The Secret of Hustle Culture | Virtual Assistant

When I look back a few years ago, I see myself working my ass off to build a photography business. I was doing everything I could to make it work, but I wanted to do it all myself.

I studied Instagram algorithms, watched courses, spent late nights strategizing, came up with all the plans, and hustled hard.

The problem was, I wasn’t getting anywhere. Or at least, not effectively.

And if there is anything that is true about me, it’s that I like effeciency. (Call it the enneagram 8 in me haha). But I just hung on for dear life and believed it would all work out. But I was working harder, not smarter.

One day I woke up, looked around at how burnt out I was, and decided enough was enough.

I got real honest with myself, which lead me to realize I wanted to do virtual assisting work (that’s a story for another time), and I realized I couldn’t do it all alone if I wanted to succeed.

So I slowly started building from the ground up. I had to do things differently this time. I started examining the way I had hustled before. I did a cost/benefit analysis, which didn’t turn out so well for my old methods.

I started outsourcing. Which was a big step for an “I can do it myself” girly. I hired an associate almost immediately. I started hiring coaches. I got more associates. I took my burn out seriously.

And along the way, I had a realization.

Hustle culture is a lack of self trust.

The secret to hustle culture is that you always have to be working hard.

Which robs you of the opportunities that come with working smarter. YES, there is risk involved. But when you’re confidently betting on yourself, you also know you can handle any failures that may come.

I decided to trust myself in my business, and everything changed.

Now I outsource thousands of dollars worth of help every month. I also generate more income than I used to because of it. I also have a work/life balance I could only dream about before.

And now, I run a business that invites entrepreneurs to step out of hustle and into self trust.

Whether you’re outsourcing blogging every month or hiring someone to really come alongside you in ever aspect of business, I am here as your biggest cheerleader.

Because I know from my own personal experience what a huge difference it can make.

If you want to get into the nitty gritty of how I help photographers - you can see that good stuff here.

Now is the time to examine if you are working harder or smarter. To think outside the box. To let other people help you.

Let go of hustle culture. And step into self-trust.

3 Signs You're Ready to Hire a Virtual Assistant

So your business is growing (yay), and you’re debating whether or not you need a Virtual Assistant. Maybe you’re making sure you don’t venture into burnout, or maybe you’re already there & need help. Either way, here are 3 signs you’re ready to hire a virtual assistant:

1. You’re Never Getting to Cyclical Items on Your To Do List

What I mean by that is: do you always think it would be nice to have Pinterest running, but it always falls behind? Do you think about blogging your work, but it rarely happens because urgent tasks take up your time? Do you want to have a social media plan but in reality you’re posting on the fly? It might be time for a virtual assistant. What I do as a VA for photographers is help you automate those cyclical tasks. You get to focus on the creative power alley that only YOU can do, all the while have your presence growing on Pinterest, get a social media plan delivered, see Google leads grow from blogging ETC ETC ETC.

2. You’re Itching To Grow to the Next Level

You might be ready to hire a Virtual Assistant if you have all these dreams and ideas of things you want to do to grow your business, but simply do not have the time to execute. If you wanna start a mentorship program, develop a course, create presets or WHATEVER…but you’re bogged down in client management or keeping up with social media or troubleshooting… having someone take a bulk of tasks off your plate frees you up to be creative. I have had clients hit their income goals, get more leads, literally START NEW BUSINESSES with their free time after hiring me.

3. You Are Prompt With Communication

Okay hear me out on this one! I put this as one of the 3 signs you’re ready to hire a virtual assistant because…having someone on your team that is working hand in hand with you, is a communication commitment. You are handing off tasks, but you are still the final decision maker. The more decisive and clear you are in communication, the more you will get out of your VA experience. I have unfortunately had to resolve partnerships for lack of communication. You waste your hours with someone (and your $$) if you are leaving emails on read for 3-5 days before responding. So it’s worth asking yourself if you can realistically keep up with that communication commitment before putting the financial investment into hiring someone.

I hope these 3 signs you’re ready to hire a virtual assistant were helpful!! I know it’s a big leap to outsource those intimate business tasks, but it can truly change your life.

And the added perk of hiring a Virtual Assistant as a photographer is that it positions you to naturally take up the CEO role, which in turn makes you view your business differently. You get more strategic and decisive when you are actually directing the ship that way.

