Soulpreneur Scaling Stories

98. How Sarah Hall Went From 8-Client Chaos to Her Dream VA Offer | Client Success Story

• Andrea Elibero • Episode 98

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In this episode of Soulpreneur Scaling Stories, I sit down with Sarah Hall, who transformed from a burned-out VA managing 8 clients while homeschooling two kids to creating her signature offer as "The Time Away VA." Sarah shares her raw, honest journey through corporate conditioning, imposter syndrome, and the mindset work that led to her breakthrough.

During our conversation, Sarah reveals how working together in my Expansion program helped her recognize her unique magic - something she'd been doing for clients all along but never valued as a business skill. She opens up about the limiting beliefs that kept her stuck, why she tried (and left) the OBM path, and the exact moment her signature offer idea came to her.

If you're a service provider feeling stuck in chaos, apologizing for your expertise, or wondering if there's a better way to structure your business, this episode offers hope and a clear path forward.

Key Points Covered:

✨ Breaking free from corporate conditioning in your business

✨ How to recognize your unique magic when you're too close to see it

✨ The difference between working IN your business vs ON your business

✨ Why trying to fit into someone else's business model doesn't work

✨ How mindset work translates into practical business changes

✨ Building offers around what comes naturally to you

Connect with Sara:

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[00:00:00] Introduction and Welcome

[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 Solepreneur 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?

[00:00:22] Well, you are in for a treat 'cause that's exactly what we are doing here. In each episode, we will be uncovering the truth of the lessons and the stories behind what it truly takes for sold entrepreneurs 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.

[00:00:46] 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 a business that fully supports your dream life? Well, let's dive in. [00:01:00] Before we begin, make sure to hit that subscribe buttons.

[00:01:03] You never miss an empowering episode filled with real stories and soulful insights.

[00:01:10] Interview with Sarah Hall: Journey and Insights

[00:01:10] Andrea Elibero: Okay, today I am welcoming Sarah Hall, who is the time away? Va. Hello Sarah. How are you?

[00:01:19] Sara Hall: Hi. I am good. How are you?

[00:01:21] Andrea Elibero: Amazing. So please tell us who is the time away va and what do you do?

[00:01:30] Sara Hall: Oh gosh. Um, where to start. Um, so I'm Sarah. I am from Kentucky. Still live here. I've got my hubby. Uh, we've been married 10 years this year. Um, so,

[00:01:42] Andrea Elibero: Yay. Claps all around.

[00:01:43] Sara Hall: Yes, thank you. We've got, um, two kiddos and a seven and an 8-year-old. Uh, we just started homeschooling last year. So easing into that this year we felt better, but still, it's not graceful.

[00:01:56] It's chaotic, but it feels really good.

[00:01:58] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:01:59] Sara Hall: [00:02:00] um, so that's been nice. And I started my business, uh, started as Sarah Hall Virtual in 2021. I left corporate. I was burned out. I didn't know anything about boundaries and like just worked constantly. 'cause that's all I learned was to grind. So I wanted something different.

[00:02:19] My kids were young. It was COVI was in the medical field and it was not great. So, um, my husband supported me and left and built this business that's still rolling. Um, I've done my big pivot as you know, you've been a big help with, um, this year. So started as a virtual assistant, just taking on any general um, kind of leaning into the technical side, the system side, and tried OBM and

[00:02:48] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:02:49] Sara Hall: I just kind of stumbled into it and basically stumbled my whole way through it and didn't feel good about it.

[00:02:54] Andrea Elibero: You're like, I stumbled in and then I stumbled right back out.

[00:02:57] Sara Hall: Yep, yep. so just [00:03:00] trying to figure out how to

[00:03:01] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:03:02] Sara Hall: um, and then. Uh, we, you and I worked many months on my latest, uh, offer, which is started as maternity leave prep, and now has kind of formed into a full take a break from your business prep. So it could be vacation, it could be a sabbatical, uh, if you're a caregiver and it could be a maternity leave. Um, so how can we plan for that and let you feel good about it? Actually take that time and have coverage if you need it, and then ease back in. it's actually something I like. Feel good talking about energized, and I haven't had that in a long time.

[00:03:37] Andrea Elibero: And it's so full disclosure. So Sarah has worked with me one-on-one in expansion at my program expansion. Um, and yet this is the offer that we work together to create. And so, so a couple things I want to point out is that one, you not only do you have two kids, you're homeschooling your kids as you run your business.

[00:03:58] So before we [00:04:00] get into your offer, let's talk about that. Let's talk about how does this impact your business and. What was it feeling like before in your original business when you were regular VA doing all of the things with two kids you were homeschooling all last year?

[00:04:16] Sara Hall: Oh gosh. So I would say I very anxious person, so that was seeping into every part of my life. Like again, I just took I was doing in corporate and just brought it home. And I was just home all the time. So like, again, I didn't, I didn't learn boundaries in corporate. I didn't learn how to take time and really enjoy my family.

[00:04:37] So it was pretty awful. I was an awful person to be around

[00:04:41] Andrea Elibero: Oh

[00:04:42] Sara Hall: corporate, but also like, like I said, I'm bringing it home. I don't

[00:04:45] Andrea Elibero: yeah.

