Our Guest
Paula Edwards
Hosts
Shelley Fishel
Jo Brianti
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:25 — 38.9MB) | Embed
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Show Notes
Today we’re in conversation with Paula Edwards, small business operations expert, mentor and founder of Advance Virtual Assistants. Paula started her business in 2016 armed with many years of valuable experience working in management roles across the country.
Paula’s fascinating story of life as a military wife is the backdrop to her success as an online business owner and in this episode, we chart her impressive progression from VA to Online Business Manager and more recently, Director of Operations roles for her growing client base.
Paula also shares her tips for new VA’s with us – how getting the right mindset is key to success in the early stages of setting up your business; how showing good leadership to your clients will help you establish trust from the start and how this trust can be built upon by delivering on your promises, being honest about your suitability and staying true to your core values.
Our Guest - Paula Edwards
Paula Edwards is the founder of Advance Virtual Assistants (AVA). She is the Director of Operations and a VA Mentor and Trainer with a growing team of VA Associates supporting the clients at AVA. Paula has held administrative, compliance, project management and managerial roles across a variety of industries in the public, private and charitable sectors.
During her career, she has gained a vast array of skills and experience in both large corporations and smaller family-run businesses. All of which has contributed to the success of AVA, following its inception in 2017. Since its launch, AVA has assisted businesses in the introduction of robust strategy covering the seven strategic pillars and the ongoing support from both her and her team has facilitated success and has engendered a holistic approach to business.
Paula passionately believes in empowering women in business. She created the Advance Virtual Assistants Academy (AVAA) to provide training and mentoring to aspiring VAs. Through the AVAA, Paula encourages VAs to pursue their preferred work-life balance and an income and a growth mindset to fast-track their careers in business. The AVAA facilitates a Facebook group to provide free support, advice and a safe online collaborative space to share knowledge to aid professional development.
Paula’s WHY has always been her value FREEDOM; an optimal work-life balance between her family and her business. Her favourite way to spend time outside of the business is to have all five of her family together, under one roof. Additionally, Paula is a self-confessed (slightly) mad dog person who adores the family’s two miniature, long-haired dachshunds, Boris and Henry!