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	<title>The Blue Jeans VA&#187; The Blue Jeans VA</title>
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		<title>What is a membership site?</title>
		<link>http://thebluejeansva.com/membership-sites/what-is-a-membership-site/</link>
		<comments>http://thebluejeansva.com/membership-sites/what-is-a-membership-site/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:00:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>marta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Membership Sites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Blue Jeans VA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MySpace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Seth Godin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tribes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebluejeansva.com/?p=1585</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What &#8211; A definition: Here is a basic definition of the word &#8220;Membership&#8221;: the total number of members belonging to an organization, society, etc.  Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/membership Short sweet and to the point but let&#8217;s elaborate on that shall we? Basically it is a group brought together through a common interest. It can be to learn [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3><a rel="attachment wp-att-1586" href="http://thebluejeansva.com/membership-sites/what-is-a-membership-site/attachment/membership-card-vector-2/"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1586" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" title="What is a membership site?" src="http://thebluejeansva.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Fotolia_13552463_XS.jpg" alt="What is a membership site?" width="222" height="142" /></a><strong>What &#8211; A definition:</strong></h3>
<p>Here is a basic definition of the word &#8220;Membership&#8221;: the total number of <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/member">members</a> belonging to an organization, society, etc.  Source: <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/membership" target="_blank">http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/membership</a><br />
Short sweet and to the point but let&#8217;s elaborate on that shall we? Basically it is a group brought together through a common interest. It can be to learn something new, strengthen a skill, working toward a common goal, promote ideas&#8230; you get the picture. When you have an idea, a product, a class &#8211; anything you want to share with your audience you can make a membership program out of it.</p>
<p>Now whether that will be a successful membership site, that is another story. For right now we are going to stick with the the &#8220;What&#8221; question.</p>
<h3><strong>What  &#8211; Examples:</strong></h3>
<p>Here are some examples of memberships: Church, your local Gym, <a title="The Blue Jeans VA on Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Blue-Jeans-VA/101412656603" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/bluejeansva" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, MySpace. These are all groups that you join, become active in, learn something and share ideas &#8211; a membeship site/program is a community.</p>
<h3><strong>What &#8211; An Idea:</strong></h3>
<p>A membership site is also a place to connect with people.</p>
<p>This is the part I like best about membership sites and is at the core of why I am in business for myself &#8211; creating opportunities for those who are struggling to connect and find support.</p>
<p>The right membership site can offer that, a solution to the problem you are facing right now.</p>
<h3><strong>What &#8211; Building Your Tribe:</strong></h3>
<p>A membership site is also a way to build and support your tribe.</p>
<p><em>Sidenote: If you haven&#8217;t read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842336/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=blujeadre-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591842336" target="_blank">Seth Godin&#8217;s book Tribes</a>, run don&#8217;t walk to you nearest bookstore or computer and buy it. If you have read it already, I suggest you read it again before starting a membership site.</em></p>
<p>Once you have a tribe of followers and they find success in the training and ideas you are teaching, they are going to look for ongoing support. Your membership site can offer that by connecting and bringing your tribe together so that they not only help each other out but in the end, you as well!</p>
<p>Through interaction with your members you learn what areas they are struggling with. What is working, what isn&#8217;t. What questions are they asking, what type of support will they need in the future? This gives you all sorts of feedback and information on what products and services you may need to offer in the future.</p>
<p>So maybe instead of membership site, we need to call it a Tribe Site? Hmm, have to think about that one huh?</p>
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		<title>Starting a membership site in 2011</title>
		<link>http://thebluejeansva.com/membership-sites/starting-a-membership-site-in-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://thebluejeansva.com/membership-sites/starting-a-membership-site-in-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:02:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>marta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Membership Sites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Blue Jeans VA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marta Goertzen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Plugins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Top 10 Membership Models]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WishList Member]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebluejeansva.com/?p=1309</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There has been a lot of talk in the past year or two about membership sites, how to use them and how to make tons of money from them. There are definitely entrepreneurs out there who make a lot of money from membership sites &#8211; to be honest from what I have seen they are [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://thebluejeansva.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Fotolia_13552463_XS.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1310" title="Planning your membership site" src="http://thebluejeansva.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Fotolia_13552463_XS-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>There has been a lot of talk in the past year or two about membership sites, how to use them and how to make tons of money from them.</p>
