How to Ask AI the Right Way (So You Get the Answers You Really Need)

How to Ask AI the Right Way (So You Get the Answers You Really Need)

AI tools are transforming how we create content, solve problems, and make decisions. But here’s the catch: the quality of the AI’s answer depends largely on the quality of your prompt.

What is a prompt?

If you don’t use AI much right now, but are intrigued, it’s important to understand the lingo, right? A prompt is your question, it’s the starting point.

So, what makes a good AI prompt? It’s all about clarity, context, and specificity.

Clarity: Be direct and clear about what you want. Instead of saying, “Tell me about marketing,” try “Explain three effective social media marketing strategies for small businesses.” If you find that AI is giving you answers that are too technical to really grasp well, you could also add, “Please use simple and easy-to-understand terms.”

Context: Give the AI enough background to tailor the answer. For example, mention your audience or the format you need, like “Write a 400-word blog post that pertains to lifestyle coaches and why they should have a monthly newsletter.”

Specificity: The more precise your request, the better the result. Specify tone, length, or style if it matters to you. If you aren’t sure, there’s no harm in asking AI to help you with your query, and explaining that you’re not sure what you want to include, you can ask AI to ask you pointed questions to help flesh out your request, and therefore, deliver the best output.

Don’t worry if your first prompt isn’t perfect—refine it based on the AI’s response. Think of it as a conversation where each question gets you closer to what you need.

In upcoming posts, I’ll share tips on customizing prompts for different goals, troubleshooting common issues, and even how AI can support your business.

Ready to get better answers from AI? Start by asking better questions.

Ready to work together? Let’s chat about your admin needs! Book a call here.

Psst: Why Your VA Cannot Replace YOU on Social Media

Psst: Why Your VA Cannot Replace YOU on Social Media

If you’re a coach, author, or business owner who’s hired a virtual assistant (VA) to manage your social media, you’re already ahead of the game. Delegating tasks like content creation, scheduling, and graphic design frees up your time to focus on what you do best.

But here’s the tough-love truth: your VA can’t replace your voice or your presence on social media.

The Common Mistake: Disappearing Behind the Scenes

Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of stepping back completely after hiring a VA. They expect their social media to run like clockwork without ever interacting with their audience, sharing personal stories, or commenting on posts. The problem? This approach leaves your audience wondering, “Who is this person? Why should I trust them?”

Social media is about connection. It’s about building relationships and trust with your ideal clients. If you’re not showing up authentically, your followers won’t truly know you-and people buy from people they know, like, and trust.

Why Your Voice Matters More Than Ever

Your virtual assistant can handle the heavy lifting-writing captions, creating graphics, scheduling posts, and even engaging with comments to some extent. But no VA can replicate your unique personality, your passion, or your story. These are the elements that make your brand memorable and relatable.

When you share your personal journey, your wins and struggles, and your insights, you create emotional connections that inspire your audience to take action. This is why your presence on social media is non-negotiable.

How to Balance Delegation and Authenticity

Here’s how to get the best of both worlds:

  • Delegate the admin, not the YOU. Let your VA manage the logistics, but commit to showing up authentically on your platforms regularly.

  • Engage with your network. Comment on posts, reply to messages, and participate in conversations.

  • Share your story. Post behind-the-scenes moments, client wins, or lessons learned.

  • Go live or post videos. Video content is one of the most effective ways to build trust and showcase your personality.

The Bottom Line: People Buy From People

Your virtual assistant is your secret weapon to streamline your social media, but your presence is what builds the relationship. Don’t let your social media feel like a ghost town. Show up, be real, and watch your community-and your business-grow.

If you want help creating content or managing your social media with a perfect balance of professionalism and personality, I’m here to help! Let’s make your social media work for you-without losing the real YOU.

Ready to work together? Let’s chat about your admin needs! Book a call here.

The Ultimate Exit Strategy – Preparing Your Business for the Great Beyond

The Ultimate Exit Strategy – Preparing Your Business for the Great Beyond

It’s sad but true, we aren’t meant to live forever. So, while sad, it’s important to consider and plan for what will happen to your business after you’re gone.   It’s an important but often overlooked topic, and while it’s a bit of a downer, we’re going to approach it with some lightheartedness! Have you ever thought about planning for the day when you’ll be, well, virtually assisting from the clouds? Let’s talk about how to make life (or should I say, afterlife) easier for your loved ones when it comes to wrapping up your business. 

Step 1: Get Your Paperwork in Order (Because No One Likes a Ghostly Paper Trail)

First things first, make sure your business structure is clear. Are you a sole proprietor, LLC, or corporation? This will determine how your business is handled after you’ve taken your final bow.
Keep all important documents in one place – think of it as your business’s “in case of afterlife” folder.
 

