About the Administrative Consultants Association

Media Contact

Danielle Keister
Founder & Administrative Consulting Expert

Email: danielle@administrativeconsultantsassoc.com
Toll Free: 800.829.8341

About Danielle Keister

Hello! I'm Danielle Keister, founder. I started this organization as a way to give back to my profession and help other Administrative Consultants find the kind of success I've achieved in my own practice over the past 14+ years.

I've been in business since 1997 when I took out my business license and officially formalized work I'd been doing on the side for several years while I worked a day job. That step led to one of the most gratifying, exhilarating adventures of self-determination and discovery in my life... and I've never looked back!

My administrative career (both as an employee and now as a successful administrative support business owner) now spans over 25 years. Since 2006, as a veteran Administrative Consultant, it has been my passion and privilege to now help others in the administrative support profession grow stronger, more financially successful businesses that lead them to greater personal happiness, freedom and client satisfaction.

This is a wonderful profession to be in. I literally have to pinch myself just about every day when I marvel at the wonderful life I get to lead being self-employed, doing work I love and working with just the clients I enjoy and who value and appreciate what I have to offer. While I might pinch myself in gratitude, it was no accident that I get to live the life I lead. It is a direct result of intention and consciousness about what I want for my life, how I choose to live, what I am here to do and what actions and understandings in business lead me to those things.

At the same time, it's not exactly easy to make a real living in this business when you first start out. It took me many years to get where I am today. But it doesn't have to take you as long. This site and all its offerings are geared toward helping make the path much quicker and easier for you.

Personal Information

I'm a connoisseur of life. My business allows me to live an unconventional lifestyle and it's one of the things for which I'm most grateful. My long-time beau and I spent the last two years living bi-continentally in both Germany and the U.S. We're now back to our home on the beautiful waters of Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, but travel is still a huge part of my life.

As a former private investigator, I'm always up for intrigue and adventure (the exploratory kind, not the bungee-jumping kind, LOL). I love art, travel, foreign and independent film. I enjoy biking, hiking, kayaking and long walks along the water or in the woods where we live. One of my favorite things to do is take long road trips in our tricked-out Suburban and sleep under the stars. When I'm not enjoying the outdoors, I'm a fashion-addicted girlie-girl who loves to attend local events and hotspots around town.

One of my greatest joys is that my daughter gets to work with me and learn firsthand about the freedom, self-reliance and self-determination of business ownership and entrepreneurship in action.

Organization History

The Administrative Consultants Association (ACA) originally began as a movement in 2005 that I called "The Gritty Virtual Assistant" (now a blog). The goal was to 1) increase awareness and better understanding of the Virtual Assistant industry, and 2) to define and establish the professional standard of qualification (which the industry at large has now adopted).

In 2006, that effort morphed into the Virtual Assistant Chamber of Commerce (VACOC). After a few years, we realized that the "Virtual Assistant" moniker no longer served those of us who provide skilled, professional-level administrative support. People doing anything and everything virtually had increasingly begun calling themselves Virtual Assistants, and the term itself had already long caused difficulty and confusion in educating clients and getting them to understand that we are business owners providing an expertise, not under-the-table employees.

In 2008, the community began exploring the idea of coming up with a new term, one that better conveyed our specific expertise as skilled, professional service providers of administrative support (not assistants). Although it's been an ongoing process, 2010 was the year we fully embraced the new term of Administrative Consultant and began to work of converting over to the new association name and website, the Administrative Consultants Association (ACA).