Blueberries and Business

Every day, for the last three weeks, I’ve spent at least an hour and a half picking blueberries off the bushes in our front yard.

My husband Greg and I estimate we have approximately 104 pounds of frozen blueberries in our new Frigidaire chest freezer and at least that much more still on the branches ripening daily.

Having never picked blueberries before, when I started out, I held a bowl in one hand and placed the blueberries in it with the other. But I was dropping blueberries like crazy and almost fell off the ladder trying to balance the bowl.

My next strategy was to put a tarp under the bushes and pull the blueberries off the branches and onto the tarp. That worked to get the blueberries off the branches, but I didn’t enjoy picking through them on my hands and knees, along with the bugs, sticks, and leaves that had also landed on my tarp.

Next, I bought a “harvesting apron” (who knew?). It freed up both hands and eliminated the need for the bowl. It was a game-changer.

I devised a system for freezing the blueberries as well, rotating them in and out of the freezer on trays before placing them in bags printed with the date they were picked.

Having lots of time to think while blueberry-picking each day, I started to notice the parallels between blueberry picking and starting a Virtual Assistant business:

1. There was a learning curve. I tried several methods for picking the berries before deciding what worked. Instead of getting frustrated by what wasn’t working, I used my energy to get creative and figure out improvements I could make.
   
   So often, when starting a business, we want everything done immediately and without struggle. But here's the thing—the learning comes from the struggle. If someone handed me a five-year-old Virtual Assistant business filled with clients on day one, I wouldn’t know what to do. Experience teaches us. Action teaches us. Don’t skip or wish away the most useful part of the process.
    
2. It takes effort. All 104 pounds of blueberries we’ve collected so far were plucked off the bushes, one berry at a time. The same applies to building your business, getting new clients, and growing your email list.
   
   Make sure you’re spending enough time at your desk working on your business. Just because you don’t have enough clients (if any), there’s plenty to do to get them rolling in the door. This will also help you build your ability to focus while working from home.
    
3. The unexpected will happen. While picking fruit, I met a gigantic orange spider that stopped me in my tracks. But instead of derailing the whole project and running across the front yard screaming, I let go of the branch he was sitting on and moved to the other side of the bush.
   
   Roadblocks are everywhere in life: flat tires, sick kids, spilled milk, and gigantic orange spiders. Don’t let them stop you. Successful Virtual Assistants know how to navigate life and stay on track.

There is nothing better than living the VA lifestyle. As a lifelong learner, I get to stretch my brain and, thanks to time flexibility, I get to design my days.

While getting started can feel daunting occasionally, by giving yourself some grace and taking things one at a time, you can build a successful and sustainable business to fuel the rest of your working life.