Horkey HQ

We got the opportunity to chat with Taylor, a Virtual Assistant and a student of our #FullyBookedVA System!

Taylor is a licensed nurse and holistic health and mental health advocate. She is passionate about helping women entrepreneurs reach their fullest potential and has helped multiple women grow their businesses through social media and administration.

Fun Fact: Taylor has a red-haired Doberman that matches her red hair!

Why should YOU tune-in?

Are you brand new to online business and virtual assistance? In this episode, Gina coaches Taylor on how to look for the right type of client and how to pitch them with little to no experience. If you’re just getting started or have been frustrated with pitching and landing clients, this episode is for you.

Links mentioned in this episode:

You can find Taylor on LinkedIn.

The #FullyBookedVA System

Highlights:

4:09 – Taylor’s services and Gina’s prospecting strategy

13:40 – How to sell yourself and have a good time

19:47 – Types of clients and how to land them with no experience

30:02 – The one thing you need so that the rest will grow with you

We got the opportunity to chat with Donna, a Virtual Assistant and a student of our #FullyBookedVA System!

Donna is a passionate, hard-working, dedicated professional who enjoys helping business owners succeed. She has many years of experience in the creative industry, which has helped her sharpen her skills in problem-solving, project management, quality communication and has made her keen on the details.

Fun Fact: Donna is a first-generation American on her mother's side.

 

Why should YOU tune-in?

Have you ever wanted to change careers but really haven’t figured out how or what? Have you been with your career for five, ten, or even twenty years and felt as though it’s too late to switch now? Donna gives us the deets on how she transitioned to owning her own online business after over 20 years in the same career.

Her business is growing and she’s loving every minute of it! Find out how she did it and where she’s going from here.

 

Links mentioned in this episode:

You can find Donna on LinkedIn.

The #FullyBookedVA System

 

Highlights:

0:36 – Donna’s intro into the world of online business and landing her first clients

6:56 – Offering services online and niching down

11:01 – A growing business and nowhere to go but up

17:42 – Gina coaches on marketing and prospecting clients

27:55 – There are so many tools out there - Gina’s take on which ones to learn

Here at Horkey HQ we had the opportunity to chat with Jill Mohler, a Virtual Assistant and a student of our #FullyBookedVA System!

Jill is a native Ohioan and also a resident of South Florida for over 30 years. She served in the Ohio Air National Guard for 8 years, then married, moved to Florida, had 2 kids, and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Sales and Marketing.

Like most people, when COVID-19 reared its ugly head, her hours and pay were reduced dramatically, which lead to her decision to start her very own online business.     

Jill is super-charged (and maybe a bit obsessive) about health and fitness; she loves animals, especially dogs (her puppy's name is Daisy); and her favorite breakfast is eggs over easy with avocado.  

Fun Fact: Jill served in the military for 8 years!

 

Why should YOU tune-in?

If you’re new to the world of online business but you’re worried about the newbie stage of having little to no “experience,” this episode is for you! Gina schools us on mindset and how to start landing clients even before gaining more experience.

 

Links mentioned in this episode:

You can find Jill on LinkedIn.

The #FullyBookedVA System

Starter Story: $790K/Year Virtual Assistant Business

 

Highlights:

0:00 – Intro

2:07 – Jill’s journey

7:30 – What this journey has taught Jill about herself

11:34 – Defining B2B writing and the services Jill offers

21:15 – Pitching can be scary

25:48 – Pitching doesn’t have to be scary

35:02 – Mindset equals success

36:44 – Let’s talk finances

Episode 32 is a conversation with Krystal Trotter, a Virtual Assistant and a student of our #FullyBookedVA System! Krystal is a wife and mother of a 4-year-old and a 4-month-old. She’s a stay-at-home mom who’s been freelancing for about a year and recently decided to go all in! She has a passion to grow her business and we’re helping her figure out the “how” as she goes along.

Why should YOU tune-in?

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work online or start your own business, this episode is for you. The hardest part about having your own successful business is getting started. In this episode you’ll hear some valuable pitch and prospecting coaching from Gina!

 

Links mentioned in this episode:

You can find Krystal on her Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The #FullyBookedVA System

 

Highlights:

0:00 – Intro

2:06 – How Krystal went from teaching to starting her own online business

7:02 – Figuring out what services to offer as a virtual assistant

7:43 – Gina’s advice in pitching current clients

10:30 – Trial periods and test projects are great for the experience

11:50 – What success looks like for Krystal

14:45 – Gina’s advice for niching down

17:13 – Gina coaches on recovering from mistakes and how to find more clients

32:14 – Krystal’s one piece of advice

This is the first episode of the NEW SEASON of the Horkey HQ episode after the birth of Hazel Mae Horkey! We got the opportunity to chat with Natalie Matestic, a Virtual Assistant and a student of our #FullyBookedVA System!. 