<p>There are definitely entrepreneurs out there who make a lot of money from membership sites &#8211; to be honest from what I have seen they are few and far between. Don&#8217;t get me wrong, a well done membership site can absolutely be a money maker, the potential is there and there for the taking. However, what I see happening over and over again is the idea of throwing up a membership site, inviting some people and then the money will start rolling in.</p>
<p>Sorry, but it ain&#8217;t going to happen that way! Membership sites take work. They take planning, forethought and management after the fact. When I walk someone through the process of setting up a membership site they often get frustrated by all my questions. There are some that barely answer and some that realize oh, I didn&#8217;t think of that and will take a step back for a bit and put some foundational pieces in the plan.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m getting pretty forceful and determined about making this the first step in working with a client. I don&#8217;t know if I can emphasize enough just how important this step is&#8230; it is huge! I have seen too many great membership sites get started, working beautifully and then go nowhere because there was no plan beyond the idea of  &#8220;if you build it they will come&#8221;. I&#8217;m raising my hand on that one &#8211; I have been guilty in the past of this exact same thing.</p>
<p>If you take the time, up front, you will save yourself countless hours of frustration and worry later on.</p>
<p>Here is just one example of a planning process. <span id="more-1309"></span></p>
<p><strong>The Who:</strong> A career/life/business coach</p>
<p><strong>The Idea:</strong> Move away from a one-on-one coaching model and towards a one-to-many group coaching model</p>
<p><strong>The Plan: </strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>1) Structure:</strong> What will your membership model will you use? Self study, group coaching calls, homework assignments, community forum? My favorite plugin for membership sites is <a href="http://member.wishlistproducts.com/wlp.php?af=945379" target="_blank">WishList Member</a> and <a href="http://wishlistproducts.com/top-10-membership-models/" target="_blank">here is a great video</a> from them that explains the top 10 models to consider. (yep these are affiliate links <img src='http://thebluejeansva.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> !)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>2) Content:</strong> What will your content be and how will you deliver it? Blog posts, articles, lecture, mastermind groups, q&amp;a calls? How much content do you have? Enough for 30-days, 3 months, 6 months or a year?</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>3) Management:</strong> Are you going to be the &#8220;go to&#8221; guy or gal? Are you going to hire a virtual assistant to help you answer questions, tech support, upload content etc?</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>4) Launching:</strong> What is your launch strategy? Preview calls? Landing Page, social media, articles, guest blogging, blog posts&#8230;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>5) Growth:</strong> Not only growth in number of members but growth of the program, after they are done with the first level do you have a next level in mind that you can offer your members? (retaining members is much easier and cost effective then attracting a new one)</p>
<p>Once you have this basic plan figured out and more importantly, written down, you can now start planning the installation and design of your membership site. Your plan will help you figure out what features you need and will offer your members, how to set up the content delivery and what your copywriting needs to emphasize to attract the attention of your target market, clarity is a wonderful thing!</p>
<p>It also will save you money when you hire help to get the site installed and configured. Speaking from personal experience, when I know and understand the scope of a project it makes my job so much easier. It helps me help you. The installation and set up go faster, I have a better idea on how to advise you on what functions and features you will need to consider as well as strategy for marketing and retaining members for the long term. When I understand your vision, I can help you bring that vision to life.</p>
<p>This is the same process I am walking through on a couple of my own websites that are destined to be membership sites &#8211; because in 2011 they are going to get launched!</p>
<p>If you are needing help walking through these planning steps or looking for some brainstorming help to map out your plan, I would love to help! To me this is the fun part, taking those idea and creating a plan, the satisfaction comes from seeing the membership site launch and the client excited.  You can <a href="http://thebluejeansva.com/contact/">contact me</a> to set up your planning/brainstorming session.</p>
<p><em><strong>Coming soon on the blog</strong></em> will be membership site features to consider, WordPress plugins to help you and your members, more on the planning process and lots more. Looking forward to sharing that with you!</p>
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		<title>Out with the old and in with the new</title>
		<link>http://thebluejeansva.com/small-business/out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-new/</link>
