AI, Delegation, and Scaling with Virtual Assistants

JP:
All right, welcome, Alexis. It’s good to have you. My name is JP from GetVibey, and we also have Alexis here from Your Startup Operations, who is a GetVibey member. So welcome, welcome, welcome. How are you today?

Alexis Schomer:
Good. Thank you so much for having me.

JP:
Yes, of course. Thank you for coming. We almost did it in person, but it was a little too last minute, so we’re doing it remote. But maybe next time we get a chance to do it in person. That would be cool.

Alexis Schomer:
Yeah. Awesome.

JP:
Go ahead. No, sorry. But yes, Alexis, tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into GetVibey? Who are you as a person, and what do you do? What does your business do? Give us a quick summary.

Alexis Schomer:
Sure. I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve been building companies and creating different startups since I was in school. When I initially saw GetVibey through a mutual friend’s post on social media, it really resonated with me. I thought it was an awesome place to meet other like-minded entrepreneurs.

Coming out of COVID, I feel like community is so important. The video really called to me, so I came out about a month ago, met the GetVibey community, joined, and it’s been great.

JP:
Awesome. I always love to hear that. That was the whole point. People work from home, but also just in general, people need to get out there and meet other people. We really wanted to avoid those typical mixers where you just go around saying your name and moving on.

The whole goal is to create a community and build relationships. I’m really happy that you like it. When you came out, you drove all the way from Hollywood just to come to an event. You had drinks, came to the party. It’s been really cool to see you enjoying it.

You even told me you used the member directory right away and found some purpose there. I know we’re still early on, but it’s amazing to see people with no prior connection really find value in the community. So thank you so much.

Alexis Schomer:
Yeah, I think GetVibey is a unique community because the types of people that join aren’t the typical type of networker you’d expect to meet at these events. I did look at the member directory when I was trying to meet some home service professionals and reached out to someone who was super nice and super helpful.

That’s the whole point of the GetVibey community, to make connections with people I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise.

JP:
Yes, that’s why we do the vetting process. It’s really important for us to have great personalities because we want to avoid that typical networking experience. Awesome.

Well, perfect. We’re done here. No, I’m just kidding. We’re not here to talk about GetVibey today. We’re here to talk about Your Startup Operations. Tell us about your company.

Alexis Schomer:
Yeah, so we are a virtual assistant and operations agency. We mostly support service-based businesses that are growing or looking to scale. We provide trained virtual assistant support by working with the business owner to understand their processes.

We do a process-mapping session, help write SOPs, and then we actually train and manage the virtual assistant. That training piece is what really makes us different from most other agencies. Proper onboarding and training are key to success when onboarding someone remotely.

JP:
And are the hours during American hours? East Coast, West Coast, or how do you manage that?

Alexis Schomer:
At YSO, we always operate on the client’s hours. For us, that’s usually East Coast or Pacific Time. Most of our clients are on either coast, so their virtual assistant works the same hours they do.

JP:
Wow, that’s amazing. Do you have a specific industry you focus on, or are you more niche-focused?

Alexis Schomer:
We’re still figuring out our exact niche. We’ve been industry-agnostic, but we’ve noticed three buckets our clients fit into. All are service-based.

The first is home services. The second is the events industry. The third is the finance industry. We’re testing which one we want to go after more intentionally.

On the events side, we work with corporate DJs, event planners, florists, caterers. On the home services side, electricians, plumbers, HVAC companies. And on the finance side, CFPs, financial planners, and insurance brokers.

These are industries with a lot of backend admin work that business owners can offload so they can focus on revenue-generating activities and client relationships.

JP:
That makes a lot of sense. A lot of founders want support, but they don’t always realize how much backend work is involved. When someone comes to you for the first time, what does that onboarding process actually look like?

Alexis Schomer:
The onboarding process is really where everything starts. We begin with a process-mapping session where we sit down with the founder and walk through their business. We ask questions like where leads are coming from, how clients are onboarded, what tools they’re using, and what tasks they’re personally handling.

From there, we start documenting SOPs. A lot of founders already have systems in their head, they just haven’t written them down. Once we document those processes, we train the virtual assistant on them so the founder doesn’t have to do all of that training themselves.

