Oxana Romanyuk is the founder and CEO of Remote Rockstars which offers high-end online business management and professional virtual assistant services to visionary entrepreneurs, industry experts, and coaches. Oxana works with her homegrown team of rockstar account managers and virtual assistants, helping entrepreneurs systematize and grow their businesses.

Oxana is a certified Online Business Manager and a proud member of the International Association of Online Business Managers. She’s trained countless virtual assistants and has helped multiple entrepreneurs grow their businesses, reach more people, and impact the world.

• CEO Hack: (1) Being part of professional niche associations and groups (2) Asking questions
• CEO Nugget: Go for it and pursue your idea passionately
• CEO Defined: Building genuine and authentic relationships

Website: https://remoterockstars.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/remoterockstars
https://www.facebook.com/groups/remoterockstarsclub/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remoterockstars/

FULL INTERVIEW

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Transcription

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[00:00:02.20] – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

[00:00:29.89] – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Oksana Ramanuuk of remote rock stars. Oksana, it's awesome to have you on the show.

[00:00:39.89] – Oxana Romanyuk

Thank you so much for having me. I am so excited to be here with you, and your audience, and so happy to share my CEO journey with everyone.

[00:00:47.29] – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. I'm super excited to hear more about it, but before we jump in, I want to read a little bit more about Oksana so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. Oksana is the founder and CEO of Remote Rockstars which offers high-end online business management and professional virtual assistant services to visionary entrepreneurs, industry experts, and coaches. Oxana works with her homegrown team of rock-star account managers, and virtual assistants, helping entrepreneurs systematize and grow their businesses. Azana is a certified online business manager and a proud member of the International Association of Online Business Managers. She's trained countless virtual assistants and has helped multiple entrepreneurs grow their businesses, reach more people, and impact the world. Oksana, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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[00:01:28.70] – Oxana Romanyuk

Yes. I am. Let's dive in.

[00:01:30.59] – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Let's do it. So to kick everything off, I wanted to hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story and wanna let you get started with your business.

[00:01:37.00] – Oxana Romanyuk

Yeah. So happy to share. You know, actually, in my CEO journey, administrative work, helping and supporting people, of different kinds of, like, professional backgrounds and supporting their growth in their professional journey has always been kind of, like, part of my CEO story. And it doesn't matter kind of, like, what part of the career and, career stage or what part of the industry I was, I was in. It's just, that the inspiration and my commitment to the people's development and growth has always just kind of, like, been, in the forefront. So I used to be a Russian language instructor to army and navy linguists in Washington, DC. And so that definitely, kinda like put me a little bit in the pressure situations when those language linguists were getting ready for the proficiency tests every year.

So that's where I kinda just come in with, like, that service hat and helping them really excel in their proficiency tests. And I am also being a travel account manager in the corporate and leisure sector, especially servicing high-end, demanding clients. So that kinda just, like, really taught me how to be very time efficient and how to provide, like, the top-notch customer service too. So also being, like, very competitive with the sales numbers. I kind of, like, have a little bit of, like, the competition and relationship building are, like, my two top strengths. Like, if you know the Clifton test with the strength fund. Yeah. And then also helping the local DC studio with their marketing and social media efforts, that really kind of just, like, propelled me forward in a way of, like, how important is actually visibility is for all the businesses and how important it is to have a very, well thought of strategy of promoting the business.

So that kinda just, like, all of those little things put together, like, just really set me, I feel like, apart on my CEO journey and just really prepared me with the team management, the project management aspects of it, a little bit of the business strategy and marketing here. All of this is combined. So that's just kind of, like, what gave me a really good boost for then opening up remote rockstars where I could actually incorporate all of those, like, administrative skills and organizational skills and systems and, and building relationships too. I mean Mhmm. Our service, I feel like, at Remote Rockstars, beyond the actual service-providing factor of it, is just building those genuine relationships with our clients. Like, that's what sets us apart, and that's what becomes part of my CEO story.

[00:03:58.00] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. That's absolutely awesome. And it's so funny, like, when you end up starting a business, I think sometimes you think that you can do one thing and it'll help you to be more successful. But I feel like, as you said, you know, so so eloquently, like, there are so many aspects of our experiences and our lives and skills that we kinda cultivate. Then when you have your business, it's not like there's just one of them that you use. It's so many of those, you know, relationship aspects or being able to excel under pressure and to be able to have and build those, kinda clientele and provide those services. So many of the things add up to providing great services.

[00:04:28.69] – Oxana Romanyuk

Absolutely. Exactly. And the thing is, like, I feel like being a CEO, it's not just all about being super business-oriented, but it is that people factor that always comes in so different in many different ways. Right? It's from the team management to your client management to maybe your professional networks and relationships. And especially right now that a lot of people are entering the virtual landscape, I feel like building and maybe strengthening those professional relationships where we can rely on the support of those people in our industry is so important. Because, honestly, an entrepreneurial journey can be quite lonely, especially in the virtual virtual space. Being an online business manager sometimes even bounces off of ideas of different people, it could be hard to find people who have the same mindset of the same drive, and commitment to their business and mission. So, yes, basically, the aspect of building relationships in various areas is just absolutely Yeah.

