Justine Parsons: Finding Business Freedom Without Losing Yourself
In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor is joined by Justine Parsons, founder of Your VA and The Lever, to explore the pivotal shift from managing a business to truly leading one. Justine shares her 27-year journey of building a virtual assistant business from the ground up, growing a team of more than 50 people, and eventually realising that success should not mean constant reactivity, exhaustion, or being needed for every decision. Together, Debra and Justine unpack the moment many founders face where the business works, but the role they are playing no longer does. The conversation dives into the emotional and practical challenges of stepping out of day to day management, trusting others to lead, and redefining what success looks like beyond revenue and growth. Justine reflects the importance of external support, mentorship, and frameworks like EOS in helping her create clarity, build a strong leadership team, and put the right people in the right seats. This episode is a powerful reminder that businesses are meant to serve their owners, not consume them. If you are feeling stuck in the weeds, questioning your role, or sensing it is time to move from managing to leading, this conversation will help you see what is possible on the other side. CONNECT WITH DEBRA: ___________________________________________ ►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner ►Connect with Debra: debra@businessaction.com.au ►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.co.nz/ ►Claim Your Free E-Book: https://www.businessaction.co.nz/free-e-book/ ___________________________________________ JUSTINE'S DETAILS: ►Justine Parsons – LinkedIn: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/justineparsons ►The Lever – Website: https://thelever.co.nz/ Episode 254 Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 00:35 – Transitioning from Manager to Leader 03:24 – Challenges and Solutions with EOS 05:32 – Personal Success and Business Balance 08:43 – The Role of Leadership and Management 18:45 – Building a Strong Leadership Team 47:38 – The Journey to Becoming a Leader 48:03 – The Impact of EOS on Business Growth 48:32 – The Role of External Support in Business Success 50:54 – The Importance of Trust and Accountability 51:08 – The Journey to Personal and Business Freedom
She is based in New Zealand but works with companies around the world.
Her passion is helping Entrepreneurs live their ideal lives & she works with entrepreneurial business owners & their leadership teams to implement EOS (The Entrepreneurial Operating System), helping them strengthen their businesses so that they can live the EOS Life:
- Doing what you love
- With people you love
- Making a huge difference in the world
- Bing compensated appropriately
- With time for other passions
She works with businesses that have 20-250 staff that are privately owned, are looking for growth & may feel that they have hit the ceiling.
Her speciality is uncovering issues & dealing with the elephants in the room in family businesses & professional services (Lawyers, Advertising Agencies, Wealth Managers, Architects, Accountants, Consultants, engineers, Logistics, IT, MSPs etc) - any business that has multiple shareholders & interests & therefore a potentially higher level of complexity.
Let’s work together to solve root problems, lead more effectively & gain Traction® in your business through a simple, proven operating system.
Find out more here - https://www.eosworldwide.com/debra-chantry-taylor
