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Booked Out with Bre

Booked Out with Bre

By: Bre Cain | Virtual Assistant Wealth Coach
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Welcome to Booked Out with Bre: the podcast for virtual assistants ready to level up and founders building with team who refuse to choose between audacious ambition and a life they actually love.

I'm your host, Bre Cain, mama of three, unapologetic entrepreneur, and founder of a business built from my kitchen table and 4-year-old's bedroom with big energy and zero apologies.

I'm the founder of ICON & Lightning, a remote team agency that hand matches elite virtual assistants to founder-led businesses ... because the right team isn't an operational decision, it's a leadership identity. I'm also the founder of the VA Leadership Academy, where I've trained nearly 500 virtual assistants in the technical skills, emotional intelligence, and leadership identity it takes to become a truly strategic partner; not just a task doer.

Six years ago, I thought I had to choose. Mom or career. Present or ambitious. I went back to my 9-to-5 after my first baby and lasted three months before I realized my entire definition of success had shifted. So I bet on myself and built a business that now approaches $2M in just three years, scaled in part-time hours, alongside my kids, from home.

Here's what I know for sure: you don't have to choose.

You can have the booming business. The clients you're obsessed with. The school pickups, the slow mornings, the spontaneous yes moments. You can build a team that amplifies your vision instead of adding to your mental load. You can scale without sacrificing the life you built the business to protect.

This podcast is for the virtual assistant who's ready to stop trading hours for dollars and start leading like the strategic asset she already is. It's for the founder who's done doing it all alone and is ready to build a team that actually runs. And it's for every ambitious mama who was told to shrink ... and decided not to.

Expect candid conversations, zero corporate fluff, and the kind of real talk that makes you feel seen and activated.

💸Are you a VA ready to get booked out and level up? → Book a Free VA Mentor Call

🚀Are you a founder ready to build your dream team? → Book a Free Dream Team Design Session


Connect with Bre:
📸 Instagram: @heyitsbrecain

Copyright 2023 All rights reserved. Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Parenting & Families Personal Development Personal Success Relationships
Episodes
  • 123. The Get Paid Playbook: How to Earn Your First $5K as a Virtual Assistant

    123. The Get Paid Playbook: How to Earn Your First $5K as a Virtual Assistant
    Jul 2 2026
    In this episode of Booked Out with Bre, we are diving into the most exciting part of the journey: getting paid! This is day three of our series, and I’m showing you exactly how to earn your first $5,000 as a virtual assistant in the next 90 days. I truly believe that the VA industry is the ultimate vehicle for freedom, and I want to help you design a life where you never have to choose between being a present mom and building a highly profitable empire. I’m breaking down the actual math of how doable a 5K goal really is—whether you’re charging $25 or $45 an hour. I’m also sharing my "secret sauce" strategy for signing clients from your warm network using market research instead of high-pressure pitching. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to go all-in on your virtual assistant business, this is it! Here is what I cover in this episode: The simple math that proves you can hit your income goals working as little as 1.5 hours a day. How to leverage your "warm network" to find your first virtual assistant clients without feeling "salesy." My secret neuroscience hack for priming potential clients to realize they need your support. The crucial difference between being "half-in" and putting yourself on the line (and why signing up for the "race" changes everything). A complete 90-day game plan to take your VA business from foundation to first retainer client. Why "success leaves clues" and how to study industry leaders to collapse your timeline to success. A sneak peek into the VA Leadership Academy and our brand new tech platform that finds clients for you! I’m proof that you can hit seven figures from your kids' playroom, and today I’m reaching my hand back to show you the way. It’s time to claim your identity as a booked-out virtual assistant. Let’s get you paid! Episode Outline: Introduction: Getting Paid as a Virtual Assistant (00:02) Recap: The Virtual Assistant Industry and Foundations (00:41) Defining Your "Yes Life" in Motherhood (01:23) Case Study: How Kate Hit 10K Months in Six Months (01:52) Redefining the Virtual Assistant Industry as a Pathway to Freedom (04:44) Design Your Own Life: The Flexibility of the VA Model (05:24) Teaching Yourself Tech: Using Your Own Business as a Proof of Concept (07:07) The Power of First Impressions: Deciding Who You Want to Be (08:44) Embodying the 5K Virtual Assistant Identity Now (09:49) The Math of 5K: Breaking Down Hourly Rates and Working Hours (11:32) Hitting $5,000 in 90 Days: Why It’s More Doable Than You Think (12:24) Where Paying Clients Come From: Tapping Your Warm Network (14:50) The 78% Rule: Why Businesses are Desperate to Hire Virtual Assistants (17:14) The Unique Positioning Statement (USP) for Virtual Assistants (19:14) Market Research vs. Pitching: The Strategic Outreach Hack (19:59) Putting Yourself on the Line: The Half-Marathon Analogy for Business (23:06) Hiring Your Own Team: Stepping Into the CEO Identity (25:11) Finding Virtual Assistant Roles in an Aggregated Marketplace (27:07) The 90-Day Game Plan: Weeks 1 through 12 (30:57) Inner Child Game: Making Your Younger Self Proud (32:31) Overcoming the "Pee My Pants" Fear of Discovery Calls (33:43) What’s Inside: The AI Lab, Weekly Coffee Chats, and Client Placement (38:45) Closing Encouragement and Next Steps (41:28) Ways to Work with Me: Follow Me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/heyitsbrecain/ Mom X VA Free Facebook Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/momxva Apply for the VA Leadership Academy https://caincollectivellc.com/valaapplication Book a Free Dream Team Design Session (for founders building with Team) https://www.breannacain.com/iconandlightningbookacall If you enjoyed this episode, I would love it so much if you left a rating and review! This helps us reach more women looking to become a virtual assistant, book out their business, and scale beyond their wildest dreams.
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    43 mins
  • 122. VA Spotlight: Scaling Your Virtual Assistant Business with Iconic Branding & Energetics with Cathryn FisFis

