Now, you can find me over here...
What I’d do differently…

         

                                          {on move-in day freshman year}

I graduate from college this weekend.  I will never sit in a classroom again, pretending to be interested in marine science or supply and demand curves.  I will never stay up until 2 am cramming for an accounting exam or attempting to learn how to speak French.  I will never have to write a research paper again or fill in a scantron or make flashcards or buy a #2 pencil or read a textbook.  

          

                              {studying while on vacation sophomore year}

I also will never be able to stay up all night with my roommates watching Friends and drinking wine.  I will never be able to skip class to go lay by the pool or take a nap in the middle of the day.  I will never be able to sit in a classroom learning from a brilliant professor.  I will never be able to call my parents up and ask for more money or gorge myself on the delicious food at the dining hall.  And I will never be able to sit in the student section at Sanford Stadium.

         

                      {At the UGA v AU game last year… who won that one again?}

I could not be more ready to move onto the next phase of my life, while also feeling extreme nostalgia for the past four years.  I’m going to miss Athens.  I’m going to miss my college friends.  And I’m even going to miss going to school.   I will never be a student again.  

       

                                                        {Spring Break}

But if I were to be a student again, this is what I’d do differently:

  1. I would minor in something I’m interested in.  Fashion, food, music, finance… whatever.  Pick anything that makes you happy and take classes related to it.  I was a journalism major, but I wish I had minored in something like food and nutrition to develop an expertise.  
  2. I would take more classes that teach you life skills.  Personal finance, investing, cooking, career planning, etc.  
  3. I would be more involved early on.  I didn’t start joining extracurricular clubs until the end of my sophomore year.  Big mistake.  Getting involved is such a great way to meet people, network, explore an interest/hobby, gain leadership experience and figure out what you want to do with your life.  I wish I had done that sooner.
  4. I would branch out sooner.  Unfortunately, my first years of college were very similar to high school (just without parents).  It took me a while to meet new people, but once I did my life became infinitely better.  Branching out is SO important.  Don’t make college just an extension of high school.  You’ll miss out on so much.
  5. I would take more advantage of being in college.  Now that I’m graduating, I can’t help but think of all of the opportunities I missed.  I wish I had gone to more concerts, parties, football games (and other sporting events), restaurants, shows.  You name it.  I wish I had done more of it.  

         

                                            {my amazing roommates}

    And of course, there are a few things I did right that I would highly recommend:

    1. Study Abroad.  This was the single best decision I ever made in my life.  
    2. Intern.  Every potential employer I’ve ever talked to has asked me about internships.  I’m happy to say (despite what my bank account says) that I had 5 internships in college and it’s totally paid off.
    3. Apply what you learn in the classroom.  Use classwork for the real world.  Any time I had to write an article for class, I pitched it to a real publication.  This helped me get clips, experience and sometimes even a little cash.  
    4. Live within your means.  It can be tempting with all of the credit card offers arriving in the mail to rack up debt while in school, but resist the temptation!  Don’t spend more than you have, start saving early, learn how to invest.  Being financially-savvy is one of the best skills you can graduate with.  
    5. Create traditions.  My family is big on traditions.  We got to the beach every year with the same group of people.  We celebrate Christmas at our Swedish friends’ house every year.  We visit my grandparents in Cape Cod every summer.  But my favorite tradition of all was my Christmas Party.  Every year, for the last 15 years, I invited all of my girlfriends over for a fancy dinner complete with a gift game, delicious food and my dad decked out in a tux, serving us dinner.  It was my favorite part of the year and it was such a great way to celebrate the holidays and friendships with the people you care about.  Start a tradition with your friends and make it an annual thing.  You won’t regret it!

            

                                                           {the early years}

                 

                                                                  {the last year}

    So, there you have it.  It’s the beginning of a new era.  Wish me luck!

      --Tagged under: graduation--

      What Every Cook Should Know

      You’ve moved into your first place, you’ve bought countless pots and pans and you’ve even made a trip to the grocery store.  But, now what?  If you aren’t sure how to boil an egg, whip cream or flip pancakes, be sure to check out Real Simple’s Cooking School.  They’ve even got a great Essential Kitchen Tools Checklist!

      --Tagged under: my first place--

      jaclynday: How You Know You’re a Grown-Up: When you hate the snow and all that it means for your job, your house and your food supply. When you have to choose a pencil skirt over a romper. When you have to cook at home because 1) you are sticking to a budget and 2) because you are too tired to face anything but pajamas and a couch by the time you get out of work.  When you look forward to vacations maybe once or twice a year instead of  as a 3-month stretch of summer.  When you finally, really understand what Mom & Dad meant when they said, “We’ll have to wait until payday.”  When you are shocked by what preteens are wearing to go the mall.  When you classify “failures” as personal short-comings instead of using it as a name-calling device (“you’re such a failure!) or as a grading mechanism (“this paper was a dismal failure.”) But, this only truly qualifies if you then examine those failures as areas for growth instead of as angsty pools of self-loathing. When you realize that your mere existence does not qualify you to earn respect or recognition.  When you accept that jealousy is pointless and self-destructive. When you learn that channeling such jealousy into inspiration is pretty darn effective. When you see that, all along, your sibling has been your best friend and you really don’t need anyone else except for him/her. When you publicly take ownership of your decisions, good and bad, without excuses and without lies and cover-ups. When buying presents at Christmas becomes a lot more fun than receiving them. When you start to question celebrating Christmas at all! (i.e. Let’s go skiing instead!)  When you notice that the more that people say they can’t stand “popularity contests,” the more they are secretly trying to win them. This post inspired me… here are some other great signs of maturity from Laugh It Out:   1. Your house plants are alive, and you can’t smoke any of them. 3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge. 4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed. 5. You hear your favorite song on an elevator. 6. You watch the Weather Channel. 7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of hook up and break up. 8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14. 9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as “dressed up.” 10. You’re the one calling the police because those damn kids next door won’t turn down the stereo. 11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you. 12. You don’t know what time Taco Bell closes anymore. 13. Your car insurance goes down and your payments go up. 14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonalds leftovers. 15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt. 16. You no longer take naps from noon to 6 PM. 17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one. 18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach. 19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests. 20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer “pretty good stuff.” 21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time. 22. “I just can’t drink the way I used to,” replaces, “I’m never going to drink that much again.” 23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work. 24. You no longer drink at home to save money before going to a bar. And a few of my own: When you realize that happiness is self-determined and not dependent on other people. When you recognizing that other people are just as important/intelligent/insert-other-positive-attribute-here as you are… including your parents. 

