Finally A Normal Day – A Virtual Assistant’s Life

I refuse to put up full window curtains because I like to see the day arrive.  Although it takes me some time to talk myself into getting a wog (walk/jog) in, I pull myself out of bed and put on wogging clothes.  On the pavement I think about how I will serve my clients, as well as thinking about straightening out my feet, landing on the ball of my feet, and holding my stomach in.  1, 2, 3.1 miles are done.  Whatever I get in, I count it achieved.

I prepare a fulfilling breakfast and head to the office.  You guessed it, the office is a few steps from the kitchen, lol.  Even though it is a home office, I try to keep consistent hours.  Sometimes 8, 10 or 12 hours.  I take a nap when I know I need to work longer hours.  A nap is one of the perks of working for yourself.  Long hours is the perk for my clients.

I go through all of my emails and make a to-do list.  Who needs what and when.  I prioritize, implement and delegate, if needed.

Its what I do and what I love.

Today was a usual day, listening to my clients long list of to-dos, wishes and wants.  My mind instantly starts processing solutions to each and every one of them.  Today it took some research on CRMs, financial software, studying sales websites, learning more about a program that I am implementing and troubleshooting the programming in a cash register.

I made over 20 calls, updated over 10 spreadsheets, and emailed updates to my clients.  All the tasks get done in priority.  It feels great when I can stay on task.  It helps that I only answer my client’s phone calls when I am working.  I return voicemails in between tasks.  I believe in a quick response and great turnaround.

I only had to leave the office to visit the troubled cash register, run some errands, and back to the office.  It was a pleasant day.  I had 3 meals, 2 snacks, and lots of water….it was hot as he** outside.

As the day ended I contemplated the long holiday weekend.  I wondered if my clients would stop working and take a vacation for the weekend.  That reminded me, I needed to let my clients know that I may not be available this weekend.  I will be in the mountains.  You know you can never tell about the service out of the city.  Although we have Verizon and we haven’t been let down in almost two years.  Make no mistake, I WILL be checking email and voice mail, when I can.  After all I have to keep up my workaholic reputation, laugh out loud.  Have a happy Memorial day holiday.

I Belong at Shades Retreat

I often think of how much I miss those hugs. In this space that I belong lives a love that few people experience. Every time we come together its like we have spent no time away. It’s a safe space where we can talk about everything. In this space we are given the freedom to share our most intimate secrets without fear of judgement. We have cried together, shared together, but mostly; we laugh together. We laugh with each other, we laugh at each other, we laugh for each other and we laugh in support of each other.

The weather is usually iffy when we come together but the sunshine that is produced makes the weather’s rains irrelevant. The environment is always conducive to our activities, whether inside or outside and we share intimate love stories while we break bread. The home cooked food is loveworthy. The offering of specialty meals is a testament to the love of the cook who pays special attention to the needs of us all because she cares. The food is good and wholesome, just like the event.

The first time I attended this wonderful getaway I was apprehensive. I really did not know what to expect. I was open to the promise of no cell phone service, no TV, no news, no Facebook, no artificial interruptions. I was open to being in the company of a group of my peers for three days. I was open to the promise of enlightenment, engagement, and entertainment and, as promised; I received all three. As an added bonus, I learned a few things about myself and a whole lot more about other people.

I learned that others also go through what I go through, life, love, death, dismemberment, heart break, unemployment, disconnection, the need to belong, the need to be seen, and the need to be accepted. It was such a wonderful experience that I have now repeated my attendance five times.

Last year, I had several traveling commitments that conflicted with my annual retreat of choice, but I made the choice not to allow life to take away my annual sanctuary and I convinced my lover to drive to the event, last minute. It was worth the hour-long drive.
Looking forward, on April 14th 2016, I will be packing and driving to spend quality time with my Shades Retreat family. I am looking forward to seeing the old and meeting the new and embracing the feeling of love and acceptance that always comes in the place I belong.

