The Online Courses that Changed My Life as a Virtual Assistant
- Sharese Lee
- Oct 19, 2024
- 13 min read
This is a blog about online courses that changed my life at the beginning of my entrepreneurship and what each has taught me.
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Future Courses I Want to Take:
Organized U - 2025 (business organization)
Project 24 - 2025 (blogging)
Online Events That I Attended for additional training:
Having a mentor and continuing education is always good. But, it is not good if you keep watching training videos without any action. You need to take action, along with your education to grow.
How I got started
This is the first course I took that introduced me to the virtual assistance world. I was scrolling on TikTok and scrolled right into Tianna doing a dance that says she is making money from home (I can't remember what amount she had on there) and I got curious.
Who is this course for
This course is great for someone who is beginning their virtual assistant journey and needs to know the foundation of creating their own business as a virtual assistant. They go over all the basics and give you great examples of how to run your business. It is very informational, and you can tell they have a passion for helping other mamas work from home.
For any learning experience, you need to have the right mindset. They encourage you to be committed to putting in the work and not giving in to failure. They are present in helping you succeed, so they expect the same from you.
When they hold live events and coaching calls, they do expect you to be there and engage to get the most out of the community.
However, if you are a seasoned VA who has the foundation of their business and is looking more for software training or more in-depth scaling, then this course is NOT for you.
The Courses
All of their courses are in Thinkific and super informational. Tianna and Ariel both take turns coaching on different topics in the course.
The courses are between 2 minutes - 12 minutes long. There are a few that are about an hour long.
They have 5 phases:
Phase 1 - Your VA business, Resume + Portfolio, and Social Media accounts
Phase 2 - Intro to VA, sample tasks, and invoicing + contracts
Phase 3 - Virtual Assistant soft skills
Phase 4 - How to find clients
Phase 5 - Intro calls, onboarding clients, and managing your clients
BONUS course - Profit Basics with Denai Wolfe
Prices
Laptop + Littles has three different packages.
DIYVA: $397 - This includes lifetime access to the All-In Coaching Courses and onboarding calls.
All-In Coaching: $997 - This includes all items in the DIYVA package, as well as access to their private FB classroom, weekly group coaching calls, and the bonus money masterclass.
VIP: $2,197 - This includes all items from DIYVA and All-In Coaching, as well as 1-on-1 coaching calls with Tianna and Ariel for 3 months.
My Overall Rating
I love Laptop + Littles because they were my first. There is always something about your first mentors, training, or course that has a special place in your heart.
They taught me the foundations, and the basics, of becoming a VA. Their courses are easy to understand and follow. This helps you take action at the same time as you take the courses. I do reference back to their courses from time to time. I am so glad it is "lifetime access".
Do I recommend Laptop + Littles? Yes, I do. For every mom that is looking into a VA career, I do recommend this course. Tianna and Ariel are both mothers and they know how important it is for mothers to raise their children from home. They are passionate about their business and if you show them commitment, they will do the same for you.
2. Kingdom Calling - Blessed and in Business (No Longer in Business)
How I got started
While attending Laptop + Littles they encourage signing up for different groups on Facebook, according to your niche. Well, I ended up adding myself to a group called Kingdom Calling, because I was looking for a Christian client. This group was active. The Facebook group included Christian coaches and service assistants. You needed to be a VA or a Coach to join the group.
On their FB group page, they advertised the "Blessed and in Business" course. I signed up right away hoping to get more training/coaching for my business. And, I did, to some extent.
Who is this course for
This was not a course for VA training. It was more geared toward coaches. If you are a Christian, you will be happy that the course puts God first. But the majority of the course focused on marketing and scaling for coaching businesses.
The Course
It's a 6-month group coaching program that will teach you to retain your first paying clients, book out your client roster, and take you from wantrepreneur to entrepreneur so you can start consistently signing and serving the clients you’re called to serve.
They claim that you’ll find clarity on who you are in the marketplace, who you’re called to serve, and how you package your offers.
You’ll get supported as you build a solid offer that’s aligned with your calling and brings tremendous value to your clients.
You’ll gain the tools and confidence to sell your offer by speaking your ideal prospect’s language and converting them into clients with grace and ease, without using sleazy sales tactics or pressure-selling.
To be honest, I don't even remember what I learned, I just know that I had a workbook with lots of questions and 6 months' worth of 1-on-1 coaching. Which was a great experience, I just wasn't ready.
Prices
I paid $2,000 back then. I am not sure if the price has gone up. She only opens up this training 2 or 3 times a year.
My Overall Rating
For me, this was more of a mindset change. There wasn't any VA training that helped me in my VA career, but the wisdom I got out of it was exceptional.
I don't think I would have taken this course so early on in my career. I think if I waited till I had my career set and wanted to grow my business, I would take this course to scale me to the next level. I would not recommend this course to anyone that is just starting their VA career.
