If you haven't signed up for a Twitter account, you're missing out on a lot.
The following was posted on Twitter and I had to share it with you.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cc65ed650d
Vikki
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Who's #1?
I'm sitting here watching the Dodger game. I am an avid Dodger fan. I am an avid Sports fan. I love football (SF 49'ers and SD Chargers), and of course, the Anaheim Angels. Yeah, yeah, I know the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Whatever...they will always be the Anaheim Angels to me.
We're in a "who's number 1?" season. Everyone wants to be #1. Take, for instance, the ball game. I knew once the Dodgers acquired Manny Ramirez, we would end up in the Championship game.
We had the Summer Olympics this summer. Everyone wanted to win Gold. They even had a tally at the end of each day to see which country had the most Gold, Silver and Bronze.
Everyone wanted to be #1.
Now, we're in the home stretch of the Presidential nomination. What a year, don't you think?
Personally, I love Presidential election years. I love the Conventions, the Debates, the commercials. I especially love election years, because the vote for women became a reality only 88 years ago this past August 20th.
Can you believe that? Only 88 years! In 2010, we celebrate 90 years of having the vote. I don't know about you, but I am going to PARTY!!
When we go to the Polling Stations on November 4th, we are completely equal. Everyone's vote carries the same weight. I could be voting and in the next booth could be Arnold Schwarzenegger; you never know, it could happen. Yet, when Arnold the Governator (as we affectionally call our Governor), votes, his vote doesn't carry any more weight than yours and mine.
I'm not concerned by how you vote, nor am I here trying to sway your vote. I am concerned that you get out there and vote.
My dad once told me, "you can't complain about how things are if you don't vote". I think we've all heard this at one time or another. I find myself telling our son Anthony, the same thing.
I made sure my family was registered to vote as soon as they turned 18. I registered everybody. And I call everybody on election day to remind them to vote. I'm a real nuisance.
My husband was not registered to vote when I met him. Oh no! No way could I be married to someone who does not exercise their right to vote! Yep, I registered him too.
If you're not registered, you still have time. October 20th is the deadline. I hope you exercise your right to vote and make it to the polls that day.
I told my husband I was going to sign up to work at the polling place on November 4th. Do you know that the only thing he was concerned about was that I didn't sign him up with me. He actually said, "only you right?". Yeah, only me. I'll get him to come with me someday.
Who's #1, I don't know. But we'll all soon find out. Will the Dodgers go all the way, I sure hope so. As for the other, well, we'll see at the end of the day on November 4th.
Vikki
We're in a "who's number 1?" season. Everyone wants to be #1. Take, for instance, the ball game. I knew once the Dodgers acquired Manny Ramirez, we would end up in the Championship game.
We had the Summer Olympics this summer. Everyone wanted to win Gold. They even had a tally at the end of each day to see which country had the most Gold, Silver and Bronze.
Everyone wanted to be #1.
Now, we're in the home stretch of the Presidential nomination. What a year, don't you think?
Personally, I love Presidential election years. I love the Conventions, the Debates, the commercials. I especially love election years, because the vote for women became a reality only 88 years ago this past August 20th.
Can you believe that? Only 88 years! In 2010, we celebrate 90 years of having the vote. I don't know about you, but I am going to PARTY!!
When we go to the Polling Stations on November 4th, we are completely equal. Everyone's vote carries the same weight. I could be voting and in the next booth could be Arnold Schwarzenegger; you never know, it could happen. Yet, when Arnold the Governator (as we affectionally call our Governor), votes, his vote doesn't carry any more weight than yours and mine.
I'm not concerned by how you vote, nor am I here trying to sway your vote. I am concerned that you get out there and vote.
My dad once told me, "you can't complain about how things are if you don't vote". I think we've all heard this at one time or another. I find myself telling our son Anthony, the same thing.
I made sure my family was registered to vote as soon as they turned 18. I registered everybody. And I call everybody on election day to remind them to vote. I'm a real nuisance.
My husband was not registered to vote when I met him. Oh no! No way could I be married to someone who does not exercise their right to vote! Yep, I registered him too.
If you're not registered, you still have time. October 20th is the deadline. I hope you exercise your right to vote and make it to the polls that day.
I told my husband I was going to sign up to work at the polling place on November 4th. Do you know that the only thing he was concerned about was that I didn't sign him up with me. He actually said, "only you right?". Yeah, only me. I'll get him to come with me someday.
Who's #1, I don't know. But we'll all soon find out. Will the Dodgers go all the way, I sure hope so. As for the other, well, we'll see at the end of the day on November 4th.
