The Virtual Legal Assistant, Inc. - Aretha Gaskin

Obama’s New America

I’m not alone in watching the rise of Sen. Barack Obama, of course, but in recent days, things have gotten serious.

The latest developments are the op-ed piece in the New York Times by Caroline Kennedy, wherein she credits her children and their generation for making a connection for her between Obama and the sense of hope and excitement her own father brought to the country when she was a little girl. 

Endorsements come and go, but this is a rare public statement by a female Kennedy in a race where the female candidate has even been cordially embraced by the Kennedys. 

As someone who has chosen an entrepreneurial career, I am enjoying the Obama candidacy as a refreshing symbol of openness to the new and the innovative.  We are in a time of rapid change, enabled by constant developments in many technological areas.  In many ways, it is a confusing time, but there is one aspect of the changes that is recurrent:  communication.  The new phones compel people to talk for hours.  The new social websites can rapidly publicize a video or event.  We’re undeniably coming together.  Now the task is for everybody to start paying attention to the big picture, the big problems, and realize we own them.

Which is where a President of the United States comes in.  Barack Obama talks about change in a way that may translate into a new face for America to show the world, should he be elected.  His very presence—young, Black, a prudent conciliator -- will signal an America that has grown from its sometimes parochial stance of the first-world superpower that is the best at everything and a moral arbiter and enforcer to a gifted nation whose enormous wealth comes with an obligation to lead and inspire.   

If nothing else, the virtual entrepreneur, the dot.com. revolutionary, the influential bloggers, all embody a new spirit of independence and individual achievement.  Can this spirit, that has accomplished nothing less than a revolution of the conduct of business and social networking, hold the key to unifying a fractured world?  And is Obama the pioneering leader such a time calls for?

---

Services | Bankruptcy Forms Processing | Packages
FAQs – Aretha Gaskin | Free Reports | Contact

---

Who’s Arguing?

“The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.”

This is a quote attributed to Joseph Joubert, an 18th Century French essayist.  When you’re out on your own in business, like a virtual entrepreneur, being aggressive and having a strong sense of yourself and what you want should be standard equipment.  It comes in handy during negotiations with vendors and clients, when setting or moving deadlines, while questioning or defending invoices, fielding complaints, having the discussions of all kinds that fill your days.

I think most of us, deep down, are conflict-averse, but interactions (and they are the entrepreneur’s lifeblood) are part of the business life.  It is also a given that not all of them will be pleasant.

Which brings us to the wisdom of Monsieur Joubert’s words: acceptance of disagreement.  Within every argument is an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to compromise and (what Joubert rightly calls “progress”), an opportunity to grow.

How perfect is this quote for our current political season?  The candidate debates (hard to avoid, aren’t they?) are essentially staged arguments, during which all the would-be presidents are eager to show how different they are from each other.  For us, this process of juxtaposed ideas and approaches helps us to make a choice, just as the give-and-take between entrepreneurs and clients should lead to a clearer understanding and a more productive working relationship.

---

Services | Bankruptcy Forms Processing | Packages
FAQs – Aretha Gaskin | Free Reports | Contact

---

Perception, Meet Reality

Columnist Bob Herbert, discussing the growing phenomenon of Barack Obama in a recent column, made the point that Obama’s appeal is a reaction against the repeated insincerity voters have been subjected to by their candidates.  He quotes Obama observing, “Something’s stirring in the wind.”  And then comments:

“Something is stirring all right. Voters are paying attention. Young people are coming into the process.  The electorate is fed up and ready to invoke the prerogatives of citizenship to hold the leadership to higher standards.  The textbooks tell us that’s exactly how it’s supposed to work”

It got me to thinking that it’s much the same for the virtual entrepreneur, out there selling a professional service from a remote location.  In our economy, there are plenty of options for the buyer.  But buyers don’t ever want just anybody to manage their office, they want the best they can get.  And when they see, hear and experience true professionalism, they know it and that is the person they hire.  That’s the way it’s supposed to work.

It’s good to remember that the highest quality is always is short supply.  It takes constant work and vigilance to maintain those standards, and most will be content performing at a somewhat lower rung on the ladder.  But choosing to put in that effort to sincerely offer the best service available will not be missed, and immediately distinguishes you among your peers and your clients.  This is what thriving businesses are made of.

---

Services | Bankruptcy Forms Processing | Packages
FAQs – Aretha Gaskin | Free Reports | Contact

---

Fired Up

Congratulations to Barack Obama, his candidacy now well launched with a win at the Iowa caucuses on his mission to transform America. 

A more interesting candidate has not come along in many election cycles, and if he gains credibility with strong showings in primaries to come, so too will the reality of an urbane black man leading the nation toward maybe its first real understanding of the wider world.  The symbolism of Obama is that he is the face of a new America, still strong and rich and a leader and a haven.  But maybe now also a nation reflecting diversity as an identity, not just a convenient badge.  The hope is that a President Obama would not be an anomaly, but the pioneer symbol of a mature nation, capable of finally embracing its multifaceted culture and making it work in harmony.  And at the same time, neutralizing forever those who would cling to old ways as the only orderly way of life. 

The 46-year old, first term Senator spoke of hope in a predominantly white state that showed a clear preference for him.

“They said this day would never come,” he said. “They said our sights were set too high. They said this country was too divided, too disillusioned to ever come together. But on this January night at this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said we couldn’t do.”

---

Services | Bankruptcy Forms Processing | Packages
FAQs – Aretha Gaskin | Free Reports | Contact

---

On the Road Again

There was a time when I was a member of the employee world, and sat in a cubicle, and read firm-wide memos and emails and did all the things company people do.  The people I met were company people, and everything I did revolved around the company.

And then I learned about being a Virtual Assistant, and a window opened in my company life.  I started to look out that window while working for the company, and out there were the tools I needed to begin my solo business career.

Verizon has an ad campaign saturating the airwaves that has the tagline—“It’s the Network.” We’ve all seen the guy in the black-rimmed glasses with the crowd behind him, cleverly cementing the idea that Verizon is both social and reliable, always behind you.

I found that as I completed my transition from salaried employee to independent virtual assistant and business owner, the value of a network increased.

It’s not enough to simply troll for clients with cold calls and printed marketing material.  You need to meet other business owners in your field, other entrepreneurs, and other newbies.  Every encounter sharpens your networking skills, fattens your rolodex, and gets your card into someone else’s wallet.

I’ve enjoyed going to business meetings, seminars and chamber of commerce presentations in the past year.  It’s given me insights, kept me from mistakes, and brought me new friends.  It’s funny that it’s the solo entrepreneur who needs ready access to others, who succeeds the fastest.

So, make time to pack up your cards and get out there in 2008.  We need you.

---

Services | Bankruptcy Forms Processing | Packages
FAQs – Aretha Gaskin | Free Reports | Contact

---