We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Paula Diaz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Paula , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
I became a Virtual Assistant 11 years ago when I was eight months pregnant with my second child. It was a blessing for me, as I had decided to become an entrepreneur three years earlier, after becoming a mother for the first time. I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving my newborn with a nanny while I returned to the corporate world, so I chose to stay home and start my own company.
I gave it my best effort, but unfortunately, nothing worked out. At the time, I was living in Venezuela, where the economic and political situation was not conducive to new businesses. When I became pregnant with my second child, I decided to return to work once she was born. During a conversation with a friend, I shared my plans, and she said, “Paula, my brother-in-law, who lives in Miami and is a real estate agent, is looking for a bilingual assistant to work remotely, helping him with customer service and administrative tasks. Maybe you can help him.”
I was surprised—I didn’t think this kind of opportunity was possible. I was in Venezuela, and he was in Miami. How would that even work? Despite my doubts, I accepted an interview with him and started working that same day! From home, I was able to care for my three-year-old and my newborn while working.
This marked the beginning of an 11-year career during which I’ve worked with clients across various industries and learned a great deal about the Virtual Assistant world. I started solo, but as I recognized the potential in this field, I founded my own Virtual Assistant agency: Top VA Services. Today, I lead a team of eight amazing Virtual Assistants, and together we help coaches, speakers, mentors, and therapists with their administrative, customer service, and digital marketing needs.
After gaining extensive experience, I realized I wanted to empower other women to become Virtual Assistants, work from home, manage their time, and achieve financial independence. In April 2023, I founded Top VA Club, a community dedicated to teaching Hispanic women worldwide how to become Virtual Assistants and build their own businesses.
The community offers weekly mentorship sessions with me, where I answer questions and guide members through the process of launching their Virtual Assistant businesses. We also host monthly classes to teach tools, platforms, and strategies that prepare them to offer professional services to their clients. Beyond this, Top VA Club fosters a supportive network of like-minded women who collaborate and grow together. It has been incredibly rewarding to witness members—including mothers, women over 50, and immigrants starting over in new countries—launch their businesses, secure clients, and even create job opportunities for others in the community.
Building on the success of the Top VA Club, I recently launched a new venture: Tu Team Virtual (Your Virtual Team). This agency helps clients find the best Virtual Assistant for their business needs. I personally meet with clients to understand their requirements and then match them with the perfect assistant from the Top VA Club—individuals I’ve trained and mentored. What sets Tu Team Virtual apart is that the Virtual Assistants I recommend are vetted through my 11 years of experience. Once the match is made, the client and assistant work independently of my businesses.
The Virtual Assistant world has given me countless opportunities. It has allowed me to be present with my two daughters while building a successful career. I’ve mentored other women, enabling them to embark on similar journeys, and now I’m helping clients find their perfect matches in this field. It has been a beautiful road, and I look forward to continuing to grow this journey so that more women can take ownership of their time, businesses, and finances.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Certainly! My name is Paula, and I have been a Virtual Assistant for over 11 years. Before entering this industry, I graduated with a degree in Marketing and a specialization in Commercial Management. I built a solid career in the corporate world, working for mass consumer goods companies where I held roles such as National and International Sales Manager. These experiences gave me a strong foundation in leadership, business operations, and client relations—skills that have been invaluable in building my own business.
My journey as a Virtual Assistant began in Venezuela when I was pregnant with my second child. I wanted to stay at home with my family while still pursuing a meaningful career. I started working as a Virtual Assistant for a real estate agent in Miami and later expanded to supporting clients in industries like insurance and coaching. Over time, I realized the growing demand for reliable, skilled Virtual Assistants and decided to build something bigger.
Today, my work is divided into three main projects:
1. Top VA Services: My Virtual Assistant agency, where my team and I provide hands-on support to business owners and entrepreneurs. Together, we specialize in administrative tasks, customer service, and digital marketing, helping clients streamline their operations, grow their businesses, and reclaim time to focus on their goals. We are a dedicated team working side-by-side with our clients to deliver results.
2. Top VA Club: A training and mentorship program for aspiring Virtual Assistants. Through this community, I guide individuals—many of whom are mothers or people seeking a fresh start—on how to build successful Virtual Assistant businesses. I provide practical training, live mentorship sessions, and real-world experience, empowering them to achieve financial independence and flexibility.
3. Tu Team Virtual: A service where I personally help business owners find the ideal Virtual Assistant for their needs. I take the time to understand each client’s goals, challenges, and business vision before connecting them with highly skilled assistants who are part of my community Top Va Club.
