It’s been awhile…
Sorry about that. I had grand plans and time-lines for this site and all that it was going to accomplish but life got in the way. And guess what?! That has not necessarily been a bad thing 
Each entrepreneur’s journey is different, the path they choose, the aha! moments that come and the direction their life starts to take. Mine went from crazy busy 24/7 to 20/7, decided I need to sleep at least some!
I have had many aha moments in the last few months, at times if felt like blinders being pulled off so I could start to see the vision for my business clearly for the first time in a long time and even more importantly, I was getting excited about it. There are changes I am making personally in my own life and my business is morphing and growing to flow with it. I’m slowly learning to create a business that works around my life and not making my life work with my business. Some days I am winning, some days I am taking a few steps back but thankfully mostly forward at this point.
There are definitely people to thank for helping me get those blinders off… my business coach Justin Lukasavige and all the professors and members over at Free Agent Academy. Having that support and group of people to tap into their expertise and experience has been an incredible experience. The best I have experienced in all of my group coaching programs.
So what does this mean for From VA 2 VA? It means a re-focus on content, resources and reviews from my experience and yours. The membership site option will be coming back soon but in a different form, I’m still working on those details and will have more on that soon. It is a format that I am excited about and looking forward to sharing with you.
Aha Moment #1
One of my BIG! Aha moments has been that I enjoy partnering with creative people instead of always trying to go it alone. So if you or another VA you may know might like to get involved in a project like this send them on over, I would love to talk with them more about what the goals are and how we might be able to collaborate on this project.
Aha Moment #2
Another aha moment or better description would probably be a slow awakening was to take the DISC Profile Test and the Strengths Finder test to get a clearer picture of my strengths and that has opened my eyes in so many ways. If you are in a business that is growing faster than you can control or if you are like me and realized you have a business that is not working and are feeling at a loss or overwhelmed on what do do next, these two tests can really help you start clearing the cobwebs and start to chart a course of action.
But remember that we can’t do it alone, working virtually tends to make us forget that. Find someone you can talk to, someone who can help you brainstorm about your business and give you honest feedback and the kick in the rear when you need it! I’m still working on the idea of setting up a Virtual Assistant Mastermind group so if you are interested and think it might help you get back on track, let me know I would love to talk about it with you.
How to partner with your client the right way
In doing some research last night I ran across this blog post from Karyn Greenstreet of Passion for Business, How to Choose a Virtual Assistant. It made some interesting points and had great tips for small business owners who are in the hunt for some help.
There was one section that stood out to me though and had me thinking about it still this morning…
Some VAs are taught that they should be a “partner” with you in your business. On the surface, this sounds great. However, I have heard too many horror stories about VAs who did things without asking permission, from modifying website text to changing established class titles.
This was one of those statements that make you stop and think. Karyn is right, we are taught to think like a business partner. I’m wondering though, have I/we properly defined what a partner is? For instance I would never dream of changing text, class titles etc. for a client without express permission but I would want to be proactive and make suggestions on changing copy or class titles if I noticed something was not quite right.
I like this definition of partner from Wikipedia:
A friend who shares a common interest or participates in achieving a common goal.
And this one from Dictionary.com:
A person who shares or is associated with another in some action or endeavor; sharer; associate.
In both definitions the word share comes up and I think that is a key point. As virtual assistants, virtual support professionals, online business manager… or whatever name you give yourself, have you properly defined for you and your client what the word partner means?
For me a partner is someone you can bounce ideas off of, who tells you it is time to slow down or maybe gives you that needed kick in the tail. A partner shares the load, helps you out when you are overwhelmed. I think it also means you have an interest in their success, that you have a desire to help them bring their business ideas to life. When you get to know their business and understand their goals, you can make helpful suggestions, offer ideas and strategies that may work in a current project.
Being a partner is not about taking control or making independent decisions, but it is about sharing and support.
Being a partner is about being proactive in saying… “Here is what I can do for you” and not just asking the question, “How can I help?”. (Thanks to Tina Forsyth on this one, she talked about this concept in a preview call for the Virtually Successful Telesummit. It has stuck with me ever since 
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When you talk to your client about being a partner in their success, does your definition send them running for cover? Or does it go the other way and they rely on you so much that it becomes overwhelming?
Defining up front what is means to be a partner in the business is vitally important. As Karyn mentions in her blog post – set boundaries up front. This goes both ways, the extent of your authority and decision making power AND it also applies to the business owner and their expectations of you.
Not every client is looking for this level of partner/support, some are just looking for that key help when they need it and our job is not to force that role onto them.
This has made me go look at my own personal definition of ”partner”, how I talk about it, what I mean by it and how I present the idea to my clients both current and new.
What about you, what do you think the word partner means for you and your clients?
