Latest / Six-Figure Chicks / Episode 19: Scale Big, Lead Bold: Lessons from a Global VA CEO with Khryzza Kelley
Transcript
- Speaker 2: Hey there, welcome back to the Six Figure Chicks Podcast. I am delighted to have with me today someone I just met a couple of days ago, but boy, did she leave a lasting legacy from meeting her. So Chrisa Kelly is here to share some very amazing ⁓ insights and golden nuggets. So I can't wait. But first off, Chris, share with the audience a little bit about you and your awesomeness. Speaker 1: Thank you. And again, so nice meeting you, Mel. We're a few days old in our friendship, but I can definitely see it lasting for a long while. Especially we before this ⁓ episode, we literally exchange ⁓ all the stories from all of our businesses. But I'm the CEO and founder of Cowork. ⁓ it's Cowork Group, but our biggest mission is really to help one million businesses scale while also helping one million Filipino remote professionals because I'm born and raised in the Philippines. Speaker 2: Mm. And I love that because yes, as ⁓ the listeners know, I have an executive virtual assistant company. I've lived in Hawaii, worked with many of you know the Filipinos. I I love being able to give back to my own team. So yes, I I know the feeling and the passion behind that. ⁓ let's lighten it up a little before we dive into business. ⁓ what's a fun fact that not many people know about you? Speaker 1: My husband and I watch a lot of reality TV. Speaker 2: What's your favorite? Speaker 1: ⁓ gosh, Love Island, 90 day ⁓ 90 Day Fiance, Bachelor but not so much anymore. Survivor Mah. ⁓ but Love Island, definitely. It's so j it's just nice to watch something so unserious after a hard day's work. Like it's I really just need to dumb myself down a little bit of to shut down every every end of day. So that's how I do it. Speaker 2: right there with you sister like my favorite is blow deck like I have watched that since day one. Wow and yeah I'm exactly like you. At the end of a long day I just want to sit on the couch and not think about anything. Speaker 1: Because we do work hard. I mean, my six to four, which is my working hours for my business, I really give it all. Like I give it my all. So after four, I'm like, Okay, tune out. Time for traders, la valid, all the things. Yeah. Speaker 2: I love that. ⁓ my gosh. And then yes, so our work days, ⁓ and I know you and I talked a lot about this. We were swapping stories, ⁓ filling each other's pain points. ⁓ what's a challenge that you have faced in your business that ⁓ you can share with the audience? Speaker 1: I think it's it's not really about the operations or systems. It's really like the work that I have to do within that is probably the biggest challenge that I have to overcome because I need to understand what my role is in my business, which is it's not my job to create a Canva post. It's not my job to send an email. That's not my job. My job is to create the direction for my business. And I have to make sure that when I do that, I understand. not only my business but my customers, my industry, ⁓ my mission, which is ⁓ our big moonshot of helping one million businesses while helping one million Filipino remote professionals. The biggest thing that I had to really overcome is my relationship with the things that I considered as too big for me. Like that really is like the thing that I I needed to overcome. Like Six figures is not too big for me. Seven figures is not too big for me. Having two hundred team members is not too big for me. Having two hundred ⁓ clients is not too big for me. Like I have to rewire myself ⁓ and ⁓ the way I think about it because my business won't go as far if I limit myself to where I am now or where I have been. Speaker 2: I like that last part because I I feel like with you know, we're talking to our clients, we're pouring into them, we're supporting them, we're giving them guidance, then sometimes we're we may be the last ones actually taking that same advice. Speaker 1: Yep. GLT. Speaker 2: You know, like my the tagline for Clover C delegate, ⁓ you know, outsource the rest and you know, I sorry, do what you do best, outsource the rest. But delegation is the number one thing you must do in order for your business to grow. Speaker 1: Mm-hmm. Exactly. Speaker 2: Yeah, we have to drink the juice that we're serving. Speaker 1: Exactly. And I think as a recovering perfectionist, I have to understand that when I delegate, it's never gonna be perfect. But I also understand that my job as the CEO of my business is to coach my people that even when they fail, they make mistakes. It's okay, it's not gonna break the business. We're not gonna be poor tomorrow. ⁓ but again, like what we said, we have to do the work ourselves too. Speaker 2: Yeah, most definitely. And but looking back though, ⁓ what would be a one thing that you would tell your younger self? Speaker 1: Don't take life too seriously. I'm very serious about life. Like it was only until I think the last year and a half where I had loosened up with my team. Like, I mean I watched Bridgerton on Netflix and I shared it, like, hey guys, I just watched the latest season of Bridgerton. Did you watch that? Like, I have to take myself less seriously because I think you and I, Mal, were very like goal driven, you know, very passionate, very ambitious, very purposeful, intentional and it's good. It's good. But I think now that we are leading people, we also have to show our humanity, our vulnerability, because we're a team. and if they look at me and it's just like a stone cold, like so out of reach, like I just talked to Chris ⁓ for task or for updates or for business. It's