The Real Pros and Cons of Being a Virtual Assistant

One mom’s honest look at the work-from-home life

When I first became a virtual assistant in 2018, it wasn’t part of a grand career plan. It was just a way to bring in a little income so Zach and I could travel and tour for our music.

Fast forward to 2023, when our son Jayson was born after a traumatic delivery that changed everything. He spent over a month in the NICU, and our lives became a blur of medical appointments, sleepless nights, and worry. I needed flexibility more than ever, but I also needed purpose — something that made me feel like me again, not just a caretaker running on empty.

Virtual assisting gave me both.
It kept me home when he needed me. It paid the bills. And it gave me a way to feel strong, capable, and in control again.

If you’re reading this, maybe you’re in your own in-between place — exhausted from trying to stretch one income, wishing you could be there for your kids without losing yourself in the process. I want to give you the real picture of VA life: the good, the hard, and the things no one tells you.

The Pros: Why VA Work Can Change Your Life

1. You’re there for the moments that matter
No begging a boss for time off. No missing a school play or therapy appointment. You work around your life — not the other way around. That’s priceless when your kids are little or when life throws you curveballs.

2. You start to breathe again
Financial stress steals your peace. Even part-time VA work can lift that weight, helping you pay down debt, cover bills without juggling credit cards, or simply afford the little things that bring joy back into your home.

3. You don’t need to “wait until…”
You don’t need a degree, years of experience, or fancy gear to start. In my early days, I worked off a basic laptop at my kitchen table. Over time, I upgraded to a setup that made life easier — I even put together a budget-friendly home office list with my favorite tools so you can see what’s worked for me and other moms I’ve coached.

4. Your skills and confidence grow — fast
You’ll learn tech, organization, communication, and problem-solving skills you didn’t even know you had. And that confidence? It spills into the rest of your life.

The Cons: The Honest Truth

1. The lines blur between work and home
Your office might be the dining room. Your “lunch break” might be folding laundry. You have to get good at setting boundaries, or work will follow you everywhere.

2. You have to be your own boss (in every sense)
There’s no one telling you what to do each day. You handle finding clients, managing schedules, and dealing with the unexpected. That can feel overwhelming in the beginning.

3. It’s not instant
Building up steady income takes effort. You may start small — and that’s okay — but patience and persistence are key.

What Helped Me Succeed

When I was juggling Jayson’s care, my VA business, and daily life, I had to make things as simple as possible. That meant streamlining my work with the right tech, which I talk more about in my post on tech that makes work-from-home mom life easier. Small changes — like upgrading my workspace or using better tools — saved me hours every week and gave me energy back.

If you want to hear more about why I became a VA (and eventually a VA coach), you can read my full story here.

Your First Step Forward

If this is hitting close to home, I want you to know: you don’t have to figure it all out alone. My Virtual Assistant 101 course was created for women exactly where you are — maybe scared, maybe skeptical, but ready to take a step toward something better.

In it, I walk you through:

How to set up your VA business from scratch (even with limited time and resources)
The tech and tools you’ll actually use
How to find and land your first clients
Building a schedule that fits your family — not the other way around

You can check it out here.

If you’re tired of feeling stuck, there’s another way.
It won’t be perfect — nothing ever is — but VA work can give you the freedom to provide for your family and be present for the people you love most. And you deserve that.