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Booked Out with Bre

Booked Out with Bre

Written 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 Relationships Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • 125. VA Spotlight: How Katlyn Wertz Hit 10K Months in Half a Year as a Pinterest Virtual Assistant

    125. VA Spotlight: How Katlyn Wertz Hit 10K Months in Half a Year as a Pinterest Virtual Assistant
    Jul 15 2026
    In this episode of Booked Out with Bre, I am sitting down with the incredible Katlyn Wertz (known to many as Kate!). Kate is a powerhouse member of the VA Leadership Academy who has achieved a milestone many dream of: she hit 10K months just six months after launching her business. I remember when Kate first came into my world—she had a decade of corporate experience and a creative boutique background, but after having her son, she knew the 9-to-5 life wasn't an option anymore. She dove into the virtual assistant industry and quickly realized that her creative eye was her greatest asset. We talk about her rapid transition from a general virtual assistant to a high-demand Pinterest specialist and how she built a team to support her scaling agency. Here is what I dive into with Kate: Her journey from corporate breadwinner to finding freedom as a virtual assistant. The raw reality of the "6-month grind" and how she hit five-figure months faster than she ever imagined. Why she decided to niche down into Pinterest and how it became her signature service. Her advice on taking "imperfect" roles in the beginning to build the launchpad for your dream business. The power of the VA Leadership Academy community and how referrals helped her fill her client roster. Her top two success tips: hiring a team before you’re ready and staying consistent through the "no's." How she balances running an academy and an agency while working 9 to 3 and never missing a nap time or a school pickup. All the details on her Pinterest Atelier and how she’s teaching other VAs to master this lucrative niche. If you are ready to see what is actually possible in this industry when you pair your drive with a proven strategy, you have to hear Kate’s story. She is living proof that being a virtual assistant is the ultimate vehicle for having it all! Episode Outline: Introduction: Meet Katlyn Wertz and her 10K month success story (00:01) Kate’s background: 10 years in corporate and the transition to motherhood (00:58) Finding the virtual assistant industry with Bre Cain (01:54) The initial goal: Groceries, mortgage, and 20 hours a week (02:13) The current reality: 10K+ months and a team of three (05:11) Identifying the niche: Why Pinterest was the perfect creative match (05:29) Launching the Pinterest Atelier to teach other virtual assistants (06:09) The timeline: 6 months of going all-in to hit the 10K milestone (07:06) The "Rain" effect: Why taking any role in the beginning leads to a flood of work (08:49) How to find your niche by identifying what you love in a generalist role (10:41) The Support of the VA Leadership Academy: Job boards, community, and expert help (13:36) The power of referrals within the virtual assistant community (15:45) Success Tip #1: Hire team members before you think you are ready (17:45) Success Tip #2: Understand that success doesn't happen overnight (18:34) Why leadership and character matter more than technical skills (19:26) Learning on the job: Why you don't need to know every platform to be a great virtual assistant (20:42) Where to find Katlyn Wertz: Pinterest management and the Pinterest Atelier (21:31) Connect with Kate: https://www.instagram.com/itsvirtuallykate 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
  • 124. VA Spotlight: Blending Strategy and Energetics with Intuitive Virtual Assistant Leslie Benton

    124. VA Spotlight: Blending Strategy and Energetics with Intuitive Virtual Assistant Leslie Benton
    Jul 9 2026
    In this episode of Booked Out with Bre, I am chatting with the absolutely magical Leslie Benton! Leslie has such an incredible story—she’s a former teaching assistant who decided to take her classroom organization skills and combine them with her deep intuitive and psychic gifts to create a totally unique virtual assistant business. We dive into how she navigated the shift from a traditional job to building a career that fully supports her daughter’s schedule and honors her own spiritual path. Leslie Benton isn't just checking boxes for her clients; she’s helping them regulate their nervous systems and manage their mindset while simultaneously handling their operations and community management. It is a powerful example of how being a virtual assistant allows you to bring your full self to the table. Here is what I love about our conversation: How losing her job post-COVID became the ultimate push to find a virtual assistant pathway that actually worked for her family. The way she weaves intuition into her services to offer something much deeper than the average virtual assistant. Her secret to staying productive: relocating to different rooms for different tasks to trigger a "pattern interrupt" in the brain. What she learned inside the VA Leadership Academy about cherry-picking skills and expanding her vision of what's possible as a virtual assistant. A sneak peek at her brand new 21-day "Unstuck Recalibration Reset" program designed to clear out imposter syndrome. Her powerful advice on why comparison is the thief of progress and why there is no such thing as competition in the virtual assistant industry. If you’ve been wondering how to bring your unique life gifts into your work, Leslie Benton is the perfect example of how alignment and expertise lead to true business success. Tune in to hear how she went from the classroom to becoming a high-level, heart-centered CEO! Episode Outline: Introduction: Meet Leslie Benton, the magical virtual assistant (00:01) Leslie Benton's background: Transitioning from a teaching assistant to the VA world (01:10) The catalyst for change: Childcare costs and the impact of COVID (01:57) Finding the VA Leadership Academy and expanding the scope of possibility (04:13) Developing a sixth sense: Weaving intuition and mediumship into business (05:14) Beyond the task list: Offering nervous system regulation as a virtual assistant (06:08) Blueprint for success: Nervous system regulation and mindset shifts for clients (06:41) The value of human-to-human connection on discovery calls (07:48) Expanding services: From OBM work to social media and content planning (08:39) Staying ahead of the curve: Embracing agentic AI in the virtual assistant industry (10:35) Managing the day-to-day: The power of schedule setting and relocation (12:31) The "Etch A Sketch" effect: Re-calibrating and resetting your brain (15:27) Announcing the 21-day Unstuck Recalibration Reset (16:12) Why the VALA community is a gift for every virtual assistant (17:00) Final advice: Take the first step and stay in your own lane (18:30) Closing remarks and next steps with Bre Cain (19:25) Connect with Leslie: https://www.instagram.com/thelesliebenton 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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    22 mins
  • 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.
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
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