Virtually Painless: The Unedited Reality of Moving from Personal Assistant to Virtual Assistant, PA to VA, Employee to Business Owner

by Kathy Soulsby, Charlotte Wibberley (Foreword)

Thinking of making the leap from Personal Assistant to Virtual Assistant? Employee to freelancer? This book gives the warts and all version of what life is actually like as a freelancer, the good, the bad, and the ugly, described with anecdotes, colourful language (!) and humour. This book is not really a "how to." It is much more a "why did no b*stard tell me it was going to be like this?." Virtually Painless currently has over thirty 5* reviews on the UK site. Readers are loving the honest approach to this book! "If you want to know the reality of being a VA this is the book you need to read: Loved this fabulous book - it's a hilarious, honest and down-to-earth account of the realities of life as a VA. It should be mandatory for anybody thinking of entering this crazy, frustrating, exhausting, challenging and wonderful business. And anyone who is already a VA, because it's good to know that we all make mistakes!"This book is a down to earth glimpse into the experience of one Virtual Assistant. Being your own boss is great and has many positives but this book also looks at things that potential VAs might not have thought of. It covers everything from the challenges of going to networking meetings for the first time (and not having the right handbag or shoes for the job, never mind a 30 second pitch!), the types of clients you might come across (and when to avoid them like the plague!) and what it really feels like to bill for your time. It demystifies and explains many industry terms and quirks in a fun and down to earth way.Charlotte Wibberley, CEO of VIP VA says " This book is EXACTLY what the VA industry needs. Kathy's authenticity and humour give readers huge insight into what it is truly like to run your own VA business, focusing not only on the pitfalls but also on the incredible highs and experiences that you will no doubt encounter on your VA journey. Kathy gives real examples and thought provoking tips to ensure you feel prepared for what lies ahead. A must read for any existing or aspiring VA after an honest and informative peek inside our collaborative and growing industry."Victoria Darragh, Chief Executive of the EPAA says: "Making the decision to switch from PA to VA is a very brave one and incredibly exciting. It's one that I thought about myself often but then I became a CEO of another small business and now use the services of a VA. Kathy's book made me chuckle on a number of occasions and frankly it was a refreshing read! Experienced VAs will absolutely relate to this and this is a MUST have book for budding VAs. "

135 pages, Paperback

Published April 25, 2017

About the author

Kathy Soulsby has run her Virtual Assistant business, Personally Virtual, since 2014.
Personally Virtual now comprises a team of over thirty VAs, supporting businesses great and small with expert diary ninja and operational support. As the business has grown, her role has focused less on doing the work and more on finding and recruiting amazing VAs and matching them up with the right clients and monitoring their relationship as it grows. One of her proudest moments was receiving an email from a client simply saying “thank you for matching me with XXXX, she’s fucking brilliant”.

She’s had many longer and less sweary testimonials from clients as well as from happy VAs that adore their PV client but this one appealed greatly for its brevity and heartfelt wording!

Prior to setting up Personally Virtual, Kathy was an EA for fifteen years. Before accidentally embracing the world of business support, Kathy’s career after graduation spanned restaurant and pub management, recruitment, customer complaints, and shellfish sales.

A passionate advocate of the PA, EA, and VA industry, Kathy believes that being an EA or VA is a fantastic career choice and that a good assistant can be life-changing for those getting the support.

Kathy is a total productivity nerd and she loves nothing more than a new way to get things done more efficiently, whether that’s a book, a task system, or a methodology.

Outside of running a business and writing, Kathy can often be found in a field with her two collies doing agility or flyball or dunking herself into unnecessarily cold water for a wild swim.