Why I Love Being A Virtual Assistant

When I have a day off from my nanny job, most of the time I am still working for part of it. There's always blog work to be done for myself, but as a part-time virtual assistant, I also have clients to tend to and make sure everything is in order for them.

Sometimes it feels like all I do is sleep, work, eat, and work some more when I get home. But since I am working towards growing my client base and going full-time as a VA, I have to stay on top of things and be diligent in the pursuit of that goal. And I am totally fine with that. I know that I have to hustle hard now, if I want my goals to come true. And ultimately, once those goals are accomplished, I will have more freedom in the way that I work, where I work, and how I structure my workday.

Being a blogger is not easy and neither is being a virtual assistant. It's still hard work and can be very time-consuming. However, both are rewarding to me and I really enjoy both tasks.

I've explained why I love blogging, but today I would like to share with you why I love being a VA, and why I think it's a great job. Keep reading to learn more.

I Set My Hours

Even though I check to make sure my clients don't need me to work at certain times of the day or certain days of the week, my job as a VA usually allows me to work at any time that I chose, as long as my work gets done. This frees me up to do the fun things I want to do and choose my hours for the day accordingly. I love that, and I look forward to going full-time as a VA so I can work within that freedom more fully.

I Help People Achieve Their Dreams

I love helping people. I tend to have a "fix it" mentality and always want to fix people's problems for them. And while that isn't always a good thing when it comes to relationships with friends and family, it can be very good when dealing with a business.

The ability to help people reach their biz and blog dreams is such a wonderful thing. Being able to use my skills to help them get to where they want to go is a big and exciting task!

I Grow In My Abilities That Help My Own Blog

As I schedule and manage my clients' social media accounts, help them edit their ebooks, and whatever else they may need, I am simultaneously growing my own social media and editing skills. When I learn new things for my VA work, it will usually carry straight over to my own blog.

Being able to learn things that will also prepare me to reach my own blog and biz goals while helping someone else do the same is incredibly helpful!


Being a virtual assistant is hard work. It's not rainbows and unicorns all the time and it can get frustrating occasionally (just like any other job). There are always some tasks that are more challenging than others, and there is always room for improvement.

And just to be clear, being a virtual assistant is still a real job. You can't just decide to be a VA, half-do everything, and expect to make oodles of money. Like anything else, being a VA requires time, energy, and perseverance.

However, being a virtual assistant is something that I enjoy, learn from, and that allows me to make a difference. Other than blogging, it's my favorite way to earn money, and I am thankful that I have some really amazing clients to work with.

Need a virtual assistant? I am taking on part-time clients now with the ability to go full-time starting in September. I would love to help you with your blog, business, and social media needs.
Let me use my skills and passions to help you best utilize yours!

What Is A Virtual Assistant? (And 3 Signs You Might Need One)

Ask pretty much anyone on the street whether or not they feel like they have enough time in the day, and I guarantee you that a large majority of them will say "no".

We are busy people doing lots of busy things: we work, we tend to our family relationships, we cultivate friendships, we care for our home. In addition to that, many of us are pursuing dreams that are separate from our current careers.

But doing all of those things in a day while also actively taking care of your health (like getting enough sleep) is nearly impossible. So, when you inevitably have to choose which tasks get done and which one's don't, it's often our dreams and passions that get put on the back-burner.

And that's where a virtual assistant is helpful!

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant (VA) is someone you hire to do any online tasks that are important, but are distracting you from your main goals. This can be anything from checking your emails, answering them, and cleaning out your inbox, all the way to editing your new Ebook about why Poodles are the Bomb-Diggity. 🐩 

VA's can be hired to schedule out all your social media posts, or can be hired to manage specific accounts (i.e. a Pinterest VA, a Facebook VA). VA's can be hired to work every day, once a week- really whatever is most helpful to the client.

A virtual assistant's job is to make your life easier so that your dreams can become reality.

But how do you know if you REALLY need a VA? Should you really spend your money on one? Keep reading for 3 signs you might need a VA.

Your Social Media Pages Are Always Empty

If your Facebook page never has anything new being posted, if you go days on end without tweeting, or you always forget to pin anything strategically on Pinterest, your social media accounts are sure to suffer. If this is you, you are missing out on a lot of potential growth, and a lot of potential clients. People aren't going to stick around if there are metaphorical crickets chirping on your social pages.

A VA can be a huge asset in this area because you can hire them to manage and/or schedule out those accounts for you- giving you the ability to grow more quickly without you having to find more hours in your day. 

Hiring someone for 2-3 hours a week can be a very affordable, smart, and beneficial option.

If Your Ebook Has Been Sitting Around Unedited

If you've been wanting to publish a book, ebook, or another written product but it has been sitting around needing to be edited for a while, hiring a VA for a one-time project might be a good idea for you.

They can edit it in an agreed-upon amount of time, you get to move forward with your goals for you book/product, and you'll probably save money by hiring a VA rather than trying to find a seasoned editor. Look for people who have degrees in English, Literature, or Writing and I feel confident you will be happy with the results.

