{"podcast":{"title":"Bump to Business Owner","slug":"bump-to-business-owner-6455135","podcast_index_feed_id":6455135,"rss_url":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/477993/rss","website_url":"https://www.bumptobusinessowner.com","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/d/5/3/8/d538d2eadc1ea78c27a2322813b393ee/B2BO_Season_4_artwork.png","author":"Caroline Marshall","episode_count":114,"summary":"Bump to Business Owner is the go-to podcast for mums who don't want to compromise on their careers but know that traditional full time employment just isn't compatible with family life. It's a space for female entrepreneurs and future founders creating autonomy and a deeper sense of purpose for themselves, their business and their children. Join your host, Caroline Marshall, founder of award winning Virtual Assistant agency Upsource and mum of two boys, in conversation with real women: mothers and entrepreneurs juggling the challenges of growing a successful business whilst raising a family.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-18T14:19:02.601341+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/bump-to-business-owner-6455135"},"episode":{"title":"Ep 89: The military, motherhood and Virtual Assistant industry with Amanda Johnson, founder of the VA Training Academy","slug":"ep-89-the-military-motherhood-and-virtual-assistant-industry-with-amanda-johnson-founder-of-the-va-training-academy","published_at":"2025-10-23T05:45:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/bump-to-business-owner-6455135/ep-89-the-military-motherhood-and-virtual-assistant-industry-with-amanda-johnson-founder-of-the-va-training-academy","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/bump-to-business-owner-6455135","url":"https://bumptobusinessowner.com/e89-amanda-johnson","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/e65d9ad6-3141-4c15-a982-8df3373aa03f/Episode_89_audio.mp3?dest-id=4060887","summary":"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 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…","meta_description":"Trigger warning: This episode was recorded during Baby Loss Awareness Week and includes discussion of miscarriage and baby loss. Please take care of yours…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3576,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/bump-to-business-owner-6455135/episodes/ep-89-the-military-motherhood-and-virtual-assistant-industry-with-amanda-johnson-founder-of-the-va-training-academy/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/bump-to-business-owner-6455135/ep-89-the-military-motherhood-and-virtual-assistant-industry-with-amanda-johnson-founder-of-the-va-training-academy.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}