30 Days of Thanks – Days 7, 8, 9 & 10

A little behind on this! Must have been a great weekend.

Day 7 – Ah Saturday! On Saturday I was really thankful for being by myself. The DH had a trip to Denver hauling the Grand Junction High School football team to play in the state playoffs. I spent some time with my IAAP chapter members and then went window shopping. It was a pleasant and very duty-free day.

Day 8 – Sunday is a day to give praise to God and really be grateful for what I have, my family, and more. I made up for Saturday and cleaned out a bedroom. Very thankful that I set a goal and got it done. Have faith!

Day 9 – Monday! I was thankful for clients. It was a full day of client work and they were thankful I was here to help them. Is that called Reverse Thanks?

Day 10 – Today. Thankful and praiseful of marriage. I am giving thanks that I have a wonderful husband who is tolerate enough to drive school buses. He also tucks me in when he leaves at 5:30am every morning, after feeding the dogs and cats, and making awesome coffee. In a weird way, very thankful for a failed first marriage. Without that, I would never know how really truly great marriage and a partnership could be.

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30 Days of Thanks – Day 6

On Fridays I have a recurring telephone call with two AssistU virtual assistants, Kathy Watkins and Katrina Chesney. We talk about our businesses, what we may be stumbling over, what we are planning to strategically position our businesses with – new skills/new markets/new adventures and more.

We started as an accountability call and have morphed more into a Mastermind Group.

I am so thankful for these two brilliant, sensitive, funny, and amazing women who have become my friends.

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30 Days of Thanks – Day 5

Today is Thursday. Thursdays are the days I deliver Meals on Wheels in Grand Junction.

I am very thankful that I am able to do this small giving to people who enjoy and need the service. I walk out of their apartments thankful that I can take time from my life to share their life, if only for a few moments. I have made friends among my deliverees and really like talking with them and seeing how they are doing.

I am thankful for all the volunteers that support this!

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30 Days of Thanks!

There is a wonderful and thought-provoking event happening. It is called the 30 Days of Thanks. Here is how it started.

The jist is to write each day about something you are thankful for. I know that many people, myself included, get so caught up in the daily life and especially what is not going right. Well, if you are a student of the Law of Attraction, you know that focusing on what is not working or those bumps in the road, that is exactly what you will attract.

So, for the next 30 days (since I am starting a few days late – just may go into December), I will be participating. What an awesome way to simply give thanks to God for even the littlest things.

Today:

I am grateful for family. I am lucky to have grown up in a very strong family. For the last 22 years, we have have all lived in the same town – I have three brothers, mom and her husband, an aunt, cousins, son, and nephew who all live here. Wow! Our family gatherings at the holidays are just the best – the best food, the best drink (which we need sometimes), and the best fun.

Although I may not see or talk to them on a daily basis, I do know that if I needed anyone of them in an emergency, they would be there.

Story: My mom had some health issues last year. At one point she did not even wake her husband up – she drove herself to the hospital in the middle of the night and just left him a note. At least she called me at 6:00am (snort!). Turns out she needed surgery so the brothers and I were marking time in the waiting room. Needless to say, waiting rooms are not very entertaining, but we apparently were for the other individuals that were in the room. We just were having great conversations, laughter, and more.

Picture this – the waiting room is on the bottom floor of the hospital. Not great cell phone coverage. So, at one point I was riding the elevators to different floors so I could use my cell phone to call my husband and kids with status updates. My older (and supposedly smarter) brother was walking around in the waiting room with his arm held high trying to find the strongest signal. An hour into this, what happens? The phone in the waiting room rings. (Big snort and lots of laughter here.) Who would have thought of using an actual landline to call anyone?

There was a woman who commented on our behavior (which to my mom’s chagrin is often), and just loved us. So we made her write a note to our mom saying how great we were, how entertaining, and how she was lucky to have us. The moment our mom was lucid we made sure to give that to her!

Ultimately, you choose your friends, your clients, but cannot choose your family. I am so grateful for my family in so many ways.

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I am Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams….

I love reading! I must be currently reading at least 4 books and always take a book with me in case I have extra time in the doctor’s office, waiting for my Meals on Wheels route to be called – you get the idea.