JP:
How long does it usually take before the VA is actually helping in a meaningful way?

Alexis Schomer:
Typically, the first two weeks are very hands-on. That’s when we’re creating SOPs, training the VA, and making sure expectations are clear. By the end of the first month, the VA is actively working and taking tasks off the founder’s plate.

By month two, the VA is mostly autonomous, and by month three, founders usually feel a significant difference in their workload and stress levels.

JP:
That’s pretty fast compared to what a lot of people expect. What kind of tasks do VAs usually start with?

Alexis Schomer:
Administrative tasks are almost always the starting point. Inbox management, scheduling, invoicing, CRM updates, and follow-ups. Those are the tasks that consume a lot of time but don’t necessarily require the founder’s expertise.

Once those are off the founder’s plate, we can start layering in more complex responsibilities depending on the business.

JP:
A lot of people are afraid to delegate because they feel like no one will do it the way they do. How do you help clients overcome that mindset?

Alexis Schomer:
That’s very common. My philosophy is that if someone can do something 80 percent as well as you, it’s time to let it go and train them up.

Perfectionism is one of the biggest blockers to growth. Delegation isn’t about perfection, it’s about creating leverage. Once founders experience how much time and mental space they get back, they realize it’s worth it.

JP:
How do you make sure things don’t fall through the cracks once a VA is in place?

Alexis Schomer:
That comes down to systems and communication. We set clear expectations around what the VA owns and when something should be escalated.

We also recommend weekly check-ins, especially in the beginning. That creates a feedback loop so things can be adjusted quickly. Over time, those check-ins can become less frequent as trust is built.

JP:
What are some of the biggest mistakes you see people make when trying to hire or manage VAs on their own?

Alexis Schomer:
One big mistake is not investing enough time upfront in onboarding. People want results immediately, but there’s always a learning curve.

Another mistake is not documenting processes. Without SOPs, founders end up answering the same questions over and over again, which defeats the purpose of delegation.

JP:
That’s huge. SOPs really seem to be the backbone of everything you do.

Alexis Schomer:
They really are. SOPs allow businesses to scale because they make work repeatable. They also protect the business. If someone leaves, the knowledge doesn’t leave with them.

JP:
AI is obviously a huge topic right now. How are you using AI within your business and with your virtual assistants?

Alexis Schomer:
AI has been a really powerful tool for us. We train our entire team to use AI to support their work, whether that’s drafting content, organizing information, or brainstorming ideas. It’s not about replacing people, it’s about making them more efficient.

Everything that’s created with AI is still reviewed by a human. AI helps speed things up, but judgment, strategy, and decision-making still come from people.

JP:
That’s a really healthy approach. A lot of people are either all-in or completely against it.

Alexis Schomer:
Exactly. We see AI as a support tool. It’s allowed our VAs to do higher-level work and focus on more strategic tasks instead of getting stuck in repetitive admin.

JP:
As you continue to grow, what challenges are you seeing now that you didn’t have before?

Alexis Schomer:
As the team grows, systems need to evolve. What works with a small team doesn’t always work as you scale. We’re constantly evaluating our tools, onboarding process, performance reviews, and internal communication to make sure everything still supports the team.

Hiring is always a challenge. Finding the right people who align with your values is critical. A good hire can change the trajectory of the business, and a bad hire can slow everything down.

JP:
What’s next for Your Startup Operations?

Alexis Schomer:
We see the next year as our year of growth. We want to niche down more intentionally, pre-train virtual assistants, and continue offering a white-glove experience as we scale.

We’re also continuing to test new tools and systems so we can better support our clients and stay ahead of where the market is going.

JP:
What advice would you give to entrepreneurs who are still on the fence about delegating?

Alexis Schomer:
Start by tracking your tasks for a week. That alone will show you how much you’re doing that could be delegated.

Delegation is a skill. It gets easier the more you practice it. Once founders experience the relief and clarity that comes with letting go, it completely changes how they approach their business.

JP:
If people want to learn more or get in touch with you, where should they go?

Alexis Schomer:
They can visit yourstartupoperations.com or reach out to me on social media.

JP:
Amazing. Alexis, thank you so much for coming on and sharing your insights with us today.

Alexis Schomer:
Thank you so much for having me. This was great.