We recently spoke to Hayriye Mazzotta, a dedicated SmartPA Partner since 2025, about her journey with SmartPA and the invaluable impact she has on her clients. Let's dive in!
How did you first hear about SmartPA?
I first discovered SmartPA around ten years ago, but in my early twenties - fresh out of university with a law degree - I didn’t feel ready to run my own business. At the same time, I knew the legal sector wasn’t the right path for me. Instead, I chose to build and develop my career by working as a PA and Office Manager before carving out my own Executive Assistant role within the construction industry. Over seven years, I gained valuable experience, particularly in HR and compliance, and continued to learn, knowing that one day these skill sets would not go to waste.
By late 2024, I knew it was time for a change, and when the opportunity arose to reshape my lifestyle, curiosity got the better of me. In 2025, I took a leap of faith - driven by my desire for complete flexibility, the ability to work remotely, and the freedom to set my own hours around my little family. At that point, SmartPA was the obvious choice.
Why did you choose to join SmartPA?
I chose to join SmartPA because their business model allows me to truly showcase my wide range of skills and experience in business support. With no limits on what services I could offer or who I could work with, every day promises variety and new opportunities— the sky really is the limit.
I was particularly drawn to SmartPA’s reputation as a well-established brand. I didn’t want to be like a needle in a haystack, struggling to get noticed among countless competitors. By joining SmartPA, I could benefit from their strong brand presence, knowing there would be a consistent flow of potential clients, even if my own client generation efforts weren’t as strong at times.
Could you briefly describe your journey since becoming a SmartPA?
My journey since becoming a SmartPA has been a whirlwind of emotions and rollercoasters. I've experienced fear, excitement, nerves, and empowerment all at once. After scoring a high mark in my accreditation programme, I hit the ground running, I was awarded my bonus client within just six weeks and secure a total of 9 clients within 8 weeks of launching. That moment gave me the confidence to believe in myself and showed me that I could truly make this a huge success.
The support I’ve received from SmartPA has been exceptional from day one—from working with the training team all the way through to completing my ‘growth within’ plan with business support and connecting with founder Sarra at the very beginning. I’m incredibly grateful to have connected with many other SmartPA partners who have been on the same journey and have supported me along the way. Through these connections, I’ve been able to pick up work while building my own client base. I can honestly say the SmartPA community is incredible. I’m so excited to see where the next chapter of my journey takes me.
How has SmartPA changed your life? Do you feel empowered, and has this improved your work/life balance?
Absolutely, SmartPA has already changed my life, and I know it will continue to do so. As a new partner, I now have the freedom to choose the hours that suit me. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given such a fantastic opportunity—one that allows me to be a positive role model for my little boy, Archie. I share the same values as SmartPA because I believe women shouldn’t feel restricted when they have children or should feel stuck getting back into work. I want Archie to know that if you work hard, you can have it all—the family life, the flexibility, and the nice holidays that come with it.
Most importantly, SmartPA gives me the chance to fulfil my plans to home-educate Archie without the stress of having to work around a traditional job. A 9-to-5 would have made that impossible, but with SmartPA, I’m in control.
I also love being part of a community where I don’t have to turn down work because I can collaborate with other SmartPA partners. It’s also reassuring to know that if I want to take a holiday, I can still earn income on a self-employed basis.
If you’d told me 12 months ago that I’d be leaving a well-paid, steady job with a company car to start my own SmartPA business, I would have laughed. But for once, I’ve listened to my subconscious, and I feel so empowered and excited for what’s ahead.
What impact do you feel you've had on your clients so far?
So far, all of my clients have truly valued the support I’ve been able to offer, even when some businesses were initially hesitant or unfamiliar with the idea of outsourcing their business support. I’ve made it a priority to integrate seamlessly with them, showing that I genuinely care about their businesses. This approach has helped me strengthen my position in the market, and as a result, my client packages are already growing through word of mouth alone.