When Your VA Team Falls Apart - And How To Handle It Like A Pro

Here’s the truth no one tells you when you start growing your virtual assistant agency:

At some point, your team will fall apart.

Maybe someone quits out of nowhere.
Maybe a client’s furious over a mistake.
Maybe a team member starts ghosting you.
Maybe all of the above. On the same day. 

Unfortunately these are not if situations, they're when situations.

And if you’re not prepared for them, these moments will shake your confidence and make you wonder if you're even cut out for growing and managing a team.But here’s the thing: the chaos doesn’t mean you’re failing.

But here’s the thing: the chaos doesn’t mean you’re failing.

It just means you’re leading.

So let's talk about what to expect when scaling a VA agency, how to build resilience as a VA agency owner, and how to protect your energy when shit hits the fan (because sometimes it really does).

“I didn’t think this would happen so soon!”

If you’ve ever cried when a team member resigned…

If you’ve ever considered going back to solo freelancing…

If you’ve said, “It’d be easier to just get a job again”...

You’re not alone — and you’re not broken.

These are real, raw, normal thoughts so many VA agency owners have.

Growing a team is amazing… until it’s not. And even the best-planned agency models will be tested when:

• People leave unexpectedly
• Mistakes happen with clients
• You feel like the therapist, referee, and firefighter — all in one day.

Leadership Isn’t a Destination

Let’s bust a big myth right now:

There’s no final level in business where you've worked your butt off and have “arrived” as a successful agency owner, where everything runs perfectly and you can sit back and let the money roll in. You don’t suddenly graduate from challenges. You just learn how to handle them better.

You don’t suddenly graduate from challenges. You just learn how to handle them better.

So instead of expecting the road to be smooth forever, expect this:

• New levels = new problems
• Issues from freelancing don’t disappear when moving to an agency model, they just evolve
• You’ll always be balancing people, personalities, clients, and emotions

The Hard Truth: Your Team Won’t Stick Around Forever

Even if you have the best culture, robust onboarding, and a rockstar recruitment process — people will still leave.

Sometimes after years.

Sometimes after two weeks.

Sometimes on day one.

You will lose team members.
Even ones who feel like close friends.
Even the ones who had zero red flags.

This isn’t about paranoia — it’s about preparation.

So what do you do when your team starts to fall apart?

Step 1: Build Emotional Margin (It’s a Real Thing)

Ever heard of emotional margin?

It’s the space between how much emotional energy you have and how much you’re being asked to give.

If you’re constantly operating at 100% capacity, and then something goes wrong (because it will)… you’ve got no buffer.

That’s when the tears start. The overreactions. The exhaustion. The “I can’t do this anymore” moments.

You don’t just need systems.
You don't just need more (or better) team members.
You don't just need more hours in the day.
You need emotional margin.

Here’s how to create it:

Stop trying to do it all

You can’t run the house, work 30 hours a week with clients, parent your kids, manage a team, market your business, make time for self care, and keep your sanity.

Reduce your client load and make space for your leadership role.

It's time to recognise you’re a CEO now.

You’re not a freelancer anymore. You’re a CEO and a leader.

That means:

• You need headspace, not just hustle.
• You manage people, not just tasks.
• Your job is to lead, not do everything.

Step 2: Expect the Chaos (And Plan for It)

Get really comfortable with normalising the following:

• Someone will ghost you mid-onboarding.
• Someone will say “this isn’t for me” after week one.
• Someone will mess something up, and a client will get grumpy.

That’s not failure. That’s management.

What helps?

• Clear recruitment and onboarding systems
• Documented processes that don’t live in your head
• Expectations set upfront — and followed through

And when it happens? Act fast. Waiting only makes it worse.

Step 3: Be the Leader Your Team Needs

Your team takes cues from you.

If you’re spiralling, they’ll feel unsafe.

If you’re calm, they’ll stay grounded — even when things go sideways.

Your job isn’t to be perfect.
It’s to be steady.

Practice:

• Responding instead of reacting
• Making decisions from your values, not your emotions
• Checking in with your team regularly (not just when there’s a problem)

Your ability to stay cool, calm, and collected? That’s your superpower as an agency owner. Build it.

Step 4: Protect Your Calendar Like Your Sanity Depends On It (Because It Does)

You are 100% in control of your schedule. No really — you are.

If your days are filled with:

• Back-to-back meetings

• Squeezing in “just one more” call

• Saying yes to clients you know aren’t the right fit...

You’re draining your emotional margin.

Start blocking out:

• CEO time (to work on the business)

• Team time (to support your people)

• Margin time (for fires, pivots, or just… breathing)

Step 5: Stop Saying Yes to the Wrong Clients

Desperate decisions lead to resentful business.

Stop:

• Saying yes when your gut is screaming no

• Ignoring red flags just to make revenue

• Going out of scope to keep someone happy

Start:

• Saying no with confidence and kindness
• Sticking to your niche (or at least your strengths)
• Focusing on building long-term relationships

Step 6: Set Boundaries (And Actually Stick to Them)

Setting boundaries is easy.

Holding them is the hard part.

Start off with one:

• No messages after 5pm
• No calls on Fridays
• No onboarding (or starting work!) without a signed contract

And stick to it — every time. That’s how trust builds.
With your team. And with yourself.

Step 7: Get Support. For Real.

There is no badge of honour for burning out alone.

Support can come in a variety of ways:

• At home (delegate, outsource, ask for help)
• In your biz (admin, ops, bookkeeping — whatever drains you)
• For your mindset (coaching, therapy, masterminds, mentors)

You don’t have to do this by yourself.

No one (and we mean NO ONE) who's built a sustainable business has done it alone — no matter how it may look on Instagram.

Choose Your Hard

Freelancing is hard.
Running a team is hard.
Being a CEO is hard.

But you get to choose your kind of hard.

There’s no perfect path — only the one that fits you best.

So if you’re going to grow a VA agency, do it with:

• Intention
• Systems
• Support

Not Sure If You’re Ready to Scale?

Before you grow your team, let’s make sure you’ve got the right foundation in place.

Download our Pre-Scale Checklist and find out exactly what you need to have in place before you move into agency mode.

Not Sure What Your Next Step Is?

Take the guesswork out of your VA journey with our Virtual Assistant Pathway Quiz.

It’ll tell you exactly where you’re at and what to focus on — whether you’re just starting out, getting booked out, or ready to scale.

Take the quiz now and stop second-guessing your next move.