Working with Chronic Illness: A Virtual Assistant’s Success Story

Working with Chronic Illness Recently, I was lucky enough to connect with an amazing woman named Kathy McCabe. Kathy is an internationally recognized virtual assistant who also happens to suffer from Meniere’s disease, as well as several other chronic illnesses. Her story is remarkable. In the face of tremendous adversity, she has found success as a virtual assistant and has been able to continue to work and provide for her family.  I invited Kathy to share her story with you all today, and to explain a little bit more about what a virtual assistant is, and how you can become one, too.


I’m Kathy and I have Meniere’s Disease. Actually, I have bi-lateral Meniere’s disease, Migraine with Aura and chronic pain. But up until almost 3 years ago, I was normal. (Or at least I tried to be normal). Then, one day, out of nowhere, I had vertigo for the first time as I was walking across the room. My Tinnitus, which I’ve had in both ears for many years (and has also caused hearing loss), now roars during attacks, which can happen at any time, with little or no warning. I went to my walk-in clinic and they sent me to the hospital where doctors weren’t sure what was wrong or if I was having a stroke, so they admitted me for observation. I left thirty hours later still dizzy and on my way to a neurologist. He was the first doctor to mention Meniere’s disease to me, although he said he was sure I didn’t have it since both my ears were affected, but he was at least open to the possibility. He sent me to other doctors for more tests and opinions. It took nearly a year and a long line of doctors before I finally got a diagnosis from Dr. John Carey at the John Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He is an amazing doctor, and really listened! Read more…]]>

Virtual Assistants vs virtual assistants

  • Virtual Asistants vs virtual assistantsVirtual Assistants vs virtual assistants (Photo by Kathy McCabe)

    If you’re an entrepreneur, chances are you’ve heard of virtual assistants. If you’re into technology with the latest and greatest phones and tablets, chances are, you’ve heard of a virtual assistant. Are they the same thing?  Not n a million years. A Virtual Assistant is a human being. A virtual assistant is a bot – a thing created using tons of coding. Virtual Assistants are entrepreneurs working with clients. While virtual assistants are basically speech recognition apps that can recognize some basic commands. I mean seriously, you will NOT be able to ask a virtual assistant to log on to your computer and try to show your client how to do whatever it is they are trying to do. I know this because I asked Cortana and Siri and they couldn’t. The term virtual assistant being used for a bot causes confusion with our potential clients. We, Virtual Assistants, have been around for a long time – well before the term virtual assistants began being applied to bots. For those who aren’t sure, list below are examples of how Virtual Assistants can assist clients:
  • 10 Qualities You Need to Keep Your Virtual Assistant Clients Happy – Entrepreneur
    Entrepreneur10 Qualities You Need to Keep Your Virtual Assistant Clients Happy Entrepreneur Holding on to the clients of your virtual assistant business requires loyalty, and that means you’ll need to demonstrate other skills besides expertise and knowledge. It’s time to review the traits outside your specific marketable skills that will …
  • How to Make the Most of a Virtual Assistant – WealthManagement.com
    WealthManagement.comHow to Make the Most of a Virtual AssistantWealthManagement.com Higgins is one of a growing number of advisors using virtual assistants for administrative work ranging from sending birthday cards to filling out client paperwork. They’re doing so partly thanks to cloud-based systems and other technology that make …Virtual Assistant – Why do you need one for your business?The IndependentWhy Virtual Assistants Are CoolTheSequitur.comall 3 news articles »
  • And if you’re in ay doubt as to what a virtual assistant – bot – is you can read te below for more information including future projections of these apps:
  • Why a virtual assistant needs a back story – The Australian Financial Review
    The Australian Financial ReviewWhy a virtual assistant needs a back storyThe Australian Financial ReviewUntil recently, Robyn Ewing was a writer in Hollywood, developing TV scripts and pitching pilots to film studios. Now, she is applying her creative talents toward building the personality of a different type of character – a virtual assistant, animated …and more »
  • And finally, remember, virtual assistants will NEVER replace Virtual Assistants.   Kathy McCabe, MVA Master Virtual Assistant, VA Certified Ethics Checked VA Hilltop Secretarial Service Part of The Hilltop Group, LLC 877-897-1859 Office   888-364-8949 fax kathy@thebestva.com  www.thebestva.com Geography is no boundary!  Complete Virtual Office Assistance – we’re what you need!  Thomas Leonard International Virtual Assistant of Distinction Award 2013
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