      jaclynday:

      How You Know You’re a Grown-Up:

      • When you hate the snow and all that it means for your job, your house and your food supply.
      • When you have to choose a pencil skirt over a romper.
      • When you have to cook at home because 1) you are sticking to a budget and 2) because you are too tired to face anything but pajamas and a couch by the time you get out of work. 
      • When you look forward to vacations maybe once or twice a year instead of  as a 3-month stretch of summer. 
      • When you finally, really understand what Mom & Dad meant when they said, “We’ll have to wait until payday.” 
      • When you are shocked by what preteens are wearing to go the mall. 
      • When you classify “failures” as personal short-comings instead of using it as a name-calling device (“you’re such a failure!) or as a grading mechanism (“this paper was a dismal failure.”) But, this only truly qualifies if you then examine those failures as areas for growth instead of as angsty pools of self-loathing.
      • When you realize that your mere existence does not qualify you to earn respect or recognition. 
      • When you accept that jealousy is pointless and self-destructive.
      • When you learn that channeling such jealousy into inspiration is pretty darn effective.
      • When you see that, all along, your sibling has been your best friend and you really don’t need anyone else except for him/her.
      • When you publicly take ownership of your decisions, good and bad, without excuses and without lies and cover-ups.
      • When buying presents at Christmas becomes a lot more fun than receiving them.
      • When you start to question celebrating Christmas at all! (i.e. Let’s go skiing instead!) 
      • When you notice that the more that people say they can’t stand “popularity contests,” the more they are secretly trying to win them.

      This post inspired me… here are some other great signs of maturity from Laugh It Out:

       

      1. Your house plants are alive, and you can’t smoke any of them.

      3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.

      4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.

      5. You hear your favorite song on an elevator.

      6. You watch the Weather Channel.

      7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of hook up and break up.

      8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.

      9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as “dressed up.”

      10. You’re the one calling the police because those damn kids next door won’t turn down the stereo.

      11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.

      12. You don’t know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.

      13. Your car insurance goes down and your payments go up.

      14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonalds leftovers.

      15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.

      16. You no longer take naps from noon to 6 PM.

      17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.

      18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.

      19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.

      20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer “pretty good stuff.”

      21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.

      22. “I just can’t drink the way I used to,” replaces, “I’m never going to drink that much again.”

      23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.

      24. You no longer drink at home to save money before going to a bar.

      And a few of my own:

      • When you realize that happiness is self-determined and not dependent on other people.
      • When you recognizing that other people are just as important/intelligent/insert-other-positive-attribute-here as you are… including your parents. 

      --Tagged under: growing up--

      "

      Gay couples deserve equal civil rights

      A few weeks ago, a 17-year-old lesbian in Mississippi challenged her school district’s rules that would prevent her from escorting her girlfriend to the prom. Her prom was canceled. Although a federal judge ruled Tuesday that the school board violated the student’s rights, the prom was not reinstated.

      What is the matter with this country? Is being a lesbian so horrible that we must deny her and her fellow students their prom experience?

      I’m sure there are a few of you out there saying, “Yes, lesbianism is so horrible. Homosexuality is an abomination!” And you’re right. According to Leviticus 18:22, homosexuality is detestable. But to all of you who believe this, I ask — are we really going to interpret the Bible so literally in this modern day and age?

      A scene from NBC’s “The West Wing” comes to mind. After a Dr. Laura type informs Martin Sheen’s character, President Bartlet, that the Bible says homosexuality is an abomination, the President begins to question her.

      “I’m interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She’s a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be?”

      He also mentions Exodus 35:2: “Whoever does any work on the Sabbath must be put to death.”

      And then Leviticus 11:7: “Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean.”
      “If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point?” Can UGA? And the list goes on and on.

      One of the most foolish arguments is that it’s a slippery slope if we allow gays to get married. “What’s next — marrying an animal?” opponents always ask.

      Why do so many people go straight to marrying donkeys whenever gay marriage is mentioned? Need I remind you, a donkey is not human. I think it’s safe to say that marriage can be kept between human beings, although it’s clear who the real asses are here.

      Now, I realize gay rights and gay marriage are two totally different issues. But for the sake of space, let’s kill two birds with one stone. To those of you who are OK with homosexuality, but oppose gay marriage, I have to ask: Do you really think the government should have the right to tell people where or how they can get married?

      Why don’t we leave it up to the individual institutions to decide, a concept the constitution refers to as separation of church and state. I knew those Founding Fathers were onto something!

      Some people argue that by allowing gays to get married, we’re increasing the possibility that more gays will begin adopting children, as if this were a negative thing.
      It’s quite the opposite actually. A review of nine studies, published by The New Press, revealed no significant differences between children of homosexuals and children of heterosexuals with regards to self-esteem, moral judgment and intelligence.

