A Day in my Life as a Virtual Assistant

I sat down looking at the computer trying to figure out what I should blog about and then it hit me, I have been meaning to share with you guys what it's like to run a VA (Virtual Assistant) business from home! I left my 9-5 just over 1 year ago and I haven't regretted it since!

So, unlike other virtual entrepreneurs, I don't stick to a strict schedule for my work day and I also like my freedom, so I also don't take on too much client work. Every day for me is different, depending on what my schedule is for that day or if I want to sleep in.

With that being said, here is what my schedule looked like today:

>> Woke up at 7:45, stretched for 15 minutes, then got up
>> Made a cup of bullet proof coffee (organic coffee, coconut oil, ghee/grass-fed butter & honey)
>> Sat down at my computer to sort through emails
>> 8:30-12:30 - worked on client's social media scheduling/other work
>> In between client work took a break to dye my hair
>> Scheduled appointment with current client for updates
>> Lunch with the hubby (I made organic Ravioli)
>> Made some home-made larabars, home-made chicken stock
>> Washed the dishes
>> Swept leaves off of deck
>> Listed some items on Swap/Shop
>> Gave away 2 complimentary VA books in exchange for Amazon Reviews
>> Chatted with Hulu rep about updating my plan
>> 4:00-5:00 client phone appointment

Other days, I have more to do such as scheduling my own social media, promoting my current books, work on writing my next book or sometimes I will have a client contact me to do a quick project for a few hours. My job never gets boring, that is for sure!

There are so many perks to working from home that I love. Being able to cook my husband and myself healthy meals all day is something that I never had time for before. Now I am able to cook & bake everything from scratch, which is so much healthier and more budget friendly. I also love that I am not bombarded all day with phone calls or drop-in clients. I rarely use my phone for business except for the rare once a month meeting with a client. I love that I can wake up and begin work whenever I like; especially since I have really bad allergies, working from home has been a lifesaver! I save so much money + time on not having to wear makeup daily and buy an office wardrobe. I love that I can take a day off to go shopping, watch chick flicks or go on a vacay whenever I like! For me, running my own business is more about freedom, than it is about money. When you run your own business, you are free to run it any way that you like and that is the beauty of it!

Not to mention, all of the amazing things that I have learned while working from home. I have met some of the most amazing women online and attended courses + webinars that have taught me beyond what I could have learned at any 9-5. Before starting this business, I didn't have half of the skills that I have now nor the confidence. It's been an amazing journey and I have happily helped several other people start their own VA businesses by sharing my book. I can't believe it's been over 1 year now. I can't wait to see what 2017 holds for me; but no matter what it holds, I know that I can go into any project with the confidence and skills to get the job done!

Okay guys, I hope that you enjoyed "A Day in the Life of a Virtual Assistant." I am about to grab some coffee and I am headed out to take a nice walk outside. It's such a gorgeous day out! If you are interested in a great way to work from home, I would definitely suggest starting out as a Virtual Assistant and learning the ropes first. That way you can figure out what your niche is and how everything works virtually. You can also check out my book on Amazon; "The Ultimate A-Z Guide to Running a Lucrative Virtual Assistant Business!" 

The Ultimate A-Z Guide to Running a Lucrative Virtual Assistant Business in 10 Easy Steps!

Did you enjoy hearing about my VA business? Let me know if you would like another post with more details on the type of work that I do!

Weekly Updates

Happy Friday y'all! How was your week? I currently have a load of laundry washing and just finished washing a few dishes. Even though I stay pretty busy, I have been making a conscious effort on slowing down in my life instead of being so stressed & chaotic. I have also realized that I have to stay away from people who are so obsessed with being chaotic, busy and rushed because they cause my anxiety to worsen. That's the life that they have chosen for themselves, but it's not the life that I want. Okay, enough about that- on to this week's updates!

Here is what went down this week:

|| Visited my Mom last Friday & brought pizza and lasagna for dinner
|| Scheduled hair Appointment for next Wednesday
|| Ordered costume for upcoming Fall Party!
|| Ordered Fall Booties. I am so excited to get them in!
|| Additional client work/hours
|| Applied for some VA work with an awesome company
|| Lots of yard-work! I love working with the hubby, picking up sticks + pine-cones when the weather is so nice in the Fall!
|| Finished the concrete- I ordered top soil which they delivered yesterday and later we will order gravel and plant crepe myrtle trees
|| Cleaned Pantry, Fridge and Freezer (now I need to go food shopping this weekend!)
|| Cleaned Bathroom/organized cabinet
|| I also won a huge gluten free giveaway from Canyon Bakehouse! I actually buy their products, but it was nice to win some that I haven't tried yet.

Another big thing is that I started writing a new book about Health. After going through the past couple of years dealing with GI issues, weight gain, anxiety, etc., I figured that I needed to write a book on everything that has helped me heal. I have prayed for God to show me the things that I am doing that has harmed my body and he has shown me several things lately that has helped me lose some additional weight (6 lbs) and feel better! It's a huge epidemic in the world right now and I want to be able to help other people live a healthy, fulfilling life and not be overweight and sick all of the time.

