Melissa Loman Thurston, founder of Red Pen Virtual Assistants (Photo by Jay Paul)
Looking beyond the many elements involved in creating and presenting lessons to students, school teachers are using soft skills every day: problem-solving, organization, communication and project management. Right now, a teacher is contacting a community organization to plan a field trip for her fifth grade class. Another is creating a classroom website to share news from his freshman history class. All over the world, teachers are using their time and talents to make their classrooms run smoothly.
Aiming to tap those ample resources, Melissa Loman Thurston founded Richmond-based Red Pen Virtual Assistants, a company that connects busy professionals with current and retired teachers ready to use their classroom skills in the business world. After starting her career as a graphic designer in Nashville, Tennessee, and spending seven years as a stay-at-home mom after moving to Virginia, Thurston taught in Hanover County for 18 years, where she prided herself on being a lifelong learner, continually building her skills to benefit her students.
Along the way, life happened, forcing Thurston to adjust her plans to ensure that her two children would be able to attend college. Thinking strategically about ways to bring in more income while maintaining her full-time job — and remembering the freedom and flexibility of remote freelancing from her own college days — she discovered the world of virtual assistants. These remote workers help businesses with administrative tasks such as email and calendar management, data entry, and social media creation. With her background in graphic design and the organization, communication and time management skills she developed as an educator, Thurston found that the role fit her perfectly.
The more she worked remotely for companies, the more she saw the need for individuals qualified to do that work. “If there was that much of a need around the world, maybe there was also a need in the Richmond area,” Thurston says.
She decided to share her idea with fellow teachers, and in May 2022 she posted about it on her personal Facebook page. “I let people know that I was starting a business and asked if any of my teacher friends were interested in learning more about becoming a VA.” Thurston received over 150 comments on that post. Within three months, 15 former or retired educators had committed to becoming assistants and Thurston had signed her first two clients.
For a year, she worked diligently to learn the ins and outs of operating a business. A special mentor helped her establish a strong foundation. “My father was in sales throughout his career. He decided to take the leap and start his own business. I saw how hard he worked to grow his business. I admire him for how well he took care of his employees, as though they were family. He has been a huge supporter of me in my new venture,” Thurston says.
Over time, she has learned how to network with others, sharing the benefits of Red Pen and promoting the business on and off social media. She joined the Hanover and Chesterfield chambers of commerce and attends mixers to make connections with potential clients. “Leigh Davis Rooke is one of my virtual assistants who has a strong business sense. She attends these networking events with me so that we can share Red Pen with more people,” Thurston says, adding, “The world of business, from marketing to sending out invoices … all of it is new to me. I am still learning, but up for every challenge.”
This past June, Thurston decided it was time to leap into entrepreneurship full time. She put down her lesson plans and red pen and picked up business cards and her laptop, determined to make a difference.
“I have a Red Pen executive assistant in both of my companies,” says Jerry Howard, a client of Thurston’s and owner of Jerry Howard International and Solar Film in Chesterfield. “Melissa and her unique service provide an exceptional experience. She thoroughly vets each team member and will continue to provide candidates for review until you are 100% excited about your new team member.”
Not only is Red Pen providing top-tier service for its clients, it also has a positive impact on the lives of its virtual assistant contractors. Jessica Nowak, a former educator who lives in Lynchburg, says working on the Red Pen team gives her the opportunity to stay home with her kids while still contributing financially to her household. “It has also shown me that the skills we use in teaching apply to many other jobs,” she adds.
“We are the first company in the Richmond area that provides businesses virtual assistants who are all teachers,” Thurston says. Teachers are looking for more income and flexibility. Business owners are looking for ways to outsource their to-do lists. Red Pen Virtual Assistants provides the solution for both.
What’s next for the company? “I would love to be able to expand beyond Richmond,” Thurston says. “Our world is electronic now, which allows us to do meetings online. Also, I would love to provide training for virtual assistants so that we can provide more specializations.”
If only the diverse capabilities of teachers were more widely known. There’s so much being thrown their way, and yet they manage to accomplish it all, one task at a time. Red Pen allows Thurston to showcase the skills of these teachers, one job at a time.
Never miss a Sunday Story: Sign up for the newsletter, and we’ll drop a fresh read into your inbox at the start of each week. To keep up with the latest posts, search for the hashtag #SundayStory on Facebook and Instagram.
