Melissa Smith is the Founder & CEO of the Association of Virtual Assistants and The PVA. She’s also the bestselling author of, Hire the Right Virtual Assistant and Become A Successful Virtual Assistant. Drawing from her experience while working on five different continents Melissa truly understands how to operate a successful virtual business. Melissa has been quoted by ABC News, Forbes, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. News & World Report, and was named a female entrepreneur to watch in 2021.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I began my career as an executive assistant. I went to secretary school (back when that’s what we were called) and it’s all I ever wanted to do. My mother was also an executive assistant. As a little girl, I remember visiting my mom at work and how everyone praised her. I would commonly hear, “We couldn’t run the office without your mother”. I knew I wanted to grow up and be just like my mom with the mission and privilege of assisting others.

What I didn’t know was how the role of an EA would evolve over time and the opportunities the future held for me.

What inspired you to start your business?

The desire to spend more time with my children inspired me to start a business. In 2012, just three days into a new EA role, my husband committed suicide and my entire world changed. A year later I would move back to my home state of California to be near family and start a new life. I had a wonderful job as an EA to the Associate Head of School and I absolutely loved the work I was doing. I had no intentions of leaving or starting my own business. However, my daughter was not happy and wanted to move back to her home in Georgia. I knew I had to give her what she needed, soI went to my boss to give my two weeks’ notice and he said, “We don’t want to lose you. How can we keep you?” I told him that I didn’t have to be in the office. I could do most of what I did virtually. He said, “Okay. Let’s do that.” I became the first remote employee ever.

Several weeks later, new contracts were sent out for the following year. When I received my contract, I hesitated to sign and thought about starting my own virtual assistant business. Starting my own business would allow me the opportunity to be a better mother to my daughter at home, my son away at college, and spend more time with family across the country. In a short time, I had been working remotely, I experienced a new level of freedom and flexibility and knew I wanted more. Without a business plan or any idea of how to run a business, I naively sent my contract back unsigned and decided I was going to start my own business. I had no idea that in a few short years I would write my first book, travel the world, and start more businesses! 

Where is your business based?

I am location independent and have run my business from five continents. I do keep a home base in Athens, GA to be near my daughter. That’s the great thing about being a virtual assistant – I have lots of options!

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

The first steps I took were to get a tax identification number, set up a bank account so I could accept money, and then I began telling everyone what I was doing. Networking with potential clients and virtual assistants alike was very instrumental, as was joining associations.

Assistants know better than anyone that you can’t do business alone, nor would you want to. I took my own advice and joined several associations to begin learning everything I didn’t know about business - which was a lot. Doing the work of a virtual assistant was easy and something I felt very comfortable doing. Running a business would prove to be much more challenging.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Writing is my preferred method of communication and I poured myself into writing original content. It was important to raise awareness of how virtual assistants work with their clients. I was also writing to help the reader gain insight into what it would be like to work with me. Articles and blogs later turned into books and it wasn’t long before I had potential clients reaching out to me. Being able to share content is crucial in raising awareness.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Easily the biggest challenge I had, in the beginning, was switching from an employee mindset to an entrepreneurial mindset. I knew how to be the best employee, the best assistant. What I didn’t know was how to run a successful business. Particularly when it came to my fees and how to make money.  

There are a lot of quotes and discussions around the topic of doing what you love so you’ll never work a day in your life. That has some truth to it. I definitely loved what I was doing and didn’t feel like I was working even though I was putting in really long hours. However, the reality was I wasn’t making enough money. I didn’t have a business. I had a really expensive hobby.  

I hired a business coach and one I couldn’t afford at the time. I knew I wouldn’t be in business for long if I didn’t figure out the right pricing nor could I stay in business if I didn’t understand the fundamentals. Going back to work for someone else wasn’t an option. I decided if I was going to fail it was because I had tried everything I could. My business coach was instrumental in so many ways. After I began working with her, I quickly recouped my investment and started signing the right contracts that fit the lifestyle I wanted, doing the work I loved, and work that allowed me to grow my business.

Now, I’m more likely to be quoted on money than any other topic. Part of the services I offer is helping virtual assistants create Perfectly Priced Packages. There are a lot of challenges you’ll face as an entrepreneur. If you’re not making money fast enough to stay in business, you won’t get the opportunity to overcome them. 

How do you stay focused?

It’s always been easy for me to stay focused. As an assistant, one of my greatest strengths was creating a natural working rhythm for those I supported. I had them doing the right things at the right time. There was a natural flow to do their day without competing priorities. I’ve set myself up the same way. I know what I need to get done and when. More importantly, I know when I do my best work and the rhythm that eliminates distractions. 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

To differentiate yourself in business you must create the right experience. As someone who lives for and enjoys experiences over things, I cater to a clientele who are accustomed to a certain level of service that creates a personalized experience.