How I got started
I joined their public Facebook community and participated in a few live events. I remember that they had an opening for their course, and I signed up for it as soon as I could. Just being part of the Facebook community, I noticed how engaging the Virtual Savvy team was. They were so supportive and present in the chat. They also had so much fun with each other. I knew the courses that they had would help me learn and grow in my business.
Who is this course for
Oh my goodness, where do I start?! This course is for any serious VA that wants to become a better virtual assistant and grow their knowledge. If you are new to the virtual assistant world, this course is for you! If you are a seasoned virtual assistant looking for more training or knowledge in new technology/tools, this place is for you too!
The Courses
The best thing I love about this is that the courses are lifetime accessible! They are constantly updating their courses to keep up with the new updates that come up. They are an active team and community. There are about 80+ courses that are available, and you can watch it on your own time. Some of the courses are outdated by a few years, but they do try to keep up with the newest technologies and updates.
The program includes a private Facebook group that has an active community. They also launched a brand-new platform "Hello Savvy" which allows you to create a professional profile and apply for freelance jobs. "Hello Savvy" does come with a monthly/annual price if you plan to take advantage of this perk.
The Virtual Savvy platform is easy to use and follow. They do encourage you to follow the introductory courses and not skip around to ensure you are getting the most for your money. None of the courses are locked, and you do not have to finish one course to unlock the next course.
Each training course is different, due to the different staff that teaches, some have more of an introductory teaching while others are more in-depth and give you advanced techniques and strategies.
I don't know what platform they use for their courses, but it is similar to Teachable. They have three options to pay for the SavvySystem: The Savvy Lite - which does not include Savvy Vault. The SavvySystem Pro - does not include Savvy Vault. And, The SavvySystem Ultimate includes The Virtual Savvy, for those that are new to virtual assistance and need extra support. And, The Savvy Vault, for those that already have their business set up and need training on new tools for virtual assistance. My recommendation is if you are new...go for the SavvySystem Ultimate! It is so worth it.
Prices
Virtual Savvy has different types of payment methods and they only open their doors to new students twice a year. When I bought my courses, I bought the SavvySystem Ultimate for $2,997 + tax. I paid a monthly payment of $297 for 12 months. If you pay for the Lite or Pro, you won't have access to The Savvy Vault now, but you can purchase it separately at a later time.
Here's a chart (2023):
My Overall Rating
Five Stars! This course just keeps getting better. The best thing about it...the lifetime access, so when they update their courses or have new courses, you have access to it anytime you want. YES! YES! YES! To anyone that wants to be a VA. I still go to this site for reference and to brush up on new skills. It's great!
How I got started
I found Craig, one of the founders, posting on LinkedIn. He sent me a link to check out the school and see if it would be a great fit for me and my new career. Well, after taking a look around, I gave in. The courses that they have are amazing and most courses come with a certificate after you finish them. You can add the certificates to your portfolio.
Who is this course for
Freelance University is for anyone looking to gain valuable freelance skills to build a flexible, work-from-anywhere business. It is built for freelancers, virtual assistants, and online businesses. They seem to have a mix of beginner freelance courses and deeper courses for those that need to brush up on their skills. Although, the beginner courses are not as informative as The Virtual Savvy or Laptop + Littles.
You do not need any prior experience to begin training at Freelance University as the courses will provide you with the necessary foundation and skills to build your freelance business. They welcome newbies and professionals in any "work-from-home" situation.
The Courses
The website reminds me of logging into a university website and taking online courses...which this is. It is very professionally made. Every semester, the course catalog is updated with new courses. The courses look like they could be through Teachable, but I could be mistaken. It is easy to log in and start taking courses. You do not have to follow any type of schedule or agenda. You can take whatever course you want and however many you want.
Membership includes a private Facebook group community that is active and posts job opportunities from their partners. They have live workshops and events. The majority of the courses are taught by Craig (co-founder).
They also have student discounts with Honeybook, Flexjobs, Adobe Creative Cloud, etc. The courses are easy to follow and very informational.
Prices
Freelance U is based out of Canada. So, if you go with the monthly plan of $59 (like I did), make sure your bank covers the international fee, or you will be charged an international fee on top of the $59. Also, the downside to Freelance U, there's no lifetime access; once you stop paying, you also forfeit your access to the online courses. This access will remain uninterrupted through Monthly, Quarterly, or Annual automatic billing.
With all enrollments to Freelance University, you will gain access to 80+ courses within the University, a library of archived events and workshops, LIVE monthly events including Mastermind sessions, and resources, and you are invited to join their private learning community.
When you choose the Annual Plan, you will also receive a BONUS 1-1 Clarity Coaching Call as well as an Expert LinkedIn Profile or Website Review for you to use anytime throughout the year at Freelance University.
