Hi! I'm Sarah Siegfried.

Virtual assisting is how I got started in the WFH world, but I've helped in all kinds of roles where people needed a hand.

Being a VA wasn’t something I expected to enjoy so much. I’ve done lots of odd jobs — always part-time. I’ve never actually worked full-time. I started out cleaning gyms and did some pet sitting, housekeeping, and home health care. 

Eventually, I worked at a university as a receptionist but turned the job into more. I like coming up with ideas and new ways to do things. Making things work more smoothly was so satisfying, so I was always asking for more work. 

I’ve found meaning in any work I’ve done, even though I've always looked at work as an end to a means. I don’t think your work has to be your identifying thing. And you don't always need to get paid for what defines you.

That’s why I ended up loving virtual assistance. It's hard to know intuitively what you want to do. I couldn't have found VA work until I tried it.

When my husband and I moved from Virginia to Mexico, I looked for an online job. I put a few lines out on Upwork but struggled to get anyone interested. I even had a different teaching job lined up when I got a call from my now long-time client. 

With Sarah, I started out just helping her with emails. As I got to know her business better, I saw other ways I could help. 

One of the first things I do at every job I’ve had is create a manual of how to do the work. That way, when I'm learning anything, I’ve got a reference. (Just so you know, that's not your job as a VA - just something I love to do.)

It might sound crazy, but I always wanna be replaceable. I don’t want to get stuck if I’m ready to move up or move on. The people you work with depend on you so much – if you're not there, everything falls apart.

When I suggested some ways I could help out more, she was overjoyed. And since I had created resources, she was able to bring on team members that could take over some of the tasks I no longer had the time for. This gave me the room to help with bigger and more complex tasks I was interested in.

I’ve been able to help with so many different parts of the business – Facebook ads, managing a team, making business suggestions, and a whole lot more. I’ve learned a ton of new skills along the way and even gotten to bring some friends along with me.

One of the most important things I’ve discovered is that your value isn't directly tied to the time you put into helping a business.

Seeing the value you can bring to your client really made the difference. You’re not just answering emails and arranging meetings. You’re taking so much stress off your clients. 

You can see blind spots and help fix them. Your feedback becomes invaluable. And most of all, you’re giving your clients the room to do the things they do best.

You’re buying them back so much time. And when you’re able to streamline your processes and charge by project, you’re buying back your own time too. I like my work, but I also like my time off which doesn’t look anything like my work.

When I’m not helping clients, I like spending time with my husband, my cat Pumpkin, and my dog Nala, experimenting in the kitchen and helping others through my volunteer work.

What will your virtual assistant business do for you? 

If you’d like flexible work, and you’d like to break past low hourly rates, I can’t recommend becoming a course creator’s VA enough! It’s a wonderful way to start getting paid to do tasks that feel super manageable. You’ll grow your confidence and be able to work up to higher-value, higher-paying skills. 

There are so many cool skills you can develop to help your clients. When you’re a VA for course creators, it doesn’t have to be limited to managing their email and calendar. Think about all they have to manage with developing their courses, marketing, and managing their team. Those are all opportunities where you can offer help. You never have to feel bored or stuck.