Meet Nicole Magelssen

We recently connected with Nicole Magelssen and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout

I’ve learned to overcome overwhelm by intentionally creating space in my schedule for things that fuel me. Usually, that’s a creative hobby, time outdoors, travel, or deep thinking about where I want to take my business next. I also built in buffer time for strategic work, not just task execution. Delegating the things that drain me has really made a difference in my work life. I don’t need to do it all to lead well. Avoiding burnout, for me, has meant protecting my energy and staying close to what lights me up.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m the founder and CEO of Alpine Virtual, an agency that connects busy entrepreneurs and executives with highly skilled, U.S.-based executive assistants. What makes us special is the level of care and intentionality we bring. Our team is not just checking boxes, but deeply understanding our clients’ businesses and helping them grow. We’ve recently expanded to offer AI and automation services, helping small businesses streamline their operations and reclaim even more of their time. It’s been exciting to see how we can blend human support with smart tech to deliver results that truly move the needle.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, the three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey are being adaptable, staying teachable, and being willing to grow and invest in a team that’s truly bought in and is often smarter than me in their own zones of genius. Adaptability helped me pivot when the unexpected happened (which is often), and being teachable kept me open to better ways of doing things. But building a strong team has made the most difference. My advice for anyone early in their journey is to stay humble, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to surround yourself with people who challenge and stretch you. It can be uncomfortable and hurt your ego at times but you’ll go so much further, faster.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

My big challenge right now is running a virtual assistant agency in a time when AI is evolving rapidly and economic uncertainty is making many of our clients re-evaluate where they invest their time and money. It’s pushed us to think deeply about how we can continue to add meaningful value and we leaned in on innovation. How do we train our VAs in AI and partner with AI to impact businesses?

We added à la carte support like AI implementation and automation strategy. Our goal is to help clients streamline operations, not just through delegation but through smarter systems. At the same time, we’ve doubled down on the human side, making sure our clients see the proactive, strategic thinking our VAs bring to the table. Because even in an AI-powered world, there’s still no substitute for high-quality judgment, relationship-building, and emotional intelligence. We’re focused on being a hybrid solution that grows with the times and supports our clients no matter what the market throws at them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alpinevirtual.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alpinevirtual/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-magelssen/