The role of the organization:
     We are agents of positive change.

AssistU is, at its core, about empowerment. The people whose lives we touch have rarely imagined there was something more for them out there than the daily grind of a 9-to-5 corporate job. They have talked with us about feeling lost, about not being valued, about not being able to contribute at the level to which they are interested and able, about being boxed in and, for lack of a better word, oppressed by a corporate tradition that sees them as mere functions rather than whole people with a lot to give. Rarely did they allow themselves the luxury of imagining that they could control their own destinies and create businesses that would not only provide for them financially, but that would also honor them, allow them to use all of their talents, skills and gifts, and that would also contribute, in a positive way, to their living high quality lives.

Everything we do is about supporting them as they build and run successful Virtual Assistance businesses and become, professionally and personally, more than they ever thought possible. And we find that as they grow and bloom, they give to others in new and joyful ways.

Because we believe that there will always be the need for on-site administrative professionals, we're also working to bring about positive change in corporations. Our founder, Stacy Brice, is an active voice for administrative professionals everywhere. Her talks and coaching work within corporations is designed to have them recognize admins as full members of the team supporting the organization. As more corporations begin to embrace the Blueprint for New Leadership, we believe our work within them will contribute to there being dramatic change that will be vastly valuable for admins and the corporations alike.

 
Purpose:
      Our work inspires.

There are three Latin words we very much believe in... "inspirare," meaning "the breathing in of wisdom," "afflare," meaning "the breathing out of wisdom," and "entheos," meaning "God Within."

We believe that as we, as an organization, are enthusiastic about our work, God speaks through us, saying "yes" to our goals and path. Further, when we share that enthusiasm and passion with others, and breathe out the wisdom we gain every day by being values-based and moved by Spirit, they are inspired to become greater, and then share their own wisdom with others. The ripple effect of this is enormous, and extends to both personal and professional circles. This form of giving and sharing creates the foundation for our community of professional VAs, where they help and guide each other, see one another as collaborators rather than competitors, and give back to the community through volunteer opportunities.

We find that those who ache to be a part of that kind of community are inspired to join us. In the process, our community is enriched, and our ability to serve is raised with the addition of every like-minded individual.

 
Sacredness and respect:
     We treat all beings as sacred.

There is part of you in me, and part of me in you. We are all part of a global community, and our work, indeed our very lives, need to serve that community. Our business model is founded on respect, choosing love over fear, collaboration, integrity, the goodness that is in all of us, and on bringing to bloom the unique gifts of everyone within and without the organization.

 
Honorable profits:
    Our profits are honorable.

We neither seduce or manipulate, we harm no one, we look out for others, and we don't look at profits as the sole basis of gauging our success. We look, instead, to what we have given back to the world, what successes our graduates have had, and to how many lives have been positively touched by our work. For us to be successful, giving back to the global community and being a positive and inspiring influence in the lives of others is equally important to the financial gains we make. What good are profits, after all, if they are not used to do good things? Currently, we give 100% of our profits from sales in our bookstore to children's' charities, make a number of scholarships programs available to people who need what we offer but cannot afford it, and are committed to fostering and nurturing the independence and success of every person we work with. Further, AssistU is a "green" company, using environmentally friendly equipment, buying consciously, and seeking out and partnering with other socially, and environmentally responsible organizations.

 
Spirit at work:
     Our work is our spiritual practice.

The object of our work is to inspire others to greatness. We love what we do, are mindful of what and how we do it, and only engage in relationships with people who are inspired and moved to join us and who are a natural fit for our culture. That way, we can be aware, moment by moment, of what we're doing, who we're becoming, who we're touching and impacting, how and why. Keeping those things ever present and letting them guide all of our actions makes our work our spiritual practice.

 
Values:
     Our values determine our strategy.

As much as we want to grow and be successful, we know that the bottom-line, results-oriented methods used in many organizations won't work for us. For instance, rather than being focused on results, we focus on relationships. We know that the right relationships will drive the right results. We focus on people, and that focus drives profits. We focus on having incredibly high standards, and that focus builds a strong and durable organization. While we are exclusive by nature of our standards, within those standards we are completely inclusive—welcoming and loving. By being a values-based organization, and deeply wanting what's best for everyone within our organization at all times, we know that the it's not only where we end up that matters, but also how we get there. With that in mind, the journey is deeply considered when we think strategically. Doing what's right is every bit as important as doing things the right way. We look at both at every point along the way, turning down opportunities where there's no fit, or where it's simply not the right time for us.

 
Truth-telling and promise-keeping:
     We tell the truth and keep our promises

We believe that one of the most devastating things happening in the world today is the lack of integrity of many world-leaders. Their deceptions and manipulations send messages to the world that we cannot support. Who they say they are and what they do aren't congruent, causing distrust. Distrust leads to fear, and fear damages our global community.

When AssistU was founded, it was critical to us that we model integrity—and created a safe place where people would not only be required to, but would also feel free to always tell the truth. Without truth-telling and promise-keeping, we couldn't have created the values-based organization we've created. Truth-telling is simple, but not always easy, yet it has formed the foundation of our business. Our word is our bond. We underpromise and overdeliver, every time, and if we can't, we tell the truth about that, too. It's not about being flawless—we're far from it. it's about feeling free enough to be authentic at every step along the way, and learning and growing from our experiences.

