2020 - The Year of the Side Hustle
I’ve also heard ‘Year of the Pivot’ floating around - both are accurate ways to describe 2020 - it was a year that demanded more from us. More patience, more resilience, and more creativity.
Hey, my name is Brittany - you may know me as the Billing Manager at Active Living Chiropractic & Massage, but I’m also a Virtual Assistant.
I've always been interested in social media - and specifically harnessing the power of social media to earn an income online. So making the decision to dive in a try this, was an easy (albeit scary) one for me. I dove in feet first and just started consuming everything I could about social media and working online. My very first endeavor was a parenting blog and while it didn’t last very long, what it did do was give me a taste for what social media could have to offer.
I ended up in Social Media Management (no surprise here); and the serendipitous, coming full circle moment here, is that it kind of all started with Active Living, and specifically Mel’s support. In February of 2018 she asked me if I would start an Instagram page for the clinic, and the rest is truly history. I honestly couldn’t tell you if I ever would have had the confidence to go after this dream, if it wasn’t for the support and unwavering belief in my abilities that I received from Dr. Melanie Brandt, my boss.
Since then, I've dabbled in a few other things, and learned a ton about social media and digital marketing, but I always found myself being drawn back to social media management. Then, over this past summer, I kept seeing this title of Virtual Assistant floating around - and that was when everything just sort of clicked.
Why did becoming a Virtual Assistant come so naturally to me? Well if you know me this one is self-explanatory but if you don’t, let me summarize for you. I’m wired to be a VA - and I mean that with my entire freaking soul. I am naturally: Organized, highly structured & plan oriented, a data and spreadsheet junkie; I’ve got that eye for detail like no other (don’t try to fool me, I’ll see your mistakes 😅), and I’m all about content aesthetics (I just like to make things look pretty). I’m also a decent writer (hello writing camps as a kid - by choice!) SO when I realized what a Virtual Assistant was, I HAD TO make this happen. It’s who I am, so here we are.
Now you may be asking, what the heck is a Virtual Assistant???
I'll start with the textbook version: "A Virtual Assistant is an independent contractor who provides administrative services to clients while operating outside of the client's office." But I like to think of a VA more like this: Your new business bestie, and an extension of your brand. Someone that frees up your time & energy to focus on the important stuff - like the future of your business. Your VA is someone to bounce ideas off of, map out business strategy & upcoming projects with; and someone to help you take action towards your vision for your business.
Virtual Assisting encompasses a broad range of tasks, & not every VA will do all of them. So just like with any other position you want to make sure you find the right fit. VA tasks include social media graphics design, research, branding, data entry, CRM creation/management, video/podcast editing, & literally anything & everything in between. If there's a business task you want to delegate - there will be a VA out there that does it.
Finding the right fit in a VA for your business is so important. Your VA is an extension of your business & your brand, & you don't want to put your business in the hands of just anybody. Choose someone who knows your brand, understands your vision, & is excited to bring that vision into reality. I know it's a little 'woo-woo' but there's a lot to be said about finding someone with the right energy.
I officially launched my Virtual Assisting business this past September, and have been completely overwhelmed by the response - in the best way possible. This work is truly what lights me up inside. Knowing that I can have an impact not only in making someone’s life easier, but also in helping them achieve their vision for their business, is the greatest feeling in the world! So if you’re a business owner or entrepreneur and you’ve ever thought about outsourcing tasks in your business, I say go for it! I've witnessed first hand, the difference it can make when a business owner lessens their workload so they can focus on the tasks within their zone of genius - they're like a brand new freaking human, and I want that for you! In addition to Active Living, I've taken on 2 more clients since September, and I'm super excited to help other businesses scale and grow in 2021!
Whether you're a friend, a business associate/colleague, a client, or a future client, I appreciate you for hearing my story. While 2020 was the year of the pivot, I believe 2021 will be a year of unbelievable growth.
Cheers to an amazing year ahead!
Brittany
Looking to find more about my Virtual Assisting services:
https://oa-virtual-assisting.mailchimpsites.com/
Have questions or want to get in touch?:
Email: brittanybradshaw@icloud.com
Facebook: @oa.virtualassisting
Instagram: @oa.virtualassisting