Virtual Assistants, Passion, Preference and Persistence

If you had asked me when I graduated from college with a degree in psychology if I was going to be a virtual assistant when I grew up, my response would have been: “huh?”  Way back then, eons ago, this industry did not exist, at least not that I was aware of.  I began Ace Concierge back in 2002; it was known as Allegiance Concierge and Errand Services.

It wasn’t long after my sister died of breast cancer that I realized two things:

1. I needed a career where I could give back to others (I had been the caregiver for both my mom and sister as they fought the fight of the Breast Cancer Warriors).
2. I didn’t want to punch a time clock for the rest of my life. I wanted to be my own boss.

I spent many months on the Internet and the floor of bookstores, searching for a business that would enable me to live my passion for giving and helping others, as well as generate income. I discovered the world of the personal concierge. How exciting it was to be a solo-preneur and “hang my shingle!” As the business grew, my client base became more diverse and I gravitated toward the corporations, offering services to companies and executives. Many of the tasks were effectively managed online versus out in the field.

This was the beginning of my virtual life. I am very much everything that someone in your front office is -  yet  simply, I am within access to tools that technologically allow me to be virtually in the same room with you. Coffee?

Falling head first into social media, my online world exploded and I become 100% virtual but I am still a real person, not just a figment of your imagination. Really… I have been pinched so I know. Social media has widened the gap, creating a small microcosm of a new community for me. From clients, to friends, to colleagues, and even where to move to in North Carolina, I am grateful for my engagement in social media.

The point of writing this? Not to fill up more space in the never ending stream of information coming your way, but rather to engage and enlighten you on how what I do is all about cleaning out that never ending deluge of data and providing help in keeping your work life in order. I love what I do and do what I love:  those business tasks and projects keeping you from feeling the same way, are what I am here to help you with. It is all about you and my ability to assist you with your personal or business tasks and projects. It isn’t just  WHAT I do for you. It is what YOU gain from delegating to your Ace. The payoff for me is your success and satisfaction. I have many clients who call just to share their good news and successes because of the additional hours that were created in their week via outsourcing.

My goal is to give back my clients, ease stress, enhance time management, productivity, work life balance and efficiency. Solutions to every day pains and stressors are eradicated or at least minimized.

Is this a get rich quick scheme? Hardly.  Like any business I started small and have grown organically as my skills, clientele and reach grew, and there are ebbs and flows of the work.  Down-times and good times in every business requires 150% devotion and dedication. There is no easy way out. You put in your all IF you want it all.

Have I had some “crazy” clients? Just one.  I soon  discovered Mr B. Baad was not on the “up and up.” He had a few requests that I knew were not something that resonated with my values and personal morals. I did fire him saying we weren’t a good match. He had asked me to fill out a license to carry permit in the state of NY. Upon reviewing the application, it asked for more of a crime related and legal personal history. He told me to: “make shit up.” Needless to say, I refused to complete the task and a few others. The beauty of working for myself is the ability to say NO to requests that do not resonate with my values, my mission and my purpose.  (Especially the kind that may place me in a compromising situation.)

Wondering about the picture in this post? My mom had given it to me when I was a very little girl and now it still hangs in my home, validating that I am living my passion of helping others. I can assure you that when I was six, 12 or even 22, that this Emily Dickinson poem was just a beautiful verse. It wasn’t until I took care of my mom beginning at the time of her diagnosis at my college graduation and then my sister, that I realized my “calling.”  Those 16 years of intense round the clock care-giving and being a parent set the course for my journey to being a virtual assistant.

Are you living your passion?