Gwendolyn is a highly sought-after organizational, communications and administrative expert. She serves as the Founder and CEO of Your Virtual Admin Expert, LLC., an online business management support agency for professional service providers, coaches and consultants who are helping others get the mental, emotional, physical, and financial well-being they deserve.
She also serves as an advocate for empowering teen girls through her nonprofit Seed of Hope Foundation and a Business Coach to new women business owners who have joined the entrepreneurial journey.
She has been honored as one of the Influential Women in Business by the Daily Herald Business Ledger in partnership with the National Association of Women Business Owners — Chicago Chapter and the Women’s Innovation Network. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Information Systems from DeVry University and holds a Masters of Organizational Leadership from Lewis University.
When she’s not running a thriving agency or empowering girls in the community, Gwendolyn loves to spend time with her husband James of 25 years, three young adult children, and 2 year old grandson QJ.
Please tell us a little bit about your company – what is Your Virtual Admin Expert all about?
Your Virtual Admin Expert is an online business management support agency for established professional service providers, coaches and consultants who are helping others get the mental, emotional, physical, and financial well-being they deserve.
We’re experts in helping professional service providers manage the backend of their business, so they can focus on their clients, their growth, and their profits.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
In 2013, I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus and had to retire from my corporate job. It was during recovery that I said “Lord, what am I supposed to do? How can I take care of myself, do something I love and still contribute to my family financially?”
I heard his response clearly, “it’s in your hands.” So I started thinking about all the admin and operations work I did in the corporate world for nearly 15 years and began researching if that was possible to do in the virtual space, and found there was an entire industry online doing what I was good at.
I had no plans or desire to become an entrepreneur, but I had a choice to make. Go back to Corporate America and deal with the bureaucracy when it came to needing time off, doctor’s visits, etc., continue fighting the social security administration to prove I needed support, OR create a business that had the potential to replace my corporate income, give me the freedom and flexibility I needed to take care of myself, and work with amazing people across the globe. I chose #3.
And since then, my team and I have helped dozens of professional service providers, coaches and consultants with everything from calendar management, client onboarding, speaker management, social media management, systems implementation, billing & invoicing, and the list goes on. Operations is our jam!
I’ve done some other cool stuff too like:
- Studied at some of the top private institutions in Illinois.
- Earned a Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership from Lewis University.
- Earned a Bachelors Degree in Business Information Systems from DeVry University
- Received the Elizabeth Timpton’s Girls Mentoring Award for my work in the community by Passages Alternative Living, Inc.
And was one of twenty emerging leaders in the US selected as the receipient of the 2012 Judith O’Connor Scholar Award for Emerging Nonprofit Leaders by BoardSource.
What are your plans, how do you plan to grow this company?
Our current goal is to scale the company to multiple six figures in revenue and build a skilled workforce to provide our current clients and future clients with the best possible customer experience. We are currently working on raising the visibility of our Founder and the company through interviews like these, podcast guest appearances, and speaking. We are also building a team of individuals who can provide dedicated support to current clients and future clients, and we are also partnering with companies who need operational support.
What was the biggest problem you encountered with your business and how did you overcome it?
The biggest problem I encountered with my business was hiring team members to help me scale the company so that we could serve more professional service providers, coaches and consultants. It was becoming overwhelming trying to do it all myself. I realized that I would not be able to do so without getting some support from someone who had done this before and was successful at it, so I sought out and hired a coach and joined a program with other women like me, who were also working on building an agency model company. My coach helped me build out a specific recruitment and hiring process that has been successful in identifying and securing talented team members who support the mission and vision of the company.
What were the top mistakes you made starting your business and what did you learn from it?
The top mistakes I made when I started my business were: not learning the importance of marketing and selling at the beginning, not joining a community of people like me who were also building a business, and not hiring a coach sooner. I’ve learned through those mistakes that community is so important in business and you can go further when you have people you can brainstorm with about ideas, you can avoid certain mistakes when you have a seasoned coach who is really invested in your success, and that marketing and selling is a huge part of your ability to grow your business. You can’t grow if no one knows about you, if you’re trying to do it alone, and if you don’t have someone who can guide you.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
I’m able to separate myself from the competition by leaning into my 15+ year corporate career in administration and operations. I am a true business partner with my clients. They don’t’ just get a virtual assistant who can accept tasks and get them done, they get a partner who has a vested interest in their business and can help them plan out their goals, create strategies, and support with implementation and execution. I’ve also launched dozens of nonprofit organizations and managed a nonprofit for over a decade. All of these experiences I am able to bring to our client’s business to help them grow, scale, and increase profits.
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
Every day I read or listen to something to increase my knowledge or challenge my mindset. Tuning into various podcasts, business articles, or a training from one of the programs I’ve invested in. This ensures that I don’t get complacent or too comfortable and that I’m always increasing in knowledge so that I can remain a valuable asset to the clients we serve.
What are three books or courses you recommend for new entrepreneurs?
I hands down recommend the E-Myth by Michael Gerber, Scale or Fail by Allison Maslan, and Called to Create by Jordan Raynor.
All three of these books empowered me to create a business that works and that my work is good. They also helped me understand the power of processes and how important they will be to my ability to grow and scale the company.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
The most effective marketing strategy to growing my business has been consistently working on visibility, building key relationships, and sharing my knowledge. For a long time my business was about 90% referral based, that showed me the importance of doing good work and building relationships. Others were promoting me because they were pleased with the work I did for them. I also created and maintained online profiles on various sites, which became a constant source of leads from people reaching out.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
I would invest in courses and programs so that I could cut my learning curve in half. I’ve realized that there is magic in gleaning the right information from the right resources. Learning from others who have gone before you who can give you tips, tricks, and ideas that work helps you move along the entrepreneurial road much faster than trying to do it alone, especially as a newbie.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Don’t do it alone, don’t be afraid to invest in your business, and don’t try to do everything at once. Find a community that you feel safe in and that will add value to your business, invest in the right tools that will help you build a solid foundation so that you are prepared when the clients come, and pick one thing to start with and get good at that; don’t try to do everything at once because it just dilutes your focus and slows your success.
What is your favorite quote?
“Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.”
— Thomas A. Edison
How can we get in touch with you?
Reach out via my website at Your Virtual Admin Expert, follow me on IG @youradminexpert, or send me an email at gwendolyn@youradminexpert.com.
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