Check Kaitlyn out at www.virtuallyvital.co  and @virtuallyvitalva  on Instagram & Facebook and give her some encouragement.

First, let me start out by saying – I love this series! We get to hear about the lives of real Virtual Assistants who have done the thing, have been successful, been able to quit their 9-5 jobs and are thriving and growing their businesses. Kaitlyn, thank you for joining us! We’re so excited to learn more about you. Can you give us a picture of who you are?

 

Yeah, I’d love to.  My name is Kaitlyn Lowther, although you can find me on socials under Kaitlyn Blair! I am in the Northern Virginia area. I’ve been married for almost two years and a half to my amazing husband. We used to live in Blacksburg, Virginia – we went to Virginia Tech, and he recently graduated. So that’s super exciting! He’s in his master’s program right now. Anyway, I am a Systems Specialist for wedding professionals. I love it. It’s so fun!

 

Yes! We’re going to dive into how your business has transformed here shortly. But first, what’s your husband’s name? Are you guys born and raised in Virginia? Did you transplant to Virginia?

 

His name’s Aaron, and he’s the best! He’s born and raised here – went to elementary, middle school, and high school, all within the same street. But I moved around. I think I went to eight different schools growing up. We met in high school, in the marching band together. So, I’ve known him since I was 13. We were friends, and now we’re married!

 

That’s awesome! Well, congratulations on almost two years! So fun. Alright, let’s dive into virtual assistance. When did you start your business? And, let’s even back up a little bit, tell us what life looked like before virtual assistance.

 

My story is a little different, because I started my business when I was 19, as a college student. I wanted to be able to go to classes, set my own rates, and work around my class schedule. Before that, I hated every job. I was a DoorDash driver because I was able to work around my schedule. I was a server at one point, and I even worked at an Amazon warehouse near me. I liked that job because I was able to pick my schedule and work around my classes. All in all, I was really drawn to that. But, it was pretty chaotic just with classes and then trying to find a job that would pay for, you know, my rent, my tuition. Just everything. It was really stressful, honestly. It was chaotic, pure chaos. 

 

How did you find virtual assistance? Did somebody introduce it to you? 

 

Yeah, I actually saw a TikTok in 2021. Maybe like April-ish. It was this other virtual assistance coach, she was like, “oh, you can choose your own hours, set your own rates, you can work with who you want!” And I was like, this is a scam. This is too good to be true! I didn’t think about it for a while, but then I would go to work, at the Amazon warehouse, and I would think, oh, if only I could work and make $30 an hour as opposed to my $10 an hour doing this. And then I could be at home, maybe putting on a show in the background! I kind of daydreamed about that. I was miserable. Then I would come home and do some research, and found that virtual assistance is legit! It’s just owning your business, and while I didn’t like that other coach because she didn’t really go into much depth, there was one person on YouTube that was like, yeah, I was able to start my business in three days because of the SavvySystem Virtual Assistant Course. Then she said, “they have a lot of great free resources and here’s their Facebook group!” So, I joined the Facebook group and I watched all the free stuff and I was like, okay, this is what I need to do, at least while I’m in school. I can maybe work on Saturdays and then not work Mondays or something, and I can work while I’m waiting for classes, like in transition.

 

I love that. There are several things I want to pull out. First of all, way to think outside of the box, as a college student! I can’t even imagine if I would’ve had this available to me when I went to college. And, it does sound too good to be true! I saw a question along the lines of, can you really do this anywhere in the world? Absolutely. You can. Then, can you choose your own services? Yes. Next, can you choose the rate? Yes. What about, can you make the choice who you get to work with? Yes. We often question whether those things are too good to be true. But diving into it, and doing your research, that is what we encourage you to do! Yes, virtual assistance is real. It is a great option for anybody. College students, young parents, older parents looking to retire. You can make it work for you.

 

Ok, so you found SavvySystem Virtual Assistant Course, and found The Virtual Savvy kind of through research and YouTube. When did you officially join the SavvySystem and get started?

