We recently connected with Lianca Lyons and have shared our conversation below.
Lianca, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
As an Executive Assistant to CEOs, Founders, and C-Suite Executives, I see the same personality traits in successful business owners that I work with and the formula for success is the same: Hard work: Show up every day to grind and get closer to achieving your goals.
Discipline: EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO, show up and grind every day to achieve your goals Consistency: Even when you don’t want to, show up and grind every day to achieve your goals AND DON’T GIVE UP.
One of my clients has two quotables that we say all day long, “ALL GAS, NO BRAKES” or “The Marathon Continues”. For us, it means this train is moving with or without you so either get on or get left behind. Her company went from being a t-shirt company to being a licensed brand character in major retailers with over 500 SKUs. People ask her the same question every day, how did you do it, how do I do it? Her answer is the same: Hard work, Discipline, and Consistency. Oprah says this all time but I’m going to change it around a bit… Success is when preparation (Hard work, Discipline, and Consistency) meets opportunity (YOUR BIG BREAK!). If you aren’t prepared when the opportunity comes along, you won’t be successful!!!!!
I’ve been an Executive Assistant for almost 20 years. When I have the OPPORTUNITY to work with successful business owners that need my help, I’m PREPARED to support them because I have a thorough understanding and experience with supporting other successful business owners. I’ve now made myself an invaluable asset to their success!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a virtual executive assistant that is committed to helping small businesses grow. For almost 20 years, I’ve assisted every type of CEO imaginable. From large corporations to tech startups, the needs are often the same: provide solutions, not excuses. My passion for Executive Assisting started when I was given the opportunity to assist Kimora Lee Simmons while working at JustFab. I knew EVERYTHING about her and the Executive Team leaned on me heavily for guidance. I got along with her very well and I had a very good working relationship with the executive team so it was a natural transition for me to become a liaison to onboard her. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with being an Executive Assistant. It was like having all the high-level inside information without having the stress. I was “warned” that there was no future in a career as an Executive Assistant, that it would never grow into anything. Welp, I guess I proved them wrong because I turned it into an entire company! The Virtual Clique was born during the pandemic after my father passed away from a non-covid related illness. I was grieving, I had black fatigue due to the aftermath of BLM and I was stuck in the house living in fear that if I left, I would catch a terminal disease, or even worse, give it to a loved one. One day, after a tedious complaint from my boss, I quit on the spot and never looked back. I simply had enough. It was obvious that the business world was shifting to a virtual mindset and I took advantage of being able to Virtually Assist a small business owner that lived anywhere in the world. Three years later, 100 percent of my business is referral based from current or past clients, I’ve doubled my rates, and I only take on clients that I am passionate about. If I’m not passionate about their business or they can’t afford me, I provide a recruiting service where I help them find the perfect assistant.
In the virtual assisting world, hiring VAs overseas at a less expensive rate has become incredibly popular because their rates are pennies to the dollar. However, from personal experience, you get what you pay for. What sets me apart from others is I combine my intuition with my 20 years of experience and skills. I can anticipate thoughts or needs just from a simple look on your face. Hard skills can be learned but soft skills are a gift. I’m a calendar wiz who often doubles as a professional problem solver. I’m an expert at travel planning which also makes me a critical analyst. As a strategic partner and event planner, I’ve planned private vacations, corporate retreats, offsites, and corporate holiday parties with ample time (or last minute). More often than not, my true purpose and responsibilities are to be a caring counselor and trusted confidant. My goal is to make life as smooth and easy as possible. All with a smile on my face and a heart to serve. That is priceless.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Before I entered the workforce, I read Kimora Lee Simmons’s book, Fabulosity: What It Is & How to Get It. She was the first person to speak about YOU as YOUR BRAND. When you walk into work, what is YOUR BRAND? Your brand is your reputation, how you dress, how you work, how you carry yourself, how you talk..this is all YOUR BRAND. What do you want your brand to say about you? I’ve always kept that in mind, especially as it now pertains to my business because Word-of-mouth and referrals have been my best sources of new clients. When I provide excellent service and build strong relationships with my clients, they recommend me to business friends, colleagues, associates, friends, and family that are looking for an Executive Assistant. Excellent client service is essential for the long-term success of my business.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In 2013, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder II. I had a psychotic break a few days before the 4th of July and I had to be put on medication. It was scary, to say the least. I wasn’t eating, or sleeping and I was crying uncontrollably. There were days were I didn’t even eat lunch, I got to work before the sun came up and left after sunset. I was miserable and wanted to die. By the time I was able to see a psychiatrist, she told me,” Your serotonin is negative, you need medication and rest. I’m putting you on disability.” That summer I experienced real healing and true living. Breathing fresh air, enjoying the sun on my skin, watching TV with my parents. I realized I was caught in a rat race and that was not what my purpose was. I came out of a shell that I had created and became who I was truly meant to be…FREE. The number 7 represents completion. I was on disability for 7 weeks. When I started The Virtual Clique in 2020, it was 7 years later. I was “prepared” for the “opportunity” and I understood my purpose and my assignment. Today, I decide what my days look like. I control my schedule. I flow with ease through my days and I make my work works for me. I manage my bipolar disorder with MEDS (Medicine, Exercise, Diet, and Sleep) and my diagnosis is not a secret. I vocalize to normalize and destigmatize. I’m very transparent about my diagnosis to anyone that will listen because in actuality, my diagnosis saved my life and I will always be grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thevirtualclique.com and www.liancalyons.com
- Instagram: @liancalyons and @the_virtual_clique
- Linkedin: @liancalyons