We were lucky to catch up with Chelsea Yvanda Cole recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Chelsea Yvanda, thanks for joining us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

My first client came from a moment of pure boldness.

I had just finished a virtual assistant course and reached the point where you’re supposed to “put yourself out there.” I was still trying to figure out who my ideal client was, and as I sat with that question, I kept coming back to the field I was most passionate about: public health. It made me wonder if I could merge my new VA skills with my love for public health.

I’m in a Facebook group called Black Ladies in Public Health, and on a whim, I searched the words “virtual assistant” inside the group. I couldn’t believe it. There were entrepreneurs and public health consultants actively looking for support. That was my aha moment. I realized that public health entrepreneurs existed, they were building businesses, and they needed operational help.

So I did something brave. I made a post asking, “Hey everyone, I just started a virtual assistant business. If you had a VA, what would you want support with?”

That single post changed everything.

Not only did it confirm that there was a need for someone like me, but it also helped me refine exactly what services I should offer. Soon after, my first public health client reached out. We scheduled a meeting, she hired me on my middle-tier package of $850 a month, and I ended up supporting her and both of her businesses for two years. We still keep in contact today.

The beautiful twist is that another person, whose old post I first found asking for a VA, eventually became a client too.

That first dollar felt magical. It validated my idea, my skills, and the bravery it took to put myself out there. It also inspired my rebrand as “The Public Health VA,” which allowed me to fully step into the niche I’ve been serving ever since.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

For readers who may be learning about me for the first time, my name is Chelsea Yvanda Cole, and I go by Chelsea Yvanda. I am the Founder and CEO of The Virtual Collab, an Executive Virtual Assistant and Operations Management Agency that helps public health and social impact entrepreneurs build sustainable, efficient, and well-managed businesses. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, I am a first-generation American with roots in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and I am a proud millennial, a wife, I love Asian food, especially Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisine, and I am a cruise addict. I have always been a natural organizer and a neat freak in the best way. Bringing order to chaos is something that has always come naturally to me.

My journey into this industry was both unexpected and intentional. My background is in public health. I have a Master of Public Health with a concentration in healthcare management and policy, and I have spent over a decade working in public health, healthcare, and higher education. So, I knew I was going to manage something one day! One day, my partner, who is now my husband, casually mentioned that buying a home would eventually be part of our future, and that comment sparked something in me. As someone who is naturally analytical and research-driven, I immediately dove into researching the cost of homes. What I found made me realize that I needed to increase my income.

That research phase led me to explore different ways to earn more, including trading options, but nothing felt aligned. Then one day, I came across the concept of becoming a virtual assistant on TikTok. It clicked instantly. I had always worked in administrative and operational roles, and I knew I could excel in a virtual capacity. At first, I considered applying for another job, but the idea of starting a business with limitless income potential and the flexibility I wanted felt more empowering.

Once I started my VA business, it initially felt just like another job. That pushed me to reflect on what I was truly passionate about. I realized that I loved operations work. I enjoyed being proactive, thinking several steps ahead, and acting as a forward thinker. In many virtual assistant roles, you are simply completing tasks as they come, but in operations you step into a leadership mindset. You think strategically. You look at the bigger picture. You help shape the direction of the business. That combination of strategic problem solving and my passion for public health helped me realize that I wanted to support mission driven public health and social impact leaders at an operational level, not just as a task doer. Once I connected those pieces, everything started to fall into place.

That realization is what led me to discover the world of public health consultants, social impact founders, and mission driven organizations that needed admin and operational support. The moment I found that intersection, I knew I had found my lane. I could combine my public health background, my organizational strengths, and my strategic operational expertise to directly support people who are out in the world creating meaningful change.

Today, my agency provides Executive Virtual Assistant services, Operations Management, Project Management, System Audits and Implementation, Travel Planning, Strategic Consulting, and Director of Operations support. As a certified Director of Operations, I use a proven strategy mapping framework to help clients streamline their businesses, create structures that support growth, build SOPs, optimize systems, and operate like true CEOs instead of an overwhelmed solopreneurs.

The heart of what we do is simple.
We build sustainable businesses.
We help entrepreneurs get back their time.
We make their day-to-day operations seamless.
We turn chaos into clarity.

Clients often come to us feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, and unclear about their next steps. My agency steps in to create order, implement systems, establish processes, and manage backend operations so they can focus on their vision and mission. Under my leadership, our clients have experienced revenue growth and notable improvements in operational efficiency. Many have been able to grow their team, launch new programs, hit major milestones, and finally feel like their business is sustainable rather than just a side hustle.

What sets me apart is a combination of my training, my natural strengths, and my agency’s approach. I bring the lens of a public health professional, the strategy of a certified Director of Operations, and the organizational instincts of someone who genuinely enjoys creating structure and clarity. My team and I are proactive, detail-oriented, and deeply invested in the success of my clients. My team and I treat every business as if it were our own, and that level of integrity allows our clients to trust us with their operations at a high level.

