Jessica Hawks had an atypical childhood. She attended each center college and highschool on-line and graduated at 16. With household struggles and life modifications on the forefront of her thoughts, she by no means pictured a particular future for herself.Â
“I wasn’t fascinated about what I used to be going to do after I obtained older,” Hawks stated, including that a few of her selections included working for the household enterprise or enrolling in faculty. She started working as a chiropractic assistant however as a result of she did not have a university diploma, she felt she had no leverage to ask for a better wage. She determined to return to high school, however two years in nursing college did not really feel proper for her both.Â
She needed a job that may give her flexibility and permit her to create her personal schedule and spend time on herself. When a pal who labored as a digital assistant for wedding ceremony photographers defined her job, Hawks noticed a possibility.
“That was the primary time that I had actually heard something about that profession path,” Hawks stated. “I used to be like, oh my God, that is precisely what I have been in search of.”
Hawks created her enterprise profile in March 2020 and targeted on honing her creativity, advertising herself, and fearlessly pursuing purchasers. By August, Hawks had seven constant purchasers and was hitting $9,000 per thirty days as a digital assistant, quadrupling her wage as a full-time worker. In 2008, there have been solely 25,000 lively digital assistants worldwide, in response to digital assistant agency MyOutDesk. Immediately, 1 million people work as digital assistants, however that quantity is anticipated to no less than double throughout the subsequent few years.Â
After sharing her story on social media, Hawks was flooded with requests to assist different aspiring digital assistants and enterprise homeowners begin on their very own. In December 2020, Hawks had formally transitioned all of her virtual-assistant purchasers to different assistants and commenced teaching and creating content material full-time. Now, she runs a number of grasp courses and hosts a podcast, which launched on October 18. Since March 2020, her virtual-assistant and training firm has booked greater than $1.1 million in gross sales, in response to paperwork verified by Insider.Â
The digital assistant trade is “booming,” thanks partly to the versatile schedule it gives employees and the power to earn a median of $2,000 to $5,000 a month, in response to a current report from the US Affiliation of Digital Assistants.
Now capable of journey, take lengthy weekends, and work no matter hours she feels needed, Hawks says her customized schedule is what’s allowed her to thrive. Here is how Hawks spends every day.
Hawks wakes up at 9:30 or 10:00 a.m.
Jessica Hawks, founder and digital assistant.
Jackie Sterna
Hawks permits herself to sleep in till 9:30 or 10:00 a.m. most mornings.Â
“After I was working within the company world, I used to rise up at 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. to go to my job, and I’m not a morning individual,” Hawks stated. When she began her personal enterprise, she tried to adapt to a nine-to-five schedule however needed to maneuver away from that. “So now I attempt to be actually intuitive with my schedule.”
Hawks stated having the ability to sleep in is among the Most worthy elements of proudly owning a enterprise, and never forcing herself to get up sooner than needed truly helps her to be extra productive through the day.
Then Hawks will get as much as make breakfast and stroll her canine.
Hawks’ canine, Teddy
Jessica Hawks
Hawks not too long ago began cooking extra at residence to give attention to her well being. So every morning she’s going to make eggs and iced espresso for breakfast.
After breakfast, she takes her energetic canine, Teddy, for a stroll.
After that, the workday begins.
Hawks making ready for the day.
Courtesy of Jessica Hawks
As soon as Hawk has completed her common morning routine, she’s going to sit down to start work. Her first job is at all times to take inventory of what is to come back that day for her teaching enterprise and private content material creation.Â
Hawks checks her emails, her calendar, staff texts, and the corporate project-management system.Â
“I make an inventory of the issues that I have to get accomplished that day and issues that I would really like to get accomplished that day,” Hawks stated. Differentiating her priorities on this approach helps her to remain on monitor with needed duties however not get overwhelmed.Â
Hawks divides her time by duties, like communication, creation, and analytics.
Hawks and staff at a content-creation shoot.
Courtesy of Jessica Hawks
The remainder of the morning is spent on communication. Along with answering emails, she posts or feedback on Instagram, checks in on Fb teams, and replies by way of Slack to any of her college students — whom she trains to develop into digital assistants by means of her Digital Millennials Masterclass (which she and her enterprise coach turned companion run collectively) and Digital Creatives Academy.
Whereas she now runs her teaching enterprise full-time, her virtual-assistant roles adopted the same schedule. As a digital assistant, Hawks was chargeable for e-mail advertising, social-media content material creation, and enterprise administration, amongst different duties. In that function, she’d break down priorities in the identical approach: primarily based on job sort.
“I’d reserve Mondays for Pinterest administration and do each shopper’s Pinterest that day,” she stated. Tuesdays had been reserved for social-media administration, Wednesdays for tech and behind-the-scenes duties, and Thursdays for copy or advertising.Â
Subsequent, she focuses on content material creation.
Jessica Hawks recording a podcast.
Courtesy of Jessica Hawks
Hawks stated social media is essential in constructing any enterprise — whether or not it is digital aiding or enterprise teaching. She used social media to construct out her total virtual-assistant enterprise: She relied on Instagram, Fb, and Pinterest to market herself. As she continues to construct her personal-coaching enterprise, Hawks is rising her on-line presence as a creator.
“This quarter we’re having a variety of calls about creation, like creating new programs and planning photograph shoots,” she stated.Â
On October 18, Hawks launched a podcast known as The Digital State of Thoughts, the place she shares her expertise as an entrepreneur and has conversations with particular friends.
Within the afternoon, Hawks will get outdoors.
Jessica Hawks spends time outdoors each afternoon.
Jackie Sterna
After most of her calls are accomplished, Hawks takes a break. She tries to spend time outdoors every day: going for a stroll with the canine, attending a yoga class, working errands, or going to appointments.
“Whether or not it is nails or chiropractic appointments, I feel it is one thing that is so worthwhile everytime you begin your personal enterprise,” Hawks stated. “It seems like the simplest factor,” she added, however it is among the best advantages to being a enterprise proprietor.
Within the afternoon, she resumes content-creation duties.
Hawks making ready for content material shoot.
Jackie Sterna
Hawks hops again into content material creation after her afternoon break. Whereas she is targeted on recording and enhancing her podcast proper now, she can also be a longtime TikTok consumer. In truth, a lot of her enterprise success could be attributed to the video app, the place she shares related tricks to these of her masterclass.
Hawks says it is essential to be intentional with content material creation. When requested concerning the significance of diversifying content material in case of social blackouts — when social platforms like Instagram or Fb shut down unexpectedly — she stated it is a double-edged sword.
“You do not need to attempt to unfold your self too skinny throughout so many platforms that your content material turns into much less worthwhile,” she added. “You additionally do not need to put your whole eggs in a single basket.” For that purpose, she makes use of Instagram, Fb, Pinterest, e-mail advertising, and TikTok.
She finishes work round 6 p.m., then spends the night with associates.
Hawks, proper, at dinner with associates.
Jackie Sterna
Earlier than logging off for the evening, Hawks will spend time replying to messages that got here in all through the day and ending must-do duties.
“I do not pressure myself to cease working after a sure time as a result of I’d moderately act on it when I’ve the motivation to,” Hawks stated. “Loads of occasions I’ll do extra creation or work on random issues that I’ve needed to implement within the enterprise however simply have not had time for within the day.”Â
When Hawks is lastly glad along with her day’s work, she makes positive to schedule a time to go to associates.Â
“It is essential to not lose sense of why you’ve got began what you are promoting,” Hawks stated. “You’ve got created one thing for your self that does permit you to journey and spend time along with your family and friends and never simply push these to the facet since you may preserve going.”
