Becoming A Virtual Assistant: My Journey Into Entrepreneurship

^{*Last updated May 2026}

Sometimes the path into entrepreneurship does not look the way we expect.

For me, becoming a Virtual Assistant was never part of the original plan. Starting a business was not something I imagined for myself, and for a long time, I was not even sure I had what it took.

But life has a way of shifting our direction when we least expect it.

My journey began during a season of healing, change, and uncertainty and eventually, it led me into the online business world.

The First Wake-up Call

In February 2017, while I was working as a barber/hairstylist, life forced me to slow down in a way I never saw coming. 

I slipped on the ice and injured myself. 

Resulting in a dislocated ankle, torn tendons and ligaments, and a cast to go along with it.

I was completely out of commission.

At the time, it felt like a huge setback. I could not work, I could not move the way I was used to, and I suddenly had all this time with myself that I did not really know what to do with.

But looking back, I can see that this injury was the first major pause I needed.

It forced me to step away from the busyness of my everyday life and actually look at where I was, how I was feeling, and what I wanted moving forward.

During that season of healing, I started spending more time reflecting, journaling, meditating, and reconnecting with myself in a way I had not done before.

That time opened the door to a deeper spiritual journey.

I started learning more about who I was, what mattered to me, and how much I had changed over the years.

And somewhere in that process, I began to realize there might be more for me than the career path I was currently on.

It was not an overnight decision.

I did not wake up one day and suddenly know exactly what I wanted to do next. It was more like a quiet knowing that started to grow.

A feeling that maybe I was being pulled toward something different, even if I could not fully name it yet.

This was just the tip of the iceberg into something more. Something I had only scratched the surface of.

The universe had more lessons in store, but it was not until later that I fully understood the healing that needed to happen in my body, my mind, and my soul.

A New Chapter

During this journey of healing, I started to realize that I was craving something different.

For years, hairstyling had been such a big part of my identity. It was what I knew, what I had trained for, and what I thought I would continue doing. But somewhere along the way, the passion I once had started to fade.

It was not that I hated the work. It was more that I could feel myself changing.

The injury forced me to slow down in a way I probably would not have chosen for myself. And in that stillness, I started asking bigger questions about what I actually wanted my life to look like, not just what I thought I was supposed to keep doing.

Through journaling, meditation, and a lot of quiet reflection, I began to realize that I had outgrown the version of myself who once wanted that career path.

But at the time, I had no idea what that was supposed to look like.

So when the opportunity came up about a year later to move across the country with my boyfriend (now husband), I took the leap.

It felt scary, but it also felt like a chance to start fresh.

By May 2018, I had moved to a new city and was standing in that strange in-between season where you know something needs to change, but you do not fully know what comes next.

I still needed to work, of course, so I started applying for jobs.

At that point, I was open to trying something different. I did not need it to be perfect. I just needed a place to start while I figured out what this next version of my life and career could become.

Eventually, I found a job as a part-time Guest Service Representative, and a couple of months later, I took on another part-time role as a Sales Associate.

These jobs helped with the bills, and I am grateful for that season, but deep down I knew they were not the final destination.

They were stepping stones.

While working those jobs, I also started a blog as a way to explore my interests and dip my toes into the online world. At the time, I did not fully understand what that small decision would eventually lead to.

I was simply following a spark of curiosity.

But looking back now, that blog was one of the first doors into the online business world.

Finding Virtual Assistance

In February 2019, I injured the same ankle again.

This time, it led to surgery.

At first, it felt frustrating and almost unbelievable. I could not help but wonder why I was being forced to slow down again, especially when I had already been through this once before.

But this second injury felt different.

The first time, I had started waking up to the idea that something in my life needed to change. The second time, it felt like I was being asked to pay even closer attention.

So instead of ignoring the pause, I leaned into it.

I gave myself space to reflect, research, explore, and ask questions I did not even realize I had been carrying.

What kind of work did I actually want to do?
What kind of life did I want to create?
What would allow me to use my skills in a way that felt flexible, supportive, and aligned?

Somewhere in that season, I stumbled across the world of Virtual Assisting and online work.

And something clicked.

For the first time in a long time, I felt excited about a possible career path.

Virtual Assisting opened my eyes to a completely different way of working. I started learning that business owners needed support with admin, systems, content, customer service, email, tech, and all the behind-the-scenes pieces that keep a business running.

And the more I learned, the more I realized that I already had so many transferable skills.

I knew how to support people.
I knew how to communicate.
I knew how to stay organized.
I knew how to pay attention to details.
I knew how to create a positive experience for clients and customers.

For the first time, I could see how everything I had done before was not wasted. It was actually preparing me for something new.

The discovery of Virtual Assisting felt like finding the missing piece I had been searching for.

The more I explored it, the more passionate I became. I could feel that spark coming back, but this time it was attached to something that felt bigger than just another job.

It felt like possibility.
It felt like freedom.
It felt like my next path.

In June 2019, I took the leap and signed my first client, which officially marked the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey.

Going All In

Starting my business was exciting, but it was not easy.

In the beginning, I was trying to grow my Virtual Assistant business while still working two part-time jobs. I was applying for opportunities, having discovery calls, learning as much as I could, and doing everything I knew to do to sign more clients.

But things were moving slowly.

At the time, I only had one client, and they only needed a few hours of support here and there. I was grateful for the opportunity, but it did not feel like a full business yet.

It felt more like a tiny glimpse of what could be possible.

I had big dreams for where I wanted things to go, but there were also many moments where it felt out of reach. I wanted so badly to build something real, but I was still figuring out how to get there.

Then, in the early months of 2020, right before the pandemic hit and the world changed, everything shifted again.

Within a span of five days, I unexpectedly lost both of my part-time jobs.

Not one. Both.

It was one of those moments where you sit there thinking, “Okay… what now?”

At the time, it felt terrifying. Losing both jobs so quickly brought up a lot of fear and uncertainty, especially because my business was not fully stable yet.

But looking back, I can see that it was also the push I needed.

As uncomfortable as it felt in the moment, losing those jobs forced me to stop treating my business like something I was building on the side and start treating it like something I had to fully commit to.

I no longer had one foot in and one foot out.

I had to make a choice.

And that choice was to go all in.

That season became the fire I needed to take my business seriously, show up differently, and trust that I could build something from the ground up.

It was not perfect. It was not instant. And it definitely came with a lot of learning curves.

But it was the beginning of me stepping into entrepreneurship in a much bigger way.

Where Are You Now

Since going full-time in my business in the summer of 2020, my journey has continued to grow and evolve.

What started as Virtual Assistant work has become so much more. Over time, I have found a deeper passion for helping online coaches, healers, and service providers simplify the backend of their businesses, create smoother client experiences, and bring more structure into the way they work.

As of 2026, I’ve been in the virtual assistant world for several years, and my journey has been filled with growth and evolution. 

Looking back, my path into entrepreneurship was not what I originally planned. It came through unexpected changes, uncomfortable pivots, and moments that forced me to slow down and listen.

But each step helped lead me here.

Today, I get to support business owners who are doing meaningful work but need more structure, organization, and breathing room behind the scenes.

And if there is one thing my journey has taught me, it is this: sometimes the unexpected path is the one that leads you exactly where you are meant to be.

Want to learn more about how I can support your business behind the scenes?
Visit my website or connect with me on Instagram.

Website: www.cinschneider.com
Instagram: @cin.schneider