Welcome, Chelsea! I am so excited to hear your story, more of who you are, and all about your business! Let’s start with a small win.. What have you already accomplished today that you’re excited about?

 

Hello! I just had a recalibration meeting with a client who’s renewing a contract. We decided to recalibrate, look at the goals and everything, and create a new work plan for next year. 

 

I love that. Brilliant! How long have you been with this client?

 

It’s been six months!

 

 

Meet Chelsea

 

Amazing! Oh, that’s good. Okay, Chelsea, tell us a little bit about yourself.

 

I’m Chelsea, and I’m located in Brooklyn, New York. Born and raised! My family is from the Caribbean. I’m at home with my mom. I have a brother and sisters. My parents are divorced, but you would never know. It’s like one big happy family! Another important person in my life is my fiance. We recently got engaged, so, you know, wedding planning. I’m also the CEO and founder of The Virtual Collab, an executive virtual assistant and operations management agency. We’re about to go into year three, and I can’t believe it!

 

So cool! All the things. We recently chatted on a call – Chelsea and I. Inside of the SavvySystem Virtual Assistant Course, our signature course here at The Virtual Savvy, we have a milestones program. Chelsea recently met a milestone, which meant that she got a free coaching call. She was telling me her story and I’m like, oh my goodness, you need to share your story with everybody! I am just super excited that you’re here with me, Chelsea. Truly, congratulations on your engagement and your business success.

 

Let’s dive in. What did life look like before you became a Virtual Assistant? What kind of career or jobs did you hold and what did it look like?

 

Yeah, you know, life was good, but definitely after becoming a VA, it got better. I didn’t realize that I’m a multifaceted or multi-passionate person until I was, you know, in the jobs – jobs like coordinator, manager, assistant roles – and doing the work. I just felt like I just needed something different. I wasn’t really sure what it was, but then I started looking into different things. Now, being a VA, I realize that every client is so different and no one package is the same. And if it is, there’s something different within it. Whether it be a system that they use, the people who they have on the team, the structure of their business. And I love that because it’s just something new every single day. I’m not bored anymore! It feeds into my passion for operations, for helping people, and just learning new things. Becoming a VA also helped with my leadership skills. I’m very much a ‘behind the scenes’ kind of person. Now, I’m in this leadership role, where I’m talking with clients, giving them ideas, as well as running my own team. It is just a completely different world for me, but I’m loving it here.

 

Ahh yes! For myself, I was formerly a teacher. I taught early childhood for several years. Then, I was a stay at home mom, just looking for some side income, but I 100% agree with you, Chelsea, in that when I first became a VA, I loved that every day was so different. And, the people that I got to meet weren’t cookie cutter either. Every day was a new challenge, and that was so invigorating!

 

How She Found Virtual Assistance

 

Let’s hear more about how you found virtual assistance. Take us back!

 

Good ole TikTok, which I hope they don’t ban because I love TikTok. At that time, I didn’t know that phones kind of listen to you, you know? It curates your algorithm, and I saw a lady saying, oh yeah, I’m a virtual assistant, I work from home. I think she was previously a teacher. And she was like, “yeah, I’m helping entrepreneurs with the skills that I have!” That really intrigued me because I, too, was looking for something else part-time. My goal was to become a homeowner, so I was like, I need to make more money. New York City is ridiculously expensive. How am I going to do this? Then this popped up and I liked that it was virtual and so location wasn’t a factor. I could essentially go anywhere because where I live wouldn’t affect the work.

 

I started doing my research, and that’s how I came upon The Virtual Savvy. I started watching all the YouTube videos coming to the livestreams, you know, learning more about it, seeing other people who had been doing it. I think it was August of 2021, when I was like, okay, I’m going to get this course and I’m going to launch come January 1st, 2022! I did that, and I took my time. I went through the course, I launched, and my business has been growing, honestly ever since. So, you know, just wanting something different. I wanted to be financially stable, and have time freedom. That is what encouraged me to really say, okay, this is something that I want to pursue.

 

Were you working a 9-5 when you started as a Virtual Assistant, or were you working part-time? 

 

I was working a 9-5 job.

