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My sessions with Michelle Dale have been incredibly valuable!

Michelle helped me to explore what I really wanted to be working on in my business and how to streamline my services to help me feel less overwhelmed.

Michelle's help with new packages and pricing allowed me to go out to potential new clients with so much more confidence.

My business has really turned a corner since I started Michelle's Protégé coaching calls.

All the best!

Corin x

Early in my career, I was lucky enough to work for a man who taught me many of the fundamental values I hold to today.  One of his favourite sayings was that I was not paid to sit at a desk from 9-5, but rather to 'do a job'. From this I learned not just to attend work but to 'show up', manage my time wisely and know my limitations. #Lessonsforlife

As if that's not enough, he also surreptitiously taught, successful careers are those that play out like a marathon and not a sprint. I remember discussing a position that had opened up in our media department. It was a step up the corporate ladder, and I wanted to apply for the role. He listened, asked questions and helped me understand that while I stood a good chance to get the job, the benefits of remaining in my current role for another 6-12 months would be exponential; helping to fast-track my career in the long-term. Timing is everything, and sometimes the best course of action is not always the obvious one. My approach to decision making, as a result, has always been to look at the 'bigger picture' and *know* where the end-game is.

Here's the thing, the term mentor was not often used back in those days (we're talking pre-digital era), but this man, my boss, instinctively knew that to get the most out of his staff he needed to mentor them to make good choices and be prepared to play the long game.

I had always considered myself extremely lucky to have experienced the benefits of a mentoring relationship so early in my career. To be honest, I felt that I had gleaned enough from the experience to sustain me until retirement. It wasn't until earlier this year, when I recognised that my Virtual Assistant (VA) business had plateaued and I wasn't getting better at what I was doing that I re-visited the need for mentoring.  
 
Let me explain what I mean. I had spent 4-years working remotely in various roles from website development, content creation, social media strategy, advertising sales and email marketing. I was earning a reasonable salary while maintaining part-time hours.  

SOUNDS GOOD, RIGHT? 

Wrong! The work became an un-inspiring means-to-an-end that over time drained my energy and joy. In my gut, I knew I wasn't doing the work that I should be doing. I'd spent too long plodding along instead of being intentional. It was time. Time to pull the pin on my ho-hum career and find myself a mentor.

According to Atul Gawande in his Ted Talk 'Want to get great at something? Get a Coach', teaming up with a mentor is essential when –

1. You don't recognise the issues standing in your way.
2. You don't know how to fix them.
3. You stop improving.

Deep down I knew this was where I stood and the epiphany led me to Michelle Dale and her VA Mentorship Programme.  Michelle's hugely popular programme is designed to 'course correct' virtual assistant businesses.  Through her 4-week package, Michelle works one-on-one with mentees to create bespoke business plans based on individual professional and lifestyle goals with detailed steps on how to reach these goals.  

JUST THINK ABOUT IT? 

Having someone dedicated to cutting through your confusion and offering crystal clear clarity? 

Luckily for me, my mentorship with Michelle took place in tropical Bali on her inaugural 4-day intensive programme co-hosted with Danielle Greason. Together they were a formidable team offering a melting pot of experience and perspective to provide mentoring across my business, mindset, and lifestyle goals.

Across the four days, five other attendees and I participated in a mix of group workshops and one-on-one sessions with Michelle and Danielle designed to create individual VA business plans unique to what drives and inspires us.

After an in-depth individual session that was at times emotional and revealing, I walked away with a business concept ideally suited to my circumstances and a roadmap on how to get from Point A to Point B. 

Boom!

By the end of the mentoring programme, I had a business concept including a brand name, core focus and package / product offerings. Michelle had defined my sales funnel with customised filter questions for prospective clients, and I had a well-defined idea of my cornerstone client and those most suited to my business concept.

AND THAT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING...  

The group sessions during the Bali 4-Day Intensive spent an equal amount of time developing the mindset and lifestyle skills needed to support my new business concept and keep it moving forward. Michelle had learned that the secret to creating a successful business not only lies in a ‘great idea’ but also in establishing sharp mind and body practices to keep you moving forward.

“My commitment to keep taking daily action, even when I've felt extremely uncomfortable, uncertain or out of my depth. As I reflect back, it sure seems like the results of those past efforts keep on compounding over time. I'm proud that I've stayed in the game long enough to have the chance to really experience that. It's the best kind of motivation.”