If You Frequently Find Yourself Thinking "I Need Help"

If you have big dreams and goals that you keep avoiding because you feel far too overwhelmed to accomplish them by yourself, a VA can help.

Whether you want someone by your side full-time, part-time, or just a few times per month, if it helps you get started on your dreams, it's going to be worth it.

Have them handle your social media, your graphics, email management or marketing, editing product descriptions, typing up your monthly newsletter- whatever! Let them help you so you can find the courage to pursue what matters most to you!

Hiring a VA might be just what you need to help your blog or business get to the next level. If you've found yourself falling into the descriptions above, it may be time for you to consider it. And if that's the case, I'd love to come along side of you as your virtual assistant. I offer competitive, affordable rates, and I take pride in doing a good job and truly helping my clients succeed. To learn more, take a look at my rates and my expertise or email me with any questions you have at thepeculiartreasureblog@gmail.com.

Why You Should Fall Back in Love with Instagram (A Virtual Assistant's Perspective)

Instagram has always been a really fun platform for both bloggers and non-bloggers alike. We all love seeing beautiful photos with fun or inspiring captions. We like keeping up with our friends and with the newest from our favorite influencers. And for years now, bloggers and influencers have enjoyed perfecting their feeds and inspiring others to the best of their ability. They've worked hard to understand the best tactics for using the platform, and have done their best to keep up with policy changes and stay up-to-date with the way in which everything works.

As a blogger and a virtual assistant (VA), I fall into this category too. It is my job to improve daily, learn the do's and don'ts, and work on my photography- and if I don't do a good job, my blog credibility and my paycheck will suffer.

But if we are honest, we know that social media platforms can make changes any time they want to. That's why so many business gurus make such a fuss over focusing on our email list and blog content more than we do our social media, because we all know that we have zero control over what changes are made to any given social media platform.

Instagram has been living proof of this lately. They changed the algorithm, everyone adjusted, and then they changed it again. They always say they are "improving user experience", but to the influencers who have already poured blood, sweat, and tears into their accounts, it just feels like a slap in the face.

It's frustrating, to say the least, and many influencers are beyond irritated- some even saying they are done with the platform.

It seems that Instagram would value their users more than that, ya know? I mean, influencers, entertainers, and bloggers are the ones that really make Instagram popular. We are the ones who bring people in for Instagram, and yet they keep making it harder and harder to get noticed.

However, most of us started using IG to build community, grow awareness of our brand, and to look at beautiful pictures. And while yes, it is tougher to get seen now, it's still a great way to foster community and enjoy beauty. And that's what I think we should focus on for a while.

Enjoy Beauty

Beauty is everywhere if we take the time to look around. But the cool thing about IG is that I can hop on for a few minutes and see parts of the world that I've never been to before, or find bright, fun pictures that make my heart happy after a single glance.

We are such visual people that, I think, the platform naturally resonates with most of us.

At the end of the day, the algorithms tweaks and shadowbans do not change how this beauty affects us. It's there for us to enjoy and that's exactly what we should do.

Brand Awareness

So, I get that this becomes harder when IG changes things up on us, but one of the reasons a lot of us use the platform is to create awareness around our brand. This is an extremely important aspect of being an entrepreneur.

But despite the fact that it is harder to get seen right now, Instagram is still there for this purpose. We may have to adjust our strategy, and our growth may be slower, but in the end, we are still perfectly capable of growing our brand.

We have got to stop freaking out when something like this changes. Part of growing a brand is being consistent, unmovable, and simply ourselves. We can do that whether IG changes things up or not. We can do that whether our growth is slow or fast. We can do that whether we get seen as easily or not.

Don't get me wrong- when your numbers on IG affect your paycheck, things matter more. I know that. And as a virtual assistant, obviously my job depends on making sure that I am helping other's grow their social media numbers. But I also know that consistency, authenticity, and true engagement is what really counts. When we already have followers who know and love us, they count on us to keep on keeping on. They look to us for a beautiful feed, a pick-me-up, or some inspiration after a bad day. If we quit a platform, give up, or get sloppy with it, they will notice.

Don't get sloppy with your current followers just because a social media platform has got you down. Keep giving to the one's who have been faithful and more will come.

Community

And that brings me to the absolute most important reason we should fall in love with Instagram again: the community.
Being a part of Instagram and creating a community around a brand is the best feature in my eyes. No matter how many ways IG makes it harder to get seen and grow in numbers, it is still a great place to foster relationships, build connections, and lift each other up.

When we focus on the community we already have, and when we keep giving back to them, they will notice. When we engage with the people who are already on our radar, we are building relationships and making a difference. More than likely, in turn, we will continue to grow because our followers will tell others about us. However, even if that never happens, having a solid community is a blessing in itself. Focusing on fostering that instead of looking at our growth is sure to help us love Instagram again.

So as a blogger and a virtual assistant, here's my advice: Stop staring at the numbers for a while. Stop stressing quite so much. I really do get the income stresses, and I completely understand the frustration. But if we could all just calm down, get back to community, authenticity, and the enjoyment of beauty, I think IG could be a great place again.