I am super excited for this conversation. Let’s dive in — welcome, Matt! Tell us a little bit about you, where you’re from, and so on.

 

Thank you, Rachel, for inviting me. I’m Mattia, but you can call me Matt, which is easier for everybody! I’m not from the US. I am originally from Sicily, Italy. I currently live in Milan, so apologies for any, you know, mistakes with my English. I am 29, and a husband to be — I’m getting married very soon, in September! I am a father to a crazy cat, and also one hamster. I’m a virtual assistant. That’s me in a nutshell!

 

 

Meet Mattia

 

Thanks Matt, for sharing. We are so we’re thrilled to have you. So, you’re a virtual assistant. Let’s rewind the tape so to speak. and go back in time to before you were a virtual assistant. What were you doing? Give us some previous jobs that you have had.

 

So actually, my background is completely different from my current career. I am a former professional dancer. I was a ballet dancer, in my previous life, let’s say. Unfortunately, due to a health condition, I had to leave that world. I moved to London. There, I was an au pair, or a babysitter you may call it, taking care of kids. I wanted to learn English, because I didn’t speak English at all, like zero! Not even a word. So I started there. Then, I worked as a bartender. Then, I started my career in the hospitality industry. I actually worked on onboard cruise ships as well. All of it, literally nothing to do with the virtual assistant world. I mean, some skills have been transferred, you know, to the VA world. I used to be an entertainer as well during summer times back when I was in school at the Dance Academy. My life has been chaotic, to be honest. I’ve been traveling around and moving back and forth. I have never stopped since I was 14!

 

Wow! You’ve got it down. Amazing!  So, what I want everyone to take from what Matt just shared with us, is you don’t have to have a specific background to be a successful virtual assistant. Matt worked on a cruise ship and was a ballet dancer. He was an au pair, and a bartender. It doesn’t matter what previous experience that you have, because you, as an individual, are bringing unique gifts, talents, and abilities to the table. They may be similar to that of somebody else, but you are your own unique person, and so you operate differently than anybody else! 

 

Transferable Skills as a VA

 

Matt, looking at your past experiences, which are so unique, what specific skills have translated over into your virtual assistant business?

 

Yeah, it depends on the job. When I was an au pair, for example, I was taking care of kids. Of course you have to be organized, because you have to organize the kids’ schedules, and make them match with your other responsibilities. I was also cleaning the house, for example, and doing some other stuff. And I had a social life as well. Organizational skills can be transferred into the va world. If you work in hospitality, anything that has to do with client communication can be transferred to the VA world. Then, any job, even as an entertainer or as a dancer — the way my brain operates, in the sense of, you know, having a schedule and knowing how to organize your day and your time. This can become a service too. I mean, if you know how to organize people’s lives, and trust me, most people don’t know how to organize their own lives, you can offer that as a skill and as a service. It’s something that makes you unique. Even if this service is being offered by somebody else, it’s going to be different because there are thousands of VAs around the world, and no one VA is going to be just like you.

 

Oh, that’s so, so good. And that’s what I want everyone to hear, is that no matter your experience, there are unique ways that you can offer even the most essential of skills! You’re going to approach things differently than another VA. And another thing I want you to capture in this moment, is that there is room for you. So many times we hear or are asked, aren’t there already too many virtual assistants? Isn’t the market already oversaturated? And the answer is NO! We are constantly getting job opportunities that come across our desk in our free Facebook group. We constantly hear stories of students that are networking, interacting with potential clients, and those potential clients don’t even know what a virtual assistant is! So yes, there is room for you (ALL of you!) inside of this amazing virtual assistant world. 

 

Read more about what job skills you have now that could transfer perfectly to VA services.

 

Discovering Virtual Assistance

 

That leads me to my next question, Matt. How did you discover virtual assistance? 