      Another flawed argument is that gay marriage would weaken the institution of marriage. With a divorce rate at 50 percent among heterosexuals, I can’t help but wonder how many Americans truly value marriage of any kind anymore.

      Interestingly, in Massachusetts — one of five states that allow gay marriage — the divorce rate is about where the U.S. divorce rate was in 1940: 20 percent, according to the most recent data from the National Center for Vital Statistics.

      And finally, the law in most states is discriminatory against gays, as they are not afforded the same rights as heterosexuals (i.e. tax breaks, insurance benefits and over 1,000 other matrimonial perks). And picture this, dear reader: gays cannot visit their partners if they are dying in the hospital no matter how long they’ve been in a committed relationship.

      One of my closest friends has a gay parent. My friend is one of the most kind, sane, compassionate people I know and she was raised by a gay man. It breaks my heart to think of her dad as not being able to include his partner on his insurance plan or visit him if he was hospitalized, even though they’ve been living together for almost six years.

      We are a constantly evolving society. Allowing women to vote was revolutionary in its time. So was allowing people of all races to be equal under the law. Now it’s time to allow two people of the same sex to legally share their lives together.

      For as far as our country has come in so many areas of human decency, I can’t fathom how we now can be so shortsighted on an issue that affects so many.

      "
      — A column I wrote for The Red & Black

      --Tagged under: advice--

      How-To: Never Pay Full Price Again

      I am a self-proclaimed bargain hunter.  I rarely pay full-price for anything… mainly because it’s so easy not to.  There are so many websites offering discounts, so many companies willing to give you cash back or miles, and so many establishments offering rewards that’s it’s almost more work to pay full-price than it is to find a deal.  Whether you’re going to a movie, a spa or a concert or you’re buying a TV, shoes or dinner, with this guide, you’ll NEVER have to pay full-price again.

      Here are some of the ways that I save money everyday:

      1.     Discount Gift Cards/Certificates 

      There are tons of local companies offering discounted gift cards/certificates all over the country.  Whether you need a car wash, a good meal, a massage or event tickets, you can get them all at discounted prices!  Here are a few of my favorites:

      ·      Groupon: features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in a variety of cities across the United States.

      ·      Living Social: offers one fantastic deal every day with discounts of up to 90% at local restaurants, bars, spas, theaters, and more.

      ·      Buy With Me:  offers handpicked promotions, partnering with businesses of all types to showcase the best that they can offer.

      **Not as nationalized as Groupon or Living Social, and if they don’t get enough buys, the deal is off (but you won’t be charged). 

      ·      Half-off Depot:  offers gift certificates at 90% off

      **Make sure you plan ahead and purchase each gift certificate two weeks before you’ll need to use it, as it usually takes about that long for them to arrive in the mail.  Look out for “Printable” offers as you can use those instantly!

      ·      Restaurant.com:  offers gift certificates to participating restaurants all around the country

      **Read the fine print.  Often times you have to spend a minimum amount at the restaurant, and alcohol and tip is often excluded.  Make sure you look for promo codes, you can usually save up to 80% off!

      ·      Gold Star: Fun ideas, half-price tickets, member reviews and everything you need for great nights out

      ·      Spafinder: Buy gift certificates at SpaFinder using promo codes like this one: SBCG for 10% off.  Then, redeem them at any of the 5,000 participating spas around the globe.  

      ·      Great Spa Escapes: Same deal as SpaFinder, except you can choose from over 30,000 spas.  Try promo code MLB25 for 25% off. 

      ·      Cardpool: Buy (at up to 30% off), sell (at up to 90% off), or trade your gift cards in a safe and secure environment.

      ·      Woot:  offers a new item every single day at an extremely discounted price

      2.     Get Rewarded for Shopping

      If you’re going to be spending money anyway, you might as well make some money doing it.  Whether it’s cash back, skymiles or reward points at your favorite store, you should never buy anything without being rewarded for it in some way.  Here are a few of the best rewards programs I’ve found:

      ·      Ebates: Ebates is the pioneer and leader of online Cash Back Shopping. Simply sign up for free, and start shopping.  Just make sure you click your retailer of choice through Ebates’ website.  And four times a year or more, you’ll get a check from Ebates.  Talk about free money! 

      ·      Skymiles Shopping: Every time you shop, you can be earning miles. Select your airline of choice (Delta and American Airlines both have great programs) and simply click on a retailer’s name or logo, shop online as usual and you’ll earn miles for the purchases you make during that session. It’s that easy. 

      ·      Retailer Rewards:

      Coffee: Addicted to coffee?  Buy a gift card at Starbucks and start saving on every purchase!  With My Starbucks Rewards, you’ll earn 1 Star every time you pay with your Card. And as you collect Stars, you move up to bigger benefits.  

      Movie Theaters:  Going to the movies is one of the most expensive, non-luxurious activities you could do on a Friday night.  But it’s so fun!  Join your favorite theater’s rewards program and watch the points start adding up!  Or try buying gift certificates at Costo for less!

      Stores:  Which stores do you shop at the most?  Consider signing up for a credit card or a reward card with them and you’ll receive tons of great perks.  A few of my favorites: Sephora, Nordstrom, Gap

      ·      Reward Credit Cards: As long as you pay your balance in full each month, it’s crazy not to have a rewards credit card.  Where do you shop the most?  What rewards are you interested in?  Find the right card for you using comparison sites and start getting rewarded for every day expenses!  I personally am a big fan of Amex’s Blue Cash Card.  I made $150 last year using my card! 

      3.     Find Discounts Online:

      ·      Retailmenot:  I’ve found this site to be the most comprehensive, successful site for online shopping promo codes and coupons.  I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything online that I haven’t been able to use a promo code from Retailmenot.   

      ·      Alice: provides you a cost effective way to manage all of your household essentials online and never clip a coupon again!  This site is amazing and so user-friendly.  

