Episode breakdown
Barbara Turley is an investor and entrepreneur with a keen interest in scalable business models, systems, processes and automation, content marketing and the power of inspired and empowered teams.
Today she is an investor, entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of The Virtual Hub – a business she started by accident that exploded in the space of 12 months to become one of the leading companies that recruits, trains and manages support assistants in the digital marketing and social media space for businesses who need to free up time and energy so they can go to the next level.
- Working on your business vs Working in your business
- Why entrepreneurs resist on hiring assistants
- Is the building of systems processes and leading of teams a learnable skill?
- What was life like growing up for Barbara Turley
- The importance of doing what you want to do
The world needs as many people as possible now more than ever, to step up, to rise up, to just, create jobs, to create lives to get your idea out there. If it fails, don't worry about it, get out and do another one. Like, I mean, my first business completely failed, right?
In this episode
00:01 Impact of the pandemic on remote work and assistants
Barbara Turley discusses how the pandemic initially caused panic and cancellations in her business, followed by a rapid realization among clients that assistants were essential. She describes the massive digital transformation that occurred within months, with companies reevaluating their operations and the allocation of their people budget, leading to increased demand for digital roles and offshore support.
05:52 Delegation, efficiency, and the people budget
The conversation shifts to how businesses are scrutinizing the use of their workforce, recognizing inefficiencies where high-salaried employees handle tasks that could be delegated to assistants. Barbara stresses the importance of focusing team members on revenue-generating activities while delegating process-driven tasks, especially in financially cautious times.
07:32 Entrepreneurs’ resistance to delegation and control issues
Josh and Barbara unpack why entrepreneurs often resist delegating tasks, attributing it to a fear of losing control and discomfort with processes and systems. Barbara clarifies the difference between delegation and abdication and explains how proper delegation actually results in gaining more control and efficiency.
09:36 Systems, processes, and leadership as learnable skills
Barbara explains that while building processes and leading teams is a learnable skill, it requires discipline and persistence. Many entrepreneurs struggle with this because it feels unnatural and tedious compared to the excitement of starting up.
10:50 Founding of The Virtual Hub
Barbara recounts how she unintentionally became an entrepreneur and started The Virtual Hub. Originally working in finance, she shifted focus after noticing small business clients struggling with task overload. Her assistant services quickly outpaced other services she offered, leading to the business’s organic creation.
14:37 Barbara’s personal journey and unfulfilled dream of being a doctor
Barbara shares her childhood dream of becoming a doctor and how narrowly missing the academic requirements led her to pursue economics instead. She reflects on how, in hindsight, her life’s path turned out better suited for her nature and skills.
19:33 Positive childhood influences and upbringing
Barbara describes a supportive upbringing in Ireland, with her mother instilling positive affirmations and life wisdom. She acknowledges both the positive and challenging moments of her childhood, crediting this balance for her resilience and optimistic perspective.
21:13 Parenting lessons and emotional awareness
The discussion turns to parenting and teaching children emotional awareness. Josh and Barbara reflect on how emotions like anger were discouraged in their generation, and how they now deliberately teach their children to embrace a full range of emotions, including anger.
24:43 The importance of processing anger
Barbara emphasizes that anger, like other emotions, must be acknowledged and processed, as it is a natural part of the human experience. She discusses how avoiding emotions like anger can lead to problems later and advocates for learning emotional processing skills.
26:24 Dealing with emotional triggers and self-awareness
Josh and Barbara explore the concept of emotional triggers, recognizing that personal reactions often reveal deeper issues within oneself. They highlight the importance of self-awareness and how unresolved internal conflicts can surface in professional and personal situations.
28:09 Barbara’s brother and lessons from his deafness
Barbara talks about her brother’s profound deafness and the life lessons his resilience and independence taught her. She shares the difficulties and inspirations of growing up with a deaf sibling and how it cultivated empathy and gratitude.
30:43 Gratitude and not taking life’s miracles for granted
Both hosts reflect on the importance of gratitude for everyday experiences like hearing a loved one’s voice. They discuss how people often take life’s miracles for granted and stress the value of appreciating these moments.
32:26 Global technology’s role during the pandemic
Barbara and Josh acknowledge the crucial role of modern technology in allowing the world to cope with the pandemic’s disruptions. They note how remote work, online education, and digital commerce have become essential, contrasting with how catastrophic it would have been decades earlier.
34:08 Advice for hidden entrepreneurs and taking action
Barbara encourages aspiring entrepreneurs not to overthink or hesitate, emphasizing the importance of action, even amidst fear. She shares how moments of indecision paralyze progress and advises making decisions quickly to stay in the game.
36:21 Overcoming fear and the value of imperfect action
Barbara illustrates how fear often leads to indecision and how she personally learned through her trading career that action, even imperfect, is better than stalling. She explains that repeated decisions lead to growth and improvement over time.
39:51 Lessons from business failures and perseverance
Barbara reflects on her business journey, including failures and dark moments behind the scenes. She underlines that perseverance and adaptability are key in entrepreneurship, noting that challenges are normal and often hidden from public view.
41:29 Listening to inner truth and taking risks
In closing, Barbara advises listeners to trust their inner voice, even when fear and doubt are loud. She urges people to act on their authentic desires, accept possible failure, and recognize that personal growth lies in the act of pursuing what feels right internally.
