Meet Brianni Walker | Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant and Agency Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brianni Walker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brianni, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I like to say my thought process was two-fold when starting my business. Part of me had a desire to provide genuine assistance to entrepreneurs. I’ve seen firsthand how business owners struggle in their business because they don’t have the support they need. Oftentimes, small businesses start from a creative space, in which the founder wants to make money doing something they love doing. Quickly, they find out that running their business alone prevents them from doing the thing they love most. I wanted to be a helpmate for entrepreneurs so they can get back to doing what they love. The other important thought behind this was how can I help others in a way that is comfortable yet challenging for me. In addition to all the typical feelings surrounding teaching (overworked, underpaid, unappreciated), I felt unchallenged. My work never made me think outside the box and therefore never scaffolded higher, critical thinking on my part. Starting my business helped me do both; help others who need skilled assistance and challenge myself while working from anywhere in the world.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is a virtual assistant agency for the digital marketing industry. We provide entrepreneurs and business owners skilled virtual assistants that provide exceptional task management. This allows entrepreneurs the bandwidth to focus on scaling their business and focusing on their craft. We serve a variety of different owners including business consultants, social media managers, course creators, etc.

I believe the one thing that sets us apart is our customer centered approach. It’s easy to hire a client and simply give them any virtual assistant from the roster. We strive to make matches that we are confident will succeed. Clients work with me for several weeks before they are even assigned their own virtual assistant. This allows me to work with the client and get a feel for their business and how it works. Also, this allows me to be able to match them with a virtual assistant that is best for them and their business.

My business is at the place it is in because of three things: my work ethic, my support system and my mentor.

I am confident when I say that my work ethic is not common among most people my age. I have always been one to put my all into any and everything I am working on. In high school, I worked a part time job, played sports, engaged in extracurricular activities and still maintained a 3.9 GPA at a college preparatory school. I received a full-tuition scholarship to Stevenson University and completed my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. During my sophomore and junior year in college, I worked as an assistant manager at Footlocker and went to school full time. During my senior year of college, I worked two jobs and continued school full time. I say this to say two things; one, right now, is the most relaxed my life has been and two, most people would have given up years ago. Luckily for me, I am not that person and I honestly, wouldn’t have it any other way.

My support system has been one of the things in my life that has and continues to keep me going. My parents have supported me in any and everything I put my mind to. My boyfriend and I have been together since my senior year of high school. Anyone that knows us would say that we put each other through school. We worked together (yes, at the same job) and constantly did homework together. For a while, our dates were pizza, UNO and homework. He has taught me more than anyone else I can think of and continues to pour into me today. He is the most influential person in my life and I am forever grateful to and for him. Above all, God has pulled me through a series of struggles and hardships and I would not be who I am without him.

Though our relationship has been short, meeting my mentor, Heather, is probably one of the highlights of my life. She has introduced me to so many new ideas, philosophies and people. What started off as a client relationship quickly became a true friendship and mentorship. She continues to help me organize my business and position myself as an exceptional agency owner. I owe a lot of my business success to her and her team. Inviting me into her ecosystem has been fun and rewarding both business-wise and personally. She introduced me to Mil, who I like to think is my long-lost sister because we are literal copies of each other. I could not be more grateful for my relationship with Heather and Mil.

I wouldn’t say the place in which my business is in now was easy, but I will say that I don’t believe anyone could do it. My business success has a lot to do with my team and my drive. I am very multifaceted in a lot of different areas which successfully contributed to my business growth. My most valuable skill is project management. Heather, of course, helped me understand the qualities I have that align with that of a project manager. I am a huge planner and tend not to step into anything unprepared. Before starting my business, I did hours upon hours of research. This helped me feel somewhat prepared for what I was stepping into. Also, I started virtual assisting part time while I was still teaching, so this minimized the risk tremendously. It was only when my business took off that I decided to quit my job and focus on my business full time.

The one lesson I love to share about my business journey is to do your research and start small. This strategy allowed me to learn the business and find my niche without the overwhelming need to make money to pay bills/expenses. I was able to work at my own pace and let go of my teaching job when I was ready to do so.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a friend visiting, I would try to make their visit as balanced as possible. Some days we would do active things like walking a trail, going to a football game or something crazy like iFly (I’m a daredevil). Other days, we would do relaxed activities like going to a spa, going to the movies or going to the aquarium. In terms of good, we would have to do brunch multiple days because who doesn’t like bottomless mimosas? Other meals will have to include seafood, it is literally my most favorite thing to eat. There would need to be at least one day to do nothing, I always need a rest day which usually includes wine and Netflix.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout goes to Heather Lawson-Bradfield of The Clover Collective and Milou Pietersz of Simply Media and Advertising. These two phenomenal women have exposed me to all the digital world has to offer. They pour into constantly and helped me understand how good I am at what I can do. They are constantly cheering me on and providing me with immense support that is unmatched. I have never had a mentor/partner that has provided such amazing experiences as they have.

Website: www.assistmeva.com

Instagram: @assist.me.va

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianni-walker-73380422a

Other: Tik Tok: @breethevaqueen

Image Credits
Warped Vision