Ep 89: The military, motherhood and Virtual Assistant industry with Amanda Johnson, founder of the VA Training Academy
Release Date: 10/23/2025
E97: How I get through Christmas triggers - Solo episode with Caroline
Bump to Business Owner
How was your first Christmas with a baby? Mine was…not as I had hoped. And I think that’s the same for everyone. Your life has changed fundamentally, but Christmas just keeps being Christmas, with the same old family dynamics. And I found that rough, I definitely had a Christmas Crash - if that is/was you too, you’re not alone Christmas is a triggering time for everyone, and we all need to do what we gotta do to get through it. I’m sharing what I’ve learnt for how to manage (mitigate?) Christmas, Bailey’s in hand, from the practical - I order my tree in September, yes I am that guy...
info_outline
E96: Navigating Christmas pressure and the messy middle with psychologist Dr Tuesday Watts-Overall
Bump to Business Owner
There’s a lot of expectation when you become a mum: how it will be, the friends you will make, the support you’ll have, what work will look like; what Christmas will look like. The gulf between our expectations and reality is very real, and Dr Tuesday Watts-Overall is here to tell you: you’re in the messy middle, and that’s OK. Dr Tuesday shares her tools for navigating the huge pressure we put on ourselves as mums, particularly at this time of year, and how we can be more human to ourselves. We’re in the messy middle, we’re in the identity shift, we’re amidst changing...
info_outline
E95: Why you should bring your kids along on the business journey with Alice Holland-Lu, founder of The Female Archetypes
Bump to Business Owner
What do you do when your boss tells you your pregnancy is “inconvenient”? Start your own business. Alice Holland-Lu used her 15 years of experience in luxury fashion to launch her own brand, based on her own experiences and struggles as her body changed throughout pregnancy and beyond. Alice has built a hyper-local business model, a community and an emotionally-led brand, whilst carting her kids to the factory after school. What else can you do when you only have 2 days a week of childcare? Our conversation is full of advice for women in the trenches whilst building a business...
info_outline
E94: What 2025 has taught me - Solo episode with Caroline
Bump to Business Owner
Trigger Warning: there is a brief discussion of maternal mental health and suicide. 2025 has gone really fast, and it has been A Lot. There have been a lot of lessons, and I’m sharing 3 of mine in the hope that it will encourage you to reflect, celebrate how far you’ve come and recognise the challenges you’ve faced. Bonus lesson? Don’t ask ChatGPT to tell you what you’ve learnt, before you ask yourself! I’ll share the 3 tiered lessons AI told me I’ve learnt this year - and as with everything AI does, the answers were pretty bland, even when challenged. It’s a bit of an...
info_outline
E93: VC funding and building a life with intention with Kira Mahal, founder of MotivatePT
Bump to Business Owner
Kira Mahal has never taken the conventional route - from holding a marketing event in lieu of interviewing for jobs, to leaving a lucrative finance career with no plan, no savings and no clear vision. Self-described as “barking mad”, Kira and her husband went all into their business. On the cusp of a life and business changing corporate contract, the world went into lockdown and they lost £1.8million in VC funding. Pivoting back to their B2C business, Kira turned to the journals she’d been keeping along the way and put into practice what she learnt from her experience. If you’re...
info_outline
E92: Macarons, motherhood and growth with Rachel Hanretty, founder of Mademoiselle Macaron
Bump to Business Owner
Rachel and I met on the Goldman Sachs 10KSB programme in February and instantly gravitated towards another. Both mums, both struggling with being away from family, but determined to grow our businesses, despite all the challenges that motherhood/founderhood bring. My conversation with Rachel is almost excoriatingly honest about the impact of motherhood on her business, and herself. These are the conversations we need to have with women, founders, mums and would-be mums. Because the internet will tell you, you can have it all, but the reality isn't quite like that. The economy, the strength of...
info_outline
E91: Not another end of year push podcast - Solo episode with Caroline
Bump to Business Owner
I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions. December isn’t a straightforward month for me, personally, and my energy levels in January after juggling school holidays and all the Christmas fun just aren’t up to “starting the new year strong”. So I’ve restructured my business year, and my mindset to fit my realities. In this episode I’m sharing: Why I'm so anti end of year hustle culture Why we should all be putting less pressure on ourselves How I've shaped my year to fit better with my energy levels, and financials Rebel with me. More on Takeaways: Christmas shift in mum admin...
info_outline
E90: Celebrating mums and business owners: live interviews from the UK VA Awards
Bump to Business Owner
Something a little different this week. I was at the UK Virtual Assistant awards last week celebrating the industry and gratefully receiving a couple of awards, on behalf of the business and the podcast team! While I was there, I did some live interviews with some incredible VAs and business women, who also happen to be mums, my industry peers and friends. They are sharing their wisdom and experiences of building businesses, working flexibly and prioritising their family. It was a very fun (by which I mean loud) atmosphere, so apologies for the background noise levels. Thanks to Amanda...
info_outline
Ep 89: The military, motherhood and Virtual Assistant industry with Amanda Johnson, founder of the VA Training Academy
Bump to Business Owner
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...
info_outline
Miniseries Part 4: The future of the Virtual Assistant industry
Bump to Business Owner
We’re wrapping up the Assistant miniseries with a big-picture conversation, the future of the assistant and VA industry. I’ve been in this world for over 15 years, and in that time I’ve seen the role change again and again, from the 2009 crash, to the explosion of tech tools, and now to AI. In this episode, I’m talking about where I see things going, what makes our work truly irreplaceable, and why assistants need to be visible, strategic partners (not an exec’s “secret weapon”). I’m also sharing my thoughts on niching, the growing operational side of our roles, and the...
info_outlineTrigger 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/