I'm coming late to the blog party, and I figure I should introduce myself.
If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be running my own virtual efficiency agency (I'll explain that in a minute), I'd have looked at you like you were crazy.
Ten years ago, I was raising my kids, working nights at Walmart, and doing court transcription in between to earn extra money. And ten years before that I had left my position as an executive assistant for a commercial real estate firm when I had my second child.
Let me go back even further so you can get some context.
I'd had many years of administrative positions in the years before that, commercial and personal lines insurance, hospitality (catering/conference services...I loved this industry!), government contracting/legal, and financial.
It occurred to me early on that in order to make my boss look good (the real job of a secretary), I had to know a LOT about what they do so I could anticipate what they'd need. Inevitably, I'd end up getting promoted to a managerial position. The pay was good, but I learned that it was not nearly as satisfying. This happened to me several times over.
I always enjoyed learning new skills and educating myself in whatever industry I was working in. I was blessed to work for companies both large and small, and I saw the good, the bad, and the ugly.
So, back to 10 years ago. I was working at Walmart (a job I enjoyed when I worked nights, but not so much when I was moved to days). Eventually, I decided to leave and go back to school to brush up on my administrative skills.
The job I secured right after graduation didn't last long. They laid me off on my birthday (Here-are-some-flowers-we-dug-up-from-our-yard-you-can-work-until-noon-thank-you-very-much).
I noticed that in Asheville where I lived, there were a TON of startup businesses that were solopreneurs that were surely overwhelmed with all the 'stuff and things' that needed to be done in addition to THE THING they do. There were virtual assistants, but some things are just better when they are done in person (paper, for instance). Within two weeks I had my first client and was soon hopping from business to business (in person...this was in the Before Times).
The business grew, and I soon added some other people to the team to handle all the work. The company became Moxie Administrative Services, and my 'people' became known as Moxettes.
And then 2020 arrived with COVID in tow. I had to wrap my brain around turning my in-person business into a virtual one.
So, back to Square One. Let me just market myself as a virtual assistant and see what happens.
Much virtual networking ensued, and I met many amazing people. I soon had a growing virtual business, but I also had a growing list of resources that my clients could benefit from (social media, IT support, web design, etc.)
I started marketing as a virtual office manager. I can handle your administrative tasks, and also introduce you to people that I recommend for the things I can't do.
Fast forward six months. I need help. I added another virtual assistant.
Then one day, a client came to me with a challenge. Help her reduce her client onboarding time, which was taking her over an hour per client. We got to work and found ways to automate and streamline her systems and processes. She's now down to 15 minutes per client, which allows her to take on more clients AND have some weekend time with her family. How does it get better than that?
These days, we have three Moxettes, including a tech Moxette (my automations person) to support solo and micro businesses in streamlining their back offices so they can spend more time in their genius zone.
How did I get here? It was a long and winding road, but the trip has been so much fun. The good news, the journey is not over.
I've been resisting the idea of writing a blog/email; I'm not exactly sure why other than I have no idea what kind of content I'd write. So, this blog might be a little all over the place; some inspirational, some business-oriented, some quick tips. You definitely won't be bored.
Sign up for my monthly newsletter to get access to the blog before anyone else.
I look forward to getting to know you.
Comments