Ep 89: The military, motherhood and Virtual Assistant industry with Amanda Johnson, founder of the VA Training Academy

Trigger warning: This episode was recorded during Baby Loss Awareness Week and includes discussion of miscarriage and baby loss. Please take care of yourself.

This conversation is long overdue. Amanda Johnson, or The Amanda Johnson as she's known in the Virtual Assistant industry, is founder and coach at the VA Training Academy, host of the UK VA Awards and my mentor.

Before becoming a Titan of the VA industry, Amanda had a 23 year career in the military, until personal tragedy changed her priorities. Despite not personally inventing the field (listen in!) Amanda pivoted to becoming a Virtual Assistant, growing an agency and acquiring the training business and awards.

We spoke about how grief shapes you, business as a coping mechanism, what to do if a client won't pay and why perceptions of the VA industry are often wrong, for both good and bad.

Trigger warning: This episode was recorded during Baby Loss Awareness Week and includes discussion of miscarriage and baby loss. Please take care of yourself.

Takeaways:

• Amanda's career journey from joining the military at 17 to exit

• Her fertility struggles and how loss changed Amanda's priorities and career

• How she came to the VA industry as a side effect of grief

• Building a business as a coping mechanism

• What to do when a client refuses to pay

• Why we should aim for work/life integration rather than balance

• Selling a business

• Why the VA industry can often be misunderstood, or limited by perceptions

• Why it's a great career for military spouses especially

• Amanda's experience of grief and its echoes years later

Chapters:

00:30 Introduction to Amanda Johnson's Journey 02:41 From Military to Entrepreneur: A New Path 05:20 The Impact of Personal Tragedy on Career Choices 07:48 Navigating Grief and Finding Purpose 10:24 The Birth of a Business Idea 12:54 Launching a Virtual Assistant Business 15:25 The Challenges of Balancing Motherhood and Business 17:32 Building a Community and Supporting Others 20:09 Lessons Learned and Moving Forward 29:54 Work-Life Integration vs. Balance 31:49 Coaching with Tough Love and Empathy 34:43 The Importance of Body Language in Coaching 36:03 Transitioning from VA Agency to Training Academy 39:51 Expectations vs. Reality in the VA Industry 43:09 Gender Dynamics in the VA Industry 46:06 Supporting Military Spouses and Veterans 50:12 Navigating Grief and Finding Joy 57:39 Success Redefined: Flexibility and Family Support

Links:

Website: www.bumptobusinessowner.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bumptobusinessowner/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepooley/

About Amanda Johnson

Amanda Johnson is a Royal Navy veteran turned entrepreneur, NICU advocate and the woman behind the VA Training Academy, also known as VACT, the go to training provider for the VA industry. After 23 years in the military, Amanda left service following a personal tragedy.

She went on to found Your Executive Secretary, a Virtual Assistant business she grew while juggling babies and young children expanding from a solo operation to a team of 17 before selling the business in 2016. She then shifted her focus fully to VACT embarking on a mission to empower women, especially mothers, military spouses and career changes to build flexible, sustainable VA businesses.

In 2021, she also acquired the UKVA Conference and Awards. Amanda's coaching style is practical, honest and full of tough love, grounded in lived experience and a deep understanding of both business and life's complexities.

Amanda Johnson's Links:

VACT Website: https://vatrainingacademy.co.uk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandaconstancejohnson/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vatrainingacademy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VirtualAssistantTrainingAcademyUK/

Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/