    122. VA Spotlight: Scaling Your Virtual Assistant Business with Iconic Branding & Energetics with Cathryn FisFis
    Jun 17 2026
    In this episode of Booked Out with Bre, I am joined by one of my favorite humans and a true branding visionary, Cathryn FisFis! Our journey goes back over a decade to our network marketing days, and it has been such a joy to watch her career come full circle. Cathryn transitioned from a high-level fashion career designing for DKNY in New York City to launching and exploding her business inside the VA Leadership Academy. Cathryn FisFis is a master at combining high-end aesthetics with deep energetics to help founders build brands that sell for them. We dive into how she leveraged her "out of the box" experience to find her niche and how she uses identity work to help women stop playing small and start showing up as the experts they truly are. Here’s what I dive into with Cat: Her incredible transition from the NYC fashion world to becoming the "Branding Queen" of the virtual assistant industry. How to conduct a skill inventory to realize you have way more marketable value than you think. The difference between a "pretty" brand and a brand built on authority and positioning. Why identity work is the necessary foundation before you ever touch a virtual assistant business strategy. Success hacks for visibility: why showing up "messy" and real is more magnetic than being perfectly polished. An inside look at her levels of support: Vision to Vogue, the Brand Frequency Experience, and her community, The Brand Bitch. If you are a virtual assistant ready to pick a lane, own your authority, and build a brand that communicates your genius before you even say a word, this conversation with Cathryn FisFis is exactly what you need. Episode Outline: Introduction: Meet Cathryn FisFis, the Branding Queen and founder of High Frequency Studio (01:49) Full circle: Connecting over big dreams in the network marketing industry (02:08) Cat's backstory: Designing for DKNY and the NYC fashion world (04:23) The reality of the fashion industry: Does it really look like The Devil Wears Prada? (06:08) Finding the VA Leadership Academy and generating cash through existing skills (09:52) The "Aha!" moment: Realizing the value of a decade of motherhood and business experience (10:24) Overcoming burnout and choosing to work for yourself as a virtual assistant (11:21) The birth of High Frequency Studio: Moving beyond surface-level aesthetics (12:37) Why stagnant water is the perfect analogy for a business that isn't evolving (14:12) Creating a virtual assistant brand that speaks for you before the sales call (16:03) Success hack: Why showing up as the expert is the key to filling your offers (17:03) Visibility and authenticity: Dealing with the "messy, good, bad, and ugly" of social media (18:32) The importance of clarity over loudness in modern branding (21:42) Vision to Vogue: High-level creative direction and strategic branding (23:17) The Brand Frequency Experience and The Brand Bitch community (24:16) Closing remarks and how to experience Cat's branding magic (26:13) Connect with Cat: Website funnels.cathrynfisfis.com/home-high-freq-studio Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cathryn_fisfis/ Ways to Work with Me: Follow Me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/heyitsbrecain/ Mom X VA Free Facebook Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/momxva Apply for the VA Leadership Academy https://caincollectivellc.com/valaapplication Book a Free Dream Team Design Session (for founders building with Team) https://www.breannacain.com/iconandlightningbookacall If you enjoyed this episode, I would love it so much if you left a rating and review! This helps us reach more women looking to become a virtual assistant, book out their business, and scale beyond their wildest dreams.
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    27 mins
  • 121. Building the Foundation: The Tactical Roadmap to Your Virtual Assistant Business

