We were lucky to catch up with Mickia Jolley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mickia, thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

There are only three words to describe my goal in life. Black girl luxury. That has always been the life that I dreamt of having, so there were only two options for me. Climb the corporate ladder, pursue entrepreneurship, or both. One would assume that the obvious decision would be entrepreneurship. Well, I wish it was that simple. I have always been an extremely fearful person and betting on myself was always null and void. I have always been a planner (this is a blessing and a curse, I swear). I have notebooks that I have stored in my house that are full of ideas and strategies to become the woman that I desire. I always stumble when it is time to transition into the execution phase. ACTION brings all those plans to an immediate halt. In 2020, side hustles and online businesses became a hot commodity. Like any sane person, I wanted in on the internet money. I learned about stocks, digital products, social media management, etc. You name it. I learned it. For some reason, virtual assistance stuck out like a sore thumb, and, of course, I made a plan to (EVENTUALLY) add this to my collection of ideas. It collected dust like everything else, until December of 2021. I made my first logo for my virtual assistant business (this was not my first time making a business logo, but I felt confident about this one at the moment). My last name is Jolley and I wanted a name that was unique and personable. I wanted to be an actual asset to my client’s brand. Growth had to be mandatory. Hence, The Jolley Shift was born! Then in May of 2022, I landed my first client.

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.

I want to be rich. I am sure that everyone does. I needed a business idea that had low startup costs and with high potential for capital gain. Virtual assistance seemed like the way to go. A virtual assistant is a remote contractor that assists business owners with essentially anything that can be completed online. There is really no limit on what services a virtual assistant can offer. Basic skills are profitable skills. The first step to starting my business was analyzing what I already knew and how it could appeal to entrepreneurs. My approach was to find business owners who are experiencing growth within their business but they are handling every aspect of their brand alone. I refer to these clients as “one-man bands”. Due to being new to the business, I found a potential lead and sent a DM to offer help via a free trial. Here’s a tip. There are not too many people that will turn down anything that is free (I am one of those people and I am not ashamed). After the trial, I landed the client and my business literally exploded after that just because of the leverage that the client had. The reviews from that one client led me to work with so many successful entrepreneurs. I was blown away by the success I had seen in so little time. This year, I have spent more time investing in learning more so that I can offer more. I am focusing on pricing for profit and in order to do so, I must acquire more high-level skills. I currently provide the following: graphics designs, website design, website maintenance, email marketing, email management, copywriting, digital products, event planning, social media management, direct correspondence (customer service), project management, business planning/advisement, and overall day-to-day operations. My ultimate goal is to ensure that each and every one of my clients reach theirs. I want to see them WIN! I am proud that I have created a brand that has given me the opportunity to meet so many inspirational people. I have been considered by individuals and mentioned in rooms that I would have never thought possible. I am so glad that I chose to bet on me. I look forward to The Jolley Shift growing even more.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

REFERRALS AND REVIEWS! I cannot say this enough! Reviews are so important to business owners, especially service-based providers. Think of it this way. The first thing that most people do before completing a purchase is what? There is only one right answer. They read REVIEWS (I know that I sure do). People want to know what others have to say about you. They want to work with someone who has been proven to be proficient in their line of work. My clientele has been a direct result of referrals and positive reviews. It is a tremendous blessing to be able to have a community of supporters that have me in mind when a job arises.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think being genuine is what sets me apart. I truly do have all of my clients’ best interests at heart and that is something that people feel when they are connected with me. One of my most notable attributes is my turnaround time for completing tasks and that has drawn a lot of attraction to my business as well. I am known to have items completed in less than 24 hours. I also specialize in business strategizing and finding alternative ways to streamline the work process for clients beyond our contracted time. I also tend to offer multiple ideas to also create additional streams of income for my clients at no additional charge. It is the true desire to help everyone become high-figure earners that most clients appreciate when working with me that have built the momentum of hiring me as a business bestie.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thejolleyshift.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejolleyshift/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejolleyshift23
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickia-jolley-4799021b7/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thejolleyshift