Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA)

Reader, I've been keeping a little secret, and I'm SO excited to finally share it with you! Over the years, we've hosted some incredible experts at our #VAVS Summit sharing their advice on finding clients, marketing your services, growing your Virtual Assistant business, and so much more. And I got to thinking... Why should all that amazing training be tucked away in the archives when there are so many Virtual Assistants who could benefit from it TODAY? So I'm opening up the VAvirtuosos...

Reader, Quick question: if a phishing email landed in your client’s inbox today, would you catch it? Most of us think we would. But a lot of risk hides in everyday habits and assumptions we don’t even notice. That’s why I love what our own Tammy Sistek is doing this month. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and Tammy (a longtime VANA member and one of our wonderful Community moderators) is an official 2026 Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champion. To celebrate, she’s hosting the free...

Reader, I have a little VANA Community brag today. 💜 Tammy Sistek, one of our longtime VANA members and the friendly face who helps welcome new members into our VANA Community, has written a book called How to Talk to Your AI. It landed on my doorstep around dinnertime and I ended up reading the whole thing before bed. What I loved most is that this isn’t another book teaching you how to write the “perfect prompt.” It’s about learning how to actually work with AI. How to communicate with it,...

ISSUE: September 6, 2026 What's the Scoop? 💗Tawnya SutherlandYour VANA Founder Every September, same routine: new backpacks, pencils sharpened to a suspicious point, shoes that fit for approximately six weeks. My kids always looked so put together on day one — even if the rest of the year was chaos. Made me think... when's the last time your business looked "day one" ready? Keep reading. 💜 f VANA Weekly Wisdom The Business Backpack Check: 3 Things Clients Notice Before You Do Here’s the thing...

ISSUE: August, 2026 What's the Scoop? 💗Tawnya SutherlandYour VANA Founder You may have noticed I've been a little quieter than usual lately, and I have a pretty wonderful reason. We welcomed another beautiful grandson into our family this month, bringing my grandbaby count to SEVEN! 💜 I've been spending time helping my daughter, who is also a Virtual Assistant, and her family after her C-section, cuddling babies, entertaining little ones and doing whatever Grandma is needed for. Weeks like...

Reader A day in the life of a Virtual Assistant looks different for everyone. But let me tell you about my Tuesday, because it's a pretty good snapshot of what running this kind of business actually feels like. 8 a.m. I'm already at my desk, tea in hand, cat trying to walk across my keyboard, and I've answered three client emails before most people have hit snooze for the second time. By noon I've written a newsletter, scheduled a month of social media posts, and hopped on a Zoom to walk a...

ISSUE: May 19th, 2026 What's the Scoop? 💗Tawnya SutherlandYour VANA Founder You know that feeling when you have a question but you don't even know who to ask? That was me — single mom, three kids, building a VA business from my kitchen table with zero roadmap and zero people around me who got it. Every question I had felt bigger than it probably was, simply because I was carrying it alone. That feeling is exactly why VANA exists. And it's why this issue is all about the questions VAs are...

Reader You’ve probably heard a lot about AI lately… But what if you could actually turn AI into something practical that saves you time, improves your workflow, and even becomes a service you offer clients? This Thursday, we’re joined by Bob Sparkins for a FREE training that’s going to open your eyes to a whole different way of using AI in your business. 🎙️ TOPIC: Grow Your VA Business with Claude Skills 📅 Thursday, May 21, 2026⏰ 1 PM Pacific / 4 PM Eastern 👉 Join us live on Zoom at scheduled...

Reader After 20+ years in this industry, I get asked a lot of questions. About rates. About contracts. About finding clients. About niching. About working from home with kids running around. About whether this whole VA thing is even worth it. I've answered these questions thousands of times — in coaching calls, inside the VANA Community, at live events, in my training programs. And I finally thought... why not put them all in one place? So I did. 👉 30 Questions Every Virtual Assistant Asks...