I was born and raised in San Diego, CA and I currently live in Hemet, about 85 miles north of my home town and much closer to my family who migrated here about 12 years ago. My personal goal is to purchase a home in a rural location with room for horses and a few other barnyard critters. Horses, alpacas, sheep, zebra, bison and ostriches are just around the corner from me now, and I can’t wait until I can have a horse of my own at my own house.
HORSE EXPERIENCE
From earliest childhood I have been enamored with horses. I think I was born loving them! The first horse I had contact with (on a regular basis) belonged to my babysitter, Beverly. I was smitten by Judy, a very unremarkable bay mare. But, at that time, she was the most beautiful creature I ever laid eyes on. She incited my imagination and started me on the path to “horse crazy” at the very early age of 2 ½. At 3 I got to ride a Shetland Pony – something MY SIZE! It was one of those guys that used to travel around with a camera and pony. I was in heaven.
It was 8 years, and many lessons later, when I got my first horse – I never owned one, I always leased. He was an old broken down plug. Despite the lessons, I was a horrid rider and the others at the ranch used to tease me mercilessly. They would ride behind me “flapping their wings” laughing at the way I bounced in the saddle. I learned slowly, but I learned well.
My next horse was actually a pony, about 13 hands. She was hell on wheels (four hooves, actually) and forced me to learn how to ride and to stick. On one memorable occasion she threw me and when I didn’t jump right up and get back on her, she ran back and kicked me. Her nick-name around the barn was “Little Witch”. Often Witch was spelled with a “B”. I owe that bratty pony so much. </;o)
I rode several other horses at the ranch in the interim until Velvet was a bit beyond Green broke. She was the most coveted mare of her age and I was fortunate to be the one to lease her. She was a petite 15 hands and would be black but for her brown muzzle. She was ¼ Arab, ¼ Saddlebred on her mother’s side and ½ Thoroughbred from her father. She was fast and so eager to please. I worked cattle off of her, rode her in Gymkhanas, unofficially broke the Texas Barrel record at the time, as well as riding her in Western Pleasure and Equitation. I loved her with all my heart and it nearly killed me when my parent’s finances forced me to give her and her colt up. This is the only picture I still have of her. She really was very pretty and well proportioned, this was just a bad angle (for both of us).
REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE
Work experience has included owning and running all aspects of a small retail e-commerce business; collaborating in a successful web design company; and working as an administrative and executive assistant in several businesses or organizations, which included: Federal Civil Service, Senior and Junior High School Offices, Manufacturing and Wholesale Distributor, Retail sales and service and a Non-Profit Organization. I have worked in the smallest of businesses (my own) and the 3rd largest in the world.
During my time in “Corporate America” I provided Administrative support to Military and Civilian Personnel, CEOs, VPs and various levels of management. I loved the work I did, but I hated being treated like an underling by many of my supervisors. A few were wonderful, but many felt that a monkey could do my job — something I never understood, because none of them could!
MY ADMINISTRATIVE CONSULTANT HISTORY
I first heard the title “Virtual Assistant” (VA) in the mid ’90′s. I researched Virtual Assistance and AssistU, the premier Virtual Assistance training program, but did not feel I was ready to take that step at that time. I put it on the back burner and continued to work for others as an Administrative or Executive Assistant, and most recently in Customer Service.
I spoke with a co-worker whose part-time business at home was growing exponentially and he told me about a couple of girls in his business that needed help taking the administrative burden off of their shoulders. That started the wheels turning in my mind.
Here was a potential opportunity for me to start my own business, call my own shots and do what I really loved doing. I knew that I thoroughly enjoyed doing administrative work and that I did my best work when collaborating with and for another. Furthermore, I would be able to do things in a manner that was both pleasing to the customer and in alignment with my own ethics and personal goals – not those of a huge corporate giant.
With years of Clerical, Executive and Administrative Assistance under my belt, I knew I was up to the challenge. Experience taught me that doing something I love – something I am very good at and working to help someone else succeed would be very exciting and highly satisfying. By targeting Equine Professionals I would be around horses virtually, nurturing my soul as well.
I started my business in mid-2007 with the help of those at the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce (now called the Administrative Consultants Association) and later was given the opportunity to attend AssistU in 2009. I graduated that summer. I will be forever grateful to both organizations for their guidance and support!
Virtual Assistance or VA was the name originally given to this profession by Stacy Brice, the founder of our industry. However, I believe, the term has been co-opted by anyone performing anything virtually. It has also been cheapened by individuals who provide less than stellar services. For this reason I am personally moving away from the term “Virtual Assistant”.
BELIEFS AND VALUES
I value honesty and integrity in myself and expect it in others. I believe that I create my own reality and am therefore responsible for my own actions. For this reason I always attempt to be kind, honest and worthy of respect. As I said, I am a member of the Administrative Consultants Association and hold to their code of ethics which can be found by clicking on the badge below.