 

It was actually during the pandemic. I was at home, and I still had some income coming from my 9-5, but I wasn’t working. And, I can’t stand still. I just cannot. I was doing some ballet fitness classes online because of my background, and I had this feeling of, I mean, I like having my own business. Why don’t I make it official? Why don’t I, you know, learn some new skills maybe, and do some more stuff. So I went online. I went on YouTube and just typed in like, ‘remote work’. Abbey’s videos came out. I binge watched them, like in a month.

 

I probably watched the entirety of The Virtual Savvy’s YouTube channel, all of the videos, because when I focus on something, I’m all in. I think it took me about two to three weeks after I started this browsing phase, to enroll on The SavvySystem Virtual Assistant Course. But it wasn’t until 2023 that I actually launched the business, because life had gone back to normal, and I went to work on onboard cruise ships. I didn’t forget about what I wanted to be, because The SavvySystem offers you not just the tools and stuff to launch your VA business, but it also teaches you the mindset that you need to have in order to become your own boss.

 

That resonated with me. I was like, that’s what I want to be. I’ve always wanted to have something of my own, but I didn’t know how to express it, you know? So it was still in my mind, it was like, I had planted the seed in my mind, but then life became normal again. I had to go back to work, and I didn’t have time to focus on that anymore. But I really wanted to, and when I came back, it was like I had never left. I was tuned in. I wanted to do it.

 

Yes! Matt is referencing our signature course here at the Virtual Savvy, The SavvySystem Virtual Assistant Course. The SavvySystem has over 130 lessons where we literally walk you through from scratch how to launch, grow, and later scale your own virtual assistant business. Matt referenced that he jumped in, but then didn’t really launch until later. That’s one of the great things about The SavvySystem, is that you have lifetime access to the course and the community that comes along with it. We literally walk you through step by step. 

 

 

You said something else that really resonated with me Matt, that you wanted something of your own, but you didn’t know what that was. I also didn’t know how to express what that was. I was a stay at home mom at the time, with littles. We’ve since added a third, but during that time frame, I loved just being mom. I still do, but I wanted something that was mine that allowed me to tap into the non-diaper-changing side of me. The professional side of me! I came from being a teacher, and when I found virtual assistance and realized that it allowed me to express myself in that professional way, I was done for, in a good way. Right? This allows me to tap into my strengths and my unique abilities to support others and still take care of my number one priority. And that’s my family. 

 

Getting His First Client

 

So, you joined The SavvySystem Virtual Assistant Course, you launched in 2023. Matt, when did you find your first client? Walk us through a little bit of that journey.

 

Yes. So, as I said, I started in 2020. Then, I launched my business in 2023. January 2, 2023 — I will never forget that day. I just wanted to do it! I came back from a cruise ship contract in September. I had saved so much money. And I was like, I don’t have to find a 9-5 job, although I did get one later. I can focus all of my energy and stuff into translating what The SavvySystem has given me into my reality. Because of course, I’m from Europe, and it’s a little bit different than how it is in the US. In the US it’s a more popular profession. In Europe it is not as popular. 

 

I signed my first contract on February 17,  2023. So not even a month after launching! The funny thing is that not only is she working with me to this day, but she was my dream client. She was on my list, my dreams and goals. I wanted to contact her, but in my mind, I wasn’t ready to go and get her. She’s in social communication strategies and works with big clients in Italy. So I was like, I would probably never reach her. Like, I would probably never be you know, worthy for what she’s doing and what she’s looking for. But actually, she contacted me! I was at my 9-5 job and she sent me a DM on Instagram. I started crying! I called my boyfriend and I was like, something is happening. This is not real!! 

 

That’s so cool! We talk about creating your dream client list, and we talk about dreaming BIG. Don’t put yourself in a box and therefore limit yourself to the possibilities. When we let our guard down and we open ourselves up to the possibilities, big things can happen. You don’t have to be trapped in a 9-5. You can make as much money as you choose, or you can do this part-time. You get to create the freedom life that feels most important to you and what that looks like. Everyone’s journey will look different. But, that’s why virtual assistance is such a beautiful thing, because none of us are trapped in a box. Dream big! Think about what you could do if you stepped out and were bold and just did this! 

