Boss Money: Ashleigh Ryan, Evolve Virtually
Ashleigh Ryan is the Founder of Evolve Virtually, a full service Virtual Support agency for female run, purpose led businesses. Within the business of Evolve Virtually, Ash specialises in helping clients to streamline and scale their online operations. Anyone who’s had the privilege of working with Ash will attest to just how closely she works her clients to ideate, strategise and help them to operate with more ease, while also running projects end to end so they can get back to being the visionaries that they are. Ash can’t help but go above and beyond for her clients. It is my pleasure to welcome her and share her story in this edition of Boss Money.
Let’s start by you telling us what Evolve Virtually does exactly!
We are a Virtual Support Agency based in Australia. Our team works with with women led businesses to support their operations, strategy, course builds, product or service launches and marketing. Our solutions are not one size fits all and our approach is not cookie cutter. We understand that each business is unique and so our support is designed with this in mind and tailored for all our clients.
What inspired you to start a business?
I had gone through an extremely stressful period in the first Covid Lockdown with my previous job and ended up resigning due to rapidly declining health. Trying to find a role again mid pandemic was really tough, and I thought if I did some VA work for a while in the area I was passionate about (Health and Wellbeing). My plan was that I would eventually find a 'real' job. Fast forward 3.5 years and I have grown from working by myself to running an agency. We are well and truly in full swing.
I never planned to work for myself, become my own boss nor start an agency, but I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity.
What's the best thing about running your own business and the work that you do?
I LOVE the women we get to work with! Somehow we always find the most incredibly talented, inspiring and industry leading clients to work with. Getting to be in their orbit and soak up their magic whilst supporting their businesses to grow is incredibly rewarding.
What’s the biggest money lesson you’ve learned since starting your business?
Invest before you're ready.
It can be SO scary in the initial stages of a business to find the confidence to invest in a coach, or advisor, or a virtual support person, especially when there are no actual guarantee with results. But every time I have consciously and intentionally done so, I have reaped the rewards massively.
Have any of these investments lead to your biggest financial win as a business owner?
Yes! An investment in a financial coach (any guesses who?!) to better understand not only the financial function and performance of my business but develop an awareness of my money mindset helped me to find the confidence to raise my own prices and share them with potential clients, knowing I am worth the investment.
You've been really open about suffering from burnout whilst running your own business. What did you learn from the experience and what practices do you swear by to keep yourself thriving?
I have experienced burnout in business over and over again. Don't they say the Universe keeps giving you the same experience until you learn your lesson? Oops - I am a bit slow on the uptake. That being said, I feel like I have now found a really great balance.
Practices that keep me thriving include learning to say no! (this is my most important one), making time to get outside, be slow and ease into my work day of a morning (rather than rolling straight into work), blocking out a lunch break in my diary every day for 90 minutes so I can't accept meeting requests in that time, and outsourcing work at the first signs of overload.
They say every business owner needs a support team. Who's in yours and why?
My support team includes two very trusted friends and a financial coach. Of the two friends, one is a lifelong friend who is wise beyond her years, knows me so well and is always open to me running ideas or feelings by her. The other is an old client turned friend who knows how I work, what the industry can be like and gives very practical supportive advice. I appreciate it so much!
I also have regular sessions with my financial coach who I can rely on for advice around money, business structure and decisions.
Do you have any advice that would you give to another lady hoping to start her own business?
Be prepared to go through a full initiation of self development. I was prepared for the long days, late nights, weekend work and financial phases when I started out. I was NOT prepared for the complete exposure of my confidence levels, limiting beliefs rearing their heads and the self exploration that would come with running a business.
If I could fast forward to five years from now. Where do you hope to be?
I hope to be well and peaceful. As someone who runs a business while dealing with a list of health conditions, my greatest hope is to be well and peaceful. That would be a success for me.
In terms of the business, I would love to see it grow and develop into a well oiled machine and our reach and services enhance so we can support more women in business.
Finally, what are you looking forward to right now?
My birthday in August! It's a few months away still, but I have a big personal health project I am diving into over these next few months so I am excited to see how I feel, live and think come my birthday.
We can’t wait to see what the year holds in store for you, Ash! I can personally attest to the inimitable level of support and professionalism client’s of Evolve Virtually receive when working with Ash and her team. Ash helped me launch my online course in the lead up to maternity leave and I wouldn’t have been able to do it with such speed and ease without her. If you are a female business owner seeking support to streamline and scale your business operations reach out to Ash and the team at Evolve Virtually. Or at the very least, give them a follow on insta! You can find Ash @evolvevirtually_