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Isaacs' Rules for Personal and Professional Success

2013-07-10T20:35:00.005-04:00

At 5:15 one morning, in June of 1994, a man walked into the back office of Shades of Green, where I was on opening PBX shift (report time 4:45am).

He asked me to do personal wake up calls to all the AFRC General Managers.

I had no idea a) who he was or b) how he would PERSONALLY mentor, guide and influence me over the next 16 years -- throughout 4 countries, many states and 7 PCS moves.

That man was Pete Isaacs.

That morning I decided what I wanted to do for the rest of my life: serve others.

To tell you about Pete won't even scratch the surface. You have to know him to....well....KNOW.

So here's a taste of what this man means in my professional life. It's a famous list (in my Army family, at least!), along with my favorite shot of us from the MWR Conference in Louisville from 2006.

Many of you know this list.

For those of you that don't? Well, now you do.

Happy 70th, Pete, and thank you.

...for EVERYTHING.

Isaacs' Rules for Personal and Professional Success

1. Hog the blame and share the glory.

2. When in charge, take charge...when in charge, you will probably annoy someone.

3. You can only sell your personal integrity once.

4. An ounce of loyalty is more valuable than a pound of cunning.

5. Don’t wrestle with pigs...they like it and you’ll get dirty.

6. No one ever succeeded by underestimating their authority.

7. Tell them what you’re going to tell them; tell them; tell them what you told them; have them tell you what they heard...check the execution.

8. If you don’t know, say so...then find out.

9. Only Robinson Crusoe got everything done by Friday.

10. Get mad, get over it, get on with it.

11. Never spit in a man’s face unless his mustache is on fire.

12. Stand for something…or fall for anything.

13. Don’t be afraid to make the same mistake once.

15. There is nothing as wasteful as ignorance in action.

16. Proofread everything...check the math.

17. Be quick to praise and slow to criticize.

18. Double your money…fold it and put in your pocket.

19. Treat flattery like chewing gum… enjoy it for a minute, …… but don’t swallow it.

20. Success is getting what you want….Happiness is wanting what you get.

Pete and I - MWR Conference - Louisville, KY
August 2006

What My Life Was Before TeamViewer

2012-06-24T13:34:00.000-04:00

I've now scheduled, at least once every two weeks to post a tip about making life easier. There is a wide array of tools that can simplify so many things. My favorite this week is TeamViewer.

It's a free program that allows remote control, file transfer and even unattended access to any computer. I was introduced to TeamViewer about a year ago by a fat brain friend, Mike Firmature. It really is nothing short of genius.

Sure, it's a great tool for my business - but more than anything, I use it with my folks. They are of retirement age, but not yet retired. They're all on Facebook, have iPhones and most recently they purchased a brand new Apple 27" iMac.

They're not afraid of technology, they're on the train, happy to take the ride. I live for people like this.

The transition from PC to Mac was seamless for them. However, there's a very small learning curve. Since my folks live an hour and a half north of me, it's not always convenient to drive to Palm Beach to show them how to import photos from their camera or update their iPods.

Enter TeamViewer.

They love it. I love it. It's GENIUS. I can remotely control their computer - but what's even more genius is they can watch me make the changes & updates! We have virtual tutoring/teaching sessions all the time. They learn, and I never have to leave the couch.

But I still love going to my Mom's. Even if she doesn't need tech support.

Women's Success Summit Video & Pics!

2011-11-16T00:05:00.001-05:00

Our friends at SocialBuzzTV put together a FANTASTIC video.

SocialBuzzTV.com - Women's Success Summit - Gulfstream Park from SocialBuzzTV.com on Vimeo.

Great photos courtesy of Snap Happy Photos:

Day One Pics

Day Two Pics

(Need to be signed on to Facebook to view)

Can't wait for Summit V; Mark your calendars...May 10-11, 2012
Email me if you want to be a partner, sponsor or participant!

See you at the Summit!

Membership Has Its Privileges

2011-09-14T03:32:00.000-04:00

Membership has its privileges.

Okay so it's not an "Amex" Platinum, but it's just as exclusive when you do what I do. I ♥ Staples. Especially the one here in Homestead. I know everyone in the store by name.

I just realized how sad that sounds when I actually say it out loud.

Some may call me tragic. I call it 'comfort'.
I'm not afraid to admit that little stuff like this just makes. My. Day.

Women's Success Summit - November 10 & 11, 2011

2011-09-11T12:31:00.000-04:00

A Few "Must Have" Tools for Home Office

2011-02-08T20:19:00.000-05:00

I've adapted a completely new mindset since beginning my at-home career just over 3 months ago. The options of how to do it, what do to with it and how to MEASURE it are ENDLESS!

I thought I would take a few minutes to highlight a few items that are to-die-for necessary for me. Whether you're a Virtual Assistant like me, or an at-home business, these tools are irreplaceable. They are (in no particular order):

1. MindSalt (online timekeeping)
I have tried them ALL. Tested, utilized, manipulated, and switched. This is the only one you need. Trust me. It's dirt cheap and their customer service is phenomenal. I actually left them, went to another company, then CAME BACK. Furthermore, MindSalt leads the pack because of one word: customization.

2. DropBox (file storage & sharing)
I was a faithful, loyal customer of YouSendIt. However, DropBox gets it right because they have an applicaton/program for your Mac/PC. It's BOSS. Love it, love it, love it for being LIVE.

3. Google (duh) Mail/Voice/Documents
Okay. I resisted this. For so long. But once I took on multiple clients (and those clients required me to have an email address with their domain), there was absolutely NO WAY I could manage multiple accounts, store the emails, track the message history, on and on and on. Gmail allows me to send and receive from ANY email address I want and the setup is a snap. I also resisted using the 'conversation view'. I have no idea what I waited on. It's almost as if the clouds parted, sun rose and angels wept. It was that revolutionary to me. Also, Google Voice just brought it all home. I now have one telephone number, rings home or cell, and since most of my clients are here in South Florida, when callers see a local area code, it brings more familiarity to my brand.

