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

Elizabeth Paige, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I wish the story was a conscious epiphany-esk moment that I could share, but it’s not. In August of 2018, I quit a job that made me miserable and decided that I was going to work for myself, and really that is the only detail I cared about. I’ve never been great with authority and found that every job was okay for about a year. After a year you know too much, and the dread starts to set in. I’m creative, so I decided to work as a graphic designer and front-end web developer.

In order to make that happen I found myself picking up odd jobs to support my broke artist habit. I worked in after-school programs, taught little humans pottery, and worked in a chiropractic office. In March of 2020 I was feeling really down, and was about a month from giving up the dream and returning to a stable corporate job. Well, we all know what happened then. COVID eliminated every client and job I had. In a week everything that filled my time had disappeared, and I was at square 1 again. So I walked a lot. Shout out to City Park in Denver.

Jump forward to August of 2020, and a client that I had worked with mentioned someone in her circle was looking for a Virtual Assistant, I immediately (delusionally) felt that I was qualified and asked her to introduce us. That client, Jillie Johnston, and I still work together 3 years later.

Elizabeth Paige, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Paige Sparkman, a virtual assistant to female entrepreneurs, an educator to future VAs, and a business coach.

What sets me apart from the rest? A no-BS approach to entrepreneurship and working for yourself. Nothing is as easy as the internet wants to paint it, and working with driven entrepreneurs is no exception. I focus on not only helping my clients set goals, and reach them, but managing the emotional rollercoaster that self-employment is.

I believe that in the early stages of starting a business, there are way too many people to hire, and it’s impossible to know where to start. So, my 80% is good enough philosophy is here to help. In the early days of my business, I was again, delusional, and thought I could do everything a client needed. Design a graphic? Absolutely. Do you know about SEO? I sure (don’t), but I will learn! Can you build automation for our website? Yes. (No, panic!) Figure it out.

Should I have played the yes game as much? No, but it was a great experience. At this point, I’m sure that most of my clients hire me just because there is very little I haven’t done, and very few problems I haven’t encountered. The years of saying yes to something I wasn’t positive I could do, but having the grit to figure it out anyways, has made my knowledge indisposable. I’m a in the weeds kind of VA, and I’m really proud of that.

I now stick to the 80% rule in most areas of my life. As I’ve spent the last 5 years mainly working with female entrepreneurs I’ve seen the perfection and procrastination cycle take down too many talented and wonderful women. This wheel that is unwinnable, and often soul-crushing is my real fight. I believe that imperfection and vulnerability are the magic.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

100% it has been referrals. After I had a single VA client, I had another 6 within 3 months. This strategy is something I teach my VA students because it feels SO much larger and more difficult than that. Just when I think my current circle of reach is too small, and I need to expand marketing someone I met 3 years ago and really enjoyed is reaching out to introduce me to a new client.

I don’t think this is the case for all referral-based businesses, but I work so diligently for my clients and truly feel that I am creating lifelong relationships and friendships. There is a mutual understanding of hustle and simultaneous grace that I require in my business. It’s done nothing but weed out those that don’t belong, and draw more inspiring women into my web.

As many freelancers will understand, once it starts to happen the hard part isn’t about getting new clients but knowing which clients to not work with.

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

The lesson I’m still working to unlearn is that I have to be everything to everyone to be successful. Boundaries and the hardest part of this job, because there are constantly things to be done, emails to answer, and projects to begin.

At one point I found myself doing extra unpaid work for my clients because I was scared to bill for every single minute of my time (and sprinkle in an ounce of experience pay). These days, my rates are high, but I’m worth it. My boundaries aren’t as high yet, but I’m working on it. I think this struggle is one that many of us will have forever. Resist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.epaigesparkman.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paigesparkman/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-paige-sparkman-9a5424161/
• Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@paige.sparkman

Image Credits
Photos: Emily Kim Photography – https://emilykimphotography.com/