 

I think it was July of 2021, when I watched the Booked Out VIrtual Assistant webinar. After that there was a discount to the SavvySystem. I think it lasted for three days maybe, and I purchased the last day at like 11 o’clock at night or something. Right before it expired. It was a big investment and so I was nervous, especially as a college kid. I’m like, am I going to get this money back? But I was also like, you know what? I have to do it. There’s not really any other way I’m going to be able to afford to live if I don’t do this.

 

I can relate to you in much of that, and I’m sure many others can, too. When I joined the SavvySystem Virtual Assistant Course, I was on a tight budget. I was a stay at home mom. My husband worked, but we only had one income and we didn’t have a whole lot of expendable cash. I had never purchased an online course before. It felt new, but it also felt really exciting. And just like you, I had that feeling in my gut of this is it. I can make this work for what I need. I loved hearing other people’s stories, just like yours. I loved the way that Abbey taught and loved the free resources that I consumed. It was a no brainer. It was a big investment, but I knew I wanted to take the opportunity. 

 

Let’s think back. You’re taking the course. Abbey takes you step by step through what it looks like to start a virtual assistant business from scratch. Where did you find clients? When did you find your first client? What did you offer? Tell us a little bit about that. 

 

I actually got my first client within two weeks. As a 19 year old college student, I didn’t feel like I had a lot of experience that I could bring to the table. I found a lot of my clients through the SavvySystem Facebook Community exclusive job opps, and then also through the Virtual Assistant Savvies Facebook group. I was able to get a lot of discovery calls because Abbey always talks about adding value. I would get into the discovery calls, and then they would be like, oh, well we are looking for someone with some experience. That was a little discouraging, but then I was like, okay, let me be a subcontractor. Let me work with another virtual assistant so that I get some hands-on experience and I can learn processes that way. And yeah, the first call I had with someone, I think there were like 300 applications, but because I went to her website, found a typo, and created a little Canva graphic and sent it to her, she basically hired me on the spot. She was like, you are so good. You pay such good attention to detail. She taught me so much and was amazing to work with. So, that was like within two weeks. Then I got a few other clients just through my circle. I knew some other business owners, one that was actually in the wedding industry, and I still sometimes work with her. Talking to people about my business was very beneficial as well.

 

And then what services did you start with?

 

I was a general VA, just really doing whatever they needed off their plate.

 

Oh, I love that. You started where you could and with what you had. Like, okay, what can I start with right now? What we don’t want you to do as a new Virtual Assistant is try to go learn the biggest, most complicated thing, even things we might think are the most desired skills out there. No. We want you to start with, what can you offer right now – today? And I love how you referenced the exclusive job opps that happen inside of our SavvySystem Facebook Community.

 

Many of you may already be in our free group, Virtual Assistant Savvies, and we have job opps in there all the time. However, inside of our SavvySystem group, we have exclusive job opps that are available to SavvySystem students. 

 

Even though those discovery calls you mentioned may not have turned into yeses, they gave you practice! Exposure, right? And the other thing, you realized that you have to stand out in the crowd. There may be a job opp shared, and then there’s fifty comments. You have to figure out a way to be noisy and be heard above the crowd. ‘Value first’ is one of the best ways to do that. Kaitlyn just took some time, did a little bit of research, and found that typo on the website. She used that and said, “Hey, I would love to help and support you. Here’s a problem that I see.” Looking for a potential issue or a pain point and bringing it forward to the client is one way to help you add value!

 

Ok, you started with general admin services. What kind of people did you work with?

 

At this point, it was really anyone who posted a job. I was like, I need money! I found most of my clients through the SavvySystem job opps. And, because I made a personal connection with potential clients and I did value first, I was able to at least get a discovery call with like 90% of applications that I sent in. That gave me freedom to kind of be like, oh, okay, now that I have the financial resources and have landed some clients, let me learn other things. Like now I’m not focused on just needing any client.