[00:04:46] Sara Hall: So like that's been the biggest thing is my mindset throughout these years of just, okay, I can work. I built this so that I could be around my kids more and have a flexible

[00:04:56] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:04:57] Sara Hall: But I was so focused on like, oh, it's gotta be nine to [00:05:00] five and this is my work time. So like, when they were still in, you know, traditional school, I had that time. I didn't utilize it the best. Um, but I still was just like, oh my God, I'm supposed to be doing something. Just that anxiety.

[00:05:14] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:05:15] Sara Hall: and

[00:05:15] Andrea Elibero: feeling like you had to work all of the time?

[00:05:18] Sara Hall: yep,

[00:05:18] Andrea Elibero: Yeah. Like, like, oh, it's 3:00 PM I have to be working right now.

[00:05:22] Sara Hall: Yep,

[00:05:22] Andrea Elibero: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

[00:05:23] Sara Hall: PM okay, I can shut everything down. And we go upstairs and, and I'm done.

[00:05:27] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:05:27] Sara Hall: so it, that's been the biggest thing of really integrating my life with my

[00:05:32] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:05:33] Sara Hall: the kids that I do enjoy it.

[00:05:35] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:05:35] Sara Hall: sure, there's hard days. I don't love everything.

[00:05:37] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:05:38] Sara Hall: but really being able to be like, okay, I'm gonna step away from this. And I can go see my kids and we're here together during the day and I can, you know, it ebbs and flows a little bit better than

[00:05:48] Andrea Elibero: Good. Yeah. And

[00:05:49] Sara Hall: I'm a

[00:05:49] Andrea Elibero: hmm.

[00:05:50] Sara Hall: to be around too.

[00:05:51] Andrea Elibero: Very important. And I think that, um, well, not that I think that, I remember that this was one of the first things that we did together, right? Was to work on [00:06:00] optimizing your business. So at that time, and this is what I do with everybody, right? So like at that time you came, you had a couple of team members, you had a bunch of clients and things were.

[00:06:12] There were some bottlenecks and you were, you were involved being the bottleneck in some of these things.

[00:06:16] Sara Hall: Yep.

[00:06:17] Andrea Elibero: so some of the things, and why don't you explain, so some of the things we implemented right away, so that way you created more space for yourself, so you created a more organized structure, so that way you were able to step away more, not only to create this new offer, but also to spend time with your family.

[00:06:34] Sara Hall: Uh, definitely looked at, again, my systems, you know, I can do systems with others all day.

[00:06:39] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:06:39] Sara Hall: My own, not so

[00:06:40] Andrea Elibero: You're like the shoemaker with the no shoes. Yeah.

[00:06:45] Sara Hall: So I know we looked at my schedule like,

[00:06:47] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:06:47] Sara Hall: we really utilize my

[00:06:48] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:06:49] Sara Hall: sure, I've got this big block of time and I'm just kind of like, oh, I could do this, I could do this.

[00:06:53] But it's like, okay, this is what, it's is gonna be client content. This is Sarah Hall virtual content. So really [00:07:00] like not. Minute by

[00:07:02] Andrea Elibero: Hm.

[00:07:02] Sara Hall: this is when we're gonna work on your business, others. So that was a huge change. And also looking at my clients, the work I do, do I even enjoy what I do for them because I had, I think at the time, seven or eight clients and I

[00:07:15] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:07:15] Sara Hall: then.

[00:07:16] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:07:17] Sara Hall: and wasn't,

[00:07:19] Andrea Elibero: and you weren't giving enough to your VA either. Yeah.

[00:07:22] Sara Hall: gonna say that. Yep. But yeah, I was, they were giving bare minimum or I was giving them bare

[00:07:26] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

[00:07:28] Sara Hall: Um, 'cause they're, they can bring so much. So, um, so those were the two biggest

[00:07:33] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:07:34] Sara Hall: like, oh, this can be handed off. How can I make this a system? Record it, make an SOP, hand it off.

[00:07:41] And I've built a system, what? And handed it off and it's beautiful. so that's been a big thing that, uh, really helped me with my time and my anxiety, with my SY before even doing any offers and big change on what I'm offering.

[00:07:58] Andrea Elibero: Yeah. Yeah. [00:08:00] Um, okay. And so let's talk about that. So what was it that was the impetus that made you say like, Hey, something needs to change. I kind of wanna like see what this girl, me as, this girl like, has to say about this.

[00:08:15] Sara Hall: Yes. I,

[00:08:15] Andrea Elibero: was the, the thing that sparked that?

[00:08:18] Sara Hall: I think, honestly, I found you on Instagram. I creeped on you for a while, and I felt you're, I felt connected to the messages you were saying of like, you shouldn't be. Just constantly in your business at all times. And that's how I felt. I was like, if I'm at my, my kids' soccer practice, I'm thinking about, oh, I need to be doing

[00:08:36] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:08:36] Sara Hall: or stuff like that.

