Patti Hoffman

:: Class 17 - August 10, 2010 ::

This week we had a bunch of fieldwork due for the VTP including our Welcome Packet. I really had fun putting that together. I can't believe I got all that work done in time, I must say I breathed a very nice sigh of relief. It really felt like a final big push towards the finishing line. We're getting pretty close to our last class. Only 3 more classes left! Time has just really flown. I almost can't believe we're this close to our final class.

I really want to take some time to review all my notes and set aside any questions I might have. The final exam is quickly approaching and I want to be as prepared as I can be to do very well on it.

In class this week we practiced interviewing potential clients by going over some of their most commonly asked questions. It was very enlightening because what you think your response will be in your head isn't always what actually comes out when you're actually having that discussion. I've really come to value the practicing that we're doing and hope to continue that on my end. It will definitely help me solidify my standards and have the language to back them up.

This week we talked about the interview process. We talked about how important this process is and how asking questions and having discussions about the topics important to our business is really worth our time. It's so important to have these discussions before ever committing to a working partnership. It makes so much sense to not just assume every client that's looking for a VA is good fit for me and vice versa. The interview process allows us to get to know each other, our work styles, and expectations before we commit to working together. I also think it strengthens our integrity. Especially when we know we won't fit with someone. Having the language to tell them so with gracefulness and a helping attitude is a good strength to have.

I love how this process can be used in various aspects of my life, not just my business!

Our Business Plan was due today. It was such a relief to turn mine in today! I had built up a bit of anxiety over it I guess, because it felt like a big weight off my shoulders. I was definitely in the mood to celebrate!

I'm so glad I did it though and grateful that I had a teacher to review it for me. The research I put into it has really helped me get clearer and more specific with what I was envisioning for my business.

Especially the one, three, and five year projections. I found that hard to do, but at the same time it really helped me get in touch with what *I* really wanted for the future. Like fine tuning my inner voice. :)

One of the things we talked about in today's class was the highest value of the VA role. The word that lit up in my thoughts was 'significant'. I want my relationships with my clients to bring about positive change and to feel so significant to them that they wonder why they hadn't thought of getting a VA before. I'm excited to have conversations that will focus on goals and not tasks as our guide. I get excited just thinking about it. Having conversations with people at that level appeals to me very much.

I'm finishing up my business plan and the discussions we're having are really helping me add the finishing touches. I can appreciate how all this research will come in handy now and in the future.

Well, time is flying in the VTP! We got our business plans back last week & I'm feeling so good about the comments made. I think they're really going to help me go deeper in the research I need to do for my business. I love how it's coming together. I feel like putting this plan together is really helping me organize my thoughts. It's a great tool to help me execute a well thought out plan.

The marketing ideas in these chapters are really helpful. So much to do! I'm taking a deep breath and moving along at a steady pace.

One of the items we had due this week was to create signature lines. I had so much fun finding clever signature lines on the web. Some were just downright hilarious. I found a couple that I felt would suit me well for my clients and kept some in the back burner for personal use.

This research sure did help me expand my mind a bit on what I could use. It's refreshing to use something different.

I don't think I've mentioned this yet but I've been interning with AssistU during the VTP. I'm learning so much about what it would be like to have a client from this experience and the coaching I'm getting is awesome! I'm living in great appreciation for all the blessings in my life.

This week marks the halfway point for our group in the VTP! We've covered so much so far and all our homework seems to be coming together now in our other larger projects. It's down hill from here, but there's so much to do! :)

Our business plan draft is due this coming week and there's still quite a bit of research that I need to do. So I'm feeling a little bit nervous about it, but I'll be so happy once I have the draft completed because that will get me that much closer to my final version.

This weekend is the 4th of July weekend. I had plans to go out of town to visit a friend, but I'm so glad she cancelled. It turns out it was just bad timing for both of us and postponing worked out great for all of us. So, I am tickled pink to be home all weekend and participate in local fun and get my work done, stress free with any time constraints.
Yay!

I love modules 9 & 10 of the VTP! I began to learn about the Law of Attraction several years ago and it changed my life. Bumping into it here in the VTP is a godsend. Reading through the 25 principles was enlightening. Especially when the levels were added. It gives you a way to gauge where you're at in the principles that you use to base your personal growth.

I'm so appreciative of all that I am learning in the VTP and seeing how the LOA principles plays its part as we form our business is a testament that I'm on the right path.

This week we practiced our elevator speeches. I was a little nervous about not only what I would write but also how I would sound to my class and to prospective clients. I have never prepared an elevator speech, so this was a first for me. Creating it was actually kind of fun, especially when I purposely crafted it to appeal to a certain type of person that I felt would be enjoyable to work with.

Sharing my speech and getting some feedback on how my sound and content was very helpful. Actually, hearing how others sound and what their content was in comparison to what I was doing was also quite helpful. It gave me more ideas and a better sense of what works and doesn't work for me. This experience was another reminder to me of how much I can learn from others who are on similar journey.

This was an exciting class! We reviewed the two different elevator speeches. What a great idea to practice our language when talking to potential clients and our network of scouts. I'm a little nervous about how I will sound but I think with practice I will get pretty comfortable with it.

I'm really excited about how the VTP is really beginning to take form in a very tangible way for my new practice. I'm beginning to feel more confident in how well I'll be prepared for this new and exciting endeavor in my life.

