Northern VA Services

01/19/2021

An excerpt from my [FIRST EVER] blog post!

Y'all, I have started collaborating with the lovely page, and I am one of their contributors, joining a fabulous group of women to talk about business and entrepreneurship!

I've been writing and scribbling away ever since I was in elementary school (really, I printed out a little story book when I was on second grade), and I'm so excited to have this opportunity to share my thoughts in a meaningful way with a strong community!

Follow the link in my bio to read my first blog, and let me know your thoughts! I can't wait to hear from you!

01/14/2021

I talk a lot about flying. If you hang around anyone who is a pilot, you'll find they talk a lot about it, too.

It isn't because we are trying to prove to you that we are superior, or we have more awesome lives. I promise.

But becoming a pilot takes a lot of time, a lot of resources, and is freaking hard! In order to succeed, REALLY succeed, you have to be both passionate and determined. Passion alone might get you started, but it won't sustain you through the process. Determination will take you through the end, but you might find you've started something you hate. Because we are both passionate, determined, and often very stubborn, pilots talk A LOT about one thing.

But the more time I spend in my chosen profession, working with coaches and small business owners, I know that those are the qualities of people who tackle the big challenge of getting themselves off the ground. These are the people who show up EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Who talk NONSTOP about what they do, about their work and the lives they change.

Maybe this is you! Or it could be you. I just want to encourage you, the big dreamer, the passionate chaser, to talk about what you do, to annoy the living sh*t out of your friends and family (with love) because you are so passionate about what you do.

There isn't a huge plan for this post today; I just found a picture and I started writing what came from my heart. But I want to give you this moment, this space, to tell me about your passion! You can leave a comment, or send me a DM. I want to hear from you!

01/12/2021

Introducing my Lead Gen services!

Everyone needs to generate leads for their business, but it can take A LOT of time!

Email lists are an important and useful way to distribute your content directly to your audience. Using a program like Mailchimp or ConvertKit, you can quickly create emailing lists to share freebies, newsletters, and promotions.

How do you create those email lists? With some kind of content that gives your potential clients value! We can work together to create these products, using programs such as Illustrator or Canva, to create easy to understand content that will help create a community that trusts you!

What is one of your most powerful tools for community building and client outreach? Your inbox! Seriously. People want to talk to you! They want to know that they're more than a number to you, and the more time you spend in that inbox, the more you increase that Like, Know, Trust factor! But it is time consuming! So we work together to manage your inbox, answering queries, engaging in conversation, and building bridges of trust.

Curious about how any of these services could impact your business? Send me a message or leave a comment!

01/11/2021

Don't mind me, just pretending I'm on a beach somewhere and it isn't winter or a pandemic.

But seriously, when was the last time you got a break? Of any kind? I know I'm speaking to a lot of small business owners, entrepreneurs, and boss ladies, and I know that you are ALL highly driven to succeed.

When you're running your operation, you feel like you're always going at top speed. You're doing everything: sales, marketing, programming, content creation, taking care of clients, answering emails and DMs AAAAALLLLLL DAY LONG.

And you know, deep in your soul, that you need a break. You need to be able to put your phone down, let your computer sleep, and kick back with your drink of choice. Maybe you just need to take a Sunday off, maybe you need a whole week. Didn't you start your own business because it offered you more freedom?

But I know it's hard to do that when you're a single person operation. If you aren't making the business run, then who is? Maybe you've thought about taking on employees. Or a business partner. But those options seem like a lot of headache, especially when you're at the start of your growth.

Here's where I tell you about a third option. An independent contractor, one who already has the skills you would have to train an employee to use, one who already owns their own business and has their own contract, so you don't have to do the dance with a business partner (yet).

A virtual assistant, who can take on those tasks that take up most of your time, who can keep your machine running INDEPENDENT OF YOU.

What would you do with a lighter load, and the chance to take some time off? Let me know in the comments.

01/07/2021

There is a reason why I prefer to support small businesses.

I actually have a small collection of cards I've gotten from online businesses I've purchased from. They're always excited that I live in Alaska, and that their business has stretched all the way to me. It isn't every day you get to ship something to a town called North Pole.

