Web URL: https://jaimeleemann.com/
In Business Since: 2006
Type of Business: Contents Strategists
Works: 100% virtually
Ruth: Welcome to the blog, Jaime Lee. I’m excited to share Jaime Lee Mann with the readers. Tell us about your business.
Jaime Lee: We make people sound better by developing and editing content of all kinds; from email messages to manuscripts.
Ruth: How did you get started in this line of work?
Jaime Lee: I worked in administrative roles for a few years before my husband and I were expecting our first child. When I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to be the person to raise my child, rather than a daycare worker. I invested in Tawnya Sutherland’s “Virtual Assistant Start Up System” as I believe it was called at the time, and I started a VA business called Mann Made Time. Within a couple of years, I found myself being asked for more and more writing projects and those were the kinds I loved most. I transitioned from a VA into a copywriter, working virtually, with the launch of Mann Made Copy.
Ruth: I’ve known you for many years, meeting at VAnetworking and know firsthand you do fabulous work with your copywriting. Along the way have you had a mentor or sponsor to support, guide, encourage and open doors for you?
Jaime Lee: I did much online networking as a VA. I received business coaching from Dale Noles early on in my career that really helped. When trying to figure out how to transition into a career as a copywriter, I took life coaching from Kristen Beiris. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Ruth: For our readers who would love to begin a virtual career such as yours, what advice would you give?
Jaime Lee: I would stress that it’s okay to stay small. At one point, in 2007 Mann Made Time was a multi-VA team with 18 or so team members. That was great but I was completely stressed out and I was much happier as a one Mann band, if you will 🙂 It’s nice now to have a partner to bounce things off of and a couple of trusted subcontractors, but I would highly recommend staying small! Another very key piece of advice would be to not offer services you think will sell if you can’t perform them extremely well. If you think web design would get lots of clients, don’t just offer it and decide you’ll learn it as you go! Only do what you do well. Don’t pretend you can do something to make the sale if you can’t. Network, make friends in the industry and create a referral network. You’ll look like a superstar for sending someone in the right direction and when they do need the service you offer, they will come back. I guess that was more than one nugget.
Ruth: Very insightful nuggets and there’s no penalty for giving more than one. LOL, who could choose only one anyway? I like what you’ve said about staying small. I’ve done large before owning my current business and prefer being a compact business, too. Any last thoughts or comments you’d like to share with our readers?
Jaime Lee: Support from a spouse (if you have one) is really key in this. I never would have gotten anywhere in this career if it weren’t for my husband being behind me. If you’re doing this while raising small children, as I did/am doing, you will have a very challenging path. You’ll be stealing away into the bathroom for phone calls, you’ll have to manage your time extremely well and you’ll have to know your own limitations. If you can be honest with yourself about what you can do, and if you have the support of your family, I believe you can do anything.
Ruth: Thanks so much for chatting with me, Jaime Lee.
If the thought of writing makes you cringe then follow up with Jaime Lee. You’ll be in good hands.