Let me know what you think! Do you have any questions? Head to my Instagram and drop me a DM, I’m always happy to help!

My Burnout Recovery | Virtual Assistant

Hi and welcome to my burnout recovery.

I recently realized how burned out I had become. It took some close friends pointing it out to me for me to slow down enough to notice. I had been working my ass off non-stop for years. All the solutions I kept trying to make my life slow down over the last year never stuck, and I was frustrated I couldn’t find the answers.

Once I googled symptoms (yes I’m one of those people), I realized: ta-da…I had every single one. Fuuuccckkk.

But as soon as I admitted I was burned out, everything started clicking. All the failures I was personalizing suddenly became symptoms I could heal. My burnout recovery began.

As women small-business owners, we have enormous pressure on us to do all the things. Keep up. Push our business forward. (And according to Brene Brown, pressure to look good while doing it. Blah.)

We are typically really good at multi-tasking. At telling ourselves, ‘when things slow down I’ll start taking care of myself’, and putting ourselves on the back burner.

The truth is: I KNOW ALL THIS STUFF in my head and I didn’t even realize I wasn’t practicing what I was talking about.

I was trying to do it all.

Burnout is a slow burn, and I’m not sure when my burnout started, but I know the pandemic didn’t help. In March of 2020, I was hospitalized for preeclampsia one week before the world shut down. I watched from inside a hospital room (that I couldn’t leave) as everything stopped.

I spent two months in lockdown in that room. Yes, I broke the rules and walked the hallway outside my door a few times but other than that I was confined to that little purple room.

After I delivered my son, I was discharged home to an isolated postpartum experience. My parents wore masks and gloves to meet my son. And other relatives met him through a window or across lawns.

After weeks in a hospital, I came home and life did NOT resume. I didn’t step foot in a store for months. I rarely left the house. My high-risk self, and newborn baby, stayed in the safety of our home. But that meant I didn't have access to the same support moms deserve in those early weeks.

After maternity leave I jumped back into my photography business, hustling HARD to make the income I needed during the pandemic. Cautiously opening my in-home studio with hefty sanitation protocols. Shooting anything and everything. All the while, not feeling good about my business or how it aligned with my life.

The pandemic lingered longer than any of us wanted. Putting limitations and conflict and loss into our laps. Keeping a small business afloat during this time was no small feat, as you probably know if you’re reading this.

After about a year of trying to manage everything, and feeling like I was misaligned as fuck -- I finally admitted I needed a major change. My burnout recovery didn’t start at that point, but the pre-recovery did (haha). I started examining the parts of my job that I loved versus the ones that caused me stress. Shooting didn’t fit into my schedule with a now-toddler & very little childcare due to the pandemic. And I kept gravitating towards the backend of business: marketing, systems, market research, SEO etc.

I decided to listen to that, and became incredibly clear I needed to pursue Virtual Assistant work.

I hadn’t had a gut feeling that strong in a long time. I stayed up late and poured all my extra hours into developing this business and making it something I was proud of. After months of hustling, I felt ALIGNED and it felt so good.

So it was validating when within the first week of launching, I was sold out with full time work as a Virtual Assistant for Creatives. Like WTF and heck yes.

This was the first step in my burnout recovery, I just didn’t know it yet. I’ve spent the last 6 months building this business and growing my team. I now have a thriving business, making triple my previous income, and providing for my family in ways I used to dream of. But I hadn’t fixed the root issue.

Burnout.

I still felt exhausted, and not like myself. I couldn’t find time for the things I loved like exercise or being outside or hanging out with friends. Every new schedule or system failed. And I felt like I was running in circles.

One of my best friends told me: you are trying to do more in one day than there is physically time for. You can’t sustain like this.

I finally admitted that while pivoting businesses was the first necessary step, it wasn’t the final solution.

Moving to virtual assistant work opened the door for me to start burnout recovery, but I had yet to take steps in that direction.

So that day I decided that getting my equilibrium back was my top priority. And I’ve been shifting my energy towards healing, and already seeing a total change. I feel like myself again, and I’m slowly getting back to balance and the things that I love. And the ironic part is, even though I’m outsourcing & paying more $$ for people to support me, I’m actually earning MORE than before. Let that be a sign that outsourcing is WORTH IT.

