2021 Virtual Assistant Online Summit
Gain the clarity and confidence to start and scale your VA business.
Monday 15 February - Friday 19 February 2021
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Learn from industry experts
With 5 days of empowering sessions from 15 speakers at the top of their game, this is THE event of the year for Virtual Assistants!
Whether you’re an experienced VA or just starting out, we all want one thing – and that’s to run flexible and successful businesses. At the VA Online Summit you’ll have access to over 15 knowledge-fueled sessions created specifically for Virtual Assistants.
Our expert speakers are leaders in their industries, both here at home and internationally. And not only that, but they all know the value of hiring a VA. Who better to provide us with the know-how to ensure our businesses grow and succeed.
Convenient
It's super easy to access! Learn from the best in the comfort of your own home, with sessions available for 7 days.
Cost Effective
We wanted it to be accessible to every VA, even those just starting out, that's why we've made it so affordable!
Community
Learn alongside an amazing community of Virtual Assistants from speakers that we know first hand to be the best.
Hear From Last Year's Attendees...
Marion Jackson
Fabulous summit with an awesome range of topics covered. Even though I've been a VA since 2009 and could relate to a lot of what was talked about, it was great to have a refresher.
It was great also to hear how others do things, and of course, along with a few fantastic ideas and suggestions.
I'm so glad I purchased the upgrade and finding all of the sessions extremely valuable.
Louise Deed
The VA Summit is a must for any one in the VA industry or thinking about becoming a VA. The sessions were informative and provided some really helpful advice.
I loved having the freedom of being able to pick and choose which sessions I watched. Can't wait for the 2021 VA Summit!
Stephanie Glasgow
Thank you so much! I have learned so much and taken lots of notes!!! I really loved having something like this.
You guys are amazing and the content in this summit is just fabulous, thank you so much.
2021 Summit Session Schedule
NOTE: All sessions are available to watch until 26 February 2021.
DAY 1: Monday 15th February
11.30am NZST Kick-Off with Robett Hollis
12.00pm NZST Ditch Your Doubt & Take Imperfect Action To Grow Your Biz with Natalie Tolhopf
1.00pm NZST Organising Your Space For Productivity with Liz Bradley
2.00pm NZST What's New With Canva with Claydan Krivan, Canva
DAY 2: Tuesday 16th February
12.00pm NZST Nail Your Niche with Samantha Browne and Jo Jensen
1.00pm NZST How To Make More Money In Less Time with Natalie Coombe
2.00pm NZST The Four Personality Quadrants And Why You Need To Understand Them with Cathy Sheppard
DAY 3: Wednesday 17th February
12.00pm NZST Conversion Copy: How To Sell Without Being Sleezy with Kate Toon
1.00pm NZST Why Work-Life Balance Will Always Remain Elusive & What To Focus On Instead with Tracey Hancock
2.00pm NZST Finding Clients For Introverts with Samantha Browne and Jo Jensen
DAY 4: Thursday 18th February
12.00pm NZST Streamlining Your Bookkeeping Business with Melanie Morris, Xero
1.00pm NZST Building Confidence On Camera And Connecting With Your Clients Remotely with Pallas Hupé Cotter
2.00pm NZST The Latest Trends In Web Design with Jason Tiller, Rocketspark
DAY 5: Friday 19th February
12.00pm NZST Unlock The Power Of Instagram Stories with Emily Roach-Griffin
1.00pm NZST Effective Leadership For New Generation Leaders with Bridget Jelley
2.00pm NZST Live Q&A with Samantha Browne and Jo Jensen
Book Your Ticket For THE Virtual Assistant Event Of The Year
Registrations are now open for the 2021 Virtual Assistant Online Summit.
Hear From Last Year's Attendees...
Shannyn Labuschagne
Day 1 of the Summit and...WOW! Such great motivation.
Samantha and Jo you ladies are the best. I can't wait for the rest of the sessions.
Joanne Dean
Thank you so much for developing the VA Summit.
I have been a bit stuck setting up my VA business, figuring our my niche, pricing etc and the summit has answered sooo many questions for me.
I am so grateful to you both for putting this together! There isn't just one particular speaker who has helped because every single one has!
Treena Pitham
Just wanted to say Sam and Jo a whopping big thank you for the Summit today!! Great content, great advice and sooo many takeaways.
You guys are amazing and the content in this summit is just fabulous, thank you so much.
FAQs
What if I can't make some of the session times?
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Do I have to watch the sessions live?
Meet Your Summit Hosts
Samantha Browne
After accidentally tumbling headfirst into the world of virtual assistance in 2015, Sam grew her own VA business – My Girl Friday® – into a thriving, in-demand service.
Never one to shy away from a challenge (or three!), in 2019 Sam founded the Virtual Assistant Network of New Zealand that quickly became the go-to resource for NZ business owners to easily find their match made in VA heaven.
In 2020 Sam joined forces with Jo Jensen as co-owner in the Savvy School and together they have taken the airwaves by storm with the go-to podcast for aspiring and established VAs – The Sam + Jo VA Show!