Step 2: Create a “Business Will” (It’s Like a Regular Will, But With More Spreadsheets)

Draft a clear set of instructions for closing your business. Include:
  • Account information and passwords (because hacking into the great beyond is a tad tricky)
  • A list of clients and ongoing projects
  • Instructions for notifying clients and wrapping up work
  • Details on any outstanding debts or receivables
 

Step 3: Choose Your Business Executor (AKA Your Posthumous PA)

Select someone you trust to handle your business affairs. This could be a family member, friend, or professional executor. Make sure they know where to find your “in case of afterlife” folder and your business will.  

Step 4: Set Up a Succession Plan (Or a “Who Gets My Ergonomic Chair” Plan)

If you want your business to continue or be sold, outline a clear succession plan. If not, provide instructions for dissolving the business.
Remember, in the case of a sole proprietorship, the business technically ceases to exist when you do, so plan accordingly.
 

Step 5: Keep Your Finances Squeaky Clean (Because No One Wants to Inherit a Mess)

Maintain clear and up-to-date financial records. This will make it easier for your executor to settle any debts and distribute assets.
Consider setting aside funds specifically for closing costs and final expenses.
 

Step 6: Communicate Your Plans (Because Telepathy Doesn’t Work After Death)

Talk to your loved ones about your plans. It might feel awkward, but it’s better than leaving them to figure it out while also dealing with grief. Plus, it’s a great excuse to remind them how awesome you are! 

Step 7: Review and Update Regularly (Because Life Changes, Even When Planning for Death)

Set a reminder to review your plan annually. Business changes, relationships change, and your “crossing over” strategy should change too. Remember, planning for your business’s future without you isn’t morbid – it’s responsible and kind to those you’ll leave behind. So, go ahead and plan your business’s grand finale. After all, the show must go on… even when you’re no longer in the director’s chair!

Ready to work together? Let’s chat about your admin needs! Book a call here.

A Day in the Life of a Virtual Assistant – 2024 Edition

A Day in the Life of a Virtual Assistant – 2024 Edition

Welcome to the 2024 edition of a Day in the Life of a Virtual Assistant!

 

I decided to rewrite this blog post because my original version was from 2016 – a bit outdated, right? I wanted to provide potential clients with a glimpse into my day so you can see how I can support you, too!

 

So, I’m Denise, a Canadian VA working from Ontario, Canada. I work with female business owners, coaches and marketers, supporting them with their blog work, e-newsletters, general admin and social media. Hello!

 

Morning Routine

My routines are different in the summer than they are in the winter. In the summer, I’m up at 6 a.m. getting ready for my brisk walk around the neighbourhood. I use this not only for exercise, but also to plot world domination! I’m usually back home by 7:30, taking care of household chores and setting up my dehydrator to make some dried meals for camping trips.
In the winter months, though, I tend to hibernate more, getting up just before 8 a.m. and shuffling my slippered feet into the kitchen to make myself that cup of ambition Dolly Parton talks about (I take it double-double with sweetener, by the way!) I find it so difficult to get going in the cold, dark months of winter, but I love that I don’t have to commute. My warm slippers and my little space heater are truly my best friends during winter months, and I’m looking into getting a mug warmer!

 

Work Hours

I am at my computer by 9 a.m., but in truth, I’m usually checking LinkedIn and Facebook well before that. I feel it’s important to make time to interact with others and this part of the morning is dedicated to that.

The beauty of being a VA is hands-down the flexibility: no two days are ever the same, and no two weeks are ever the same, either. It’s fabulous!

I check my emails and look for anything that might be somewhat pressing. I say “somewhat” because I work in advance – meaning, it’s rare that I work on tight deadlines. I don’t like the pressure that comes with that type of work because I’m always afraid I’ll miss something or make a mistake. Working in advance gives me time to do things right, and enough time to make adjustments if necessary.

Another thing I look at daily, first thing, is Trello. I love how it keeps me focused and organized. It cuts down on back-and-forth emails, keeps everything tidy and there’s no doubt at all where a project stands when you use it. I encourage many of my clients to use it if they aren’t already using a project management app.

As mentioned earlier, no two days are ever the same, so one day I may spend a couple of hours in Canva, working on social media images for a client, and another, I may be using AI to condense long documents into various formats: a pamphlet, a blog post, a social media post. Yet another day, I may be reworking a clients entire social media strategy (I have so much fun doing that!). And there’s probably a newsletter in there somewhere, as well!

I love working with AI and think it’s an amazing tool for anyone to use, not just virtual assistants. I use a few different tools to create images: Night Cafe, Canva, but my favourite is MS Designer. Many of my clients love the images I use it to come up with for them as well.