      ·      Travel:  Find the best prices at Kayak.  Then, check out Travelocity’s “My Dates are Flexible.” By clicking this box– even if your dates aren’t flexible– you have access to some of the cheapest prices possible. 

      ·      Movie Rentals: Before paying full price, check out your local library. Or sign up for a RedBox account and you’ll get a code for a free movie rental texted to your cell phone every Monday. 

      ·      Gas Buddy: Check out this website before filling up to find the best deal in your area .

        

      And finally, here is a checklist to follow for your next online purchase to ensure you get the best deal: 

        

      1.     What are you buying?  Google the items or check www.thefind.com.  Note the names of the merchants offering the three best prices (include shipping charges).

      2.     Check the skymile and rebate sites. Determine which one will offer you the best reward.

      3.     Find promo codes and coupons using Retailmenot. If you can’t find one there, try Googling the merchant name and “coupon code” or “promo code”.

      4.     Log into Ebates.  Click whichever merchant name offers your product for the lowest price with the highest rebate. 

      5.     Log into skymile shopping site of your choice. Click same merchant name as above. 

      6.     Select your items using the last window to open.

      7.     Go to the checkout screen, and enter your coupon code.

      8.     Complete purchase with a rewards card.

      9.     Follow up to ensure you receive your rewards.  

      ** Source: http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/08/14/how-to-earn-free-plane-tickets-and-cash-back-by-shopping-online/

       A few more websites with great savings:

      Lovelyskin:  They’ll match the lowest price of any other retailer and they carry thousands of products including specialty cosmeceuticals for unique dermatological conditions such as wrinkles, acne, dry feet, and ingrown hairs.  They often have great promotions, too!


       

      --Tagged under: advice--

      --Tagged under: personal finance--

      The Best Cities for Young Adults

      iamnotablogger:

      Are you a relatively educated, culturally with-it young person looking to live in a city with same? Well, here is your list of places to live. Above, from left to right and top to bottom, are America’s best metropolitan areas for young adults, as calculated by Portfolio. They picked cities with “strong growth rates, moderate cost of living, and lots of those under 34 years old who are college-educated and employed.”

      Of course, for any individual trying to pick a place to live, factors like where your friends are, and the kind of career you want to have, will outweigh all of this. If you want to be in the film industry you’re not going to move to Raleigh, North Carolina, no matter what Portfolio says.

      (Both Columbus and Cincinnati made the list…even though you’ll probably get shot in Cincy so I wouldn’t advise it.)

      Thanks to Pragmatism for this!

      --Tagged under: advice--

      Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, is one of those books that you hate every minute of until you get to the end and then it becomes one of your favorite books of all time.   I started this book over Christmas Break.  I read three other books while I was reading this book.  I finished this book last week (that’s 3 months!— the longest I think it’s ever taken me to finish a book).  It was a truly hard read for me.  He was just on that damn boat for so long!  But it was worth it. When I got to the end, I found myself in a chaotic frenzy trying to find other people I knew who had read this book.  I had to discuss it with somebody.  I had to know how they interpreted the story.  I even looked up the Spark Notes version to figure out the true meaning.  The sign of a really good book. If you’re looking for a good read (and your patient) and you like books that really make you think, I highly recommend Life of Pi.  And if you’ve already read it, I want to hear what you thought— I can’t stop thinking about it!

      Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, is one of those books that you hate every minute of until you get to the end and then it becomes one of your favorite books of all time.  

      I started this book over Christmas Break.  I read three other books while I was reading this book.  I finished this book last week (that’s 3 months!— the longest I think it’s ever taken me to finish a book).  It was a truly hard read for me.  He was just on that damn boat for so long!  But it was worth it.

      When I got to the end, I found myself in a chaotic frenzy trying to find other people I knew who had read this book.  I had to discuss it with somebody.  I had to know how they interpreted the story.  I even looked up the Spark Notes version to figure out the true meaning.  The sign of a really good book.

      If you’re looking for a good read (and your patient) and you like books that really make you think, I highly recommend Life of Pi.  And if you’ve already read it, I want to hear what you thought— I can’t stop thinking about it!

      --Tagged under: Life of Pi--

      --Tagged under: Books--

      Not sure what major to choose?

      A column I wrote for the Red and Black (UGA’s student newspaper)