A creative thinking, rule breaker Sam loves empowering our community of Virtual Assistants to embrace their uniqueness to shape and scale successful businesses.
There’s no right or wrong way to do this folks, only YOUR way!
Jo Jensen
With a passion for empowering women on their virtual assistant business journeys, Jo founded Savvy School after growing her virtual assistant agency, Strictly Savvy®.
Having supported over 350 businesses, Jo knows a thing or two about bringing on clients and running a team. Her agency has 15 full time team members plus contractors and she gets to choose exactly how, when and where she works - the ultimate in freedom, control and flexibility.
As a tech addict, Jo loves finding tools and apps that automate, streamline, and speed up productivity and give dynamic business owners like her an edge.
The mantra she lives by and teaches is 'consistently take imperfect action' and her favourite book is The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins.
Meet The 2021 Speaker Line Up
Robett Hollis
Entrepreneur, Robett.com
2021 VA Online Summit Kick Off!
Robett is one of New Zealand’s most sought-after keynote speakers so we’re super pumped to have him kick off the Summit in true Robett style!
A National Champion Ex-Professional Snowboarder & Snowboard World Championships Silver Medalist, Olympic Commentator & TV Producer with 20+ years experience in the media and technology industry, Robett is also LinkedIn’s top 3 most influential New Zealanders, Metro Magazine’s Top 10 Innovators of the Year and a Fortune 100 Content Consultant.
After exiting his portfolio of companies and starting a family, Robett’s new mission is to inspire more people to say #YesToSuccess and help destroy Tall Poppy Syndrome.
Get ready to say #YesToSuccess by being unapologetically YOU!
Session Time: Monday 15th February at 11.30am NZST
Natalie Tolhopf
Business Coach, NatalieTolhopf.com
Ditch Your Doubt & Take Imperfect Action To Grow Your Biz
I don’t know enough.
I’d never be brave enough to do that in my biz.
I’m crap at sales.
It’s got to be perfect before I can put it out.
I’ll never be as successful as them.
What if they find out the truth about me?
The list goes on. I’ve heard it all.
Here’s the hard truth. If you keep thinking that way, you’re right. You won’t get anywhere. Because your mindset BS is getting in your way of being a raging success. You are sabotaging yourself. Your biz will only ever be as good as your mindset. So let’s pull up your socks and GET IT IN CHECK. Because it’s time to commit and make it happen or go and get a job.
No more procrastination. No more perfectionism. No more bloody comparisonitis. You are good enough NOW. Not tomorrow, next week, or next year. But NOW. Learn how to ditch your self-doubt and use imperfect action to take your biz to the next level!
Session Time: Monday 15th February at 12.00 pm NZST
Liz Bradley
Declutter Coach, The Tidy Lady
Organising Your Space For Productivity
We've learnt a lot from Lockdown, but for many of us working from home is normal.
However, we often don't treat our home work space seriously. If pushing the kids' LEGO and homework aside to make space for your laptop sounds familiar, maybe it's time to take a second look at how your workspace works for you.
Session Time: Monday 15th February at 1.00pm NZST
Claydan Krivan
Team Leader Customer Success, Canva
What's New With Canva
Canva is the go-to tool for non designers which makes it perfect for virtual assistants.
Use it to create your social media graphics, cover and background images on your profiles, icons for your website, presentations, and so much more!
This session is a fun and interactive overview of new releases on Canva from the past 3 months, as well as a tips and tricks session.
Session Time: Monday 15th February at 2.00 pm NZST
Samantha Browne
Founder, Virtual Assistant Network NZ
Nail Your Niche
Niching = Being An Expert In Your Field = More Profit.
It really is a no-brainer!
Niching down to a single service or to a very specific market can feel like the most counter-intuitive thing to do.
But in actual fact, when done well niching will be the single best decision you make in your business. Finding your niche not only narrows down the types of clients you want to work with, it also helps you find the perfect virtual work you actually enjoy doing!
In this session, you'll learn how to become an expert in your field in order to increase your leads and profit!
Session Time: Tuesday 16th February at 12.00 pm NZST
Natalie Coombe
Pricing Expert, NatalieCoombe.com
How To Make More Money In Less Time
Natalie empowers women entrepreneurs to sort out their pricing so they can finally pay themselves what they are worth, without burning out in the process.
Your salary is not your reward!
In this session, you'll learn:
- The one pricing myth you need to bust in order to pay yourself the salary you deserve.
- The three key pricing models VA's need to know.
- Five steps to creating profitable services more clients can actually afford.
Session Time: Tuesday 16th February at 1.00 pm NZST
Cathy Sheppard
Founder & CEO, BSI People Skills
The Four Personality Quadrants And Why You Need To Understand Them
Understanding your personality style, as well as those of the people close to you, means you can build more meaningful relationships and better respond to the needs of your clients and teams.
The benefits of understanding what’s important to other personality types are:
- Improved decision-making
- Reduce unhealthy conflict
- Diversity appreciation
- Increased productivity
Each individual client and/or team member has different communication preferences that make up his/her personality type, and some personalities can clash if there isn't any understanding of each other.
