Changes often bring growth opportunities, even when these changes are unexpected challenges. Catherine Gladwyn's story is the perfect example of how resilience and adaptability can overcome adversity leading to great achievements, even in the hardest moments.
In 2011, health issues profoundly impacted Catherine’s life affecting her financial stability.
‘I have had five brain tumours since 2011 and with that comes more and more symptoms, including chronic fatigue, which means a 9-5 working for someone else is nigh on impossible.’
Maintaining her regular income, while adapting to her new health circumstances, became a pressing concern. Yet, her extraordinary tenacity and mindset empowered her to take control and establish herself as her own boss in the virtual assistant field.
Today, she’s one of the UK’s top virtual assistants, and a multi-award winning #1 bestselling author. More importantly, she dedicates herself to helping women worldwide achieve financial independence through her Virtual Assistant Mentoring program.
Catherine's program stands out from typical virtual assistant courses. Besides providing free content and paid courses, she offers a unique, personalized mentorship experience through Telegram. This innovative method have helped her build a broad community and a scalable business.
This amazing success story, illustrates how Telegram’s educational capabilities, along with InviteMember's subscription management features, have effectively helped Catherine grow her women empowerment digital movement.
An Inspiring Journey
In 2011, Catherine started struggling with life-changing health issues. Her job then, filled with in-office managing duties in a busy environment, became increasingly stressful under these new circumstances.
Before facing these challenges, Catherine worked managing a team of administrators. But she developed a chronic condition, known as Addison’s disease, following her medical treatments. This condition, causing extreme fatigue and other exhausting symptoms, made her regular employment nearly impossible.
Catherine recalls a particularly tough moment: ‘In 2013 I cried because my fridge freezer broke and I didn't have any money to replace it.’ It was then that she faced the need for a job that could accommodate her health requirements, and decided to become a Virtual Assistant.
'I just wanted to match my full-time wage, but it quickly turned into something I never wanted to let go.'
As she developed her virtual assistant skills, Catherine began shaping a life that allowed her to work on her terms. She explains, ‘I could work when I wanted, with whom I chose, and worked fewer hours for more money.’ This new way of working suited her health needs and also began to improve her financial situation.
In 2018, Catherine took a major step forward in her career by writing "How to be a Virtual Assistant", the first of her no BS bestselling business books. She wrote it to help other women find fulfilling work, and financial independence. The book quickly became a worldwide bestseller, marking her success as an author.
By 2020, her life had changed dramatically for the better. She fondly remembers how that year she ‘bought a massive American style fridge freezer because it would make life easier and didn't think twice about it’.
Yet, writing her first book was just the beginning of what would become an even greater mission: providing virtual assistant training and teach other women how to become financially independent.
The VA Way
Catherine Gladwyn’s VA Mentorship program is designed to help women balance life's demands with their career growth. Catherine saw a need to guide and support other women in navigating these challenges, especially in the Virtual Assistant field.
Catherine believes that, ‘life can be incredibly hard as a woman... that's why this way of life solves so many problems. Women get to enjoy their working life, without having to use most of their money for childcare, or commuting, or gas and electric, and can contribute to the families finances equally - if not more - so there's less pressure on the main breadwinner.’
So, what’s actually a virtual assistant? A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a self-employed business owner who provides support to other self-employed business owners or companies through various tasks and services.
The services a VA can provide range widely, including administrative tasks, bookkeeping, managing social media, and copywriting, among others. The role of a virtual assistant is diverse and adaptable, depending on the specific needs of their clients.
The program’s adaptability ensure that it remains relevant and effective in the evolving corporate landscape. This approach aligns with current trends in remote work and digital entrepreneurship, leveraging on the economic benefits of virtual assistants, who cost 78% less than full-time, on-site employees.
The success of Catherine’s mentorship program is proven by the tangible outcomes of thousands of women who have become successful, independent Virtual Assistants.
Achieving Financial Independence
Catherine Gladwyn's mentorship program has really helped women gain financial independence. It's not just about the numbers; it's about how much their lives have improved.
One example involves a mentee who had financial difficulties before the program. After completing the training, she's now successfully running her own VA business and making over £5k a month. This success story isn't unique. Several participants have moved from regular 9-5 jobs to being full-time virtual assistants, and they've seen a big increase in how much they earn.
‘When they implement my advice they can go on to quit their 9-5 in as little as 90 days. Some take longer some even shorter - but it is possible.’
