Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaunette Myers

Shaunette, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

In previous interviews, I’ve often shared the story of how I arrived at where I am today. From a young age, I’ve been ambitious and clear about my goals. While life took some unexpected turns, my drive and determination never wavered.

Growing up, my dream was to become a midwife. However, after high school, I wasn’t able to pursue midwifery right away because my Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) results were pending. With no time to waste, I enrolled in a Practical Nursing program as a backup plan. When my CSEC results arrived, I was thrilled to have passed all eight subjects with grades of ones and twos, including distinctions.

I completed my Practical Nursing course and began working in the field shortly after. Life, of course, had its ups and downs, but I remained focused and hardworking. While I enjoyed caring for others, I soon realized that the demanding nature of the job was taking a toll on other important aspects of my life. Always business-minded, I explored the idea of starting a nursing home, but during my research, I found myself more interested in the business side of things. To enhance my knowledge, I pursued a certificate in Supervisory Management from the University of the West Indies Open Campus.

Eventually, the physical and emotional strain of nursing caught up with me, and I fell ill due to overwork and exhaustion. I decided to transition to a new role and took a position as an administrative assistant at an insurance office. After almost a year there, I faced a deeply challenging time—a miscarriage. Returning to work two weeks later, I pushed through the emotional turmoil and found a new job at a call center as a customer service representative. However, after becoming pregnant with my “rainbow baby” and facing the reality of being a single mother at seven months pregnant, I knew I had to make a change.

Balancing a newborn with a stressful work environment was unsustainable. I explored work-from-home opportunities, but none seemed to stick. When my baby was five months old, I secured a job as an accounting clerk, but after my probationary period, I wasn’t hired permanently. I moved on to manage the office of a shipping company for a year. Despite the setbacks, I was determined not to let life’s challenges stop me from achieving my goals.

In my continuous search for better opportunities, I stumbled across the concept of Virtual Assistance. I initially tried freelance platforms like Fiverr, which didn’t work out, but I soon realized that Virtual Assistants could succeed outside those platforms. I began researching extensively and saw the potential in offering services that aligned with my existing skills. Armed with free resources from other service providers and advice from a friend, I made the leap on March 30, 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, by creating an Instagram account and making my first post.

From that point, I connected with others in the virtual assistance space, learning and growing as I went. By July 2020, I landed my first client from Georgia, USA, and we worked together for a year. Since then, I’ve worked with both short- and long-term clients, primarily through Instagram and referrals. In 2022while adjusting my business plan and deciding ways to add additional income to my business, I tried Fiverr again and even secured a long term client from their. I would attribute that to gained knowledge and experience. The journey hasn’t been easy—I’ve faced my fair share of challenges—but it’s all part of the process of growth and evolution. Through it all, I’ve also achieved several accomplishments and gained additional qualifications that I haven’t even touched on yet.

This journey is ongoing, but my passion for what I do continues to fuel my success and evolution.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

The journey has certainly not been smooth. Anyone with even a basic understanding of business knows there are good days and bad days—times when things move slowly and times when they move quickly. Balancing the demands of working in your business while also working on it to foster growth, all while managing your personal life with its own ups and downs, can be overwhelming. The challenges are numerous, from learning to market yourself to building trust with clients. It’s an honor when clients from across the globe place their trust in you. Just as you ensure your clients are organized, you must also stay organized, especially when you’re running solo without a team. Securing clients and retaining them presents its own set of challenges, but it’s through overcoming these hurdles that growth happens.

As you know, we’re big fans of Shaunette’s Virtual Assistance & Consulting . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?

Shaunette’s Virtual Assistance & Consulting, a globally and locally focused enterprise specializing in general administrative support for business owners. Our mission is to empower these entrepreneurs to assume a prominent role as the face of their businesses, facilitating increased revenue generation and fostering growth in diverse areas. Additionally, we extend our expertise in business consulting to individuals aspiring to enter the Virtual Assistant profession or those already engaged in business operations seeking guidance in areas of challenge.

Established in March 2020, the most gratifying aspect of our journey lies in the relationships forged with clients and the establishment of unwavering trust. Despite geographical differences, clients from various countries have entrusted us with pivotal roles in their business operations. Trust is a cornerstone of our operational philosophy, serving as the linchpin for sustained progress. While the business landscape presents challenges, our commitment to cultivating trust has consistently propelled us forward.

Brand wise I’m extremely proud that in 2023, a client who trusted me to help her with creating a proposal for a major event which she was chosen for and is now receiving many more bookings. For 2024, I undertook a whole different project in an exciting but untapped area. In collaboration with an artiste, Nicholas Rose, we planned and executed the first ever children’s only art exhibition. “Azoriah & Friends Art Exhibition”, hosted at the GolfView Hotel, in Mandeville, Manchester from May 2 to June 2, 2024. In my words it was huge the turn out was great, we received media coverage and the three young artistes that were featured had a blast and made sales.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?

I would say luck is what you make it. In life and business, even when things seems not be falling into place, still prepare for the thing you’re wanting to achieve.

Pricing:

• $200 USD
• $350 USD
• $700 USD
• $1200 USD

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shaunettesvirtuala.wixsite.com/mysite
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaunettesvirtualassistance/?r=nametag
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shaunettesvirtualassistance/
• Youtube: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunette-myers-79abb31a6/
• Other: [email protected]