How Erin Booth built a multi-program VA training business on Teachable

Erin Booth has been teaching virtual assistants how to build profitable businesses since before most people knew what a VA was.

She launched her own VA business in 2012, back when there were no standards, no established training programs, no roadmaps. 

Erin figured it out through trial and error, building her business entirely through LinkedIn connections without even having a website for the first six years.

By 2018, aspiring VAs kept asking her the same questions: 

• How do you find clients? 
• What should you charge? 
• What services should you offer? 

Erin started making YouTube videos to answer them. The response was overwhelming.

Today, Erin runs a multi-program education business on Teachable with courses ranging from her free VA Launchpad to her premium VA Business Blueprint and Skills programs. 

Her students log in almost daily, post wins in her community, and keep asking about her next programs before she has finished building them.

"You should never have anyone dictating the prices you charge for your content. With Teachable, you get full control. You can talk to your students, match their learning styles, and build real relationships instead of going through third parties." –Erin Booth, Virtual Assistant Coach

Erin's Teachable journey at a glance

The turning point

Erin's path to course creation started with exhaustion.

After six years working grueling schedules in the New Orleans film industry, she was burned out. The creativity and problem-solving were rewarding, but the demanding hours were unsustainable. She thought her answer was an in-person concierge business for busy film professionals who did not have time to run errands.

The market research looked promising. Everyone said yes, they would use this service. When launch day came? Almost no one actually wanted to pay.

Then a producer she had been helping said something that changed everything: "You would make so much more money if you did this virtually."

That was the light bulb moment. Virtual work meant no cap on hours, no geographic restrictions, and the ability to scale beyond what one person could physically accomplish in a day.

For years, Erin built her VA business quietly through LinkedIn. When she started getting constant questions from aspiring VAs in 2018, she launched YouTube videos to answer them. The teaching side took off.

"I do not like to gatekeep any information. I do not believe that you should only have helpful information if you pay for my courses. The info on YouTube has really grown into its own. And then my flagship program is for the people who want to learn how to run their businesses in order from start to finish." –Erin Booth, Virtual Assistant Coach

Erin initially explored platforms like Udemy. The reach was appealing, but the tradeoffs were not. Limited control over pricing. No direct student relationships. Revenue sharing that cut into her earnings. The platform stood between her and the people she was trying to help.

Once Erin started researching, the decision was obvious. Teachable offered:

• Complete pricing autonomy
• Direct student relationships
• The ability to offer lifetime access with continuous updates
• A single place to handle payments, taxes, and enrollments

Erin's strategies for building a thriving VA education business

same way she teaches VAs to build theirs: solid foundations, genuine relationships, and consistent value.

Strategy 1: Build community before courses

Erin spent years building trust on YouTube and LinkedIn before launching premium programs. Her free content establishes credibility with people who may not be ready to commit financially. Some cannot afford a full program. Others are not ready. Either way, she wants them starting their businesses with correct information.

This approach creates a natural funnel. Students who have spent months learning from Erin's free videos already trust her teaching style. When they are ready to go deeper, the paid courses are not a hard sell. They are the logical next step.

Take action: Calculate how much free value you genuinely provide to potential students. If your free content is not good enough to build real trust, your paid courses will always feel like a harder sell than they need to be.

Strategy 2: Track student progress and intervene when needed

Most course creators launch a product and hope students complete it. Erin takes a different approach. She monitors her student progress dashboards regularly, watching for engagement patterns that signal someone might be falling behind.

When a student has not logged in for seven to ten days, they get a personalized check-in. When students hit major milestones, they get celebration emails. The result: students who log in "almost daily" and actively post wins in her community.

"Most importantly, people are launching their businesses and they are landing clients." –Erin Booth, Virtual Assistant Coach

‍Take action: Set a recurring calendar reminder to check your student progress dashboard weekly. Create an email template for re-engagement that feels personal, not automated.

Strategy 3: Offer lifetime access with continuous updates

Instead of selling courses as one-time transactions, Erin gives students lifetime access. When she updates content, and she does regularly, students automatically get the new material. Her 2025 VA Business Blueprint relaunch gave existing students access to completely refreshed content at no extra cost.

This model builds fierce loyalty. Students who took her course years ago on other platforms do not have access to her latest updates. Teachable students get the benefit of her evolving expertise forever, especially critical as AI transforms the VA industry.

Take action: Schedule a content audit every six to twelve months. Ask your students what is working, what is outdated, and what they wish you had covered. Use their feedback to guide your updates.

Strategy 4: Build a multi-program ecosystem

Erin does not have one course. She has built a full curriculum ecosystem where students can grow with her business rather than completing one program and leaving.

Her program ladder includes the VA Launchpad ($9.99) for getting started, the VA Business Blueprint ($297) for complete business foundation, Premium VA Skills ($397) for advanced hard and soft skills training, and a bundle option ($544) for students who want everything. Students who complete her foundation program are already asking about the additional programs she is developing.

Take action: Map out your "what's next" for students who complete your core program. Even if you have not built it yet, knowing what is coming next helps you plant seeds throughout your current content.

Strategy 5: Stay in the game you teach

Unlike many coaches who leave their original profession behind, Erin maintains two active VA clients. This keeps her grounded in the reality her students face, especially as AI transforms the industry.

"I maintain two VA clients to stay updated on industry changes." –Erin Booth, Virtual Assistant Coach

Her students are not learning from someone who used to be a VA five years ago. They are learning from someone billing clients right now, navigating the same challenges they will face, and integrating AI as a tool rather than viewing it as a threat.

Take action: Do not completely abandon your practitioner work as you build your education business. The credibility and current knowledge are invaluable teaching assets.

Expert corner: How Erin thinks about VA education

Erin's teaching philosophy centers on something she calls "foundation first." Before students worry about advanced skills or the latest AI tools, they need rock-solid systems, boundaries, and confidence.

Since 2012, she has been helping people swap "Someday I will start" for "Wow, this is my business." Her students are not just learning how to be VAs. They are learning how to escape jobs they hate, work from anywhere, choose their own clients, and build businesses that do not require physical offices or grueling schedules.

The ripple effect extends beyond individual students. Erin is helping professionalize the virtual assistant industry itself. By creating standardized training in a field that had none, she is setting benchmarks for what excellent VA work looks like. Her students work with clients across coaching, e-commerce, real estate, healthcare, and dozens of other industries.

Looking ahead

Erin is simultaneously developing new programs while students are "already asking about those next programs." Building for confirmed demand rather than guessing what might work.

Her vision: creating the definitive VA training institution. Students start with foundational skills, build their business infrastructure, level up with premium skills, specialize in high-demand niches, and stay current through ongoing access to updated content.

As Erin scales, Teachable's infrastructure becomes even more critical. The platform handles payments, taxes, and enrollments across international students, logistics that would be what she calls "a nightmare" otherwise. She can focus on teaching and curriculum development while Teachable manages the operational complexity of a growing education business.

"It automatically takes care of payments, taxes, and enrollments, freeing me from administrative tasks so I can fully focus on the creative side of my job." –Erin Booth, Virtual Assistant Coach

What to do next

Explore Erin's programs: Visit Erin’s website or Teachable school to see how Erin structures her VA training. Start with the VA Launchpad for basics, dive deeper with the VA Business Blueprint, or master advanced skills with Premium VA Skills.

Connect with Erin: YouTube | LinkedIn | Udemy

Try Teachable yourself: Ready to build your own education business with the same control, community features, and growth tools Erin uses? Start your free Teachable trial and launch your first course in minutes.