Catherine believes that financial independence for women is about more than just making money. It's about feeling confident and secure in their work. Catherine talks about her own experience:
‘Financial independence for women is about having the security and freedom to make choices. It's about breaking away from the constraints of traditional employment and embracing the flexibility that comes with being a virtual assistant.’
The financial independence promoting group within her program is a testament to this belief. Here, women support each other, share insights, and celebrate their successes, creating a community of independent and financially empowered professionals.
Catherine’s mission to assist women in achieving financial independence goes beyond just imparting skills and boosting confidence. She cleverly uses Telegram to facilitate communication and foster a supportive community in her program.
Achieving this has been possible thanks to the InviteMember platform, another tool designed to unlock human potential and promote financial freedom globally.
Technology for Empowerment
In her mentorship program, Catherine Gladwyn utilizes Telegram and InviteMember to enhance both her communication and management aspects.
Within the program, Telegram serves as the platform for creating a safe and focused community space. Its primary benefit is the creation of a private and distraction-free environment, crucial for effective learning and mentorship.
‘Telegram has enabled me to create a safe private place for my mentees. Facebook was my other consideration for my mentoring group but it's an incredibly toxic platform and I don't want my mentees to feel any dread when they log on to ask questions’, Catherine believes.
InviteMember, meanwhile, allows for Telegram monetization and plays a critical role in the program’s efficiency. Catherine praises its comprehensive functionality:
‘InviteMember was another reason why Telegram was my choice for mentoring. It automatically sets up payment for subscribers - I don't need to do anything… The support is second to none.’
By automating subscription management, InviteMember simplifies her Telegram community management, allowing her to focus on providing quality mentorship. Meanwhile the platform’s large set of features, significantly enhances and streamlines her program management and optimize her business’ profit.
‘I used to run a subscription group on Facebook and the admin involved in setting people up, getting them into the group, chasing payments, removing them, etc. meant my profit was reduced and it was also stressful and unenjoyable. InviteMember takes all that stress away.’
Furthermore, these tools are optimized for mobile and cloud computing, allowing her flexible management of her Telegram subscription project. This design enables her to deliver content from anywhere, using either her home computer or mobile phone.
In a world of constant change, platforms like Telegram and InviteMember aren't just keeping pace; they're at the forefront of technological innovation. Similarly, Catherine's extraordinary strength puts her at the forefront of her own destiny, helping other women achieve the same.
An Even Brighter Future for Virtual Assistants
The pandemic led to major shifts in how many people work globally. The rise in working from home trends and companies looking to cut costs, have increased the need for virtual assistants.
With the ongoing technological and social changes, even large companies are hiring VAs. Catherine's training focuses on equipping mentees with varied skills, preparing them for these evolving job demands.
‘I guide and support my mentees to convert businesses looking for employees into using a Virtual Assistant instead’, Catherine explains. ‘I really believe corporate businesses will soon be using Virtual Assistants as well as small businesses. It's the most cost effective way, so makes so much sense in today's economy.’
In addition to these professional landscape transformations, the role of AI in enhancing the productivity of virtual assistants is becoming increasingly significant. With the advancement of AI technologies, virtual assistants can work more efficiently by streamlining workflows, automating repetitive tasks, and leveraging AI for data analysis and decision-making, thus augmenting their capabilities.
Catherine Gladwyn, understanding the impact of AI, believes AI tools like ChatGPT and others, can elevate the VA income ceiling. Rather than seeing AI as a threat, she views this technological evolution as an opportunity for VAs to expand their services and enhance their value to clients.
As her journey clearly demonstrates, Catherine’s vision aligns with the industry's trajectory, indicating a promising future for those trained under her guidance in the evolving virtual assistant landscape.
In her vision of the future, InviteMember will still be there to provide a simple, effective, and scalable infrastructure to take her mentoring program as far as she wants to go. Moreover, InviteMember is available for any driven individual wishing to live from their passion, just like Catherine’s program.
The Road Ahead
Catherine Gladwyn's journey, from overcoming personal challenges to becoming a leading UK virtual assistant and mentor, is both inspiring and empowering. Her mentorship program, amplified by tools like Telegram and InviteMember, showcases the transformative power of blending human insight with technological innovation.
This unique synergy has not only fueled Catherine's success but has also enabled numerous women to achieve financial independence and professional growth. Her story, coupled with her innovative program, serves as a guiding light for individuals seeking financial independence through entrepreneurship.
Interested in becoming a successful Virtual Assistant? Explore Catherine’s mentorship program. Looking to turn your passion into financial independence? Discover how InviteMember can help you achieve your goals!