Vikki
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant relationships
I have said many times how very proud I am of the group of individuals who are the American Association of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants (AAVBA).
From the beginning of this venture, I vowed to have a group that would work together for the greater good.
We were going to be an organization that epitomizes professionalism, ethics and solid relationships. And not just with each other, but also with the attorneys we work with.
The VBA industry is a relatively small community. So is the Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney community. If we say or do something good, everyone knows about it. By the same token, if anyone uses derogatory language or berates someone in the VBA community, word will get back to whomever is the target.
This was evident at the Fall Conference in South Carolina. Word got around that there was a new Exhibitor that provides a service most Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys can use that will make running their law firms much easier.
The new Exhibitor was AAVBA.
We were swamped all weekend by attorneys who wanted more information about how using a VBA could help them run their offices more efficiently. And we delivered.
Word was out that this was an organization that could very possibly be the answer to the problem most solo practitioners struggled with. The problem being they (the attorneys) needed an extra hand in their law firm but were unable to pay a full time staff. Enter the Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant.
I have never made claims that I had anything to do with the formation of the Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant. I will take credit however, for having the idea of getting VBA's in front of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.
And the idea of marketing on behalf of the AAVBA members is also my idea. Something that has never been done prior to the formation of AAVBA.
There are other marketing ideas that have been exclusively mine, but we won't go into that.
But not all the ideas came from me. Because of my relationship with my fellow AAVBA members, we have been able to implement ideas I could never have come up with.
And when those ideas are utilized, the VBA who comes up with the idea is given credit. Although, sometimes in my hurry to do things, I will forget to write down the name of the VBA. Sorry! And when that happens, I will still give credit to the VBA by mentioning the idea did not come from me.
I believe we have the first class organization that we do because our focus is building relationships and building businesses.
Our conversations are about the business, not about each other.
If an issue arises that must be addressed, it is addressed to the AAVBA membership. No one is ever exposed. I do not believe in publicly humiliating anyone. After all, we've all made mistakes.
If a problem arises with an individual, I speak personally and privately with that person. It begins and ends there. No one ever knows what happens and most times the members are not even aware there is a problem.
Besides, there is never anything that cannot be addressed and handled professionally without destroying the relationship.
I believe that by spreading rumors and talking about each other in a negative light creates a negative environment. For anyone who is part of this organization, knows I will not tolerate any negativity. Like my mother used to say, "if you can't say something nice, say something vague". it was meant to bring humor in a difficult situation.
Thankfully, I have never had to say "something vague" about our members. I know straight up, most of our members are in AAVBA to grow their businesses and to help others do the same.
There is another saying which goes like this, "ignorant people talk about each other, intelligent people talk about matters of the world".
Have you ever been in a conversation where someone is talking about another person you do not know? What did you do? Did you walk away? Or did you become part of the conversation? Did you believe what that person was saying about this other person? Without confirming the story? Or did you believe this person simply because you felt they would not talk about anyone in a negative manner unless it was true? Or did you bother to confirm it?
Where I grew up, if someone said something about somebody, that person would bring the two people together and ask them who said what. This way, there was no misunderstanding. Each person had the opportunity to say face to face what they had to say directly to the person they were talking about.
Needless to say, there wasn't too much gossiping going on. You never knew when you would be asked to confirm what you were saying. So you better have had your story straight and also the facts to back it up. It kept everybody honest.
Build your relationships. Don't destroy them. When there is an opportunity to clear something up, do it immediately. And remember, judge slowly. Don't believe everything you hear unless you have the facts to believe it.
Vikki
From the beginning of this venture, I vowed to have a group that would work together for the greater good.
We were going to be an organization that epitomizes professionalism, ethics and solid relationships. And not just with each other, but also with the attorneys we work with.
The VBA industry is a relatively small community. So is the Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney community. If we say or do something good, everyone knows about it. By the same token, if anyone uses derogatory language or berates someone in the VBA community, word will get back to whomever is the target.
This was evident at the Fall Conference in South Carolina. Word got around that there was a new Exhibitor that provides a service most Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys can use that will make running their law firms much easier.
The new Exhibitor was AAVBA.
We were swamped all weekend by attorneys who wanted more information about how using a VBA could help them run their offices more efficiently. And we delivered.
Word was out that this was an organization that could very possibly be the answer to the problem most solo practitioners struggled with. The problem being they (the attorneys) needed an extra hand in their law firm but were unable to pay a full time staff. Enter the Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant.
I have never made claims that I had anything to do with the formation of the Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant. I will take credit however, for having the idea of getting VBA's in front of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.