Honestly, the research part for this book has been so much fun! I always love learning about new ways to live a healthier lifestyle. I have been doing some guinea pig testing (on myself) for the book including an 8 day detox replacing coffee with green tea. That was definitely one of the hardest parts!

That's pretty much it for this week. I am headed outside to go for my daily walk and prayer and then I am going to sit down and figure out a weekend getaway that I can plan soon. I would love something that is full of fun fall-like things- pumpkins, apples, mountains! I want to enjoy this Fall season to the fullest!

What are some things going on with you this week?

My Book is Discounted for this week only!

See some of the reviews about my book and see for yourself!

 5.0 out of 5 stars

TAKE THAT FIRST STEP

By Sharné_Admin on March 2, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

WHERE DO I START???

Well isn't that the very question every person asks themselves when they want to pursue something new 

and out of their comfort zone. However, Melinda Pollard has been very kind to lend a hand to all "starting-up" VAs 

in this amazing, honest and insightful manual on how to take your first step or steps...

When I came across this book, even at first glance, I was impressed and couldn't wait to get my teeth sunk into it 

(like a delicious cupcake). When I finally sat down and started reading it, it felt like Melinda was right there on the 

couch, holding a cup of tea and just handing over all of this wisdom and knowledge that she had discovered. 

That is how easy it was... She has a way of explaining intricate details, in the simplest words so that everyone

can understand and implement it into their lives. The honesty in this book truly represents the person who 

wrote it and that she only wants to help and develop others in their pursuit of a career as a VA.

I would seriously recommend this book as a starting point for any person considering becoming a VA. I can 

guarantee you now, it will save you time, help you start "doing" instead procrastinating and coming up with 

excuses. Go ahead, TAKE THAT FIRST STEP...

5.0 out of 5 starsIt was so refreshing having my feelings validated and a little whisper in my ear saying "There is a better way to live

By Amazon Customer on April 20, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

As I was reading through Melinda's guide I kept finding myself feeling as if this guide was written specifically 

for me. I was able to fully relate to her personal story and she hit on every pressure point I am currently finding 

myself experiencing and even used some of the same phrases I have been finding myself using more and more

during the day. It was so refreshing having my feelings validated and a little whisper in my ear saying "There is a 

better way to live."

I have been doing a lot of research, and have joined several groups, to learn more about virtual assisting and 

how/where to even begin. In the depths of my digging I was finding myself very overwhelmed - to say the least. 

Melinda's guide laid it all out so logically and informatively that you end feeling empowered, not left with the feeling

that you were just attacked by a fire hose.

She touches not only on the top questions people have such as; where do I find clients?! but also questions you 

don't think of right away such as the legalities of beginning your own business.

Hands down, best guide I have read thus far on this topic. Thank you, Melinda, for putting this together and 

helping shine the light for the rest of us who are trying to find the right path forward.

Progress!!

I feel like I'm always saying this, but life has been a little crazy lately and that's a huge understatement! I had a deadline this Saturday to turn in my final manuscript for my new book "From Assistant to #theBossBabe!" and I just finished it at almost 12:00 a.m. Friday night! If you want a fun, light read that is filled with friends, life changes, fun and romance- definitely take a look at it! It's a perfect read for a road-trip or the beach. The only reason that it wasn't done sooner was because I just wanted to keep adding to it! Next time, I plan on giving myself a longer deadline; I really pushed myself too hard on this one.

I also just finally received my W-2's from my old job and finished up the taxes today- I had to do taxes for my old job, my husband's job and my new business. Let's just say that I hate accounting- I don't know how people do that all day! I'm so glad to have that done because it was really stressing me out! I also finished another eBook to publish on Amazon titled "From Frazzled to Freedom!" I wrote it with busy entrepreneurs and solopreneurs in mind to help them create systems and automate their business so that it runs more smoothly. 

All of this craziness happened this week and then my husband got sick on top of everything and my Mom decided to drop in to bring me some honey for my allergies. And can I tell you the pollen has coated our entire house and I have the worst allergies to begin with. If anyone has an awesome natural cure please share it with me! I would love you forever!! (I have been trying local honey and natural allergy pills but it hasn't helped much). I am glad that I pushed through and finished my book, ebook and taxes even though it was a battle. Success is definitely not for the lazy! 

One day I will look back on all of this when I'm extremely sucessful and I can honestly say that I deserve every bit of it because I have worked my butt off for it! And I have gotten to where I am at without stepping on anyone else or being dishonest. I would never want to be successful, if it had to be at the cost of hurting others. 

Now that I've gotten some big things behind me, I can stop putting my personal life on hold. I'm hoping that I can get back to helping my hubby on the house and start back a running routine to get healthy. I also have a few entrepreneur books that I would like to finish this week. And I still have plans to celebrate my Birthday some place nice; just the hubby and I. Honestly, I had so much going on that I didn't even have time to celebrate it. 

To all of you out there working hard to be sucessful, don't give up. Just keep working and doing it the honest way and you will get there! 

I'm working hard but I'm also putting my trust in God at the same time that he is making a path and a plan for my future!