 

Dreaming Bigger

 

Matt, what is something that you are still dreaming about being able to do that you are working towards? 

 

I really want to launch my own agency. I wouldn’t call it like a VA agency itself, exactly. Because VA, as you said, is not a confined box. VA means anything really. You can be anything! My idea is to become the CEO of this company, this agency, because it will really give me even more freedom, to be honest. I have many, many hours in my day that are there for nothing. But the idea of being the boss… I’ve always wanted to have for myself, and to give back to others what The SavvySystem has given me and what this profession has given me, because as I said, in Italy it is not that popular as a profession. And there are not many, if any, people who offer something like that, like The SavvySystem. Unfortunately, many Italians don’t know English very well, so it’s not that accessible to them. I really want to give them what The SavvySystem has given me. So yeah, I just want to become the CEO. Not because of the money or not because of the status quo, whatever. No, it’s because I really want to give others the same opportunities. That’s what I want.

 

I love that vision. And again, it’s not putting yourself in a box! Dream big. I want to be the CEO of a virtual assistant agency. And Matt brings up a really good point, virtual assistance is a very large umbrella term. There are so many intricacies that go under that. And you can call yourself a virtual assistant. You can call yourself a social media manager. You can call yourself a personal assistant. You can fill in the blank, right? There are so many different specific names that you can call yourself under that umbrella of virtual assistant. 

 

And, Matt’s story is a great example, that you don’t have to be from the US and work only with US clients to be successful. This works for anyone all across the world! You don’t have to serve clients only from your specific area. I could serve clients in Italy if I wanted to. Matt can serve clients in the US! We have lots of Canadian students. They can serve clients from anywhere, too. That’s the joy and the beauty of this profession.

 

Matt, do you serve primarily local/regional clients or do you serve elsewhere?

 

As of right now, due to my marketing strategy, I actually just serve Italian people. With this agency in mind, I would love to offer services to a broader audience. Especially because, as I said, not many people speak English and for some of my clients, I already, you know, send emails in English and interact with them in English. So, I opened doors for them as well. But, it would be lovely to onboard people from other nationalities as well, and not just because of the language itself, but because each and every one of us has a different story. And it depends a lot on where we’re coming from. Everyone is different, and I would love to have this, you know, multicultural feeling in my agency. It’s incredible that you can now connect with people from all over the world, and you can learn from them and you can work with them. 

 

Yes, it’s a beautiful thing. I love what you said too, Matt, that we can learn from each other. I never would’ve guessed that Matt was a previous ballet dancer! But, that experience is unique to him. And look how it has played into his story, or working on a cruise ship has played into his story. Your story is unique to you, and the clients that you work with are unique to you. And, the clients you work with can teach you so many things. 

 

 

Answer this, Matt, how has your business evolved or changed since you started? Because, you know, you even have a vision of building an agency working with more international clients, but how has your business changed even from when you started?

 

Yeah, so I started as a general VA. I was offering email and calendar management, because It was literally what I was doing at my previous job. I was working in guest services. So, you know, I had to deal with people. And, I actually love people. I love communicating with people. That was my strength, which I’ve put into use and I earned money from it. Now, I actually offer services as a system strategist and a customer experience strategist. So it has changed completely. I do still have four active clients to which I’m offering more of an OBM package to. I support them even with decisions and stuff, because as you said, you’re going to give and receive back from the client. Really, it’s a partnership. It’s not a work relation. It’s more like you have a friend on the other side  because he or she can understand you. They are probably small business owners like you. They know how hard it is to run a business because it’s not always as easy as it seems.

