Influential Woman · Managed Virtual Support
Jessica Thomas
Chief Delegation Officer, Imperative Concierge Services, LLC
Farmington Hills, MI
Her Story
About Jessica
Since founding Imperative Concierge Services in 2015, Jessica has challenged the assumption that solving capacity problems, scaling a business, or reducing overwhelm is simply a matter of adding more.
Throughout her career, Jessica has observed that throwing more resources at a problem doesn't automatically improve outcomes. More hours don't automatically create more output. Delegating a task list doesn't automatically create relief. Sometimes it simply transfers chaos from one person to another.
That philosophy continues to shape her approach to delegation and virtual support today. Jessica helps leaders think more strategically about capacity, accountability, and the systems that support sustainable growth. She believes virtual support should be designed around a leader's needs, not limited by predefined packages or one-size-fits-all solutions. Her work centers on helping leaders identify the right support for the right work.
As AI and automation continue to reshape the workplace, Jessica is particularly interested in how leaders can combine people, processes, and technology to achieve better outcomes. She believes the future of delegation is about understanding where human expertise and technology each create the greatest value and designing smarter ways of working.
More than a decade after launching Imperative Concierge Services, Jessica remains focused on a question that continues to guide her work: How can leaders create capacity without adding unnecessary complexity?
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jessica
01What do you attribute your success to?
It definitely is not just based on me. I would say the network, other people around me, whether it is family, friends, or previous mentors - it's been other people who have poured into me, and helped guide me, and spotted my blind spots, and been encouraging. And God. I'm referring to the Bible and getting strengthened by that. So yeah, I would say both things - the people in my network and my faith.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
A lot of people have said to niche down and to clarify your brand. Even if it's not a company and you're building yourself, you need to know what you're looking for. I guess, be very clear on what you want things to be and how to work that plan. That's been really important advice for me.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Do it scared. Do it scared and find your voice. For years, my company is kind of different from a lot of the other ones, and I didn't always clarify that because being more introverted and even being shy, I kind of prefer to blend in. But when you have your business, you really need to stand out and own it. So, do it scared. If you're shy, you can't be shy today. You have to be talking to people. You're gonna make mistakes. So, yeah, do it scared.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges would be that a lot of companies offer ultra-low-cost support, and that doesn't always translate into the owner feeling relief. They get attracted by, oh, this is going to be $3 or $4 an hour, but then you're getting handed someone who may not know how to complete the task. So instead of getting relief, you're sitting there training and doing rework and micromanaging. I don't think that's what support should be. I think people have gotten confused by what a virtual support professional or virtual assistant is - they're usually a contractor. And anytime I hire a contractor, like if you need an electrician or a plumber, you're hiring somebody who knows what they're doing. The biggest confusion here is the ultra-low cost support and then thinking that you have to train these people extensively, but it's because you're accessing people who probably are lower skilled because they're offering a lower rate. You'll get more relief when you hire a specialist who can just get the things done and have experience in that industry or field.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Communication, clear communication is really important to me. Honesty and integrity are huge - I don't like when people aren't telling the truth or don't have much of a moral compass that they stand by. So I'd say clear communication, honesty, and integrity are the values most important to me.
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