[00:08:38] So I think there was a big connection point of, I see what you're saying, that's what I want. How do I get there? And I know, I, I didn't, I was either, I didn't feel like I was giving the best to my clients either 'cause I was spread so thin.

[00:08:51] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:08:51] Sara Hall: So again, what I was doing in corporate. I was not, I didn't feel like I was giving the best care because I was burnt out on the verge

[00:08:59] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.[00:09:00] 

[00:09:00] Sara Hall: and like, I'm just kind of like trying to coast through, but constantly feeling guilty 'cause things weren't getting done, they weren't getting done well, and I didn't feel like a leader to my team.

[00:09:11] Andrea Elibero: Hmm. That's a big thing, right? 'cause you're like, oh, like I'm billing the like, 'cause if you told somebody that, oh, I have eight clients, I have a couple of team members, people would be like, oh, Sarah is kicking ass, right? Like, she is killing it. But if you internally, and even just logistically, that wasn't actually what was happening.

[00:09:30] Sara Hall: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

[00:09:31] Andrea Elibero: So I think it's also important to note that when you see people that talk about these things, know that behind the scenes, and I'm not calling you out, right? This is like, I see this all the time, like things behind the scenes are not always what they seem. So somebody could tell you, right, like, I'm making all this money, I have all these clients, but they're working 24 7 and it's completely unsustainable and they're miserable.

[00:09:51] Sara Hall: yeah, yeah. And that's not why we built our businesses

[00:09:54] Andrea Elibero: Right? 'cause you could do that in incorporate and not have to, right? Yeah. Yeah. [00:10:00] Was it, so when you stumbled upon me and were creeping on me on Instagram, was it like, like, oh, I want to build a new offer? Or was it more like, oh this is my like, oh wait, yeah. I actually don't want to work this way, and oh, that's kind of a cool like idea.

[00:10:14] I'm curious. I'm just curious. What was it that, I dunno your thoughts on that.

[00:10:18] Sara Hall: I'll rave about you all day.

[00:10:19] Andrea Elibero: Okay. Let's just have a podcast where you just say nice things about me.

[00:10:23] Sara Hall: alright. I'm in. But I think it was like the feeling you were talking about of like

[00:10:31] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:10:31] Sara Hall: your business, not feeling like I am just in my business constantly. Um, but I knew I wanted something different. And in this realm it's always like, oh, you should be, you should be an OBM. This is how

[00:10:43] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:10:44] Sara Hall: which is. true. You can scale to it, but also it doesn't have to be that way. And that's, and which thankfully I did try OBM

[00:10:53] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:10:53] Sara Hall: you helped me with that

[00:10:54] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:10:54] Sara Hall: didn't connect with it.

[00:10:56] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:10:56] Sara Hall: And you were like, okay, so let's pivot. Like, like there's, [00:11:00] there's, it doesn't have to be one

[00:11:01] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:11:02] Sara Hall: and it's great to have that guidance and that like calm voice being like, that's fine.

[00:11:07] You don't have to do this one, this one route. You know? Um, so I think it was just the message you were conveying of like, Hey, you should enjoy your life. And not revolve around work all the time.

[00:11:20] Andrea Elibero: And still make money.

[00:11:21] Sara Hall: so

[00:11:21] Andrea Elibero: And still have.

[00:11:23] Sara Hall: It felt like

[00:11:24] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:11:25] Sara Hall: too.

[00:11:25] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:11:26] Sara Hall: my Instagram feed is full of people.

[00:11:27] Oh, I'm making this much money and that, and really in the time we were working together, I saw several people

[00:11:33] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:11:34] Sara Hall: had switched how their business was. And they were always the ones that were like, oh, I'm making this much money.

[00:11:38] Andrea Elibero: Ah. Yep.

[00:11:39] Sara Hall: they're back. And they're like, so I was burnt out. And they just. Disappeared and now they're coming back like, ha, story. It didn't work out. And I'm like, that's fine. That's how we found out. Um, so that,

[00:11:51] Andrea Elibero: Mm. Mm-hmm.

[00:11:51] Sara Hall: another mindset

[00:11:52] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:11:54] Sara Hall: you told me, just try it out. You don't know until you try

[00:11:56] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:11:56] Sara Hall: and that's, you know, terrifying to do on your own. So it's nice to [00:12:00] have a,

[00:12:00] Andrea Elibero: Well,

[00:12:01] Sara Hall: that's gonna be like hard truths to you, but also like this is a safe space to really try something

[00:12:06] Andrea Elibero: yeah, and you know, the OBM thing came, you were like, oh, like you were interested in it. You know, that's kind of like, oh, I think this is the next level. You had a client who was asking you for it.

[00:12:15] Sara Hall: Yeah.

[00:12:16] Andrea Elibero: it wasn't, you know, so it was kind of a natural thing, like no harm, no foul here with somebody you really enjoyed.

[00:12:21] It was already your client. So like, let's give it a try as we were building this core offer.

[00:12:26] Sara Hall: yeah.

[00:12:26] Andrea Elibero: Right. So, and I think that was amazing. 'cause then you would've always questioned like, oh, what if OBM was my road? Right. And there's absolutely no shame in saying like, this is not for me.