Hope that you all had a lovely Easter Weekend!!

Story of my Life!!

Hi lovies! Sorry for not posting lately, but life has been just a little crazy over here! I'm in the middle of finishing my book for Amazon. It's loosely based on my life and involves career changes, fun and romance! If you like inspirational chick lit, then you'll definitely love this book "From Assistant to #BossBabe- it's available to pre-order on Amazon if you want to grab it so that you can have it on release date! I already have several people that have pre-ordered it so I'm pretty excited about that!

My Birthday was last Wednesday and honestly I didn't do much to celebrate at all! It's just been a crazy time right now in my life and I would rather celebrate it later when I am finished with my book. I'm thinking a fun trip in the upcoming future sounds nice..

The hubby did take me out for sushi and bought me a few gifts (that were on my wish list).

  

Other than that, I've been helping with work on the house in my free time as well as working on creating passive income for my business. I have another eBook that is available on my website-"Frazzled to Freedom" for busy Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, etc. It's all about how to create systems and automate your business so that everything runs smoothly including some bonus tips on shortcuts and productivity!

So that's it! Lots of writing going on over here! I'm honestly just excited that I finally figured out my purpose in life- although, to be honest, it was staring me in the face the entire time! But isn't that usually the case? Anyway, life goes back to normal (somewhat) after April 5th when my book is released and I can finally breathe!

Hope you all have an amazing weekend!!

xoxo, Melinda

I published my first Book on Amazon!!

Hi Lovies! There's a reason that I haven't blogged in a while....I finally finished my eBook and formatted it for the Kindle! My new eBook "The Ultimate A-Z Guide to Running a Lucrative Virtual Assistant Business" is now available on Amazon!! If you are a member of Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for FREE ($9.99 to purchase)!! Get your copy here!

This week was extremely emotional for me, I have so much weight on my shoulders with running a business, writing a book, client work and trying to work on our house daily that I had a couple of mini-breakdowns before all of this happened. Of course, I prayed through it asking God for his guidance. On Wednesday, I decided to take most of the day off of work and I was talking to my Mom about my business and my book and while I was talking out loud, I had a moment of clarity- I am meant to be a writer! How could I have not seen this all of my life? Once I had this moment of clarity, God reminded me of two dreams that he had given me about 9 months ago. The first dream was that I was in my home office and I was so happy because my new career was writing and I was getting paid for it! The second dream was that I was to become wealthy off of royalties- when I think royalties, I think about books, cds, etc. On my goals list at home, I have two goals- one is to become wealthy and the second is to help the less fortunate. I want to use my money to help others who have had a hard time in life - I know what that's like and I want to help others in their time of need.

Having God show me exactly where I need to focus in my career is a MAJOR breakthrough for me!! I had been struggling in my business because of being overwhelmed with so many people wanting me to work with them and I didn't want to stretch myself so thin that I had no time for God, my husband or even myself. It was causing me to have anxiety, so I started praying and God answered! (Like he always does!)

I can't even begin to tell you how exciting all o f this is for me! For those who don't know me, I've been writing since I was a little girl, mostly in my journals. All of those years being a nerd, getting the award for reading the most books in book clubs, being in spelling bees- all of it is paying off! I have also already written 1/8 of my new book- this one will be more of a chick lit inspirational type book based loosely on my life. I'm so excited to start my career as a writer!

Also, If you do read my new eBook, whether you purchase it or download it through Kindle Unlimited, I would love it if you would spread the word and also leave a review on Amazon. This would really help since I am a first time Publisher on Amazon.

I hope this post helps you to follow your dreams, don't give up! There were so many times that I had break-downs and just cried and prayed, but I never gave up. I just kept working even when I just wanted to lay in bed. Success is not for the lazy, working hard and praying is what got me to where I am now!

What are some of your hopes & dreams and what are you doing to work towards making them happen?

xoxo,
Melinda

Crazy Good||

 My dream office via EveryGirl

Hi Lovies! Another crazy good week- busy, busy but getting so much done over here!

This week I:

|| Designed + Ordered new Business cards!
|| Finally got GoDaddy email to be redirected to Gmail- now I have a dot com & it was free!
|| Talked with CPA about Business & what I can write off/Accounting Practices, etc.
|| Had two more new clients this week + 2 more VA Consultations for potential clients
|| Listed my business on every directory that I could find!
|| Completed accounting for the business
|| Booked weekend trip to the Beach! Shopping + Beach + Seafood- yes please!!
|| Signed up to try out Tailwind, after trying Buffer- I love how TW works so far!
|| Finished up a book that I was reading

Last night, I stayed up until 1:30 finishing up some work on a Holiday Guide List for a client- I had two coffees from Starbucks & there was no way that I was going to sleep anyway! It was really nice waking up this morning, only having to work on tweaking it.

Today was a pretty great day- it was the first day that I've actually had extra time to go walking or have any time for myself. Since the business start up part is behind me, I now have extra time to focus on marketing, work + some me time. Tomorrow, I have a couple of projects to work on in the morning, then I will be packing for our weekend trip to the beach!! So that's it pretty much- off to have some dinner + relax!

How has your week treated you?