4. Free Conference Calling (Conference Calls)
Totally free, no gimmicks, no ads. Absolutely love it. So many features and they all work SO WELL. Plus, you can RECORD, to take notes, later!

5. SmartSheet (Project Management)
Much like the online timekeeping, I have tried many, many different products, to include Basecamp, teamwork, etc.. I worked through all of the aforementioned tools. SmartSheet leads the way and it just makes my life better.

And...thanks to my VA Mentor, Jennifer Leon, here's a few others that are super-useful. I just haven't dedicated the time to utilizing them.

Yet.

1. JoinMe (Screen Sharing)
2. Jing (Instant screenshots & screencasts)
3. RingCentral (Online phone system)
I have a client that utilizes this system and it works very, very well. I see myself going to this as my client list grows.

Have a recommendation? Something I should be using? Sound off in the comments section below!

Doesn't 'OUTSOURCED' Mean "Out of the U.S.?"

2011-01-01T20:47:00.001-05:00

Listen, there is nobody more red-blooded, flag-waving or patriotic than me. Sure, thanks to the media and history and our endless calls to customer support - we automtically assume that 'OUTSOURCED' means "The Hills of Outer Mongolia".

Not true.

It can be frustrating to call and not speak to someone here - at home - the country we live in, work in, earn in, and (more than likely) CONSUME (read: PURCHASE) in. I mean, how can these call center reps know about us, good old Americans, right?

As the rise of outsourcing came into the lens in the early 2000s, the frustration was blatantly clear.

And I think some of us listened.

Now, more than ever, Virtual Assistantship is on the rise. Yes, you can find Virtual Assistants all over the world, but there's a large number of professional VAs right here at home! As businesses look to trim expenses, virtual office services help reduce overhead while keeping professionalism high(1). As businesses trend to a more “online” workplace, the notion of paying for space full-time becomes anachronistic(2). Traditional receptionists making $12-14/hour(3)can be replaced with remote receptionist services at a fraction of the traditional cost(4).

Recently, Entrepreneur Magazine mentioned Virtual Assistants were one of four home-based businesses in demand.

Special thanks to The Calendar Girls for pulling this great comparison from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/

Expenses are based on average $18 per hour rate

More than anything, you can't put a price on HASSLE. Do what you are good at, and outsource the rest. To get bogged down in the weeds of keeping on top of the red tape is a drag. FOR ME - as a 16-year-career Government employee, I led. I led people, led change, led briefings and led my peers. All the while, I knew my wheelhouse was administrative duties. I knew I was always good at putting together briefings, a robot at Excel and an obscenely fast typist. Secretly, I knew that NO ONE was going to ever do things like me. Sure, it's been called poor management to not train your people to do your admin work for you. And you know what? In 16 years, I never had an administrative assistant. Not once.

Now that I've moved into self-employment, I've discovered my niche, what I do well, is administrative duties.

So, I've left the leadership behind (but, let's be honest, LEO!), and am doing what I do best.

Keeping things in order.

If you're an entrepreneur, a small business, (or even a big business), corporate-employed, self-employed, busy Mom or over-tasked single Dad, call on me! I'd love to help you and take away some of that workload that bogs down all that creativity!

Need me? TASK ME!

Email me today!

“Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere as long as the policy you've decided upon is being carried out.” --Ronald Reagan

REFERENCES

(1) Intelligent Office Turning Heads. Boulder Daily Camera. http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_13057607?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com

(2) ’Work, Entrepreneurship and Opportunity in the 21st Century’’. U.S. Chamber. http://www.uschamber.com/publications/reports/0604entrepreneurial_workforce.htm

(3) ’’Average Receptionist Salary’’. CNNMoney.com. http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layouthtmls/swzl_compresult_national_OF13000017.html.

(4) Jaramillo, Noreen. ‘’Intelligent Office Saves Businesses Money’’. KFOX14. http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/9383311/detail.htm l.

Even Uncle Sugar Gives Social Media the Salute...

2010-12-10T09:24:00.001-05:00

With the exception of all the "I Heart Microsoft" propaganda (I know, I know, Bill Gates has his place in the world, I get it), this is a very good (and INFORMATIVE!) article.

Tweets Meet Fleets: The Navy Social Media Handbook
The Navy’s social media handbook is public, and can be found on the social document sharing site SlideShare, where it’s already accumulated over 13,000 views. Here’s the link to the Navy Command Social Media Handbook. The sheer number of views in a relatively short time with very little formal marketing strongly suggests that despite the bleeding edge of innovation moving forward fast that there is a big desire among the middle ~60% of people interested in social media for basic information all in one place, laid out simply.

Say it with me - 'Social Media IS the future'. We can't ignore it!
8 Lessons From the Navy Social Media Handbook

Empowered Woman Success Summit - Miami

2010-11-13T23:11:00.015-05:00

What an incredible two days!

Empowered Woman Success Summit from SocialBuzzTV.com on Vimeo.

I want to be sure and thank Gina Rudan, Jessica Kizorek, Michelle Villalobos, Lara Loucks and last...BUT ABSOLUTELY NOT LEAST, SocialBuzzTV.com and InSense Miami. Without your mentoring and encouragement, I would not be on this road!

2010-11-11T07:32:00.001-05:00

Meeting Your Admin Needs in South Florida and 'Virtually' Anywhere!

Daily Office Duties
Remote Secretary
Event Logistics
Personal Concierge
Social Media Updates
Personal Assistant
Database Organization
Travel Scheduling