Living the Rich Auntie Life with Operations Genius, Shayla Burtin

At BHD, we believe in building our dream lives. So what does your dream life look like? Are you currently living in it or still working on it?

My dream involves me waking up each day without an alarm clock, working only 3 days a week. I want to be the rich auntie who is always traveling and loves spoiling her nieces and nephews. This dream is still a work in progress as I’ve not yet met my financial goal. But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.


Wow, that dream sounds wonderful! Tell me more about what you do and who you help.

I’m the CEO of Yes, I Can Help You, an operations management and virtual staffing company. We help busy business owners work less and vacation more by building high-performing teams. Our services include strategic planning and done-for-you hiring. We also provide operations management support on either a short-term or long-term basis. We work mostly with online service providers and creatives who are in the growth stage.

I’m also the founder of Building Her Dream, a platform that empowers introverted women entrepreneurs across the world to find their voice. Our mission is to share their inspirational stories as they travel on their entrepreneurial journeys in pursuit of the dream life.

Lastly, I’m an author of a book called Yes, I Can Help You: Transform Your Business With Proper Planning, Processes, and People. This book is for the entrepreneur who is tired of working long, stressful hours in their company and desire more freedom and flexibility. It’s available for purchase on my website.


You mentioned that you help business owners build their teams. At what point should a solopreneur hire their first employee? 

When your workload is pushing you close to maximum capacity, that is a good sign. I say “close to” because if you wait until you are at full capacity time and energy-wise, it’s far too late. Hiring and training a new team member can be time-consuming and so you’ll need the space to be able to do it effectively.

Also, if there is a task that needs completing but you don’t have the skill set to do it properly— you should consider outsourcing it. As entrepreneurs, we often try to DIY everything. But some skills are too difficult to learn and you’ve got better things to do. Save your energy and hire a professional.


It sounds like you do great work. What inspired you to start this business?

Well, I got tired of being laid off from other companies. After the fourth time, I decided that I needed a change. I wanted more freedom and flexibility in my life. And most importantly, I wanted to only do the work that brings me the most joy. My business gives me all of this and more. I love what I do!


You’ve been on this entrepreneur journey for 5 years now. What’s a challenge you’ve faced and how did you overcome it?

Visibility has been my biggest challenge. I am most comfortable in the background but as the CEO of my company, I’m forced up front. I’m not sure if I have overcome this challenge yet. But I do know that I am improving every day. Lately, I’ve been receiving multiple DMs from people who say that they have been inspired by me. 

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How has being an introvert affected your business? And how do you use it to your advantage?

Like I just mentioned, not being as visible as I should be is an issue. I also get drained pretty quickly when working with people so I have to carefully guard my calendar and not schedule a lot of meetings. On the other hand, I think my ability to talk less and listen more is my superpower as an introvert.


Where do your clients come from? 

Marketing is definitely one of my weakest areas. In my first years in business, I mostly survived on receiving referrals. I’m thankful to have great customers who like sharing my name. I’m currently getting better with my content marketing and am attracting a decent amount of clients via Facebook and LinkedIn. 


Many experts have said that attending networking will help you grow your business. Do you attend networking events? What do you think about them? 

I tried to attend a few networking events and found it to be a waste of time. My anxiety is too high in large groups. I prefer to do more one-on-one networking and enjoy meeting people for coffee chats. It’s a more time-consuming way to network, but I am able to build deeper relationships this way. 


How do you define success for yourself and for your business?

The fact that I am still in business after 5 years is already a win for me. But I will truly feel successful once I have my dream life.


What advice would you give to other introverted women who are just starting their own businesses?

My advice is that there is no one “right way” to do things. There are a lot of different ways to be successful in business. You just have to find what works best for you.


Thank you for taking the time to share your story. Where can our readers find more information about you?

Website: http://www.YesICanHelpYou.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shaylaburtin
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shaylaburtin