 

At the same time, it’s really cool to see your business from an outside perspective. Sometimes, my client comes to me and they say, oh, you know, I would love to do this and this and this. And I’m like, yes, but this actually doesn’t reflect who you are, so why don’t you do this instead? And they’re like, oh, you know, I never thought of it. And the same happens the other way around. That’s what I want for my future. I’m really evolving with not only the client requests and needs, but also with who I am and what I want in my life. Because at first I just wanted to earn some extra cash and spend my free time answering some emails, which was fine by me. Now it’s more that I want even more flexibility. If you offer things like email management, you have to be more present for your client because of course you have to be there. Doing strategy has given me the opportunity to be even more flexible. So if I want to work today, I work. If I don’t want to, as long as I have the project by the end date, I’m fine with it. The business is evolving with who I am and who I’m becoming. 

 

Matt, I totally relate to your story. I started just to make some side cash. I wasn’t looking to do something full-time. I wanted to pay for my son to go to preschool, and I wanted a gym membership that had childcare. Then, once I got into virtual assistance, and realized, oh, this is fun. I really like this! I decided to do more and expand my services and niche down into a specific industry. Start with what you can offer now, and then allow yourself to grow and expand. Anything else to add on that, Matt?

 

No, you said it all. Clients will trust you if you are open to them and tell them, you know, this is what I am able to do and I can offer to you right now, but I’m open to, you know, using the time that you pay me for wisely. Because more often than not, they don’t have the time to even learn a new platform. So, for example, I had clients saying, you know what? I want to implement this kind of platform, but I don’t have time to learn it. I said, I will do it for you. You, you are paying me to not only give you the service back, but I’m learning something. Then tomorrow I can offer it to another client, which is great. I had a client, I’ve been working with her since August, and she said, I’m launching an event, a live event. Would you be able to assist? I’ve never managed an event live. I told her, you know what, I’ve never done it like a hundred percent, and she said, yeah, but instead of paying somebody who I don’t trust, I’d love you to learn with me and we do it together. So it’s really a partnership. As we said, it’s you, you will learn a lot and you just start small. But, with big goals in mind, you will have time and possibilities to learn and grow and become whoever you want.

 

Open yourself up to the possibilities. Start where you can now. You will learn so much organically from your clients and new opportunities will present yourselves. YES! I remember I was working with one of my clients and she wanted to learn a new CRM platform called Dubsado. I was like, well, I’ve never used it before, but I’ll figure it out. And absolutely fell in love with the platform. Later, I became certified in it. And yeah, it’s been a game changer for my own business and the clients that I work with as well.

 

Honesty & Transparency with Your VA Clients

 

But another thing to think through and, you even said it, Matt, is that your clients want to trust you. They want that solid partnership with you. If you are willing to come to the table and be honest and be transparent, and if you don’t know, just own that. You don’t know, but you’re willing to figure it out. I guarantee they appreciate that. It only creates a stronger partnership, a stronger layer of trust, and not just with conversations about new tools or systems, but even just honest conversations about your services. Maybe you’re feeling misaligned with your contract and you need to bring that forward. I had a conversation about that once with a client. Ooh, it’s not fun to bring it forward. But I still remember what office I was sitting in and I remember her telling me at the end of the conversation, Rachel, thank you. Thank you for bringing this up, and thank you for having this conversation, I really appreciate it. I was shaking and nervous to bring it forward, but I knew that I needed to be honest about it, and the client respected me for that. They want to trust you. They’re letting you inside of their business. Look for those opportunities! Matt, anything else on that?

 

Yeah, at the end of the day, people don’t buy the service itself. They buy you as a person. That’s what I think. I mean, I market myself mainly on Instagram, for example. I don’t always post stuff about, you know, Trello or Dubsado or whatever system that I use, but I do share my life. Things that they don’t necessarily expect of me. They probably didn’t know I was a dancer. So I do share with them in my stories that I go to the theater and watch opera, ballet or whatever. They resonate with you. 