 
Servant leadership:
     Our Leaders serve.

Our leaders are stewards for our company, for the Virtual Assistance profession, for the Administrative profession, for the clients of VAs, for the corporation that employs Administrative professionals, and for our global community. Stewardship requires that our leaders be committed to doing what's best for everyone and anyone at every given moment, to holding a vision for the highest and best for everyone, and to shining a floodlight on the path in front of people so they can see that vision and reach it easily. The goal is to serve by leading others to find their own greatness. In that greatness, we, as an organization, are also great.

 
Fun:
     Our work is fun.

If it's not fun, it's not done. We know that when people love what they do, if it's dynamic and flexible, if they are allowed to give all of themselves, contribute at a high level, are fully seen, valued and appreciated, if the atmosphere is light and we laugh a lot, and if they see their work as play, work will be fun, they'll be wonderfully productive, and we'll get magnificent results. Who ever said things had to be difficult?

 
Love:
     Love is the heart of our work.

There are only two things; love and fear. When love is present, fear cannot exist. When love is present, people give their best, they collaborate, they trust themselves and others, and they find the ability to become more than they ever thought possible then share that with others. Our community is built on love.

 
Learning:
     Learning fuels our souls.

If each of us learned 50 things each day, we would still never know all there is to know, or be able to do all there is to do. Still, being life-long learners, we always push ahead, seeing what's next to learn, moving toward mastery in all we do. Learning allows us to grow and become more—always more than we are today. That we also teach what we know and develop gives others a chance to learn something they cannot learn elsewhere. And collectively, with learning, teaching, and love, we can do anything.

 
Change:
     We start all change from within—one person at a time.

It's said that the only things you can count on in life are death and taxes. In reality, the only thing you can count on is change. Everything changes—it's part of the natural cycle of life. To fear change is to fear life, and that fear leads to disempowerment. As an empowering organization, we embrace change, and support others in seeing it in a new light.

It's amazing how many people have never been given permission to do what's best for themselves. Staying still serves no one; growing serves everyone. Playing small so that others can feel great about themselves isn't helpful; the world absolutely needs what each of us has to offer! Living for others isn't loving; self-sacrifice is rarely rewarded. On the other hand, engaging in self-care is always rewarded (whether you can see it or not), and allows a person to actually give more than might have otherwise been possible.

Every person in our organization knows that we celebrate when they honor themselves, for when they do what's best for themselves, they naturally also do what's best for the organization. A little bit of that, and their natural greatness starts to reveal itself and is offered to us. Inspiring change, inviting and having people look to themselves, first, allows us to build a strong organization, one person at a time. The stronger and more confident each of us is, the stronger and more viable the organization is.

 
Potential:
     We create opportunities for individuals to realize their potential.

Sure, we create roles within our organization and then seek out people to fill them, but we also empower people to create their own roles, or to apply for a role that's perhaps challenging in a new way, or that will nurture them in some way. We want people to only be doing what they love and do best, and we willingly and joyfully invest in their potential.

 
Beauty:
     We create beautiful surroundings that inspire the soul.

Our offices are beautiful and nurture and energize us. In beautiful surroundings we're more productive, effective, efficient, and joyful. We encourage those who work with us from different parts of the country to create soul-nurturing work-spaces. Given the virtual nature of our work, it's not uncommon for some of us to work outside, surrounded by nature. In fact, our Training Director can often be found working on her boat surrounded by the beauty and serenity of the water. We want people to be where they most want to be, doing what they most want to do.

 
Balance:
     We balance work with life.

Life is all of a piece. Each of us is only one person. We do not have multiple personalities—for instance the "real" person—the one we are when we're with those we love—and then the "business" person—the one we are when we're at work. Only one person lives one life, and learning to balance work with life is critical.

In our lives, work and play are the same, and we each walk a path to come to all parts of our lives as one person, in balance, and in joy. For many of us, it's the exact reason why we wanted to create our own businesses! We work when there's work to do, and we play when it's time to play. High standards are set within our organization regarding work time—and when it's over for the day, it's over for the day. Nothing in the world is so important that it can't wait till tomorrow, allowing each of us the time we need to be with friends and family, and honoring our own needs.

 
Authenticity:
     We live and work authentically.

To be authentic with each other, we must allow ourselves to be vulnerable to each other. We make mistakes. We tell the truth and we build trust. We communicate from the heart, and engage in real dialogs, real work, and real growth.

 
Courage:
     We are courageous.

It takes courage for an organization to fly in the face of the standard corporate model and create it's own successful model, yet we're doing it every day. It takes courage for an individual to step up to the plate and play as big as is possible, yet people at AssistU are doing it every day. We're not afraid to tell the truth, to be authentic, to give back to the world, and to be a values-based organization; we're certain that it's the only path for us to follow. A client once told us that we're "subversive in all the best ways." What a tremendous compliment! We couldn't live up to that, however, without being courageous.

 
Grace:
     We maintain a state of grace.

Grace within our organization manifests itself as graciousness with everyone we, as individuals and as a company, come in contact with. For us, grace is about honoring others—our friends and families, our customers, anyone whose lives we touch. It's about being compassionate, and responsive to the needs of others at all times—not only when it's easy for us. Through grace, we reach love, through love, we inspire others to greatness, and through their greatness, we find joy, and our organization meets our own definition of success.

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