're procrastinating, you know, like, like we've all been there, right, and had, and had this happen to us.

And this is a really key point where it's not selfish to say no, because you are

[00:29:00] Christine Seibold: are.

[00:29:01] Andrea Elibero: Not just serving yourself by saying no, you're serving the other person.

[00:29:06] Christine Seibold: person.

Mm.

[00:29:07] Andrea Elibero: Because really they deserve, right, like they deserve somebody excited to do it and somebody who's going to be doing top

[00:29:13] Christine Seibold: to be doing top notch work for them.

Absolutely. 100 percent agree.

[00:29:18] Andrea Elibero: So boundaries are huge and I think the reframe of it's not just for me, it's for them as well is, is really important. It's a really important reframe.

[00:29:26] Christine Seibold: reframe.

[00:29:27] Andrea Elibero: Um, okay, so how about scaling tips? I know we've given 1000 gazillion tips, but it's like, you're like, okay, I'm a service provider. I want to grow my business or in your journey.

This is the thing that was really key in helping me scale my business.

[00:29:40] Christine Seibold: my business.

Hmm. Consistency in whatever form of marketing you choose.

Consistency is the key. So whether it's making videos, creating posts. on all the things, all the platforms, you know, choose obviously the one where your ideal client hangs out most, but um, I just started posting on tik tok again But again, I see How you can grow quickly on there, but also that I am helping I have two pages one for VA's and one for boundaries and that like People really are getting help from this information, so I'm like, okay, I want to do it, you know, so I'm like, just do it, but being consistent, um, because if you show up one day and then you disappear, first of all, people are going to think how you do one thing is how you do everything, so you'll, maybe that's how you work in your business too, which isn't a good look, right, um, So being consistent on, on all the things I have been trying to figure out these Facebook ads for the last year on and off because it gets expensive, of course, um, so not being in, not being afraid to invest in yourself or your business, um, I've had to hire outside help because they're not my strong point and I don't know all the things and Facebook changes things every day.

So, um, it's okay to ask for help, right? Right. Um, I think always having a coach or a mentor or someone that you can grow with is super key and important as well. So, um, yeah, you only grow, uh, as far as your business grows, right? No, sorry, your business only grows as far as you grow. So if you aren't constantly learning, um, then your business will get stuck and will stop scaling and growing.

[00:31:37] Andrea Elibero: I love Yeah, because that's true both interpersonally

[00:31:41] Christine Seibold: both interpersonally,

[00:31:42] Andrea Elibero: or like

[00:31:43] Christine Seibold: or like,

[00:31:44] Andrea Elibero: more personally or internally like with the internal work and the learning of the skills and the things

[00:31:49] Christine Seibold: and the things

[00:31:50] Andrea Elibero: external things as well, right? 

[00:31:52] Christine Seibold: right

Yeah they go together.

[00:31:53] Andrea Elibero: and we constantly have to be Growing and learning and that's why I love this.

I think the similarity as for you, right, like, like, because I love the work and like the growing and on all of that. It's hard,

[00:32:04] Christine Seibold: that.

[00:32:05] Andrea Elibero: but it's so

[00:32:06] Christine Seibold: it's so good.

[00:32:06] Andrea Elibero: such a journey. So,

[00:32:09] Christine Seibold: Yeah, and then when you look back, you're like, like you said, like, wow, I've grown so much in a year or because of these circumstances or what I've learned or, you know, so always be reading, always be growing, always have a coach or a mentor, um, you know, so that your business keeps growing.

[00:32:29] Andrea Elibero: Yes. And, um,

[00:32:31] Christine Seibold: one, one more scaling

[00:32:32] Andrea Elibero: No. Yeah, please share all the scaling tips.

[00:32:37] Christine Seibold: I think when you're ready to scale and hire, which I know is a scary thing and I know as a VA, I was like, I don't want an agent. I don't want to be an agency. I don't want, I remember even looking at Andrew and be like, I don't know how she works with those other, you know, she had like a team going and now

[00:32:52] Andrea Elibero: Yes. Right.

[00:32:55] Christine Seibold: I was like, I.

I don't know how I've lived without my team now. Like, you can't scale and grow your business without a team, especially as a VA, but in most businesses, because you can't do it all. And it gets to the point where you need help. And so now I'm like, I don't know how I used to do all this stuff. Again, I value my time more than paying someone to help me.

Right. So once you can pay someone. Please do it, because your life will become so much easier, and you will have more time to work on the business and not in the business. And your business will continue to grow, because you can focus on those things to make it grow.

[00:33:34] Andrea Elibero: Yes. And to add to that, um, like, yeah, I think it's a different, it's funny. The. Um, like the mindset shift of like, Oh, I don't have an agency. And it's kind of like hiring means having an agency, but that's not what it means, right? Like the hiring doesn't necessarily mean you're hiring people to do your client work.

