Founder: Candice Smith
Role: Founder
Company: Tours Around Michigan
I run Tours Around Michigan as a solo business owner, and one of the most important remote hires I’ve made has been my virtual assistant, Mahra. We’ve worked together since June 2022, and she has become a vital part of the business.
What made the partnership work so well is that we’re a strong fit in both temperament and skill set. We’re both excited by future possibilities, and she brings strengths that I don’t naturally have, especially on the technical side.
That became especially clear when a scammer duplicated our company address and posted fake job openings under our name. Mahra tracked down where the issue was coming from in our system and helped identify where the fake jobs had been posted so we could notify platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn that they were fraudulent.
That kind of support goes far beyond routine task help.
She has also helped generate new ideas for the business, including alternative income streams like eBay and Etsy stores that support our broader growth efforts. That initiative has made a real difference for me as a solo founder. It has meant not just more help, but better momentum.
The best remote hire is not always the one who just gets tasks done. Sometimes it’s the one who helps steady and expand the whole business.
Over time, this has grown into more than a working arrangement. We’ve come to care about each other as people, know about each other’s families, and supported each other through difficult times.
That human side matters more than people sometimes admit when talking about remote hiring. Skills are important, of course. Reliability is important too. But long-term fit often comes from trust, complementary strengths, and a shared sense of ownership.
For me, that has been the biggest lesson. A strong remote hire can become a real operational anchor for a business, especially when you are running lean.
If she’s willing, I’d like to keep building with her well into the future, ideally giving her even more control over operations so I can focus on other parts of the business.
Remote hiring didn’t just give me support. It gave me someone I could genuinely build alongside.
Declaration
This story is based primarily on information shared directly by Candice Smith and has been slightly edited by WorkWhisper for clarity, structure, and readability while preserving the substance of the original submission.
