Meet Melissa St. Clair | Entrepreneur & Poet

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa St. Clair and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my own business was one of necessity. I wanted to thrive professionally alongside my active duty military servicemember and have career stability. Frequent moves were not conducive to holding a traditional 9 to 5 office job without job seeking every time. Keep in mind this was the early 2000’s. While working at the local Chamber of Commerce, I learned about the Virtual Assistant (VA) industry and was inspired by the small business owners I was interacting with every day, so I made the leap to entrepreneurship!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
At the time of my business startup, the Virtual Assistant (VA) industry was just bubbling to the surface, becoming an option with the technological advances at the time. I seized the opportunity given the prospect of:

1. Becoming self-employed.
2. Helping others by continuing to do the work I love on my own terms.

I resigned from my position at the chamber and exchanged my staff position for membership!

My first client was an agency I was already collaborating with who trusted me and took a bold move to utilize a Virtual Assistant (VA) in an executive services capacity. It was an obvious win/win. So often, timing is everything.

Early on the challenge was educating prospective clients on how to work with a remote team member using the available technology. Since remote work is now commonplace, we can skip the “how does it work” and speak directly to how a Virtual Assistant can help with direct services to grow a client’s small business.

To realize some form of semblance during each household move, I continued to conduct contract work throughout. A big lesson learned along the way was to not onboard a new client during those times. While the onboarding was seamless for the new client, the process was stressful during an already chaotic time. It wasn’t a fair decision and certainly was not being kind to myself.

Melissa in Greek language means honeybee, so I use a bee in my branding to symbolize teamwork and responsibility, productivity, and tenacity. The bee also symbolizes a strong work ethic and your willingness to serve others, values I strive to embody.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Upstate area of South Carolina offers a variety of recreational activities. We’d spend time in downtown Greenville, walking the Swamp Rabbit Trail with a photo op on the Liberty Bridge overlooking the Reedy River waterfall. Yes, there’s a waterfall in the middle of our downtown. While walking Main Street, a stop at my favorite local bookstore, M. Judson Booksellers is a must-do especially if it’s an open mic night where I would have the opportunity to read my poetry! The Peace Center Concert Hall anchors downtown with performing arts so perhaps tickets to a show. All that activity would be followed by a great meal at one of many restaurants. The area is prime for hiking to see even more waterfalls in the area. A day trip is possible to other fun towns like Asheville or Charlotte, NC, or Atlanta, GA with the proximity of an hour or two drive.

The best part really would be porch sitting at my home catching up in lively conversation!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This is a tough question as there have been so many incredible influencers along my path.

In 2016, I did a series of “throwback thank you” for several people instrumental in the establishment of my business. I had the pleasure of highlighting my Great Aunt Florence M. Ford in 2016. (She passed away at age 99.4 years in 2018!).

Talk about early influencers – as a little girl I used to play receptionist at her beauty shop ‘answering the phone and making appointments!’ She owned and operated Florence’s Beauty Shop out of her home from 1960-1983, retiring at age 65. She knew she wanted to be her own boss and she wanted to work from home. She attended Beauty School in York, PA driving over an hour each way while a mother of a young child. She obtained her cosmetology license and operator’s license. The best part was “fixing hair and making people look nice.” The worst part, she hesitated and had to reach deep for any negatives and settled on inhaling fumes and being on her feet for long periods of time but quickly followed that by describing being tired, as a “good tired.” Other beauticians inquired about working for her, but she declined, not wanting anyone else to help her or work for her. (#solopreneur). In addition to working full-time, Aunt Florence was always active. She and my Uncle Owen tended to a small farm, a one-acre garden, and an expansive yard. I asked her what advice she would give a new business owner. Without pause, she said, “Be fair to everybody, be honest. Have a positive outlook on life.”

Website: https://paperchaserbiz.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitegirladvocacy/

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/melissastclair

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/paperchaserbiz

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PaperchaserbizVABiz/videos

Other: White Girl Advocacy (social justice advocacy and poetry platform) Website: https://whitegirladvocacy.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitegirladvocacy