Happy Father's Day Daddy...

What better reason to make a post than to pay tribute to my example of hard work, great customer service, and believing in yourself...my dad!

I always remember my dad working. Yes, most do, but if he was not home, he was working.  He worked crazy hours and so hard to make sure my mom could stay home with us.  Somehow, he still made sure to make my softball games as a kid.  I'd look up,  see his truck and felt the joy every kid feels knowing your parents are there to cheer you on, but little did I realize him cheering me on was the reason he would miss eating dinner with us.

Daddy worked nights as a security officer,  he'd come home in the morning and sleep a couple of hours, start washing cars,  by the afternoon he would mow yards, then make it home to eat dinner and sleep for a couple of hours before heading to his night shift.  This was his life, so it seemed.  In reality, his family was his life and that is why he worked so hard with these crazy hours. 

As children, most of us do not realize the sacrifices and reasons why our parents do what they do.  It isn't until adulthood that it all makes sense and our appreciation cannot be put into words.  

For me, my dad, not only showed me what he was willing to do to give his family the best life he could, he taught me the core values that I do my best to use with Your Go To Girl on a daily basis, and what my customers appreciate about my business.  Getting the job done with consideration, respect, kindness, honestly, and to the best of my ability.  

I always say, what I do isn't that hard, but it IS thoughtful.  

These values and mindset are what has made Your Go To Girl grow into a successful small business for almost 9 years, with amazing clients, and always being able to know I've done my best for my clients.  

My clients trust me with their pets, homes, credit cards, life events...their lives.  This is because I was fortunate enough to see my dad have the same trust from his clients.  Watching him go above and beyond for his clients and making sure they were always happy with the job he had done.  

When we are kids, our parents do things to embarrass us, but I remember thinking my dad was the one washing other parents' cars and was not always proud of that.  That is one of the very few things I have regrets about.  Instead of being embarrassed, I wish I would have had the wisdom of feeling the pride, love, and admiration my dad so deserved for being a successful entrepreneur.  

Today, I want to say thank you, Daddy.  You have taught and given me the values and drive to have a successful business, but more importantly a happy and loving life.  Happy Father's Day! 

When One Door Closes, Another Door Opens...

We've all heard the saying "when one door closes, another door opens", but did you realize the rest of Alexander Graham Bell's quote continues as, "but we so often look so long and regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us".

This is true in so many cases.  We get hung up on a mistake or missed opportunity that we don't see our priorities or "free" time has changed to allow for something possibly better and more beneficial for us.  

As you may have seen, or will see, I do try to keep a positive outlook on life.  This has been crucial for me and my business.  Due to the fluctuation of my business, I have to know that everything is going to work out, otherwise I would be stressed out all of the time.  Instead, I believe when a situation happens that I wasn't expecting or wanting that it is only occurring because something more substantial is in the works.  

Earlier this week, a client who uses me several times a week called to let me know that due to changes in the family's schedule I will not be needed as much.  Of course, in having your own business you depend on those consistent clients and when that changes it can throw you for a loop.  Instead of stressing out, which was my natural instinct, I knew something else was waiting for me...there are tons of people with too much going on and not enough time so they need me, right?  

Well, this proved to be true.  Not even two hours later, I received a phone call from a client that uses me from time to time asking for as much time as I can give to a project he is working on.  Case in point to Mr. Bell's quote, at least the part where one door closes, and another opens.

To continue proving this to be true, after that phone call, I received a text from another client that has used me periodically from the start of Your Go To Girl and most recently started using me more. His text explained that his company wants to use YGTG to help with an ongoing task.   

After receiving the initial text earlier that morning from the client that no longer needed me as much, I said, in almost believable voice, that something better is coming...after saying it several times, I did believe it and then look at how the day unfolded. I kept saying this quote because this was only one day of many that I found this to hold true.

As Juliette Barnes said on the television show, Nashville, one of my guilty pleasures, "sometimes we are so busy trying to keep out the bad that we don't let in the good".  That just stuck with me because we do want good things to happen, but we feel that we have to control the bad.  That not only consumes a lot of our time, but a lot of our energy which makes it hard to see the good or to let it happen.  

The lesson of the week, is to know there are always opportunities waiting for us to accept them.  Some times we just need to be more open to seeing them and not getting hung up on what did not happen. 