And the idea of marketing on behalf of the AAVBA members is also my idea. Something that has never been done prior to the formation of AAVBA.
There are other marketing ideas that have been exclusively mine, but we won't go into that.
But not all the ideas came from me. Because of my relationship with my fellow AAVBA members, we have been able to implement ideas I could never have come up with.
And when those ideas are utilized, the VBA who comes up with the idea is given credit. Although, sometimes in my hurry to do things, I will forget to write down the name of the VBA. Sorry! And when that happens, I will still give credit to the VBA by mentioning the idea did not come from me.
I believe we have the first class organization that we do because our focus is building relationships and building businesses.
Our conversations are about the business, not about each other.
If an issue arises that must be addressed, it is addressed to the AAVBA membership. No one is ever exposed. I do not believe in publicly humiliating anyone. After all, we've all made mistakes.
If a problem arises with an individual, I speak personally and privately with that person. It begins and ends there. No one ever knows what happens and most times the members are not even aware there is a problem.
Besides, there is never anything that cannot be addressed and handled professionally without destroying the relationship.
I believe that by spreading rumors and talking about each other in a negative light creates a negative environment. For anyone who is part of this organization, knows I will not tolerate any negativity. Like my mother used to say, "if you can't say something nice, say something vague". it was meant to bring humor in a difficult situation.
Thankfully, I have never had to say "something vague" about our members. I know straight up, most of our members are in AAVBA to grow their businesses and to help others do the same.
There is another saying which goes like this, "ignorant people talk about each other, intelligent people talk about matters of the world".
Have you ever been in a conversation where someone is talking about another person you do not know? What did you do? Did you walk away? Or did you become part of the conversation? Did you believe what that person was saying about this other person? Without confirming the story? Or did you believe this person simply because you felt they would not talk about anyone in a negative manner unless it was true? Or did you bother to confirm it?
Where I grew up, if someone said something about somebody, that person would bring the two people together and ask them who said what. This way, there was no misunderstanding. Each person had the opportunity to say face to face what they had to say directly to the person they were talking about.
Needless to say, there wasn't too much gossiping going on. You never knew when you would be asked to confirm what you were saying. So you better have had your story straight and also the facts to back it up. It kept everybody honest.
Build your relationships. Don't destroy them. When there is an opportunity to clear something up, do it immediately. And remember, judge slowly. Don't believe everything you hear unless you have the facts to believe it.
Vikki
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
First 6 months
September 28, 2008 marks the 6th month AAVBA went "Live".
My idea of AAVBA began in August of 2007. The first person I talked to about my ideas was Sharon Hassler of GoGetNotary.
I've long been an admirer of Sharon. I've seen what she's accomplished with GoGetNotary and the GoGetExperts business.
I tossed ideas to Sharon to get her input while this idea was still in its infancy. I hadn't even filed the legal documents to make it an official business. We spent hours on the phone talking about this organization. Sharon gave me advise and was there when I needed to talk to someone. Which is a lot.
The value of the time she gave me is priceless. Once it's gone, you never get it back. Someday, I hope to I can repay her.
Well, the first thing I can share with you is Tip #1: Never start a business during the holidays. Talk about your #1 major stress factor!
A good time to start a business is March. File the legal stuff, get your website and shopping cart installed, set up your business/organization schedule (Meetings, Webinars, Travel) and go!
A little known fact is that I was not scheduled to conduct training. The person I had lined up for training had other obligations and responsibilities and I did not feel that handling a new organization like ours, with it's endless work hours would be a good fit.
So it was decided that I would do the training. Major stress factor #2. I had two weeks to get ready to conduct my first training session. Somehow, with the help of my wonderful AAVBA "founding members" cheering me on, we got through it. I say "we" because it was never just me. Believe me, I had a lot of help.
The most exciting part of this year was our association with NACBA. Being at the Annual Convention and now at the Fall Conference meant I had one more way to let attorneys see upfront what we do.
Our AAVBA members are encouraged to go to these conferences with us. The members pay a small participation fee, bring all their marketing materials to the Convention/Conference and participate at the AAVBA Exhibit Table.
For those VBA's who cannot attend the Convention/Conference, we offer another way to participate. The VBA purchases a Raffle prize to be given at the Convention/Conference. These raffle items are engraved with the VBA's business name.
These ideas came to us from our members.
Our organization believes in the AAVBA membership. They are very intelligent individuals and they bring a wealth of information and ideas. We respect their opinions and ideas.
