Six Years, Over 100,000 Hours, and the Power of Building Something Real
Today marks six years since I officially launched Alpine Virtual, and I'm sitting here in my Denver office reflecting on how wildly different this journey has been from anything I could have imagined…in the best way. Six years ago, I had no idea that a side project would turn into a team of 35 incredible people who've collectively saved businesses over 100,000 hours. I had no clue that getting laid off during a pandemic would become the catalyst for the most fulfilling chapter of my career. And I definitely didn't know that building a business would teach me more about resilience, leadership, and the power of connection than any MBA program ever could. I thought I was just doing something I was passionate about, something that the world needed more of.
But here we are. And if you're reading this as an entrepreneur wondering if you're crazy for chasing your own vision, let me tell you what I've learned from six years of building something from scratch.
When Life Forced My Hand
Alpine Virtual officially launched in 2019, but it was really born out of necessity in 2020. I had been a VA for a decade and finally had the guts to try to branch out and do it on my own. I was working part-time at my “safe” job while building the business slowly on the side, thinking I had all the time in the world to figure it out. Then COVID hit. My part-time job disappeared overnight, and exactly six days later, I welcomed my second son into the world.
I was in a hospital bed, holding my newborn baby, refreshing my email obsessively because I knew that this business, this thing I'd been treating as a side project, was now my family's lifeline. That was my motivation.
I remember thinking, "I have two kids, no real job, and a business that's barely off the ground. This is either going to work, or I'm not sure what I’m going to do."
As you can tell by now, it did work. But not in the way I expected.
The Reality of Building Something Real
Here's what nobody tells you about growing a service business: it's not just about having a good idea or even great execution. It's about building something that can work without you being the center of every decision, every client interaction, every problem that needs solving.
In those early days, I was everything. I was the sales team, marketing specialist, bookkeeper, account manager, onboarding specialist, quality control department, the VA (sometimes), HR, and the customer service rep. I was working 60+ hour weeks (while having kids stuck at home due to the pandemic) and calling it "building my dream." But really, I was just building myself a very expensive, very stressful job.
The turning point came when I realized I couldn't scale me. I needed to scale systems, processes, and most importantly, I needed to find people who were better at certain things than I was.
The Team That Changed Everything
What I’m super passionate about that just doesn’t get enough attention in business stories is the people who make it all possible. Building Alpine Virtual taught me that hiring isn't just about finding people who can do the work, it's about finding people who care about the work. Our core team didn't just join a company; they helped build it. They saw the vision when it was still messy and incomplete, and they contributed their own expertise to make it better than anything I could have created alone.
Lisa, who manages our client relationships, has a gift for understanding what people need before they even know they need it. Amanda, who oversees our VA team, has helped VAs grow in their skills and have true job satisfaction. And our team of 35 VAs? They're not just skilled professionals, they're problem-solvers who genuinely care about helping our clients succeed.
Here's what I learned about building a team:
Hire for attitude just as much as skill. Caring about quality and client success can't be taught. Neither can technical abilities. You need one just as much as the other.
Give people ownership. The best team members are the ones who feel like they're building something, not just completing tasks. They need ownership, buy-in, and a “why”.
Create systems that support people, not the other way around. If your processes are making good people fail, fix the processes.
Celebrate wins together. When a client succeeds, that's a team win. When we hit a milestone, everyone contributed to it.
The Numbers That Matter (And the Ones That Don't)
One hundred thousand hours. That's how much time we've saved businesses over the past six years. But honestly, that number is just a byproduct of something more important: we've helped people reclaim their time for what matters most to them. I think about the real estate agent who finally took her first vacation in five years because her VA was handling her follow-up sequences. The startup founder who could focus on product development instead of managing his calendar. The coach who scaled her business from six figures to seven figures because she had support handling the administrative work she used to do herself. Those stories matter more than any revenue number or growth metric. They remind me why we do this work in the first place.
What I Wish I'd Known Six Years Ago
If I could go back and tell my 2019 self something, here's what I'd say:
Trust the process, even when it feels slow. I spent so much time in the early days worried that we weren't growing fast enough (or the right way). But sustainable growth takes time. The clients who found us in year two are still with us today because we had time to build the right foundation.
Your first idea won't be your final idea. Alpine Virtual looks nothing like what I originally envisioned. We've evolved based on what our clients actually needed, not what I thought they needed. It’s way better because of that. Stay flexible.
Systems aren't flashy, but they're everything. The boring work of documenting processes and creating quality standards is what allows you to scale without losing your mind. Invest in systems early.
You don't have to choose between growth and values. Some of our best decisions have been turning down clients who weren't a good fit. Building the right business is more important than building the biggest business.
Your team will surprise you. Give people room to contribute their own ideas and expertise. Some of our best innovations have come from team members who saw a better way to do something. In fact, that is how we got our VA Success Coach. She came to me with her ideas and expertise, and she has made Alpine better because of it.
The Advice I'd Give to Anyone Building Something
Whether you're starting a business, scaling one, or just trying to figure out what's next, here's what six years of entrepreneurship has taught me:
Start before you're ready. I wasn't ready when I launched Alpine Virtual. I definitely wasn't ready when COVID forced me to go all-in. Sometimes, I still don’t think I’m ready. But readiness is overrated. You learn by doing, not by planning.
Build for sustainability, not just growth. It's tempting to say yes to everything in the early days. But sustainable businesses are built on sustainable practices. Take care of your team, your clients, and yourself.
Document everything. Your future self will thank you when you have clear processes and SOPs instead of having to reinvent the wheel every time you face a familiar challenge.
Celebrate the small wins. Landing your first client, getting your first great review, hitting your first revenue milestone…these moments matter. Don't wait for the "big" success to acknowledge your progress. Celebrate often and with your team.
Remember why you started. There will be lots of hard days, difficult clients, and moments when you question everything. Come back to your why. For me, it's always been about helping people build businesses that support their lives, not consume them, while also providing my team with their dream job. Never quit on a bad day. Take a step away, remember why you started, and start fresh.
Hire a Virtual Assistant before you know you need one. I’m not saying this because I run a virtual assistant agency. I’m saying this because hiring a virtual assistant for myself changed my life (literally, ask my husband). Having a VA made my business better, made me a better mom/wife/friend, and genuinely made me happier. It’s not just about time saved (though that is huge) or ability to do my job better (again, huge)…it’s also about mental space, not being alone in my business, and having the ability to focus on what I do best.
Looking Forward
Six years in, I'm more excited about Alpine Virtual than I was on day one. We're not just a team of VAs; we're a group of people who genuinely believe in helping entrepreneurs build sustainable, successful businesses. We've got plans for year seven that I can't wait to share. New services that our clients have been asking for. Systems that will help us serve even more businesses. And most importantly, opportunities to help our team members grow in their own careers.
But for now, I'm just grateful. Grateful for the clients who trusted us when we were still figuring it out. Grateful for the team members who've poured their expertise into building something special. And grateful for the journey that taught me more about business, leadership, and life than I ever expected.
To anyone reading this who's building something of their own: you're not crazy. It's hard, it's uncertain, and there will be days (many of them) when you question everything. But if you're solving a real problem for real people, and you're willing to keep learning and adapting, you're on the right path. The world needs more businesses built by people who care about doing good work. Keep building.
I’m beyond grateful for six years of Alpine Virtual, and to everyone who's been part of the journey. The best is yet to come.
