Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today I want to talk about the idea of waiting – and more specifically, why you need to stop doing it if you want to grow your VA business.
Today’s Quote: You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. – Zig Ziglar
Click the play button above to tune in, or choose your favourite podcast player below:
Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
What is the illusion that readiness creates?
Let’s get something clear right from the start: “Feeling ready” is a myth. It’s not a real thing. It’s a feeling.
But it’s not a milestone you suddenly arrive at. It’s not a box you check off. It’s not something you get handed after watching 10 webinars or reading a few books. It’s an illusion. And the longer you wait for it, the longer you stay stuck.
What you actually need is courage and a decision. That’s it.
It’s easy to think you need more training, a better website, more confidence, or even more time before you can truly start your business or move it forward.
But what you’re actually doing is using “not ready” as a shield. A form of protection. If you never launch, you never fail. If you never promote yourself, no one can judge you.
But the flip side? You never grow. You never help anyone. And you certainly don’t build the VA business you say you want.
I’ve seen it over and over again with the VAs I coach, and I’ve experienced it myself.
I remember struggling to have the VA business that I wanted.
I took every course I could find (free of course), and I kept adding to my arsenal of learned stuff.
I didn’t really set goals, because I didn’t feel ready.
I didn’t do any networking, because I didn’t feel ready.
I didn’t promote my business, because I wasn’t quite …. ready.
BUT … the longer you stay your own little secret, the more you will struggle.
Setting goals helps you get things done. The things you WANT.
Networking helps you meet people that COULD be your clients.
And promoting your business .. well that’s just absolutely necessary!
When I stopped thinking everything I did had to be meticulously planned, and I could instead just DO it, that’s when things changed for me.
I got better at talking about what I did. I got better at finding the people I could help. And yes, I even started making the money that I wanted to make.
No more busy work or training. Actual clients.
What Happens When You Wait
Let’s talk about what’s really happening when you wait for readiness.
- You stay in learning mode.
You consume information endlessly. You collect courses, download freebies, follow successful VAs, and maybe even join groups and memberships – but you don’t implement. You’re preparing… and preparing… and preparing. - You delay experience.
Experience only comes from doing. That’s how you get better. That’s how you build skill and confidence. But if you’re always waiting, you rob yourself of that real-life growth. - You stay in comparison.
When you’re not taking action, it’s easy to look at others and think, “They’re ahead of me,” or “She’s better than me.” This comparison keeps you stuck and feeds your self-doubt. - You lose momentum.
The more you hesitate, the more resistance you build up. You lose the spark you originally had – and then you start to question everything.
And here’s the truth: Confidence comes from action. Experience comes from action. You have to take action for ANYTHING to happen. It’s not the other way around.
How to Move Forward Before You Feel Ready
Now let’s talk about what you can do instead. How do you take action when your brain is screaming, “You’re not ready!”?
This is what I coach VAs through all the time, and I want to walk you through some simple, real strategies that help break this pattern.
1. Accept That Discomfort Is Part of Growth
One of the most powerful things you can do is expect discomfort. That nervous flutter in your chest? That’s not a red flag. It’s actually a green light. It means you’re doing something new.
Think about the first time you learned to drive or spoke in front of a group. You didn’t feel “ready” then, either – but you got through it. And you got better.
Building your VA business is the same.
Discomfort isn’t danger. It’s development.
Guys, I have botched SO many discovery calls with clients. Not recently LOL but when I was first doing them. I can’t even count how many people I actually go on the phone that never became my clients. Because I didn’t feel ready to help them. I felt like they were better than me, and they were better at business – I never even asked a lot of them for the sale. I left the call saying, okay well if you need me let me know… and then never got back to them. It was uncomfortable to talk about money and YES or NO, so I didn’t. And I lost a TON of business because of it. Until I didn’t!
2. Start Before You’re Ready – On Purpose
I tell my clients this all the time: “Start before you feel ready – and watch what happens.”
So many of the VAs I work with gain massive clarity once they just begin. The first client, the first post, the first discovery call, it unlocks something.
And the best part? You don’t need to be 100% ready to serve a client. You only need to be one step ahead of them in the area you’re helping with. And when you are working with the right coach to guide you, hello! like me … you don’t have to guess your way through it.
You don’t need everything figured out to start. You just need a starting point and a willingness to improve along the way.
Taking that first step is liberating, because you never have to do it again – and trust me the second step is so much easier. You are already moving forward!
3. Focus on the Next Right Step
If you are feeling overwhelmed by all the things, that’s totally normal. But overwhelm is often a sign that you’re trying to do everything at once , instead of focusing on the next right thing.
You don’t need to launch your entire business in a week.
You just need to choose one next step:
- Decide on a service.
- Pick a name for your business.
- Create your LinkedIn profile.
- Message one potential client.
- Write your first post.
- Send that proposal.
What’s the next step you need to take? Do that. Then do the next one. That’s the path forward. One step at a time.
When I work with VAs in my programs, I help them break everything down into manageable steps like these, so they’re always taking action without the overwhelm.
We can create all the to do lists we want – do you have a never ending one like me? That’s okay!
