Become A Successful Virtual Assistant

by Melissa Smith

  As a business owner, you’ll go through many ups and downs, highs and lows. It could all happen in the same hour. Expect it. Work through it. Then move on. There’s no reason you can’t be successful. No matter how many virtual assistants there are, there is only one you. What is your gift to the world? If you quit now what would the world be missing out on?

  Everything You’re Looking for Is Right Around the Corner

  Virtual assistant contracts of $60,000 are not often heard of. Especially when so many VAs still charge by the hour. One day I actually sent out two $60,000 contracts. It seemed to happen just like that.

  In fact, it was super easy and required almost no effort on my part. I didn’t even search for them. Both clients found me through my book Hire the Right Virtual Assistant. No follow-up calls were requested, and there weren’t any lengthy processes to complete or hoops to jump through. It was easy because I had already laid the foundation and primed my business. However, I had no idea when I woke up that morning what was waiting for me around the corner.

  My first working day in a new country typically had its challenges, and I grew used to many things not going as I had planned them. Having arrived in Morocco only the day before, I can tell you everything was still very new and unfamiliar. I hadn’t received my new SIM card, so I couldn’t rely on my cell phone for help in this new place. I gave the workspace address to the taxi driver, and off we went.

  Driving to new and unfamiliar places is usually exciting and part of the joy of traveling, seeing and experiencing things you never have before. However, the excitement and joy quickly turned to frustration that day when the driver began taking me to several taxi stands to ask for directions. Even with the address, he didn’t know where he was going.

  After the third stop and rising cab fare, I requested he take me back home. It was the only thing he understood. Up until this point, the frustration in his voice stemmed from the fact I don’t speak Arabic or French. Since I didn’t have a SIM card, I couldn’t use Google Translate either. Now the driver was also frustrated because he did understand that I wasn’t going to pay him since he never got me to my destination.

  Finally, I arrived back at home. I was no longer frustrated. Now, I was upset and quite shaken. Suddenly I began to realize all that could have gone wrong, and I felt like I escaped some kind of danger. What-ifs flooded my mind, and the adventure of being in a new country had completely disappeared.

  I contacted my trip’s operations team to let them know what happened and how upset and shaken I was. One of the team members assured me that the city of Rabat is safe. He also told me I was “very close” to my ultimate destination when I asked the taxi driver to turn around.

  This information did not comfort me at all. In fact, it did just the opposite. How dare he say such things to me! I didn’t know where the location was, so how could I know how close I was? How could I know if the driver was really trying to take me to the right place? Still, I managed to pull myself together and allowed another driver to pick me up and take me to the workspace.

  It was then that I saw for myself how close I had been the first time. Now I knew for sure I never was in any real danger. I could get to work and do what I do best.

  There were so many “what ifs.” What if I let that experience ruin my day and my trip? What if I canceled my appointments for the day? What if I stopped trying and quit? I would have lost out on $120,000! I had no idea how close I was when I woke up that morning.

  The same is true in business. Every time you struggle or have a bad day, it may be difficult to believe things can be different. But in reality, each struggle and problem is an opportunity to create a new situation for yourself. What you’re looking for is just on the other side.

  In 2016, I went on my first international trip. In 2017, I traveled the world—16 countries in 12 months. I didn’t know how close I was to living this dream! All of it seemed to happen quickly and unexpectedly, but that’s not true. I’ve done hard work to get me to this place.

  If you are looking for your first client, he or she is closer than you think. If you’re trying to grow your business, there are more opportunities than you realize. If you want to take a big leap and do something you’ve never done before, there is a way and it’s probably just around the corner. My business coach likes to say, “Success is just around the corner. I just wish someone would stop moving the corner!”

  When I think back to every good thing or success that came in my business, they all were unexpected. They usually came after a difficult time, so I should have been expecting good things. I wasn’t. I had put in the hard work and made an effort to make things happen. The problem is you don’t know when your hard work is going to pay off. You simply have to believe it will.

  Could your corner be just as close? Is it time to get to the other side of whatever you want? If you’ve put in the work, then yes, it’s time. I want to read your success story. I want to know what you overcame. More importantly, I want you to know you are closer than you think.

  What Will You Be Celebrating in a Year?

  As a virtual assistant matchmaker and consultant, one of the best parts of my job is getting to hear about the exciting things my clients are doing. The anticipation in their voices when they speak of the future is undeniable. Immediately I’m going through my list of virtual assistants to find them the perfect match based on communication strategy and ideal client fit.