If the idea will benefit the overall good of the organization, we use the idea and give credit to the Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant.
We held two VBA Luncheons this year. Both successful. At our second VBA Luncheon, we had Sherry Duke of Suite Solutions (Credit Report Import) give a presentation.
The next two weeks are all about preparing for the NACBA Fall Conference. We have so much to do.
And that brings us to the present. Our first six months. It's still hard to believe.
The next six months and the next year (which is only three months away!) will be just as busy, I'm sure.
I hope you will make plans to be with us. We've only just begun.
Wishing you wildly successful days!
Vikki
My idea of AAVBA began in August of 2007. The first person I talked to about my ideas was Sharon Hassler of GoGetNotary.
I've long been an admirer of Sharon. I've seen what she's accomplished with GoGetNotary and the GoGetExperts business.
I tossed ideas to Sharon to get her input while this idea was still in its infancy. I hadn't even filed the legal documents to make it an official business. We spent hours on the phone talking about this organization. Sharon gave me advise and was there when I needed to talk to someone. Which is a lot.
The value of the time she gave me is priceless. Once it's gone, you never get it back. Someday, I hope to I can repay her.
Well, the first thing I can share with you is Tip #1: Never start a business during the holidays. Talk about your #1 major stress factor!
A good time to start a business is March. File the legal stuff, get your website and shopping cart installed, set up your business/organization schedule (Meetings, Webinars, Travel) and go!
A little known fact is that I was not scheduled to conduct training. The person I had lined up for training had other obligations and responsibilities and I did not feel that handling a new organization like ours, with it's endless work hours would be a good fit.
So it was decided that I would do the training. Major stress factor #2. I had two weeks to get ready to conduct my first training session. Somehow, with the help of my wonderful AAVBA "founding members" cheering me on, we got through it. I say "we" because it was never just me. Believe me, I had a lot of help.
The most exciting part of this year was our association with NACBA. Being at the Annual Convention and now at the Fall Conference meant I had one more way to let attorneys see upfront what we do.
Our AAVBA members are encouraged to go to these conferences with us. The members pay a small participation fee, bring all their marketing materials to the Convention/Conference and participate at the AAVBA Exhibit Table.
For those VBA's who cannot attend the Convention/Conference, we offer another way to participate. The VBA purchases a Raffle prize to be given at the Convention/Conference. These raffle items are engraved with the VBA's business name.
These ideas came to us from our members.
Our organization believes in the AAVBA membership. They are very intelligent individuals and they bring a wealth of information and ideas. We respect their opinions and ideas.
If the idea will benefit the overall good of the organization, we use the idea and give credit to the Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant.
We held two VBA Luncheons this year. Both successful. At our second VBA Luncheon, we had Sherry Duke of Suite Solutions (Credit Report Import) give a presentation.
The next two weeks are all about preparing for the NACBA Fall Conference. We have so much to do.
And that brings us to the present. Our first six months. It's still hard to believe.
The next six months and the next year (which is only three months away!) will be just as busy, I'm sure.
I hope you will make plans to be with us. We've only just begun.
Wishing you wildly successful days!
Vikki
Friday, August 29, 2008
Last weekend of the Summer
Here we are at the end of Summer. For me, I never really felt we had a Summer. The weather was all over the map. One day; hot, next day, hot and humid, then all of a sudden, rain.
Not only that, but my days seem to zoom by a lot faster than when I was younger. A true sign of getting older.
Which is fine. I don't mind age. I never have. I guess because I don't know what to expect from age. I mean, how does a 30, 40 and 50 look and act?
So the end of Summer is here. Now comes the busy time of year. For some reason, Fall has always been a busy time of year. Everyone goes back to school, plans begin to take shape for the family get togethers. For us, our Family Reunion. Then, before you know it, it's Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Break, Christmas and then the New Year...... Yeah, it happens that fast.
Even with the strange weather this Summer, and no time off, we had a good time. My husband and I weren't able to take a vacation this year. We want to take off for awhile after the Family Reunion in October.
Our son turned 25 this Summer. To celebrate his birthday, he went skydiving in San Diego, CA. He and a friend, who shares the same birthday, jumped from 15,000 feet. His original plans were to go to Santa Barbara, CA where they jump from 18,000 feet. I guess the difference makes for a more thrilling jump. I wouldn't know, I'm not that
adventurous. But, good for him. I admire my son and his generation. They take life by the horns and run with it.