    121. Building the Foundation: The Tactical Roadmap to Your Virtual Assistant Business
    Jun 11 2026
    In this episode of Booked Out with Bre, I’m diving into the tactical, practical nuts and bolts of what you actually need to build your virtual assistant business from the ground up. This is Day 2 of our three-day series, and we are laying a rock-solid foundation so you can stop overthinking and start signing clients. I’m proof that you can build a seven-figure empire starting from your kitchen table between school drop-offs and Target runs, and I want to show you exactly how to do the same. I believe the virtual assistant industry is the ultimate vehicle for freedom, but you have to be willing to get out of your own way and get messy. I’m walking you through how to inventory your past experiences—from corporate roles to motherhood—and turn them into high-value services that clients are hungry for. Here is what I cover in this episode: How to create a virtual assistant brand that feels authentic to you and magnetic to your dream clients. The exact process for conducting a "skill inventory" to find your lane and pick your first 3-5 services. Why you need to ditch the traditional resume and build a future-paced virtual assistant portfolio that focuses on outcomes, not just past tasks. The two paths for naming your business and how to choose the one that fits your long-term vision. The non-negotiables of contracts and working policies to protect your peace and prevent scope creep. Minimalist tool and workspace requirements—hint: you don’t need a fancy office or an expensive website to start. A breakdown of pricing for new virtual assistants and how to move from hourly rates to deliverable-based packages. How to use "the body compass" to follow what lights you up and learn the tech the market is actually asking for. If you’re ready to stop waiting for permission and start building a life that feels as good as it looks, this episode is your tactical guide. Let’s lay those bricks and get you booked out! Episode Outline: Introduction: Welcome to day two of the virtual assistant foundation series (01:15) The real mission: Using the virtual assistant industry as a pathway to freedom (03:08) Overcoming the "newbie" label: Why you are an expert from day one (05:44) Conducting a skill inventory: Leveraging career, volunteer, and mom experience (06:16) Identifying patterns and themes to choose your virtual assistant services (08:35) Two directions for business naming: Personal brand vs. outcome-based (09:37) Future-pacing your messaging: Speaking to the results your clients desire (11:15) Virtual Assistant Portfolio vs. Resume: Why the distinction matters (12:22) Controlling the first impression: Embodying the CEO identity before you have the results (15:19) Using mockups and "specs" to showcase your skills without prior VA experience (17:30) The importance of contracts: Protecting yourself and your virtual assistant clients (19:25) Setting boundaries: Creating a welcome packet and defining working hours (20:43) Managing scope creep with grace and professional communication (21:17) The minimalist startup kit: WiFi, a laptop, and the power of Canva (23:20) Proactive learning: Mastering email marketing and project management platforms (24:49) Pricing strategies for new virtual assistants: Hourly vs. deliverable-based (25:57) The 90-day benchmark: How to hit 5K months by the end of July (28:50) Scaling for the future: Building a virtual assistant agency and passive income (29:41) An invitation to join the VA Leadership Academy with an $800 discount (30:09) Closing thoughts: Outgrowing past versions of yourself to build your empire (30:40) Ways to Work with Me: Follow Me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/heyitsbrecain/ Mom X VA Free Facebook Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/momxva Apply for the VA Leadership Academy https://caincollectivellc.com/valaapplication Book a Free Dream Team Design Session (for founders building with Team) https://www.breannacain.com/iconandlightningbookacall If you enjoyed this episode, I would love it so much if you left a rating and review! This helps us reach more women looking to become a virtual assistant, book out their business, and scale beyond their wildest dreams.
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
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