Today we’d like to introduce you to Raquel Wilson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Raquel. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My educational and professional background, prior to founding Peachtree VA, is actually in social work. I have a master’s degree in the field and practiced as a clinical therapist for ten years. I grew up in a family that valued and lived out the importance of helping others, keeping your door open to those in need, and using your gifts to better the community around you. I think that definitely influenced my decision to pursue social work.
In 2013, my husband and I relocated from the Midwest to Atlanta with our 1-year-old son. I decided to take a year off from social work to stay home with our son and get to know our new city. During this time, our daughter was born and I found myself a bit further away from getting back into the profession than I had planned.
In 2015, one of my best friends was working as a virtual assistant (VA) and asked me to help her with some overflow work. I was intrigued by the VA industry instantaneously. Before taking time off to be at home full-time with my children, I had opened a private therapy practice in Ohio. Entrepreneurship had never been a goal of mine, but during my time in social work, I realized I had to create my own solutions and opportunities in order to have longevity in the profession. Little did I know that my experience opening and growing that private practice was going to be instrumental to my success as a virtual assistant – as was the early understanding that I alone was in charge of creating solutions for myself and my family.
The early days of working as an independent VA were truly fueled by a lot of coffee and all the grit I could muster. I had no formal training in digital marketing, technology, project management, etc. – so I had a lot to learn. I built my client list by selling to prospects who already knew, liked and trusted me (like the realtor who sold us our home) and focused on building trusting relationships with the small business owners I was hired to help. I remember someone suggesting that by working as a virtual assistant, I was “wasting” my Master’s degree – which couldn’t be farther from the truth. My social work degree and decade of experience as a therapist has been instrumental to my success – first as a VA and now as the CEO of a thriving company.
By the end of my first year working as a VA, I had more clients than I could manage alone. I started adding other virtual assistants to my team and decided to turn Peachtree VA into my full-time job. The organizational structure has evolved a lot, especially in the last two years, now with managers, specialists and, of course, a lot of talented and versatile assistants.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I wouldn’t trust an entrepreneur who claims their road has always been smooth. Ha! Have there been more smooth seasons than not? Sure. Have there been a lot of valleys? Yep. Will there be more of both? Of course!
As much as my master’s degree in social work has benefited me as a founder and CEO – I’ve had to learn a lot about business ownership in the past few years. There is so much that goes into starting, scaling and managing a company. I’m very proud of what I’ve built, but I would be lying if I said it has been a straight and smooth journey.
I’ve made mistakes, I’ve hired folks who haven’t worked out, and I’ve wasted money. These things happen to all entrepreneurs and business owners – so I try not to wallow in the valleys too much.
Instead, when the road gets less-than-smooth, I look at it as an opportunity. Opportunity to revamp. Opportunity to seek counsel from others in the industry or in my trust circle. Opportunity to just slow down and sit in the valley.
Some of the best decisions and pivots I’ve made in my business have come after a stressful, bump-filled season.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Peachtree VA is a premier provider of virtual assistant services. Our team of versatile professionals provides executive admin and operations management support to independent business owners, small and medium-sized teams. Our clients also benefit from our team of specialists who provide critical wrap-around services like bookkeeping, graphic design and website maintenance. 96% of our current clientele are women-owned businesses.
Peachtree VA is known for its collaborative partnership approach. There are a lot of independent VAs and virtual assistant companies out there who excel at helping clients “check” basic admin boxes all day. While delegating simple, quick tasks to an admin can be tremendously helpful – our services go far beyond that. We’re obsessed with standard operating procedures and helping our clients build their businesses on foundations that are both solid and forward-thinking.
What sets us apart is our team approach. Clients are matched with a Lead VA, but they are able to access other members of our team as needed. This works out especially well when our clients come seeking support for the launch of a book, service, course, etc. Additionally, having Client Relationship Managers serve as a complementary resource to each client gives us quite an edge and drives up our success and retention rate.
It’s hard to narrow down what I’m most proud of when it comes to this company – but I’ll try. I’d say what sticks out is that Peachtree VA is a creator of opportunity. Many of the virtual assistants on my team have come from long, stressful careers in corporate or agencies. They are *over it* and ready to take control of their professional lives. I’m honored that they have chosen to land at Peachtree VA and it validates that the culture we’ve curated is one that people want to be a part of.
We also create opportunities for each and every client we serve. Partnering with a virtual team is the solution many independent professionals and small business owners have been needing, wanting and searching for – but either didn’t know existed or (more commonly) didn’t think they could afford it. I love walking client’s through the sales process, showing them what’s possible – but nothing compares to the almost instantaneous relief our clients feel once we kick-off. Knowing that the service we are providing is making such a huge impact on their lives, mental health and bottom line is something I’m very proud of.
What were you like growing up?
I am one of five kids (the second oldest). My mom still talks about how I preferred a pencil and notepad over toys when I was younger and how I would follow her around the house talking incessantly and “writing stories”. I laugh about that now as I watch my 5-year old daughter walking around the house with paper and pen in hand at all times. Just the other day she created a step-by-step standard operating procedure for making an origami dog, tested it and then rolled the process out to the family.
I’ve always been relational and still to this day, I have a hard time connecting to people who aren’t interested in authentic conversation. Growing up, I spent most of my time at home with family or with school peers. I played sports throughout high school and did a relatively good job of staying out of trouble. Looking back and my childhood and teenage experiences, I see how being an advocate for and helping others has always been and remains a huge part of who I am, both personally and professionally.
Pricing:
- VA packages start at just 20 hours/month
- Bookkeeping packages start at just 5 hours/month
Contact Info:
- Website: peachtreeva.com
- Email: info@peachtreeva.com
Image Credit:
Leah Roth Photography
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