From one room to eight locations — with a virtual assistant by her side.
How Dr. Amanda Goldman, founder of East Aurora Counseling, found the personal support she'd always needed to run two organizations across Illinois — and what changed when she finally did.
From one room to one of Illinois' largest counseling agencies
East Aurora Counseling began with one room, two deck chairs, and a flip phone. Over a decade, Dr. Goldman grew it into one of the largest counseling agencies in Illinois — serving clients from downstate Illinois to the Wisconsin border, across eight locations, with specializations in LGBTQIA+ support, Spanish-language mental health services, play therapy, and family, couples, and group counseling.
She also runs the Judah Robinson Foundation, a nonprofit drop-in center serving people experiencing homelessness. Despite each of her sites having its own administrative support, Dr. Goldman herself had none — moving between locations, satellite offices, and a packed schedule, she was, as she put it,falling between the cracks.
Everyone had support — except the founder
Each of East Aurora's sites had its own administrative help, but the person holding it all together did not. Between two organizations, eight inboxes, and a commute that sometimes stretched six hours a day, the day-to-day was impossible to stay on top of alone.
A values-driven match, not just a hire
Dr. Goldman searched for a "virtual personal assistant" and found AbroadWorks among a handful of options. What stood out wasn't just the service — it was the values behind it. She interviewed three candidates and found someone she connected with personally: someone she could trust to represent her across eight inboxes, multiple organizations, and those long days on the road.
Hiring across cultures
Having grown up in Southeast Asia and worked with immigrant communities, she wanted to hire across cultures — not just time zones.
Bilingual by design
With roughly half of East Aurora's clients being immigrants, a bilingual, internationally-connected assistant was a natural extension of the mission.
Someone to trust
Three candidate interviews until she found a person she connected with — and could trust to represent her and both organizations.
"A clone of myself"
The results were immediate. Dr. Goldman's assistant now checks all eight inboxes daily, responds where she can, and surfaces what needs Dr. Goldman's attention. On long driving days, the assistant is live on WhatsApp speaker — reading emails aloud and handling student and staff questions in real time.
Far beyond inbox management
What began as email triage quickly expanded into a role spanning operations, communications, and people support across both organizations.
Inbox management
Checks eight inboxes daily, responds where possible, and surfaces what needs the founder's attention.
Real-time call support
Live on WhatsApp during long drives — reading emails aloud and answering staff and student questions on the spot.
Social media
Manages the agency's social presence across platforms.
Documents & design
Document creation and graphic design for both organizations.
Hiring support
Intern interviewing support and candidate screening.
Training & orientation
Staff training on organizational policies and LGBTQIA+ sensitivity orientation for new team members.
A decision that was personal, not just operational
For Dr. Goldman, this wasn't just an operational decision — it was a personal one. She was thoughtful about fair pay across economies, and AbroadWorks' approach to compensation relative to local cost of living gave her the confidence she wasn't exploiting anyone. Her assistant is, by her own account, overqualified for the role. But that, she says, is exactly what she needed.
When you're running two organizations and driving six hours a day, there's no shortage of meaningful work for someone truly excellent.