In this session, you’ll learn to speak the language that has your client (or team members) loving you.
Session Time: Tuesday 16th February at 2.00 pm NZST
Kate Toon
Copywriter, KateToon.com
Conversion Copy: How To Sell Without Being Sleezy
Most of us don’t like to sell. We’re scared we’ll come across as slimey, like some white-toothed, smart suited used car sales man.
But here’s a bit of a surprise for you. People like buying stuff.
And if we have something that people need in their lives, something that solves a problem, sates a desire or soothes a pain point. Then guess what – it’s okay to talk about it.
A well written sales page, email series, chat bot or video can sell your products and services while you sleep.
In this session, Kate Toon will take you through:
- What conversion copy really means
- The definition of a sales page
- How long does sales copy need to be
- Defining your positioning
- Understanding your audience
- Sales copy formulas
- Killer headlines
- And so much more!!
You’ll leave this session feeling more confident about selling then ever before!
Session Time: Wednesday 17th February at 12.00 pm NZST
Tracey Hancock
Live Well Coach, TraceyHancock.com
Why Work Life Balance Will Always Remain Elusive & What To Focus On Instead
Work-life balance is held up as being the standard to achieve. Get that balance right and all will be well. But no matter how hard you try, it remains elusive, right?
In this session, Life Coach Tracey will explain why chasing ‘work-life balance’ will leave you feeling disappointed every time and what to focus on instead.
You’ll learn the importance of consciously designing your life and its role in helping you feel less stressed and more fulfilled.
And of course, there’ll be tips on how to do this from a practical and mindset perspective.
Session Time: Wednesday 17th February at 1.00 pm NZST
Jo Jensen
Founder, Savvy School
Finding Clients For Introverts
Despite being natural introverts, both Jo + Sam have not only created successful VA businesses of their own, they’ve both gone on to grow other online businesses as well.
In this session, you’ll learn:
- How to focus on your strengths as introverts to find clients.
- Why focusing on repeat business and referrals is key.
- Where the best places are to network.
- Why you never actually need to ‘sell’ yourself.
- How introverts can prepare so that cold calling and in-person network events aren’t required … at all!
Session Time: Wednesday 17th February at 2.00 pm NZST
Melanie Morris
NZ Head of Bookkeeping, Xero
Streamlining Your Bookkeeping Business
Hear from Mel Morris, Head of Bookkeeping at Xero and founder of the New Zealand Bookkeepers Association on how to streamline your bookkeeping.
Mel will share stories and practical tips on how to utilise software as well as ideas on engaging with your clients while working remotely.
Session Time: Thursday 18th February at 12.00 pm NZST
Pallas Hupé Cotter
Speaker, Mentor & Writer, POP
Building Confidence On Camera And Connecting With Your Clients Remotely
We know. It's not easy going "live" online. It's far more comfortable to stay behind the scenes and fly under the radar. But there's no hiding anymore. There's just no replacing face to face communication, even in the virtual world, on tiny little computer cameras.
We're offering a practical workshop to help you get more comfortable on camera: meeting with clients online, and creating video content that everyone's now expecting to see.
Find out:
- where to look
- what to wear
- how to "dress" your setting
- how to be yourself, but up your impact
- how to make a positive impression on camera
The session presenter is Pallas Hupe Cotter, a former tv presenter and now professional speaker and mentor. She'll show you how to make the best impression and genuine connection online.
When you get comfortable on camera, it changes your relationship with clients. You create relationships, built on trust and confidence. Don't limit your success. Learn industry secrets of on-camera communication in this session.
Session Time: Thursday 18th February at 1.00pm NZST
Jason Tiller
Business Development Manager, Rocketspark
The Latest Trends In Web Design
Research shows that good design sells more, and increases return business significantly.
Aimed for design newbies and old hands alike, this session will lift your web design game.
Showing off a few simple but effective techniques, you'll be wowing clients with some great user experience outcomes.
Session Time: Thursday 18th February at 2.00pm NZST
Emily Roach -Griffin
Business Coach, Biz BFF
Unlock The Power Of Instagram Stories
Instagram stories are a fun and powerful way to increase engagement, connect deeply with your audience, and drive sales on Instagram!
In this hands-on workshop, we'll explore how you can use Instagram stories to connect with your dream clients and collaborators in a fun, natural way (and without spending hours glued to your phone!)
Session Time: Friday 19th February at 12.00pm NZST
Bridget Jelley
Director, The Effect
Effective Leadership For New Generation Leaders
What is effective leadership? Leadership has come a long way in the last decade and a leader now has to have a whole new set of tools in their leadership toolkit in order to be effective in the modern working world.
In this session, Bridget will talk about what leaders really need to have to be able to lead into today’s uncertain climate.
Next generation leaders have to lead from not only the head now but also the heart and bring a whole new level of authenticity and realism to how they interact with their teams
Session Time: Friday 19th February at 1.00 pm NZST