[00:12:36] Sara Hall: Yeah. And actually that client who is an amazing human, we don't work together anymore.

[00:12:41] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:12:42] Sara Hall: So I was like, and that was the hard truth and that like really made me make this pivot

[00:12:48] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:12:48] Sara Hall: and like I cried about it, ma, and it was hard Again, you helped me through it and that was the like, okay, that is the universe being like, really Sarah, this is not it.

[00:12:59] Andrea Elibero: Yeah. [00:13:00] Yeah.

[00:13:00] Sara Hall: times do I have to tell

[00:13:01] Andrea Elibero: Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Let's dive into your offer. So, when this started, and the thing that I really love was that we had examined, and again, the processes we examined, um, what you want your dream life to look like, right? And we examined what your unique magic is, which is what you're amazing at, what you love doing.

[00:13:21] And so with those exercises, what came up for you?

[00:13:27] Sara Hall: I think stuff that of course I already knew but never accepted

[00:13:30] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:13:31] Sara Hall: as like a actual useful to business

[00:13:35] Andrea Elibero: Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

[00:13:36] Sara Hall: to people and just being a like support to people.

[00:13:39] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:13:40] Sara Hall: And this offers, and of course how it evolved. I've done this for my clients so many times, and that's what you've told me too.

[00:13:47] It may not specifically be a maternity leave, but I've had my own,

[00:13:51] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:13:51] Sara Hall: helped people through breaks in their

[00:13:54] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:13:54] Sara Hall: like it's there, but for me to see it was, I was just blinded to

[00:13:58] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:13:59] Sara Hall: was that [00:14:00] like limiting beliefs and all that, and it was so hard. I don't know how many times I cried to you.

[00:14:05] Andrea Elibero: It's okay, but let me say this. I'm going to now say all the nice things about you. You are so self-aware and so vulnerable. What? And so vulnerable and like, okay, I'm having this melting down. This is happening. And then it's like, okay, what are we gonna do to get through it? I'm gonna do this, this, and this.

[00:14:18] And then you went and did this, this, and this, and got to the other side like.

[00:14:22] Sara Hall: Well, thank you.

[00:14:23] Andrea Elibero: Time and time again. So like, you know how to get yourself through right to the other side, and I'm just there to be the support saying, no, you can do this. Right, and like,

[00:14:31] Sara Hall: Yep.

[00:14:31] Andrea Elibero: like it is possible.

[00:14:33] Sara Hall: too. 'cause we, you would have those messages that you're like, Hey girl, what are you doing?

[00:14:39] Andrea Elibero: Hi.

[00:14:40] Sara Hall: I'm like, oh, okay. Hey, just a gentle check in.

[00:14:45] Andrea Elibero: Yes. Very important to have the accountability. For sure, for sure. So, no, but it's so interesting. This happens all the time as well, right? 'cause we don't recognize our own genius.

[00:14:54] Sara Hall: Mm-hmm.

[00:14:54] Andrea Elibero: ever. And like it's for me, something that I remember when I was [00:15:00] working in clinical trials research, it's, I don't remember what I was doing.

[00:15:04] Something, I don't even remember what it was, but something I was doing I thought was so natural. And that everybody could just do that. And then I was training people. I was like, oh, you're having trouble here and I think it's the easiest thing in the world. And so, right. Like that's something that was a light bulb for me.

[00:15:20] 'cause it was like, oh, because we don't appreciate our own genius. Most of the time somebody else has to appreciate it for us, for us to even see that.

[00:15:29] Sara Hall: Mm-hmm. No, you're right.

[00:15:30] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:15:31] Sara Hall: my previous, you know, corporate jobs, I see so much of what I did then of what I do now,

[00:15:36] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:15:37] Sara Hall: and like, it doesn't seem like it correlates at all. I was an athletic trainer. I worked in sports or medical supplies, and it's like, what? But I was a liaison. I was supporting people, I was bringing the teams together to

[00:15:46] Andrea Elibero: Hmm

[00:15:47] Sara Hall: all, make the plan

[00:15:48] Andrea Elibero: mm-hmm.

[00:15:49] Sara Hall: And it's like. Does, Sarah, you've been, you gravitate towards this, you know, and

[00:15:54] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:15:54] Sara Hall: I never saw that as a skill. It seemed so natural.

[00:15:58] Andrea Elibero: Yeah. And that's where your genius [00:16:00] lies. That's where your unique magic lies in the thing that is so natural. So, and it's like the best feeling. And before we recorded you're like, oh my God, it's so easy now when I talk about what I do versus before, where it was really difficult. And that to me is the highest compliment.

[00:16:14] Right? And that's because you're so passionate about it and because you're like, oh, this is a thing that I love that it just comes so easy.

[00:16:22] Sara Hall: Yeah. And it's, there's that, an emotional tie to it as well

[00:16:25] Andrea Elibero: Yes.

[00:16:26] Sara Hall: I am an emotional person and I have really taken that on as I get older. I don't try to hide it. It's there.

[00:16:32] Andrea Elibero: It's your superpower? Yes. Mm-hmm.