This week has been great. I had something drop off my schedule and it really helped me to use that time to refuel myself with something for me. This in turn helped me to get into a more creative mode which is always a good thing for me!

We had a couple of important topics come up in this week's VTP. The first was regarding multi VA businesses and understanding some of the challenges facing this type of business structure. It's so good to know up front from people who have been in the industry some of its current trends and pitfalls. I'm forever grateful of my time in the VTP to learn some of these valuable lessons! The other topic we discussed that I found really helpful was learning about the 2 tier fee structure. I've never worked with a retainer type of structure, so this is new to me and exciting to learn about. I'm still wrapping my head around how I will setup my fees especially since I plan on adding a couple of specialties, but I'm confident I will get solid on this soon.

Today I live in great gratitude for all that is today!

Today we talked about having Reserves. I place a lot of importance on balance in my life, but have not thought much about reserves. I had never connected reserves with choices or how having reserves gives you more control over your choices and how having control of your choices ultimately gives you control over your destiny. This is a very big idea and one I intend to put more conscious effort into and experiment with. Out of the 10 or 11 reserves we spoke about I think that about 4 of them need tending to for myself.

I really like the question that was asked too: Does it pay, nurture, support, or feed you? That's a very helpful question to ask when you're not sure or feel your inner voice start to arise.

This has been a very busy 10 days for me. I thought I was pretty good at balancing things but could see certain things will definitely take me more time than I thought. We had a pretty big load on this week's assignments and I think I didn't quite get what was being asked. I noticed this last week when asked about the image I wanted to portray.

Challenging new ways of thinking things through, but I welcome the growth.

To expand on authenticity even further we were asked "What do I want to be true?" Wow, now in general I would say world peace and love, heaven on earth. But, getting back to reality and the VTP I was feeling a little awkward with this question. I felt like someone just handed me the winning lotto ticket now what to do with it. Seriously, this is super freeing and so creative. Setting up standards and boundaries that honor me and the business I'm creating... how blessed am I to have found AssistU!

I got my printer back online in my office and it's already coming in handy. I find printing my lists when they get long helps me stay organized. Otherwise, I end up with way too many post its hanging around. I ran into a snafu with email this week, but lesson learned. I thought I was actually fixing my word wrap but I made it worse. I still believe you don't know till you try. Although perhaps this could have been one of those things learned from someone whose already been there. Still, lesson learned there too.

We talked about Multi-VA businesses this week. Sounds like things can get a bit complicated quickly there. We also talked about authenticity. What an important truth to live out! I spent plenty of time trying to be what others wanted me to be. Most especially in my work life. I realized how conditioned I was when asked about the image I wanted to portray. I responded with the word professional and quickly saw how superficial that can be, again I thought to myself there go those soft skills I reflected back on weeks ago. I'm really grateful for the importance the VTP is placing on authenticity, I believe it will make a world of difference for me in my life. It's an adjustment to think this way, but one I'm willing to act on.

There was a lot of reading this week. If I had to summarize I think I would draw a blank first then I'm sure something would pop out. I think it would be a good idea to highlight certain pieces that pop out for me. I'm really finding our writing book to be a valuable resource. I've always considered myself pretty good with spelling and English, but the book shows me that I'm clearly mistaken in some areas.

I'm sure I'll refer back to it when I'm unsure of what the proper way of wording a sentence should be.

We were asked to write an essay about our skills in this week's assignment. This brought something interesting to my attention about me. That is, when asked what my skills are I go right to hard skills.

Soft skills just do not come to mind, but they are equally or I'm thinking now even more important in this new venture I'm on.

In this week's class we talked about the various legal forms of business. I will definitely be seeking legal and/or accounting support on this decision. We talked at length about support systems. I have never put together a support system like this before, in particular with my last business venture. I can certainly see the common sense in doing so. I'm glad to get the term micro-business back into the language I use with the guidance I seek. I think that gets us on the right track pretty quickly.

I went to the portal and set up my profile. Introduced myself at the forum. Everyone was very welcoming and it seems like such a supportive atmosphere, I really like it. I cruised around the forums and added subscriptions to keep up with a few boards. So much to check out and it's all still new. I hope to participate more in the forums once I get past my learning curve. Still feeling a little overwhelmed with how things are done so I have written my lists to make sure I don't miss anything. So many tools to choose from for organization, this week I'm writing it down till I've evaluated a few.

One of the things we talked about in class today was the VA Mantra: Listen, Evoke, Clarify, Discuss, Support. I think I'm a pretty good listener but right off the bat I could sense my inner voice telling me, 'Hey missy. Evoke, ask questions'. I could tell that I have learned to keep my questions quick and brief from the past jobs I've had or send an email. It's always been so fast paced that you have to sometimes just do, but that won't work in the VTP or in my own business, I'll have to re-train this part of me to ask away! I can also see how if you don't ask clients in particular questions and clarify you can get yourself in trouble. This is deserving of an Index Card.

My name is Patti and I come to the VTP with almost 20 years of corporate work experience behind me. I say this with love and appreciation for all it's taught me, but I am very ready to move on to having my very own business. I certainly feel like I'm embarking on a new journey, unsure of what's ahead but excited to discover it all!

Today was Orientation Day! I must admit I'm definitely feeling overwhelmed with the amount of information I received and hoping to figure out a way to get this all organized, especially due dates. I was excited to meet my teacher Lorri Morin, my two fellow classmates, and my new buddy Yvonne. So many new relationships. I'm excited to get started.