      --Tagged under: advice--

      Name:  Patti Hendrix Age: 46 Hometown: Augusta, GA Official job title: Virtual Executive Assistant What was your major? Where did you go to school? Major was Travel & Tourism at Georgia State University, but I did not graduate. Runnerup career choice/dream job? Fashion model (no kidding!) What was your first job? Part-time working at Baskin-Robins ice cream How long have you been at this gig? 25+ years Do you own your company? Yes and no. I have my own company (www.yourvirtualea.com), but I’m funded by a “private investor”. Does anyone else work at your company/do you have any employees? No, it’s just me. As a self-employed person, how much of your job is related to just running your company and how much of it is related to the services your company actually provides? Currently, just because of the way I’m set up (privately funded), I do not have a lot of work that is related to just running my company.  I spend some time on my website but that’s about it.  The majority (90%) of my time is spent on the “assistant-side”. So what exactly is a virtual assistant? A virtual assistant is basically an executive/personal/administrative assistant that works virtually, or from home.  I have a home office with all my equipment (computer, fax machine, phone, software, etc.) with clients that I support administratively from here while they can be anywhere in the world.  We communicate solely via email, texting, and phone, only meeting occasionally. I do all the things that a normal executive assistant would do plus more. What kind of things do virtual assistants do for their clients? It all varies depending on the clients needs. In my situation, I have three clients and do very different tasks for them all. Client One (Entrepreneur): I make travel related reservations, do some personal shopping, sell items for him on Ebay, manage his beach home, return phone calls, internet research on a variety of topics, help him with family members, etc.  It varies wildly with him. Client Two (Financial Consultant): I make a lot of travel arrangements, calendar management, database management, keep his time and expenses for billing purposes, some shopping, ordering off websites, return phone calls, etc. Client Three (Property Development/Management): I keep his accounts in QuickBooks and pay all his bills, send marketing packages out for him, research, Blast emails, database management. Some Virtual Assistants have a “concentration” of services that they focus on, for example, web-development or real estate administration.  They may specialize in these and offer them as their specialty to potential clients. That seems like a lot of work.  What’s your average day like? Varies day to day.  I support 3 clients all of whom have me doing very different things for them.  Usually spend the morning catching up on emails from clients and others.  That usually takes most of the morning after I’ve replied to them all, and completed task that I may have been given in them.  There is no typical day for me.  Sometimes I’ll go for several days without hearing from a client and other days I may hear from him 50 times, my workload is dependent on their schedules. How many hours a week do you work? Approximately 40 but varies. Any vacation days? Try to take 2 weeks but not always possible. What kind of money do virtual assistants make? Over $50K but below $60K What are the pros and cons of your job? Pros: working from home, flexibility of schedule, able to do personal things during work week saving weekend for fun, can pick and choose my clients, no traffic. Cons: pretty much “on call” 24/7, do some “strange” things sometimes for clients, don’t get to see my clients very much (communicate via email, phone, and texting), no work social group, can be difficult to take vacation since it’s only me. So where do you do most of your work? Home What is more important to you (and be honest): money or doing what you love? Doing what I love, life it too short! What would you have done differently while you were in college to help you get where you are today? I would have taken more business courses. If you could tell current college students/recent grads to do ONE thing this year to help their career, what would it be? To current college students, I’d tell them to finish college no matter what – things are a lot different today and you need a college degree to get a decent job. To recent college graduates, I’d tell them to look people in the eye when meeting them, have a nice, firm handshake and be yourself!  If I have to just pick one of those, it would be to have a nice, firm handshake! What accomplishment are you proudest of? That I have a wonderful job, am happy and make decent income without a college degree and my two wonderful children!  Sorry, I know that’s two!

      Name:  Patti Hendrix

      Age: 46

      Hometown: Augusta, GA

      Official job title: Virtual Executive Assistant

      What was your major? Where did you go to school?

      Major was Travel & Tourism at Georgia State University, but I did not graduate.

      Runnerup career choice/dream job?

      Fashion model (no kidding!)

      What was your first job?

      Part-time working at Baskin-Robins ice cream

      How long have you been at this gig?

      25+ years

      Do you own your company?

      Yes and no. I have my own company (www.yourvirtualea.com), but I’m funded by a “private investor”.

      Does anyone else work at your company/do you have any employees?

      No, it’s just me.

      As a self-employed person, how much of your job is related to just running your company and how much of it is related to the services your company actually provides? Currently, just because of the way I’m set up (privately funded), I do not have a lot of work that is related to just running my company.  I spend some time on my website but that’s about it.  The majority (90%) of my time is spent on the “assistant-side”.

      So what exactly is a virtual assistant?

      A virtual assistant is basically an executive/personal/administrative assistant that works virtually, or from home.  I have a home office with all my equipment (computer, fax machine, phone, software, etc.) with clients that I support administratively from here while they can be anywhere in the world.  We communicate solely via email, texting, and phone, only meeting occasionally. I do all the things that a normal executive assistant would do plus more.

      What kind of things do virtual assistants do for their clients?

      It all varies depending on the clients needs. In my situation, I have three clients and do very different tasks for them all.

      Client One (Entrepreneur): I make travel related reservations, do some personal shopping, sell items for him on Ebay, manage his beach home, return phone calls, internet research on a variety of topics, help him with family members, etc.  It varies wildly with him.

      Client Two (Financial Consultant): I make a lot of travel arrangements, calendar management, database management, keep his time and expenses for billing purposes, some shopping, ordering off websites, return phone calls, etc.

      Client Three (Property Development/Management): I keep his accounts in QuickBooks and pay all his bills, send marketing packages out for him, research, Blast emails, database management.

      Some Virtual Assistants have a “concentration” of services that they focus on, for example, web-development or real estate administration.  They may specialize in these and offer them as their specialty to potential clients.

      That seems like a lot of work.  What’s your average day like?

      Varies day to day.  I support 3 clients all of whom have me doing very different things for them.  Usually spend the morning catching up on emails from clients and others.  That usually takes most of the morning after I’ve replied to them all, and completed task that I may have been given in them.  There is no typical day for me.  Sometimes I’ll go for several days without hearing from a client and other days I may hear from him 50 times, my workload is dependent on their schedules.

      How many hours a week do you work?

      Approximately 40 but varies.

      Any vacation days?

      Try to take 2 weeks but not always possible.

      What kind of money do virtual assistants make?

      Over $50K but below $60K

      What are the pros and cons of your job?

      Pros: working from home, flexibility of schedule, able to do personal things during work week saving weekend for fun, can pick and choose my clients, no traffic.

      Cons: pretty much “on call” 24/7, do some “strange” things sometimes for clients, don’t get to see my clients very much (communicate via email, phone, and texting), no work social group, can be difficult to take vacation since it’s only me.

      So where do you do most of your work?

      Home

      What is more important to you (and be honest): money or doing what you love?

      Doing what I love, life it too short!

      What would you have done differently while you were in college to help you get where you are today?

      I would have taken more business courses.

      If you could tell current college students/recent grads to do ONE thing this year to help their career, what would it be?

