I've made 6 figures a year as a virtual assistant and now train others to do the same. Here's how I find the best-paying clients and avoid the big red flags.

• Hannah Dixon is a six-figure-earning virtual-assistant coach and recruiter.
• She trains people from all around the world on how to get high-paying clients.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Hannah Dixon, a 25-year-old founder of the virtual-assistant training resource Digital Nomad Kit, based in Guanajuato, Mexico, about her advice for becoming a six-figure virtual assistant. It's been edited for length and clarity.

For the last 15 years, I've been traveling the world full time as a digital nomad — 58 countries and counting. I first started as a virtual assistant; now I'm a virtual-assistant coach and recruiter and I've provided training to 27,000 learners across 170 countries.

Earning six figures a year doesn't require working with 20 clients simultaneously or even a degree. You just need to find clients who can pay the rates you want. How do you find the best-paying clients? Here are some of my top tips.

1. Stop seeking opportunities and start creating them

When I started as a virtual assistant, I initially turned to gig sites to find work, but it was short-lived. Gigs were few and far between, and the rates weren't enough to maintain my nomadic lifestyle. I pivoted to a more proactive mindset where I prioritized creating opportunities over looking for them.

This requires actively investing time and energy to build a strong personal brand and make your presence known. If you intend to work online, you have to be online. Whether it's blog posts covering the latest industry trends or YouTube tutorials demonstrating your skills, these efforts establish you as an authority and help potential clients seek you out rather than the other way around.

This is your personal brand, so make it personal. Bring your personality center stage.

2. Position your presence based on the types of clients you want to attract

Let's say you're a virtual assistant offering podcast-management services. Something simple, like "Podcast VA Services" in your LinkedIn or website headline could suffice — but you don't want to just suffice, you want to excel.

Six-figure pricing requires a six-figure service, and this VIP service should start before you land the client. Your goal is to delight and dazzle your client at every opportunity.

Use language that demonstrates the VIP nature of the experience you provide. For example, if you work with women on a mission, a headline might be "Podcasting with Power: Elevating the Voices of Women on a Mission" or "Premium Podcast Services for Visionaries."

3. Collect and publish glowing referrals

A word-of-mouth recommendation from a satisfied high-value client to their network carries significant weight — more than most anything else in this business.

But referrals don't have to come from your clients alone. Your immediate circle — your family, friend groups, and colleagues — can be a robust referral network as well.

Friends and family may not be able to fully articulate everything you can do, but they can share a blog post or your YouTube channel, and refer you confidently in their own circles.

4. Meet high-paying clients where they're at

Ninety percent of the time, high-paying clients aren't on gig sites, which are notorious for emphasizing bottom-of-the-barrel rates and pitting freelancers against each other. If you're already crystal clear on who you serve as a virtual assistant, you can intentionally spend time in places your clients are more likely to be.

I'm not just talking in terms of attending niche-specific events where your clients are spending time — it also means meeting your ideal clients where they're at mentally.

Demonstrate that you're familiar with their struggles by tailoring your services and expressing your value proposition in a language that resonates with them.

Extend this strategy to simple conversations. Perhaps you're on a call with a potential client who tells you they're exhausted and looking to find the light at the end of the tunnel. You can reflect this back to them when presenting your solution:

"What I'm hearing is that by having peace of mind that your inbox is handled with care, you'll be able to regain some energy and start seeing that light at the end of the tunnel you mentioned — that's what we'll work toward together."

5. Use signposting

When you're showing up where your ideal clients are coming together, you can implement one super easy, can't-believe-you-haven't-been-doing-it-already strategy, which I've coined "signposting."

You can't have a successful business when nobody knows that you're open for business — so posting a variation of one of the below on your social profiles where you're networking can work wonders:

• "I'm available to take clients for XYZ service next month. DM me."
• "I have availability for a new client starting on X date. These are the services that I can support you in."

Signposting doesn't have to be specifically about clients, either. For example, I decided I wanted to get on more podcasts earlier this year. I made a signpost on my Facebook profile saying, "I'm available to be a guest, and here's what I can talk to your audience about." I had 10 podcasts booked by the end of the day.

Be mindful of red flags that can signal when a job or client may not suit you

Some red flags are ultra-bold, like scams where a prospective client asks for your personal information — delete and don't look back.

Other red flags can be sneaky and subtle. You don't always see those coming. Don't let the lure of a fat paycheck lead your inner compass astray.

Tap into that gut feeling you get when you're conversing with a client, who oversteps your boundaries or undervalues your expertise, or the client who's looking for you to execute the workload of a 10-person team.

Offer low-commitment trial packages

I always recommend my students offer low-commitment trial packages. It allows you to part ways quickly and cleanly if your gut is sounding the alarm.

One common pitfall that virtual assistants fall into is accepting the unacceptable because it comes with a nice payout. That isn't sustainable. Even a month with clients like those can lead to massive burnout and resentment. In worst-case scenarios, it negatively impacts your work and relationships with other existing clients.

Remember that your health and fulfillment come before any amount of money. Work with people who value you and who you feel comfortable to grow with — a clearer, easier path to six-figure success.