From renowned influencers to amazing business owners, Natlie has worked with a wide range of clients over the past 4+ years that she has been in business! She’s definitely an overachiever in that she started and ran her business while still at university!

Not letting the books slow her down, Natlie was able to take her business full-time and deliver unbelievable results to her clients’ businesses.

Fun Fact: Natalie is a concert junkie, which means she’s been to over 100 concerts! She’s also obsessed with everything 70s and Cher.

 

Why should YOU tune-in?

Do you know what it takes to start and scale an online business? (Hint, it isn’t a masters degree or a ton of money.) Natalie teaches a really valuable lesson that can only be learned by putting yourself out there for hire. She also received some really valuable 1-on-1 coaching from Gina that will help anyone pursuing success online.

 

Links mentioned in this episode:

You can find Natlie on her Website, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The #FullyBookedVA System

 

Highlights:

0:00 – Intro

2:05 – Natalie’s favorite concerts

3:32 – How and why Natalie got into the online business

5:33 – How much Natalie charged versus how much she charges now

8:33 – From full-time work to being a #FullyBooked business owner

11:44 – The details about how Natalie found her clients

18:01 – Gina coaches on Client Retention

27:51 – Gina coaches on how to continue marketing even when your client roster is full

37:10 – Gina coaches on scaling your Virtual Assistant business

39:06 – Natalie’s one piece of advice

Today we’ll be chatting with a very successful online entrepreneur, Alexis Grant.

Alexis (Lexi) is a media innovator with a passion for building online businesses and growing audiences. She started her career as a reporter at the Houston Chronicle and U.S. News & World Report, then grew a content marketing agency. After five years, that business was acquired in 2015 by a media company called The Penny Hoarder.

Alexis joined as the third employee and worked alongside the founder as EVP of Content to grow the company to 100+ employees. She left that role in 2019 for a less stressful lifestyle and moved her family to a mountain town in West Virginia. Alexis now helps startups scale their writing team in a consulting capacity while running several online businesses, including a website for writers, The Write Life. Her next venture has an in-person angle (COVID permitting): she’s organizing deep think getaways or “workcations” for professional women.

Fun fact: Lexi backpacked solo through French-speaking Africa in 2008. This is when she first got into blogging!

Why should YOU tune-in?

Alexis knows exactly what makes a freelance writer marketable, she’s the one doing the hiring for startups! So what is it that separates a writer from the rest of the crowd? Listen in as Alexis lets us know!

 

What we’re talking about:

• Freelance writing and working online
• Skills trump education
• Multipassionate entrepreneur
• What makes someone marketable
• A simple way to build apps and websites

 

Links mentioned in this episode:

Alexis’ Websites: Alexis Grant, Retreat & Create, & The Write Life

The Money Guide for Freelance Writers Book

Alexis’ Social Media: LinkedIn & Instagram

 

Minute-by-minute breakdown:

3:24 – Journalism degree?

4:58 – Do you need a degree? What Alexis looks for when hiring a freelance writer

9:27 – Alexis is passionate about her current work

13:16 – She also just finished a passion project with her dad 

15:36 – Thoughts on the work-life balance

19:14 – Retreat & Create: a brand new concept

23:04 – Alexis built an app (easily)!

30:39 – What else is Alexis passionate about?

34:37 – Alexis’ one piece of advice

Today we’ll be chatting with a very successful online entrepreneur, Nick Loper.

Nick helps people earn money outside of their day job. He's an author, online entrepreneur, and host of the award-winning Side Hustle Show podcast, which features new part-time business ideas each week. As Chief Side Hustler at SideHustleNation.com, he loves deconstructing the tactics and strategies behind building extra income streams.

Fun fact: Nick married his high school sweetheart (10 years later at a secret city hall wedding)!

Why should YOU tune-in?

This online entrepreneur absolutely loves what he does. In fact, his goal isn’t to work the least amount of hours possible, but to do what he loves. And guess what? He’s doing it! Find out how Nick’s made his passions into income streams.

 

What we’re talking about:

• How online businesses make money
• Working from home and parenting at the same time
• Podcast production and effectiveness
• Productivity and prioritization
• Getting paid actual money for your online services
• Starting rates

 

Links mentioned in this episode:

Side Hustle Nation

SHN FB Group

Nick’s Social Media: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, & Pinterest

Side Hustle Ideas

 

Minute-by-minute breakdown:

2:42 – How Nick explains to friends and family what it is that he does for a living

10:20 – Brick-and-mortar or online business?

15:16 – Working from home and parenting

18:46 – Podcast production

25:02 – You won’t be a professional without experience

30:34 – How the Side Hustle Nation podcast makes money

37:03 – What’s next for Nick

47:07 – Where Nick started and if his degree was necessary to become an online business owner

50:57 – Kids and college, is it worth it?