      To current college students, I’d tell them to finish college no matter what – things are a lot different today and you need a college degree to get a decent job.

      To recent college graduates, I’d tell them to look people in the eye when meeting them, have a nice, firm handshake and be yourself!  If I have to just pick one of those, it would be to have a nice, firm handshake!

      What accomplishment are you proudest of?

      That I have a wonderful job, am happy and make decent income without a college degree and my two wonderful children!  Sorry, I know that’s two!

      --Tagged under: career--

      --Tagged under: Virtual Assistant--

      --Tagged under: Patti Hendrix--

      losingweightinthecity asked: Which writing blogs do you read?

      So sorry for the delay, but here is my long overdue response:

      Hope this helps!  Do you have any writing blogs you read?

      --Tagged under: writing--

      --Tagged under: blogs--

      Kate:  As a young twenty-something, money isn’t exactly raining down on me.  But I like to go out to eat, get pedicures, go to concerts, go shopping, travel, etc.  How can I still do the things I love without breaking the bank? Shannah:  Do you know what the most popular question is that I get asked? The curiosity is always about what I think the major difference is between a financial planner that is in their 50’s and me, a young female financial planner. Besides the obvious, I have always felt that my generation and younger have a really hard time relating to a financial professional in their 50’s.  In our world everything is changing so rapidly. One minute some trend is hot and the next minute it isn’t.  We email instead of talk on the phone, and our emotions are expressed in 160 characters or less on Twitter. But the main difference I see is that we aren’t willing to give up our lifestyle. So how on earth do you build a strong financial foundation if you aren’t willing to give up traveling, eating out, and shopping? My motto is something I call, “Getting Cash Creative”. It is the simple process of looking at your lifestyle spending in a whole new way; that is getting creative with your money so you don’t have to give up the thing you value the most— your lifestyle! Kate:  Yes!  That’s exactly what I’m looking for.  How can I get cash creative? Shannah:  Below are my top 6 ways to become Cash Creative. My challenge to you is to take this list and make it your own. Add things that you think of, share it with friends, and build upon these ideas. My goal is merely to provide you with a foundation that you can build on and to get you thinking about your cash in creative ways. 1.     Creative Credit- It’s a given that most everyone has to have a credit card. Take a minute and go through your credit cards - are they helping you maximize your spending? I suggest that you always stick with credit cards that offer cash back, points, or some sort of discount. This way every dollar you are spending, you are also earning something that you can use in a creative way.   Kate:  That’s a great idea.  I signed up for American Express’ Blue Cash Card last year and this January I received $150 cash back.  I didn’t even have to do anything, except pay my bill on time.  It was so easy… it was free money! Shannah:  That’s great!  Here’s a few more tips: 2.     Creative Reading- How many times have you been in the checkout line at the grocery store and reached to buy a magazine? Did you know that you are spending close to 50-60% more on the magazine than you would if you had a subscription?  Let’s see this in action. Example: Let’s say the magazine costs $4.50 and that you have to dive into this magazine every week. That’s $225.00 a year you are spending. But what if you got a subscription to the magazine and that subscription only cost $48.00 a year. That’s a difference of $177.00 every year. Now that $177.00 of savings could pay for part of your life insurance premiums or your paycheck protection policy. It is possible to have your cake and eat it too…just get cash creative. Or, WOW, you could even save or invest it. 3.     Creative Discounts- College Discount programs are a fantastic way to save on costs such as health insurance, life insurance, car rental, airport parking, movie tickets, etc. These discounts are usually online in the alumni section of your college’s website.  They bundle the discounts together so they can offer them on many services you use all the time. I’ve even heard of a college discount program for purchasing a home.  Most programs offer 25-50% off services just for being an alumnus of the school. Get creative with the way you look for “the best deal” on services you use and take the extra money you will have saved and invest it into your future. 4.     Creative Eating- I love to eat out! I can’t even imagine how much money I have spent since college on eating out, but I am sure I could probably single handedly balance the nation’s budget if I could get all that money back! There are so many ways that you can save money and still eat out, you just have to shift your frame of thinking. a.     Most of the revenue in a restaurant comes from the 2 “D’s”- drinks and desserts.  If you are a wine drinker, always ask what the corkage fee is and bring your own bottle. If you are hardcore, only drink water at dinner and then invite everyone back to your place for after dinner drinks and desserts. You would be amazed at how much money you can save by eating out this way. b.     Potluck Dinners were fashionable when my parents were young in the 1960’s but are also seeing a rebirth in the last few years. This is a quick and easy way to save close to 75% of your dinning budget- invite some friends over and assign each person to a part of the meal. Leave it up to them whether they want to buy it or make it. The idea is that by pooling resources you are all saving a ton of $! c.     Have an iPhone? Look for some great apps to help you save money by eating out. One of my favorites is Yowza which offers local coupons for all sorts of things via your phone. No matter where you are out in the US Yowza will generate coupons that you can use instantly. And the best part- you don’t have to print anything out, just show your phone to the server when the bill comes. d.     Another great idea is Restaurant.com. They have sales all year round where you can get $25 dinning certificates for $1-$5 dollars each. I bought a ton of them when they went on sale last year and saved over $1,000 total for the year on eating out just with these coupons.  ** See this post for more creative tips to save money eating out:  5.     Creative Vacationing- I love to travel. No, wait; scratch that, I L-O-V-E to travel! I am still trying to figure out a job where I can travel all year long and still make a good income. If you come up with an idea, please let me know.  Seriously though travelling is a lot of fun but a huge drain on your wallet. But you don’t have to give that up just because you are being budget conscious. There are some great sites that can help you score an amazing deal. Here are some of my favorites: a.     www.kayak.com- A great resource for plane prices. You can shop almost every carrier. b.     www.vrbo.com- You can save a lot of money by renting a condo or home and splitting the cost with a few friends. Not only do you save money on the room, but you get a kitchen so you can cut down on meals out. c.     www.luxurylink.com- Shhh…this site is my hidden weapon. You have to be diligent in checking this site often, but you can get some amazing packaged deals on vacations. Sign up for their e-newsletter so you can be first in line for the deals. d.     www.costco.com- We have a Costco, but you might have a Sam’s Club. It’s the same strategy at both. They offer members great vacation deals, most times at 50% off the regular price. 6.     Creative You- Maximize your Hidden Talents- I’ve probably included this creative cash idea in almost every article I’ve written. Instead of always looking around for ways to save money without compromising your lifestyle, I bet you haven’t thought about your biggest asset generator- YOU! If you take just a minute I bet you can think of at least 3 talents that you have as hobbies that are cash generating ideas. My friend loves baseball. He is playing baseball, watching baseball, or talking about baseball.  He took my advice and started offering baseball clinics to high school kids who wanted to improve their game and fitness level. He holds one clinic a month and makes enough money to take himself on a nice vacation every year. It’s a win-win for him- he gets to do what he loves in his free time all while helping others and making some extra money. Now that’s being cash creative! 