[00:16:34] Sara Hall: cry on a dime if I have to and give a hug to those that are, but, um, I forgot where I was going with that. It's fine. Forgot that

[00:16:43] Andrea Elibero: Well, how you were passionate about it.

[00:16:45] Sara Hall: Yes. I never felt the connection when I was, you know, as a

[00:16:48] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:16:48] Sara Hall: assistant, I'm helping you with systems and

[00:16:50] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:16:50] Sara Hall: everything, which I, I like to organize and

[00:16:52] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:16:53] Sara Hall: like, uh, it feels too cliche, you know, or it didn't connect well to me. And now I'm like, let's take a break.

[00:16:59] How can I [00:17:00] help you with that? It's systems, it's stuff like that. And I can talk all day about taking a break and,

[00:17:04] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

[00:17:07] Sara Hall: you're right. That's huge.

[00:17:08] The Evolution from Maternity Leave to General Breaks

[00:17:08] Andrea Elibero: And the cool thing too is, so when we first started this, it was the maternity leave. And because you're a mom, because you went through this, 'cause you've helped your clients go through this, that really resonated with you.

[00:17:20] Sara Hall: Mm-hmm.

[00:17:21] Andrea Elibero: Right? And so how did you go from the evolution of maternity leave specifically to breaks in general?

[00:17:29] Sara Hall: Funny enough, I have a friend who I'm kind of, she's kind of helping me brainstorm it out now

[00:17:34] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:17:35] Sara Hall: it make sense in my

[00:17:36] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:17:37] Sara Hall: um. A She lived here locally. She's moved since then. But, um, I used to work with her as a VA for a long time. Um, and she had mentioned, we had a little, a little group that would get together and she goes, oh, you should look into like doing this.

[00:17:52] 'cause she was the first person I helped support through.

[00:17:57] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:17:57] Sara Hall: said that was the first time I trusted [00:18:00] anybody to take over my business, look into my inbox and actually take a break. Um, and we had a plan and we had a way to like ease her in and it felt good on both sides and I feel like it, obviously it went really well because then she could continued to have more and feel like she could step away. Um, so like that had already been talked about before and I know the maternity leave felt so, 'cause moms we. Need so much support. We don't have a ton of support parents in general, but especially moms and business owners. Um, so I felt very passionate about that, but I felt like I was kind of missing something.

[00:18:37] And I also felt a lot of, and you know, this, the limiting beliefs of, well, I don't really know. I didn't have a maternity leave as an

[00:18:44] Andrea Elibero: Mm. Okay.

[00:18:45] Sara Hall: in

[00:18:45] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:18:46] Sara Hall: so I kept just having these thoughts. And then it just like clicked one day that, and Jamie had mentioned it too, she said, well, what about, you know, you've, you've helped. All your clients take a break. And I was like, [00:19:00] huh, I guess it is all the same. And I had mentioned it to you and you were like, yes, that just clicks. Like it seems so obvious to everybody else, they were like, oh yeah, Sarah, this is it. And I was like, huge light bulb. Like I didn't even make that connection that I've done it for everybody, every client I have and, and yeah, like you said, the maternity leave is a much bigger scale.

[00:19:22] I think that's why. I was intimidated by it and I'm so glad we worked specifically on that one because now everything in that translates to a break.

[00:19:32] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:19:32] Sara Hall: a easier to take a break than a maternity leave. So, uh, so it's just, it's amazing how everything has translated that you and I worked with my dream life into this

[00:19:43] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:19:44] Sara Hall: has just really taken off this year, and that's huge.

[00:19:47] It's been hard. But it's been, it's just, it just made sense. Like I would like time away. VA came to me as I was just laying in bed,

[00:19:55] Andrea Elibero: I love those, those moments when you're like, yes. And you're like, wait. Yes. [00:20:00] Yeah.

[00:20:00] Sara Hall: had never had that. And I've been in business for over four years now, and I've never had that moment. And I was like, Ooh, this, that was a good sign that I was like, okay, I'm on the path to something

[00:20:09] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:20:10] Sara Hall: And I wouldn't have had that if you and I hadn't cleared space.

[00:20:13] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:20:13] Sara Hall: my calendar, my mindset and got me there, so it's, it's amazing all the pieces that have fallen together

[00:20:22] Andrea Elibero: So cool. Yeah.

[00:20:22] Sara Hall: good.

[00:20:23] Andrea Elibero: I love it. 

[00:20:24] Mindset Shifts and Personal Growth

[00:20:24] Andrea Elibero: Okay, let's talk about mindset. Wait, wheezing. Let's talk about mindset. Wheezing from all the excitement. Um, so you keep mentioning, oh, the mindset. The mindset, the mindset. What are some specific things that you felt like were holding you back? One, and then two, how did we move through them?

[00:20:41] Sara Hall: I was so focused weirdly enough on like my title that is such a thing in corporate. Of like, this is your title. This is how you deserve, deserve, quote unquote, the money you're getting, blah, blah,

[00:20:54] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:20:55] Sara Hall: I didn't feel like it was enough. I was so focused on, oh, well virtual assistant is, [00:21:00] does, doesn't hold as much weight as an OBM.