*The cheesy quotes and analogies continue, but hopefully you are getting a lesson or a smile from reading my blog. 

Believing in my business...took some time, but finally got there!

Wow, has it been a while!  I knew when starting this blog, I would have to push myself to share about Your Go To Girl, but seriously?

Well, I'm back and I have to say I have more to share.  The one thing I have learned since starting my business is I have to believe in what I am doing if I want to succeed.  Sounds easy enough, but for someone who is surrounded by successful people and always being amazed by their success made "running errands" seem trivial.

But I finally got it!  It is reflection of myself by those around me...and if they believe in my business, then the obvious answer is I need to believe in my business.  Duh!  I'm a positive person and knew I would get by, but I needed to believe I would succeed.  Once I realized that, my business started growing...funny how that works.

I believe your best accessory is your confidence and we all need to know how to wear it.  Not only does this idea pertain to your personal life, but also your business.

When starting your own business, you have to justify and prove yourself to your clients because they don't know you or if what you are offering them is worthy and reliable.  For this reason, you have to believe in yourself.  It starts with you.  

As I continue to learn about running a business, I continue to learn about myself.  I have to remember that there will be those that may question if it is worth it for them to use Your Go To Girl as their personal assistant, but just as easy as there are those who may question it, there are those who find my services priceless.

Once I realized what I was doing for my clients, "running errands" was not so trivial anymore because that is not all I do for my clients.  Some days I check on their loved ones, whether it be elderly parents or their furry loved ones to being project manager for their home projects to picking up groceries, and so much more.  As one client shared with me, "I'm happy to be working with you.  I've only needed you the last 15 years."  I have been able to help my clients take their businesses and personal lives to another level.  I have accomplished my goal by saving my clients time and stress.

The shift happened when I saw my clients enjoying their free time more and hearing about how their businesses were growing.  Their accomplishments showed me the important role I had in their lives, by giving them peace of mind and the ability to focus on the things that mattered to them and leaving the rest to me.

I noticed when I talked about Your Go To Girl, I had more excitement, more confidence, and was able to explain how I could help someone save time for the more important things in their life.  This is when my business started to grow.

I have been very fortunate by those successful people I surround myself with who have always believed in me, but once I believed in Your Go To Girl that is when my clientele grew.

It is very true what you put out, you get back.  I've always believed this, but when I practiced it and put my confidence and belief in Your Go To Girl, that all came back with new clients and more business.  I've learned the best accessory is confidence and it goes with any outfit.  Sounds cliche, even cheesy, but so true.

Look for more posts on what Your Go To Girl is doing for clients to save them time and stress, while watching me learn more about myself and others.

New Year, New Goals

It is already mid January, time is already flying by. But I feel like I'm off to a good start to the new year. My personal motto for 2012, which does require me to succeed professionally, is 'fat wallet, slim waist'.

In order for me to succeed this year, I realize I need to have more clients who use me on a regular basis. I need to get 'Your Go To Girl' in front of more people. My target market is anyone who needs more time in the day, and they are every where. I want to make sure that each client feels they are receiving great customer service, after all they are my marketing.  To give everyone an incentive to use 'Your Go To Girl' services, I will be offering a special each month.

This month's special is purchase two hours and receive the third hour free.  Not only are my clients getting their time back, but they feel they are getting a great deal as well.

I have been very fortunate because I have amazing friends who have helped me get my name out there and have referred 'Your Go To Girl' to their friends, colleagues, and whoever they hear needs help.

I'm a believer in surrounding yourself with positive people who only add to your life and help you grow. Being positive plays such a huge role in my life. I try to put out good things in hopes that they will come back.

That positive energy is what happened this week. I started the week with a positive attitude with every intention of getting at least one new client and being productive. You need to understand this type of business depends on the needs of my clients, so there are definitely some quiet weeks. Since I'm trying to be active with all of my social media resources, I have been tweeting, @YourGoToGirlATL, as soon as I get my morning started. Still working on having more followers, but every week I get a few more so my name is getting out there one person at a time. Follow me on Twitter to find out where are...call when I'm in your neighborhood for same day jobs and receive 20%.

