Client Case Study - Virtual Assistant Support for The Learning Stage
THE CHALLENGE
Like all entrepreneurs, Emmy oversees EVERYTHING in her business. From managing a team of workshop leaders, recruiting and training new leaders, people management and coordination, liaison with schools and nurseries, taking care of scheduling and rebooking’s, coordinating dates, finding and forging new relationships with a diverse mix of clients across several verticals, attending trade shows, wider relationship building, customer and client experience to admin and finance. Not to mention the very thing that gives Emmy’s business impact – researching, writing, trialling, delivering and evaluating her renowned, unique and deeply joyful and imaginative, research-informed drama sessions for nurseries. Helping children build focus, confidence, and emotional skills through play.
Even Olivia Colman is a fan of Play Phonics!
In 2025, Emmy was already working with a Virtual Assistant company. But, due to no fault of anyone, it was adding far more management and burden than it was relieving.
Emmy was overwhelmed, stressed out and losing hope that she would ever find meaningful support in a fractional capacity. Perhaps her expectations were off, maybe she was asking too much, maybe she wasn’t going to find a virtual solution that worked for her…
Taking to Google Emmy found the same few companies advertisements reappearing and dominating. Knowing that she didn’t want to work with a faceless, large scale organisation Emmy took to AI searches - seeking a personable, professional Virtual Assistant who had experience working with childcare providers like hers.
Alchemy Virtual Assistance was recommended and upon first landing on our website, Emmy had a sense that we could be just what she was looking for...
Big enough to really deliver, yet small enough to still care!
Emmy’s initial enquiry was responded to swiftly by Alchemy VA’s founder, Suzy Sanders. Suzy and Emmy took the time to explore the challenges, frustrations and ambiguities, as well as starting to understand the intricacies, vision and bold ambition.
This conversation (and the suggestions that followed) left Emmy feeling much more confident. It helped her realise that the need for industry experience was less important. Emmy is the expert and trailblazer in her field, what she really needed was someone who was innately organised, familiar with putting systems in place as well as being technically and commercially minded enough to support the day to day AND the bigger picture.
Fractional, meaningful virtual support was within reach!
Having digested the conversation, Suzy went on to set up initial ‘Chemistry Calls’ with a small selection of Alchemy Virtual Assistants, all of which she believed had the capacity, skillset and mindset to help Emmy.
The second she spoke with Gemma McMillan, Alchemy VA Franchise Partner in Northampton, Emmy felt instantly at ease. Gemma was poised, confident and lent on her experience to straight away make simple, appropriate suggestions for improving workflow, pressure points and headspace.
Reassured by both the great structure Alchemy VA operate and the sensible, straight forward initial trial period, Emmy assuredly engaged with Gemma. Emmy expresses that it felt ‘much safer’ working with Alchemy VA over a solo Virtual Assistant. Mostly because she knows that she has the ‘safety net’ of Alchemy VA’s Founder’s Office and the rest of the team spread out across the UK. She knew that, if anything was to go wrong or needed adjusting, she would not be left high and dry or starting from scratch again.
Gemma got started with a complimentary ‘Kick Off’ meeting to build deeper understanding of Emmy and The Learning Stage. With priorities, tasks, access, timescales and other critical details now clear, Gemma also arranged weekly checkpoints with Emmy which have been ‘game changers’. The structured weekly call allows for clear dialogue, deeper understanding and ‘task triage’ meaning that nothing is left to fester or or slip through the net. Emmy also hugely values these conversations to leverage Gemma as a reliable sounding board, trusted troubleshooter and she even light-heartedly states that these calls can be a bit like ‘business therapy’ sessions!
Emmy had clearly identified that she was overwhelmed as a result of not having enough systems and structure in place. Gemma has helped in this area no end with the impact on Emmy’s day to day workflow being undeniable. One example of this in action is moving team communications from sporadic, inconsistent and overwhelmingly 24/7 WhatsApp messages, to a new streamlined, simple and fit for purpose form and data capture sheet.
Now implemented, Gemma is able to oversee, track and audit all requests consistently. Gemma now manages this end to end, and it forms part of the weekly agenda to ensure all interactions are understood and resolved efficiently and effectively. Leaving not only Emmy’s practical responsibilities lighter but also giving her greater peace of mind that everyone is heard and that nothing is getting lost.
THE IMPACT
It’s taken time, trust and delegation. But the most significant result of being supported by Gemma is that Emmy has been enabled and empowered to grow the business again following a demanding and stressful period of survival. Having a young family of her own, as well as all the demands that life and business can bring, Emmy’s physical and mental capacity was in the past very limited. Which naturally caused her to lose her spark a little.
