Perspectives

People think about success in usually the same way - if you’re rich, if you’re a jetsetter, if you’re a moviestar, if you’re traveling constantly and making great sums of money, you’re a success. But I’d like to talk about success in an individual way.

I believe success is different to every person. I believe you determine what your success looks like - and it’s different from anyone else’s picture.

Mine looks like this: I run my own business (actually two of them), I get to work with the people I choose to work with who have the same passion about what they do that I have in what I do. They respect me and my boundaries. They are amazing people and I feel privileged they have decided to work with me as their VA.

I am able to work the hours I want to work and the days I want to work (most of the time anyway). I am able to do the things I love. I am able to work from my home office. I am able this week to be with my mother who is having surgery.

This is my definition of success. I live a joyful life, I have a wonderful family, I have the best clients in the world, I have a business that is new and thrilling and challenging every day, I have an amazing team member who is my pride and joy (you make me happy, Tracey DelCamp), and I am able to be with my family when the need arises.

So I ask you today to think about how YOU define success. Is it the definition that everyone has created for you? Or is it your definition? Think about what you want in life and make it happen. That is success!

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Vickie

I can’t let another day go by without letting everyone know how thankful I am to my clients.

My clients are the cream-of-the-crop. They are the type of clients we all, as VAs, wish we had. They are kind, courteous, respectful of my time, and most of all, they have a passion for what they do - which makes my job easy. When they are passionate about what they do, it makes it easy for me to do what I do. It makes it a joy to work with them each and every day.

Last year was a break-out year and I know 2008 is going to be even better! To my clients - I say a great, big thank you for 2007 and I look forward to what 2008 holds in store. We are going to do great things together.

Have you thanked someone lately? I have a wonderful friend, mentor and client (thank you, Andrea at BossaNova) who talks about a grateful list all the time. Write down your grateful list. Then, when you’re feeling blue or having a bad day, you can look at that list and have something to be grateful for. Try it and see how it works for you. Who knows, it may change your life!

Vickie

I know, don’t freak! I didn’t die, I didn’t fall off the face of the earth, I simply got busy and stopped blogging! After much urging from some friends (and especially my VA), I’ve decided to try and get back in the game. I can’t guarantee how much I’ll do it, but I promise to be more active than I have been in the past 3 months.

Today I want to talk about resolutions. I wrote this article in The VA Blueprint’s latest newsletter and I thought it was pretty good.

It’s a New Year and what do most people start a new year off with - Resolutions! Yes, the word that brings dread and feelings of loss to most of us. Because let’s face it - what do we do with resolutions? We throw them out within the first couple of weeks. We’ve resolved that we are a failure at resolutions.

My thought is to change your mindset about the word.

Resolutions is just another word for goals - yet goals seems to have more action behind them, more weight behind them. So call it whatever you like but the main point is to DO something, take action.

Don’t just say, This is a new year and I’m going to _____________.

Instead say, This is a new year and I’m doing __________.

You see, you are already moving; you’re shifting; you’re doing something; you’re taking action, instead of just saying you’re going to.

Be resolute this year to take action! And let us know how you do.

Vickie

I can’t wait to tell you about the next FREE teleseminar that The VA Blueprint is having. Read about it below, then contact Suzanne or I if you have any questions. We’d love to have you be a part of this great seminar.

Do You Need a Success Story? - Thursday, December 13^th at 8pm EST

Join us as we interview three highly successful VAs on their tips, secrets, and insights! They are spilling all the beans and you will want to hear it live!

Also, learn about The VA Blueprint, our January Kick Start Classes, and how your success is just around the corner.

This is a call you will not want to miss. Get inspiration, education, and insights from the best in the business!

All moderated by Suzanne Evans.

To Register send a blank email to: acct1-287808@autocontactor.com.

Suzanne and Vickie

“The VA Dream Queens”

I wanted to start out this week a little differently. Instead of starting worrying about all that has to be done this week, especially today, I decided to concentrate on the good things in my life, such as being able to own my own successful VA business, working with ideal clients who I appreciate and who appreciate me, and just sharing a laugh.

There have been many studies showing that laughter is good medicine. It helps you stay healthy and don’t we all need a good dose every now and then. So today is for laughter.

I was going to make this great point about how perspective and perception is everything. And how sometimes we are fooled into thinking we have the perfect relationship (whether business or personal), but we end up kissing a monkey.

But let’s just enjoy instead. Be thankful you’re not kissing a monkey today. Have a good laugh and reflect on all you have to be thankful for.

Lip Balm Infomercial

Vickie

I’d like to tell you about the next free teleseminar from The VA Blueprint.

The Truth About Your VA Future -November 15, 2:00 pm EST

Join the VA Dream Queens in this ‘no holds barred’ conversation about:

• Your future as a VA
• What you can expect to happen
• How you can get there
• What it takes to achieve success

The cost of this teleseminar - $ FREE

We’d love to have you join us as we talk about virtual assistance and your future in this exploding industry. Do you have what it takes? How can you be the best VA? How do you distinguish yourself from all the other VAs out there?

To sign up, go to acct1-283617@autocontactor.comWe look forward to having you on the call.

