A speaker argues that treating overseas virtual assistants as cheap labor is a mistake. They share a personal story about hiring and mentoring a remote assistant, showing how valuing them as people and leaders benefits both healthcare practice owners and their staff.
I think again, where people get it wrong when it comes to this idea of overseas help, Whether it's called VAs or anything else, is that people are. Those companies oftentimes aren't taking in the humanity of the people on the other end of the phone. And when you're trying to do a business model where you're trying to get cheap labor, that's very different than working with leaders who have and creating new opportunities. People in the States, we're talking healthcare practice providers, especially the PTs, OTs and SLPs that I've worked with, they are, I think, some of the best employers or leaders for people in the Philippines. Because no one gets into our industry for money ever. Like, we are in it because of love and wanting to be leaders. We just need people who can support the vision. So the first time I hired someone overseas, her name is Ann, this was in 2021. I hired her through a company kind of like ours now, and there's a lot of good companies out there. I found this person and she cried when I hired her. And she was really open to supporting me in everything I could. So I poured into her and she grew and made more money and eventually she found a job making way more money somewhere else that I couldn't keep up with. And I just remember like that whole journey for me, rock stars, that was more impactful than becoming a healthcare provider. And I don't say that lightly, being a healthcare provider is still who I am. But the reason I'm so passionate about this is because it's so amazing to see both the practice owners get the kind of help that they desperately need while they're able to mentor and grow some of the best human beings on the planet.
