How God Called Me to Work From Home: 19 Years as a Virtual Assistant

In 2007, I stepped down from my job in ministry to stay home with my newborn and my three-year-old son. A few months later, we discovered something hard: without my part-time income, we desperately needed money for diapers.

I had no idea that finding a way to earn diaper money from home would turn into 19 years of working from home. This month, I’m celebrating 19 years in business as a virtual assistant. Here’s how God led me here, what I learned along the way, and how to know if He might be calling you, too.

Stepping out of the boat

In January 2007, I left my job in youth and children’s ministry at a local church. I was a young mom with two children under four, and my days were full of sippy cups and baby bottles.

I felt very sure I was supposed to be home with my children. Around that time, I read John Ortberg’s book If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat. I had made that leap. I had stepped out of the boat into the unknown and was trusting God to provide for my family in ways I couldn’t yet imagine.

That doesn’t mean I wasn’t afraid. I had lots of fear about whether it would work. I was doing some writing and speaking for churches, but it wasn’t consistent, and it wasn’t buying the diapers.

How God answered with my first client

I was active online back then. I had started a mom blog, like so many moms did at the time, and I connected with other moms in work-from-home forums. In one called Mom Masterminds, I met women who showed me how I could earn an income from home.

That October, I posted in the forum about how badly I needed diaper money. A mom from New York named Shannon reached out. She had read my blog, liked my writing style, and asked if I would ghostwrite articles for her business.

I had been praying for a way to make diaper money, and Shannon showed up. (She actually called me, because I was brave enough to have my phone number on the internet!)

That ghostwriting work didn’t sound like virtual assistant work at first, but over the next couple of years it grew into a full VA business.

What I got wrong at first

Early on, I said yes to almost any client who came to me, because I felt like I desperately needed the money. I learned the hard way that not every client is a good fit. Some of those projects cost me money, stress, and a lot of sleep.

If you’re just starting out, please hear this: it’s okay to be choosy. The right clients are worth waiting for.

God has been faithful.

Even through the hard seasons of building this business, God has provided for my family for 19 years. Today, I lead a team of five, including myself, my intern, and three subcontractors. Together we’ve served more Christian authors, speakers, and ministry leaders than I can count.

I’ve also had the joy of coaching women like you to start their own virtual assistant businesses, and many of them are still running those businesses today.

Three things I want you to know.

If you feel that same pull to work from home, here’s what I’d tell you:

1. You don’t need everything figured out to take the first step. Sometimes you just have to step out of the boat.
2. The skills you already have may be more valuable than you think. Many everyday skills transfer into services people will pay for.
3. If God is calling you, He will equip you. He had a plan for me, and He has a plan for you.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

A prayer for you

Dear Lord, thank You for the woman reading this right now. Please guide her and lead her to the next step You have for her. And if that means stepping out of the boat, give her the courage to do it. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Is VA work right for you?

If you’re not sure yet whether becoming a virtual assistant fits your life, take my free 3-minute quiz. You’ll find out where you are and get your next step.

Take the free quiz

And if you’d like more encouragement like this, subscribe to my YouTube channel. New videos go up every Tuesday.