But you still have to start taking things off of it. I can’t tell you enough times that doing one thing at a time is the way.
Every day.
4. Borrow Confidence Until You Build Your Own
One of the best things you can do is surround yourself with people who believe in your potential, even when you don’t. That’s why coaching and mentorship matter so much. They fast-track your belief and help you take bolder steps.
If you’re struggling to trust yourself right now, lean on someone else’s belief. Borrow my confidence in you until you feel it yourself.
Because I know this is possible for you. I’ve seen it again and again with my clients. You just need support, clarity, and structure — and that’s what I give you when we work together.
If you have found yourself spinning your wheels recently, it’s probably confidence related. You might think it’s fear, but I bet it isn’t. I bet you are just not SURE that the step you want to take is the right one.
I’ve been there. I still go there often! I do things that I’m unsure about all the time.
The difference now is that I know that if something isn’t working, I can fix it. When we are new to decision making and doing business, we think any mistake we make or any wrong decision we take is devastating and will ruin everything.
But it won’t. I’m confident that you can do it – and I’d love to help you see that in yourself too.
5. Stop Measuring Yourself Against an Invisible Standard
This is a big one. You might be waiting until your business looks “professional enough,” your skills are “marketable enough,” or your prices are “worth it.”
But who sets that standard?
Truth is, those benchmarks are often vague and arbitrary. And even when you reach them, the finish line moves.
In fact, the one who is setting those benchmarks is YOU.
So stop holding yourself to an invisible bar. Instead, measure your success by:
- Am I taking consistent action?
- Am I showing up with integrity?
- Am I learning and improving?
Those are far better indicators of progress than perfection ever will be.
I hit publish on my first blog post.
I attended my first local event.
I planned a trip to another city to find clients.
I started coaching VAs.
I changed my service offerings completely.
I raised my rates.
I created packages for my services.
I worked with subcontractors.
I worked AS a subcontractor.
I have billed a client $10,000 for one project.
I signed up for a paid Canva account.
I’ve done all the stuff that you might not have even thought of doing yet.
I stopped waiting for things to be perfect, and I just did the thing that I was thinking about doing. You know what? Some of these were great decisions. Most of them, in fact. Except that subcontractor thing and the 10,000 client. That’s a story for another day!
6. Know That Clarity Comes After Action, Not Before
This one’s huge.
So many VAs say to me, “I’m just not clear on my niche,” or “I don’t know who I want to work with yet,” or “I’m not sure what services to offer.”
And my answer is always: You won’t know until you try. You gotta decide.
You won’t know what kind of client you love until you work with a few.
You won’t know what kind of work energizes you until you’ve done it.
You won’t know what to charge until you see what feels good and what doesn’t.
You get clarity from action. Not from thinking. Not from sitting still. Not from waiting. And that’s where coaching can help you fast-track, because I guide you as you test, tweak, and learn.
I get you out of thinking mode, where we can languish far too long unless someone pulls us along. I don’t mind pulling you to get you started – and then we let your start walking.
What Taking Action Can Look Like — Right Now
You might be wondering: “Okay, so what does starting before I feel ready actually look like?”
Let me give you some real examples:
- You publish your first blog post, even if it’s not perfect.
- You create a Canva graphic and post about your services, even if it makes you nervous.
- You apply for an RFP even if your online presence isn’t ‘done.’
- You email someone in your network and ask if they know anyone looking for help.
It’s messy. It’s uncomfortable. It’s also where everything starts.
And you don’t have to do it alone. That’s why I offer programs, coaching, and support specifically for VAs who are in this very spot. If that’s you, let’s talk about it.
You Are Ready Enough
I want to leave you with this:
You are not “behind.”
You are not “not ready.”
You are not missing some magical piece.
You already have what you need to begin.
Is there more to learn? Of course. But learning happens as you move. Not before.
If you wait to feel fully ready, you’ll never take the leap. And that would be a waste, not just of your potential, but of the clients who need your help, and the business you deserve to build.
The choice is yours.
You can keep preparing and waiting, or you can start taking small, confident steps forward right now.
If you need support to move faster and with more clarity, I’m here…
It’s the only reason I’m here at all, is to help you become a ridiculously VA. Drop me a DM to chat about where you are stuck. I’m on all the social media channels, so find me where you are. Or go to YourVAMentor.com/links to connect with me.
You do not have to build your VA business alone.
You’ll get where you want to go faster with a little help.
I went nowhere before I got some help. I tell you this all the time.
I started working with a business coach after a long time of eeeking by.
It was life changing. I had no idea what I was doing wrong until someone showed me that there is a better way.
I’d love to show you that.
Let’s circle back on today’s quote: You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.
Zig Ziglar gets it right here. You have to start. Then you can get great.
Do You Need Help?
If you need help finding your greatness I can help. It’s the only reason I’m here at all, is to help you become a ridiculously good Virtual Assistant.
Reach out to me on social media to chat about it.
And if you want to work with me, check out all of the ways you can do that, from free stuff to private coaching options at YourVAMentor.com/links
Thanks for tuning in this week, I’m Tracey D’Aviero The Confidence Coach for VAs – I’ll see you next time!