The hiring means you're supporting yourself and your business. So and not only. Is this necessary, right? Like this is a necessary part of growing. It doesn't mean hiring like these full time people and making like so much investment. Like this is really like a couple of key people, especially to start out with.

And it's a really good way to support yourself because Like you were saying, you can't do it, like literally you can't do everything. For this podcast, I have two people that are like supporting me, or else I guarantee you that I would never be able to get this out into the world. So one is my VA and one is a podcast manager.

Um, and they're doing like, you know, separate things for, for the podcast. So it is a whole endeavor and, and it is worth the investment because this is like, It's like one of my favorite things that I do in business now, so it's really cool, like, so I love doing it. Um, and it's a service, right? It's a service for people, but that's not the point.

The point is, is that hiring and bringing people on, not only is it freeing up your time and not only Is it like some people think like, Oh, like I should be able to do everything you can and you have to learn it But that doesn't mean you should do it Where you should be focusing like should right if you're like the CEO and like I'm the business owner and really wearing that cap and putting that on and embodying that is I need to be focused on serving my clients and being visible and Spreading my message to as many people as possible because I want to help as many people as possible and that's it.

So wherever The all the other stuff on the back end, this is not growing your business if you're doing it, right? Like me spending three days on my website is not growing my business, right? Like these are things that are worth outsourcing, especially to people where that's their business and they're excited and they can do it quickly and all that stuff, right?

So like... This is where really making that mindset shift too of, Oh, I'm just a, I'm just a VA or I'm just a whatever like having my clients versus I'm stepping in and I'm like really embodying the fact that I'm a business owner and this is what happens right to like grow my business and take care of it and treat it like

[00:35:57] Christine Seibold: treat it like it's important and like it's my most important client.

Absolutely. It's so important and um, just, yeah, you let, you get to let other people shine in doing what they're good at. Um, you know, so if you want to, if you're asking yourself, okay, well I do need to hire someone, where do I start?

I would start in the area that you are least. Um, is your, not your strength, right? Like, so the area, so for me, it was like marketing and social media when I first started out, especially with the community, not the VA community, but the Spanish community, because Spanish is my second language. So I was like, I need someone who's bilingual, who speaks both, right?

So that I can work with that. So, and then you want to make sure that the person you hire is also helping you make money so that

[00:36:51] Andrea Elibero: mm

[00:36:52] Christine Seibold: are, like, they're, you're not just paying them for, it could be admin work, but that admin work that they're doing is allowing you to make money, so technically they are helping you make money, but you want to just make sure it's not just random mundane tasks, you want to make sure that they're helping you still create business, uh,

[00:37:10] Andrea Elibero: yeah.

[00:37:11] Christine Seibold: it's you being able to or them.

[00:37:13] Andrea Elibero: Right? It's an investment. It's not like, oh, like, like, I love paying my, the people that are helping me, right? I love paying my team because I'm like, they're helping me. Like, I can't do, you can't do everything, you know, like, as you're growing, it's like you're adding in different pieces and all these new things and you just can't do it all.

And it feels nice to be able to pay somebody and to make that investment to, and know that they're helping you to reach more people, right? They're helping you to grow. They're helping you to change the world, to do the thing that you're doing, that you love doing. So, so yeah, it's really nice.

[00:37:41] Christine Seibold: yeah, it's really nice.

Yeah 

[00:37:43] Andrea Elibero: so, let us know, so tell one more time, go through your, if you are a new VA, how we can find this, your community and how we can

[00:37:52] Christine Seibold: and how we can stay in touch with you and anything else you would like to share.

Sure. So for the Virtual Freedom Academy, it's virtualfreedomacademy. com and then it's backslash join VFA. Um, my book is Blondie Without Borders.

It's on Amazon. All my social medias are Freelance and Freedom. Um, I think that's it. I love to connect. Um, I'll follow you back. So give me a follow. And I love to have conversations or answer questions. So don't be shy. Feel free to reach out.

[00:38:26] Andrea Elibero: Beautiful. Thank you so much, Christine,

[00:38:28] Christine Seibold: so much, Christine, for

[00:38:29] Andrea Elibero: and being here. It's amazing.

[00:38:31] Christine Seibold: Amazing.

Thank you. Thanks for the invitation.

[00:38:35] Andrea Elibero: Thank you so much for joining us today. I really hope you found inspiration and insights from today's episode. You know, scaling your business intentionally and from the inside out is a transformational process, but I'm here to support you every step of the way. Head on over to dancingleafsolutions. com slash resources for free tools to help you do just that.

And thank you again for being a part of the Soulpreneur Scaling Stories community. Your presence and dedication to growth inspire me every day.