Although I hardly ever read a book twice, I have found a book that is totally engaging, informative, and worth reading over and over again. It is I am Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams, I am. I am. I am.

It is a fast and easy read written by Tom and Penelope Pauley. They take you gently, but firmly, through specific steps that reinforce the subtitle of the book – “How to Get Everything You Want in Life.” Is it easy? Is it a quick fix? No!

Do you have to do some work? Yes!

If you want more in your life, then this is a great book and resource for you.

I will be reading it a second time and posting my progress. So far, I have had some amazing things manifest thanks to this process and to my willingness to trust God and detach from the outcome. I do have a word of caution – be careful what you ask for! Why? Well, I did get some of the things I wrote in my book, but the method they arrived was not necessarily the easiest. For example, I had a new computer on my list. Granted, my old computer was a mere 7 years old, survived one hard drive crash, and a couple of lightning strikes, so why would I want a new one? I was listening to my intuition and backing up every night. Then – BOOM! The Crash of 09 happened. Thus, a brand new, faster, bigger, more efficient computer was in my office. Not the best way, I will admit. But, it manifested itself.

The book, I am Rich… gives me some great step-by-step ways to become even richer than I am. I have learned and continue to learn that I have a lot of really great things and people in my life. My virtual assistant business is amazing – I can truly say I love all of my clients. My family is wonderful, supportive, and challenging. I have a roof over my head, fuzzy pets and loving pets, and a beautiful view from my office. We have our health – which is saying something!

I encourage to get the book (even if you check it out from the library), read it, and start putting the steps into practice.

You deserve everything you want in life!

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Exploring A Career As A Virtual Assistant – Virtual Book Tour Stop #6

My VA colleague, Jessica Maes, has just launched her book Exploring A Career As A Virtual Assistant and she is currently on virtual tour to promote it! Jessica operates a busy Virtual Assistance practice from her home office in Madison, WI. Additionally, Jessica has taught a class at the University of Wisconsin through the Minicourse department called Exploring A Career As A Virtual Assistant since early 2009. The class has had great response based on the ever growing interest in the Virtual Assistance industry and the current job market conditions that have people exploring their career options more vigorously than ever before. Jessica wrote the book so that people beyond driving distance to the University can learn much of the same information she shares from the comfort and convenience of their own home. After all, this is a book about working virtually, so sharing the information offsite is a natural fit! You can read a free sample from the book by clicking here.

As part of this tour stop, Jessica is available to us today to answer your burning questions about the Virtual Assistance industry! Post your question by leaving a Comment below. Jessica will respond in the Comments section so be sure to check back!

To celebrate the book’s launch, Jessica has a few goodies to offer us. The first is a 20% discount off the purchase of the book. Simply use the promo code THANKYOU during check out.

The second is that one lucky ready will receive a free copy of the eBook version of the book! To be eligible to win, you simply need to post a question about Virtual Assistance in the comments section of this post. The winner will be chosen at random and announced here in a couple of days.

The book is currently available for immediate download via an eBook format and in hard copy. To purchase the book, Click here to visit JessicaMaes.com website!.

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2009 – 2010 IAAP CWM Division Webinars are Starting!

I am thrilled to announce the first two CWM Division/Chapter-sponsored webinars for 2009-2010! Be sure to sign up asap to secure your seat!

Costs: TBD

Experience: PRICELESS

August 25 – Bill Beausay

My name is Bill Beausay and I’ve been speaking for IAAP chapters for about 6 months. I live between Houston and Denver, and I’d love you to consider having me come to speak for a chapter event sometime this summer. My topic is Personal Power and Creating Miracles When You’re Done In, Fed Up and Stressed Out. It’s a great talk that your membership will love.

Bill Beausay
“The Inner Game Coach”
www.beausay.com
bill@beausay.com
billbeausay on Twitter

September 29 – Christopher Novak

My name is Christopher Novak and I am the author of, Conquering Adversity – an inspiring book for more than 50,000 professionals in hundreds of organizations and also a one-of-a-kind presentation that has brought thousands more to their feet at conferences, retreats and special events both nationally and internationally. At a time when people need to be inspired, I wanted to introduce my services as a professional motivational speaker. My website, www.ConqueringAdversity-speaker.com, has more information including demo-video, audio-clips, book excerpt, references and much more. I invite you to visit.