		<comments>http://thebluejeansva.com/small-business/out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-new/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Dec 2010 04:19:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>marta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Small Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Blue Jeans VA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happy New Year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marta Goertzen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Membership Sites]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebluejeansva.com/?p=1290</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I say this every year, but sheesh!? Where did the year go? This Christmas weekend I’ll be spending time with my family, opening presents, eating lots of food, playing with the dogs, watching some of my favorite Christmas movies, and reading the Christmas Story. A time to just “be”. December tends to be a reflective [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1292" style="margin-right: 10px;" title="Hello 2011!" src="http://thebluejeansva.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/2011_small.jpg" alt="Hello 2011!" width="300" height="300" />I say this every year, but sheesh!? Where did the year go?</p>
<p>This Christmas weekend I’ll be spending time with my family, opening presents, eating lots of food, playing with the dogs, watching some of my favorite Christmas movies, and reading the Christmas Story. A time to just “be”.</p>
<p>December tends to be a reflective time of year too. A time to look back on what happened over the year and look ahead to the New Year. Last weekend I carved out a block of time to take a closer look at what got done, what didn&#8217;t and why.</p>
<p>This big issue I found… not planning. At least not thorough concrete plans that were written down on paper. I had lots of big plans in my head but that doesn’t get you very far does it.</p>
<p>There is a power in writing ideas down, seeing the words and acting on them. This didn’t happen nearly enough and I had to ask myself, why? I know part of it was overwhelm with too many ideas floating around in my head which made it hard to know where to start.</p>
<p>Another reason was that I did not take the time to be quiet and let the ideas flow. This is where a lot of my “aha” moments have come from this year and will be a bigger part of my business plan in 2011. These “aha” moments have come from reflective moments while at training seminars, journaling each day and many more while walking the dog.<span id="more-1290"></span></p>
<p>Some of these “ahas” have even turned my projects and ideas on their heads taking me in new directions. That is exciting and scary at the same time. The result has been that some of my ideas and projects for 2010 did not happen. This is actually good and bad – bad that it is still on my list but also good in that it is a lesson that I needed to relearn. It has spurred me on to plan out 2011 by month, quarter and the year.</p>
<p><em><strong>Where do I want to be at the end of 2011 and what do I want to be able to say in my year end blog post?</strong></em></p>
<p>The past few months I have had the opportunity to venture out of town and participate in some incredible training seminars that gave me a lot to think about. A couple of the major themes? Planning, Goals, Speed and Accountability.</p>
<h3>Planning</h3>
<p>Make a Plan – Write out A Plan – Be Accountable to the Plan. Get that plan written out and schedule time to act on it and make sure to review and tweak on a regular basis.</p>
<h3>Goals</h3>
<p>With a plan written out you see your goals in a very visible way. The next step is to break them down into smaller, manageable chunks and start moving.</p>
<h3>Speed</h3>
<p>One of the advantages of being a solo-preneur is the speed of implementation. Well that is the theory anyway! I tend to get stuck in analysis paralysis reviewing all the options, researching just one more piece of the puzzle and taking the first action step tends to get shoved to the back burner.</p>
<p>Learning to Ready, Fire, Aim is a learned skill for me, it is super easy to get stuck on the aiming and never firing. Another area I’ll be focusing on in 2011.</p>
<p>Successful entrepreneurs go for it – make it happen and tweak along the way.</p>
<h3>Accountability</h3>
<p>As a virtual entrepreneur it is so easy to get isolated and not reach out for help. It is easy to forget to ask (or remember you can!) for help from a coach, colleague, family member and try and do it all on your own.</p>
<p>Accountable to your written plan, accountable to mastermind members, business coaches, business partners or a colleague, it needs to be someone or a group of someones who are willing to tell you you are are dropping the ball or that you are doing great. This can be incredibly powerful and helps remove the blinders off of our business and the direction we are heading.</p>
<p><em><strong>What worked?</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Great Training</strong> – training I have been looking for and wanting.</p>
<p><strong>Live Training</strong> – Attending live events for training, to get that in-depth, intensive times of training, meeting people and getting out of the office has been great and I plan on finding more events in 2011 to continue this growth.</p>
<p><strong>Planning</strong> – The 2nd half of this year I have done more planning and evaluating on a deeper level then I ever have before and the prep work for these planning sessions have taught me a lot and each step is preparing me for my next stage of growth.</p>
<p><strong>Growth</strong> – You can’t help but grow as an entrepreneur both personally and professionally. That to me is one of the big draws of being in business for myself, the opportunity to stretch and grow.</p>
<p><em><strong>What didn’t work?</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>My project list did not shrink</strong> – Nope in fact it grew. But that is okay, this year has been a year of investigation, growth and ideas. I’m excited where it will take me next year.</p>