[00:21:02] I think that's why I was so torn between that

[00:21:05] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:21:05] Sara Hall: So a lot of it was that and like, okay, just release that. You can call yourself whatever you want. Where time away VA came from. So I was like, sweet, okay. We did it. but it was a lot of, well, I've never, I just didn't feel like I had enough experience I was terrified to try new things. 'cause I've got a family,

[00:21:26] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:21:26] Sara Hall: have need to have that steady

[00:21:28] Andrea Elibero: Right.

[00:21:28] Sara Hall: like, why can't make any big changes. But that's all this last year has been, my husband was in school. We got him through that. I was doing this big offer and changing my clients like. it happened. I'm on the other side of it and, but I am never one to step outside.

[00:21:46] I was never one to step outside my comfort zone 'cause it's terrifying and makes me wanna vomit. So I, so a lot of that was, I didn't feel experienced enough. I was scared to try something new. 'cause I'm like, oh, well this is [00:22:00] comfortable. I know this looks

[00:22:02] Andrea Elibero: Even though it's not great. And you weren't a good, in your own words, right? You were a terrible, miserable, terrible person. You still like, no, let's stay here. 'cause this is familiar and I understand this. Yeah.

[00:22:13] Sara Hall: Yeah, it

[00:22:13] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:22:14] Sara Hall: fighting much like homeschool. I was trying to like, where you have to kind of deschool yourself on what school looks

[00:22:20] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:22:21] Sara Hall: I was like, I was still working towards like what work looks like,

[00:22:25] Andrea Elibero: Mm.

[00:22:25] Sara Hall: my

[00:22:26] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:22:26] Sara Hall: So I feel like I'm finally shedding some of those old limiting beliefs of like, this is what work is, this is what success is.

[00:22:34] Andrea Elibero: Yeah. And how,

[00:22:35] Sara Hall: quotes. Yeah.

[00:22:35] Andrea Elibero: how did, well, no. Well, but how did you shed these beliefs?

[00:22:39] Sara Hall: Oh, um, gosh, a lot of tears. We, we talk through it a lot

[00:22:46] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:22:47] Sara Hall: and, and just like getting it outside of my body.

[00:22:50] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:22:50] Sara Hall: Um, so I have meditated

[00:22:53] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:22:54] Sara Hall: and just like taken moments to slow down.

[00:22:56] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:22:57] Sara Hall: that's been the biggest thing of like, especially when I'm feeling that [00:23:00] anxiety building up in my body

[00:23:01] Andrea Elibero: Yep.

[00:23:01] Sara Hall: like, oh, I gotta be doing this.

[00:23:03] And I'm like, just take a moment, get some sunshine. take a walk. Um, but that, it's just been, it's, it is constant and it is exhausting to work through the mindset stuff. And

[00:23:17] Andrea Elibero: Oh yeah. Yeah.

[00:23:18] Sara Hall: it's, it's never gonna go away.

[00:23:20] Andrea Elibero: Right.

[00:23:21] Sara Hall: Um, but I have found what has worked for

[00:23:24] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:23:24] Sara Hall: moment of like slowing down, taking a breath and realizing. Like I daily, I'm like, nothing is an emergency here. Nothing I'm doing is life or death. And I'm

[00:23:35] Andrea Elibero: Yes. Yes.

[00:23:36] Sara Hall: You can do that later.

[00:23:38] Andrea Elibero: Do you know what I recommend? What I, I recommend everybody to be a nurse or a doctor or something like this because I was, and so now, like in this world, it really helps to, uh, to really solidify and really concrete in your brain like nobody is dying here. Like, I know what an emergency actually looks like, and none of this, this is all fake emergencies.

[00:23:58] Like this is. Like,

[00:23:59] Sara Hall: [00:24:00] exactly.

[00:24:00] Andrea Elibero: it's okay. Like, and my, and it's so funny 'cause when I was like, full on O-B-M-B-A, whatever, my clients always would tell me how grounding I am. And I'd always think like, oh, well that's because like, I know this is all fake. Like, like it's important. Yes. But like nobody is dying, so like

[00:24:17] Sara Hall: yeah,

[00:24:18] Andrea Elibero: by step we're okay.

[00:24:19] You know?

[00:24:20] Sara Hall: I'll get a message or an email from a client and I,

[00:24:22] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:24:23] Sara Hall: will build up and I'm like. Wait a second.

[00:24:25] Andrea Elibero: Yes,

[00:24:26] Sara Hall: take a

[00:24:26] Andrea Elibero: yes.

[00:24:27] Sara Hall: fine.

[00:24:28] Andrea Elibero: Yes.

[00:24:28] Sara Hall: you. 'cause athletic training, like there could be a kid down on the ground. life or death.

[00:24:34] Andrea Elibero: Right, right,

[00:24:34] Sara Hall: is not it.

[00:24:35] Andrea Elibero: right. Yes.

[00:24:37] Sara Hall: it's,

[00:24:38] Andrea Elibero: I mean, we're joking, but in all seriousness, it's a really important thing to remember. You know, like obviously we wanna do good work and serve clients and all of those things, but nobody has done

[00:24:47] Sara Hall: Yep.

