Today we’d like to introduce you to Evonne Barrier
Hi Evonne, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Born and raised in Norman Oklahoma to a middle class family, my childhood was rather unremarkable. I was a straight A student, very shy and loved reading, especially if it was Star Wars! I didn’t grow up thinking, I’ll be a business owner when I grow up. I wanted to be a teacher, and then eventually an occupational therapist with a focus on therapy on horseback for children to learn to walk. I went to the University of Oklahoma to pursue my degree.
About half way through college I was introduced to opiates from a boyfriend and I very quickly found myself in the throws of addiction. It started with prescription pills and quickly progressed to heroin. I was addicted to opiates for a solid 2 years of my very early 20s. It was a struggle, but somehow I managed to graduate from college. Because I couldn’t focus and study long enough to take the test to go OT school, I switched my major to multi-disciplinary studies, so I was able to graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science.
Somehow, through the grace of God, and my own willingness to change my life, I was able to break free of my addiction and have been clean for over 12 years now. That time in my life showed me my willingness to put in the work to create a life I loved. The first few years were hard, but I was working at a local company that embraced the new me and gave me every opportunity to succeed. I was able to work my way up to manager of that local restaurant and worked there for 5 years.
After the unexpected death of my best friend, Lauren Cordova, in October 2016, I felt like my life was taking another turn and everything was shifting under me. All of a sudden, the place I had worked for half a decade felt like a funeral home. See, Lauren was also a manager with me at that local restaurant, and I could see her around every corner. That started my decision to leave the restaurant industry, which I had been working in for over 10 years, and try to figure out where I fit in this crazy world, and what my purpose was.
That took me down a wild journey, trying different industries, deep diving into personal and professional development and learning all about online businesses. I was fascinated and quickly became obsessed, consuming all the education I could. I was enamored with online businesses and the marketing world. The concept of automations tickled my brain in a way that I couldn’t stop learning about it. I learned through that process that I am a systems and processes person, and my brain works in steps and substeps and can’t help but organize everything.
Eventually I stumbled upon a podcast talking about the virtual assistant world and I was fascinated. As a 2 on the Enneagram (the helper), the idea of being someone’s right hand person felt like the answer to a prayer. I soon discovered that I have a knack for business, administrative work and project management. I dove head first into the world of virtual assistants in 2018 and never looked back. My virtual assistant agency started out of necessity in 2019, officially making me a ‘business owner’ with a team and more responsibilities than just managing myself.
It was challenging at first because no one in my family or my husband’s family owns a business. I didn’t have a ‘blueprint’ to follow from my own life, so I turned to my business mentors, books and podcasts to guide me. I paired up with an amazing business coach and started to find my own way.
Fast forward to today in 2024 and I own multiple businesses, and we’re just getting started! A few years ago I found I was seeing business opportunities everywhere I turned and, seeing as a I have a ‘knack of business’, I couldn’t help myself but dive in to founding other companies with complimentary missions.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all! Every day, every week and every month present their own unique challenges. Let’s be honest, life is full of challenges, but that is what makes life so beautiful! If we didn’t have the lows, we wouldn’t appreciate the highs. I’ve learned over the years, if you are going to be a business owner, you need to get comfortable in the uncomfortable. Some days are great with so many wins, and others are a struggle. But it’s your ability to figure things out, your belief in yourself, that will get you through. I know that I’ve made it through much more difficult times than what I am facing today, and even if today’s problem feels bigger than anything I’ve ever faced, I can look back at my past and see that I have a 100% success rate of surviving and figuring things out. And I will be able to do it again.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Barrier Consulting, A Virtual Assistant Agency?
Barrier Consulting is a virtual assistant agency focused on placing high quality, US based VA’s with business owners through our boutique placement process. All of our VAs are women with professional backgrounds and experiences they are bringing to the table. These ladies are not doing this as a ‘side hustle’ but rather as a career, leaving their corporate lives to build their own businesses.
We are known for our boutique placement process, allowing us to place high quality assistants with clients in a smooth and seamless process. We dive deep into the client’s needs, their company, culture, values, work style, communication style, leadership style, etc. We are looking at the skills they need, but also the soft skills that will allow for a really great, long term working relationship. We offer onboarding support once placement has been completed and help guide our clients through working with their virtual assistant, so they can achieve the success they are wanting in their business.
What sets us apart is our focus on detail and our very thorough process. We are there to hold the client’s hand through the entire process and will make the best recommendation possible, even if that means taking more time to complete interviews to find the best fit. Our assistants are high quality and dedicated to providing exceptional support for our clients. Being business owners themselves, they understand the need to show up and do a great job for their clients, as it is a direct reflection on their business.
I am so proud of my team and the dedication they show to our clients. Each lady I work with is an incredible human who has a true servant’s heart and truly wants to help others. They show up and show out every day for their clients and are helping so many people achieve their goals and their dreams. It truly makes my heart sing to think about!
In addition to virtual assistant placements, we also offer process deep dives and SOP creation. This is a great service for a business owner who needs to really identify, define and outline their processes so they feel confident bringing on an assistant. You can do 1 or multiple processes with this service, and you will walk away with a process audit, process recommendations, SOPs, implemenation guide and training for your team.
How do you think about happiness?
Happiness is a choice. We choose how we show up in the world every day and we can choose to show up happy, or not. There are little tricks you can do to help your body create the chemicals for happiness, like smiling for 5 minutes at yourself in the mirror, talking to yourself like you would a puppy in the morning, putting your hand on your heart and focusing on gratitude until you feel it fill your body up and then focusing on joy until you feel ready to burst with it.
I am happy because I choose to be. In the face of difficult situations or when it feels like the world is falling apart around me, I can still choose to be happy. I realized my happiness is my own responsibility, not the responsibility of anyone else in this world. And if I can’t be happy just as I am right now, no one and nothing else is going to be able to change that for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://barriervirtualassistants.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barrierconsulting/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barrierconsulting/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evonne-barrier-40627747/
Image Credits
Image credit: Oakes Creative House