Happy First Birthday to VA KW, LLC

What an amazing, fun year this has been. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of it.

The Call

(In case you missed it, read Part 1) My heart was beating a mile a minute. My palms were sweating. I was nervous. My hands shook as I dialed the phone for my scheduled call with the famous Kathy Goughenour. I was sure this would be another failed venture in my journey to becoming an entrepreneur. Another one for the history books along with Amway, real estate investing Ron Legrand’s way, my Realtor adventure while homeschooling, and selling insurance (my broker actually ran away to Florida after only a few months).

A very cheery “Hello!” greeted me after only one ring. I had no doubt Kathy was smiling. This was different. I hate to use the cliche “she had me at hello” but she really did. Kathy is unlike anyone I had ever met. I see why my friend Cindy simply told me, “You need to call Kathy.”

Our long conversation filled me with hope. Kathy asked questions to identify what it was I really wanted to do. Plus, she told me how I could achieve those goals by starting a virtual assistant business. Of course I was skeptical and of course, there was a package to buy. BUT I knew I had to do something and this package involved coaching and support, unlike anything I had ever been sold before.

The First Step

My husband and I talked for days after my call with Kathy. I had a nagging voice inside saying, “You can do this!” It sounds like the path to becoming an entrepreneur and owning my very own business that I have always wanted and never knew I wanted it. Kathy gave me contact information for people who are currently enrolled and a part of Kathy’s tribe. Excitedly, I gave them a call.

I talked with the amazing Robin Carter for hours. She is a real person. Her life story mirrored mine even though she is out in the wilds of Wyoming. Yes, someone actually lives there.

With trepidation, I emailed Kathy to tell her “I’m in.”

I will never regret that email. This last year had been a blast, mostly.

Support

Never in my life have I encountered a support group like Kathy’s Expert Virtual Assistants. My first calls were to talk with the amazing coaches and pick which one I had the privilege of coaching with. It was difficult deciding which one. I chose Lorraine Castle, an author’s assistant. Because in the beginning, I thought that would be my focus too.

I loved coaching with Lorraine. She made starting my own business easy. She was there for any questions and emotional support I needed. She helped me through my first call with a client and celebrated my successes. Lorraine helped narrow down my niche and would go over all my homework with me.

Without her coaching, I wouldn’t be thriving today.  

Life Happens

This past year has had amazing highs and heart wrenching lows. I get really attached to my pets. A feral cat mom died in our front yard 17 years ago. I assumed her kittens died too. We couldn’t find them. But 1 week later 3 little fluff balls came mewling out of the weeds. Because they were so young and tiny, the vet said they would surely die and offered to put them down for us. We stubbornly said no. As a result, we hand fed them formula for weeks. All three lived. Until this year. Only one is left and she is having medical problems now. My once-in-a-lifetime dog that was so smart and such a character lost control of her back half and couldn’t walk anymore. She most likely had bone cancer. I sobbed at the vet’s office as her life slipped away. I can barely type this through the tears blurring my vision. I still can’t say

her name.

 

My friend, mentor, and bagpipe teacher, Sandy Hain, passed away. Sandy loved going to a restaurant and ordering a stack of onion rings. I can’t even look at a stack without crying. 

Through all of this, plus a few more things that I can’t even think about, Kathy and the Expert Virtual Assistant group was there. As a result, my business is still here, and I am blessed with wonderful clients.

I am so glad I continued working on my business no matter what happened in life. Above all, if it wasn’t for this support, I think my business would be another failure in my history book.

“A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.” ~ James Allen Click To Tweet

Finding Joy

It takes an effort, sometimes EXTREME effort, to claw your way up from the bottom. It can be terrifying but there is joy at the top. That is where Kathy’s support system went to work for me.

I GIVE UP

Have these words ever passed through your lips or have they bounced around your head and pierced your heart? Sometimes, those words can be good. Where has the zeal for life gone?

Getting caught up in the mundane, it lies at the bottom of the never-ending mountain of dishes and buried under mounds of dirty socks. The endless routine of get up, grab a coffee, get to work, listen to problems, attempt to solve problems, cry over bills, go to bed, and repeat.

The cycle had to stop! Finally, this year it did.

You are the designer of your destiny ~ Benjamin Hardy

To get out of the rut give up

(inspired by Elijah Bossenbroek)

I give up

I give up my self-doubt

I give up hiding behind this mask

I give up wanting to always be perfect, just be

I give up the fear that no one will like me

I give up trying to fit into the crowd, I am uniquely created

I give up my whole life to God’s perfect plan

For I am free

I can begin anew.

This is my new mantra and I love it. I had no idea giving up could be so much fun and so freeing.

You can do it too!

To Be Continued …

This year has been life-changing. Finally,  I have finished Kathy’s course and can now say I’m a certified Expert Virtual Assistant.

I can hardly wait to see what happens in the second year of my business!

Most importantly, what drives me is helping people.

Hearing my client say, “You are a breath of fresh air in this digital world” inspires me to learn even more. Another client said, “Please, I need to go on a vacation I’m so stressed. Can you handle this project for me?”  and I did.

I love my business.

Are You Ready?

Does my story tug at your entrepreneurial heart? I am totally a real person and I have no regrets about starting my business with Kathy. You can call her too.

Don’t let fear hold you back. The support group is here to hold you up.

Go to Kathy’s website Expert VA training (this is my affiliate link and I would receive some compensation from it). Begin your own journey towards a life-changing year.

Live Epically,

Kate