This ensures clients receive tailored support while creating meaningful opportunities for my mentees to grow professionally.
I focus my work on purpose and empowerment. My mission is not just to provide services but to create opportunities for growth—whether that’s helping my clients delegate and scale their businesses or mentoring individuals to build careers they are passionate about.
The ripple effect this work creates makes me very proud. By supporting coaches, mentors, and entrepreneurs, my team and I give them the freedom to focus on their strengths and create a greater impact. At the same time, I’ve seen the women I mentor transform their lives, build successful businesses, and even provide opportunities for others.
My approach is deeply rooted in empathy, collaboration, and authenticity. Whether through providing services, mentoring new Virtual Assistants, or connecting clients with the right match, everything I do is driven by the desire to help others achieve their goals and unlock their full potential.
Have you ever had to pivot?
One of the most pivotal moments in my career came when I realized that I needed to make a significant change to continue growing personally and professionally. I started as a Virtual Assistant working with a real estate agent, handling administrative tasks and customer service. Later, I worked with a client in the insurance industry, assisting with lead generation and client outreach. I managed all of this while living in Venezuela, and it worked well for some time.
However, when I moved back to the United States, I quickly realized that the income I was earning wasn’t enough to sustain my living expenses here. I knew I had to explore other options, which led me to make the difficult decision to leave those clients behind and start my own Virtual Assistant agency.
During this transition, I met a life coach and began attending her coaching sessions. Her work was transformative—I saw how her clients would walk into her sessions overwhelmed and leave with a renewed sense of purpose and clarity. That’s when I realized the critical role coaches play in improving people’s lives.
But I also noticed something else: despite the incredible value she provided, this coach was clearly overwhelmed. She struggled with administrative tasks, missed deadlines for sending important information, and lacked the organization needed to grow her business. This disorganization was holding her back from serving her clients at an even higher level.
It was then that I saw an opportunity to make a difference. I offered her my services as a Virtual Assistant, knowing how much value I could add by helping her organize her business and free up her time. This experience changed everything for me. I realized that I didn’t just want to work as a Virtual Assistant; I wanted to work with purpose. I wanted to help others achieve their goals by providing the support they needed to focus on their strengths.
Helping that coach was a turning point—it showed me how my work as a Virtual Assistant could be more than just a job. It became a way for me to live out my purpose by empowering others to succeed. By supporting her, I knew I was indirectly contributing to the lives she was changing, and that gave my work a deeper meaning.
This realization shaped the rest of my journey. I understood that to grow in this industry, I needed to build a team that could meet the diverse needs of my clients. Today, I lead a team of eight talented Virtual Assistants, and together, we help our clients reach new heights. It also inspired me to found Top VA Club, a community where I empower other women to build their own Virtual Assistant businesses and find fulfillment in their careers, just as I have.
This journey has taught me that change is not only inevitable but also necessary for growth. It’s okay to start on one path and pivot when the time is right. By embracing change and aligning my work with my purpose, I’ve been able to create a career that not only supports my family but also helps others achieve balance, fulfillment, and success.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Maintaining high morale within a team begins with genuine care and respect for the individuals you work with. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is to lead with humanity and warmth. This means being approachable, empathetic, and showing a sincere interest in how your team members feel—not just about their work, but about themselves.
Empowerment is another cornerstone of fostering morale. I strive to see the unique potential in every person on my team, encouraging them to grow and to trust their abilities. Delegating tasks and giving them the autonomy to handle situations on their own not only builds confidence but also strengthens their decision-making skills. Empowerment is not about control; it’s about creating a space where everyone feels supported to take ownership and thrive.
Another key aspect is communication. I believe in providing constant positive reinforcement and constructive feedback. Open communication ensures that everyone feels heard and valued. When something goes wrong, I approach it with understanding and kindness, knowing that mistakes are part of being human and opportunities for growth.
Finally, staying adaptable and solution-oriented is essential. Every situation requires a unique approach, and as a leader, I focus on finding creative solutions while ensuring my team feels equipped and supported to move forward. By emphasizing collaboration and shared learning, I work to make sure every challenge becomes an opportunity for collective growth.
In essence, a strong team is built on trust, transparency, and the belief that we succeed together. When you show your team that their well-being matters as much as their work, you create an environment where morale and performance naturally flourish.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.topvaclub.com, www.tuteamvirtual.com, www.topvaservices.com
- Instagram: @topvaservices, @topvacub, @tuteamvirtual
- Youtube: asistencia virtual con Pau
