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VA Directory

VA Directory - Connecting clients with Virtual Assistants

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I’m back – did you miss me?

Hi everyone, I’m getting back into things. Graham has returned to work this morning (although he was reluctant :-D) and I’m spending the rest of this month just sorting through emails, accounts, updating myself on everything and then back with clients from 1st July.

Thank you to those team members who supported my clients in my absence – very much appreciated.

I’ve uploaded the FoVA photos I took to my Facebook profile and I invite you to go and have a look.  I’ll gradually add all the names to everyone that I can.

The event went very well although numbers weren’t as high as Barb Lang had hoped for. Last year I believe she had around 75 but with the current economic situation and possibly the location, it meant that numbers were lower. Niagara Falls was a lovely location but not direct to get to and Graham and I had to fly Melbourne-Sydney-Vancouver-Toronto and then Barb picked us up at Toronto airport to drive us to Niagara Falls which was well over an hour away.  Altogether we were in transit for 28 hours from our home to the accommodation at Niagara.  We slept well that night!

I was delighted to meet well known industry names such as Sharon Williams, Stacey Brice, Tawnya Sutherland (and her crazy other half Arnie), Patty Dost, and heaps of others whose names many of you will recognise.

The sessions were great and I did pick up a lot of information but at the moment all the papers are in transit as Graham and I had to ship books and papers and some other things – our luggage was way overweight by the time we were drawing close to the end of our 4 week trip.

My workshop was well attended and I thoroughly enjoyed the two sessions as we opened up for discussions and shared information.

The venue was lovely, meals were great, company was fantastic and there were displays of books, brochures, gifts, etc from various VA groups.

Barb did an excellent job organising the event and is now in the middle of packing as she’s shifting house in the next week or so – I think she likes to keep busy!

For those I met at FoVA I will be in touch – as soon as I can get around to it.  There is much I have to catch up with here in my office.

A great line up for FoVA

Message from Barb who is organising this event:

What do these people all have in common?

Kathie Thomas
Michelle Jamison
Jeannine Clontz
Mary Lou Ashton
Pam Ivey
Tawnya Sutherland
Yvonne Weld
Stacy Brice
Dawn Goldberg
Danielle Guerin
Frances Palaschuk
Kristi Pavlik
Lauren Pibworth
Rob Neilly
David Hansen
Mitch Solway
and me… Barb Lang

They are coming from all around the world to be in Niagara Falls Canada June 4-7, 2009.

Each of these incredible people has put together a one of a kind workshop or clinic style session, to help FoVA attendees take their VA businesses to the next level in a very hands on and practical way.

If you are coming to FoVA’09, be ready to work hard and have fun. Of course this list doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface on the talent that is coming to FoVA as participants. That’s the beauty of FoVA! You’ll be in the room with some of the most successful and generous VA’s in our industry who are there to learn and share with you. You just can’t beat that kind of opportunity!

I invite you to visit www.forumonvirtualassistance.com to learn more. FoVA is the place where VA’s Meet, Learn and Grow.

I hope to see you in June!
Barb

The countdown is on!

4 weeks today Graham and I will be winging our way to Canada.  It will be a long flight (so we’ll be glad to get there) but then we’ll have almost 4 weeks visiting in Canada, with the first stop being FoVA09 in Niagara. And then 6 days later we’ll head over to Vancouver to join a tour with APT to see some of Canada’s beautiful scenery before spending just over a day with a friend and her husband in Vancouver and then back home again.

When you’re in business you don’t tend to think about holidays for sometime. At least I didn’t.  But over the past few years Graham and I have been able to have some time off, especially now our daughters are grown, and we’ve visited many lovely countries so now Canada will be added to that list.

I will still be online and checking in periodically – not for client contacts (as I’ll have made arrangements for them with my team members) but more for social contacts, blogging, last minute meeting plans and so on.  Plus I will be documenting our travels with my camera and posting lots of pics!

I really am looking forward to this break. The last real holiday Graham and I had was in August 2007 in Japan and the past year has been a difficult one for our family.  It’s time to just relax and enjoy time together and with new friends.