Frankly, that was the secret sauce for me and is where the real value of Michelle’s mentoring lies. A good mentor shares their own experiences, to help direct and inform your choices. They can often recognise similarities to a situation and offer insights through observation and reflection. In sharing these nuggets of wisdom, mentors give mentees a ‘leg-up’ that can often have a huge, lifelong impact on their careers. A recent article posted on Entrepeneaur.com research indicates that you're more likely to succeed in business with a mentor.

"Your chances of success in life and in business can be amplified by having the right mentor. The valuable connections, timely advice, occasional checks -- together with the spiritual and moral guidance you will gain from having a mentor -- will literarily leapfrog you to success."

BUT THAT’S ONLY HALF THE STORY.  

Michelle also has a spirit of generosity. As a mentor she sets out to deliver as much value as possible through her hard skills knowledge base, a network of inspirational entrepreneur contacts, business hacks and online community groups. 

The fact is that as a mentee I found the ongoing support through Michelle’s multiple platforms critical in keeping on track with my goals and staying motivated. Her chat rooms and group calls are a place of enormous support and offer helpful advice on new products, apps and programs to help run your VA business.

According to a Forbes article on the Do’s and Don’ts of mentoring, mentorship is a vital component of professional development.

"No business leader has reached success without the benefit of a mentor to guide him or her through the inevitable peaks and valleys of business."

Here’s the kicker. Mentoring is transformative because as Albert Einstein famously said, ‘you cannot make a solution with the same mind that made the problem in the first place.’

Susan Ray from www.susanrayva.com was a fellow attendee in Bali at Michelle’s 4-day mentorship intensive. Her life has taken a complete 360 as a result of being mentored. Michelle’s ability to pick through what Susan was saying and shine the spotlight on things that she hadn’t given much thought to helped provide a new perspective.  With greater clarity, Susan was more open to Michelle’s suggestions for her VA business and had a deeper understanding and appreciation of the direction and plans presented to her.

Oddly enough, the sometimes unnerving introspective nature of mentoring resulted in a higher confidence for Susan. Through Michelle’s one-on-one feedback, the accountability to stay on track, group calls, and Facebook community Susan’s personal growth was a positive experience motivating her to try new things. Last month Susan was the guest speaker at a luncheon for young entrepreneurs and the success of that engagement validated for her just how valuable the mentorship programme had been.

And here's a quote from another mentee, Michelle Osborne:

“The mentorship experience was one in a million and such a worthwhile investment - it gave me the courage to take this idea and turn it into a full-blown reality.” 

The fact of the matter is that mentoring works - but how do you choose the right mentor programme for you? I'm no expert but having experienced success with mentors on two separate occasions, I feel I can offer some perspective.

1. Know what you're getting. 

If you're signing up for a mentorship programme, do your research. Make sure the package outline is clear and specific so you can manage your expectations and determine the value of the course for you. Michelle Dale does an incredible job of detailing what her programme covers in her introduction video and supporting notes.

2. Relevance.

According to Huffington Post, it's essential to select a mentor who has relevant ‘real life’ experience in the skill set you want to develop across the next 12-months. 

Be clear in the skill set you want to develop.  The more specific you can be with your desired outcome the more fruitful the result.  For example, in my case, I specifically wanted to improve my Virtual Assistant Business and so decided to only focus on that sector, rather than the broader digital marketing sphere. 

3. Be sure there's a connection.

A connection can be difficult to ascertain in the digital world, but not impossible. Again, do your research.  Narrow your list of prospective mentors based on their experience and product offering then scour Google to review their blog posts, video posts and social media posts.  

You're looking for insights into their personality and style. Anything that hints they're prepared to share their knowledge and experience. Do they come across as authentic and honest? Do they display empathy and care while demonstrating a capacity for tough love and firm direction? Do you get a sense that you can be real with them and be open to their guidance?

In my experience, those who are transparent and ‘real’ in their online branding are more comfortable in working with you on a ‘warts and all’ approach.

SO THERE IT IS.  

It has been 6-months since the Bali Mentorship Intensive in which I have signed a handful of short-term client contracts, fine-tuned my product offering and taken the odd ‘two-steps back, one step forward’.  Last week I signed a contract with my first long-term client that will take my business to capacity. 

I am looking forward to spending 2018 developing the skills I'm passionate about, growing my VA business and digging deeper into the communities I'm a part of. I am excited to be doing better and moving beyond the plateau. As Doug Stewart put it during his Ted Talk, ‘5 1/2 Mentors that will change your life’.

“Mentorship is not something done to you. Rather Mentorship is something you do for yourself, with the help of other people.”

As for my original mentor, he retired after a long successful career in media. He can now be found travelling the world, enjoying a cold beer and a well-earned rest. #Goalsforlife

Author:

Heidi Adriaanse is a Virtual Assistant specialising in blogging support services for talented entrepreneurs. 

