Lightbulbs and Clarity

Starting Hudson Admin Support and creating The VA Lounge wasn’t just about work—it was about making work a variable in my life, not its focal point. 

And at its heart, I wanted to build something meaningful for the Hudson family, and with Big H now old enough to join the business (on a very part-time and flexible basis), I can see that vision coming to life. This journey over the past five years has had its share of highs and lows, teaching me more than I expected about resilience, growth, and finding fulfilment in both work and life. My biggest wins have been as personal as they’ve been professional.

Reconnecting with myself, learning to value what I bring to the table (and making my own table!), and being in charge of my earnings have been transformative steps. When I started, I was so focused on proving myself and bringing in clients that I didn’t realise the importance of pacing myself, or that confidence could grow just as steadily as a client list. I can see quite clearly now that I haven’t got anything to prove to anyone - especially not myself!

Slowly, I discovered how much I valued my own expertise, and with it, my prices rose, jumped in some cases, along with my self-confidence. 

I had to adapt and learn a new way of “selling”—a different kind of sales that happens when building a client base online, working remotely blew my mind - this was all pre pandemic of course and figuring out the logistics of it all is maybe the biggest learning of it all. I think starting the business 5 months before the Pandemic and learning how remote life worked actually projected me forward and I had sought after skills and knowledge quite early on in my journey because the Pandemic made the doubters of remote work realise that it is possible and that people had been doing it for decades beforehand.

Each client relationship has taught me a bit more about my own strengths and what I enjoy most in my work. And I am so very grateful to every single person who I have worked with as they have influenced the journey and how I have built the business and also rebuilt a bit of a broken me.  Along the way, I found my tribe within The VA Lounge ® , a community where I’ve been able to share what I’ve learned and learn from others as well. Building this supportive network has been so important, and it’s given me a sense of belonging that can be hard to find when you’re working independently. More recently winning VA of the Year with a Small Team at The VA Awards 2024 and being asked to be an Advisor for an Association that I hold in utmost respect, as well as recognised myself as the “not so newbie” within my peers made me really acknowledge how far I;ve come, which hasn’t been, or ever will be, easy for me to do. But I am proud of who I am and what I have accomplished.

It's all felt deeply rewarding, even better than the first gold star on school homework did, but the journey has not been without its challenges. In fact, some of the most important lessons have come from facing those difficulties head-on, sometimes with a lot of tears. One of the toughest things I had to learn was knowing when to let clients go. As a new business owner, especially in the role that I have taken on, I always felt a strong responsibility to support my clients, often going the extra mile, even if it came at a personal cost. However, I began to realise that prioritising my mental well-being over keeping every client relationship was crucial, especially when I felt my time and effort weren’t being valued. Terminating clients was challenging, but it was necessary to maintain my own energy and positivity. And to really stick to the original purpose. Over time, and working with the right clients, I’ve come to see that putting myself first isn’t selfish; it’s essential for sustainable growth.  This has become one of the most important practices I’ve embraced, allowing me to run my business in a way that’s both effective and personally fulfilling.

I began to focus more on finding purpose and embracing lifelong learning. Upskilling and stacking those skills and then learning more hasn't just got me excited about education for the first time ever, but enabled me to future proof the business - for now, you can't stop learning.

Last month, at The VA Awards 2024, I was asked what advice I’d give a new VA in their first three months. It made me reflect on my own beginnings and how purpose shapeds everything that follows. My advice was to start by understanding your purpose. In my experience, without a clear direction, it’s easy to drift, taking on projects or clients that might not align with what you truly want to build. And while I didn’t find my purpose overnight, the pursuit of it has been my compass over these five years. Every step I took taught me more about who I am and what I want to create, which ultimately helped me build a business that reflects my values and goals.

I have come to hold an “unpopular” opinion over the year : I believe every business owner should know how to do each part of their business, especially in the beginning.

While I’ve built my business around helping others delegate, I still feel that it’s important to have a working knowledge of all the moving parts. During the pandemic, I saw many businesses struggle because their owners didn’t know how to handle essential tasks themselves after getting rid of crucial team members. And this continued whilst working with clients not knowing how to do something or not having the desire to want to know how it works. Having that understanding enables you to be resourceful and adapt to challenges. Yes delegate and outsource as much as you can, as long as you have it all backed up if suddenly you have to stop.

For my business, it has meant investing time and money into learning new tools, trying out different methods, and documenting processes. Business owners need to invest in proper process documentation (use Scribe) and invest in talented individuals to make sure that it is a guide that anyone on the team, whatever skill set they have, can pick up and implement the basics in the business. You don;t have to do everything yourself , but you need the knowledge to pick it up if you need to - you need to have a business to come back to if you need to take leave quickly or your team needs to.

Speaking of tools, beacuse you know I love them, finding the right ones has been fun, and of course rewarding for the inner geek!. When I discovered Airtable it was like a lightbulb moment. It’s become my go-to platform, allowing me to streamline processes for Hudson Admin as well as manage The VA Lounge. This one tool has simplified so much, allowing me to focus more on growth, team comms and less on admin. Canva , ActiveCampaign , Zapier , ThriveCart , ChatGPT , Descript and OnceHub have each played a role in my toolkit, each one serving a different function. And without the tools, I’m not sure I would have managed to build the business that I have. Investing in tech is one of my biggest expenses, but it’s a cost I happily take on because it allows me to work on what matters most and with more flexibility to outsource other parts. Tech can be an absolute game-changer if you take the time to find what fits best for you and your team.

Through it all, I’ve always prioritised family first. One of my biggest steps toward work-life balance was renting a small office to keep work separate from home life. It’s helped me establish a boundary that makes our home a space for relaxation (sometimes), quality time, and genuine presence. There’s a happier balance in the Hudson house now that work doesn’t blur into every room, and this has brought a positive change for us all. Building my business has allowed me to invest in family experiences that make lasting memories, and that’s priceless, as well as have that breathing space to confidently walk into Clarks each September for school shoes, or invest in the hobbies that the kids want to pursue into their careers.

Now, with Big H adding to the team, this venture has evolved into a true family experience, not sure how it is going to work out. She may have mixed feelings about “Mum as the boss,” but her work ethic is fantastic, and I see this as a chance for her to learn, earn, and start building her own future for however long she decides to grace me with her presence!

For anyone starting out, my advice is to find what works best for you. There’s so much advice out there, but it’s just that—advice. At the end of the day, this is your journey. So here is my advice, take it and do with it what you see fit: when you’re starting, your greatest need might be to get some income flowing, so focus on that first. Once that’s in place, you’ll have more freedom to pursue what you really want. It takes time to build relationships, find the right clients, and define the services that resonate with you and the life you want to lead. Surround yourself with the right people—clients and peers who uplift you, who understand your journey, and who support your growth. You don;t ever need to try and dim or share anyone else's light, you shine bright enough just the way you are, so don;t compare yourself to anyone - no one walks the same life as you so no one can walk the same path.

And most importantly, don’t lose the real version of yourself in the process. It’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing or in the noise of social media, and what everyone else says what you "should" be doing, but staying true to who you are is what will make your business meaningful and sustainable. Building a business is a journey, and finding your purpose, setting boundaries, and embracing change are all part of that path.

So, here’s a question for you: What’s been the most unexpected lesson in your own journey?

Whether you're just starting out, navigating challenges, or re-evaluating your goals, sharing our stories helps us all learn together. Let me hear yours.