We were lucky to catch up with Cydney Payden-Diggs recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Cydney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
Back in August 2020, my contracting job as an Executive Assistant got terminated and I had no concrete plan on what to do next. For the first time since I started working at 14, I did not have a job lined up as a safety net. About 2 months into my job search, I was offered a job that paid well but didn’t quite feel like the right fit for me, so I declined. The next day, I came across an Instagram ad from these two young ladies that spoke about making money remotely as a Virtual Assistant. It was almost like a lightbulb lit up in my head when I read the word! I thought, becoming a virtual assistant sounded like the perfect career for me. I was a formal Executive Assistant that worked remotely, I was already a VA! I couldn’t afford to invest in a VA course, I had to figure it out on my own. I dug deep into the VA world by doing research and following virtual assistants and virtual assistant coaches. I also started to study other business owners to learn their pain points so that I may market my services to their needs.
By November, I created a name for my business, established my services and pricing, and started a business profile on Instagram. I didn’t have any processes in place, only a Calendly link and Google Workspace. I knew nothing about marketing but I started to create content about my business using Canva. Canva was such a huge help because it was super beginner friendly and I could customize relatable templates. I started to consistently post content on Instagram hoping to find my first client. I received an email from a company that was interested in interviewing me for a remote part-time administrative role. It sounded like the perfect opportunity for me to pitch my services as a virtual assistant. The owner accepted my proposal and has now seen my business in every phase so far. Not only was this business my first client but also a long-term client. We ended up working together for 2 years. I’m super thankful that I took a leap of faith and started this business, my life has truly changed for the better.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was born and raised in Washington, DC. I’m 27 years old, I’ve been married for over 5 years now, and has a beautiful pitbull named Luna. I take pride in providing stress-free solutions to business owners in need of back-office support. As a VA, my goal is to help clients get their life back by supporting and helping create a healthy work-life balance. In addition to being a VA, I also started a Virtual Assistant Academy, Leading Lady Virtual Assistant Academy where I teach women how to get started as a VA and provide the support I wish I had when first starting. I also own a non-profit organization, The L.O.V.E. Community; a community development foundation that gives back to the DC area. Before starting my business, I led a COVID response team while working as an Executive Assistant to a Federal special task force. Today, I encourage women to look within themselves to find the skills and power they need to make their own money.
What set’s me apart is my determination to destress my clients. I’m constantly asking if there’s anything I can take off their plate and genuinely care about their mental health. I understand the stress that comes with running a business and it shows in the way that I cater to my clients. I’m most proud of my progress. I grew up afraid to be in the spotlight and now I’m living as the main character in my own story.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I built my audience on social media by building connections, posting consistently, and showing my true personality. I’ve never been an open book on my personal social media so the idea of showing up more on my business page gave me anxiety. As I started to post content consistently, I realized I was getting better at creating the content and I even enjoyed it. When the reels feature came out, I got even more anxious because I had to show my face more and I knew it was a great way to reach more people. The more content I created, the more comfortable I got with social media especially when I started to gain momentum and work inquiries. Today, I get the majority of my clientele from social media, imagine if I let my anxiety stop me from creating content.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
The Four Agreements was a book I read in 2021. My life has completely changed for the better since I started implementing the wisdom I learned. If you need a positive perspective change, definitely give it a read.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cydneymasani.com
- Instagram: @cmclientservices
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cydney-payden-diggs-28228461/
- Twitter: @theBlackVA