Reflecting on a difficult period of time spent maintaining the business, to now having a solid, structured and reliable Virtual Assistant support in place with Alchemy VA. Gemma has supported and helped Emmy feel much happier, more creative and joyful which inevitably seeps into all areas of her work and life. Energised and assured by Gemma’s powerful ability to not only get the job done, but to understand, respect and respond to individual preferences, needs and styles.
Now the trust has been built and delegation continues to evolve, Gemma provides Emmy with more headspace, ease, peace of mind and frequent, cherished voice notes!
This is not only important to Emmy’s personal fulfilment and joy but is significant to the tens of thousands of young people who have benefited from her work.
Another example of Gemma stepping up and leveraging her experience was when Emmy was faced with a difficult situation with a client not communicating or paying. A situation that very sadly every business owner knows the weight of. Being a confidential ear to Emmy, Gemma was empowered to listen, respond and resolve matters for her. The simple act of picking up the phone on behalf of Emmy and taking responsibility for respectfully, timely and professionally following up made a really tricky situation simple.
When reflecting on what makes The Learning Stage and Alchemy VA work so well together, Emmy states that it’s two main factors.
1. The very clear structure of how Alchemy VA operates – the ease and clarity this brings
2. And Gemma’s organised, proactive nature, professionalism, personality and compassionate tenacity
Emmy recognises that she had to increase her budget, and that Alchemy VA’s rates are slightly higher than previous Virtual Assistant’s she’s worked with. But she recognises Alchemy VA as an investment, one that she feels good about and is worth it, having previously been left to feel like precious funds were being wasted. Emmy approves the costs, task and time allocation as well as many more details upfront. She’s not been left without support when dedicated hours have been used and all these matters, boundaries and parameters are always clearly communicated.
Giving structure and flexibility equal priority is something that Alchemy Virtual Assistance has truly mastered.
THE RECOMMENDATION
Emmy really isn’t clear what she would have done without Gemma. She believes it would have been a messy year of trying different things to make things work. Wasting time, energy and money in the process.
When asked what advice she would give to anyone considering working with Alchemy VA, Emmy expresses these heartfelt words of encouragement…
“Just do it! Whilst this is a simple thing to say, if you are looking for genuine support from talented people who really care about what you do and want to support you with that. Then you’re in the right place!"
THE CAUSE
The Learning Stage exsists to help take nurseries to the next level.
Emmy and the team offer an innovative, fun, and holistic approach to learning that empowers children to thrive both academically and emotionally, making partnering nurseries stand out, whilst also providing the very best opportunities for children.
At The Learning Stage, they know that drama is a powerful tool for unlocking a child’s potential. They have seen it firsthand – when children are engaged, laughing, and using their imagination, they not only learn more effectively but also grow in confidence. That’s why they use the magic of drama to make learning exciting and to support children’s emotional growth.
They understand the pressures nurseries face – from meeting rising expectations, navigating government standards, and keeping up with everything in a world that’s constantly changing. And on top of that, children today are facing challenges that didn’t exist 10 years ago – things like screen time, shifting behaviours, and the impact of the pandemic. Concentration, emotional regulation, language development – it’s all more important than ever.
The Learning Stage's two programmes, Play Phonics and Happy Brain Island, were created to address these challenges. Play Phonics uses drama and puppetry to make phonics fun and engaging, while Happy Brain Island helps children understand and manage their emotions in a playful, interactive way. Both programmes are designed to help children grow academically and emotionally, giving nurseries a tool to provide something truly special and impactful.
Their 30-minute weekly drama sessions are the perfect antidote to digital distractions. Children dive into imaginative role-play and storytelling, giving them the space to focus, engage, and learn through play. These sessions quickly become the highlight of their week, as they build concentration, creativity, and the ability to stay present, all while developing essential skills for emotional regulation and phonics.
Play Phonics brings phonics to life through drama. The character Sammy Sounds leads the way as children embark on exciting adventures that make phonics fun and memorable. By combining movement, role-play, and storytelling, children pick up phonics skills – blending, segmenting, and decoding words – while having a blast.
Play Phonics doesn't just teach children to read; it helps them fall in love with reading!
Happy Brain Island is all about helping children understand and manage their emotions.
Through drama and puppetry, children get to explore their feelings in a creative, fun way.
Led by the character Mindful Max, children learn emotional regulation, empathy, and resilience. The interactive, role-play-based adventures build social-emotional skills that last a lifetime.
WHAT'S NEXT?
1. Not sure if you're 'ready' for a Virtual Assistant? Why not take our FREE Virtual Assistant ‘readiness’ evaluation?
2. For any support or advice about how to best leverage the support of an Alchemy Virtual Assistant, you can connect with Gemma McMillian here.
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