This trip will be the first time that I will be sharing my craft with my peers at Shades. I am so excited. I get to stand in front of my peers and give myself to them. I am excited not only because I am sharing but also because I am able to give back to the people who have sustained me, for the last six years. They have sustained me with love, hugs, kisses, laughs, cries, and celebration. The joking, participating in activities and partying are a plus. There are a few days left before I feel that feeling of belonging. Shades Retreat here I come.

That’s How It Happens, Over and Over Again

Check out what happened to Heidi.

A business associate, Heidi, enters my office with an arm full of cups. She begins a conversation about opportunities and me having my own business. She states that she doesn’t think that she has any skills that people would pay her for. I was so surprised to hear her say that because she is an administrative assistant. I told her “Because I have had a thriving Virtual Assistant (VA) business, I know that her skills are needed by many.”

She has a family member that is a VA and she wasn’t sure what she did as a VA. She had only heard the term that one time. Throughout the discussion of what a VA does, Heidi was surprised. She does exactly what her family member does, except her family member does it from home and gets paid handsomely.

Our continued discussion explained how I became a business coach. I told her “that through all of the experience I acquired from serving my clients, I began to teach them on how to progress their success. My clients suggested I become a coach. I looked into it, took classes and received a Master Life Coach certification.

Heidi was surprised how transitions happen within transactions. She then remembered that she had taken a certification class for grant writing. A lightbulb went off in her head. She began to look starry-eyed as she began to dream of an opportunity as a grant writer.

Now I was surprised. I asked her “why are you not a grant writer?” She proclaimed that she could not find any opportunities in the Greenville area.” I googled grant writing in Greenville, SC. What do you know, there was one opportunity available….and…wait for it…..the opportunity was with the company she is currently working for. The opportunity she was looking for was in her back yard.

And…that’s how it happens over and over again.

That’s why I love coaching. I share with people how to turn their dreams into a business, any dream, any business.

Here is Heidi’s testimonial, in her own words:

“As a contract Administrative Assistant, I support 3 teams. While I was not used to my full potential nor was I growing in that position, which I had told to my staffing company many times over several months, I met Terri who was the new team lead for my downstairs team. One icy afternoon, after praying to God, I brought Terri and her team some much needed cups that had been ordered, in the course of a couple of months getting to know Terri,  and her telling me her testimony. I was explaining to her that I had a certificate in grant writing; however I haven’t been able to utilize it. She googled Grant Writers for my area and a PT position pops up with the same staffing agency that I was using. Terri encouraged me to email my contact and ask to be an intern to gain experience.”

– Heidi Williams

If your dreams are stuck and your life is on strike, contact me for a consultation.

When we finish you will be on your way to making your dream come true.

Book now, space is limited.

Deep Dives With Divas TV Show for Entrepreneurs

This show was created to showcase the fortitude it takes to become a successful Entrepreneur. Sometimes the very thing you see as a blessing becomes the thing that almost ruins you.

The shows guests will come from all walks of life, nationalities, genders, income levels, and family types. Most will be Parentpreneurs but there will be some exceptions. The guests’ businesses will be diverse. There will be serial entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial dreamers. There will also be entrepreneurs who have become established owners of business and are now making lots and lots of money.

Every guest story is important. That is why we are going to dive deep into the lives of our shows guests and get you inspired. We never know who that one person will be that gets you motivated. If this TV show accomplishes that, then it will be all worth it.

How the show came about

This show is a dream of mine. I have been contemplating doing it for years. I kept waiting for the right time. Then I heard a little voice inside me…no it was a huge voice, that said, Start Now!”

I made a phone call to a very dear friend who had the expertise to help with my vision and it all started happening. The adventure of being a TV Host began. I will share my adventure as we go along because ‘like most startup businesses’ it seems like a train wreck as it all comes together. Like I stated, if we can motivate entrepreneurs to success, it will be worth it.

