Today we’d like to introduce you to Cammy Lee.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I live in Houston, Texas with my husband Nathan and four beautiful boys! Good grief, I have so many kids. Ha! Right out of college back in 2004, I started out working as a server at a local sports bar and restaurant. It was some of the longest hours of my life, and I was great at it, so I actually made a pretty good living doing it. My dad, who is a very successful entrepreneur, always told me that everyone should experience serving tables to really understand what “hard work” feels like. Boy, was he ever right! Soon after, I got married and started a family and that is when my professional career started out in the multi-family housing industry.
I thought that serving tables would be the most grueling work I would experience in my life…I was wrong. In 2005, leasing high-end apartments for eight years busted my butt and made me literally a jack-of-all-trades. I had to learn how to do everything from customer service, to sales, to complex administrative work, and even what I would consider hard labor. Yep, you heard me right. You try hauling tubs of crap up three flights of stairs, in a suit and heels, to “stage” an apartment and put candy bars and soda cans in the fridge! With 90-degree temperatures, whipping around on that golf cart all day and showing the property to prospects…I’ve never been in better shape in my life. Good heavens!
In 2011, I moved on to greener pastures when I was recruited by a new start-up social media marketing firm. I spent a lot of time talking with small business owners about the power and value of social media, as well as the importance of online presence in today’s changing market. It was a tough sell back then with the baby boomers representing about 90% of the brick and mortar businesses in my area. Sadly, this little start-up company that I was so excited about didn’t last long. It shut down about two years later, but we all learned a lot about business do’s and dont’s, and I had all kinds of new tools in my toolbox when it came to online marketing.
That was when I tried my hand at direct selling in 2012 and became an independent consultant with a very large MLM selling health and wellness, skin care and cosmetics. I figured it was a temporary gig until I got another “job”, but when it exploded out from under me and launched me to the very top level of the company, I decided to settle into the industry for the long haul.
However, after 6 years of working as a top field leader in the MLM business that I had come to be so successful in, I found myself scrolling through Facebook desperate to find another way to make income FROM HOME. For years, I’ve been building this wildly successful “home-based” MLM business, however it was never “from home.” In fact, it was often away from home. I found myself away in the evenings in particular and weekends too, which left this mom of four boys missing out on some of life’s most beautiful moments. I was no longer willing to sacrifice the precious time that I have with them for ANYTHING, and I knew that I needed to change something drastically and transition back to working strictly from home. So, Wheelhouse VA was born! July 2018 I made a decision to launch my own business working as a Virtual Administrative Consultant for online business owners and entrepreneurs. I was able to bring on clients very quickly, and found myself making a generous income doing things I am good at, that I love to do and more importantly during the day while my kids are at school and my little ones nap. I of course continue to maintain my network marketing business but I do it on my own terms, on my own time and in my own way.
Growing up in an entrepreneurial spirited family, combined with my vast experiences in the professional world, I’ve become who I am today through all that it has taught me. I work hard and I love my family. Integrity, charisma, determination, and joy…those are a few words that describe me well. Maybe a little sassy too, but who doesn’t love a little of that?
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. It requires discipline and commitment EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I totally understand how it’s not for everyone though, and how some people prefer the clock-in and clock-out jobs. I see that some feel perfectly happy in the employee role and are totally content leaving their job each day without any responsibility when they come home at the end of a long day. Just be on time, do the work and go home. Rinse repeat. I get it! But, I did those jobs in my early years, and while they got us by financially speaking, I never felt fulfilled and always felt stressed about money. I always felt like the word JOB stood for “just over broke” and that I was working every day to make someone else’s dreams come true. I was pushing papers but had no real purpose, and I knew that I had more to offer and more abilities than working behind that desk. Like a bird in a cage, I needed to break free! I needed to be able to fly in any direction that I wanted to, soar as high as I could go and as far as my eyes could see. But it doesn’t come easy, and it doesn’t come without stress or worry. Still, it has never stopped me from trying.
In the movie “A League of Their Own”, Tom Hanks says, “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard… is what makes it great.” No truer words have ever been spoken! Now, I carry the burden of my businesses and making them grow and flourish, but the way I feel when they succeed and provide for my family is beyond any stress that comes with it. I feel free, I feel fulfilled, I feel challenged and I feel potential to fly further, higher, faster and longer. The horizon is blurry at times, but it’s beautiful and holds promise for more to come. New adventures, new successes, new failures, new lessons, new challenges and ALL of the rewards that come with those things make it worth it. My life as a business owner allows me to choose… every day… and to me that’s priceless.
We’d love to hear more about Wheelhouse VA.
While I’m quite confident that I could handle most anything thrown at me, there are a few things that I am better at than others, and frankly, I enjoy doing as well! I love working hand-in-hand with businesses owners to streamline their SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING efforts and create traction and engagement that truly draws in a loyal following. Integration and automation is the name of the game these days, which end up saving you time and therefore saving you money! Can’t beat that!
I create LANDING PAGES, custom design work and beautiful websites that search engines will love, and am well versed in Canva, WordPress and basic SEO as well as CSS coding. I create email marketing campaigns and newsletters to tie into your virtual storefront and draw in your customers week after week. I really enjoy any graphic design work that you need to be done to create a cohesive platform that is in alignment with you and your brand!
PINTEREST MARKETING! I could talk your ear off about the power of Pinterest: 1. It’s the 3rd largest search engine. 2. Your ideal client is hanging out there. 3. It drives IMMEDIATE traffic to your online offerings and website. 4. If you are not marketing your business there, then you are missing out BIG TIME.
I love all things CLICKFUNNELS! If your area already elbows deep into Clickfunnels, then CONGRATS! I’d love to come alongside you in your efforts and relieve you of the back end busy work and perhaps take a look at your design to make sure it’s a beautiful and high converting funnel! Cha-ching!
I also will be launching an online course very soon on how to be GREAT at video and using it to maximize your reach online, instantly attract your ideal client and bring in revenue to your business NOW! You probably didn’t know that I was on television for two and a half years with a Fox affiliate, did you? Yep…and I interviewed Brian Austin Green from 90210 back when the show was a HUGE hit…I have footage and I’m sharing it in my course!!! Stay tuned on that…it’s coming SOON!
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
Jenna Kutcher-Goal Digger Podcast
Lauren Golden-The Free Mama Movement
You’re Made For A God Size Dream-Holley Gerth
You Are a Badass®: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life-Jen Sincero
Anything John Maxwell or Zig Ziglar
Jennifer Allwood Podcast
I’m sure there is more but that’s all I can think of at the moment!
Pricing:
- I like to chat over zoom,face-to-face, with potential clients to discuss their specific needs in order to price them fairly and accurately. My hourly rates range from $35 to $75 per hour depending on the task, however often those rates come down when they are tiedinto a monthly retainer. So, it’s always best to have a chat over zoom and discuss the scope of work in detail before landing on a proposal. Appointments can be made for a free 30 minute consultation through my website!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wheelhouseva.com
- Email: cammy@wheelhouseva.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wheelhouseva/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouseva/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wheelhousevacammylee/
Image Credit:
Cammy Lee for all of them, Family shot on the bed is-Brandi Dahlhouse Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