 

As you’re talking, I’m thinking of the term discovery call. That may be a new term to some. I love that it’s called a discovery call instead of just an interview. Truly the reality is that you, as the Virtual Assistant, are discovering whether or not this is a client to work with. While the client is going to make the choice of if they want to hire you, you ultimately get to say yes or no to working with them. That’s what a discovery call is. You get to have that conversation and decide, is this a good fit? Can I help this particular client? Can I help solve their pain point? Do we match in personality? That’s the purpose of the discovery call, it’s not just a job interview. 

 

How has what you offer changed? You’re not just offering general admin anymore, what kind of services have you pivoted into?

 

Things have changed so much! I was also in the SavvyVault, so I had those resources. And, one of the Virtual Assistants that I was subcontracting with, she was working with a copywriting agency and she did some social media stuff. I was kind of in the realm of doing hashtag research, creating graphics. Then I used the SavvyVault to really learn about social media management and pivoted to offering that. I was engaged, and so I was in that wedding mindset already and found I was kind of naturally marketing that direction. I ended up working with several wedding photographers. I did social media management and then I got really burnt out from it because of all the changing algorithms and all the reels and just, it was a lot. So then I was like, okay, let me do copywriting. Because I liked the writing aspect. I worked with several copywriting agencies, but then chat GPT came out, and several of the agencies folded. Then I kind of went back to the general admin, but it wasn’t fulfilling. So I thought of “who do I like to serve” and “what do I like doing.” This led me to becoming a Systems Specialist for wedding professionals, and I love it. 

 

Being able to master the pivot is so essential as a business owner. You went this direction, you tried it, and then pivoted this other direction. I love it!! Let’s dive into my next question. When you first started your business, you were a college student, and you wanted something flexible. Something that you could do in between your schedule, but also make some really good money. How has your why changed? Would you say it’s changed at all?

 

It has changed! My first why was to make it through college. Then, I started my business in July of 2021. I was a junior in college at the time. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I had changed my major about three times. By November of 2021, I had gotten to a point with my business where I couldn’t do college and my business at the same time. So I was like, I’m going to take a break for this semester and go full-time with my business, see what happens. And then by February of 2022, I had signed, I think, two clients who were $1,500 a month with social media and I was outsourcing to four freelancers. So I was like, okay, this is what I need to do. And then because I wasn’t in college anymore, my why had to change. My why became that I want to have a family one day. I wanted to be a stay at home mom. That’s still kind of my why, but I’ve dreamed even bigger. My why now, is to have my husband be a stay at home dad while I work. He talks about that all the time. So that’s now my why!

 

Oh, I love that. And he’s supporting you every step of the way! It’s so good to walk ourselves through that journey and remind us – what was it about starting this virtual assistant business that was so important at the time? And then, being real. Life changes, and that why is going to shift and change. 

 

Yeah, I mean, I wasn’t expecting to do this full-time. I just started it so I could have money to pay for college and to pay my rent! But, you know, the SavvySystem Virtual Assistant Course literally changed my entire life. I was going to be a second grade teacher, and now I am doing something completely different, working with amazing people, and I love it.

 

Yes! That’s another great thing about virtual assistance is that you get to make the choices. Why you’re doing this, what you’re going to do, when you’re going to do it, how much you’re going to charge, who you’re going to work with. YOU get to make all of those choices!

We kind of heard a little bit about what life looked like and what life looks like now. How many clients do you have? Do you have a team? Describe what business looks like.

 

Right now, because I’ve pivoted so much, I have one freelancer that I occasionally work with. I outsource some of my social media, but that’s very limited. I mostly work on a project-by-project basis, so every month is different! Right now I’m working with about 3 wedding planners on their Honeybook accounts, making some content for coaches and partnering with other companies to help their clients with Honeybook and Dubsado. For one of my clients, I’m still working as a subcontractor. I’ve been working with her for almost three years, because she is so nice! Then there’s a real estate agent that I’ve been working with for two years, and I just love her and I love what I do with her, so I’ve kept her. Just because you change services doesn’t mean that you have to let all of your clients go. I mean, eventually that’s the goal, you know, for me at least, is to work just with wedding professionals, but I love all my clients that I’m working with currently and what they do. 

