Hannah Morgan sits down with Breanna "Bre" Cain, founder of the VA Leadership Academy, to talk about why doing it all leads to burnout and how support changes both your business and your home. Bre shares how she hired her first VA in her first month, then built a team that lets her focus on her highest-leverage work. They discuss the invisible mental load moms carry, what to look for in a great hire, and how to take the first step toward delegating.
Key Takeaways
- Doing it all leads to burnout. The "Pinterest mom and bulletin board CEO" ideal is exhausting. Support lets you be present and do better work.
- Shift your identity. Seeing yourself as a CEO prompts better questions and decisions, and it makes delegating part of the job.
- Delegate the mental load, not just the tasks. Planning and prepping never turn off, and they pull you out of the moment with your kids.
- Hire for ownership. Look for people who are proactive and resourceful and who own the outcome, not just the task list.
- Use a simple decision frame. Ask what truly needs you and what doesn't. Paying someone $15 an hour to free you up for work worth far more is a smart trade.
- Start small. Begin with one small task or role, build trust through repetition, then add more.
Quotes From The Episode
"I don't think that there's a badge of honor that comes with being a martyr at all." (Bre Cain)
"We are meant to have space in our lives too." (Bre Cain)
"I'm just a scrappy mom of three who started at the kitchen table with a baby on her lap." (Bre Cain)
About Our Guest
Breanna "Bre" Cain is the founder of the VA Leadership Academy and The Cain Collective, where she helps women build flexible, profitable virtual assistant businesses around the lives they want to live. A mom of three who built a seven-figure business, she lives in Minnesota with her husband and daughters.
- Website: breannacain.com
- Instagram: @heyitsbrecain
- LinkedIn: Breanna Cain
Episodes Released Weekly on Tuesdays
This episode of De-Stress the Nest is sponsored by Working Moms Movement and Heron House Management. Learn more at heronhousemanagement.com.
About Heron House Management
Heron House Management is a virtual house management service that takes the stress out of your busy life by taking on your mental load and managing your To Do list. We provide fractional virtual house management for busy families at 10, 15 and 20+ hours/month.
Meal planning, signing up for kids activities, scheduling doctor's appointments, finding a house cleaner, planning your kid's birthday party, getting quotes for that home renovation project, or scheduling a monthly date night with your significant other and so much more. We do it all! Learn more at heronhousemanagement.com.
