And you can’t build the VA business you want with the wrong clients.
You can have the recipe.
You can know exactly what you're doing.
You can own the fancy mixer, the expensive pans, and the cute little apron.
But if you're using the wrong ingredients?
That cake is not coming out the way you planned.
Your client roster works the same way.
You can have years of experience.
A beautiful portfolio.
Great testimonials.
Content everywhere.
And still end up with a business you hate because you keep adding the wrong people to the mix.
First, What the Hell Are We Baking?
Before you go looking for clients, you need to know what kind of business you're trying to build.
Because “I want to work with entrepreneurs” tells me absolutely nothing.
Which entrepreneurs?
Doing what?
With what problem?
Needing what from you?
A CEO drowning in administrative work needs something completely different from a business owner who can't keep up with Instagram.
A founder whose team has outgrown their current systems has different problems than a coach who needs somebody answering client emails.
They could all hire a VA.
That doesn't mean they should all hire you.
You need a recipe.
Your Skills Are Only Part of the Recipe
Let's say you're fantastic at operations.
You can walk into a business, look around, and immediately see where things are falling apart.
You love systems.
You love project management.
You love taking seventeen moving pieces and figuring out how they should work together.
Beautiful.
Then why is all your content about making Canva graphics?
You're advertising the wrong ingredient.
The people who need your operations brain might never realize you have one.
And the people who need Canva graphics are going to keep showing up asking you to make Canva graphics.
Then you're sitting there wondering why you can't get the work you actually want.
Baby.
Look at the menu you're handing people.
Your Content Should Make the Right Client Hungry
If you want overwhelmed CEOs, talk about the things overwhelming CEOs are dealing with.
Their calendar is ridiculous.
They're still following up on tasks themselves.
Their team needs answers from them all day.
They're spending hours doing work somebody else should own.
That's content.
If you want clients who need better operations, talk about broken processes.
If you want social media clients, talk about what happens when content gets created at the last minute every damn week.
If you want entrepreneurs who are growing and need help delegating, talk about what happens when the owner becomes the bottleneck.
Your content shouldn't just tell people what you do.
It should make the right person recognize their own problem.
That's when they start wondering if you might be the person who can fix it.
Stop Adding Random Shit to the Batter
This is where money can make us temporarily forget the recipe.
Somebody comes along with a project.
It isn't really what you want to do.
They're not really the kind of client you want.
The budget isn't really right.
There are already a couple things about them making your left eye twitch.
But...
Money.
So you toss them into the bowl.
Then another one comes.
And another.
Six months later, you've technically built a business.
You just don't like working in it.
I've been there.
Sometimes the problem isn't that you're incapable of getting clients.
You're getting plenty.
They're just the wrong damn ingredients.
And Sometimes the Ingredient Is Fine
This matters too.
Every client who isn't right for you isn't automatically a terrible client.
Maybe they need somebody available every day from nine to five.
You don't want that.
Neither person is wrong.
Maybe they need task-based support.
You want to work as a strategic partner.
Still not a bad client.
Maybe their budget is $500.
Your package is $2,000.
Nobody needs to be insulted.
We're simply not making the same cake.
That's what knowing your ideal client actually does.
It helps you recognize fit before everybody wastes three weeks trying to force one.
Then There Are the Spoiled Ingredients
Oh, they're out there.
The client who negotiates every invoice.
The one who messages at all hours and gets irritated when you don't respond immediately.
The one who adds “one tiny thing” until the tiny things have reproduced and started a family.
The one who hires you for your expertise and then fights every recommendation.
That isn't a recipe problem.
That's spoiled milk.
Throw it away.
Your Standards Belong in the Recipe Too
Your ideal client isn't only about industry, revenue, or job title.
I care about how somebody works.
How do they communicate?
How do they make decisions?
Do they respect expertise?
Do they respect time?
Are they looking for somebody to think with them, or somebody they can throw random shit at all day?
Can they afford the level of support they're asking for?
Do I actually enjoy working with them?
That last question has become increasingly important to me.
Because I can make money without dreading somebody's name popping up on my phone.
I've tested both methods.
I prefer this one.
Know the Cake Before You Go Shopping
That's really the whole lesson.
You don't need everybody.
You don't need every CEO.
You don't need every coach.
You don't need every founder with a credit card and a Calendly link.
Figure out what you're building.
Figure out the work you want to be known for.
Figure out whose problems match that work.
Figure out what those people care about.
Then talk about those things.
Your content becomes easier because you know who you're talking to.
Your sales conversations become easier because you're talking to people who actually need what you sell.
And saying no becomes easier because you finally know what belongs in the recipe.
You can't bake the cake you want with the wrong ingredients.
So stop throwing everything in the bowl just because somebody offered to pay you.
CURRENT MOOD
“Loyal” by Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne and Tyga.
Because sometimes you've carefully selected the ingredients...
and one of them still turns out to be questionable as hell.
And if we're discussing clients, money, standards, and knowing who belongs around you?
Well.
These hoes ain't loyal.
Some of these clients aren't either.
Choose accordingly.
Listen to “Loyal” by Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne and Tyga on YouTube
PEAK OF THE WEEK
Knowing I don't have to turn every inquiry into a client.
Sometimes the best business decision I can make is looking at an opportunity and saying:
Good ingredients.
Wrong cake.
#CheckTheRecipe
XXX,
M💋
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