Our son also joined a bicycle group this Summer. A group of 30 to 50 people meet at a public place and ride their bikes around Los Angeles. These rides takes place on a Friday or Saturday night. They start around 6:00 P.M. and ride all evening. They carry rope and potato saks. Along the way, they stop at outdoor Malls and ask the public to join them in Jump Rope or a Potato Sak race. They never had anyone say no to a good Jump Rope or Double Dutch and the Potato Sak races become quite competitive.
Our son says "old" people join in and he says it's so cool to see their faces when they Jump Rope because you can tell they're going back to a time when things were simple. By "old" he means old like his parents (52 and 53).
Then, of course, there was the birth of our Great-nephew, Kai. His daddy, Joseph, graduated from the Police Academy on August 28, 2008.
I attended several Class Reunion functions. My High School classmates are unique in that the people I graduated with I've know since 2nd grade. So, essentially, they are the only people I've known all my life, (outside of my family).
Our son became good friends with the daughter of my best friend from High School. Anthony and Sarah attended a Winter Formal one year and since then, hang out together all the time.
My other best friend turned 58 this year in June. She and I have been friends for 27 years. Every year for her birthday, we go out for Sushi, her favorite. We do this once a year, every year. It's a time we both cherish to sit and talk and eat.
So, that was my summer. Short celebrations along the way that made this Summer memorable. The weather didn't cooperate, but everthing else was sweet.
I hope you had a great Summer filled with fun and laughter. I would love to hear what made you smile and appreciate life.
Until next time,
Vikki
Not only that, but my days seem to zoom by a lot faster than when I was younger. A true sign of getting older.
Which is fine. I don't mind age. I never have. I guess because I don't know what to expect from age. I mean, how does a 30, 40 and 50 look and act?
So the end of Summer is here. Now comes the busy time of year. For some reason, Fall has always been a busy time of year. Everyone goes back to school, plans begin to take shape for the family get togethers. For us, our Family Reunion. Then, before you know it, it's Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Break, Christmas and then the New Year...... Yeah, it happens that fast.
Even with the strange weather this Summer, and no time off, we had a good time. My husband and I weren't able to take a vacation this year. We want to take off for awhile after the Family Reunion in October.
Our son turned 25 this Summer. To celebrate his birthday, he went skydiving in San Diego, CA. He and a friend, who shares the same birthday, jumped from 15,000 feet. His original plans were to go to Santa Barbara, CA where they jump from 18,000 feet. I guess the difference makes for a more thrilling jump. I wouldn't know, I'm not that
adventurous. But, good for him. I admire my son and his generation. They take life by the horns and run with it.
Our son also joined a bicycle group this Summer. A group of 30 to 50 people meet at a public place and ride their bikes around Los Angeles. These rides takes place on a Friday or Saturday night. They start around 6:00 P.M. and ride all evening. They carry rope and potato saks. Along the way, they stop at outdoor Malls and ask the public to join them in Jump Rope or a Potato Sak race. They never had anyone say no to a good Jump Rope or Double Dutch and the Potato Sak races become quite competitive.
Our son says "old" people join in and he says it's so cool to see their faces when they Jump Rope because you can tell they're going back to a time when things were simple. By "old" he means old like his parents (52 and 53).
Then, of course, there was the birth of our Great-nephew, Kai. His daddy, Joseph, graduated from the Police Academy on August 28, 2008.
I attended several Class Reunion functions. My High School classmates are unique in that the people I graduated with I've know since 2nd grade. So, essentially, they are the only people I've known all my life, (outside of my family).
Our son became good friends with the daughter of my best friend from High School. Anthony and Sarah attended a Winter Formal one year and since then, hang out together all the time.
My other best friend turned 58 this year in June. She and I have been friends for 27 years. Every year for her birthday, we go out for Sushi, her favorite. We do this once a year, every year. It's a time we both cherish to sit and talk and eat.
So, that was my summer. Short celebrations along the way that made this Summer memorable. The weather didn't cooperate, but everthing else was sweet.
I hope you had a great Summer filled with fun and laughter. I would love to hear what made you smile and appreciate life.
Until next time,
Vikki
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Accountability or "Do as you say"
Accountability is a huge word. Not because it has 14 letters in the word. Because it means you will "do as you say".
Our position of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant comes with responsibility. We must be accountable to the attorney, which in turn must be accountable to his/her client.
When we decide we want to pursue the career of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant, we make a decision to take on a certain amount of responsibility.
When I decided to start AAVBA, I knew I would be accountable to a group of individuals who would look to me for answers. In this position, accountability would have to be #1 priority, followed by service and support to those who chose to join our organization.
There would be straight forward talk about the VBA industry.
