In this Clarity Coven feature, Steph sits down with Alissa Bellantoni — The Golden OBM. Alissa is an Online Business Manager, an Online Business Mentor, and the woman business owners call when the backend is on fire and burnout is knocking at the door.

Alissa is one of the founding members of the Rooted & Relentless Mastermind, and in this conversation, we dig into what it actually looks like to build a sustainable virtual support business — both as an OBM serving established clients and as a mentor helping women step into the their own virtual support business with confidence.

This episode is a candid, practical conversation about operations, hiring, boundaries, authenticity, and avoiding the comparison spiral that derails so many capable entrepreneurs.

What We Cover in This Episode

1. What an Online Business Manager really does (and doesn’t do)
2. The biggest misconception about OBMs and virtual support roles
3. Why hiring “one person to do everything” isn't the move
4. Why being honest about budget and expectations matters
5. Alissa’s biggest recent shift: stepping into authentic, unfiltered messaging
6. How comparison quietly stalls progress in service-based businesses
7. Curating your social media feed to support your growth, not sabotage it

Key Takeaways

1. Clarity in hiring starts with clarity in roles. Know what you’re hiring for before you post the job.
2. OBMs are ops specialists, not marketing unicorns. Different roles exist for a reason.
3. Burnout is often a systems problem, not a motivation problem.
4. Authenticity converts better than perfectly polished content.
5. Following competitors too closely fuels self-doubt & setbacks, not confidence.
6. You don’t need to manage everyone — you need the right leadership structure.

Connect with Alissa

Want backend brilliance and top-tier OBM wisdom? Or thinking of starting your own Virtual Support Business?

1. Instagram: @thegoldenobm
2. Newsletter: https://thegoldenobm.myflodesk.com/newsletter

This episode is part of the Clarity Coven series — spotlighting the founding members of the Rooted & Relentless Mastermind and what stakeholder experience looks like when done right.

Want the same kind of clarity, confidence, and grounded decision-making you heard in this episode? Join me and Alissa inside of the Rooted & Relentless mastermind. Where breakthroughs happen on any given Tuesday: https://www.stephrubio.com/groupcoachingwaitlist