Bringing structure to people with ADHD
The virtual assistant was founded in 2022 by Josie Peterson and specializes in providing virtual assistance to individuals with ADHD, allowing her clients to better manage their time and improve their work-life balance. Discover her personal story as an ADHDer and how she elevates it to professional success.
Why did you choose to become a business owner?
I was an administrative professional for over 25 years and felt it was time to take that expertise online in my own business and work for myself. I lacked a purpose in working for others and being diagnosed at 50 with ADHD led me to make that the focus of the business. For many years I was frustrated and struggled with guilt but from these experiences my dream was born, to provide the support to other ADHDers that I wished I’d had while struggling to function with my ADHD.
Can you share how it feels to be with ADHD in a work environment?
An ADHDer can have a lot of creative ideas and aims to be more organized but in reality, it’s hard to complete tasks, prioritize, and find the right words to get to the point. It can harm business goals, reputation, and work-life balance.
How did you start your business?
Working with a coach, I built my business from the ground up with as solid a foundation as possible. I had all my systems in place before opening our doors to business.
Today we give solutions to individuals and entrepreneurs with ADHD with different daily important tasks a business owner has to know like bill paying, time management, tasks management, staying in touch with clients, maintaining social media channels, maintaining a good impression, and much more. We’ve gone from a single Virtual Assistant (VA) to a team of nine VAs over the past year.
What do you wish you’d known before you started your business?
I was so wrapped up in all the success stories that it felt like a failure when it didn’t immediately fill up with clients. It takes time, continual effort, and patience to build a business.
“It takes time, continual effort, and patience to build a business.”
Can you name two things that helped you in the beginning?
1. You don’t have to do it alone. Coaches, other business owners, a VA – just some type of support goes a long way.
2. Having a solid CRM system in place was crucial to our success. It automated things from the first contact on the website to onboarding them as clients. Automation is vital.
“Automation is vital.”
What advice would you give to your past self before opening your own business?
Be patient, be consistent, and show your worth by contributing to helping others.
Josie Peterson, founder of The Ambitious Assistance, located in Rowlett, Texas.
Cover photo credit: Nivea Hanson Portraits
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