There would be straight forward talk about the potential to make money and how much. Which, by the way, you cannot consistently make $15,000.00/month which in turn is $180,000.00/year . If that happens, I want to see a tax return. That is the only way I will be convinced of the potential to make more money than the attorney who practices law.
That is not to say you can't make a decent living preparing petitions. There are some VBA's who have been able to quit their jobs and do this full time. They also put in long hours of marketing and planning and preparing so this could become a reality for them. They (VBA's) are accountable for the success of their businesses. My accountability lies in that I promised to market directly to attorneys on behalf of VBA's. So far, so good.
I don't claim to be an expert in this field. To do that, I would have to be working in this field a minimum of 5 years. But I do have 25 years of Corporate experience. Also, I have been a successful Independent Contractor for 10 years.
I do a variety of work. Field Service Inspections, Notary Signing Agent, Writing papers for college students, assisting students fill out the FAFSA forms, Translations, and Bankruptcy Petition Preparation.
In every assignment, I am accountable. I'm accountable to take the correct measurements of the building when I do Inspections. I am accountable when identifying signers on Loan documents. I am accountable to the students. I am accountable to Translate the correct words from the doctor to the patient. I am accountable to the attorney that I will do my best to submit a deficiency free petition. This is not to say I'm perfect, I'm not.
I've made mistakes. And I had to acknowledge those mistakes. Which is never easy. But if I don't acknowledge what I have done wrong, then nothing about my business is honest.
I believe those who are in a position to teach and lead have a higher expectation of accountability. Especially when individuals put their hard earned money and belief in that individual or business.
Once, I had thought about doing an online $.99 cent store. The woman I was going to go into business was a very nice lady. We got along immediately. Before I signed the papers to start my online store, she sent me her tax returns. She wanted to show me how much money she lost. The first year. In the same envelope, was the tax return for the following year and then the most current year. Talk about accountability. Long story short, she made a good return after one year of doing her online store.
By the way, I never opened my Online store. It was not for me. But I know my friend is still doing her online store and quite successfully. And she became a friend.
I had not made a return on my VBA business up until February of this year (2008) when an out of state attorney contracted me to prepare his clients' petitions. I had been marketing to attorneys since 2006 with no return. My business took a turn for the better when I hooked up with my "core" group of VBA's. When I saw how successful we were together, I knew I had to do something for other VBA's who; like me, had not been successful in this business.
Much like I believed in this VBA business, I believe we can get all VBA's working for an attorney, maybe more than one. I also know it takes a lot of work. For those VBA's who put in the time and with the marketing efforts of the AAVBA, we can do this.
In October, I head out to South Carolina for the Bankruptcy Attorney Fall Conference. Along on this trip are 4 AAVBA members. I'm happy that AAVBA decided to offer this. Now, every VBA will have the opportunity to market "face to face" with attorneys.
This will be a good experience. For the VBA's and for myself. I will get to know the AAVBA members on a more personal level.
My hope is that the Fall Conference in South Carolina will bring assignments to VBA's during the winter months when most work slows down for every Independent Contractor. No matter what industry they're in.
Until next time,
Vikki
Our position of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant comes with responsibility. We must be accountable to the attorney, which in turn must be accountable to his/her client.
When we decide we want to pursue the career of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant, we make a decision to take on a certain amount of responsibility.
When I decided to start AAVBA, I knew I would be accountable to a group of individuals who would look to me for answers. In this position, accountability would have to be #1 priority, followed by service and support to those who chose to join our organization.
There would be straight forward talk about the VBA industry.
There would be straight forward talk about the potential to make money and how much. Which, by the way, you cannot consistently make $15,000.00/month which in turn is $180,000.00/year . If that happens, I want to see a tax return. That is the only way I will be convinced of the potential to make more money than the attorney who practices law.
That is not to say you can't make a decent living preparing petitions. There are some VBA's who have been able to quit their jobs and do this full time. They also put in long hours of marketing and planning and preparing so this could become a reality for them. They (VBA's) are accountable for the success of their businesses. My accountability lies in that I promised to market directly to attorneys on behalf of VBA's. So far, so good.
I don't claim to be an expert in this field. To do that, I would have to be working in this field a minimum of 5 years. But I do have 25 years of Corporate experience. Also, I have been a successful Independent Contractor for 10 years.
I do a variety of work. Field Service Inspections, Notary Signing Agent, Writing papers for college students, assisting students fill out the FAFSA forms, Translations, and Bankruptcy Petition Preparation.