Countdown to FoVA

If you visit my blog you will have noticed the big yellow post it note on the right with the countdown information and link to the Forum on Virtual Assistance (FoVA) taking place 3-7 June in Canada this year.  But if you read my blog via RSS you will have missed seeing that, so I thought I would share something of this event with all of my readers.

I was delighted when asked last year to come over to FoVA and present a workshop (on social networking and blogging) and participate in the rest of the event. It didn’t take me long to decide to say ‘yes’ although for me it means travelling a long way.  From Australia in fact, for those who don’t realise it.  I contacted my husband at work as soon as I was asked to find out if he could get leave and come with me.  So he did just that and put in his leave application. We’re now counting down the weeks and days – 89 (days) in fact from today!

We leave very early on 1st June and will arrive the same day late in the afternoon in Canada although we will have been travelling for well over 20 hours – isn’t that somewhat crazy?  Toronto is 16 hours behind Melbourne so you can do that math.  We’re deliberately coming a couple of days before the event so our bodies can adjust to the time difference and we can catch up on sleep that we will have lost on our journey.

I’ve had several VAs contact me already to say they’ll be there and others have been sending tweets on Twitter to keep in touch.  I also know that some will be bringing with them their copy of books I’ve written so I can personally autograph them – that thought made me smile 🙂

One of my VA friends has suggested that her husband and mine can keep company – they have similar interests in mountain biking and I expect the guys will have some adventures of their own while us ladies enjoy FoVA with the rest of our associates, both male and female.  If there are others out there with spouses looking to join in, then let me know – and I believe that Barb, the co-ordinator for FoVA is also organising activities for partners.

If you haven’t yet decided to join us at FoVA, I encourage you to check out the program and make your booking – you can still get an early bird booking in before 31st March and save yourself $$.  And there are a lot of well known VA industry names that I’m looking forward to meeting face-to-face. What an exciting time that is going to be!

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Forum on Virtual Assistance June 2009

All Virtual Assistants are invited to the next Forum on Virtual Assistance (FoVA) next June in Canada.    Even more exciting because I am going too!  I was thrilled to be asked recently to present a workshop and facilitate a forum at the event and I accepted.  But to give you the details direct from the organiser, please read on!

Extraordinary plans are being made for FoVA ’09 and I can tell you that we have an incredible program shaping up for you! 

Mark your calendars!

FoVA ’09 will take place June 4 – 7, 2009 in Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada.  http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/

To our U.S. colleagues, you can fly in to Buffalo, NY and just cross the bridge!! No need for inflated “international” airfare rates! (You’ll still need a passport though so if you don’t have one, be sure to get one before next spring.)  

Come see one of the 7 Wonders of the World!!

In addition to our newly expanded 2009 Forum program, we also have 4 amazing Full Day One-of-a Kind Workshops being offered Pre-Conference on Wednesday June 3rd!  You may never get the chance to participate in these Workshops in person at any other event!

I don’t want to spoil any surprises but I can tell you that we already have commitments from some unbelievably huge VA industry leaders!!

Check out these names:

Michelle Jamison of MJVA and Associates –  Author and Multi VA Business Guru!

Erin Blaskie of Business Services, ETC – VA Coach and Expert on Passive Income Extraordinaire! … and

Kathie Thomas of Award-winning “A Clayton’s Secretary”® VA Coach, Speaker and Author of the very popular “Worth More Than Rubies” coming all the way from Australia!!! Outstanding!!

(I have 1 other very special guest lined up but I’ll tell you about that next time. J  I can’t let you in on ALL of my secrets now can I?)

To top things off, we will be offering a mini French FoVA Forum for our bilingual colleagues. Imagine a whole day of French Workshops designed and delivered “en français” just for bilingual VA’s!!

FoVA started as a dream for Canadian VAs. It blossomed into a North American event and is turning into a Global Forum!

If you are serious about your VA business, our industry as a whole and want to meet, network and collaborate with some of the most important and influential VA’s in our industry, be sure to mark June 3 – 7, 2009 on your calendar.

We are working feverishly on the FoVA ’09 website which will provide you with all of the necessary details. We will let you know when that is available in the next several weeks.

We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones in June 2009!!

About

A Clayton’s Secretary T/as VA Directory was established in March 1994 by
Kathie M. Thomas.

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