I also use ChatGPT, but my favourite is Perplexity. It’s important to note that AI is never perfect, or always correct. I’ve gotten into an argument or two with it, if I’m being honest! But I love that it’s not full of sponsored ads like Google, and it cites its sources.

The use of these tools isn’t just to save time… I find that AI is wonderful for idea generation. As an example, I’ve used it to come up with a list of potential blog titles (for myself and for clients) and though there are often times none of them really hit the nail on the head, grabbing snippets from two or three of the suggestions often does. I love that AI can be used in the creative process!

 

Client Interactions

Some clients like to have regular meetings to discuss things (it’s often easier to have a face-to-face than a chain of emails and still not being sure where things stand!), and others don’t.

While there are times I have pre-scheduled meetings with clients, I”m also known to jump on a call five minutes from whenever to clear something up. This approach is especially helpful for clients who are super busy and have a jam-packed day ahead of them. This is the flexibility I can often offer. However, it needs to be said that I don’t always have the ability to hop on a call with five minutes’ notice, but I do aim to have that flexibility.

These meetings are great for when either the client or myself have a series of things to dicuss. I often have notes jotted down ahead of time, and all relevant webpages open ahead of time, in case we need a quick screen-share. I aim to get all my questions answered so that I can give my best to the task/project, and my clients know that if they need to, they can just send me a quick email or WhatsApp message.

I typically work with female business owners, most of which are coaches for other women. I love to support my fellow women in business and with over 8 years of experience, I come to the table full of ideas and expertise, and readily share my knowledge with my clients.

Clients who need the support that I offer are the best fit. I offer this support specifically because I enjoy the work, and I love the creativity it involves. There are VAs out there for many different types of tasks, and it’s always best to find one that specializes in the type of support you need.

I have worked with physiotherapists, executive coaches, holistic coaches, a Reiki master, a handmade soap-maker-turned-coach, authors, wellness consultants, website designers, just to name a few, but I’ve also been known to support fellow VAs (even the helpers need help sometimes!)

 

Challenges and Solutions

I think the two biggest challenges are when several clients seem to need support all at once – that can be tricky! But I prioritize, and work a little bit on everyone’s tasks. If it can’t be done, or I hit a snag, I’m sure to let the client know – they deserve to know what’s up and not be in the dark.

The other challenge is when I’m asked to do something I have no experience with. I’m usually pretty easy-going and if I’m interested in the work, I’m game for learning something new! Clients have paid for training for me, and it’s been awesome to add new knowledge to my skillset.

However, there are also times where I’m asked to work on something I don’t enjoy or have no interest in learning. I think it’s important to know yourself when it comes to being a VA, so if something isn’t up your alley, you shouldn’t just ‘give it a go’. I’ve often found outside help for clients who need something specific that I don’t offer. Just because I don’t enjoy that work doesn’t mean no one else does! There’s enough work for all of us.

There was a time when a client in the UK and I had a call scheduled – it was super important, because we hadn’t been able to catch up in awhile. Minutes before our scheduled Zoom call, her parents dropped by for a spot of tea and a visit… she messaged me in a panic, apologizing profusely for the delay. We ended up having the call a bit later than originally planned and I could tell she was feeling a bit frazzled by the whole experience, but we got it done LOL! You can read about that experience in this blog post.

So what happens when the click strikes noon? Let’s have a look:

 

Afternoon Routine

I break for lunch when my husband, who works outside the home, also breaks for lunch. It may be a bit sappy to some, but we’ve almost always had this thing where we’ve called or texted each other on our lunch breaks. We eat and chat about how our day is going. When he heads back to work, I do too.

If it’s warm out, I usually enjoy my lunch ‘n’ chat with him from our backyard.

What I work on next depends on what’s leftover from my morning, or how much progress I’ve made on client work. Sometimes new work comes in via email or Trello (as I mentioned, it’s almost always open on my desktop).

If things are slow at any given time, I’m usually working on my own marketing. It’s a beast that never sleeps but it’s a necessary evil – because it works!

The afternoon can be a bit of a drag because almost all of us hit a slump at some point. A good conversation with a fellow VA or an exciting task that just came in from a client really do a lot to boost my energy. Positive feedback from a client, though? I’m over the moon!

 

Wrapping Up My Day

I have a handwritten list at eye level on my office pegboard that lists all my clients and the tasks I’m to do throughout that week, and at the end of my day, I check things off so I know where I’m at the next day. When new client work comes in, it gets added to this visual list so I don’t lose track (even if it’s in Trello).

On Thursday afternoon, I’m wrapping up my week, so I’ll take this list, and rewrite it for the following week, adding how much time is left on everyone’s retainer, or, if hourly, how much time I’m at for invoicing the client. Checking off those tasks is a little like confetti – seeing how much I’ve completed makes me happy!

