A recent interview

Recently I was interviewed by Trudy Van Buskirk of Boomer Biz Builder about being a Virtual Assistant and how I got to where I am today.  It was a very interesting experience and I’m going to use it to do another “Interview” for Jim Pagiamtzis’ blog.

When I first decided to become a virtual assistant back in 2003, I applied for and got into the Self Employment Assistance Program (now called Self Employment Benefits Program, a government program then run by HRDC and now run by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, which assists budding entrepreneurs during their first year in business.  Included in the program is one year of mentorship by a Business Advisor.  Trudy was the Business Advisor assigned to me.  Although there were times when we butted heads over the direction I should take my business, Trudy competently steered me through the sometimes rough waters of early entrepreneurship.

So fast forward 9 years and Trudy asked me if I would be one of her interview subjects.  The interview itself was a very interesting experience, to say the least; the interview was held in a coffee shop, the Red Rocket Coffee, on the Danforth.  So aside from sitting within inches of another table, the occupants of which could hear everything we said, there was also all the attendant background noise of a busy coffee shop.  Although most of the interview is clear, at one point there must have been an influx of people, which I didn’t notice at the time, because the background noise almost takes over.

Thank goodness one of the things I’ve learned as a virtual assistant is to be prepared for anything, so I took my digital recorder with me and recorded the interview; good thing I did too as Trudy’s digital recorder didn’t work for some reason.  That’s me…just like a boy scout…always prepared.

In any event, you can hear the entire interview on Trudy’s blog at http://www.boomerbizbuilder.com/2012/05/14/meet-liz-saunders-mcmanus-a-virtual-assistant/

Published by J. Liz Saunders

With over 30 years of experience, J. Liz Saunders delivers exceptional office and sales support to a wide range of businesses. More importantly, she does so with creativity. Her ‘can do’, ‘can solve’, ‘can source’ attitude results in the most efficient and effective completion of her clients’ requirements every time. Upon first meeting, Liz’ her most notable quality is her energy. When preparing for and running the Toronto marathon in 2004, Liz channelled this energy with discipline and determination. She uses those same qualities when organizing her many clients and delivering high quality support services in a timely manner. As a virtual assistant, Liz cold calls and generates leads for sales people; researches sites for meetings; schedules appointments and provides client support; offers transcription services, manages broadcast emails, arranges printing, handles basic bookkeeping; writes correspondence, proposals, quotes and invoices for clients; and acts as a call centre taking registrations for seminars. Liz is a certified Virtual Assistant with extensive experience in Microsoft Office. She has a BA from the University of Toronto and studied Fundraising Management at Ryerson University. She has experience in legal services, construction, insurance, real estate and facilities management. Liz builds her business based on trust, quality and a commitment to exceptional results.

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