[00:24:48] Andrea Elibero: so.

[00:24:49] Sara Hall: of the day.

[00:24:50] Andrea Elibero: Yeah, right. Just if you've learned nothing else from this conversation, nobody dies in the world of online business, we're okay.

[00:24:56] Sara Hall: crazy. It's crazy.

[00:24:58] Andrea Elibero: So take a breath, [00:25:00] like everything is good.

[00:25:00] Sara Hall: Absolutely.

[00:25:02] Andrea Elibero: Awesome. Um, okay, so we talked about mindset. We talked about creating your offer. Ah, you were talking about how your life looks so different now, and I'm curious what that means, like actually, what does that mean for you today? Because in all transparency. You have not full, you have launched your offer, but you haven't necessarily like gone like all in like hardcore, like, you know, like let's go, we're doing this thing, right?

[00:25:27] Like you've created it and you've launched it and you're like easing your way into it. So with all of that, what does your life look like now that is so different from before we worked together.

[00:25:38] Sara Hall: Um, less chaotic. Um, I tried so much to like block schedule, like my whole

[00:25:44] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:25:45] Sara Hall: That did not, that was more anxiety than anything. Like that's what I kept hearing, like, oh, block schedule your day or this day specifically. And I'm like, but every day is so different, with homeschooling. Um, but even it's another stress to have kids in school. So [00:26:00] it's been one to really. Like, I'll look at my week and see what is like, okay, this is a definite, this is, the kids are here, this is where I need to have my

[00:26:09] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:26:10] Sara Hall: Um, so it's again, us working through to get me that space to like, okay, this is what work looks

[00:26:16] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:26:17] Sara Hall: is what my schedule looks like. But it's very flexible.

[00:26:19] Minus meetings, but I don't have a ton. but

[00:26:23] Andrea Elibero: We also solidified the condensed the days for those too,

[00:26:26] Sara Hall: Yes. Yes. So, so I think. I am less anxious. I've learned to start my morning off slow,

[00:26:35] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:26:35] Sara Hall: I said, very short meditation,

[00:26:38] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:26:39] Sara Hall: before sitting down at my desk and then I can finish it. But, um, just really again, taking that time for myself, which I never learned how to do again in corporate, that's not how they teach you.

[00:26:48] They're like, you should be grinding at all times. so I would say it's definitely more relaxed. I'm able to be in the moment, which has been a huge step. no matter what it is, [00:27:00] whether it's. a wonderful conversation like this. I'm not thinking about other

[00:27:04] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:27:05] Sara Hall: I know Okay, I've got the time for

[00:27:07] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:27:07] Sara Hall: Um, and I know with when we stopped kind of working with my, maternity leave, I had started to put it out there.

[00:27:15] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:27:16] Sara Hall: And then, and then the shift happened and I was like, oh gosh, no. It's got, it's, so, I am definitely in that weird limbo of like trying to figure out how I'm gonna kind of put it out there.

[00:27:25] 'cause I

[00:27:25] Andrea Elibero: So.

[00:27:26] Sara Hall: au my audience has been very confused on what I'm doing with my life. Hey, me too. So,

[00:27:32] Andrea Elibero: but, so let's break this down for a second. We'll do a little coaching on this call. Is that one is that you have, you've done this once already, so you have all the resources to go back and apply the same things to this iteration of that offer, which is amazing, right? And then two. I don't care. Like it's, so let's, let's reframe that.

[00:27:51] My audience is confused. Like, wow, they're watching your journey and you get to frame what your journey is. So it's not a, I don't know what I'm doing, [00:28:00] right? It's a, ooh, guess what? Like I had this offer and now I'm making it even better. So more of you can have, you know, or like, this feels so amazing, I've done so much of this.

[00:28:08] And like, take them on that journey along with you, but frame it in a positive way because it is positive, right? So it's not like a, I don't know what I'm doing and oh, I'm teaching my mind all this time and like, no, I'm growing and evolving and I'm so excited that I started here because what now it's going here and like, let me tell you all about it 'cause I'm so excited about it.

[00:28:25] And then they're cheering you on. As opposed to being confused, right?

[00:28:30] Sara Hall: right, and I think too, that's been a big thing and that I've learned from you as well of like, just take 'em on the journey.

[00:28:35] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:28:35] Sara Hall: I don't need it to be packaged nicely and just

[00:28:38] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:28:39] Sara Hall: it's like. Like you said, it's, you've been on this journey. It's not like I have a huge audience, but the audience I do have, they'll, they engage,

[00:28:46] Andrea Elibero: Yeah. Yeah,

[00:28:47] Sara Hall: well this is cool, Sarah.

[00:28:49] Like,

[00:28:49] Andrea Elibero: yeah.

[00:28:50] Sara Hall: it out there just about the maternity prep, they're like, oh, this is needed. We need

[00:28:53] Andrea Elibero: Ah, I love that. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:28:55] Sara Hall: like it's not that farfetched to be

[00:28:57] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

[00:28:59] Sara Hall: yeah, like you [00:29:00] said, I love sharing my story and I think a lot of moms, business owners, women alone, like can relate to it.