At its core, Conquering Adversity is about the hero we all have inside. It’s about rising above the rigors of even severe change, challenge or setback. The 6 strategies that I present – affirmation, expectation, communication, locomotion, collaboration and celebration – offer both professional and personal development insights that can help us move forward through difficult times. It is an ideal message for inspiring people to be their best both in and out of the workplace.

The backdrop for this transformational message is a true-life tragedy that devastated my life ten years ago when a man high on drugs and out to sell his poison ran a stop sign at high speed and killed my wife as she drove home from work. She was seven months pregnant with our second child. The experience is an unimaginable nightmare but in its wake is valuable insight about the journey forward; about what makes a difference in rising from the ashes of one dream to create and reach another. Conquering Adversity is about discovering and unleashing our inner strength – about building a team one hero at a time. It will leave your group inspired, empowered and talking about the impact of its message long after the session ends.

“Conquering Adversity,” has been featured at major events across the country including CUPA-HR Midwest Conference in Chicago, mega-session at the SHRM National Conference in Las Vegas; U.S. Department of Justice’s National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina; Colgate University, Bucknell and Bloomsburg universities; and the New York National Guard. Businesses of all sizes have invited me to keynote their events including Magna Powertrain, Lane Construction, Hess Inc., Byrne Dairy, Crowley Foods and more. I presented “Conquering Adversity” as a keynote to more than 1,200 education professionals at the New York State AHPERD Conference last fall; Reaching At-Promise Students (RAPSA) conference in San Diego; and the opening keynote for more than 200 HR professionals at the Chesapeake SHRM conference this past April. A few weeks ago, I was a keynote speaker in Dallas for a PRIMA conference of 700 risk management professionals. My references are extensive.

Conquering Adversity resonates with every audience and in every venue, from ballrooms of thousands to conference rooms of a dozen, so please accept my invitation to learn more about my services at my website.

My professional background includes director of human resources at Cornell University and HR manager for a ceramic manufacturer. In 2001, I started, The Summit Team, focusing on leadership development and executive coaching and have authored two other business books, Lead Like a Pirate, and 4 Circles of Good Business. I have a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics-mathematics and a masters degree in business management.

Conquering Adversity is more than a book or a keynote for me – it’s a passion that I know makes a difference in people’s lives. I am proud to have shared its inspiration with thousands of professionals already and would welcome an invitation to do so at future events your organization is planning.

Christopher Novak
Author, International Speaker & Leadership Coach
The Summit Team
P.O. Box 172
Marcellus, NY 13108
(315) 673-1323
www.ConqueringAdversity-speaker.com

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No ‘I’ in Team But Two in Winning

I am wrapping up a two-year stint as the Colorado-Wyoming-Montana Division President for the International Association of Administrative Professionals. It has been an amazing term, but I am ready to let go and let others take the reins.

As part of my out-going speech (which was short much to the surprise of people who know I love to tell stories), I showed an iLearningGlobal video by Dan Clark, entitled Team. I chose this particular video, not only because I am a huge fan of Dan Clark’s and have shown his videos at leadership workshops, but because it speaks to the core of what I wanted to do as the CWM Division President. The following is based on Dan’s video about Team because it resonates so strongly with me.

The saying goes that there is no ‘I’ in team, but there are two in ‘winning’. There are always those with the buzz phrase – ‘It’s all about Team.” Do you agree? If you said ‘Yes,’ think about this – Teams lose! So, yes, in my mind winning is completely different and can help you build that strong team or IAAP chapter.

The two ‘I’s’ in winning are commitments that are important to building strong teams or groups:

The first I – Independent and Individual Preparation
Clarity (like attitudes attract like)
Character (what you do when no one else is looking)
Confidence (mind memory)
Consistency (perfect practice)
Change
Cause (why and how you do things)
Chemistry (who you do things with)

The second I – Interdependence Collaboration
Contribution (making everyone around you better)
Cohesion (people leave saying “I like me best when I am around you.”)
Conclusion (focus/finish)

Are you the best that you can be? When you rely on others more than ourselves, we relinquish our power. Our power from within to become more of who we already are. This is an important concept for team builders, as well as team members. We should rise to the occasion and contribute to the win. How can we do that?

