In the early days of the virtual assistant industry, few people knew what a VA was. But now the industry has gone mainstream, and it’s growing faster than ever. Today we’re joined by business coach and trainer Kathy Goughenour as she talks about the keys to building a thriving VA business. You’ll also learn how to picture the future you want so you can live the life you want to lead!   Podcast Outline: [0:50] Introduction to Kathy Goughenour and the topic of building a thriving virtual assistant business - Kathy describes how she got started as a virtual assistant and where she is now. [7:11] Why the VA industry is booming and why it’s an exciting time to be a VA - how the industry is expected to continue growing consistently over the next four years. [8:44] How the experiment of hiring a VA or freelancer during the pandemic turned out to be a success - Kathy shares statistics that point to the incredible savings businesses enjoy.  [10:17] How it’s possible to get more work done when you’re working from home [11:19] The biggest challenges most VAs face - Kathy shares what she’s heard from VAs, what she thinks, and strategies she recommends to overcome the biggest challenge.   [12:44] The importance of confidence and how it creates unlimited potential [14:05] The distinction between virtual assistants and virtual experts - how all the different levels are necessary. [16:32] The negative side of thinking about the word “expert” - the perils of comparing yourself to others and encouragement that there’s a VA for every person who needs one.   Words of wisdom for VAs who want to achieve a level of freedom and enjoy the work they do [20:32] Think about what you want - the kind of life you want to lead and what success is for you right now [23:11] The importance of picturing the future you want to have and carving out your own path in the VA space [24:28] How to connect with Virtual Expert   Resources and tools discussed in this episode: Freelance University   Learn more about Kathy Goughenour: Free 5-session video and DreamSheets at Virtual Expert - ExpertVA.biz   Forbes    HuffPost (formerly known as The Huffington Post)  Good Housekeeping Google Netflix  YouTube