How many times have you felt the pressure to say yes to everything?

That new opportunity that seems too good to be true, yet something in your heart is telling you it’s not right?

That client who seems to always push boundaries and ask for urgent help outside of your working hours?

That last minute trip your girlfriends invited you to, yet all you want to do is spend the weekend curled up on the couch with your family and pup?

So often, entrepreneurs feel like they have to say yes to everything in order to not let others down and to avoid being seen as “lazy” or a “failure.”

Setting big goals is exciting, new, and gives you that adrenaline rush that we as entrepreneurs can’t seem to get enough of.

However, that’s not to say that working towards these lofty goals isn’t tough, because damn it sure can be.

Starting a new habit, adopting a new practice, or learning a new system in your business can be difficult. Working towards your epic goals can be downright overwhelming.

Imagine this…

You're drinking mimosas at brunch on Thursday and decide to take Monday off because your girlfriend decided to stay in town another night. ⁠

⁠You're no longer staying at the office late to finish the tasks you absolutely despise.

You actually have the time to spend with your kids that you’ve craved for so long.

You have a thriving online business that you love (and that loves you back).

It sounds like a dream, right?!

Honestly, your dream life is not that far out of reach.

There’s no doubt that all great impacts start with small steps. ⁠

All world-changers started somewhere.

All successful businesses began with a single idea.

All self-made entrepreneurs took daily action to get to where they are today.

The first step in making these great impacts is famously known as “just start.” While that’s a critical step, it’s not enough to just get started.

Don’t you love the feeling of a brand new year?

A new start. A new mindset. A new opportunity to make this year exactly what you want it to be.

No matter what your goals for your business are this year, it is so important to reflect and start the year with a clear vision and fresh organization.

Truth bomb: The holidays aren’t meant for hustle.

For so many people, this is the busiest time of the year.

Between year-end business tasks, reflections, planning for the new year, wrapping gifts, holiday parties, and trying to be present with the people you love most, it can feel like you’re on a constant hamster hustle wheel.

I’m going to come right out of the gate and tell you one of my biggest pet peeves.

I see it a lot in business, and every single time, it makes me want to shake my wine glass and scream “YOU are worthy!”

That pet peeve? When people discount their best-selling tool – themselves.

Have you ever had one of those days where you sit down with your good friend Google and ask, “how do I become a booked-out virtual assistant?”

You know those moments.

The ones where you’re desperate for change, for something new. Those moments where you want to throw in the corporate towel and start living life on your own terms.

Becoming a virtual assistant is truly one of the best ways to scale your income, work your own flexible hours, and make a major impact.

I woke up after a sleepless night, holding what felt like the weight of the world on my shoulders. The struggles and tribulations of my clients. The stressors of running a business and managing a team. The expectation to know it all and always get it right the first time.

I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us have fallen into this concept that our worth is determined by our productivity. Or something like…The harder you work, the more money you will make. But being valuable or becoming a successful entrepreneur doesn’t mean you have to work 12+ hour days for months on end.

Mistakes. You can’t learn without them, can you? I am not only talking about the occasional tech glitch or when there’s a miscommunication with someone on your team. I’m also talking about when YOU make mistakes. When YOU drop the ball. And those kinds of mistakes just hit different, don’t they?

Building a business is pretty terrifying on its own. But when you add having to actually show up for it, it makes it seem pretty impossible, doesn’t it? So what do you do? You’ve checked off the boxes. You’ve created a website, signed up for your email marketing platform, made a string of posts that don’t perform, and you are left questioning what you’re doing wrong.

I started my business almost 5 years ago and kissed the corporate life goodbye in exchange for the freedom to create my own life, filled with optimism and a passion to get shit done. And just starting out in a business like mine, It’s scary, right?

I am going to be real honest for a moment. Honest about business, entrepreneurship and the whole journey. There are days when I want to throw in the towel and re-think my entire business plan. I also sort of want to throw my computer over the sea wall too.

Often as entrepreneurs, we want to do all the things. We want to pump out all of the programs and courses that our hearts could think of. We want to build incredible, value-driven communities that help everyone. We have to do it all! That’s the way to build success…right?

Hello? Facebook? Instagram? WhatsApp? Are you there? It was 11:12 am yesterday morning when my team and I were humming along checking off our to-dos, when all of a sudden, we couldn’t access a client’s Instagram….or their Facebook…or even reach out to them on WhatsApp.

“Do you have what it takes?” I know you’ve heard this question before and while it can be a motivating line, it’s actually not clear what IT is? I think we have to start by defining IT for ourselves. From side hustles to start-ups, entrepreneurs have this relentless pull to work harder, work MORE, and yep, work even longer than you worked yesterday if that’s actually possible.

I've spent the last week sending out countless rate increase letters to my clients. It was just time. I spend so much of my time and energy growing my business's systems, the level of support I offer and refining our processes as I go along. So it's safe to say that AKVA has only gotten better over time.