This is an interview with another one of my team members, Chastity, about her virtual assistant success story. She became a team member recently, and I’m so glad that she’s here with us.
About Chasity
Chasity lives in Huntsville, Alabama. Also called the Rocket City. This area is known for stuff related to NASA . She joined the internship program in October 2023 and has been with us for two internship terms.
Q&A of Chasity’s Virtual Assistant Success Story
Alyssa: What did you do prior to being a VA?
Chasity: I was an ESL teacher, so I taught English online as a second language to kids in different countries.
Alyssa: I’ve known several people here that did that as well. Now, what led you to apply to the internship and how was your experience working as an intern?
Chasity: Well, my cousin Kristy actually is on the team as well. She had done an internship with you and came on to the team, so we had been talking about virtual assistant stuff. My cousin told me about the internship, and that’s how I got connected. She had nothing but good things to say.
As far as my experience as an intern, it was great. I learned a lot, which is why I actually ended up doing two terms because I felt like I was learning so much. I just wanted to extend it.
Alyssa: Kristy did that as well. I have several interns who continue for a little while longer. In fact, when I first started doing this in 2011, my very first intern. When she started it was supposed to be eight weeks, and she ended up staying for a year. So we really grew in our relationship, and she grew a business that she still has 13 years later. I feel like the internship is something that can really help you to move forward in your business.
Anyway, you then became a team member, and I know it’s been a short stint so far, but how has your experience been so far?
Chasity: It’s been great. I still feel like I’m learning new stuff all the time and enjoy working with the clients. I feel like I’m growing in my skills. It’s been so great.
Alyssa: Part of the requirements of the internship is that you take the “How to Become a Virtual Assistant” course. How did you feel that the course helped to prepare you for your role as a virtual assistant?
Chasity: It helped me in so many ways. If I were to narrow it down to the biggest one, though, I think the time management information was very helpful. Especially since we have a family of seven: my husband and I, four kids, and my cousin lives with us too. And my kids are homeschooled, so time management is a huge thing when you’re trying to juggle so many things. So that was very helpful.
Alyssa: That’s true. We have two homeschooling moms on our team and I actually can consider myself that now, even though my son does it through online school. And it makes it a challenge, but I want to say that I believe it can be done. I’ve homeschooled before for three years prior and worked on business during that time. I think it’s a very valuable opportunity for us as moms to be able to juggle both things.
It is doable. So if you’re reading and you wonder: can you do both? Yes, you can. Absolutely. I want it to be an encouragement, because I know lots of homeschool moms are looking for ways to make an income from home.
Can you share some key takeaways that you’ve learned from working with the team?
Chasity: I’ve learned a lot of things about how great it is to work with people who share your faith. That has been an amazing encouragement when you can jump on and you’re part of a professional team, but you can also ask for prayers. That’s been a huge benefit. And just seeing all of the different niches that everyone brings to the table has been an amazing and interesting thing as well.
Alyssa: Yes. I try to get people on the team who all have unique skill sets, and I really like incorporating my faith into my business. That’s something I’ve done for the team as well, because I enjoy being able to share that piece of my life with the ladies on the team. I appreciate their willingness to pray for me, and I pray for my team every single day.
That’s something I do during my quiet time in the mornings, and I encourage people to allow that to be part of your business. Especially for us as Christians. I think that it’s important and can help us to grow our businesses as we incorporate our faith into our business.
Chasity: Yes, I also want to comment on how well you delegate to the team. That is a huge skill to have. It’s really nice to work for someone who is very organized and is good at delegation. It really is a huge benefit.
Alyssa: I think delegating is a skill that you have to learn. I don’t think it comes like naturally to most people, but it’s something you can learn as a skill and develop. You just have to be hyper aware of what’s keeping you or what’s holding you back. I did a little training on that yesterday in one of my groups, and a lot of times our own fears hold us back from delegating.
But it is being able to empower somebody else to do what they’re good at and being able to stick to your own strengths. That’s the power of delegation. And I really encourage people to delegate if they can. That’s one reason I did the internship program. It allowed me to delegate, but also to be able to stick to a budget.
I’ve done internships in the past, and I think they’re valuable in that way. It allows you to delegate from your own situation. It allows you to delegate and it allows someone else to learn. That’s what I love about it.
Now, if you count your internship and your time with the team, you have been working a little over a year. So how have you grown in that time period?
Chasity: I think I’ve grown specifically in my confidence to do the job. It’s scary and intimidating starting anything new, and when Kristy and I first started talking about this stuff, I was a little nervous about it. I had some understanding and some practice in certain areas, but putting that into play in a business aspect was a little scary. It’s definitely given me the confidence, and I’m glad I did this. I’m glad I took that step. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it was going to be.
Alyssa: Everybody tells me that confidence is something that they have gotten from the internship. And that’s great. It just takes time, and having somebody coming alongside you helps in that.
What advice would you give to women who are looking to start their journey as a virtual assistant?
Chasity: Don’t wait. Just do it. Go ahead and take the step, the first step. At least if you’re in the beginning stages, start doing the research on what niche you’re into and things like that.
If you’re past that, then just go ahead and take that step. It’s definitely worth it.
Alyssa: Absolutely. Where do you think that you see yourself in the future? Do you plan to continue in the field of virtual assistant or what are some of your goals as a professional?
Chasity: Definitely, I am enjoying doing this. I want to continue growing in the stuff that I do in my personal business. I’m also using a lot of these skills with my church because I work at my church as well. So I want to continue growing there. And I’m really enjoying being a part of the team and plan to be indefinitely.
Alyssa: So what would you, I didn’t ask this earlier, but what would you say is your niche area? What are you focusing on in terms of your skills?
Chasity: Mostly social media stuff.
Alyssa: What is one thing that you have learned about yourself that surprised you after you became a VA?
Chasity: I think that you can grow in anything. You can learn to do anything that you put your mind to. It’s just a matter of having the willpower to go forward.
Alyssa: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much for your time today and for being willing to jump on and do this interview. I’m really enjoying doing them.
Thank you, everyone, for reading, and we will be back again next week!