 

Of course, they pay you for a service, but if you tell them, well, as of right now, I can take off your shoulder this part of your business, but I promise you I’ll get to whatever else because I’m a fast learner and everything. I would love to do that. Then I’m 100% sure they will say yes. And if they don’t say yes, they’re not your ideal client because the client grows with you. They’re open to conversation, they’re open to anything. I have clients that I have been working with since 2023, and I’ve changed my rate three times. And they’ve always said yes, not because they have more money to spend. I mean, they do it because they know that if they go to somebody else, at the end of the day, they will have to start from scratch and they will have to connect again on a deeper level, personal level. They would rather, you know, spend a little bit more with me, but be sure that if they tell me, ask me to learn something, I will be willing to do so, and I will succeed. Not succeed just for me, as a professional or as a person, but give them the success they are looking for.

 

Best Advice for New VAs

 

Matt, you’re bringing so much value! What is one piece of advice that you would give to those reading this or watching the replay? They might be new virtual assistants. They might already have a business. What is one piece of advice you would want everybody to hear today?

 

I know many other people have said it, but just do it! Virtual assistance can mean anything. You can really express yourself and have what you deserve and you dream about without all of the hustling and sacrifices that you have to make when you work for someone else. Perfectionism will try to slow you down and will tell you, you are not ready. You cannot get to that point or, you know, sign that client. Just ignore it. Don’t let it happen, and you will succeed. It’s just a matter of doing it. That’s all.

 

Just do it. Just make the decision. I remember when I was researching virtual assistance, I had that gut feeling of, oh, is this what I’ve been looking for? Is this what I’ve been wanting? And it started pretty early in my research, but it only grew stronger as I continued and I couldn’t ignore it. Right? Like, you might be having those same gut feelings, whether it’s to start, or whether it’s to raise your prices or whether it’s to fire a client. Listen to that and just do it. Open yourself up to the possibilities.

 

Matt, what are some of the mindset hurdles that you had to get over, even as a beginner VA?

 

To be honest, I didn’t even have time to think about it because when I decided I wanted to launch it I just put myself out there! I just started marketing myself the best way I could on Instagram, putting up reels, which were mostly just to show my expertise. Then, of course, my strategy changed throughout the years. When I got my first client, I wasn’t even ready! Like literally – I wasn’t ready. I didn’t have a contract. I mean, I had it, but it was in English from The Virtual Savvy, so I had to translate it into Italian. 

 

I’m a perfectionist. Even when, you know, I was trying to choose my branding name or my colors and stuff, I was stuck. So, as you said, just put yourself out there and be yourself, be honest with the people you are contacting. Abbey has said this many times in her videos and also in The SavvySystem Virtual Assistant Course, this magic term, which is value first! Don’t think that you are not enough. As I said, research the person and you will find a way to give them value and they will come to you, even if you don’t have experience! This is my personal experience. My first client was my ideal client, as I mentioned. I said, I’m not ready for her. However, when she came on board, I mean, when we did the discovery call, I knew everything about her. So, when I pitched myself – I actually touched her soul, and she said yes because of that. So yeah, just put yourself out there!

 

Oh, the research piece, the value first piece! So important! If we take that approach of how I can connect to this individual as a person it can speak volumes of how much you actually do care. Because yes, we are in this to start a business, make money, and to grow and prosper as individuals and as families. However, I would venture to guess that everybody, deep down, actually cares, right? And if you don’t care and you’re not here to do good work and to take care of your clients, you might not be in the right place, right? And so, if that potential client sees and experiences that you do care, it speaks volumes over your resume, over your previous work examples. Doing your research, showing value, and showing that you care can change not only the trajectory of your conversations, but your business. 

 

Matt, you are just phenomenal! You’ve been so fun to have as a guest. You have communicated brilliantly and you are so inspiring and encouraging to others.

 

Watch this interview on YouTube!

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