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319

 – Create a Team That Loves Your Business Like It’s Their Own with Kristy Smith

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Hosted by HerBusiness

On air:

31 July 2025

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No successful business owner reached their goals alone. We are supported not just by our external communities and networks – but our TEAMS. And our guest today is a trailblazer when it comes to building smart, rock-solid teams.

But how can you create a high-functioning, loyal team of people around you who care about the success of your business as much as you do?

Kristy Smith of Virtual Elves knows exactly how – as she has provided hundreds of clients with outsourced, highly skilled VAs. She is an expert on creating a loyal and supportive team culture and has so much to share with you about how to hire, manage, and grow with your team.

Here’s What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

  • The invisible ties that keep you focused on the WRONG things in business and how the “30% Burden” creeps up and steals your time
  • How to strategically identify what is taking your focus and preventing you from stepping into the CEO role (+ what needs to shift!)
  • The “SADD” method: Kristy’s sworn-by framework that you should run EVERY task in your business through (this will make your business more efficient, and it will make you LESS sad )
  • Why leaning on people around you – and constructing a support system – is essential to free your time
  • How Kristy has developed such incredible loyalty within her team (with multiple team members working with her over a decade) – and why team culture is key
  • The big mistake business owners make when outsourcing team members, and why transactional thinking can backfire
  • How to prepare in advance to onboard, and why cultivating systems beforehand is essential
  • The 3 things you need to do before hiring anyone (or hiring anyone ELSE!)
  • Why building strategically over time and putting in place a strong foundation has paid off for Kristy in the long run (tortoise > hare)
  • How Kristy built a team culture so good that all of her current managerial positions started not as new hires, but as loyal team members with potential
  • And so, so much more

 

 

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Mentioned in This Episode:

The HerBusiness Network

Need a highly-qualified VA? Check out Virtual Elves today

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About the host

Suzi Dafnis

Hi there. I’m Suzi Dafnis, CEO at HerBusiness. My BIG passion is helping women business owners to grow and scale their business, so that they can create their ideal lifestyle and make a difference in the world. Every day I am inspired by the more than 30,000 amazing women (and men!) in our community and I love finding the best education, mentors, and resources from around the globe, to help them get the skills, knowledge, and support they need to succeed. It’s been my privilege to lead HerBusiness (formerly The Australian Businesswomen’s Network) for the past 23 years (two+ decades – WOW!) because, whilst I’ve enjoyed success in business, I’ve also experienced the highs and the lows – sometimes you can feel on top of the world and in control and other times you can feel isolated, exhausted and stuck. What has made the biggest difference for me has always been having great people around me and having a lifelong commitment to learning. That’s why I am so passionate about the work we do here at HerBusiness – providing a Connection Network for women in business to get the mentors, contacts, referrals, knowledge, and skills they need to grow their confidence, make more money, build their businesses, expand their network and create the lives they love. My entrepreneurial journey started in the spare room of my Sydney apartment in 1994 when my business partner and I started a boutique events company that represented speakers and authors from the USA, here in Australia. Over the years I’ve grown multiple multi-million dollar businesses in the events, publishing and education niches – with teams in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. Not everything has worked and there has been a degree of trial and error, and a lot of bumps in the road. But I have always had a strong commitment to always surrounding myself with great mentors and like-minded peers – a Connection Network that I can depend on and who can depend on me to be there for them too. I truly do what I love, every day.  

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About the guest(s)

Kristy Smith

Kristy Smith

Kristy Smith, founder and CEO of Virtual Elves, is a trailblazer in strategic outsourcing and business efficiency. Since launching her agency in 2009, Kristy has empowered global businesses to thrive by unlocking growth through smart outsourcing. Her hands-on leadership and practical, step-by-step approach have made her a sought after authority, guiding entrepreneurs to sustainable success. Renowned for her ability to simplify complexity, Kristy inspires others to work smarter, not harder. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a dedicated mother and community leader, championing flexibility and empowerment. Kristy’s mission: help businesses reclaim time, boost profits, and achieve lasting impact

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