Just yesterday a Twitter friend asked me how I became a Virtual Assistant and if I liked the work. I’ve gotten that question a lot, from friends who don’t fully understand what a virtual assistant is and even from complete strangers who saw my call in segment on The Dave Ramsey Show last year.
See the video box below? Just hit play and you can hear all about how I started my VA business 
But in case you don’t have time to watch the 6 minute video, here’s my VA adventure in a nutshell:
- When youngest child was in preschool, I started researching ways to work from home.
- Started reading everything Kelly McCausey wrote about working from home and started listening to her podcast, WAHM Talk Radio.
- Realized my skills were severely lacking after 12 years of being a stay at home mom.
- Jumped at the opportunity to be Kelly’s unpaid intern to learn podcast production.
- Networked and learned from the other work at home moms at Mom Masterminds.
- Completed 10 week internship and started charging for my work.
I’d like to say, “And the rest is history,” but that adage doesn’t really apply because this work at home journey is always different and far from over. There is always something to learn, either a new skill or new program, or something to improve upon. No two projects are ever the same just as no two clients are completely the same.
As I just told my friend this morning, if you want to be in this industry, take some time to evaluate what you have to offer other business owners. It’s not enough to be a “jack of all trades”; you have to make yourself stand out, either with a specialized skill or by working with a specialized niche of people.
Most of all, if you have the desire and the determination, don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do something. Show them that you CAN succeed.
{ 6 comments }
I have seen some of the freelancers site advertising fro virtual assistant. One bloke from the US wanted to pay $1 per hour and could not figure out why he did not have any bidders. !
Yay Christina! So proud of you! I’m proud to say, “I knew you when…”!
I have seen some of the freelancers site advertising fro virtual assistant. One bloke from the US wanted to pay $1 per hour and could not figure out why he did not have any bidders. !
It’s amazing how people want to hire a VA but then don’t do any kind of research into pay rates. In the end, you get what you pay for…in this case nothing! Clients need to do their research and have a plan for how they’ll use a VA but VAs also need to do their own due diligence…don’t just jump on a job because you need the money. Find out more about the clients and decide if you can work well together.
Great post Christina! I just watched your Dave Ramsey interview, what awesome exposure for you and congratulations on doing such an awesome job of it.
Hope everything is going great with you!
Good for you! Love the part about making yourself stand out. So true!