Recommended Training: VA Classrooms Internet Marketing 2010
VAClassroom.com is offering great courses right now that I encourage anyone interested in Social Media and/or Internet Marketing to take a close look at. Newly updated for 2010 the information offered and the training available will give you a solid foundation for specializing in your virtual assistant business.
I personally took the Internet Marketing Course when it first was released and was greatly impressed the breadth of information covered. There are tutorials showing you how to set up and install Google Analytics, examples and tools on conducting keyword research and finding affiliates for affiliate programs… all of these give you the training you need to offer strategy and suggestions to your clients and to use in your own business.
A well rounded understanding of internet marketing will help you as you develop your skills in social media marketing, blog marketing, web analytics and affiliate programs. I found it opened up quite a few doors and showed me different options that I could focus on as a virtual assistant… as well as showing me areas I do NOT want to focus on as a VA. Affiliate Marketing manager is not at the top of my list after going through this training LOL!
Internet Marketing is such a huge topic that in many ways this program can only scratch the surface and there were times I found that frustrating, I wanted more information and more in-depth training. But as I said, in many ways this really only scratches the surface and is a great starting point, a sound foundation for taking your training to the next level.
The training comes in a variety of styles including a review and resources for each lesson in PDF form and a wide variety of videos. Each lesson has a video plus special segments focusing on a particular tool or concept. Each lesson is in an easily digestible chunks that allow you to move forward at your own pace. The assignments are not complicated but are thorough enough to make sure that you do understand the training and can take what you are taught and apply it in a real world situation.
To be honest I’m a bit addicted to their training courses, finished Traffic Geyser training earlier this year… in the middle of Podcast Marketing and participated in the Ning training and I’m sure that will not be the last class I take with them. So If you have any questions on this program or any other programs through VA Classroom please feel free to ask I would be happy to share my experience and feedback with VA Classroom.
**Note: These links are affiliate links.
#002 – FromVA2VA.com Podcast
In this weeks podcast we look at the issue of the VA as a specialist and as a leader.
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Resources mentioned in the podcast:
Seth Godin’s book Tribes:
Tina Forsythe & Cindy Greenway’s Virtually Successful Telesummit:
http://virtuallysuccessfultelesummit.com/
The Virtual Assistant as Leader
I don’t know about you but, I have a hard time seeing myself as a leader. Some VA’s do, but it is a role I have resisted taking on, it’s uncomfortable to even think about it. It also makes me ask the question “Why does this make me so uncomfortable?” and “Why do I prefer to stay behind the scenes?”.
The answer?
This is where I am comfortable and I’m not required to take chances and risk too much.
I’m reading Seth Godin’s book “Tribes” and in it he gives one of the best descriptions as to why we resist leadership that I have ever read.
Here he talks about the discomfort of leading.
“Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead.”
Then he writes:
“It’s discomfort that creates the leverage that makes leadership worthwhile.”
It makes me wonder? What leverage am I missing out on by not stepping up to the plate? How many opportunities have passed me by and will pass me by if I don’t shove myself out of my comfort zone?
Then he writes a list that grabs my attention:
“In other words, if everyone could do it, they would, and it wouldn’t be worth much.
- It’s uncomfortable to stand up in front of strangers.
- It’s uncomfortable to propose an idea that might fail.
- It’s uncomfortable to challenge the status quo.
- It’s uncomfortable to resist the urge to settle.
When you identify the discomfort, you’ve found the place where a leader is needed.”
One more thing that caught my eye…
“If you’re not uncomfortable in your work as a leader, it’s almost certain your not reaching you’re potential as a leader.”
Yikes! He is so right (even though I really wish he wasn’t), when we stick with the status quo, we are not stretching ourselves and reaching for our full potential.
What about the fear? That is also part of the discomfort, especially when it is a fear of being wrong, failing or worse being criticized or laughed at (insert shiver down spine…).
With the transparency that is needed in today’s business, the opportunity to hear a harsh word, a criticism or a derisive “LOL” is more possible then ever. No wonder we resist! BUT guess what? There is also a greater chance of hearing “Thank you!”, “I so agree”, “I needed to hear that”, or “I have been thinking that very same thing”.
We are missing out on connecting with others, leading our tribe, when we do not step up into that position.
So what are we going to do about it? How are we going to get comfortable about being in a state of discomfort? Are you ready to join me in stepping out of the shadows and leading your tribe?
Then maybe it is time for you to join me in the “VA Biz Builders Mastermind” group? This is a beta group I am putting together that will be limited to a small group of VA’s and virtual support professionals who are ready to connect with others, grow their biz, step up to the plate and lead.
Sound interesting? Sound like it’s time for you? Contact me today for more info, the group is starting soon.
