Sarah O. signed up for HireSmart’s SMARTER Leadership Academy thinking it would make her a better team leader. What she didn’t expect was that learning to be intentional at work would change how she showed up as a mom, as a wife, as a person. The program was supposed to help her manage seven people. It ended up helping her manage her entire life.
Sarah has been with HireSmart for almost two years, and her two-year anniversary is approaching in December. After her promotion to team leader, she found herself managing a group she could never physically see. As her team grew to seven members, the doubt was real.
Stepping into leadership without being able to walk around an office, to see people’s faces and read the room, felt isolating. That’s when she heard about Anne Lackey’s leadership program, specifically after hearing Nerry, a fellow virtual employee, share her transformation experience.
“I admired her confidence,” said Sarah. “That was one reason why I joined the leadership training.”
From Strategy to Self Awareness
Sarah expected the typical leadership program: strategies, skills, frameworks. But nothing prepared her for what she found on day one.
“I am really surprised day one when I joined the SMARTER leadership, because it’s a totally different thing,” she said.
The program started with her, not business tactics. Anne Lackey’s core message: Leadership starts with self awareness and consistency. It’s not from perfection.
“We don’t have to be perfect. Nobody’s perfect,” said Sarah.
Instead of perfection, Sarah learned that intentionality is the goal. What is the purpose, the “why” of each action?
“After that leadership program, I make it a point to think not only for myself, but for other people, what will benefit them,” she said.
For Sarah, it was a fundamental shift in how she operated.
The Vision Board That Made Her Think Differently
Sarah also created a vision board as part of Anne’s program, and she embraced it because it forced her to stop living on autopilot and formalize what mattered.
“The program taught me to be intentional, that we have to plan,” she said. “Leaders always have plans.”
On her board: her family. A home of their own. Financial freedom. And professionally, to be recognized as a good team leader. Intentionality applies to all aspects of life, not just work.
“Well, this is not to brag, but I am very proud to say that after that leadership program, I have improved a lot,” she said.
From Manager to Mentor
The real test came when Sarah returned to her team. Her supervisor encouraged her to share what she’d learned, noticing an immediate shift. “The way you talk, the way you share that learning to me, I found it very inspirational,” he told her.
But what shifted most was how she showed up for struggling colleagues.
“Whenever I feel like my colleagues are struggling, I will definitely reach out to them and let them feel heard,” she said. “That’s what I learned: let them feel important. And sometimes we don’t need to tell much. We just have to listen.”
This is leadership by empathy.
Why HireSmart Matters
Before joining HireSmart, Sarah assumed the agency was just another company hiring virtual assistants from the Philippines. But she said HireSmart is different.
“I really feel important. I really feel heard,” she said. “For me, one of the reasons why I am staying in the company is because I feel important. It’s not just that I am working and earning money.”
The difference came down to care. HireSmart’s investment in its virtual employees, the benefits, the scholarships, the program itself, communicated something simple: you matter.
The Shy Person Who Learned to Speak
Sarah has been actively encouraging her colleagues to apply for the next cohort.
“I will tell them to go for it. The HireSmart Leadership Program is such a blessing to me, and I know that that would be a blessing to them,” she said.
She wanted to speak to the doubters.
“Don’t wait to feel ready, because I myself was not even ready that time,” she said.
The Person She Became
Today, Sarah speaks up. She takes initiative. She handles challenges with a clearer mindset. Her confidence has grown. She trusts herself more.
But perhaps the most telling change is how she leads now. Not from authority. Not from perfection. But from intention. From the belief that being heard is as important as hearing others.
As she put it: “I’m not the person I was before.”
If this environment of personal development sounds like the right place for you, click here to apply to HireSmart Virtual Employees.