Having launched her own successful blog that was featured in Huffington Post, Heidi has the first-hand knowledge and experience needed to support a successful and profitable blog. 

With digital marketing moving at a cracking pace, Heidi partners with entrepreneurs to free up their time so they can stay ahead of the curve and work on the big-picture business plans, while she sweats the small stuff!

www.HeidiAdriaanse.com

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2018. 

"Michelle Dale I just wanted to say huge thank you for your Getting Clients Guide that I discovered in the new membership area (I didn't know it's there!). It is so so good - one of the most comprehensive, applicable-in-real-life and actually HELPFUL guides out there.

And another powerful resource (also new probably?) - is the Longevity lesson in 1nSourcing Entrepreneur. I actually took action straight away and sent out an email to some of my past Facebook ads clients to say that I'm available for more work!

And of course, the interview with Jackie Knechtel is just mindblowing...

So glad I invested in your courses 3 years ago - I'm always coming back and finding something new and inspiring to learn 💕🙏"

"Michelle's training is packed with useful information and the value she provides in her courses is huge. Her customer service is exquisite and I especially appreciate her promptness in offering assistance! The extent of encouragement and helpful suggestions is overwhelming.

After a few sessions with Michelle I concluded she was my “business angel!” Michelle has been there for me every step of the way. I feel successful and owe it all to Michelle. She has her hand in every aspect of my business so it's hard to pinpoint only a few successes. She's always there for you! I am blessed to have her in my life."

"I have been waiting for the new Shoestring program Now The Freelancer  to roll out and was so thrilled to see Michelle's announcement while I was on vacation and took advantage of it immediately! 

I'm only on Day Two but have accomplished more than I have since I started dreaming of this 10 years ago! I'm a baby boomer and am looking forward to creating a business that will give me the freedom and flexibility to enjoy life again, having been in the corporate world for many years!"

"I often get asked how I do what I do. How did I learn the skills or gain the knowledge to run an online virtual services business? People wonder if I learned the skills in college and I always give them the same answer. NO.

Despite the fact that I have a Bachelor's degree in marketing and an MBA, the education I received wasn't instrumental in the success of Rescue Me. Yes, it helps to have a broader knowledge of business and how businesses run. However, I owe it all to the VMF Academy.

This is what happened…

After graduating from my MBA, I went on to work for a global PR firm. The company culture was cut-throat. I lost my job due to several cuts. At the time I was upset, but in the long run I realized it wasn’t a fit for me. I wasn't the type of person to step on others' toes to get ahead. I would have never lasted.

After this, I went back to my home town and found a job. That’s all it was... a job. I took this less than ideal job (for many reasons) with the promise that I’d be promoted to another position in roughly 6 months. After 6 months, to my surprise, the position I was promised was given to an outside hire. The responsibilities I had, I hated. To this day, I will still say it was the worst job I ever had. I quit without notice. That was the only time in my life I ever did that.

Next up, I took an event planning job with a family friend. Initially, the job was awesome. I got to rub arms with celebrities, famous athletes and more. It was fun and I really enjoyed it. Ultimately, I resigned because the owner and I did not see eye to eye on some things.

Prior to my resignation, I found a position at a country club. Wow. Heaven. I got golf perks and got to keep planning events. I’m not trying to toot my own horn, but people loved me. I never tried to “sell” them. I did my best to guide them in their planning process. I earned their trust and maintained really great rapport. It wasn't uncommon to have repeat customers or referrals. The con to this position was that I worked my a$$ off. I put in a lot of hours. In the end, the property went bankrupt and there I was again. Jobless.

After a very humble year of job searching, I started working for a healthcare consulting firm. It wasn't something I was familiar with and didn't have a background in the industry. However, I learned a lot. Over time, I started to notice they weren’t very good to their employees. I was told I had to take an hour of paid time off to attend my grandmother’s funeral. However, I didn’t have any PTO at that time. So, I had to take an hour unpaid time to be there with my family. No bueno. During this time, I wanted to pay off some debt and got hired part-time to deliver pizzas. That wasn't something I was thrilled about, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. In the end, it was a blessing. The company restructured and again my position was cut. At least I had my part-time income to fall back on for a little while.

This was the point where I had HAD IT! No longer was I going to put my heart and soul into a job only to get the shaft. I decided to do something different. But, what? I was completely clueless.

