Though I have a degree in education, I’ve spent most of my career working as an advocate for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Two years ago, my husband and I made the major life decision to move across the country for his career. As I lazily looked for a position in my field, I realized I was at a stage in my career where I wanted to be picky and not settle for a position that didn’t fit what I was looking for. I was enjoying spending more time with my oldest daughter, so I didn’t have a lot of motivation to settle…

I became friends with Dortha in the summer of 2011. After meeting her, I quickly realized Dortha is great at networking! After telling her about my work experience, and that I was interested in doing some contract work, she was eager to help me out. A couple months later, she approached me to join her as her first assistant virtual assistant. I really had no idea what that meant at the time, but I was willing to try!

As the lead virtual assistant on Dortha’s team, I work with several different clients, but I also support Dortha in growing her business. Dortha often asks for my insight, which allows me to draw on my experiences as a manager and makes me feel extremely valued as a team member.

What amazes me is how many skills I’ve gained over the years that support my work as a virtual assistant. As an educator, I understand how to help a client conduct outreach to get booked as a speaker, as well as how to put together presentation materials such as PowerPoint presentations. Though writing was something I did often in my career, it wasn’t something I thought of as one of my strengths. I am constantly using my writing skills, for social media and info products for clients.

Working with Dortha has provided me with the ability to be with my children, while participating in supporting my family financially. I am very grateful not only for the opportunity, but for the supportive, flexible work environment Dortha offers. She truly enforces a team model, we are all in this together.