The Hosts

I am Diva. My daughter is Diamond.  She is my Virtual Assistant. I asked her to start working on tasks to develop the show. When she proclaimed that would like to be a show host with me, what could I say? You now have the entertainment and life inputs of two hosts. She is a Parentpreneur and has many stories to share. I am sure some of them involve me. We hope you’ll fine out stories to be entertaining and inspiring because we faced and overcame many challenges. I was a single parent who managed to grow a successful business throughout their lives.

The show premiers on January 1st at 8pm on MJTV Network.  Watch your inbox and social media for show guest lineup.   Our desire is to make this a valuable experience for you.  Please leave comments, so that we can make improvements for you.

FREE ENTREPRENUER BOOK that shows you how to systemize your office, business and life.  Its “The Automated Coaching for the Busy Entrepreneurs.”   Get yours free right here

I’ve got to go, there is much to do, so until….keep diving

Diva,

Perfection Is a Death Sentence

by Terri Holley, Master Life Coach

          This is one of my favorite quotes. I originally created it to remind myself to control my OCD, instead of it controlling me. As a child I spent most of my childhood alone. My parents either worked two jobs or had social obligations. Being alone in the house gave me the opportunity to have it neat, clean and orderly.

Perfectly strategizing

My OCD became a problem when I had a family of my own. I spent too much time figuring out how to get the family to keep the house OCD neat, clean and orderly. That anxiety caused me to be verbally abusive to my family. It also kept us from using our time to make additional pleasant memories.

I was always exhausted, frustrated, and depressed. It wasn’t until a trauma happened in our family that sent the whole family to counseling, that I learned that my anxiety with perfection could kill me. It would send me into suicide depression. It would run my blood pressure up. It would cause me to withdraw from family and friends. Through counseling, I learned to let go.

I learned that not even God stressed about perfection, as we define it. I began to look around me and notice that none of God’s creations were identical, neat, or organized. Things were imperfectly perfect. I have begun to acknowledge the imperfection in life and love it.

Be real, be you, perfectly imperfect.

Leaving things imperfectly done, gives me more time to reap the benefits of opportunities, that I missed out on in the past. I now have more time to laugh, learn and play. I have more time to make pleasant memories. I no longer wait for the perfect moment, time, place, or thing. I enjoy the now, just the way it is, imperfectly perfect.  Don’t die wishing that you had done so many things perfectly. Do them the moment the opportunity presents itself, perfectly imperfect.

Don’t die perfect. Live imperfectly.

I Missed The Un-conference. How, When I Was There?

I am sitting here thinking about the last weekend’s Women’s Prosperity Network’s Un-conference. For me, it was three days of frenzy. There were lots of remarkable female entrepreneurs. I did not network as much as I should have and I wondered why.

There was so much information being shared. There were so many opportunities to share. The entertainment was abundant. All and all the un-conference was great. It was me that was not all together.

I had not been to a three-day conference since I hosted “Design Your Life” with Cornelia Shipley, March 2013. I volunteered so that I could learn the inside workings of holding a three-day event. I throughly enjoyed it. It was not disjointed at all during that conference. So what was the issue with the Un-conference. Again, I attest that it was me.

I have been behind the scenes so long that I have to learn to be IN the population. The majority of my career has been either virtual or behind the scenes. I even got jealous at the Un-conference because so many people were helping and I wasn’t.

I now understand that I have some growing to do, in order to fulfill my purpose. If I am going to be an international speaker, then I must get out and about. I must be IN the population, not behind them. How else are people going to get to know me?

The other thing I learned was not to take or invite non-business company. My priorities were split between having company and trying to create a vacation out of it. I went with no intentions of growing my business. I did not prepare before I went to the conference. I was given information to prepare. I did not understand how important it was to apply it. I now understand that I must prioritize my take aways.

I thought I really missed an opportunity to get a really great education. I was wrong. I got a great lesson of how important it is to be engaged and involved. That’s what being around so many women with the desire to be successful will do. It reassured me that I too can be out there doing the damn thing.

