I place a high value on human contact, especially for our clients. That’s one of the main reasons I work with Virtual Assistants. Personal contact is what keeps clients connected—without it, you lose them.
Corné van Willigen is the owner of MessageBull, a marketing automation platform that combines software with human guidance. Since 2022, AI has played a major role in his work, from content generation to process optimisation. At the same time, he also sees the limits of automation: strategy, creativity and client relationships still require a human touch—and that’s exactly where Moneypenny’s VAs have played a key role for years.
In this interview, Corné explains how he combines AI with our Virtual Assistants, which tasks he automates and why the right balance between technology and human interaction is so important for his business.
Yes, of course! MessageBull provides software and consultancy in the field of marketing automation. That combination is exactly what matters to us—it’s not just about technology, but also about the human guidance around it.
AI plays a major role in our day-to-day work, particularly in content creation, generating text more quickly and automating processes. We also launched the Emercify community, where knowledge about AI and content creation is shared.
Our focus is on making workflows more efficient and helping clients understand how to use AI effectively, without losing sight of the human factor.
A VA helps us preserve the human side of the business. AI can do a lot, but personal contact remains incredibly important. Clients want to feel heard and taken seriously, and a VA plays a big role in that. A VA is also valuable in the creative thinking process, which AI still can’t fully replace.
Technology and humanity need to go hand in hand.
Our VAs focus on tasks that require communication and human interaction. They think along with clients, monitor the quality of content and ensure a personal approach.
AI is used for writing texts, creating guides, structuring data and automating repetitive tasks. Our VAs then review and refine the AI-generated content and processes, ensuring the output remains both high-quality and personal.
The human factor is crucial because clients expect a personal approach. An AI bot can handle a lot of work, but relationships are built by people. Trust doesn’t come from an automated message—it comes from genuine interaction.
Creativity is also something AI still hasn’t fully mastered. Thinking along, sensing nuance and showing empathy remain human strengths. The challenge is finding the right balance: using AI where it increases efficiency, while maintaining the human touch where it truly matters.
Every company has its own way of dealing with AI. Some businesses are very advanced, while others are only just discovering how AI can summarise an email. A VA can also play an advisory role in this. Just as some people are naturally more skilled with Excel, a VA can help organisations apply AI more broadly.
AI has boosted creativity—writer’s block barely exists anymore. Content is produced more quickly, allowing VAs to create more in the same amount of time. We use tools like OpenAI, MidJourney and sometimes Anthropic and Google Gemini. We’ve also developed our own AI tools to support clients.
AI helps with rewriting large amounts of text and creating manuals, allowing VAs to focus more on client communication and creative work.
Our experience with Moneypenny has been very positive.
The VAs stand out because of their professionalism and quality, which genuinely makes a difference. Communication runs smoothly: if something comes up, they proactively get in touch themselves, which contributes to strong client relationships.
The VAs are also becoming increasingly tech-savvy, which is a huge advantage in this era of AI and automation. Moneypenny provides a stable foundation that ensures continuity.
Do it as soon as possible.
Many entrepreneurs wait too long to delegate because they find it difficult or don’t know how to hand over tasks. Value your own time and outsource the work you dislike or that drains your energy.
It doesn’t have to be perfect—as long as it gets done.
A VA works differently from an employee in the office, but that doesn’t make it any less effective. In fact, it forces you to work more structurally and think more carefully about who should handle which tasks.
Once you learn how to delegate and use AI intelligently, you’ll notice how much calm and growth it creates.
AI will continue to play a larger role in automating tasks, but human interaction and expertise will remain essential. From my own experience, I know clients value personal contact and don’t want to speak only with a robot. AI is primarily a tool to help people work more efficiently.
People will increasingly focus on creating and reviewing work produced by AI, rather than carrying out simple tasks themselves. The role of a VA will continue to evolve, but the need for personal interaction will never disappear.
With Human + AI, we combine the best of both worlds. Our VAs become stronger, our clients benefit from smart technology and personal support, and together we work towards a more efficient future.
Curious how our Human + AI VA services can support your business? Get in touch and discover what’s possible.
Visit the MessageBull website to learn more about their services.
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