  The tables turned in May 2016. It was an especially exciting time in my world. My book Hire the Right Virtual Assistant was released on May 15, 2016, and quickly became an Amazon bestseller. Talking to VAs, clients, and business affiliates about what I was doing, they could hear the anticipation in my voice. Since the release of my first book, I have been able to reach and help so many people who I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to serve otherwise.

  It’s been over a year now since I published that book, and I can tell you it was one of the best things I could have ever done for my business. At times I was terrified of the book flopping. I pressed on because I knew it was necessary to write that book. What I could have never known is how much it would change my life and business. The new areas of growth, new opportunities, and new people I have encountered along the way are direct results of publishing my book.

  I thought that was the top of my game. I couldn’t imagine a year from then I would be traveling the world and falling in love with Barcelona in May of 2017. What a difference a year makes!

  On August 9, 2017, I took a break from work and headed out to the Blue Lagoon in Croatia. The different shades of blue in the water let you know where it is deep and where it is shallow.

  While our boat was anchored, our guide pointed to the dock. He encouraged us to jump from the dock, otherwise we couldn’t say that we’d really been to this beautiful place. I had no idea if the story was true or not, but I knew I had to do it. I didn’t wait for anyone else. I immediately jumped off our boat and started swimming toward the dock. Considering I’m not a great swimmer, you might have thought I would have asked how far the dock was or how long it would take me to swim there. I didn’t.

  I also seemed to forget the beaches were full of rocks not sand. Getting out of the water was more difficult for me than swimming to the dock. The rocks were extremely slippery, and I had to choose my next steps very carefully. Talk about slippery when wet! I thought of about 100 business metaphors as I made my way over the rocky terrain to the dock. I forgot them all as I stared into the water from on top of the dock.

  I didn’t realize I would be scared to jump in nor did it make sense. I had already jumped off a boat, swam to the dock, made it over the rocky terrain to get to this point. All I needed to do was jump. This was supposed to be the easy part. It was not at all a long way down, but I was scared and couldn’t do it—a far cry from my teenage years when I jumped off cliffs without a care in the world. Of course, the longer I waited, the more fearful I became. Like a little girl, I clenched
my fists and made the motions as if I would jump, but I didn’t. Then I heard someone shout my name along with instructions.

  One of my traveling companions was swimming not too far away and saw me staring into the water from the dock. Like an angel, not to watch over me but to give me permission and strength, she yelled out, “Meeeliissaaa! What are you waiting for? Jump, Meeeliissaaa! Jump!” (You need to say it with a Latina accent to get the full effect.) Her encouragement was unmistakable. There was no need to lift my head to see who was yelling at me. I knew. I leapt off the dock and cannonballed into the water.

  Maybe you have gone through all the steps in this book. You made the leap, have done the work, overcame a few obstacles, and there is just one more thing you have to do. But fear has paralyzed you. You know in your heart you’re ready, but you just need to hear the voice of someone who believes in you.

  I’m here. I believe in you. Send me an email telling me that you’re ready to jump, and I’ll be that voice of encouragement. If you are my fearless friend already swimming in the water, good for you! The offer still stands, and I relish the opportunity to go through this experience with you.

  You can do this.

  My wish for you is that you find the joy in the journey, that you step into a life destined to be lived by you alone, and ultimately that you become the VA of the future.

  Let me be the first to congratulate you. Congratulations!

  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

  “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” – Harry S. Truman

  Below you will find links to the books, articles, websites, and other helpful resources referenced throughout the book. Leaders are, in fact, readers. I encourage you to join the ranks of some of the most successful CEOs in the world by reading these resources. It is estimated that successful CEOs read 60 books every year. Be the best CEO you can and read!

  Books

  Hire the Right Virtual Assistant: How the Right VA Will Make Your Life Easier, Create Time, and Make You More Money BY Melissa Smith, The PVA

  Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull

  Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz

  It’s Time to Sell: Cultivating the Sales Mind-set by Chris Spurvey

  The Bootstrap VA: The Go-Getter’s Guide to Becoming a Virtual Assistant, Getting and Keeping Clients, and More! by Lisa Morosky

  Badass Your Brand by Pia Silva

  Entrepreneurial You: Monetize Your Expertise, Create Multiple Income Streams, and Thrive by Dorie Clark

  Lingo: Discover Your Ideal Customer’s Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible by Jeffrey Shaw

  The Good Goodbye: How to Navigate Change and Loss in Life, Love, and Work by Gladys Ato Psy.D.

  Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen

  Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention by John Ruhlin

  The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About it by Michael E. Gerber

  The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace by Ron Friedman PhD

  Podcasts

  Creative Warriors

  Cary Hokama

  Mixergy

  Forms

  Ideal Client Avatar Questions

  Consultation

  10 Gifts To Avoid Giving Key Clients

  Articles

  It’s Price Before Product. Period.

  When We Started Turning Away Clients Our Business Really Took Off

  The 2 Mental Shifts Highly Successful People Make

  The Art of the Done List: Harnessing the Power of Progress

  10 Reasons You Cannot Afford Not To Take A Vacation

  Want To Challenge How Much Work Can Be Done Remotely?

  Survey: People’s Trust Has Declined in Business, Media, Government, and NGOs

  Online Classes

  Admin to VA Summit

  Essential Business Model for VAs

  Organizations

  OrgOrg

  OfficeNinjas

  National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)

  Websites

  Dr. Alvin C. Miles

  Chris Spurvey

  Dorie Clark

  Dr. Gladys Ato

  ignite80

  Jeffrey Shaw

  Mike Michalowicz

  Pia Silva

  Ruhlin Group

  The PVA

  The Socialista Projects

  Remote Working Options

  Outsite

  We Roam

  Surveys and Statistics

  Bureau of Labor Statistics – Administrative Assistant Job Growth Rate

  The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

  United States Department of Labor – Federal Internship Compliance

  Global Workplace Analytics

  FUNDAMENTAL TECHNOLOGY TOOLS

  Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

  17hats (not technically considered a CRM but often used as one)

  Contactually

  Infusionsoft

  Ontraport

  Salesforce

  File Sharing

  Box

  Dropbox

  Google Drive

  OneDrive

  ShareFile

  Newsletters, Email Marketing, and Drip Campaigns

  ActiveCampaign

  AWeber

  Constant Contact

  ConvertKit

  MailChimp

  Scheduling Tools

  Acuity Scheduling

  Calendly

  Mixmax

  ScheduleOnce

  Setmore

  Video Chat

  Daily

  Google Hangouts

  GoToMeeting

  Skype

  Zoom

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Thank you to my family, friends, and colleagues who supported me during my yearlong journey to live and work in 12 countries in 12 months. (I managed to sneak in four more countries!)

  To my fellow Polaris Roamers, what a year it was! We were the first! Thank you for the support along the way. From technical to emotional to celebratory, it was a pleasure to break away from work and travel the world with you all. My time would not have been the same without all of you.

  To every new, current, and seasoned VA whom I’ve consulted, you made all this possible. To my pilot class participants of The Essential Business Model for VAs online course, I had a blast! To all the current admins and those who came before me, thank you for making this a profession I fell in love with and am proud to be a part of.

  Thank you to all my VAs who have worked with me through the process of writing this book. It’s a labor of love, and I thank you for sharing the labor of your own love with me.

  To my Recognized Expert mastermind group, thank you for supporting me and pushing me to be my best. I consider myself in great company. I am honored to be the sum of you ladies.

  Thank you to all my former bosses, supervisors, department heads, deans, and current clients. You made me better!

  To my mom, LaVonne Goldschmidt, CAP-OM, now proudly retired after many years of service, all I ever wanted to be was like you. If I’ve served half as well as you, I will have made a difference. Thank you for being an example of not only a woman, an assistant, and a leader but a wife and mother as well. Being your daughter is a privilege.

  Thank you to my sister, Bambi, and my brother, Joshua, for your support. All the messages, calls, and texts of support were life changing. You’re not only my siblings but my best friends. You’ve given me the gift of three amazing nephews and my precious niece. I work tirelessly to spend as much time with them as my own children.

  Lastly, to my children, Is
aac and Elyssa, for you both I wish nothing more than to leave a legacy. To show you that you’re never too old, it’s never too late, and you can have what you dream. Thank you for supporting and championing my goals and dreams.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Melissa Smith is The PVA (The Personal Virtual Assistant). As a second generation admin, you’ll find that it’s in her DNA, and she is passionate about bringing awareness to the world of virtual assistance. When she’s not traveling, she calls both California and Georgia home. Melissa makes it a priority to spend time with her children, nephews, and niece on both coasts. The best part of Melissa’s virtual work is that it allows her to be location independent. When she’s not working, spending time with her family, or traveling, you’ll find her cheering on her beloved Virginia Tech Wrestling Hokies.