Can you exceed expectations? No – you have simply misjudged your expectations. I tell people ‘not’ to step out of your comfort zone because you can step right back in if the going gets tough. I tell them to ‘expand’ their comfort zones. See the difference?

As a leader, these are my goals:

The right players have the 10 Cs mentioned above. You cannot win with just the best players, you must have the right players.

Here is your question: ‘Why?’ This could be why are you here; why are you doing what you are doing; why are you a leader…..

The answer should be – To make everybody better – a better person; a better leader; a better friend…….

Challenge: Be the best you can be and exceed expectations – because you can!

*If you are interested in learning more about iLearningGlobal, please contact me.

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No, Wait! If You Order Now – Get 2 for $19.95 Plus S&H!

I was reading a blog post by a colleague, Carol D’Annunzio, today about another blog post recommending that other business owners ‘test drive’ a virtual assistant.

Carol makes excellent points about virtual assistants being business owners – not employees, we don’t work for a ‘wage,’ and we certainly should not be willing to be test driven. A lot of new virtual assistants feel they should lower their rates to get clients, give away some hours, compromise standards – all to get a client. It reminds me of the guy on tv who pimps a product and then says, “Wait! Order now and you get two for the price of one! All you pay is extra shipping and handling!”

When virtual assistants use these marketing techniques, I think it comes from a place of fear or desperation. How do I know? Well, been there, done that, have a T-shirt. Oftentimes, a business owner does need that first client or perhaps their business is the primary source of income for a family. However, I would recommend strengthening standards and expectations instead of lowering them.

Why?

Most VAs are strong believers in the Law of Attraction. You attract what you are putting out in terms of clients, business, and more. I have proven to myself time and time again, that if I stick to my standards and expectations – guess what? I attract the best clients and they seem to come out of the woodwork. Working with my coach, Stacy Brice, has helped me develop a client base of the best clients. And, she challenges me to stick to my processes.

I have a consultation process for potential clients. When I stick to it, I actually attract clients who are a great fit for my business. The process entails 1) a short 10-minute call to see how well we like each other’s voices, 2) assessment questions, and 3) one or two 60-90 in-depth telephone calls that get into how the client runs their business, how my business works, and the details of working together.

I will not be test driven by a potential client. I think that is disrespectful – would you consider test driving a plumber? A lawyer? A doctor? I think not.

Remember – you are a business owner and by that alone, you can determine how you run your business, how you will permit others to treat you, and what processes and standards you put in place for your business. That does not mean you won’t change or morph along the way. I would hope you do as you learn what you like, don’t like, will accept, won’t accept and more. A static business is not a growing and successful business.

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Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

I have more than 18 years of administrative experience in the corporate world, 5 as a virtual assistant/business owner and still have many colleagues working in the brick and mortar arena. In addition, I am active in the International Association of Administrative Professionals as a Division President.

Each year we honor those in the administrative field with Administrative Professionals Week and Day. For one day, they get flowers, lunch, and ‘maybe’ an educational seminar. In some companies the administrative professional is the lowest person on the totem pole. In others – they are treated like gold. Why the discrepancy? Who knows.

Administrative professionals can be some of the most highly talented and skilled individuals that actually keep their company running and their bosses sane. They have moved from the pearls and getting coffee stage to the project manager/jack of many trades stage. They can provide solutions to technical issues, plan meetings and events – and pull them off spectacularly. By keeping up with technology, administrative professionals can also offer companies money-saving ways to hold meetings virtually and reduce travel costs.

Yet, I often hear that companies do not value their input or job position. Sad. I still remember a response from a survey I took just a couple of years ago when an administrative professional said she was told in front of others that a trained monkey could do what she does.

As a virtual assistant and business owner, I don’t have to deal with that attitude. Why do we still have to deal with it in the workplace?

My hat is off to the thousands of administrative professionals today, tomorrow, and the day after.

You are amazing!

Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

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