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The Highs and Lows of Entrepreneurship

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the highs and lows of entrepreneurship

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In today’s solo episode, we’re celebrating the Virtual Assistant (VA) Studio’s two-year anniversary! I officially filed the paperwork in July 2020 to start the VA Studio. A part of me feels like it was yesterday and another part feels like it was forever ago. So in honor of celebrating this big milestone, I’m sharing the highs and the lows of entrepreneurship. 

Pivotal Moment in Business

It was this same time two years ago that stands out as the pivotal moment in my business. My family and I were in the north Georgia mountains for my brother’s wedding, and we were all staying in a cabin with little-to-no WiFi. And I remember trying to find a hot spot with my phone because I had several calls set up with potential clients. I couldn’t afford to have boundaries at that time, so I said I’ll make it work!

Long story short, I landed three new clients that weekend. That was the moment that pushed me over the edge from that freelancer to a full-fledged business owner with real revenue. 

Business Transformation 

If you would have told me five years ago that I’d be running an online virtual assistant business, I wouldn’t have believed you. My actual dream when I was young was to go to a big name college and work in a fancy office in New York City. Instead I have spit up on my shoulder half the time, and work in my home office. But I would NEVER change a thing and absolutely love it!

Today’s episode is about showing you just how much is possible in such a short amount of time. 

In my corporate job that I had before starting the VA Studio, I learned a lot of foundational skills to be a good business leader like how to hire and retain team members, how to train and how to build a business that you can scale sustainably. 

The Highs and Lows of Entrepreneurship

If we have to work and earn money to support a lifestyle we want, then why wouldn’t we want to spend that time doing something that’s worth it? And I think that’s what entrepreneurship is about. It’s more than just a job. It brings value to you, sparks passion and lights up your soul. I like to end on a high note, so I’m sharing the lows of entrepreneurship first. 

The Lows of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship Can Be Lonely

The first low of entrepreneurship is that it can be lonely. I’m a people person, and can talk to just about anybody. I enjoyed the connection of my team at my corporate job and interacting with like-minded individuals. However, I recharge when I’m by myself. So the fact that I can work at my home office makes me happy.  

Everything Falls on You

If you’re prone to crack under pressure, entrepreneurship may not be the best job for you. I think that this taught me to work on mindset. So that the rest will fall into place as it should. But the cool thing is because you’re the sole decision maker, it also gives you the ability to make some really cool decisions. 

Worst case scenario, if the VA Studio never grew past what we are now, my team and I would be OK. I don’t want that, but we have a solid base line that gives me a sense of security. If you’re new in your business, I encourage you to find out what your base line is and how you can make that as strong as possible.

You Learn As You Go

I don’t think enough people talk about this. However, as an entrepreneur, you kind of learn as you go. Most people don’t go to school to be an online business owner. You just have to take all of your existing skills and put them into action. Things aren’t always perfect, and you have to be OK with that. 

Invest Time, Energy and Money

You have to invest time, energy and money, and trust that you will get a return on investment. However, you have to be OK with not knowing when that will come. But as you grow that time and energy will turn into money. 

Has the Potential to Take Over Your Life

Owning your own business has the potential to take over your life. Don’t get me wrong, everything I’m working on right now is so much fun. But because I love what I do, I would literally work seven days a week and be totally fine with that. And that’s not healthy. So once you have that foundation in place, it’s good to put some boundaries into practice.

The Highs of Entrepreneurship

Launching The Virtual Assistant Studio Course

My number one high will always be launching The Virtual Assistant Studio course. We’ve welcomed over 100 students into the course and so many have gone on to be full-time and part-time virtual assistants.

That brings me to a SPOILER ALERT! The course is getting a total revamp with a new name, new content and a new digital product. Stay tuned for that coming soon!

Hosting the Bold Business Podcast

The second high has been hosting The Bold Business Podcast. I look forward to chatting with you guys every week about business, marketing, life, mom and all the things. 

Being a Guest on the Goal Digger Podcast

If you didn’t know, I had the great opportunity to be on Jenna Kutcher’s, Goal Digger podcast that I think I manifested. I wanted to be on her podcast when she was on episode seven I believe. She now has over 550 episodes. 

Working with Dream Clients

Another high of entrepreneurship is getting to work with DREAM clients. I’ve followed so many of these creators for years, and some have even turned into amazing friends. We have such a respect for one another because we’re all entrepreneurs. 

Hiring Six Women

I’ve been able to hire six women to help our clients and our students. And watching them grow within their roles is probably the best feeling. I love it when I see them working together on projects and answering each other’s questions on Slack. I’m so thankful for them every single day because they’re truly the heart of the VA Studio. 

Welcoming My Second Baby

This doesn’t have to do with business, but have to mention this because he’s such a joy and ray of sunshine. My husband, Josh, and I welcomed our second baby (Wallace) earlier this year. If you haven’t listened to our fertility series on the podcast, Josh and I talked about our journey and experience of becoming parents to our first baby (Beckam) and then to our second. Eventually, we will record Wallace’s birth story. 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about our kids because for me it’s not all about business. It’s about work-life integration. So much of my business supports my life. And so much of my life supports my business. 

And also want to thank YOU for being here and listening to the podcast. It means the world to me! 

Amanda

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I'm Amanda,
your new get-a-grip friend.

I'm a Southern girl with big-city sensibilities. You likely won't hear me saying "ya'll" but I do believe in Southern Hospitality. Most days I've got a baby on my hip and a quickly melting iced coffee in hand. I believe in building the life you want, one actionable step at a time. 

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