Q&A with Lucy Everett, VA at Virtually Supported

Lucy Everett is a Virtual PA with Virtually Supported. Here she talks about how she started out, the challenges of her role and the importance of technology…

What inspired you to start a career as a Virtual Assistant?

It was something I had thought I may do when my son was a little older, but after being offered redundancy due to a restructure of the business, I took the opportunity to make the leap and go freelance. My son was just nine months old and I didn’t have a clue where to start, but I was excited to get going.

How did you get your current job?

It took me a while to build my business up and get my first clients, I did this mostly through networking on LinkedIn and had some referrals from ex colleagues and friends. A few months in I started gaining momentum and my business grew rapidly.

What’s the best thing about your job?

It’s hard to pick just one thing as there are so many amazing things about what I do. The freedom, autonomy and balance are really important to me and I get to reap the rewards of all the work I put in. Plus choosing who I want to work with and the kind of work I want to do. My clients are fantastic, and I have brilliant relationships with them all. I know I’m making a difference in their lives which is one of the reasons I do this job.

And the most challenging?

It can be a bit solitary at times working at home and not having regular face-to-face interaction with a wider team, so I make sure I do things to feel motivated and productive. The good things easily outweigh the bad!

What does the PA/EA community need to change, in your opinion?

More networking and collaboration. The VA industry is the most collaborative industry I’ve ever worked in, but I didn’t find the same environment when I was an EA previously. Learning from each other is invaluable and networking is a great way to do this.

What is having the biggest impact on your job or on PAs/EAs in general?

The way the world of work is changing is having a huge impact. I believe the future of work lies in flexible working patterns and this is great for the VA world – businesses are seeing the value in employing a virtual PA more than ever before. Businesses need to recognise the need for flexibility for employees too.

What websites/apps are invaluable to your job?

My most used sites are LinkedIn, Asana and Canva. LinkedIn is an amazing platform for networking and even more so as a freelancer. Asana for keeping on top of my tasks and managing projects for clients too. Canva for creating branded eye-catching graphics for my clients’ social media.