They accept the following:
Credit Card – Visa, MasterCard, and American Express
PayPal – for both Monthly and Annual Plans
They do not accept payment by check, money order, or debit at this time.
My Overall Rating
I do recommend checking out Freelance University. The courses are professional and very helpful. If you are not sure, I suggest enrolling with the monthly payment plan for now, and seeing how you like it.
How I got started
One day as I was searching YouTube for some helpful business tips, I bumped into a video of Sophia talking about her blogging career. I decided to listen. I was kind of looking for more than just VA work at the time and was curious if blogging could be for me. After going to her YouTube channel and listening to more of her videos, I decided to try it.
Who is this course for
Perfecting Blogging is for anyone that wants to start a blog. It is for beginners. She goes through every single step of what she did to get her to where she is now. She starts from the very beginning...how she set up her website to how she markets her blog posts! It's refreshing to see a step-by-step method, so you can get started and tweak it into your own.
The courses
Her courses are all through Teachable, which I am a fan of. She does most of the coaching. She has great tips and free pintables for reference. They are also updating their courses when there is a change or new information is shared.
Prices
She has three courses: Perfecting Blogging, Perfecting Pinterest, and Perfecting Email. See her prices below (2023)
She also has bundles. I purchased the Beginner's Blogging Bundle. I have not tried the Perfecting Email course yet because I am still building up and focusing on my website and blog.
My Overall Rating
I think, for the price, it is worth it. I honestly would not have a website if it wasn't for this course. I would never have started my blog if it was not for Perfecting Blogging. So, if you are new to creating your blogging website and want to grow a business, I do recommend this course.
Update: I did have trouble with Wordpress and I felt like I was managing it more than I was blogging, so I changed to a Wix website and I like Wix better. I know she does stress on creating her blog on Wordpress, but I love Wix and I just wanted to get started with my blog.
How I got started
I was scrolling through Facebook one day and seen John Bevere giving a talk for a training how we need to use our gifts and talents that God gave us to bring people into the Kingdom. Don't hide our gifts and don't be afraid to use it. Anyway, It was about a 2 hour talk and that whole time my ears and eyes were glued to this training, I was crying and motivated. I was so moved. I said yes to the training and a week later enrolled in this school ready to start my classes. This was in January of 2024.
Who is this course for
This course is for anyone who has a calling from God and wants to use it for the Kingdom. You want to be speak on stages, be a worship leader, work in ministry, write a book, become a content creator, anything that God has called you to do, this academy is for you.
The Courses
The courses are broken up into trimesters.
1 - Clarity and Clients Course (Get Clients)
2 - Content and Community Course (Learn Social Media)
3 - Box Your Biz Course (Build Your Website)
4 - Optimize and Automate (Social Media Marketing)
5 - Stage to Scale (Public Speaking)
6 - Book Launch Program (Write Your Book)
Prices
Paid in full: $15,000
Paid in two: $8,000/year
My Overall Rating
So far, I have been enrolled for 10 months and I have learned a lot and very motivated to get things done. I have never been this committed to get things going. There have been changes that has happened since I have been in the program, but it was positive changes. The founders are very active in seeing all coaches and students succeed and they are passionate to make sure that no one falls behind.
I still have ways to go and I am excited to reach the finish line. The best thing about this course is that it ends with a bachelor's degree in business and master's degree in business and ministry.
📖 Additional Learning
Not only do I commit myself to courses, but I also sign up for annual events that help me better myself and my business:
This is such a fun event. Laura (the owner of Get Organized HQ) sets up this annual event usually around October. This amazing event lasts for a week. Each day has about 10-15 gurus giving you tips and teaching you techniques in their respective professions.
This is where I found some of the most amazing people that I follow on YouTube. Here are a few of that people:
Get Organized HQ's early bird price is usually about $39, which usually comes around September. Be on the lookout for it. Sign up for her newsletter so that you won't miss out.
This event is all about network marketing. It is held in Las Vegas. You can attend in person or virtually. Even though it is all about network marketing, I use this more for character growth, how to work with a team, inspiration, encouragement, and how to grow my business. They have speakers that have the wisdom to grow a business. After attending this event, you have a motivated fire in you that you never had before.
The price for the general admission early bird special is $147. The price for the platinum ticket early bird special is $5000. No, I do not purchase the $5,000. I go general admission!
If you can make the general admission payment, I would highly recommend attending this event (every December). It will change your life.
Conclusion
In total, I paid a little over $15,000 in two years for my business and I am not finished yet. I love learning. This world is not going to stop creating new technology or new systems to make life easier. The older I get the more I have to learn to keep up with the next generation. It is a challenge, but it is such a fun challenge.
In every business, you need to invest in yourself, so far, I have invested a little over $15,000 and I enjoyed every minute of it. Entrepreneurs that have this mindset, invest in themselves first.
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