 

Ok, great. You were working a 9-5, you found The Virtual Savvy through some online research. I found Abbey and The Virtual Savvy myself through Pinterest back in 2017. TikTok wasn’t a thing in 2017. I consumed all of the material that I could, and then ended up investing also in 2017, shortly after that. So, I hear you. How long was it before you were able to actually quit your 9-5 and go full-time with your VA business?

 

Yes. I actually still do the 9-5, and do my business at the same time.

 

Tell me more about that!

 

Yes, so, this leads into the agency part of things. I work with a team, and the team is what helps me to navigate both things. With the economy, and you know, finances in general, I realized that you can have essentially the best of both worlds, with the ultimate goal being full-time entrepreneurship. Having the team, having people who can help me to take on more clients as I continue to grow the business, is how I’m able to manage both jobs.

 

Oh, so good! Virtual Assistance can be exactly what you want and need it to be. It can be that part-time gig, it can be that side hustle, or it can also be a full-time gig. You can still work your 9-5 and have a full blown virtual business, and you are proof of that!

 

 

First Services & First Clients

 

Ok, think back. You started your virtual assistant business. You’re still working your 9-5. You love operations. Where did you start with your services? And then, in tandem to that, how long was it before you landed your first client?

 

I started with general administrative assistant tasks. Email, calendar, and research were the first things I offered. I actually got my first client before I even launched. I launched in January of 2022, and in December of 2021 I already had a client. In the SavvySystem Virtual Assistant Course, you guys teach us, once you have that portfolio you should start putting yourself out there. So, I created an Upwork account and my first client was a lawyer. She wanted help with changing PDFs into word documents for her contracts. Then another client I had was a business coach and I was helping her with newsletter email management and updating Canva documents. After that is when I realized like, okay, you know, this is something that I like, but I feel like I can be doing more. I just felt a need for utilizing a different type of skill set. I knew I liked to plan, I liked to coordinate, but I didn’t really know at the time that that was considered operations!

 

Yes! You started with what you already knew how to do, probably things that you were already doing in your regular job. It wasn’t like you were going to have to learn all these new skills. That’s exactly what we teach here at The Virtual Savvy, is to start with the services that you already know. Eventually you may want to be able to do a specific type of service, but if we have to take the time to go learn that service, we’re stalling the snowball to start. 

 

We do tend to find that the best place to start is often general administrative skills, like you pursued. Lately, so often people will say, well, what about AI and artificial intelligence? Is this even a good path for us to go down with all of these evolving things? 100%, yes, and here’s why – artificial intelligence is exactly that – artificial. It will never replace a human. But I promise you this, and you’ll hear us say this time and time again, if you hang around long enough – VAs are not going to be replaced by AI. VAs will be replaced by other VAs utilizing AI. AI is a social disruptor and it’s here to stay. But, the tools that are available through AI are absolutely amazing and your client doesn’t necessarily have the time to learn them. If you can learn them and utilize them and become an expert in using them, it can be a game changer and a very powerful tool that you have in your tool belt. 

 

Yes. I put everywhere that I am AI adaptable or AI efficient. My clients, they want to know about it, want to know how I’m using it, how they can use it. I’m telling them, do this, do that. I have this one client and we’ll get on a call and every time we have a new AI tool to talk about!

 

100%! It’s not going away. It’s ever evolving and we’ve not hit the top of the curve. I don’t know if we’ll ever hit the top of the curve, but why not get on the train now and learn as much as you can? And I love how you worded that, AI adaptable and AI efficient. SO GOOD!!

 

Building Her Team of VAs

 

Now, when did you start actually building a team and going the agency route? That definitely shifts the business, how it looks, and how it operates. 

