How I Built My Biz: A Bucketlist Bombshells Review
Alright, everyone, drum roll, please!
I finally took the plunge. Yes, I left my 9-5, and Broken Glass Media is now my full-time gig!
This was a long time coming. When I first learned that entrepreneurship was a possibility for me in 2018, I knew this was the path I wanted to take.
Over the last three years, I built the business from a blog and podcast to part-time podcast management and virtual assistant company. It took a lot of time, online courses, and money, but I'm finally here.
In celebration of my recent leap from corporate life to a full-time business owner, I want to share one of my favorite programs that got me to where I am today: the Bucketlist Bombshells.
Quick disclaimer: the Bucketlist Bombshells are paying me to write this, however, all opinions are completely my own. I only review things I absolutely love and would recommend anyway!
Why I Enrolled with the Bucketlist Bombshells
In 2018, I knew that I wanted to own a business, but I didn't know what I could offer. Then, I heard Cassie and Shay speak to my business mentor on the She Did It Her Way podcast (episode 219) and was immediately intrigued by their business. It was the first time I'd heard anything about working while traveling the world. As an avid traveler, it hooked me from the start.
Of course, I signed up for the newsletter and any opt-in I could find. I joined the Bucketlist Bombshells Facebook community, watched the 3 Steps to Build A Wildly Successful Service-Based Online Business Free Masterclass, and dreamed about the day I could work and travel remote.
By mid-2019, I finally decided on my service offering: virtual assistance. With experience as a customer service representative, records assistant, and bank teller, I knew I had the aptitude for virtual assistance.
I enrolled in another virtual assistance course but quickly realized it only taught me how to set up a virtual assistance business, not the skills I needed to be a VA. Then, as if I manifested it, another newsletter came through from Bucketlist Bombshells, followed quickly by a Facebook ad.
This is it, I thought. These courses will teach me what I need to know to become a VA.
So at the end of 2019, I bit the bullet and purchased The Tech Skills Course.
The Tech Skills Course
Most of my career to this point was in customer service of some kind. I was always learning new systems, providing technical support to customers, and researching on the spot. Virtual assistance seemed like the perfect fit for me, but I realized I knew little about the platforms mentioned as I read through VA job descriptions. Moreover, a lack of knowledge about platforms meant I struggled to decide on the exact services I wanted to offer.
The Tech Skills Course immediately calmed those fears and frustrations. Shay hits on all the main tasks a VA might encounter with a client, and she provides examples using popular online platforms. It's not just about using particular platforms because new ones pop-up every day, but understanding the root of what those platforms can do for your client.
For example, Shay teaches the ins-and-outs of email marketing: why a client needs email marketing, understanding analytics, and the different campaigns. She then provides tutorials on using Mailchimp and Convertkit for email providers. A client may use Flodesk or Mailerlite, but because you learned why a client needs a campaign and what to include, you can transfer your knowledge and skills to any email marketing platform.
The Tech Skills Course set me up for success in my VA business as I learned how to:
Be a social media manager
Build a website
Create email campaigns
Create landing and sales pages
Set up and schedule webinars
Integrate a calendar booking system
One of The Tech Skills Course's best parts, though, is that you don't just watch Shay do all the work - you can do mock client projects to gain experience and build your portfolio.
Enrolling in this course set me on the path to building my virtual services business, and it's a massive part of the reason my business is now full-time.
Work Online and Travel the World
As I worked my way through The Tech Skills Course, I began to see what was possible for my life. I started dreaming about the possibilities:
Traveling to new countries without worrying about PTO.
Doing work I was passionate about.
Bringing in clients I loved.
Now that I knew I could do this, I needed to know how to do it. The only logical next step was to purchase The Work Online and Travel the World Course.
Acquiring skills is one thing, but to become a successful solopreneur, you need to understand how to set up your business. Work Online and Travel the World helps you build a solid business that you can run from anywhere in the world. It's a combination of learning how to work online and learning how to travel while doing so.
Though I learned about setting up a business from other course business coaches, Cassie and Shay dive deep into the tools that can help you set up your business. Business theory is one thing, but taking action is another, and this course walks you step by step through all the action steps, including:
Defining your online skills
Finding clients
Building a website
Setting rates
Creating proposals
Tracking time
Getting organized and streamlining
Developing onboarding processes
Working online and traveling the world
In this course, you also receive worksheets and swipe copy to build up your email template library. These templates are invaluable to a newbie freelancer or business owner.
The Work Online and Travel the World Course empowered me to build out my virtual services business. Within a few weeks of completing the modules, I found myself using the tools and swipe copy to onboard my first virtual assistant client.
How the Bucketlist Bombshells Impacted My Business
Only two months after enrolling in The Tech Skills Course and one month after enrolling in The Work Online and Travel the World Course, I signed my first virtual assistant client.
Since then, I subcontracted for a virtual services company, utilizing nearly every skill learned in The Tech Skills Course, and narrowed my niche down to podcast management. While podcasting is not a module in the course, as a podcast manager and launch consultant, I still use each skill I learned, including
Managing social media calendars and posts for podcast releases
Writing email marketing campaigns to notify subscribers of the podcast launch and episode releases
Updating websites on multiple different platforms to include posts about each episode
Creating landing and sales pages for the podcast, opt-ins related to the podcast, and other products or services the client mentions on their podcast
Implementing online booking calendars for guest management
The Bucketlist Bombshell courses taught me the ins and outs of the virtual services industry, and I can transfer those skills and knowledge of online platforms to any platform or task that comes my way.
Unfortunately, I can't use the travel portion of The Work Online and Travel the World Course quite yet (thanks, COVID!), but when it is safe to travel again, you better bet I'll be reviewing those modules!
My Honest Opinion
Starting a business isn't easy. You have to devote time to learning, developing skills, and building out your business. Even then, people are still skeptical about the financial implications of starting an online business.
Through The Bucketlist Bombshells Academy, Cassie and Shay break down many of the barriers and teach you how to build a business that gives you the freedom you desire.
I have yet to find a course that teaches you the skills you need to succeed online and how to build your business at the same time.
When anyone asks me how I learned the skills I needed to become a successful virtual assistant and podcast manager, I immediately point them toward the Bucketlist Bombshells and their incredible courses.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Bucketlist Bombshells. This business wouldn't be here today without you!
Resources for Future Bucketlst Bombshell Students:
Student Success Stories and Features: https://bucketlistbombshells.com/success-stories/
3 Steps to Build A Wildly Successful Service-Based Online Business Free Masterclass: https://bucketlistbombshells.com/masterclass
3 Steps to Learn the Skills You Need to Make An Income Online Free Workshop: https://bucketlistbombshells.com/workshop