      Kate:  As a young twenty-something, money isn’t exactly raining down on me.  But I like to go out to eat, get pedicures, go to concerts, go shopping, travel, etc.  How can I still do the things I love without breaking the bank?

      Shannah:  Do you know what the most popular question is that I get asked? The curiosity is always about what I think the major difference is between a financial planner that is in their 50’s and me, a young female financial planner.

      Besides the obvious, I have always felt that my generation and younger have a really hard time relating to a financial professional in their 50’s.  In our world everything is changing so rapidly. One minute some trend is hot and the next minute it isn’t.  We email instead of talk on the phone, and our emotions are expressed in 160 characters or less on Twitter. But the main difference I see is that we aren’t willing to give up our lifestyle. So how on earth do you build a strong financial foundation if you aren’t willing to give up traveling, eating out, and shopping?

      My motto is something I call, “Getting Cash Creative”. It is the simple process of looking at your lifestyle spending in a whole new way; that is getting creative with your money so you don’t have to give up the thing you value the most— your lifestyle!

      Kate:  Yes!  That’s exactly what I’m looking for.  How can I get cash creative?

      Shannah:  Below are my top 6 ways to become Cash Creative. My challenge to you is to take this list and make it your own. Add things that you think of, share it with friends, and build upon these ideas. My goal is merely to provide you with a foundation that you can build on and to get you thinking about your cash in creative ways.

      1.     Creative Credit- It’s a given that most everyone has to have a credit card. Take a minute and go through your credit cards - are they helping you maximize your spending? I suggest that you always stick with credit cards that offer cash back, points, or some sort of discount. This way every dollar you are spending, you are also earning something that you can use in a creative way.

       

      Kate:  That’s a great idea.  I signed up for American Express’ Blue Cash Card last year and this January I received $150 cash back.  I didn’t even have to do anything, except pay my bill on time.  It was so easy… it was free money!

      Shannah:  That’s great!  Here’s a few more tips:

      2.     Creative Reading- How many times have you been in the checkout line at the grocery store and reached to buy a magazine? Did you know that you are spending close to 50-60% more on the magazine than you would if you had a subscription?  Let’s see this in action.

      Example: Let’s say the magazine costs $4.50 and that you have to dive into this magazine every week. That’s $225.00 a year you are spending. But what if you got a subscription to the magazine and that subscription only cost $48.00 a year. That’s a difference of $177.00 every year. Now that $177.00 of savings could pay for part of your life insurance premiums or your paycheck protection policy. It is possible to have your cake and eat it too…just get cash creative. Or, WOW, you could even save or invest it.

      3.     Creative Discounts- College Discount programs are a fantastic way to save on costs such as health insurance, life insurance, car rental, airport parking, movie tickets, etc. These discounts are usually online in the alumni section of your college’s website.  They bundle the discounts together so they can offer them on many services you use all the time. I’ve even heard of a college discount program for purchasing a home.  Most programs offer 25-50% off services just for being an alumnus of the school. Get creative with the way you look for “the best deal” on services you use and take the extra money you will have saved and invest it into your future.

      4.     Creative Eating- I love to eat out! I can’t even imagine how much money I have spent since college on eating out, but I am sure I could probably single handedly balance the nation’s budget if I could get all that money back! There are so many ways that you can save money and still eat out, you just have to shift your frame of thinking.

      a.     Most of the revenue in a restaurant comes from the 2 “D’s”- drinks and desserts.  If you are a wine drinker, always ask what the corkage fee is and bring your own bottle. If you are hardcore, only drink water at dinner and then invite everyone back to your place for after dinner drinks and desserts. You would be amazed at how much money you can save by eating out this way.

      b.     Potluck Dinners were fashionable when my parents were young in the 1960’s but are also seeing a rebirth in the last few years. This is a quick and easy way to save close to 75% of your dinning budget- invite some friends over and assign each person to a part of the meal. Leave it up to them whether they want to buy it or make it. The idea is that by pooling resources you are all saving a ton of $!

      c.     Have an iPhone? Look for some great apps to help you save money by eating out. One of my favorites is Yowza which offers local coupons for all sorts of things via your phone. No matter where you are out in the US Yowza will generate coupons that you can use instantly. And the best part- you don’t have to print anything out, just show your phone to the server when the bill comes.

      d.     Another great idea is Restaurant.com. They have sales all year round where you can get $25 dinning certificates for $1-$5 dollars each. I bought a ton of them when they went on sale last year and saved over $1,000 total for the year on eating out just with these coupons. 