[00:05:19.60] – Gresham Harkless

It's absolutely, you know, key when they say your network is your network and being able to kind of build and cultivate those opportunities, and especially, like, during, you know, transitionary times as we might be experiencing right now, where things are changing and things are going a lot more online, it becomes even more important to be able to have those people that you can lean on that maybe not necessarily in your industry, but kind of, like, I guess, that community that you can kinda lean on to be able to to make sure that happens. So, love, you know, that you've been able to do that, and you helped so many, you know, businesses kinda, make that transition into that online world too. So, I know I touched on it a little bit when I read your bio. Could you take us through, like, some of the services you provide and how exactly that experience is working with you and your team?

[00:06:01.50] – Oxana Romanyuk

Yeah. So our ideal client with Remote Rockstars is an entrepreneur or online business owner who are, it's people who are ready to scale, who are driven and committed to serving their audience, be it their clients or providing just the products that they develop that they are just kind of, like, ready to expand. They're ready to grow. This is the time in their business when doing everything by themselves is just absolute so that's when our team comes in. Be just one account manager that services, those clients need or maybe a team of us actually coming together and then just helping out with the with all the administrative and online business management, services.

And so, basically, on the administrative side, which is virtual assistance, and then online business management side, this is a little bit more of, like, a higher elevated type of service, I would say. It's anything from email management, just plain and simple organizing, going through emails, responding to some customer support, questions. So that's a little bit of a client, success management, I would say. And then podcast management. I mean, this is actually what we do for our clients, the outreach and then, looking for different speaking opportunities for them. So public relations in a, in a sense to you, creating media kits for them. And social media management, as I said, the online visibility of all your platforms and different channels that a business might be on is absolutely important for it to be consistent and cohesive and just really a great representation of the brand.

So then we help with that as well. And also launch management. I mean, so many entrepreneurs now and, generally, they're visionaries and they're creators. Like, every Monday, we come in and see a video meeting with our clients. They just kinda, like, shower us with different creative ideas. And we're just like, okay. We don't have to act on everything. Let's just really focus on something that's gonna move the needle and what gets us closer to the money. That's just kinda like the CEO mindset that kicks in, I guess.

[00:07:51.19] – Gresham Harkless

Yes.

[00:07:51.80] – Oxana Romanyuk

Just reining those creative ideas in a little bit. So, yes, launch management is essential in every entrepreneur's life. Like, and the actual success of their product too, the, like, the launch. So we kinda just, like, walk them through the entire process. So you see, it's kind of, like, different aspects of, really, and systems, I guess, of, like, running a business. And so our team is absolutely strong on building those systems setting up systems and processes that would then ensure a very nice workflow between everything that the CEO has to do in their business or an entrepreneur and everything that the support team works on. So, basically, it's a very good synchrony then and a well-oiled machine for the business to function no matter who is actually performing the task. So that's our priority for the CEO or the entrepreneur to be able to step away and the business still running, as usual, no matter if they're in it or out.

[00:08:54.10] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. And I think that makes so much sense. And, being able to kind of, as you said, to be able to focus on the things that'll move the needle is so important. Because I think as you grow the business, even when you start the business, you want to quickly find out what those things are and be able to focus on those things that can move the needle forward. And those things that can be delegated or else or whatever term we might use, but basically off of our plate is so important because it's really hard, to grow and scale when you're doing all of the things. Because when you're doing all of the things, it's hard for you to focus on those things that move the needle forward. So that's why I love, you know, so much everything that you're doing and so many of the services you provide.

[00:09:28.10] – Oxana Romanyuk

Thank you so much. Yes. And that's why every time we work, or we start working with a new client, the very first thing that we dive into is that ninety-day strategy. So it's a business strategy of we're kind of, like, looking into what, where, who basically, identifying who's responsible for the tasks and what types of tasks are especially repeated tasks that we can automate perhaps or we can document so that anyone can perform those tasks in the future. And then where everything is kind of, like, functioning, like, what kind of systems are you using? Are they efficient? Can we consolidate some of the systems? Especially so important right now when people and a lot of business owners are reviewing their expenses, making sure that their business runs on kind of a lean basis. Right? So we do not have any extra fluff or something that we do not need to pay for. So that's when our strategic vision comes through and our expertise already since we are in these systems all the time.

[00:10:21.20] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. And I think that's what everybody should be trying to do. Just the book, the e myth was coming to mind when you're trying to systematize your business as much as possible so that you can be in it, but you don't have to be in it. You can have other people to kinda work through it and have those strong systems and processes in place. So, I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce, and I know you touched on it a little bit. Do you feel it's that ability to kinda see, kind of the systems that need to be in place and, of course, execute them? What kind of you feel sets you apart and makes you unique?

