There’s Something in the Air. And it Smells Like … Money.

Let me explain.

I was talking with a virtual assistant colleague of mine the other day, and we were discussing how the recession has impacted entrepreneurs who work virtually. Then she told me her own story which I think is worth sharing.

This VA’s specialty for years had been real estate marketing. Prior to the recession, demand was so robust that she was able to keep both herself and a team of subcontractors busy as bees. Then the mortgage crisis hit and well, the rest is history.

Or is it?

Seems that some entrepreneurs are rewriting a few pages of the doomsday story we’ve all grown accustomed to hearing on the six o’ clock news.

Because this VA specialized in real estate, she witnessed the impacts of economic shifts caused by the sub-prime craze pretty early in the game. Real estate clients started to drop like flies, and the future of her VA practice was looking shaky at best.

However, this VA wasn’t going to take the assault on her livelihood lying down. Instead, she decided to expand her skill set–specifically, in social media–and branched out into other markets.

It was not a comfortable move for this woman by any stretch. After all, she had spent years cultivating a virtual assistance practice highly specialized in all aspects of real estate marketing on the web. Yet the very foundation of her practice was no longer on firm ground; in fact, it was breaking off into large pieces and sinking into quicksand.

Is this VA still running a busy practice today?

You bet she is.

Have the changes required to stay in the black been easy for her?

Absolutely not.

Then again, no one said being an entrepreneur was easy.

The VA I spoke with said she often beats herself up for not anticipating and adjusting for the economic downturn sooner. She admitted to feeling inadequate in her ability to change and grow quickly enough in order to profit optimally from what is happening around her.

Yet, from where I sit, she is an incredible success story. She epitomizes the entrepreneur we must all strive to become. Through good times and bad times.

Indeed, some days you probably wonder how you ever thought you were up for the challenge. Your efforts never quite feel like enough. And you surely didn’t plan for trying to survive the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression. But you’re still here. You’re reading this story. And you’re thinking about how it might apply to your own situation.

That’s what makes you different. Congratulations. You’ve got what it takes to keep on keeping on.

I smell something green in the offing, don’t you?