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

Emilie , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?

YES, I DO! The significance of vacations in my life cannot be overstated. Taking the time to unplug, unwind, and cherish moments with my loved ones holds immense value for me. Personally, I have had difficulties with detaching from work and feeling obligated to be constantly available.

When I started my VA agency, my mission was to assist executives and business owners in alleviating the burden of administrative tasks, while enabling them to focus on generating revenue. Over time, that evolved into a journey of effective delegation, allowing them more opportunities to indulge in hobbies, vacations, and experiences that truly ignite their souls!

One of the most heartwarming testimonials I ever received was a text from a client’s wife during their vacation. She sent me a picture of my client with their peacefully sleeping one-year-old on his chest, a sight rarely witnessed before. She expressed her gratitude with the words, “He never does this. THANK YOU SO MUCH!” This touching moment reaffirmed for me the impact of my agency’s services.

Emilie , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Absolutely! Hello there! I’m Emilie, and I proudly serve as the owner and CEO of She’s A Given, a dynamic virtual assistant agency nestled in the vibrant city of Seattle, WA! After I graduated high school, I pursued a career in the medical field and became a medical assistant. I then ventured into healthcare management. I then transitioned into another career path entirely, where I was in a corporate role at Amazon headquarters, working a 9-5 schedule. During my time at Amazon, I met my now-husband, Billy. Our journey together took an exciting turn as we welcomed our son, EJ into our lives. This pivotal moment was unfortunately accompanied by a near-death experience during my labor and delivery with him. This became a defining moment in my life and ignited a desire within me to start She’s A Given. In 2018, I opened my agency and we are still going strong today.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Throughout my life, I have always embodied the persona of being a “yes” woman, often grappling with the pressure to prioritize others’ needs above my own. This pattern continued early on in my entrepreneurial journey which led me to believe that constant accessibility to me was the standard. However, this mindset left me feeling incredibly drained and stretched thin. I felt like I had minimal time devoted to my family and personal well-being. When I finally recognized the need for a change, I transformed my way of thinking and began setting boundaries with my business. I began this process by proactively scheduling client calls, and strictly adhering to work hours that promoted a healthy work-life balance. This was a pivotal shift that alleviated so much pressure and burnout that had always loomed over me. Since I have adopted these practices, I have achieved so much more personally and professionally, and it’s really allowed me the time to be fully present during family time while safeguarding my business commitments.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

In my personal experience, the most impactful approach that I have found while trying to expand my clientele has been to cultivate authentic relationships with them. I have noticed a clear distinction between mere interactions at events versus actually shaking someone’s hand and investing the time to meet up with them and get to know them beyond the confines of the networking realm. Forging those meaningful connections requires me to go beyond the surface and initiate those connections to actually understand them! In many instances, my deliberate efforts have evolved into a client relationship or vice versa. Some of these relationships have turned into real friendships, collaborations, podcast appearances, or mutually beneficial partnerships. It has been extremely rewarding for me to genuinely engage with others instead of having a “what can you do for me” mindset. I feel like I have unlocked a world of endless possibilities and I feel enriched both personally and professionally by that!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shesagiven.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/shesagiven_
• Facebook: facebook.com/shesagiven
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shesagiven/

Image Credits
First 4 photos (raspberry colored top): Rebecca Ellison Photo with headphones: Aurie Janae