What I am most proud of is the impact we have had on the entrepreneurs we support. We have helped clients scale, hire staff, create structure, regain their time, and build businesses that can truly thrive. Being part of someone’s growth journey, especially in the public health and social impact space, is an honor I take very seriously.

If there is one thing I want potential clients and readers to know about me, it is that The Virtual Collab is more than an agency. We are a virtual resource, a strategic partner. We are invested in your sustainability, your operations, and your long-term success. We bring clarity, structure, and strategy to your business so you can operate confidently and focus on the meaningful work you are called to do.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I started my business in 2022, right in the middle of a major shift on Instagram. The platform was moving away from polished photos and moving toward short form reels, especially the voiceover trend. At that time, everyone was using popular sounds and adapting them to their business. I remember one sound that said, “I have to figure out how I’m going to make this money by tomorrow,” and I will never forget practicing that voiceover over and over until I got it right.

The funny thing is, I am naturally an introvert. I prefer being behind the scenes, observing and organizing. Showing up on camera was outside of my comfort zone, but I knew that if I wanted to grow my audience and attract clients, I had to put myself out there. I studied what other entrepreneurs were doing in the online space and realized that this was one of the most effective ways to be seen.

So I created a system for myself. I researched sounds, practiced the voiceovers, picked out my outfits, recorded the videos, edited them, created the captions, and posted consistently. Over time, this consistency helped me build an audience that was entertained but also educated. People started learning who I was, what I specialized in, and they began to trust me. That trust turned into discovery calls and eventually long term clients.

At the same time, I was very intentional about the audience I was trying to attract. Because I was niching down in public health, once I found one consultant or entrepreneur, it became easier to find more. There was a particular conference held each year with many public health consultants, and attending it helped me learn their language, their challenges, and their needs. I used that insight to create content that spoke directly to them. I would follow them, engage with their posts, and over time they started booking calls. I never forced the connection. I used discernment and let my content do most of the talking.

Instagram became my strongest platform. Every client I got during that time came from Instagram, and many of the clients I still have today originally found me there. When I asked what made them book, they would often say that my content was helpful and spoke directly to what they were struggling with.

Building my audience required me to step out of my comfort zone, but doing so helped me create the business I have today. For anyone starting to build their social media presence, my advice is simple. Put yourself out there. Start with one or two platforms instead of trying to be everywhere. Follow the trends, but only in a way that feels aligned with you. Create a schedule, stay organized, and develop a step by step process so the work feels less overwhelming. Be confident, be consistent, and trust that your audience will grow when you show up with intention.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

A story that truly illustrates my resilience comes from my journey of building a team. From the very beginning of my business, I knew that I did not want to be the only person doing the work. In the virtual assistant space, many services are hourly based, and there are only so many hours in a day. When I looked at people who had built successful businesses, they all had some form of support. Their structures looked different. Some worked directly with clients while having an assistant, and others were completely hands off with a full team running the day to day. I always knew that was where I wanted to be because I understood that building a team was the only way I could truly grow.

Today, I am grateful to say that I have an amazing group of women on my team who help bring my vision to life. But reaching this point took resilience, patience, and a lot of learning the hard way.

In the early stages, I struggled with building a team. I experienced almost every growing pain you can imagine. I had contractors quit moments before a client call. I had people who did not complete client work. I had clients tell me they no longer wanted to work with certain team members. I even had situations where individuals on my team attempted to bypass my agency, reaching out to clients directly for business, despite the confidentiality clause in their contract.

One of the most challenging moments involved a young woman who was working in the same niche as me. She reached out wanting to collaborate, and because I am naturally supportive of other women, I welcomed her in. I shared opportunities and referrals, and even brought her onto my team. Her work was average, and eventually I had to let her go. Shortly after, I discovered she had been messaging my clients and later began publicly branding herself as a public health virtual assistant.

Ironically, the very first public health client she was supporting eventually became a long term client of mine. I am not sure what happened in their working relationship, but that client ultimately reached out to me on her own after seeing my visibility, consistency, and the impact I was making in the public health space. She connected with me initially to collaborate on projects for her community, and over time that relationship naturally grew into her becoming a client. That experience taught me that the right clients will always find their way to you, regardless of who tries to replicate your work or move in your lane.

That entire season taught me resilience. It taught me to trust my vision and to keep moving toward the business I knew I was meant to build. I learned through real experiences what needed to evolve. I refined my job descriptions. I improved my hiring process. I strengthened my operational structure. I implemented clearer SOPs. I became more discerning about who I brought onto my team. Every challenge pushed me to elevate my leadership and reinforce the foundation of my business.

Yes, people make mistakes. Yes, some hires will not be a good fit. Yes, team building requires patience. But if you stay committed to your vision, your dream team will come. You just have to be willing to learn, adjust, and keep advocating for the business you are building.

Those experiences strengthened me and shaped me into the leader I am today. They taught me endurance, emotional resilience, and the importance of structure and boundaries. And they made me even more appreciative of the incredible team I have now. I could not have reached the level of success I have today without them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thevirtualcollabbycy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevirtualcollabbycy_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVirtualCollabCY
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-y-cole-mph/