The Wild Ride that is the Month of June

I’ve been a little absent lately. 

Very much working, but radio silent on my social media platforms. A few Instagram stories here and there - yeah know, Frank and Petey make their appearance from the couch or chair - and that’s that. Maybe an update or two, but that’s it. 

June was met with seismic shifts in the business. I had to make a big decision to leave a job - where income was stable and predictable while simultaneously beginning the very early onboarding stages and collaboration with three local businesses and organizations here in Central New York. 

This has been my first true test as a business owner. Where my fight-or- flight senses have kicked in around 2am and I all of a sudden find myself staring at the wall, wide-eyed.

The risk was not calculated, but abrupt - something that is very uncharacteristic of me. Usually, some planning is drafted on my end. But not this time. I kind of knew what I needed to do and I was very clear in the execution this time around.

Thoughts flooded my brain: What to do when your most stable job no longer exists? When sudden changes appear a month earlier than expected? Carrying the angst and stress without having it bleed into my personal life and burdening my husband, Wes, is a whole set of mental gymnastics to navigate. Lately, I have been reaching out and talking to a few of my business friends to vent and gain insight. Uncertainty is part of entrepreneurship I’m told and I have no other choice but to ride out the storm because going back to a 9-5 is not an option for me. I am simply not built for that life. 

However, the opportunities and conversations that have presented itself this month I could not have drawn up for myself. It has been a little bit of luck, timing, and hard work. There is growth and scalability involved, but patience, I’m finding out, is key - and something I have to practice every single day.

I’m really looking forward to learning in my capacity and really absorbing everything I can to help and show them that their decision to bring The Assist onboard is an investment for their business that will prove dividends in the future.

With each big transition, comes valuable lessons, too. I will admit, when I left the City of Syracuse, I had accepted a job that had stable, predictable income. I could expect my pay to hit my bank account on the first and fifteenth of every month. 

Looking back at that whole process now, I know I could have done things differently, especially in the early stages of talks. For starters - and it sounds like a no-brainer - but ask questions if you’re not sure. I am a very self-aware person and I think, at the time, it was the excitement of going off on my own - to FINALLY launch my business that I jumped at this opportunity. If your previous conversations veer off and differ from the contract presented to you, speak up and advocate for yourself, and ultimately, hold off on signing or scheduled continued talks.

With everything that had just transpired during June, I really had to sit in it. There were times, after the gym, where I just sat at my desk and contemplated going back full-time, asking myself, “Should I apply for this full-time position?” But I held firm and really stayed the course. This was so not me. I ALWAYS knew my next step - even if it was a calculated risk.

I have also been met with hesitation (reasonably so) from conversations I’ve had with business owners and organizations about using a third party administrative and executive services to relieve some of their every day tasks and deliverables. 

“How can you assure me that I can trust The Assist?” was a question that sprung up in conversations - or was alluded to. A very valid question. These business owners and leaders are going out on a limb with me. It’s an expense, their hard-earned money is involved. My answer is simple: I am a career administrative/executive assistant (something that I have had trouble saying for quite some time now). My resume has brought me to several professional sectors and my experience from these places has allowed me to be a very well-rounded individual who brings informational tids-bits here and there to the table while my hard work and attention-to-detail is my bread-and-butter. 

I have been fortunate enough where a lot of my business has been part of my network or by word-of-mouth. Syracuse is a small and mighty community and I am grateful for the continued relationships I have sustained over the years. 

This month I have really been pushed out  of my comfort zone - for better and worse. It has added another layer of armor and confidence that I now carry with me as I continue to grow and scale my business.