      ** See this post for more creative tips to save money eating out: 

      5.     Creative Vacationing- I love to travel. No, wait; scratch that, I L-O-V-E to travel! I am still trying to figure out a job where I can travel all year long and still make a good income. If you come up with an idea, please let me know.  Seriously though travelling is a lot of fun but a huge drain on your wallet. But you don’t have to give that up just because you are being budget conscious. There are some great sites that can help you score an amazing deal. Here are some of my favorites:

      a.     www.kayak.com- A great resource for plane prices. You can shop almost every carrier.

      b.     www.vrbo.com- You can save a lot of money by renting a condo or home and splitting the cost with a few friends. Not only do you save money on the room, but you get a kitchen so you can cut down on meals out.

      c.     www.luxurylink.com- Shhh…this site is my hidden weapon. You have to be diligent in checking this site often, but you can get some amazing packaged deals on vacations. Sign up for their e-newsletter so you can be first in line for the deals.

      d.     www.costco.com- We have a Costco, but you might have a Sam’s Club. It’s the same strategy at both. They offer members great vacation deals, most times at 50% off the regular price.

      6.     Creative You- Maximize your Hidden Talents- I’ve probably included this creative cash idea in almost every article I’ve written. Instead of always looking around for ways to save money without compromising your lifestyle, I bet you haven’t thought about your biggest asset generator- YOU! If you take just a minute I bet you can think of at least 3 talents that you have as hobbies that are cash generating ideas. My friend loves baseball. He is playing baseball, watching baseball, or talking about baseball.  He took my advice and started offering baseball clinics to high school kids who wanted to improve their game and fitness level. He holds one clinic a month and makes enough money to take himself on a nice vacation every year. It’s a win-win for him- he gets to do what he loves in his free time all while helping others and making some extra money. Now that’s being cash creative! 

      --Tagged under: Shannah Compton--

      --Tagged under: personal finance--

      Job Savvy Tips: Love!

      As an aspiring freelance writer, the fact that I can go online to any number of blogs and read about my dream profession never ceases to amaze and inspire me.  I regularly read about 5 writing-career blogs and without them I’d be utterly lost.  Yay for blogs!

      How many of you are interested in photography?  How about being your own boss?  Find out how one photographer has made a career out of his passion and started his own company! Name: Justin Evans Age:  32 Hometown:  From Atlanta, lived in Athens 14 years Official job title:  Freelance Photographer Company:  Justin Evans Photography What was your major? Where did you go to school? Degree in Geography from UGA/ Degree in Commercial Photo. from Gwinnett Tech. What was your first job? I’ve been a Pizza Cook, Waiter, Dishwasher, Tele-Marketer, Construction Worker, Science Assistant, Photo Assistant, Painter, you name it…. Wow.  You’ve really done it all.  How long have you been at this gig? 7 years total.  3 as my only gig. So what’s your average day like now that you’re on your own? No average work day.  Some days are for lining up work, some days are meeting with clients, some days are editing a shoot, some days are actual shooting, and some days are for watching baseball How many hours a week do you work? Depends, less than 30 in general How much money do you make at your job? Not much, but it pays the bills and provides the life style I enjoy, and it gets better each year (if the economy holds). What are the pros and cons of your job? Pros: Creative, Each day is different, Meeting People, Working for yourself Cons: Inconsistent, Stressful Sometimes, Constant Worry if there will be work What is more important to you (and be honest): money or doing what you love? Doing what I love What would you have done differently while you were in college to help you get where you are today? Would have gone straight for Photography and bypassed the Geography Degree.  School should be for learning a trade realistically. If you could tell current college students/recent grads to do ONE thing this year to help their career, what would it be? Travel.  You’re young, being at peace and living life without regretting the things you never did will help your career more than anything else. What accomplishment are you proudest of? Breaking the mold, Hopefully I can keep it going.

      How many of you are interested in photography?  How about being your own boss?  Find out how one photographer has made a career out of his passion and started his own company!

      Name: Justin Evans

      Age:  32

      Hometown:  From Atlanta, lived in Athens 14 years

      Official job title:  Freelance Photographer

      Company:  Justin Evans Photography

      What was your major? Where did you go to school?

      Degree in Geography from UGA/ Degree in Commercial Photo. from Gwinnett Tech.

      What was your first job?

      I’ve been a Pizza Cook, Waiter, Dishwasher, Tele-Marketer, Construction Worker, Science Assistant, Photo Assistant, Painter, you name it….

      Wow.  You’ve really done it all.  How long have you been at this gig?

      7 years total.  3 as my only gig.

      So what’s your average day like now that you’re on your own?

      No average work day.  Some days are for lining up work, some days are meeting with clients, some days are editing a shoot, some days are actual shooting, and some days are for watching baseball

      How many hours a week do you work?

      Depends, less than 30 in general

      How much money do you make at your job?

      Not much, but it pays the bills and provides the life style I enjoy, and it gets better each year (if the economy holds).

      What are the pros and cons of your job?

      Pros: Creative, Each day is different, Meeting People, Working for yourself

      Cons: Inconsistent, Stressful Sometimes, Constant Worry if there will be work

      What is more important to you (and be honest): money or doing what you love?

      Doing what I love

      What would you have done differently while you were in college to help you get where you are today?

      Would have gone straight for Photography and bypassed the Geography Degree.  School should be for learning a trade realistically.

      If you could tell current college students/recent grads to do ONE thing this year to help their career, what would it be?

      Travel.  You’re young, being at peace and living life without regretting the things you never did will help your career more than anything else.

      What accomplishment are you proudest of?

      Breaking the mold, Hopefully I can keep it going.

      --Tagged under: justin evans--

      --Tagged under: career--

      --Tagged under: Photography--

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