Here is my list for the next conference:

1. I will not have non-business company,
2. I will prioritize my take-aways, and
3. I will engage.

Needless to say, I cannot wait until Level Up.

Thank you, WPN Founders, Nancy Matthews, Susan Wiener, and Trish Carr, for a fabulous opportunity. See you soon.

Women’s Business Group

Is your action plan working?  Is your business going as you planned?  How many different things have you tried?  That is a serious situation with Entrepreneurs. We have so much “how-to” stimulation in our lives that we get discombobulated. Fortunately there is a resource to solve this issue. The resource is customized to fit your product and/or sevice. It instructs you to do business your way. I know you think this is a sells pitch. It is not. The resource that I am speaking of is your business plan. You know the one you did when you started business. If, you did not write a business plan, then you may lack focus and possibly business success. As fast as life progresses you need an anchor to keep you steady. That is the purpose of your business plan. Go dig it out and read it. It should remind you of why you got into business. It is your motivator. It should renew that action energy and return you to your path of success. So go ahead and dig it out. Cure discombobulation. Success with fortitude….your unique fortitude.

By: Gene Marks

An employee knocks on your office door. She’s worked for you for a few years. And she has a big request. “I want to work remotely from home,” she says. “I need to be there when my kids get home from school.” She has a long commute. Her husband also works. They’re juggling many balls in the air. She promises to get her job done remotely. You’ve never had a remote employee before. She’s really good. You don’t want to lose her. What do you do? How can you manage this person when she’s not in the office?

You don’t know the answer — but this is not unusual. No one knows how productive an employee will be when they’re out of the office. Some people can work just as effectively from home; others need to be in an office environment, both for the social aspect and because their job demands that they’re on-site with the action.

You don’t want everyone working from home. But then again, you don’t want to say no to this valuable employee. Lots of people will advise you on how to manage her when she’s not in the office.

In the end, however, there’s really only one way to manage this person: you must treat her, and she must behave, as if she’s in the office all the time.

It’s as simple as that. So what does this mean?

EXPECT THE SAME LEVEL OF AVAILABILITY

It means that if you or anyone else needs her, she’s available. Just like she would be if she was sitting at her desk. She’s got her mobile phone at the ready. She can attend meetings like her on-site colleagues. She’s on duty and ready for any question, any task, as if she’s in the office. And if you need her to come into the office, she should be prepared to do so. She should also be willing to work maybe one or two days a week in the office because sometimes being there is just psychologically better than not being there. Her workload and responsibilities shouldn’t change. In other words, you shouldn’t notice that she’s not there.

EMPOWER REMOTE WORKERS WITH TECHNOLOGY

This was much more difficult even 10 years ago. But today, there’s enough affordable technology available to enable that remote worker to work as if she’s in the office. There are filing sharing services like Microsoft OneDrive, Google Driveand Dropbox. There are project and collaboration applications like Office 365 andBasecamp to share tasks and information. There are communications tools such asSkype, FreeConferenceCall.com and Lync to speak, see and share desktops. There even are popular applications to remotely connect, including GoToMyPC andLogMeIn.

These apps today work on any device, from phone to tablet to laptop to desktop. Data entered in one place can be retrieved and updated from anywhere else as long as there’s an Internet connection (and most of the country today is covered by 3G and 4G networks).

DO WHAT IT TAKES TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN THE BEST WORKERS

The economy is slowly growing and the unemployment rate is falling. One of the biggest issues facing small businesses this year will be retaining their best people. And there are many great people who desire to work, at least partially, from home in order to have a better quality of life. If it’s possible, then let them do it.

To take advantage of the best talent out there, you have to accept and adapt. Yes, you should enable your employees to work remotely if they want to. Yes, there are great tools to help you do this. But remember, there’s only one way to manage them: as if they’re in the office all the time. As long as both you and your employee agree on that, you have every chance of making that arrangement succeed.

https://garage.godaddy.com/smallbusiness/manage/theres-one-way-manage-remote-employee/