The Freelancer Life: Meet Emma Read
Meet Emma, our very own Virtual Assistant and cheerleader who specialises in helping small businesses repurpose their content and in creating beautiful brand-aligned newsletters.
Emma loves nothing more than helping passionate, big-hearted freelancers and small business owners save time by breathing new life into their content and using it to its full potential.
“I knew I could make a difference to other small business owners who didn’t need or want to employ a full-time resource. When I was made redundant in January 2016 it was just the nudge I needed to make it happen and I’ve never looked back.”
Hello, Welcome!
Tell us a little bit about yourself, what you do and how long you have been doing it for?
Hi, after a long and varied career as a Technical Author, Call Centre Consultant and Project Manager (plus various other part-time jobs that fitted in around raising the kids in between), I’ve been a freelance Virtual Assistant for nearly 5 years now and I LOVE it! I offer a wide range of services but my marketing services are by far the most popular and as a certified Mailchimp Partner I’m known for my Mailchimp expertise.
Why did you first become a freelancer?
My fiance runs his own sign making business which first opened my eyes to just how much work was involved in running a small business, and I knew I could make a difference to other small business owners who didn’t need or want to employ a full-time resource. When I was made redundant in January 2016 it was just the nudge I needed to make it happen and I’ve never looked back.
Where’s your favourite place to work from aside from your home and why?
Honestly. Nowhere. I’ve tried working in co-working spaces and coffee shops but I’m so much more productive when working from home and wouldn’t choose to work anywhere else. Other than the garden in the summer perhaps :)
Share your struggles - what do you find hardest about working for yourself and why?
I guess finding the motivation can be hard some days… especially if I’m not working on a project I really enjoy, but on the whole, I find working for myself like a breath of fresh air. No more office politics or awful team building events or office parties. Just thinking about the years I spent working in that environment makes me cringe! Working for myself is the best decision I’ve ever made. But then I’m a huge introvert and I’m quite happy in my own company. Plus my fiance works from home and runs his own business too so I never get lonely or feel isolated, and he completely gets it.
“I can choose who I work with which makes my work so much more enjoyable as I’m so invested in my clients and genuinely love them all and want to help them succeed. ”
Share your perks - what do you enjoy most about working for yourself and why?
There are so many! For me, flexibility is the biggest perk. I can work when I choose to work, take time off without having to get it approved, have a long lunch break or go for a walk if I have a mental block and need to clear my head. I can choose who I work with which makes my work so much more enjoyable as I’m so invested in my clients and genuinely love them all and want to help them succeed. I’m responsible for my own personal development and training and I’m in control of my own success which is so freeing.
What are your top tips for anyone thinking about working for themselves?
Don’t overthink it - just go for it! I started with no clear plan, a website I’d literally thrown together the weekend after I got made redundant, and I was in profit from month one. Tell everyone you know - network, network, network (if an introvert like me can network, so can you). Always be honest and transparent and don’t try and sell to people, just focus on helping them and offering them solutions. And don’t worry if the market is oversaturated! VAs are ten a penny but GOOD VAs are hard to come by, and it’s the same in any field. If you’re good at what you do and provide your clients with a great service you’ll be fully booked before you know it! Oh, and don’t set your rates too low! That’s a big mistake so many newbies make.
What are your top 3 recommendations - podcasts, books, people to follow, sources of inspiration etc. and why?
The Freelance Lifestylers Facebook Group
I joined this group very early in my freelance journey and it’s always been a great source of support and inspiration to me. I’ve also built some great relationships with other freelancers and business owners who I’ve then gone on to work with, either as a client or as a member of my own outsourced team. Facebook Groups are a great place to network and build relationships and this group is one of my go-to’s whenever I have a query or need support.Digital Women Membership
I joined Digital Women as a founding member in May 2020 after coming across them when one of my clients nominated me for the Digital Women Virtual Assistant of The Year Award earlier in the year. It’s a community set up to empower over 1 million women through the sharing and development of digital skills and with access to live training, digital marketing resources and a very supportive and friendly collective of women, it is one of the best investments I’ve made. Why not come and join us? Men are welcome too 😊Survival Skills for Freelancers by Sarah Townsend
I’ve read many business books and this is the first book that really resonated with me and talked about mental health and wellbeing. It’s written in such a friendly and easy to read style that I devoured the whole book in one sitting! A must-have read for anyone thinking of going freelance.
“Collaboration is everything when you’re a freelancer! It enables you to successfully work towards a common goal with others, whether that be with your clients or with other freelancers when working on a project that may otherwise have been outside your abilities. ”
What role does collaboration play for you?
Collaboration is everything when you’re a freelancer! It enables you to successfully work towards a common goal with others, whether that be with your clients or with other freelancers when working on a project that may otherwise have been outside your abilities. The first step to any good collaboration is finding the right people to work with and then making sure there is no confusion as to who is responsible for what. Without collaboration, I would have stifled my business growth and limited the projects I could work on.
What do you love to do? What makes you tick and what do you simply love doing?
I love nothing more than lifting and supporting other businesswomen, giving them time back to do what they love, and helping them grow a successful business and a healthy work-life balance.
When I’m not working I love taking long walks, curling up on the sofa and reading a good book or binge-watching a great series on Netflix, and spending time with my family. And travelling! Not weeks away at a time (I’m too much of a home bird for that) but I’ve missed long weekends away so much in 2020 and I can’t wait to visit Venice again!
What are you really good at? What’s your marketing superpower?
I specialise in repurposing digital marketing content. So I might take a clients’ video or podcast for example and turn it into a blog post to upload to their website. I may then upload the blog post as a LinkedIn article, or maybe a Medium story, plus write several short-form social media posts for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, and possibly create a slide show or an infographic, or content for their newsletter…
Sometimes I might even turn it into an eBook they can then use as a lead magnet! The possibilities are endless and it’s such a timesaver for my clients which ensures each piece of content they produce is used to its full potential.
I’m also a certified Mailchimp Partner (you’ll find me listed in the Mailchimp Experts Directory) and I LOVE creating beautiful brand-aligned newsletters.
What is the best project you’ve worked on since going freelance?
Managing the Virtual Village Hall Facebook Page for the Royal Voluntary Service. It’s one of the few positives that came out of 2020 and has become a real passion project of mine! They saw the social media channels that I manage for one of their sister organisations and when they approached me to manage it for them I was thrilled!
The Virtual Village Hall is a programme of themed online activities designed to enjoy at home to tackle boredom and provide entertainment for those who cannot leave their homes due to the pandemic, and it's available for everyone to enjoy! From meditation to laughter yoga, Zumba to Bollywood dancing, and cooking to making cocktails! It’s been a lifeline for so many people, especially older people who live alone or have been isolating themselves, and working on it brings me so much joy.
What were you doing this time last year? What have you learnt or how have you changed since then?
This time last year I was caring for my fiance who had a head-on collision just before Christmas, while also managing my business and trying to keep his business ticking over as best I could. I was the only earner for quite some time and it was super-stressful. Then just as he started to get back on his feet in March, COVID hit us!
I’ve learnt that I’m far stronger than I thought I was, that I can cope well in a crisis and that having my own small team of freelancers is a lifesaver when the shit hits the fan! I’ve also learnt that I need to look after myself more so my main goal for 2021 is to make looking after my mental health and wellbeing a top priority!
“I’ve learnt that I’m far stronger than I thought I was, that I can cope well in a crisis and that having my own small team of freelancers is a lifesaver when the shit hits the fan! ”
Want to learn more about Emma? Visit her website emmareadva.com and give her a follow on Twitter @emmareadva, Instagram @emmareadva or Facebook @emmareadva.
