Mary-Lou Ashton

Private Training
Program Advisor

I believe in living life to the fullest with a heaping spoonful of laughter and fun. I am passionate about several things; Virtual Assistants, women entrepreneurs, small businesses and coaching my clients to succeed at whatever they do. As a business owner, I know the struggles and challenges of building and growing a successful business. I have been there. I believe in, and continue to experience, the success of a Virtual Assistant business.

Mary-Lou Ashton has been a pioneer in the Virtual Assistant profession in Canada since 1997. Her company, Virtual Strategies, launched Canada’s first Virtual Assistant Training Program in 2002. In 2005 Mary-Lou also began coaching VAs to support them in becoming successful through her coaching practice, Vision to Action Coaching. Her passion for the profession continues to grow and Mary-Lou strongly believes in giving back to the community that has given so much to her.

Mary-Lou is a well known speaker in the VA industry currently speaking at Forum on Virtual Assistance in 2009 and, has been a presenter at IVAAs Virtual Educational Summit, OIVAC (Online International Virtual Assistants Convention), the Annual Career Development Conference for the Career Management Association of BC, Career Link of Powell River and the Vancouver Employment Services Office. She has been a guest speaker on the VA Talk Show and Coach U’s Practice Management course along with a nomination for the 2007 Thomas Leonard International Virtual Assistant of Distinction award.

Further Highlights About Mary-Lou Ashton:

Mary-Lou is founder of the Virtual Assistant Training Program (VATP). The purpose of the Virtual Assistant Training Program is to be a resource and networking community for Virtual Assistants, while improving the quality of VA’s in the community, and educating potential clients about their services.

Our mission is to create, develop and deliver a cost effective, convenient and high quality, training program for individuals who want to pursue the Virtual Assistant profession.

Our vision is the term Virtual Assistant is part of our everyday language.

Our Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct maintains high standards for our students, graduates and the profession at large.

We are making dreams reality!