These sweet headbands came from , and not only do I get very stylish accessories to hide my hair that I haven't washed in a week, but I also get to support a sweet woman with some big goals. We've messaged back and forth, and these headbands will mean more to me than any I could have purchased from Target.

Where I can, I will always prefer to interact with a human being that I can relate to than a business that is all automation.

Drop into the comments and let me know what small business you love to support!

12/11/2020

11/30/2020

Required reading: How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

It's literally in the title - this is your handbook for being an influencer. There is a reason why this book is still in print over 80 years after it was published.

Don't criticize or condemn. Offer sincere appreciation. Be more interested than interesting.

The principles still make all the difference in our communications. I use these every day as I help my clients scale and grow their companies.

Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing posts about the principles shared in this book. While I still recommend reading the book, I understand that we are all busy!

Want to follow along? Turn on notifications for my posts, and let me know what you think!

11/25/2020

You deserve a coffee break.

Actually, you deserve a lot of things.

You deserve to sip your coffee in the morning as you scroll your personal Instagram page and check out your sister's pictures from her trip to Colorado.

You deserve to grind out your favorite workout at the gym with your music blasting in your pods.

You deserve to enjoy your evening with your husband, lounging on the couch and watching The Crown on Netflix.

And you deserve to do all of these things without your phone in your hand!

When I ask coaches about they biggest struggle with their business, one of the top answers I always get is that they struggle with boundaries. In this day and age of remote, virtual work, it is so easy to stay in work mode all day long! It's even easier when you absolutely love what you do! But no one is built to stay in work mode, and in the long run, it doesn't benefit you or your clients.

Tag that friend that doesn't know they deserve a break. Then go get that cup of coffee!

11/19/2020

This past weekend didn't go the way I wanted it to. I went out of town with the hope that I would get enough weather days to finally finish my flight training. The forecasts looked great, I drove the six hours south and booked the hotel.

Then three of my four days were fogged over. The clouds came in and didn't move for days at a time. The next city over had clear skies, but that didn't matter when I couldn't get the airplane out of the airport.

Was it frustrating? Yes. Did I feel a little helpless? Absolutely.

Did I let it stop me?

No.

I reached out to my support system a few times and asked for help. Then I got to work. I spent the sudden kid-dog-housework-free weekend building contracts and welcome packages, collaborating with my sweet mentor, and reaching out to new potential clients. I mapped out my business goals and defined the path I want to walk down.

And then, when the skies cleared on Monday, I started my engine and I flew one of the best flights I've ever done.

Life doesn't work out like we want to. Ever. That would be a boring way to do things. So instead of focusing on the exact outcome I want, I work on building the structure around myself so it doesn't matter what life throws at me, I have what I need to adapt, both professionally and personally.

What kind of support system do you have around you?

11/14/2020

Well, sometimes work gets done in my home office, and sometimes it gets done in a random hour in a coffee shop.

11/10/2020

One question I hear a lot is do I really need a virtual assistant? The real answer is IT DEPENDS!.

Have you figured out the basics of your business? Do you know who your ideal client is?
Do you have a landing page and an onboarding process?

If you aren't sure about those, then you should probably look at working with a business coach first! They will help you build the foundation for your business to grow o.

Are your processes running pretty smoothly? You've got it pretty well figured out and you have clients coming in, but you feel like you're spending all of your time on those back end things? You're spending hours sending DMs and emails when you want to be brainstorming your next business move? You're feeling a little overwhelmed with everything you have to do to keep your business going?

If that's how you feel, then it's time to think about bringing on a VA! They are an extension of you in your business - a second pair of hands, an extra few hours in the day.

What could a VA give to you?

11/09/2020

Happy Monday!

What you see: my first attempt to get good Instagram photos in my kitchen.

What you don't see:
❄ 14 inches of snowfall outside my kitchen window (all overnight).
❄ my dogs eating the crumbs under the high chair
❄ my toddler pulling out everything from the bottom of my pantry and packing it around my feet.

Anyone else have hilarious stories around their Instagram photos?