 

I began to put myself out there and started doing the work. Then, I realized something was missing and I felt like I needed to take a step back and ask myself, why are you doing this? You know, what are you passionate about? My background is in public health. I was like, I think I want to work in that space, but I just don’t know how. Thankfully, I was in a group and something one day just told me, search in the group, you know, the term virtual assistant. So I did. I was shocked to find out that there was this thing of Public Health Consultants, who was looking for a virtual assistant. And then I started going down this rabbit hole of, oh my gosh, this is it. I have a background in public health. There’s Public Health Consultants, or what they call now Public Health Entrepreneurs, and I can work with them! So, I rebranded and marketed myself as a Public Health Virtual Assistant, and I have been serving them ever since. Those are all the types of clients that come to me. And, you know, because the space is not as big, a lot of people refer to me. Then I did a post in there saying, “hey, if you were to work with a virtual assistant, what are the tasks that you would hand off?” And the comments started coming in. They pretty much told me what they needed. I was able to say, oh, well these are the services that I offer!

 

We’re going to land here for a minute, Chelsea, because there’s so many things I have spinning in my brain. First of all, to anyone reading this, did y’all read that she went to a Facebook group? She searched virtual assistant. This is one of the tips that we go over here at The Virtual Savvy, how to go into Facebook groups, how to search, what to search, and how to look for those key conversations that are going to be helpful for you in engaging ideal clients. 

 

Another thing I want everyone to take note of, is that Chelsea started with general admin services. She didn’t stress about whether or not she should niche down and find her ideal client right away. She just got out there and found warm bodies to say yes, and to take her services. Once she had clients, and was making money, she discovered a niche that she understood and could serve well in and pivoted her business towards that niche. 

 

Now, she has a full blown agency serving inside of this niche and getting referrals, which is the number one way to get clients. Once your business is off the ground and you’re serving clients, you will find that your marketing isn’t going to be as heavy as it was at the beginning, because often, if you’re doing your job and serving people well, they will market for you and they will send you clients. Do you agree, Chelsea?

 

I completely agree. As an introvert, marketing was something I was so nervous about. But I was like, wow, no one told me I wouldn’t have to, you know, not to say go as hard because you do have to have different ways of marketing, but I didn’t know that referrals would be the number one way! That is why I tell people you need to do quality work. You cannot get into someone’s business and play around. You have to give it your all and do your best because if you do, they will continuously come back to you. They will tell their friends, their colleagues, and then they will come to you as well, and you will continue to grow. You have to do quality work!

 

That’s so good. You know, this leads into one question we see a lot, which is how do you figure out what industry to niche when you feel like there are so many to choose from? For Chelsea, it was organic. It was something she came across that she already knew and had experience in. However, that’s not always the case. What we don’t suggest you do, is niche down too soon. You don’t want to create this big business revolving around a specific niche, and then get in and realize, oh my goodness, I don’t like this, I don’t like the people I’m working with, and now I’ve got to change everything. You changing things is already going to happen naturally. You may change branding colors, you may change your logo, you will for sure probably change your services. You’ll change the way that you operate. All those things are going to organically happen inside of your journey, so let’s not create a scenario by niching down too soon, and then having to recreate everything 100%. Just start where you can. I wouldn’t necessarily pick a niche until you’re ready to claim that and try some tests. Now, if you are already deeply rooted in a specific industry, like real estate for example, a great and easy place for you to start would be to offer real estate VA services because you get the language, you understand the services, you understand the process. That may be a niche right in front of you that you can already dive into. If you don’t already have that, then just get out and try different things. Chelsea, would you add anything extra to that?

 

Yeah, I completely agree. I feel as though it’s best to keep it broad and I feel like you would eventually find your niche or it will find you, and you would be content like, oh, this is a great place for me. And even when you do, it’s okay to pivot and know that it may change. Like now, you know, I work with public health, but also social impact entrepreneurs. It evolved for me, but I started somewhere, so I would agree. Keep it broad until you find it or it finds you.

 

Chelsea’s Why & How It Has Changed

 

LOVE that! So good. Chelsea, when you first started your business, what was your why, and how has it changed over time?