not really gonna make a difference as much as we want it to be, especially with our mission. So yeah. Don't Take life. Do you seriously? It's gonna be fun. It's gonna work itself out. Speaker 2: Yeah, most definitely. And that's that's a great segue into the next question because I really believe in offering and sharing our real authentic side. That's what that's how we can connect with people in a deeper level, potential clients, our staff, our current clients, like they all want to know you behind that, you know, ⁓ initial. glassy cover of, you know, this is my business and this is what we do. So ⁓ like what's one thing that helps you stand out from the big crowded market of virtual assistants? Speaker 1: It's always the mission. I really, really, really value are Filipino remote professionals. ⁓ I'm not in the business of ⁓ of getting more clients. It's just a natural byproduct of our mission. I want to work with people who understand that if they want to outsource to the Philippines, they have to do it in a way that is ethical and equitable. I've been part of a virtual assistant company before where they pay their Filipino virtual assistants a dollar and fifty an hour. ⁓ and even up until today there there are still entrepreneurs who I know personally that are paying their VAs three dollars an hour ⁓ or two dollars an hour even. So if we can't if we can't meet at that value that you if we do this, we have to make sure that we're taking care of our people, doing things ethically, equitably for them, then we can't work together. So I think for me that really is my non negotiable and also what helps us stand out in the marketplace. Again, there's so many people like Quetty said in the virtual assistant space and we have we have so many competitors in the Philippines too that can offer them probably better prices, but I'm not gonna go there. It's just not that's just not how I do business. Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. Like the same with me, you know, on the executive level, virtual assistants. I have a higher level that I pay my team. I take less ⁓ from the bottom line. And and that's okay because I want to offer that higher level of support and also, like you said, pay them what they're worth. Speaker 1: Yes. Yeah. Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's one way, the best way to stay on top of that credit market is to really have that clear mission, like you do, and to be able to build that trust people because that's what they want. They want somebody that they can trust with their life, their business, their brand. Speaker 1: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Exactly. And and we want to work with people who understand that if they want to grow their business, they have to invest, especially investing in their people. So that it really is a non-negotiable, I think, for both of us, because we are we are pretty similar in in in our mission too for our people. So Speaker 2: Yeah, most definitely. So okay, let's let's talk about then that six o'clock in the morning start time for you. What's a song that you would put on to get jazzed for the day? Speaker 1: it could be anything. I do have l ⁓ ooh, I think the the most recent songs are coming from Olivia Dean because it's just so like jolly and upbeat. I I started telling myself like I'm gonna have a good day. It's gonna be a great day, I'm gonna have a great day every morning. ⁓ Cause and I I I started it originally just by my changing my relationship with Mondays 'cause in the corporate, which we both used to be part of. I dreaded Mondays. I don't like Mondays. But as an entrepreneur, I was like, you know what? I'm excited for Mondays. I can't wait to meet with my team. I can't wait to meet with whoever I'm meeting that day, that week. ⁓ but then I realized you know what? It's just not Monday. Maybe I should do this every every day. So really that affirmation with yourself, like it's gonna be a great day, nobody's gonna ruin my day, nothing's gonna ruin my day, not a single email, not a single message. Sometimes it still ruins it a little bit, but Less now, less now for sure. ⁓ Speaker 2: It's definitely mind over matter. Like you know, speak it, say it. Like we are pulling, bringing those things into our life of positive affirmations. That's turning the negative into that positive reinforcement. That's why you you surround yourself with like-minded individuals. And I'm so blessed to now have you in my circle of influence. Speaker 1: Same here, same here. Yeah. Like what they said, business is a never ending self development. And it is true. Speaker 2: All right. So as we wrap up, ⁓ what's the easiest way for people to find you online? Speaker 1: ⁓ I'm on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. I'm pretty much old school. I still love my Facebook account. ⁓ Instagram, cool, you can you can connect with me there too. ⁓ but yeah, so l Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and we're looking for women who are ready to scale their business. Speaker 2: I love that. So yes, listen up, ladies. We are all about growing personally, professionally. Like, let's help give you the tools necessary. So like reach out to her. We'll share all of your links in the show notes. ⁓ I cannot wait to share this episode. I have had the most delightful hour speaking to you before the podcast. Learning some more inside golden nuggets. I'm gonna listen to some ⁓ Olivia Dean after this and get me pumped for the rest of the day. so thank you so much for being on the show. Speaker 1: Thank you, thank you, Mal. Speaker 2: Yeah. All right, guys. Together we rise, together we change lives. Until next time.