59:14 – Nick’s one piece of advice

Today we’ll be chatting with a very successful online entrepreneur, Brennan Dunn.

Brennan is the founder of Double Your Freelancing and has taught over 50,000 freelancers and agencies how to earn more money working with better clients. He’s also the co-founder of RightMessage, a software company that helps bring on-site personalization to the masses.

Fun fact: Brennan has his pilot's license and also owns a small prop plane.

Why should YOU tune-in?

Do you really know your audience? Businesses invest so much in content marketing and creating opt-ins that convert. BUT, if you don’t REALLY know who your audience is, you might just be spinning your wheels. Find out how Brennan has optimized and automated these aspects of his business. 

 

What we’re talking about:

• Online courses
• Onsite personalization
• Positioning and target markets
• Content marketing
• Email list building and opt-ins
• Virtual assistants

 

Links mentioned in this episode:

Brennan’s Websites: Double Your Freelancing & Right Message

Brennan’s Twitter

ConvertKit Course

 

Minute-by-minute breakdown:

2:27 – How Brennan explains to friends and family what it is that he does for a living

3:15 – Brennan has multiple online businesses

8:50 – Right Message

17:14 – Creating more effective opt-ins

21:15 – Areas that a virtual assistant could improve the onsite personalization process

28:52 – Brennan knows a lot of big name people

32:06 – Corporate experiences

35:21 – Big needs that virtual assistants can help with

41:55 – What’s next for Brennan?

Today we’ll be chatting with a very successful virtual assistant, Debora Cavett.

Debora helps small, women-owned businesses get to the next level with Social Media Management, Content Creation (for their blogs and newsletters) and other Admin Tasks. Her mission is to give you valuable time and energy back to enjoy life at its fullest!

Fun fact: Debora’s originally from Switzerland but didn't get a single response when pitching clients in German – only Americans wanted to hire her!

Why should YOU tune-in?

Ever doubt whether or not this whole online business thing is the real deal or if you could actually find success? This ROCKSTAR entrepreneur almost threw in the towel after just a month or two of starting out. What a shame it would have been if she had because, after just two years Debora is making $9,000 a month and she’s never going back!

 

What we’re talking about:

• Becoming a virtual assistant
• Pitching, following up, and landing clients
• Choosing what services you offer online
• Niching down
• Email management and customer service are in high demand
• Leaving your day job to go full-time with your online business
• Hiring team members

 

Links mentioned in this episode:

Debora’s Website

Debora’s Social: Instagram & Facebook

 

Minute-by-minute breakdown:

2:23 – How Debora found out about Horkey HandBook and got started as a Virtual Assistant

6:26 – Where Debora found and her clients

7:11 – Do you have to be from the US to be successful? Nope!

9:50 – How Debora decided on the services she offers

13:00 – Customer services or email management?

14:08 – A big win for Debora

16:14 – A typical day 

19:53 – So, how much can you actually make with an online business?

21:13 – Why Debora hired a virtual assistant to help with her business

22:51 – Debora ALMOST threw in the towel

25:03 – What’s next?

Today we’ll be chatting with a very successful online entrepreneur, Erika Schanzenbach.

Erika lives and works in the hills of southwest Virginia. She leaves her mark on the world by helping the creators, builders, and makers of things do their work better.

She has a knack for DESIGN and ORGANIZATION that makes her a valuable partner to online business owners and high-caliber course creators who need quality branded course materials and lead magnets to serve their audience.

Fun fact: Erika is a pie contest winner. The making pie kind, not the eating pie kind.

Why should YOU tune-in?

Three years ago, Erika was introduced to Horkey HandBook and the world of online business. 

She didn’t decide to slowly build her business over time like so many people. Nope, she went from introduction to going all in and managed to quickly build a successful business. Listen in as she shares her experience.

 

What we’re talking about:

• Get paid to learn as a virtual assistant
• Business email accounts and management
• Workspace
• Online business means freedom of lifestyle and choice
• How to land clients and find work online

 

Links mentioned in this episode:

Erika’s website

Erika’s Facebook & LinkedIn 

Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo

 

Minute-by-minute breakdown:

3:01 – Learning experiences, not failure 

5:31 – Erika chose niches that she didn’t even know you could get paid for

7:35 – How Erika came across the world of online work

11:28 – How long it took Erika to work her way through the course and land her first client

17:14 – What Erika’s business looks like now

21:24 – How many clients Erika works with

22:18 – Pricing and packaging your online services

25:23 – How Erika has successfully landed clients

28:15 – The income report

30:24 – How many hours Erika actually works

31:13 – Productivity tips

35:47 – A big win for Erika

39:44 – Erika’s one piece of advice