It’s important to note that just because my workweek ends on Thursday, that doesn’t mean I’m jetsetting until Monday! In fact, it’s rare that I’m even sleeping in, if I’m being completely honest! It’s garbage day where I live, and they’re always rolling in at 7:03 a.m.!

No rest for the wicked, as they say.

But it’s all good, because I use Fridays as a day to do my own admin, and to invite people to, or host my virtual coffee chats – which you can read about here.

I wrap up Fridays by lunchtime, and often do the menial tasks we all love to hate – housework. Sometimes, my husband and I will head out for a bite, or maybe we’ll have a date night planned. We are also movie buffs, and we love to snuggle up in the winter months and watch the latest movies or shows from a one streaming service or another.

I also enjoy cooking and baking, and I’m looking to get back into crocheting/knitting. I also like to read.

In the summer months, though, we are almost always packing the car for a camping trip on a late Friday morning. We are outdoor enthusiasts and we try to get as much out of summer as possible. Camping resets us, and even though it’s a lot of prep and physically demanding at times, it’s truly our favourite pasttime.

So that’s me and how I spend a typical day as a virtual assistant – it’s not glamourous, but it’s mine!

Ready to work together? Let’s chat about your admin needs! Book a call here.

Why Inbox Zero Matters for Female Coaches

Why Inbox Zero Matters for Female Coaches

As a female coach, your inbox is likely overflowing with emails from clients, partnership opportunities and admin notifications. Am I right?

What if I told you that achieving ‘inbox zero’ could revolutionize your productivity, and reduce your stress levels to boot?

Let’s discuss, shall we?

 

What is Inbox Zero?

Believe me, inbox zero is NOT mission impossible! It’s a tough approach to dealing with emails, with the goal of keeping your inbox empty (or as close to it as possible) at all times. It’s not just about a clean inbox, it’s a methodology that helps you process information and stay on top of everything you’re committing to.

 

Why does Inbox Zero matter for female coaches?

 

Improved focus and productivity

When you’re staring at a chaotic inbox, you can FEEL your eyes glaze over and focus disappearing. Each unread email represents a potential task or decision – which can distract you from your core responsibilities. Having a near-empty inbox instills a sense of accomplishment and calm, leaving you to better concentrate on what really matters – serving your clients and growing your business.

 

Better responsiveness

Clients appreciate quick responses. With an organized inbox, you’re less likely to miss important messages or respond too slowly. Improving your responsiveness can improve client satisfaction and perhaps even more referrals for your coaching practice.

 

Reduced stress

A cluttered inbox  can lead to anxiety and stress because it can make you feel like you’ll never catch up. Achieving inbox zero eliminates this and instead gives you peace of mind and a sense of control over all your digital communications.

 

Better time management

By learning how to quickly organize your inbox every single day, you’ll spend less time managing your inbox, leaving you with more time on high-value activities, like generating new courses, programs and developing your business overall.

 

How to Achieve Inbox Zero as a Busy Coach

 

Set aside time each day to manage your emails.

If you get a LOT of emails, perhaps 30 minutes in the morning, and another 30 minutes in the afternoon would be a good starting point.

Use the 4 Ds Method.

Delete: if it’s not important, get rid of it immediately.

Do: If something takes less than two minutes, get it done now.

Delegate: If someone else can handle it, forward it to them.

Defer: If it requires more time than you presently have, schedule it for later.

Unsubscribe RUTHLESSLY.

Do you really read all the newsletters you’ve subscribed to? If not, click that unsubscribe button and save yourself from having to delete them in the future. Stay on the list if you find specific ones to be helpful for your coaching practice or personal development.

Use folders and labels.

Organizing your inbox can be a personal process, and it doesn’t matter what that process is as long as it makes sense to you and you’ll remember it time and time again. 

Harness the power of automation.

Email filters are BOMB. Set up filters so that emails automatically get sent to specific folders – this reduces the manual work involved with sorting them later.

 

The VA Advantage

While these stellar strategies can help you achieve inbox zero, implementing and maintaining it can be time-consuming. A virtual assistant can be invaluable when it comes to setup and maintanance.

A VA can manage your inbox daily, ensuring it stays as close to empty as possible, saving you the time and stress that you may feel when you think about doing it yourself.

 

In conclusion, your inbox is a part of your workspace, when you really think about it. It should be as neat and tidy as your desk, or your filing system (both digital and manual). Whether you tackle it yourself or hire some help to get it sorted out, you’ll notice a big difference in your productivity either way, just by getting a grip on inbox zero!

 

 

If you’d rather have someone set this up for you, I can help with that! Book a free consultation call.