From Postnatal Struggles to Franchise Success: How Suzy Sanders Built the UK's Only Family-Run VA Franchise

After hitting rock bottom with postnatal depression, Suzy Sanders transformed her pain into purpose, building Alchemy VA into an award-winning franchise that's redefining what it means to do business with heart.

When Suzy Sanders left her corporate role as an executive assistant at a global recruitment firm after her son's birth, she had no idea that her lowest moment would become the catalyst for building something extraordinary. Today, she's the founder of Alchemy VA, the UK's only family-run virtual assistant franchise, and a recognized thought leader who's been a finalist in multiple prestigious awards including the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

What started in a makeshift home office during the depths of postnatal depression over a decade ago has grown into a values-driven franchise that's changing how businesses think about virtual assistance. With core values of integrity, kindness, family, empowerment, and flexibility at its heart, Alchemy VA represents a refreshingly human approach in an increasingly automated world.

But Suzy's journey wasn't linear. Navigating the challenges of building a business while raising young children, losing herself more than once along the way, and eventually finding the courage to step into the spotlight as the face of her brand, her story is one of resilience, authenticity, and the power of staying true to your values even when the path gets difficult.

We sat down with Suzy to discuss her transformation from corporate executive to franchise founder, how she's built a business that truly cares, and her advice for women entrepreneurs who want to establish thought leadership while scaling their companies.

Question 1: From Corporate Life to Family Business

After leaving your corporate job as an executive assistant at a global recruitment firm following your son's birth, you built Alchemy VA from a makeshift home office into the UK's only family-run VA franchise. What gave you the courage to make that leap? How did you balance building a business while raising young children?

It was my son’s arrival earthside that ultimately gave me the courage. I consider myself very privileged to have had the most empowering birth. Not only had my body created a teeny human without having to think about it, but I had also learned to harness my mind and work with my body to deliver him peacefully and calmly at home. It was the most incredible and empowering day of my life. But I didn’t adjust to motherhood very well at all, navigating post-natal anxiety and depression with a beautiful newborn who didn’t sleep. When I decided to start the business, I was at rock bottom and I didn’t feel I had anything to lose. Balancing the business and my family hasn’t ever been easy. I’ve lost myself more than once and the challenges just keep surfacing! But I think ultimately two key things have helped me strike and maintain balance. Firstly, keeping a clear, strong connection to my vision. Secondly, knowing that I can’t, won’t and don’t have to do it all alone. Over the years I have fostered an incredible support network – both personally and professionally – and there is no way I would be where I am today without that.

Question 2: Creating a Values-Driven Franchise

You've been finalist in multiple prestigious awards including the Great British Entrepreneur Awards and have won recognition for your "noticeably different approach" to business. How do your core values of integrity, kindness, family, empowerment, and flexibility translate into your franchise model? What makes the Alchemy VA approach unique in the crowded virtual assistant market?

Knowing what values I hold dear was the first step. You can’t build something meaningful with purpose if you’re not clear on what is truly important to you. Deep care and thought is always given to how I want to move in the business world, what I stand for and how I operate.  Establishing your own personal values as well as those of your brand is a key foundation.

Literally everything I do, every decision I make, every conversation I have – I strive to put through the ‘lense’ of at least one of our values. For example – I could ask myself, am I acting with integrity in this moment? Is this the kindest way forward? How is this empowering? Am I honouring or enabling flexibility here? Listening and acting on these answers is important too. Values aren’t just words on a wall. They are the holistic threads that connects and runs through everything and everyone. It’s a constant act of alignment. We’ve built, shaped and grown the Alchemy VA Franchise model with integrity, kindness, family, empowerment, and flexibility at heart. I admit that I don’t always get it right. But when I am prioritising these qualities, I know I’m honouring myself and doing the right thing by the brand and the people we serve.

What makes our approach unique? One of our remarkable clients said it perfectly very recently – because Alchemy VA truly care. It’s a simple as that. We’re not a huge corporate machine, churning through data, people and numbers. We are an emerging, family run, and heart led brand. We’re small and agile enough to care and take a truly tailored, client centred approach. But we’re structured, experienced, and sized well enough to really deliver. It’s our collective vision that no one has to choose between their family and their work – whatever those things are to them.  Individuals chose to partner with us and take ownership for our UK Franchise opportunities because they see and understand the value in being deeply supported on their entrepreneurial journey. They recognise the power in tapping into and leveraging all we’ve put to building the brand into what it is today. They value the training, mentorship and guidance as equally as the proven profitable business model and client opportunities we provide.  Why go it alone when you can be empowered and fully supported?

Question 3: From Solo VA to Industry Leader

You've authored "The Alchemy of Virtual Assistance" and speak at industry events while scaling your franchise across the UK. How do you balance being the face of your brand with actually running the business? What's your advice for other women entrepreneurs who want to establish thought leadership while growing their companies?

Yet another delicate balance to manage. If I am really honest, for a long time I didn’t want to be the ‘face’ of the Alchemy brand. I was quite comfortable behind the scenes. But I recognised that if I was to achieve the impact and scale I desired, things needed to change, and I needed to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I invested in my own personal development and viewed it as work. I gave a lot of focus to my mindset alongside honing new skills. As a brand, we also invested a lot into PR, because there’s no point in building something special if no-one knows about it! Working on these foundations gave me momentum, a lot of organic opportunities started opening up and I had the support to confidently step up into them. My advice to others wanting to establish thought leadership whilst growing their companies is to firstly focus on themselves. Understand your beliefs, challenges, limitations and strengths. Getting your mindset in check makes everything easier. As well as refining and curating your workload. Delegation and outsourcing can help massively here, to ensure that no practical ‘balls’ get dropped or standards drop as you continue to expand. Then make the space to establish how to leverage and work WITH yourself and also get crystal clear about your messaging and audience. You don’t have to push yourself from zero speaking experience to TED Talk overnight – give care to mapping out an intentional, yet gentle path for yourself to take small incremental steps out of your comfort zone. This not only makes it joyful work but sustainable too. Give yourself time, grace and space to organise your life at a new level and to get to know the next version of yourself.

Ready to explore if a virtual assistant could transform your business? Take Alchemy VA's free Virtual Assistant Readiness Quiz to receive a personalized report with insights and recommendations about optimizing your operations and getting ready to confidently delegate.

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