So what am I doing to aid my burnout recovery? Let me share my focus and hopefully it sparks some ideas for you!

• I cut my work hours! This was the hardest one to accept, but I knew it was vital. I needed more hours in my week, so I hired someone to help me on the backend of my business and took a step back. It was a night and day difference.

• I started exercising regularly. I love working out, but I struggled to find the time. Plus movement discharges stress from the body so it’s a really effective way to heal from burnout. I decided to do lower impact, gentle cardio to not further stress my system, but that also aligns with my health issues. Everyone has different needs!

• I prioritize sleep. This one I am still working on, but nothing can change how I feel faster than a good night’s sleep. It’s not always possible with a toddler, but I do my best to get 8 hours.

• I drink less caffeine. Like most entrepreneurs I had started to consume and ungodly amount of caffeine. Before I had a kid, I would regularly take coffee-fasts for a week or two, to make sure to reset my system. But now I’m chasing a toddler + running a business, I was relying heavily on my caffeine. So I cut way back, and despite the headache the first day - it has been nothing but good for me.

• I sleep with my phone in the other room. It’s really easy for me to scroll TikTok at night, or find myself aimlessly shopping for stuff I don’t need. I put my phone in the other room and just that little disconnect makes me feel more centered when I wake up, and don’t automatically have my phone in my hand.

• I am creating systems in my business to hold me. I am getting serious about systems in my business so that I can rely on them, instead of self-generating all the time. It’ll take time to implement but it’s important for longevity so I don’t get burnt out again.

• I hired a business coach. She specializes in working from pleasure and rest versus hustle culture. I invited someone in to challenge my narratives and help me replace them with more well-rounded thinking.

So that’s my burnout recovery in a nutshell (who am I kidding, nothing about this post was brief haha)

If you are working through burnout, just know that it is possible heal & feel better. It is possible to have equilibrium. I’m rooting for you!

Clients Can't Read Your Mind | Virtual Assistant for Photographers

Here is something to realize as a small business owner: your client can’t read your mind.

Sound basic? That’s because it is. But sometimes it’s those most basic things that we miss. 

As a small business owner you have spent hours and hours pouring over your workflow, your offers, your client experience…all of it. 

And then you go to show up online, display your portfolio of work, and wait for clients to effortlessly sign up. I get it, I’ve been there too. 

But the frustrating reality is, your portfolio is not your biggest selling point. 

I know, it fucking suck and I truly wish that what you’re creating was the catalyst for everyone to hit the “contact me” button and submit an inquiry. And while some people will immediately resonate with your art and hire you on the spot, the reality is that most people need more information. 

I know I do as a buyer! I don’t go to make a large purchase and buy the first one that looks good. That’s part of your pain point as an artist in a saturated industry: there are a lot of people who are good at what you do.

BUT. It’s not all bad news. 

What sets you apart is you

and

the way you run your business. 

I don’t know about you, but I would pay good money for someone who would save me time. 

I will invest with someone who is prompt with emails rather than waiting in the dark after a large purchase. 

I will throw my money at someone who shows me they know what they’re doing & can handle problems that arise. 

I won’t think twice about purchasing once I know all the other perks I’m getting alongside my purchase.

Do you tell your clients about those things? clients can't read your mind, so it is literally your job to share those things.

Yes, your art is front and center. But maybe you offer 24hr sneak peeks. Do you have prep guides? Do you respond within a few business days? Do you show up with snacks and drinks? Do you offer ANYTHING custom? Do you have a Facebook group? Do you offer styling advice for sessions? 

If the answer to any of these things is yes, you need to be talking about them. Why? Because clients can't read your mind. 

I want you to sit and think through your client experience. Your workflow. Your WAY of doing things that plays to your strengths. 

Start talking about it in your Instagram stories. Make a funny reel. Share a post going through your process.

And this isn’t a one-and-done situation either, these are pieces of content you are going to regularly blend through your social media presence. So when your new ideal, dreamy customer lands on your page: they are enthralled not just with your work but with how great it would feel to be YOUR client. 

You gotta start thinking about your offers as a whole, and start talking about them because again,

clients can't read your mind.