Fullerton Unfiltered, Episode 949

The Smartest Hire You'll Ever Make: Virtual Assistants Explained

Host: Brian Fullerton
Guest: Brandon Lazar, Founder of Ninja VA
Date: April 6, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores the transformative impact of hiring virtual assistants (VAs) in the home service and green industry sectors. Host Brian Fullerton and guest Brandon Lazar, founder of Ninja VA, delve into how VAs—particularly remote assistants from overseas—can help businesses scale, save money, reduce owner stress, and unlock new levels of efficiency. The discussion centers around leveraging remote talent not only to grow and scale, but also to design a lifestyle business that frees up valuable time for entrepreneurs, owners, and their teams.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brandon’s Background & Journey in Home Services

• Humble Beginnings: Brandon started his business in 2008 with minimal resources: “borrowed mom’s minivan and a ladder... used our church’s photocopier for flyers.” (02:03)
• Growth Story: His exterior cleaning company grew from 2 to 32 staff each season and 15 trucks, performing 2,500 jobs annually.
• Exit: In 2023, Brandon exited his company, having already begun leveraging remote office help.

2. Challenges with Seasonality & Office Staffing

• Scalability Needs: “Your ability to expand and contract with the seasonality is absolutely everything in a home service business.” (04:48 - Brandon)
• Many businesses focus on variable field staff levels, but ignore the fixed expense of office admin during slower months.
• Brandon found that even office roles could and should be flexible and scalable.

3. The Rise of Virtual & Fractional Work

• Shift in Labor Market: “We can open up this position... to anybody across the world.” (08:06 - Brandon)
• Labor Cost Comparison: Traditional local admin staff cost significantly more due to location and burdens.
• Remote Placement: Ninja VA places assistants tailored for home service and trades, mostly from the Philippines, with expansion into Central America, Colombia, and South Africa.

4. Understanding When to Hire a VA

• Buy Back Your Time Principle: Repeatedly, the hosts discuss maximizing the contribution of the owner to high-value tasks and removing repetitive admin work.
• Quote: "Every task you decide to embark on throughout the day has a corresponding value associated with it." (12:27 - Brandon)
• It’s not only for companies of a certain size; solo and small operators can benefit as much as larger firms.

5. Mindset Shifts: Letting Go & Focusing on Value

• The Ego Trap: “Mark Bradley says we’re all recovering control freaks.” (20:34 - Brian)
• Delegation Mindset: Letting others handle tasks can actually be a service to your company and team.
• Brandon’s Framework: Do a ‘time journal’ to track where your time goes; prioritize high-impact activities; recognize the energy drain of repetitive small tasks.

6. Ninja VA Origin Story

• Aha Moment: Two incidents of the team cleaning the wrong house in one week revealed critical back-office issues.
• Led to replacing in-office admin with remote assistants from overseas, which improved performance and saved $70,000/year in overhead.
• “Not only was it a higher caliber individual... they were also hungry and excited to be there.” (25:39 - Brandon)

7. Addressing Concerns About Offshore Help

• Talent & Motivation: Overseas VAs are often extremely diligent and eager because of competitive pay and career growth potential.
• “They are hungry, they’re motivated, they’re keen, they’re almost like militant in their approach of representing your team.” (29:15 - Brandon)
• Local Impact: Cost savings can be redirected into local investments and growth.

8. How Ninja VA Works: Placement & Differentiation

• Niche Focus: Only for home services and trades.
• Tech-Enabled Matching: AI-powered vetting and placement, focusing on best fit.
• Streamlined Selection: Shortlist of highly vetted candidates; initial interviews recorded for quick review.
• Support: Stateside client managers help onboard and train both the owner and the VA.
• Quote: “The process of getting a remote assistant is also equally as efficient as actually getting one implemented.” (35:02 - Brandon)

9. Real World Results & User Stories

• Brian’s Testimonial: Enlisted Ninja VA for his business, found it “a godsend” for admin, estimates, and communication.
• Using VAs freed up weeks of time for Brian, eliminated administrative drudgery, improved client communications, and meaningfully improved quality of life.
• “Our estimates are done... I literally told my wife... She's like, you mean you're not going to complain for three more weeks?” (45:34 - Brian)
• Applicability: VA use is not only for scaling; it enables more time for personal priorities like health, family, or faith.

10. Levels of Service & Expansion

• Staged Offerings: Ninja VA now offers “Core” (admin) and “Elite” (management-level) assistants.
• Potential to take over entire departments virtually for a fraction of the cost of domestic management staff.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Choosing What to Delegate:
  “If you’re doing things that are ongoing, repetitive, monotonous... then... take the $10, $15 an hour that otherwise would have cost somebody to do those things and that is your contribution.” (12:27 - Brandon)

• On the Mindset of Hiring Help:
  “You’re doing them a disservice every time you settle your contribution to something lower than the maximum potential.” (18:25 - Brandon)

• On the “Letting Go” Challenge:
  “Mark Bradley says we’re all recovering control freaks, right?” (20:34 - Brian)

• Aha Moment for VA Need:
  “We were literally cleaning the wrong home... that was the second time that calendar week.” (22:43 - Brandon)

• On Overseas VA Passion:
  “They are hungry, they’re motivated, they’re keen, they’re almost like militant in their approach of representing your team and your company.” (29:15 - Brandon)

• On the Universal Application of VAs:
  “If you just want... a lifestyle business, it can also be applicable. Maybe your health has started to slide a little bit and you just need some time.” (42:57 - Brandon)

• On the Big Picture for Entrepreneurs:
  “The most valuable, precious asset you have is time... At the end of the day, as an entrepreneur, you get to set the rules and implementing something like what we’re talking about makes sense.” (51:03 - Brandon)

Key Timestamps

• Brandon’s Background & Company Growth: 02:03 – 03:27
• Seasonality & Office Staffing Challenges: 04:48 – 05:52
• Remote Work Transformation & VA Market: 08:06 – 09:32
• When & Why to Hire a VA: 12:27 – 14:55
• Letting Go/Ego Conversation: 20:34 – 21:08
• Ninja VA Origin Story: 22:43 – 25:39
• Overseas Help Rebuttal: 29:15 – 31:24
• Ninja VA Process Explained: 32:17 – 37:30
• Real Testimonial (Estimate Example): 45:34 – 51:03
• Closing Thoughts: 51:03 – 52:05

Actionable Takeaways

• Conduct a Time Audit: Track your daily tasks and identify repetitive low-value activities that could be delegated.
• Start Small: Even businesses just starting out can harness fractional admin help from day one.
• Leverage Specialization: Use niche-specific placement services (like Ninja VA) to ensure admin talent already understands your industry.
• Let Go to Grow: Recognize your value—and responsibility—lies in maximizing your unique contribution to your business, not doing everything yourself.

Summary in the Tone of the Show

Brimming with straight talk and practical wisdom, this episode demystifies virtual assistants for business owners who are ready to “get out of their own way” and finally buy back their time. Brandon Lazar and Brian Fullerton keep it real—sharing both the why and the how, plus laughter and candid admissions about the struggles of letting go and the big payoffs that come from doing so. If you’re feeling the pinch of admin overwhelm, want to scale, or just want quality of life back, this is the episode that tells you exactly where to start and how the remote work revolution can fit right into your business.

Learn more at ninjava.com/demo
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