 

My why was definitely financial stability – getting that extra income to be able to purchase a home and invest in all those things – as well as time freedom. You know, being able to be flexible in the work that I do as well as in my location. But also, just being able to support people was big for me. I care deeply about anything that I’m in and who I’m talking with. I love to help people. And before it wasn’t administratively, it was just like helping people organize or do things. Those main things were my why and how it’s changed. These are still my why, but I would say legacy is a new why that has come around for me. Not only a legacy for me, but also for my clients. I want to help them build and I want to continue to build a sustainable business myself, for generations to come. There’s so much dialogue about, you know, generational wealth and those kinds of things. I feel like being an entrepreneur, having a business, is the best way to do that. Yes! want to make sure I’m building that legacy for me, for the clients, and for a sustainable business for generations to come. That’s number one for me. When I wake up, I’m like, this is it. This is my purpose. I finally found it, which is something I struggled with. Trying to figure out, why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing? Starting this business has taught me that this is where I’m supposed to be. This is what I’m supposed to be doing. I feel like this past year was a year of confirmation for me of like, yeah, you are on the right track. This is where it is and this is where I’m going to stay.

 

I love what you said about generation and legacy, and I think it’s not just the generational wealth piece of it. I think the other thing that I want future generations to see is that you don’t have to get trapped in the corporate box. I grew up thinking I have to graduate high school, do my best, and then I have to go to college and possibly have college debt, and then I’m going to have to get a 9-5 job that matches what I went to school for. The pandemic did kind of open that box and show the world that there are other possibilities, but there are still so many people trapped in that box and who think that that’s the path that they have to take. And it’s not! Here at The Virtual Savvy, we want future generations to see that virtual assistance, entrepreneurship, freelancing, however you want to look at it, is an option that can absolutely be a sustainable and successful business for generations to come. 

 

 

Life Now as a Virtual Assistant

 

Chelsea, we talked about what life looked like before. We’ve learned a little bit of your journey to the present. What does life look like now? 

 

It is busy! Busy, but I love it. I’m here for it. It’s meant for me! Life is great, and I think it’s because I have options. I have options, but I also have peace of mind. If anything were to happen with my job, I have options. I’m also walking in my purpose. With my clients, meeting with my team, I’m a leader. I’m a mentor, you know, I’m an accountability partner for people. I’m a strategist. Like, it looks completely different. And it’s just me being out of my comfort zone. I’m on livestreams and I’m going to networking events. I would’ve never thought that purchasing The SavvySystem Virtual Assistant Course would have brought me this far. It’s a complete 360 in personal development. I have so much more confidence in myself. And the work that I produce. Yeah. I just would’ve never thought. It opened up my eyes to all the things that I know, that I didn’t know I could do. So really, life is completely different, and different in a great way.

 

YES! If you are willing to step out and try this thing, you will be amazed at what you learn about yourself. When you embrace yourself and embrace that journey that’s ahead of you, the doors are wide open. And, something so beautiful, is that no one’s journey will look the same. Chelsea’s journey is not Rachel’s, and Rachel’s journey is not Chelsea’s. You can’t compare! We see people get so hung up in the comparison game but the beauty is in your OWN journey and self discovery.

 

Let me tell you, fair is a thief. It’s an emotion that you feel and you feel right to do it because you’re unsure. You don’t actually know if the grass is greener on the other side. I feel like that uncertainty or that curiosity of not knowing – well, what if? You can make that investment into yourself and you will open up so many doors. Investing in yourself is the number one thing that you need to do, whether it be in your career, some professional development, or personal things. If I would’ve just kept saying, Chelsea, how you gonna do this? No one’s going to buy this. What if? To me, it was the shame. What if there’s no clients? You create this Instagram page, Facebook, you text all your family and friends. What if a year later you have nothing? It doesn’t work out. If I would’ve let that hold me back, I would not be here today saying I have a successful business and it’s going to continue to grow. You have to invest in yourself. I choke up all the time because this is around the time where I remember literally taking off a week from work, putting my head down and saying, on January 1st I’m launching. I did all of the things. And fair? Not fair? No, I just did it.

 

Yes! Oh, I just want to hug you! It’s real. It’s real, that fear and that imposter syndrome. Trust your gut. Invest in yourself. While often, investment can mean money, it doesn’t have to! You invested in yourself by showing up today. To everyone reading, invest in yourselves! You can invest in yourself by watching our free content at TVS, or by reading a book. I recently read a book that has been game changing for my leadership here at TVS! You can invest in yourself by purchasing a course, like The SavvySystem Virtual Assistant Course, as Chelsea did. You can invest in yourself by giving of your time and being at a live event, or even just by spending time figuring out what virtual assistance could look like for you and your family. Don’t stop investing in yourself. None of you, me included! Continue investing in yourself and saying yes to those opportunities.

