Meet Jessica Thomas | Chief Delegation Officer & Virtual Assistant Instructor

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

Hi Jessica, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
While working in corporate back in 2014, one of the things I observed was how stressed out and overwhelmed many people were. Myself included. I witnessed and sometimes experienced the 60+ hour work weeks, demanding deadlines, and exhausting office politics. All of this eventually leads to extreme burnout and demotivation, but that’s not all. It also potentially means missing out on other things that matter in one’s life, like spending time with family, enjoying hobbies, traveling, or practicing self-care. It felt like I, and the busy professionals around me were working hard with no time for play. And honestly, that just didn’t sit right with me. I believe in work-life balance, as it’s necessary to maintain your physical and mental health.

So, as I was trying to find a sense of work-life balance for myself, I realized the power of outsourcing tasks that didn’t need to be done by me. As a result, Imperative Concierge Services LLC was born. My goal was to create a Virtual Assistant Agency where business owners and busy professionals alike could easily be matched to highly skilled and experienced remote service providers that could tackle various to-dos. Now, instead of being bogged down with everything, they can delegate tasks and reclaim the most valuable asset any of us have: time.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
When I created my Virtual Assistant Agency in 2015, I wanted to make outsourcing easy for busy professionals because they already have a lot on their plates. Entrepreneurs often wear several hats to run their businesses, and while outsourcing can help, for many, it just seems like another daunting thing to add to their to-do list. Even though outsourcing is meant to give them their time back, getting started can seem intimidating and time-consuming. As a result, the cycle of doing everything themselves continues and leads to burnout and potential business failure.

Fortunately, our match-making method at Imperative Concierge Services streamlines the outsourcing process for busy professionals. By partnering with us, they don’t have to take on tedious tasks like posting jobs on various forums, screening hundreds of portfolios, interviewing potential candidates, and more.

Instead, all they have to do is tell us what they’re looking for, and we’ll work together to determine the qualities that would make for a good fit. Then, we’ll align them with Virtual Professionals with the skill-set and experience to successfully complete the job(s). For example, if a business owner needs to hire someone with strong administrative skills, we’ll match them to a vetted administrative professional. Our clients really appreciate this because navigating these virtual streets that now include THOUSANDS of Virtual Assistants isn’t easy, especially when you’re not sure where to start.

What makes me and my company different from others like it is that we’re not just trying to help people delegate. Our company vision is to change the narrative surrounding entrepreneurship and the do-it-all-yourself mindset. We want a future where entrepreneurs can work smart and strategically and achieve scalability without the burnout. So while delegating is a big part of it, encouraging work-life balance and educating those around us about automation tools, as well as time and money-saving business practices, are what we do too. The whole “team no sleep” mentality is one I disagree with it because it’s not healthy. We can be successful and maintain our health too.

I’m most proud of our impact on business owners and Virtual Assistants (VA). Business owners get to reclaim some of their time and use that time to do things that are important to them. They also have the opportunity to scale their businesses and reach more people with their products and/or services. Truly, they get to do, achieve, and earn more while doing less. There’s nothing like seeing this happen and watching their dreams come true!

On the flip side, Virtual Assistants can be matched to clients who require their professional skill-set and experience to leverage their companies. And they get to do this while working from the comforts of their home (or anywhere in the world)! I’m excited to soon launch a Virtual Assistant Course that’ll show them how to build a Virtual Assistant Agency that allows them to leverage their skills.

Ultimately, I got to where I am today by failing forward. Whenever I make a mistake, I take what I learned from it and do better next time. Over time, I’ve learned that entrepreneurship is all about connecting: connecting the dots and connecting with people. So when I’m faced with a challenge, I try to figure out where the disconnect is, what I can do about it, and who can point me in the right direction.

Another lesson I’ve learned is to focus on my “why.” Knowing your “why” can get you through the difficulties and hardships associated with running a business.
People who don’t know me might be surprised to learn that my background is actually in health care. I have a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration and a minor in Aging Studies from Eastern Michigan University. I also hold a Master of Public Health with a focus on Informatics from Michigan State University (Go Spartans!).

My Virtual Assistant Agency might seem like a random venture based on my background, but my appreciation for health and wellness is what honestly kicked it off. Recognizing the impact stress has on us mentally and physically, as well as knowing how working long hours can negatively influence both, made me want to find a helpful solution. I know that helping determined, ambitious professionals achieve work-life balance is beneficial to their well-being.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Breakfast – French Toast in Plymouth, Breakfast Club in Farmington Hills, or Kuzzo’s Chicken and Waffles in Detroit.

Lunch – Slows BBQ, Lumen Detroit, Detroit Vegan Soul, or Chili Mustard Onions

Dinner – Bakers Keyboard and Cornbread Restaurant and Bar.

I’d suggest we visit the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum, Greenfield Village, the Greektown area, and the Riverwalk.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family, friends, and significant other have been incredibly supportive, and I couldn’t have done this without them. I’d also like to shout out two people: Abisola Togunde and Victoria Jones. Abi is an exceptional tech and marketing entrepreneur who operates a technology consulting firm based out of Michigan (Classy Technology). Victoria is a creative entrepreneur (Vee Helene Solutions LLC) with superb copywriting, blogging, and photography skills. Both ladies have provided me with much support, encouragement, and advice as I navigate my entrepreneurial journey.

There are also some books that have helped me along the way too!
We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers, You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero, and the 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss are all great reads!
Website: www.imperativeconcierge.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imperativeconcierge/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicapthomas/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imperativeconcierge

Image Credits
Aubrey Grace Photography