In every assignment, I am accountable. I'm accountable to take the correct measurements of the building when I do Inspections. I am accountable when identifying signers on Loan documents. I am accountable to the students. I am accountable to Translate the correct words from the doctor to the patient. I am accountable to the attorney that I will do my best to submit a deficiency free petition. This is not to say I'm perfect, I'm not.
I've made mistakes. And I had to acknowledge those mistakes. Which is never easy. But if I don't acknowledge what I have done wrong, then nothing about my business is honest.
I believe those who are in a position to teach and lead have a higher expectation of accountability. Especially when individuals put their hard earned money and belief in that individual or business.
Once, I had thought about doing an online $.99 cent store. The woman I was going to go into business was a very nice lady. We got along immediately. Before I signed the papers to start my online store, she sent me her tax returns. She wanted to show me how much money she lost. The first year. In the same envelope, was the tax return for the following year and then the most current year. Talk about accountability. Long story short, she made a good return after one year of doing her online store.
By the way, I never opened my Online store. It was not for me. But I know my friend is still doing her online store and quite successfully. And she became a friend.
I had not made a return on my VBA business up until February of this year (2008) when an out of state attorney contracted me to prepare his clients' petitions. I had been marketing to attorneys since 2006 with no return. My business took a turn for the better when I hooked up with my "core" group of VBA's. When I saw how successful we were together, I knew I had to do something for other VBA's who; like me, had not been successful in this business.
Much like I believed in this VBA business, I believe we can get all VBA's working for an attorney, maybe more than one. I also know it takes a lot of work. For those VBA's who put in the time and with the marketing efforts of the AAVBA, we can do this.
In October, I head out to South Carolina for the Bankruptcy Attorney Fall Conference. Along on this trip are 4 AAVBA members. I'm happy that AAVBA decided to offer this. Now, every VBA will have the opportunity to market "face to face" with attorneys.
This will be a good experience. For the VBA's and for myself. I will get to know the AAVBA members on a more personal level.
My hope is that the Fall Conference in South Carolina will bring assignments to VBA's during the winter months when most work slows down for every Independent Contractor. No matter what industry they're in.
Until next time,
Vikki
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Lessons Learned
My father passed away 6 years ago from a massive heart attack. He was 67 years old. A relatively young age.
Pops lived a full life. When his friends found out how he had passed, they said to us, "he gave away so much of his heart, he forgot to keep a little for himself". That was true.
My dad was that type of person. He always gave.
Growing up, I remember my dad always being there for the less fortunate kids in our neighborhood. Not that we were well off, not by any means. But somehow, we always had just enough.
My dad came to the U.S. from Mexico in the '50's. He and my mother were young and full of hope. When they arrived in the U.S., my dad attended night school to learn English. All the while holding down a full time job to support his growing family. Later on, he would take on two full time jobs to make ends meet. He did this so our mother wouldn't have to work outside the home.
My dad hired a cleaning lady, and a cook. I think these were luxuries my dad wanted our mother to have. Also, there were so many of us! I have four brothers and two sisters.
When Dad and Mom came to this country, they made a vow to live the American dream. For my father, that meant live as an American. Everything my dad did was modeled around American life. That meant respecting and flying the American flag every holiday. My dad and mom were Scout Leaders for our neighborhood Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops. They volunteered at school and church. It's funny, but you would think with them giving so much time to everyone, there would be no time for their own children! On the contrary, we were always with them!
After working two full time jobs for many years, my dad decided he would open up a business. So, he quit his two jobs and did just that.
At the ripe old age of 42, our parents made the last payment on their mortgage and became grandparents for the first time.
Then, one day, dad decided he wanted to teach. So, he took the CBEST exam and started teaching at a local high school. He taught a vocational class.
While he taught, he attended night school to earn his Bachelors. After that, he went on to earn his Masters at the age of 51. But, his proudest moment happened when he became a citizen of the United States. My dad literally draped his house in red, white and blue!
I remember the years when my dad was a teacher. He would often invite his students over for a BBQ. We didn't mind, we knew that was our dad's way. He always helped those who needed a hand.
He was always giving.
When my dad passed away, everyone came to his funeral. At the reception held after the services, someone asked me, "what was your dad?", I responded, "what do you mean?", they said, "was he some sort of important person?", again, I asked, "what do you mean?", they said, "I've never seen so many people at someone's funeral, he must have been a very special person or held some sort of position".
Then it dawned on me. All my life, I saw my father helping other people. He helped people get jobs, he helped people buy cars, he helped the neighborhood kids, he helped teach a skill to high school students. I don't know why, but I just never gave any thought of how much my dad helped people. My thought was; this is what everybody did. Help each other.
