As a certified professional virtual assistant, I bundle skills honed in the corporate world with those of the new world order, the Internet.
In my past life, as a recovering manufacturer's rep, I was on the road, often leaving home Sunday night to meet with customers early Monday. I thought I was destined to spend a lifetime on the road with a trunk full of samples. Then I read an article about virtual assistance in INC Magazine, and knew I had found a match. I closed my former business in May 1998 to begin work full-time as a practicing VA. I love trouble-shooting and solving problems for my clients. Since starting my VA practice, I've never looked back.
I'm currently the Enrollment Advisor for AssistU, a position that I've held since the role was created in 2001. I'm the first line of defense for inquiries concerning the AssistU VTP. I literally field any request for information about AssistU and the program. When I can't answer a question, Admissions or HQ comes to my rescue with their knowledge base. I like the variety of questions that I receive asking about the process of starting the training. Some of the questions are innocent, some of them very savvy, and some are just unusual. All are responded to with gracious dignity and respect, even if I've heard the question a thousand times and the answer is right there on the home page.
On a personal note, I love things like watching our high school baseball-playing son hit a line drive that brings in two runners and takes him to second. Cooking for family and friends after a trip to the Evanston Farmer's Market is a real treat. I've taken the first step toward resurrecting my creative inner child - I've taken classes at a stand-up comedy club in Chicago, and have actually performed on stage with material I've written.
Additional Questions Answered By Barbara
1. How has AssistU/being a VA changed your life?I got to leave the corporate world and start my own business. One of the most important things that occurred during my training was when Stacy introduced our class to the concept of "attraction." That alone was worth the price of admission.
2. What do you consider to be the most important value of AssistU?
AssistU values truth and honesty, and is the leader in the virtual assistance profession. The AssistU website is very forthcoming, and it's a pleasure to direct interested candidates there for more in-depth information. A site this loaded with content is all about truth in lending; there's no mistaking the integrity of an organization that presents itself in this way.
3. What is the most important thing that being a VA has taught you?
I tell the story of what the profession can do for you as a potential client, removing the emphasis on what *I* can do. It's what the finest business leaders in the world do, and it works like a charm.
4. You've owned your own VA business for some time now: Why did you decide to become a VA? Was there a particular moment or life circumstance that lit this entrepreneurial path for you?
I thought I was destined to be driving around with a trunk full of samples as a manufacturer's rep. It was an INC Magazine article -one of the first written about Stacy Brice- that really changed my life. I made a few calls, enrolled, was accepted, and have never looked back.
5. What one thing you would want people to know about being a VA (or business owner)?
If you think being a Virtual Assistant might be a match for you, then you owe it to yourself to spend copious amounts of time reviewing the AssistU site. The key here is fit. The AssistU site has been designed for one purpose: to help you determine if our program is right for you. If it's right, you will know it. If not, you will have gained valuable insight into your strengths, which can only help you determine what you were really meant to pursue