Life & Family
Networking Opportunities are everywhere
I was waiting in a line up the other day – for almost 4 hours. It was to get a Christmas present for my Mom, so I can’t really say what I was doing since she subscribes to my blog! Suffice it to say; she’ll really like this gift, I hope.
Anyhow, I went to this place expecting to wait a bit – but clearly 4 hours was not what I had in mind, since I brought my 3 kids. I was very quickly on my phone to call my husband and tell him to come and get the kids.
Unexpectedly in this line up of several hundred people – Don’t Ask! – I was immediately behind one of my clients. She had just flown home from a trip to Ottawa and had her husband drop her off with her daughter to get the same gift. It was nice because it gave us time to connect and talk – and outside the work arena too.
Now, as some who know me; in a situation like this I will talk to the people around me. Unlike the days of my past where I was very quiet and shy, I have no fear anymore. Much of the talking was also some humourous commiserating about our predicament and lots of excitement as we moved a few steps at a time. Really… you have to make light in these situations or you can get real cranky.
We waited, talked, laughed, sighed, and waited some more. Lots more. At one point after an hour, I went out to count how many ahead of us… not bad only 300 or so! I think the ‘so’ was being very generous too! Through it all the group around us just had a fabulous time. We talked, laughed learned a bit about each other.
There was my client, Amy, who smartly, took the opportunity to tell some of the people around about her upcoming book launch on Sunday Nov 8th. Her 13 yr old daughter – who had a grand time and was so thoughtfully bringing the group some water near the home stretch (about 3 hours in at that point). The young woman who had brought her Mother in Law there and was having a night out from her 16 month old. She sure went up a few notches on the “Daughter-In-Law” scale while waiting so long. Then there was Barb & her husband (probably in their 70′s) who took turns sitting down as the night wore on. As we moved along we also met Marie, originally from upstate NewYork, but living in rural Nova Scotia now and she made a 1 hour car trip in to get this gift for a friend. A friend who one day will learn what Marie did to get her gift. We also met two young men; waiting their turn patiently too and as the night got longer they too soon started joining in our giggles and fun.
They all learned a bit about me – met my whole family even! I learned a few things about them too. Some people would look at a night like this and think – what a waste. Not me.
Honestly, if I had to wait in a lineup this long, moving a total distance of maybe 1000 feet over the entire time; it was a good group of people to be surrounded by. We got silly at times; but you had to to make light of the situation. At one point when an announcement was made – we feared the worst, but nothing happened and we continued to shuffle along until we all finally got to hold and admire the item we came there for.
It was so worth it – and really looking back, I had a great time. Hopefully Mom will love her gift too.
How do you manage your day?
Life has gotten busy. Business has picked up and just when school let out for the summer! Yeahhhhh! (can you hear my fear?)
In an effort to keep on top of my tasks and clients I have been working on creating a system for over a month. Nothing was working. I tried online calendars, shared calendars, spreadsheets , a notebook and more.
The notebook was actually my preference for tasks, not so much appointments though. These I seemed to need in my Outlook calendar. I needed the popup reminder whether on my computer or my Blackberry.
Fine… appointments solved, now the tasks and client work; which is the crux of my business and cannot be missed. I decided to look around my office supply store and indeed found what was similar to my notebook, but had the structure my scribbler was lacking.
What I ended up with was a planner that has one page for the week and appointment times from 7am to 7pm and the second page is like a notebook page with lots of rooms for notes and reminders. It’s what I thought I was looking for… and having been using it for a week, it has turned out perfectly.
I was re-reading my Time Management book by Julie Morgenstein and she goes into detail about how people can be Visual/Tactile or Linear/Digital. The stress is on discovering what works for you and then using that method.
I guess I am a mix of both; for tasks I am visual and I know it. Clients files are on the desk and the planner is open there as well. I need to ‘see’ my work to do it. But for kids appointments/meetings/seminars I am digital, which has the added bonus of a reminder bell. What systems do you have in place?
Happy Canada Day!
Yesterday on News 95.7, my favourite daytime radio station (It’s a talk show and yes, I am addicted to calling in – sometimes I feel like I am in a 12 step program when I call – ahem… It’s Kathy, from Dartmouth, yes)…
Anyhow, morning host, Andrew Krystal, was asking people all morning to call in and say what they felt were the greatest things about being Canadian and he also kept on his point of view that there were 3 more distinct regions than any others in Canada – the East Coast, Quebec and the Northern Territories.
Of course being from the East Coast, I agreed on that point, but I felt (as did several callers) that other areas of Canada probably have some uniqueness about themselves as well. It’s just that we may not hear them or they may not be as vocal or visual as us! Just ask anyone at a recent conference with me… they all knew where I was from!
I have lived in several provinces and visited almost every province but four, and having lived 34 of my 42 years in Nova Scotia or PEI, I am fiercely proud of the East (and in particular Nova Scotia) and what is has to offer people who live here as well as work and visit. I am also glad to be a Canadian and living in a country that many others view as a good and fair country that values it citizens. I wouldn’t trade living in Nova Scotia, or Canada for anything.
It’s Canada Day, go out and Celebrate!
FoVA was Fantastic!
Well… I am back from Niagara Falls and the FoVA (Forum on Virtual Assistance) and have had a little rest to gear myself back up at work again.
What I find most different about this morning as I sit at my desk is that I have a new outlook on how I plan to run my business and work everyday.
The people I met at FoVA were so very inspirational and full of experience and insight into running a successful VA business! Virtual Assistant Leaders from all over the world came and shared and taught us so much invaluable information! I would like to thank each one of you for taking time out of your own business so that new people like myself could meet and learn from you.
As I said in my anticipation blog post about going to this conference, I was really looking forward to meeting so many people in person. People who I have been connecting with online for the better part of this past year, mostly at VAnetworking and CVAC, and they did not disappoint! I have solidified relationships that had already started and created new ones as well. And many of these relationships, I feel will turn into more than that – friendships developed as well.
I said it before and will repeat again – Conferences are so needed and valuable for any business owner, but even more so for those of us working from remote or home locations.
Off I go to start working with so much more motivation and ideas than ever before! Thanks FoVA and friends!
Tell them … now
This is a bit of a follow-up to my post on Jan 5th…
A friend from a business networking club informed our group today that he has some serious health issues and will be out of our group for a while as he undergoes some treatments.
A shock for everyone … and then the concern for our friend hit home. With that came the realization that it could be anyone of us making that announcement.
Time and life are both very precious commodities and should be treasured. As the New Year starts off and you are taking your “inventory”, please remember not only to be thankful for your friends and family – but to tell them. Make sure people know what they mean to you, by telling them directly!
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