So I looked around the reception hall (we had to rent a hall to hold all the people in attendance), I saw his students and their families, his former Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts were there, the kids (now all grown) from the old neighborhood came, I saw his godchildren (20 or 30), his brothers were there as was his sister. His nieces and nephews (40 or more). We had people from all over come up to us and tell us stories of how our father helped them.
They told funny stories, compelling stories and some stories even made us cry.
But they all had the same thing to say, "your dad helped me...."
My father had always been a very content person. Just happy to be. Period. He was a simple man with very basic beliefs and ideas; which he passed down to his children and grandchildren. Did I mention that my dad supported his family as a welder?
One brother became a welder. Our son, Anthony, took a welding class in college. And now, Anthony is finishing up his studies to become a teacher as well. Ironically, my brothers all married teachers.
So the lesson learned for me, was "when you give, you will always get back more than you gave".
It was evident to me when my dad passed away. All these people had come back to pay their last respects to a man they loved and admired and respected. All because he gave and helped them.
How simple and how basic. But that's the kind of person Pops was.
Vikki
Pops lived a full life. When his friends found out how he had passed, they said to us, "he gave away so much of his heart, he forgot to keep a little for himself". That was true.
My dad was that type of person. He always gave.
Growing up, I remember my dad always being there for the less fortunate kids in our neighborhood. Not that we were well off, not by any means. But somehow, we always had just enough.
My dad came to the U.S. from Mexico in the '50's. He and my mother were young and full of hope. When they arrived in the U.S., my dad attended night school to learn English. All the while holding down a full time job to support his growing family. Later on, he would take on two full time jobs to make ends meet. He did this so our mother wouldn't have to work outside the home.
My dad hired a cleaning lady, and a cook. I think these were luxuries my dad wanted our mother to have. Also, there were so many of us! I have four brothers and two sisters.
When Dad and Mom came to this country, they made a vow to live the American dream. For my father, that meant live as an American. Everything my dad did was modeled around American life. That meant respecting and flying the American flag every holiday. My dad and mom were Scout Leaders for our neighborhood Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops. They volunteered at school and church. It's funny, but you would think with them giving so much time to everyone, there would be no time for their own children! On the contrary, we were always with them!
After working two full time jobs for many years, my dad decided he would open up a business. So, he quit his two jobs and did just that.
At the ripe old age of 42, our parents made the last payment on their mortgage and became grandparents for the first time.
Then, one day, dad decided he wanted to teach. So, he took the CBEST exam and started teaching at a local high school. He taught a vocational class.
While he taught, he attended night school to earn his Bachelors. After that, he went on to earn his Masters at the age of 51. But, his proudest moment happened when he became a citizen of the United States. My dad literally draped his house in red, white and blue!
I remember the years when my dad was a teacher. He would often invite his students over for a BBQ. We didn't mind, we knew that was our dad's way. He always helped those who needed a hand.
He was always giving.
When my dad passed away, everyone came to his funeral. At the reception held after the services, someone asked me, "what was your dad?", I responded, "what do you mean?", they said, "was he some sort of important person?", again, I asked, "what do you mean?", they said, "I've never seen so many people at someone's funeral, he must have been a very special person or held some sort of position".
Then it dawned on me. All my life, I saw my father helping other people. He helped people get jobs, he helped people buy cars, he helped the neighborhood kids, he helped teach a skill to high school students. I don't know why, but I just never gave any thought of how much my dad helped people. My thought was; this is what everybody did. Help each other.
So I looked around the reception hall (we had to rent a hall to hold all the people in attendance), I saw his students and their families, his former Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts were there, the kids (now all grown) from the old neighborhood came, I saw his godchildren (20 or 30), his brothers were there as was his sister. His nieces and nephews (40 or more). We had people from all over come up to us and tell us stories of how our father helped them.
They told funny stories, compelling stories and some stories even made us cry.
But they all had the same thing to say, "your dad helped me...."
My father had always been a very content person. Just happy to be. Period. He was a simple man with very basic beliefs and ideas; which he passed down to his children and grandchildren. Did I mention that my dad supported his family as a welder?
One brother became a welder. Our son, Anthony, took a welding class in college. And now, Anthony is finishing up his studies to become a teacher as well. Ironically, my brothers all married teachers.
So the lesson learned for me, was "when you give, you will always get back more than you gave".
It was evident to me when my dad passed away. All these people had come back to pay their last respects to a man they loved and admired and respected. All because he gave and helped them.
How simple and how basic. But that's the kind of person Pops was.
Vikki
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