 

Advice for New Virtual Assistants

 

Chelsea, what is one piece of advice that you would give to those that are exploring virtual assistance as an option for them?

 

Do it. Just do it! You have to follow your gut. If you’re watching the replay or you’re reading this interview, that means you’re in market research mode. You need to do it. There are great things outside of your comfort zone if you just step out of it. You have to invest in yourself in order to see growth and see what success is. Because that burning feeling of ‘what if I can’t’? No, you have to just do it! Negative thoughts come and negative thoughts go. Challenges happen, but to me, a challenge happening while I’m trying to pursue, grow, do better, and self-develop is better than, you know, staying where I’m at and saying, oh, I’m comfortable here. Like, no, you just have to do it. That’s my advice. Follow your gut and do it. 

 

Another thing I would say is there’s no such thing as a bad investment in yourself. Hands down, there’s no such thing, because you’ll get something out of it. It may not be for now, it might be for the next goal. And you’re like, oh, that’s why I went through that. That’s why I needed to go through and experience this thing because now I’m here and it’s helped me!

 

SO GOOD! I didn’t know this would be a mindset conversation but I love it. Chelsea, how long after you started The SavvySystem Virtual Assistant Course did you launch your business? 

 

I believe I started in August of 2021 and I launched January of 2022. So about five months. 

 

Awesome. For me, I started Savvy System in July of 2017, and then I launched about a month after that. But let’s clarify launching. Launching isn’t necessarily going to be a formal event. Launching can literally just mean you tell somebody, hey, I’m doing this! It can be more of a planned, okay, this is when I’m going to put my Facebook page live, this is when I’m going to start marketing. It does not have to be this big grandeur event.

 

Now, since you do work your 9-5 in tandem with your VA business, can you clarify how many hours you devoted to your VA business starting out for those wondering what it looked like for you? 

 

Yeah, I worked around that 5-10 hours a week in my VA business, but including weekends, it was really like 20 hours. And I know a lot of times people are like, oh, you know, do I let clients know? Personally, I do. I let them know I have a job and I work weekends. And they’re like, great. All they care about is that work getting done!

 

Yes! And that brings up a good point, that if you’re still working a 9-5 and trying to grow your business, you are not legally responsible as a contractor to disclose when you will be available to your contracting clients. You do not have to tell your VA clients, I will be at my desk on Monday, Wednesday, Friday from two to four. Depending on what your services are, you may give a turnaround time if you can expect a response back from me in 12 hours, 24 hours, whatever that looks like. But as a contractor, you do not have to disclose your availability. And if you are working a 9-5, you may want to look at your services and consider, do these services work well with working around my job?

 

I agree. And for me, it was around maybe my fifth client when I was like, okay, I need some help. That’s when I brought on my first subcontractor. There’s only so much time in the day that I have available to me. did it for about six months, before having a subcontractor. So it is realistic to be a full-time business owner and a full-time employee as well. I’m here and doing it!

 

Ahhh, yes! And you are rocking it! Chelsea, you have been a gem and it’s been so great to chat with you. Thank you for joining us.

 

Prefer to watch on video? Check this interview out on YouTube!

 

---

 

Want to hear from more successful VAs about how they got started? Check these out!

• Jaime got a 10x return on her investment in The SavvySystem course within the first month of joining the course.
• Kaitlyn started her VA business as a 19-year-old college student.
• Candice took the slow and steady route, and built her business on nights and weekends alongside her day job.
• Ariel got 2 clients in her first 3 weeks of launching her business — all with little kids at home!
• Shavavian went from professor to stay-at-home-mom to booked out VA!

 

---

 

Get started with virtual assistance and find out if it’s the right path for you by watching our free virtual assistant training – Become a Booked Out Virtual Assistant! Sign up below and I’ll send it to you!