We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maggie Gravier a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Maggie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I had never heard of a Virtual Assistant until Spring of 2024! In the all of 2023 I was laid off from my corporate operations management position at a tech company. I spent months on the job hunt, and with the market the way its been I wasn’t getting anywhere. I applied for hundreds of jobs, worked with recruiters, interviewed weekly, and still nothing! I was applying for anything and everything that could be somewhat relevant to my experience.

There are so many people in the same boat I’ve been in, and its miserable. It feels devaluing, disheartening, and frustrating as all heck. I knew I couldn’t go on like that anymore, and needed to make change happen.

I remember the day very clearly – I sat down at my desk and made a list of all the things I’m good at and the things I love doing. Things I’ve done in past jobs, things I’d like to do, and what I want my life to look like moving forward.

Then it dawned on me – I have the perfect skillset to support others in their roles and businesses! From administrative work to social media, event planning, photography, database building & maintenance, customer service, marketing, web design, and more.

So what did that mean? It meant that I could build a business helping other businesses grow, and I could do it all on my own terms! Within a few days I had an EIN, testimonials from former coworkers, a website, an instagram account, and all I needed was clients. The first thing I did was reach out to my LinkedIn/professional network. Not only could I assist businesses, but I could also support individuals within larger companies who needed help without the full time commitment.

The most important thing in starting a business is to understand that problem you’re solving for others, and why they need YOU to solve it for them. What are three of the biggest problems a small business owner has? Lack of time, lack of funds, and lack of knowledge in all areas of operating a business. How can I solve these problems? I offer buckets of hours for my clients each month to take on the work they don’t have time for, don’t know how to do, or don’t want to do. By offloading tasks to me they free up 20-60 hours of each month to focus on other areas of their business, maintaining current customers and bringing in new customers, and even just more time to spend with their families or traveling or doing whatever it is they went into business on their own to do in the first place.

What are some benefits to having a virtual assistant as opposed to a full time employee? You’re only paying for the work completed. No taxes, PTO, benefits, 401k, or any supplies that may be needed. A virtual assistant is a contracted employee, which can help simplify things for your business.

This idea was really exciting, because it seemed like such an easy and perfect solution to my own problem of unemployment, and it literally changed the trajectory of my whole life!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi there! My name is Maggie, and I’m born and raised right here in St. Louis. I grew up in University City, and have moved around the South City area ever since!

Since I could start working at 15 I’ve been bouncing around different customer service roles (barista, baker at Bread Co, popcorn maker at The Muny, cookie decorator, clothing retail, a bookstore clerk and more), and fell in love with photography when I went to college at Webster University. I worked as an attendant in the dark room as well as the photo gallery there, and everything about creating and helping others to create filled my heart and gave infinite amounts of inspiration. I wanted to document life and share stories with others.

After getting my BA in photography I went back to Webster U to get my MA in media communications while growing my photography business focusing on weddings, events, and live music. When I graduated I was in my mid-20s and frustrated with entrepreneurship (this was back when all the mom bloggers got dslr cameras and charged less than half what I did). I didn’t have it in me to build a business on my own at that point, and that’s ok! I worked at an Apple store for a few years, made some amazing friends and connections, and from there moved on to an office management job at a local printing company called The Done Dept (my first client in this Virtual Maggie journey is a former coworker/customer there and she’s a wonderful person!).

From there I moved on to the operations management position at a tech company that introduced me to working remotely, independently, and with the understanding that I’m an adult and capable of getting my work done.

It ruined having a job for me! I knew from then on I could never have a normal office job again!

In starting my business, I knew what my strengths were, how they could solve problems for others, and what I wanted my business to look like in terms of how many hours I wanted to work, what the communication between myself and my clients looked like, my branding (which is also ever-evolving), and the fact that I missed traveling so much and wanted to be able to travel and work. This was a BIG part of taking the leap.

I offer two ways to work with me – a monthly retainer system, and a project- based system. My clients who signed on for a monthly retainer get a certain amount of hours of my time each month to help them with whatever tasks they need and want my assistance with. These are usually ongoing tasks like administrative work, social media planning, customer service, etc. My project-based system is for clients who have that big thing they need done and may have been avoiding because there’s just not enough time! This can be something like creating a website, cleaning out their customer database, or creating a year of social media content. I have recently added a third consultation option for small things at an hourly rate.

My monthly retainer packages are tiered pricing options based on how many hours are needed, and my project-based system has a minimum starting price that can increase based on the project. I do my best to keep things simple for my own organization and sanity, and too many options can make it confusing for potential clients.

You know, I wish I had some great thing to say about how I’m so different from others and why I could be the best, but I don’t. I’m just a woman who was in a crisis, and found a way out of it while helping others to grow their businesses and make their dreams come true. By helping my clients to grow and make money I grow and make money. Its a win-win!

As I write this I’m 9 months into this journey. Being an entrepreneur is a slow, tedious, exhausting process. I’m taking my time, laying a strong foundation, and in doing so I’m building something sustainable with infinite growth potential. Its not for the faint of heart or for someone looking to make quick cash. Your business becomes your life.

I’m proud of myself for taking a pause from the chaos that was my life, thinking critically and outside the box, and taking this leap! A lot of things have changed in my life since, and 2025 is all about focusing on my clients, growing my business, and living the life I’ve always dreamed of. I have plenty of time and mental capacity for more clients, and I can’t wait to see how many entrepreneurs and small businesses I can help grow this year! I have a list of skills I want to cultivate, avenues of income to explore, and a few National Parks to visit.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Funding (obviously) played a HUGE factor in how I went about starting my business. I’m fortunate in that what I’m offering is my time and skillset, which means I have very little overhead and no manufacturing, production, or shipping to deal with. I don’t currently have material products to handle. I started my business with free versions of software like Canva and only invested money into things that would really help me get started and grow with me like the platform I use for tracking time, invoicing, client information, leads, etc.

I’m also paying myself very little currently. Everything I’m making is going into the growth of the business, and the goal is to automate as much as possible so I can make that “passive income.” I live a simple live below my means, and as my business grows so will the rest of my life. Its all about finding that balance, and making the sacrifices now to build the future you want.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Let me start off by saying that marketing myself is my least favorite thing to do! I always feel self-conscious, imposter syndrome sets in, and I’m a total introvert, but if I’m going to grow my business I have to suck it up. With that being said, the most effective strategy I’ve found for growing my business is being reliable assistance to my current clients, and letting word of mouth do the rest. I don’t spend money on marketing, I’m not as consistent on social media as I should be, and I’m not a natural when it comes to putting myself out there. I view my clients and my work as the most important way I can grow my clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://virtually-maggie.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virtually.maggie/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-gravier-a4487444/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@VirtuallyMaggie

Image Credits

Photos by RJ Hartbeck

Website: https://www.rjhartbeck.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjhartbeck/?hl=en