[00:10:46.60] – Oxana Romanyuk

Yes. I'm so happy. It's kind of like twofold, I would say.

[00:10:49.29] – Gresham Harkless

Mhmm.

[00:10:49.60] – Oxana Romanyuk

Because on the client side, the client-facing side of our business is definitely building those efficient and super kind of, like, money generating systems that are then keeping the business afloat and ensure that ensure the thrive or I guess this is the success of the business, overall. And then the second part of it is that we heavily invest in our virtual assistant and account manager community too on the education side of it. So I would say that for us, it's, definitely working very closely with our clients just as a family. I actually do call them our remote rockstars family because we are so invested in their success.

And, ultimately, their success is the direct reflection of our support. Right? Like, in everything that we do because we are supporting their businesses. And then on the second side of it, so the internally facing side is that we, or I, I guess, like, as a founder of Remote Rockstars, I invest in the professional growth of my team so much too. And, so their kind of, like, growing professionally, them also maintaining their work-life balance. Because if their life tank is not full, how can they share the energy and expertise with anyone else if they feel depleted? Right? So that's kind of a little bit of, like, that mindful CEO, I would say, mindset.

[00:12:03.00] – Gresham Harkless

I absolutely love that. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an Apple book or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

[00:12:13.60] – Oxana Romanyuk

I think a huge hack actually for a lot of entrepreneurs and CEOs is being plugged in very closely with their professional networks, associations, and groups, be it even just the Facebook groups, and being able to ask questions or maybe just share their wins and failures and challenges. And, again, being part of, like, those, like, niche professional associations, I feel like it's absolutely important, not only for the professional growth but, again, just to keep that sanity of, the multiple decisions that we all have to make every day.

[00:12:45.20] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. No. Those are phenomenal hacks, so I definitely appreciate those three hacks. So now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. So that could be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. It might be something you would tell a client or if you were to hop into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

[00:13:00.00] – Oxana Romanyuk

Well, my nugget is actually, if you want to be an entrepreneur and if you happen to be young and single, go for it. Full speed. And I would also say quit your forty-hour work and the job that you're in and pursue your idea passionately. Just really dive fully in with your commitment, with the passion, and the drive that you can give it. And if you're not willing to quit your job or if you're not hundred per cent committed to that idea and to that passion maybe it's just really not worth pursuing.

[00:13:33.10] – Gresham Harkless

Love those nuggets. And now I wanna ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different, quote-unquote, CEOs on the show. So, Oxana, what does being a CEO mean to you?

[00:13:42.60] – Oxana Romanyuk

I would say that being a CEO means building genuine and authentic relationships. My brilliant team, our gifted clients, and my generous community tell of talented virtual assistants and online business managers just really make it easy for me. So that's what being a CEO is for me.

[00:14:02.20] – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. No. I love that. And I think, again, when you have that kind of North Star and you're paying attention to that, making sure you're doing things with that joyful attitude and having those things in your life, it not only helps you out, you know, with your business, but it also helps you out with your life and all the aspects of your life, and it starts to create that snowball, moment and opportunity. So absolutely love that definition and that perspective, Oxana. I love your time and appreciate it even more. So what I wanted to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and listeners know, and, of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things you and your team are working on.

[00:14:33.20] – Oxana Romanyuk

Thank you so much. I really enjoyed the questions. My last, I guess, like, my last tip or additional piece of information here would be to being a CEO, part of it is tackling crucial conversations and sometimes uncomfortable and, tough conversations. So I would say that maybe going through the book of crucial conversations and just learning those techniques of how to tackle, those hard conversations is going to be, important in your CEO journey. Also, learning how to say no and how to set those expectations and boundaries with your clients, with your professional networks and colleagues, maybe with your family too, and also how to improvise at work and kind of like how to work with what you have, especially if you're at the very beginning of your entrepreneurial journey.

So that's very important. And you can always find us online on our website, email rockstars dot com. We also have a very nice and warm community, on Facebook that's called the Remote Rockstars Club Group. And this is where we share a lot of vetted and verified job opportunities for remote workers no matter what industry you belong to. This is where we do a lot of education and training for all of our digital nomads and, all of our freelancers that are part of our family. And that, again, is something that we approach with heart and kindness, and that's what sets us apart ultimately.

[00:15:49.89] – Gresham Harkless

Yes. Absolutely. Heart, kindness, and let's not forget joy as well. So I definitely appreciate you for providing all that information. We will have the links and information in the show notes so that everybody can follow up with you. But I appreciate those nuggets as well too. It's so important to kinda make sure those things are in alignment so that we're building the life and the business that we hope to have, not one we wanna get away from. So I appreciate you for doing that and reminding us of how important that is that we do that as well too. So truly appreciate you, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

[00:16:15.10] – Oxana Romanyuk

Thank you so much.

[00:16:17.00] – Gresham Harkless

Alright. And I'll cut it off here.

[00:16:23.00] – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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