Kate Hutcheson is back today! We first heard from her over two years ago (!) in her first Client Case Study, and I’m so happy that *you* get to hear all that’s happened since then, because waaaaaay more has changed than just her profile photo (spoiler alert: she quit her job and has built a super viable biz over at The Efficient/Creative)! I’ll let her fill you in below.
When we last spoke with you, you were __________. Is your business the same, or has anything evolved?
When we last spoke, I think I had just launched my business—The Efficient/Creative—as a virtual assistant for creative women entrepreneurs. In general, my business is still the same. I’m still leveraging my background as a Project Manager, but I’m leaning in a little more to the Online Business Manager side of things. I have gotten a little more specific in who I work with. I see myself as the support role for women who are starting and growing movements for change. If you have a mission to empower the people around you (locally or in online communities), then I am the one to help you grow that mission!
Let’s talk wins! What have you been most proud of in your business since we last featured you?
WOW, where do I start?! I think I was still working a full-time job the last time we spoke, as well as a part-time retail job AND growing my business! It was a lot. I quit my corporate job two years ago this month (!) to focus full-time on The Efficient/Creative and I’ve never been happier or more fulfilled in my work. My business is growing all the time.
I think if I had to boil down my “wins” into one general thought, it would be the shock and pride that comes from knowing: I really did it! I started a business that is growing and thriving and evolving in all the right ways! I still have to pinch myself sometimes. And I am grateful every day for the role you have been playing in that growth of both my business and my mindset.
Have there been any long-term takeaways from our work together?
So. Many.
For years I saw my multipassionate nature as a liability. My Vampire Voices told me that I would never be happy doing one job, that I would always be flitting from one idea to the next. I thought I was flighty, scatterbrained, and difficult to please. Becoming an entrepreneur (and working with you for years) has shown me—beyond a doubt—the strengths I bring to the table every day in my work with clients. And the fact that I’m multipassionate just means that I bring a variety of strengths!
There has been nothing like starting a business and working with you to teach me to trust in myself. These abilities have been in me all along and I don’t think I would have ever had the resources to bring them out without your guidance. I can see now that I’m capable of so much more than I ever dreamed I would be, and working with someone who sees that capability and helps you draw it out is priceless.
What’s the best piece of advice you can give to someone transitioning from being a “newbie” business owner into a more seasoned or accomplished business owner?
Invest in community. Find a group of like-minded business owners and lean on them. Be vulnerable with them. Share your strengths and expertise. You’ll gain their expertise, their wider communities, and multiple sounding boards to help you puzzle through difficulties. Building your business alongside a community of other business owners will help you grow so much more quickly and with a stronger foundation than you could have done on your own.
Is there anything that’s been a game-changer for you when it comes to your business that you can share? We’d love a good resource or a mindset/productivity tip!
I think realizing that doing everything in your business is actually more expensive than hiring help has been a game-changer (for me and my clients.) When you get to a certain point in business—and it’s probably earlier than you think—trying to DIY your business will cost you more time, money, and energy. You think you’re saving by doing your own admin, but the earlier you learn to hand off the work that doesn’t actively attract clients and serve your mission, the better. When you outsource non-visionary work, you’ll be more energetic about the work you do, more focused, and attract more people to your mission.
What’s on the horizon for your business? We’d love to hear about any upcoming offerings or goals!
Summer is my time to slow down and enjoy being with family, so I’ll be lining up new 1:1 Set Up to Scale Up clients for August and into the fall! I only take one new client per month for this offer, so people have to reach out early if they want to work 1:1 with me for strategy, project management, AND done-for-you VA services. I like to say I’m a hybrid Virtual Assistant, Project Manager, and Online Business Manager… because it’s true!
Where can we find you and your work?
Website: theefficientcreative.com, Instagram: @katehutcheson and Facebook: Efficient/Creative Entrepreneurs
If you want to work with me in the same program that Kate has been a part of for over a year, make sure you’re on the interest list for Build Your Client Base by signing up here. The super limited spots will open early for you on June 22nd!
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