[00:29:06] We've

[00:29:06] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:29:07] Sara Hall: emotions and these feelings.

[00:29:08] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:29:09] Sara Hall: And, um,

[00:29:10] Andrea Elibero: Well,

[00:29:11] Sara Hall: it's fun to be on that side of it.

[00:29:13] Andrea Elibero: yeah, and you don't only have to be on the verge of having a baby to take time away.

[00:29:18] Sara Hall: Yep. Yeah,

[00:29:19] Andrea Elibero: is like, you could say that, you know,

[00:29:21] Sara Hall: yeah.

[00:29:22] Andrea Elibero: deserve it at whatever, whenever you need it.

[00:29:24] Sara Hall: Yeah, and we, and I feel like especially since like COVID and all

[00:29:28] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:29:29] Sara Hall: been this huge shift in just the workforce, the, and just everything, whether you're in office, whatever your journey looks like. all deserve that break, and we all know that. And it's like, you know, I, I, I wanna share that more because it's possible and it doesn't always feel possible.

[00:29:46] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:29:47] Sara Hall: I know that's frustrating too, to be

[00:29:49] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:29:50] Sara Hall: No, you

[00:29:50] Andrea Elibero: Mm.

[00:29:51] Sara Hall: you

[00:29:51] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:29:51] Sara Hall: it.

[00:29:52] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm. A

[00:29:53] Sara Hall: So

[00:29:53] Andrea Elibero: hundred percent. Okay. And so last things. What would you say was your [00:30:00] biggest takeaway if you were to name one from working in expansion? From working in one-on-one?

[00:30:07] Sara Hall: mindset. That's easy. We worked on that for so long. 'cause I, again, like you said, like you took me on a journey of like, you could probably remember where my brain was at the beginning versus, which was all over the place and stressed. And get me to the end and be like, oh, this feels good. Like just to say this feels good. And to go into networking or just talking to a friend about, what is it you do, Sarah, let me tell you, I feel confident in talking about it and, and approaching my beliefs and, and you know,

[00:30:40] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:30:41] Sara Hall: that'll just get you down. 'cause no matter how confident I feel, there's, at least once a month I want to burn my business down. And it's like, okay, we know this feeling. We've had it before. Why is it.

[00:30:54] Andrea Elibero: Hmm.

[00:30:54] Sara Hall: look at

[00:30:55] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:30:55] Sara Hall: it, and then we move on. I know I'll get to the other side of it. I never [00:31:00] am going to burn my business down, but I know that feeling's gonna come up like in probably another week

[00:31:07] Andrea Elibero: Yep.

[00:31:07] Sara Hall: you know,

[00:31:08] Andrea Elibero: Yep.

[00:31:09] Sara Hall: that's been my biggest thing and just having, again, that support and that someone to talk through it

[00:31:14] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:31:16] Sara Hall: Um, 'cause even writing it out sometimes do the trick.

[00:31:20] Andrea Elibero: Yeah. And I can the, the growth and the confidence tenfold increase in just a few months, like tenfold increase. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:31:30] Sara Hall: Yeah.

[00:31:30] Andrea Elibero: Like you have stepped into the leadership role in your, but you are the CEO of your business now.

[00:31:36] Sara Hall: Yeah. And I never felt

[00:31:36] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm.

[00:31:37] Sara Hall: like even to my team or to myself, um, or even to come onto a podcast, be like, oh, you know, I just kind of do some things. I'm a va. Like I would put that, oh, I'm just a va, or I'm just, you know.

[00:31:48] Andrea Elibero: Yeah.

[00:31:49] Sara Hall: Like, no, I really, I really offer good things to

[00:31:51] Andrea Elibero: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Ah, awesome. Okay. And so people who want to connect with you [00:32:00] and learn more about your offer or ask you questions, where can they do that?

[00:32:05] Sara Hall: Uh, the easiest would probably be Instagram, uh, definitely message me. It's at just, Nope, Tom away, VA.

[00:32:12] Andrea Elibero: Ah, you changed it

[00:32:13] Sara Hall: it. I

[00:32:13] Andrea Elibero: Sarah.

[00:32:14] Sara Hall: I know, I know I've done the things. I've started to work on domains, all that.

[00:32:18] Andrea Elibero: Hi.

[00:32:19] Sara Hall: um, time away VA is my Instagram handle and then my email is still Sarah, SARA at Sarah Hall virtual um, dot com.

[00:32:27] So feel free to email me any questions. I love connecting with other amazing business owners,

[00:32:32] Andrea Elibero: Thank you so much for coming on and sharing your journey, and I know this was so inspirational to everybody listening.

[00:32:40] Sara Hall: All right. Well thank you so much. 

[00:32:43] 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, [00:33:00] but I'm here to support you every step of the way. Head on over to dancing leaf solutions.com/resources for free tools to help you do just that.

[00:33:08] And thank you again for being a part of the Solepreneur Scaling Stories community. Your presence and dedication to growth inspiring me every day.

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