We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Adrianna Powell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Adrianna below.

Adrianna , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

In May of 2023, I walked away from a career I loved and built for 13 years: education. I had no idea what I was going to do next in my career, and it was scary. Not having a job lined up after walking away from my field was terrifying. But I did it. I had no idea of what I wanted to do next. So I prayed and asked for direction. One day, I was scrolling on Instagram and I started seeing VA’s EVERYWHERE! From there, my vision was born to help other business owners with their goals on their entrepreneurial journey.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Well, I am Brooklyn born and GA raised. Coming from a Caribbean background, I cherish family and community. I love coffee, spending time with friends and family and I love God!

I got into my industry with God and social media! Before I found my niche, I listened and read what the problem areas were for business owners. There is a disconnect in the amount of time business owners truly have and the time needed to get tasks for their brands completed. When I am able to take these smaller tasks off of their plates, clients are able to focus on the more important tasks in their business, such as creating products, going to events, creating content, etc.

As a Virtual Assistant, I specialize in administrative tasks and social media support. Admin tasks include, but is not limited to, data entry, spreadsheets/CRMs, customer support, appointment scheduling, email and calendar management etc. Social media support includes, but is not limited to, scheduling and posting content, creating graphics and reels based on the content my clients provide, and scroll time to research top hashtags, respond to comments and DMs, account support, and focus on engagement.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn when I left my field of education was that my skills weren’t transferrable. I thought when I left teaching, I could only be hired as an educator. This was scary because I worked hard for 13 years and thought I had nothing to show for it.

I realized that as an educator, I was the “everything” for my classroom and students. I was the teacher, Mom and Dad, the nurse, the mentor, and the structure. I understood what it was like to wear many hats as a business owner, so I can relate with my clients. I also recognized that the roles I was tasked with in my schools opened the door to learning how to multi-task, complete admin tasks quickly, and time block, many of the things I do as a VA.

I grew to realize I wasn’t missing anything as I created space for myself as a VA. I was created for this :)

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

Networking events!!! That is where I find most of my clients. I don’t particularly seek clients on social media; it’s more so for me to provide education for business owners on how a VA can be beneficial for their business.

Networking events give me the opportunity to get in the room with people, hear their needs and share a snippet about myself and what I have to offer. Even though I am a “Virtual” Assistant, I believe clients need have a conversation with me, learn about me and eventually, trust me. Their business is their baby and having a conversation face-to-face is a great way to start building that relationship.

My advice: go to all of the events. You never know who you are going to meet. Never disqualify yourself when you enter a room. You belong there.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @apvirtualsolutions
• Facebook: AP Virtual Solutions

Image Credits
Nicole Brooks, Owner of Photovation Elite