Vickie and Suzanne - The VA Dream Queens

P.S. Sign up for our new ezine, The VA Dream. You can find it at our website at www.thevablueprint.com

My business coach and now partner, Suzanne Evans, in my newest business, The VA Blueprint, and I had the great privilege and opportunity to talk about The VA Blueprint on live radio.

We were the featured guests on The Dr. Pat Show Talk Radio on Wise Diva1 AM Radio, which is broadcast live to Seattle, Tampa, Boston and all of Australia. Teresa Proctor, one of Dr. Pat’s thriving sponsors, heard about The VA Blueprint and asked to feature us on a segment of her show. Teresa is the owner and founder of the fastest growing Life Coaching Company dedicated to Empowering Women and is known as “The Diva Coach”.

Teresa conducts interviews with people who are living their passion and who want to share that with others. She thought we would be great guests to talk about how two industries can come together to provide coaching and mentoring for a third industry. She loved the concept, and we were happy to oblige!

Suzanne and I talked about living our passion in creating The VA Blueprint. We were also able to talk extensively about the virtual assistance industry - what it means, how it works and what it can do for business owners in all walks of life.

You can hear the whole interview by going to our Website.

We’d love to hear what you think. After all, it’s not every day you get to hear a Southern Kentucky girl and a Northern New Jersey girl come together to talk about living their passion.

If you want to find out more about The VA Blueprint, visit our website at www.thevablueprint.com. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Vickie

Hi Everyone and Happy Monday!

I’d like to tell you about the next teleseminar we will be having through The VA Blueprint. This will be our first fee-based teleseminar and we know you will find the content more than covers the fee. Let me know if you have any questions.

Three Clients in 30 Days - Creating a Mindset for a Client Explosion - October 25, 2007 8pm EST
1 HOUR: 45 MINUTES TELECLASS/ 15 MINUTES Q & A

In this class you will learn:

• 3 steps to creating the mindset for money and clients everyday

• Resources to employ in building your client attraction principle

• Action steps that aid in mindset
  • Our mindset failures
  • Our mindset successes

Why you should take this class:

• You are ready to start, but you are feeling a bit stuck…you need a mindset shift

• You are scared to ask for what you are worth…..you need a mindset shift

• You are trying the same things over and over…you need a mindset shift

• You feel uncertain…you need a mindset shift

• You are a huge success, but a bit overwhelmed…you need a mindset shift

• Do you believe you can get money and clients out of thin air? We do! You need a mindset shift

For only $27, that’s right - only $27, you will get all you need in order to start making that mindset shift today. To register simply send a blank email to: vablueteleoct25@aweber.com.

I look forward to “seeing” you on the call.

Vickie

So much has happened in the past month and I’ve let my blogging slide. I apologize for that.

My husband sent me a video today and I loved it. It made me laugh and wonder and gasp, and then of course, for those of you who know me, my mind turned to what this can teach us about our businesses. It also showed me the importance of prospective and perception. So watch this short segment of America’s Got Talent video, then read the rest of this blog. America’s Got Talent

What is your perception of A Balanced Alternative? Does it make you think you’d like to do business with or like this company? You see, your perception or perspective makes all the difference in the world. In today’s virtual world, we don’t often “meet” each other.

We develop our working relationship online, through the Internet, through emails, through blogs, through websites, through the telephone. The perception of who we are comes through these mediums. The perspective comes from reading our information, listening to our voice, reading our emails - and that becomes who we are.

What does your website say about you? Are you happy with the perspective it gives? Do you like the perception you get? Think about this and make changes based on your thoughts. Because let’s face it, we are what we are perceived!

And by the way, if anyone knows how this guy in the video does what he does, please let me know!

Vickie

Are you one of those who is out somewhere and always thinking of ideas? Or how about you’re in the grocery store and remember something you didn’t do? Or do you have little yellow sticky-notes all over the place (my husband does)? If this sounds like you, you need Jott.

What Is Jott?

Jott is a great little program that I am using for myself and with my clients. Jott is a program that takes voice and transcribes it into text. You can call the Jott number, say who you would like to Jott, and then speak. Jott then takes that audio, transcribes it, turns it into text, and sends it to a phone number or an email address (or both).

You first set it up online by putting in your contacts and identifying the way you would like Jott to contact them. You can have Jott send a text message to their phone, send an email to their email address, or both.

The way I am using Jott for myself is as a reminder system. If I’m in my car and I think of something I need to do, whether it be personal or business, I can call a number from my cell phone (which I have programmed as a speed dial) and leave myself a message about the thought I’m having. When I get back home, the message is there for me, on my cell phone and also in my email.

The way I am using Jott with my clients is basically the same thing. They may be out and want to contact me. They can pick up their cell phone, Jott me, and I receive an email message telling me what they need. They don’t disturb me in case I’m working with another client, yet I get the message of what they need.

One of the great things I like about Jott is that because you are speaking on the phone, you are not texting. You don’t have to worry about spelling or sending long text messages. You hit the speed dial number, speak the name of the person you want the message to go to, and talk. It’s that simple.

I love little programs like this that make your life simpler. This program helps us spend more time enjoying the things we like to do, without having to worry about forgetting something. Try Jotting someone today; you’ll be glad you did! Then let me know what you think. I love to get feedback.

Vickie