I’m also fierce about content and sharing my original thoughts and ideas. Consistency is the best karma you can create for your business. Having peaks and valleys in your business is a clear sign that you’re not consistent in all areas of your business. There is no one to compete with when they don’t show up. Everyone hits a wall. When I hit a wall I figure out how to get through it, over it, under it, or around it. I’ve also decided that I’m not in the business of competing. Rather I’m in the business of collaboration. Having a scarcity mindset because you’re focused on the competition won’t get you far. When you believe in abundance and work to collaborate with others, you’ll have more business than you know what to do with. 

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Sharing original content and networking is still the best strategy for growing my business. Too many businesses get complacent and tired of sharing what they have been putting out for years. If the biggest names in business continue to market even though they are household names, then what would make me think I don’t have to? Content is also something that can outlive and outwork me. When people talk about creating passive income, they rarely talk about passive content. Your content is not only king or queen, it has the ability to outlive you and become your legacy.

Networking unlocks opportunities and creates a great consistency for karma to work with. If you’re only networking to get something, you’re in it for the wrong reasons. Networking is to be of value and to add value. Too many people only network when they want something, never give anything, and then get frustrated. In order to grow, you have to take action. Doing nothing produces zero results and doesn’t allow for opportunities to present themselves. Continuously growing your network continuously expands your circle of opportunities.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Get started! For someone like me, starting a business naively and jumping right into it was the best thing I could have done. If I would have known all that was required to run a successful business I may have been too overwhelmed trying to get everything perfect instead of making the necessary mistakes I needed to learn from.

Perfection is your enemy. Done is always better than perfect when you’re first starting out. It’s like being on the edge of the diving board wanting to jump and being scared. The longer you wait the more excuses you’ll come up with not to jump. The more you’ll allow people standing on the sidelines to tell you what you want can’t be done or someone else is already doing it. The longer you wait, the longer you’ll ultimately delay your dream from coming true.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

As an avid reader, this is a really tough question. Dorie Clark’s book, Entrepreneurial You is definitely at the top of the list. Dorie is an incredible writer and teacher, sharing knowledge in an easily digestible format, breaking down each step to help you create a strong foundation and a success ladder that you’ll want to climb! 

I’ve read every one of Dorie’s books, have taken her online course Recognized Expert, and worked with her in person. She’s the real deal.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Easily, my favorite business tool is my calendar scheduling tool. Working with individuals around the world and across so many different time zones it’s the best time-saver. It reduces the number of back and forth emails. Additionally, for my paid meetings I no longer even have to invoice. Payment is made at the time of the booking. My calendar is sacred to me because of how I choose to spend my time. A tool that helps me keep my time sacred has to be my favorite.

Who is your business role model? Why?

Dorie Clark is my business role model. She is one of the most generous thought leaders you’ll find. From her newsletters, blogs, courses, books, and interviews Dorie consistently shares proven strategies for business. She is as authentic as they come, and you know you’re never being sold some “get-rich-quick” scheme. As one of the leading business experts in the world, it’s a gift that she shares all of her knowledge.  

How do you balance work and life?

I don’t believe in work-life balance. Balance to me is giving equal attention to work and life simultaneously. Not everything requires equal attention. Being in balance all the time isn’t my goal either. I enjoy the peaks in business and all the excitement that comes with it. I’ve learned the most during the times I felt as though I was in a valley. What I’ve learned is the most important to me is to take care of myself when I’m in the peaks or valleys.

Whether you are someone who believes in work-life balance or are more interested in self-care like me, it’s crucial that it makes it onto the calendar. You must make time. I plan time for myself, with my family and friends, and for my mental well-being. I learned the hard way that practicing self-care requires energy. I’ve depleted my energy more times than I’d like to admit which then creates a vicious cycle of desperately needing self-care to restore my energy but not having the energy to take care of myself. Planning has a way of making sure that my energy tank doesn’t get depleted so that practicing self-care doesn’t become a chore, rather something I look forward to.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Travel! The excitement of planning a trip is unparalleled for me. In fact, the time I spend before the flight leaves, watching planes take-off and land is my most relaxing time. It’s because during that time I find myself the most grateful. I begin to list all the things I’m grateful for in life and in business.

With the recent changes in travel, I honestly had a very hard time decompressing and finding my new normal. Then I realized if I just practiced the same habit as I do in the airport lounge, I could achieve the same results. Listing everything I’m grateful for and the people, experiences, and things I love is how I start and end my workday.  

What do you have planned for the next six months?

A lot! I’ll be creating a lot of new content, writing another book, and starting a brand new virtual assistant marketplace. I haven’t made all my plans for self-care yet, but you can bet as I schedule all this working time, I’ll be packing my calendar full of ways to care for myself.  

How can our readers connect with you?

I’m very active on LinkedIn and would be happy to connect there. They can also email me directly at melissa@associationofvas.com or visit our website https://associationofvas.com/.