 

Oh, I love that you said that too, because that’s what we want! That’s why we make this decision for ourselves, is that there is enjoyment to be had. We want you to love what you’re doing and enjoy who you get to work with. And if it’s not a good fit, we don’t have to continue to do it. We can part ways. We can get out of that relationship and break the shackles, so to speak, of the corporate trap that so many of us fall into. SO GOOD!

 

Kaitlyn was also a member of SavvyCircle, which was our mastermind group, to help those ready to grow and scale. While we don’t have SavvyCircle available at this time, this was something we worked on inside of the program, identifying your niche. Like, what are those key services that you love doing? And, do we see any key people that you love working with? And, in the process, does anything come to light? Because what we don’t want to happen is that you launch your business and you scale or niche too fast. We want you to be able to experience being a Virtual Assistant and try things out and offer services and work with people to figure out who you want to serve. I’m so excited for you, Kaitlyn, to have that identified and now be moving towards that direction!

 

Like you were saying, I just didn’t know what I wanted to do. It felt very foggy. Then, I participated in a niche workshop inside of SavvyCircle. I kind of had an idea of what I wanted, but then after that workshop, it was just like the fog parted. I was like, this is exactly what I love and who I love to work with. It was great!

 

Yesss! Ok, let’s talk to those who are just starting out or are considering starting their own virtual assistant business. What piece of advice would you give to them?

 

I have two things. One, do it scared! A few months ago there was a workshop with a specialist and she kind of did what I was doing and she said to just do it scared because if you let that fear stay with you, you’re not going to grow. You’re not going to be where you want to be. That was right before I was a guest on a podcast, and I was doing my first networking live event as a Systems Specialist. So, that was like exactly what I needed to hear. Do it scared. And then the other thing I would say, is to network within your community. Post on your personal social media about your business. And if that’s nerve wracking, which it was for me, don’t think about it. Just post it and run! Put your phone down. Don’t think, because if you think about it you’re not going to do it. I got three clients that way! And I think one was within the first month, too. That was my first legit, non subcontracting client – all because I posted on social media. 

That’s so good! Do it scared. There is so much learning that happens when we step out of our comfort zone. Always be talking. I had never had online conversations with people, or just met random people to have coffee chats before. But you know, that’s one of the ways that you can build connections and grow relationships. Those connections and those relationships that I was willing to have, stepping out of my comfort zone, even if it was just for five minutes, completely transformed my business. And, for all of us, it’s going to look very different. It’s identifying what stepping out of our comfort zone looks like for us. Doing so can lead to amazing things!

 

Now, this one is often a challenging question, but if you could go back in time, what is a piece of advice that you would give to your 19-year-old self in college?

 

I would say to relax, just relax and give yourself breaks. There were times where I felt like if I wasn’t working, I wasn’t being productive in my business. So, I’d work until like eight or nine o’clock at night just because it felt like I wasn’t doing what I needed within my business and I quickly got burned out. I had been on a roll with getting discovery calls for so long and then all of a sudden it was crickets for a month. Don’t panic and be like, oh my gosh, I need to change my services! Like, it’s okay. Take a breath. Give it time. Relax. That’s what I would say.

 

I’ve seen that so many times! Riding the business rollercoaster is a real thing. You’re going to have high moments where you are on top of the world and having a blast. And there’s going to be times when you’re sitting in the valley and things are a little bit difficult and you have to climb back up. It’s in those moments of climbing back up, we can’t get tense or stress out or try to blow it up. No. Just relax. What’s the very next step that I need to take and keep moving forward to climb up that hill? That’s such great advice. 

 

Kaitlyn, I have loved hearing your story. So many relatable points. You are amazing. Thank you so much for joining us!

 

Check Kaitlyn out at www.virtuallyvital.co  and @virtuallyvitalva  on Instagram & Facebook and give her some encouragement.