How I Became a Virtual Assistant With No Experience

I remember waking up every single day at 3:40 am. My alarm would go off, and I’d rush to get dressed just in time to catch the bus at 4:20 am.

It was exhausting in a way that settles deep in your bones. The bus was already full by the time I got on, so I’d stand for an hour, half-awake, holding onto a bar, staring out the window. After that, I’d take the subway to the south side of town, where I worked.

Working in downtown São Paulo felt like my only real chance at a “good job.” The benefits were decent, and using my English every day mattered. Speaking fluent English in Brazil really does open doors. Still, most mornings, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was it. If this was what adult life was supposed to feel like.

Looking back now, this feels like a quiet goodbye.

Here’s a little glimpse of my last day in corporate life:

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In 2019, I said goodbye to my job in Brazil and moved to the beautiful island of Guam to marry my fiancé. It felt like closing one chapter and stepping into another, without knowing how the story would unfold.

New country. New routine. New everything.

After settling in, I needed to find a job, and that’s when I discovered a world I didn’t even know existed: Virtual Assistants. While researching, I came across Abby’s profile and learned about her VA course. I didn’t have much money to invest back then, but I consumed everything she shared for free. Without realizing it at the time, a seed was planted.

I had just gotten married and wanted to feel more independent. Corporate America wasn’t calling my name. Honestly, I was already tired of corporate life from my years in Brazil. So I did something that felt scary and bold at the same time: I took a leap of faith and started my own online business as a Virtual Assistant.

Starting Before I Felt Ready

Let me tell you! The beginning was messy… whew, yes it was! I was like, “What the heck am I doing? Where do I start? How do I send an invoice? How do I get clients?” and so on. I struggled to figure things out on my own, learning as I went and making plenty of mistakes along the way.

Not to mention one of my biggest insecurities in the beginning was my English. Even though I spoke it fluently, I constantly worried about my accent and whether clients would take me seriously because I wasn’t a native speaker. I remember overthinking simple things like sending voice notes or joining Zoom calls.

At the same time, finding clients felt incredibly hard. There were seasons where I doubted myself more than anyone else ever could. But little by little, I started realizing that clients weren’t looking for perfection. They cared about honesty, communication, consistency, and good work. And once I focused more on serving people well instead of hiding my accent, things slowly started to change.

“My very first client was actually a family member who owned a small business at the time. She trusted me enough to ask for help with a few admin tasks, and that small “yes” meant more than she probably realized. It gave me a place to start!”

Around that time, you could find me working wherever I could. Sometimes, even on the beach close to my house (I was living on a beautiful island, what can I say?!), laptop open, trying to balance learning, building, and simply figuring things out. Your girl was just out there trying to make it, okayyy.

I quickly realized that without understanding the basics of running a business (not just the work itself, but how to manage it), it’s easy to feel stuck. You stay busy, but you’re not really moving forward. You run in circles, unsure of what you’re doing or how to turn effort into something sustainable.

Girrrllll…. There were days I questioned every SINGLE thing. Days when I wondered if I was being irresponsible, if I was dreaming too big, or if I should just get a “normal job,” like so many people suggested. Most of the time, I didn’t really know what I was doing, for real!

Honestly, I was learning as I went, making mistakes, fixing them, and starting over more times than I can count.

But slowly (veryyy slowly!) things began to make sense. Not in a dramatic, overnight-success kind of way. More like baby steps. Another client who trusted me. Another payment showed me this could actually work. A quiet realization that I no longer dreaded my work.

Finally, I could work in comfy clothes, make my own coffee, pet my dog between tasks, and actually breathe while earning a decent income from home.

What I’d Tell Someone Wanting to Become a VA

If you’re looking for a way to make extra income from home or even dreaming about working for yourself full-time one day, I honestly think virtual assistance is one of the most realistic ways to start.

For me, it became one of the best and most reliable ways I could work from home with very little investment. You don’t need fancy equipment, a huge audience, or thousands of dollars to begin. But I also want to be honest and say that it’s not easy, and it definitely won’t make you rich overnight.

There were moments when I struggled to find clients, doubted myself, and wondered if I should just give up and get a regular job again. But if you stick with it long term, keep learning, and genuinely enjoy helping people, I truly believe it can change your life. It might even give you the freedom to eventually leave your 9-5 behind.

Anyway, I could honestly talk about this for hours, but it would never fit into a single blog post. If you’re curious about virtual assistance and want to learn more, I highly recommend joining Abby’s membership. She shares a lot of valuable information for beginners and was actually one of the first people who introduced me to this whole world of virtual assistance. Watching her content made this path feel a lot more possible and less intimidating for someone like me.

She also teaches practical things like contracts, proposals, pricing, client communication, marketing strategies, how to get clients, and includes templates and tons of helpful recommendations to help set you up on the right path, whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow your business.

Final Thoughts

I wasn’t chasing freedom in a glamorous, laptop-on-the-beach kind of way. I just wanted a life that felt lighter. A life where work didn’t drain every part of me. One where I could build something that fit my season, my energy, and my values, instead of forcing myself into a mold that never quite fit.

Looking back now, I can see that the struggle wasn’t wasted. It shaped me. It taught me patience, responsibility, and trust, not just in the process, but in myself. And even on the days when doubt still creeps in, I remind myself: I’m no longer standing on a crowded bus at 4:20 am, wondering if life will ever feel different.

Because it did. And it still is.

I hope this inspires you to get up and try something different, even if it sounds scary. We never know what can happen when we choose to take that first step.

Cheers!

Drez