How I Became a Virtual Assistant
My virtual assistant journey started similarly to my blogging journey. One day I decided to make a blog. The next thing I knew it was up and running and everything in between was a blur.
Let’s go back a little bit further…
Coincidently (no such thing) the shadow work prompt I did today was “where did your passion start?” At first I couldn’t think of what my passion was. But then I started thinking of virtual assisting and something clicked.
It all began with writing. When I was in middle school I used to write fiction stories. I would hand write them on loose pieces of lined paper and kept them in a blue folder under my bed. I would write fan-fiction from my favorite books and post them online. In high school, I still was writing, but now for the school newspaper. I wanted to be a journalist for a little bit. (Let’s be real, I could never make it as a journalist, so glad that ship sailed).
In college I started blogging. Blogging was what really introduced me to social media. I had active social media profiles back then, but nothing like now. That was in 2018. There was so much to learn back then. I was just so excited with this new path that I just leapt toward any new information without even researching it or, really, even thinking about the outcome at all.
My blog posts were bland and typical, my social media posts were basic and, let’s be honest, cringy. But I wouldn’t trade any of it.
When I graduated college in 2019 my goal was to get a job at a marketing agency. At this point I didn’t realize it, but I completely doubted myself, I didn’t believe in myself at all. Over the summer I found an unpaid internship with a branding and design business. I was excited because this was really what I wanted to do, work with online businesses like this. I would write blog posts, manage the Facebook group, and she would assign me little tasks as part of big projects she was working on for clients. I really did learn a lot. After the internship ended she asked me to officially come onto the team, which was amazing!
But I was a completely different person back then. I wasn’t quite ready for that kind of work, and I was definitely not the best employee and I will admit that. A month into it I got a full time job at the Hotel and wasn’t able to take on the commitment.
I had finally gotten a ‘big girl’ job! I was so happy to be seen as ‘successful’ in the eyes of society. The job was great. The team was great, the work was fun, and I knew I could find connections in this role. But it wasn’t officially…it.
When the pandemic hit I was laid off, with expectations to be called back to work when everything was back to normal (if only we knew…). For months I thought I was going back there and enjoyed my ‘time off’.
Then it hit me.
What if I didn’t go back. Maybe this isn’t for me. I thought about it for a little while longer and, without having a true plan, I called my director and told her that I wouldn’t be coming back. That was over the summer. As you can see, it took months to get to this point after that.
I took some time for myself. I went on a lot of walks, read a lot of books, took multiple trips (safely) and then decided, ok it’s time to start taking action.
I took huge risks. I spent a ton of money on new branding and this website (don’t regret it one bit!) but I knew people around me would think I was crazy. At first I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing. I was so scared of what the people closest to me would think. I knew that their approval, or disapproval, could break me. I still haven’t told my parents. (As I’m typing this I know I have too).
But then magical things started happening. I began to trust in the universe. I completely surrendered to it and let go of any specific outcome.
I had been putting this off for weeks, but on January 4th, 2021 I did all the ‘official business things’. I registered as an official business and got everything set up. I knew I was on the right path because a few days prior to this I received a check in the mail. It was from an oil change I had MONTHS ago. They had double charged me and refunded me $35. That was the EXACT amount of money I needed to register my business with the town. That was a clear sign from the universe.
As I started to prepare for the launch similar things started to happen. I was bringing in so much abundance and every time something happened I would write about how grateful I was for it. Sometimes I still have no idea what I’m doing, but I know I can do this.