The good things keep getting bigger. I get a phone call from someone who saw my card at the gym and thought I sounded exactly what he needs. Given that he is busy pursuing his dreams and taking his career to the next level, he definitely needs someone to take care of the time consuming errands and tasks so he can focus on the big picture. We met and discussed his needs for an upcoming project he is working on and seems that we are a good fit. I'm very excited to be working with him because this is going to allow me to stretch myself and add more to my list of services that I offer.

Please don't think I have forgotten about my current clients. I was able to take care of their needs in a timely manner because on the days I went shopping for them there were no lines and hardly anyone in the store so I was in and out. Not only was I able to save them time, but they also saved money because I was able to get everything done within the first hour. For another client, I was able to save him 35% and no tax on custom framing. Always remember, the vendor wants to make the sale and if you are buying in quantity and high quality they will work with you to keep your business, so do not hesitate to ask for the best price they can give you.

I feel that this week was a very productive and successful for me. When I am productive with 'Your Go To Girl' it seems to continue in my personal life as well. As Henry David Thoreau said, "Success usually comes to those who are too busy looking for it." I am going to use this quote as a mantra to keep me focused.

As I mentioned in my first blog, I am new to this and realize that this may seem to be all over the place, but this allows you to learn more about me because my thoughts go from one thing to another and then back to something else from twenty minutes ago.

Hopefully from this blog you were able to learn about my goals for 'Your Go To Girl', which will hold me accountable as we move forward and that you try to keep positive and allow the positive things and people to come in your life. Put good things out and receive them as they come.

Let me introduce myself...

Hello to all you blog followers....or to blog space for now.

I am new to the blogging world, so bear with me. I am slowly entering the wide world of social media and finally have made the leap to blogging with much encouragement from my savvy friend, Katy (blogger of Savvy in the City).

My hopes for this blog will be to give you some tips on how and where to save time in your daily life, give you ideas of how 'Your Go To Girl' can save you time, products that I have found to save my clients' time, as well as some fun and interesting stories that happen while running errands for my clients.

Speaking of my clients, let me tell you what I do for them. I position myself as "your personal assistant without the commitment." Basically, on the days you wish you had someone to help you take care of all of those errands, I'm there, then when things calm down I'm gone, but only a phone call away for when things speed up again. I run errands to give you back your time for the important things in life like your family, your professional goals, and your YOU time.

Some examples of what I do range from shopping for groceries or clothes to waiting on the cable guy during that 4 hour window that is so annoying because it is usually the last hour they show up and you had to take the whole day off just so you can watch your favorite TV show.

I also pick up and drop off clients at the airport, their cars to the mechanics, their kids to practices, their prescriptions from the drug store or doctor's office, and the list goes on.

Many of my clients use 'Your Go To Girl' services for pet sitting or dog walking. I organize my clients' closets, office space, and living space to give them a bit more zen in their life as well as saving them time by seeing where everything is in a moment.

I am also insured and bonded which gives my clients an added protection and peace of mind.

Let me tell you about me, so you have an idea of who is the real 'Go To Girl'.

I'm a midwest girl, born and bred in Indiana. I graduated from Indiana University and moved to Atlanta in 2002. My work experience has varied from working for a division of Proctor and Gamble to a cosmetic dental office to research and development of new products for a hair and skin care company.

In all of these work experiences, customer service has always been important to me, even when it wasn't in my job description. This trait is one that I strive for with 'Your Go To Girl'. I believe in building rapport with my clients and giving the best service because they are my marketing...if they are happy, they will share their experience with others and get my name out there!

I love to travel, though I now take my clients' schedules into account when planning, but still trying to meet my goal of touching every continent...4 out of 7 not bad, still not sure if I'm going to count Antarctica. I speak english, french, and vietnamese.

Always trying to learn from my experiences and not afraid to evolve. I enjoy volunteering and currently volunteer tutoring with a local elementary school once a week, as well as other opportunities like making sandwiches for the homeless and Habitat for Humanity when I can.

I am a positive person, so you will find that I try to always find the bright side of any experience. I believe in surrounding yourself with positive people...what you put out in the world is what you get.

I'm hoping this gives you a glimpse of what to expect with this blog as well as who is the blogger. I'm also hoping that you will find this blog to be useful as well as entertaining at times.

Thanks for taking the time to read and look forward to talking to you again!