Financial Lifestyle Managers

Tell us about your role in the business and how you started.

I’m Louise Parker from Financial Lifestyle Managers, and I’m based in Port Douglas, up above Cairns in Queensland. I started at Financial Lifestyle Managers back in 2004. I then took over the company—started working with them, but it was a succession plan for me to eventually take over the business, which happened in 2006.

What was the trigger or catalyst that made you decide to hire your first VA?

My right-hand girl retired. It was only the two of us, and we managed to get everything done. She worked with me four days a week, and when she decided to retire (which was in the plan), I had to figure out where to find a good team to replace her. I tried a few places, but it was too difficult and hard. Then it was brought to my attention: “Lou, why don’t you outsource and get a team in another country to do the work for you?” COVID was the big winner here, as it helped all my clients get used to using Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or similar platforms. So, it became a lot easier to say, "Yes, let’s do it that way," because it’s the new norm.

What were your fears or apprehensions when you were starting VA Platinum?

That’s a really good question. I had used an outsourced service just before switching to VAP, mainly because I wasn’t getting what I needed and wanted from them. So, when I heard others were using VAP successfully, I thought, "Come on, let’s give it a go." I hired one VA, and within eight weeks, I had two. Then I went to three, and eventually, I got four. The fourth one came on the 1st of January. The reason for this was that I figured it’s better for a team environment—not for someone to feel isolated. Having more team members allowed them to help and train each other, which I think is really important.

What’s an area of the business that you feel needs improvement where your VAs are involved in driving or helping?

The big goal is, as Brian says, to go down to working one day a week. That’s really important to me. I know it might not happen, but eventually, you never know—it could. For now, the plan (as we discussed with the team today) is to try working only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the team will be on their own, which is a good start. I’ve got a practice manager or team success manager, Marge, who will make sure everything runs smoothly. She’ll be there to incentivize things and ensure the culture and the team have the necessary support. For me, the biggest issue is that I’m in Australia while the team is elsewhere. I needed that connection, and Marge ensures there’s a manager to oversee the team, making sure they’re happy, well-supported, and can achieve their goals.

What would you give as a tip to a new client who’s just starting their journey with their VAs?

That’s easy. Don’t just get one—make sure you get two to start with so they can work with each other. Hiring one is great, but two is even better because they can teach each other and bounce off one another. The more you have, the better it is—that’s the best thing I’ve learned.

How’s your overall Cebu Trip?

We were talking about that earlier today. I went from Cairns to Brisbane, Brisbane to Singapore, and Singapore to Cebu. I’ll definitely shorten that trip next time. I’m coming back in October because I think it’s really important to build that connection. I usually meet with the team at least weekly, but in the beginning, when I only had one team member, I met with them daily. When the second one joined, it became less frequent since the first team member could help train the new one. So, Singapore Airlines, please get a direct flight from Cairns to Cebu!

Any feedback - good or not for the VA Platinum team in terms of your visit?

Honestly, there haven’t been any bad experiences. The good thing is, I think the confidence level of the VAP team members could improve. I feel the VAP team could build their confidence up more. From what I gather, it’s a cultural thing—some are very shy, which is common in any culture. But overall, nothing has gone wrong. The main area for improvement would be boosting their confidence so they can handle more responsibilities and feel assured in their abilities.