Fortunately, I noticed a former coworker’s job title on LinkedIn. It was an odd title and I started asking her questions. She was a virtual assistant. After working at it for 6 months, she left her full-time job and was able to stay home with her kids. Boom. That was what I was going to do. I asked her how she got started and she recommended a book. I bought the book, but was extremely disappointed. It was very vague and didn’t really take you through the steps of how to start. Even though I was discouraged, I wasn’t about to throw in the towel just yet. I spent a little over a year researching. There had to be something else.

I can’t remember exactly how I came across Michelle Dale on Twitter. But, that ended up being the miracle solution I was looking for. At that time, she had four programs. The VA Passport, the VA Shoestring, the VA Apprentice and the VA Rockstar.

The VA Passport is like an encyclopedia of information and tutorials. Starting out, this was a must. It was a monthly membership at a reasonable cost and something I could continuously go back and reference. Plus, there was a support group of other VAs. Having this saved me hours of time. Instead of researching how-tos, I could get to work using a proven method on the quickest way to do “X”. Thank goodness. Having the support group was great too. I could ask a question and within a few hours, I would get a response from either Michelle or someone else in the group. Rock on!

I was so impressed, that I decided to check out the VA Shoestring Now The Freelancer. This is where things really got started. The program helped me get my business started PROPERLY on a “shoestring” budget. Michelle walks you through step-by-step on exactly what you need to do to get your business going. Many of her suggested tools and solutions are free too. Being fairly “unemployed”, this was exactly what I needed to get to the next level. At the end of the program, I had my billing and accounting setup, got my operational systems in place and even made my own website. I must admit, that I had some things setup prior to this class, but they weren’t working effectively. When I started the program, I basically scrapped everything I was doing and followed Michelle’s training 100%... forgetting everything I did before.

After about 6 months and 3 new clients later, I decided I could do better. So, I took things to the next level and signed up for the VA Apprentice Now 1nSourcing™ (Strategy & Training). This program was a lot more robust and was an exact blueprint of what Michelle does in her very successful business. This was the turning point for me. This is when everything changed. I not only got to expand my skill set, but walked away with a beautiful, professionally designed website, a new mindset and clients I WANTED to work with... not ones I HAD to work with. My income quadrupled. My husband and I bought a house and I went full-time in my business.

This was more than I could have ever dreamed of...

My mindset changed even more after taking her Rockstar course Now One-on-One Mentorship. I started to realize my mind was “programmed” all wrong. It gave me the ability to recognize my fears, visualize what I really want and believe it will happen. During this program, I realized that one of my clients was not a good fit for me. They were taking a toll on me emotionally and I dreaded working with them. I was not sure what to do. This was one of my biggest clients and I actually really liked them as a person. After a mentorship session with Michelle and a leap of faith, I decided to fire the client. The next morning I was freaking out and wondered if I had made a mistake. And you wouldn’t believe it, but I got a new client THAT VERY NEXT DAY! Shut the front door!

About a year later, Michelle released a new series of programs. Ones she had never done before. But, based on my experience, I knew I needed to take them. They are the VA Administrator, the VA Marketer and the VA Creator Now Skillegy™ Workshops. In each of these, she walks through EXACTLY how she services her clients in each of her service areas. After taking the VA Administrator, I serviced my admin support clients in half the time and in a much more effective way. Many of my clients had hired me for social media services. After taking the VA Marketer, my clients saw better results, Rescue Me was more productive in servicing them and I was able to better guide them and develop a customized strategy that works. I also learned how to create effective press releases, build subscriber lists and more. The VA Creator - well that's a gold mine. I know I keep saying it, but the program LITERALLY walks you through step-by-step on how to offer website design services. There was no guessing work. Michelle makes it so easy and if you’re not sure or have questions... guess what? Yep. She's right there to support you. Worth every penny!

And... just recently she offered three new courses. They are still in Beta, but rumor has it they will be released really soon. :)

These three courses saved me hundreds of hours in research and time... easily. I walked away from the VA Examiner having learned how to create digital downloads, media kits, an e-Book, preparing for the sale of a digital product and so much more. I have used the skills learned from this course more times than I can count. With the way the online world is going, these skills are so critical to have. The VA Entertainer taught me how to create a magazine, plan and create a successful podcast, how to create videos, planning and hosting a webinar and so much more. Finally, the VA Educator course taught me how to set up my very own membership site and training program. I’m still in the process of creating this myself, but am completely blow away.

Having the knowledge from these courses transformed my business from being a strategist and offering admin support to gaining a skill set that provides me with the opportunity to offer premium services. I can honestly say, I wouldn't have made it without Michelle’s guidance, training and courses. It didn't happen overnight, but I’m forever indebted to her for this gift!"