<p><strong>Not enough time off</strong> – I’m an introvert, I need time to get away and rejuvenate. I’m also a SI on the DISC profile and have learned that getting away to think and plan is not a luxury  to consider, but a necessity to keep me moving forward. (I’ve already planned out much of 2011 for regular breaks to get away and plan – very excited!).</p>
<p><em><strong>So what does this all mean?</strong></em></p>
<p>There are lots of changes coming for The Blue Jeans VA, I know I have said that before, but in 2011 it is gonna to happen. Writing it out has made a huge impact and there are pieces in place to launch the changes I have in mind. In the coming weeks I’ll be sharing more about these changes and how it affects how I work with clients, including new processes, time-lines and the type of new projects I take on.</p>
<p>With each new project we will take a closer look at the why of the project &#8211; no the just the how.</p>
<p>This makes a big difference in the final result and how effectively it works.  It doesn&#8217;t matter if it is a new website, website redesign, membership site or new video series. Knowing why you are doing it, what is the final result you are wanting and expecting and then working on the how to get it done will be an exciting journey to take. I get excited just thinking about it!</p>
<p>So what did and didn’t work for you this year? How are you going to fix what didn’t and continue what did in 2011?</p>
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		<title>Working With a VA Tip: Do your personalities match?</title>
		<link>http://thebluejeansva.com/virtual-assistants/how-to-find-hire-a-virtual-assistant/working-with-a-va-tip-do-your-personalities-match/</link>
		<comments>http://thebluejeansva.com/virtual-assistants/how-to-find-hire-a-virtual-assistant/working-with-a-va-tip-do-your-personalities-match/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:04:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>marta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How To Find & Hire A Virtual Assistant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Blue Jeans VA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Virtual Assistants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[How To Find and Hire A Virtual Assistant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marta Goertzen]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebluejeansva.com/?p=1277</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This past year part of my journey both professionally and personally has been to take a closer look at my strengths, weaknesses and personality. Diving in and examining how that affects me and the people I work with &#8211; both as a team leader and when working with a client. It has felt like working [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1280" style="margin-right: 10px;" title="final piece series" src="http://thebluejeansva.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Fotolia_1728645_S-300x231.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="231" />This past year part of my journey both professionally and personally has been to take a closer look at my strengths, weaknesses and personality. Diving in and examining how that affects me and the people I work with &#8211; both as a team leader and when working with a client.</p>
<p>It has felt like working on a big puzzle at times, getting stuck on the outer edge, not sure how to fill in the center. But now the center pieces are starting to fall into place and understanding my personality better has had a huge impact on this process.</p>
<p>I have read a ton of books on these subjects, I&#8217;m a sucker for those personality tests, I&#8217;m curious to see what results will be. This year has been different, the personality tests have started to make sense. Light bulb moments of why I enjoy certain things and others I don&#8217;t, why this job/task/project has been so much fun and why this one really drove me nuts.</p>
<p>My business is starting to change as a result of this understanding. I am taking a closer look at they type of work I do, services I provide and the people I work with. Now I can put a finger on why some things worked and some really did not.</p>
<p>When doing a consult with a client, I am now learning to listen better and ask questions about work styles, work preferences, communication needs etc. Interestingly, this journey has shown me that some of my strengths, or at least what I have thought of as strengths, are tasks, jobs etc. that I have grown into &#8211; not because they are things I like to do but because I have been around long enough to know the &#8220;big picture&#8221; and this is the &#8220;next logical step&#8221;. This happened quite a bit in the corporate world and I have seen it in my journey with clients as well.</p>
<p>Here are some of the things I have come to understand better about me this year:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>I&#8217;m a troubleshooter &amp; a fixer</strong> &#8211; give me a problem to figure out and I will dive in and see how to make it work. This is one reasons I love working with WordPress, creating videos or editing an audio &#8211; I see what needs to be done now, I know how to do it but now it is time to jump in figure out how to make the pieces fit.</li>
<li><strong>I&#8217;m an emailer</strong> &#8211; Even as a kid I was not one to talk on the phone, did not enjoy it at all. Nowadays, if it can be typed, drawn and faxed/emailed, woohoo, I&#8217;m your gal. Of course the phone is not out of the question but I do avoid it if at all possible. But I am much more comfortable with the written word then I am the verbal. It will also depend on the client or team member I am talking to. There are some that a regular call is no problem, the call will be fun, energizing, creative etc. it is a connection point with others &#8211; especially when really technical explanations are needed, just give me my keyboard!</li>
<li><strong>I&#8217;m not a manager/minder</strong> &#8211; I enjoy collaborating with professionals but have come to realize that I am not a manager anymore. I&#8217;ve done the whole hiring, training, firing thing before, for many years in fact and it is not something I am looking to go back to. The team I will be building over the next year will be professionals I can collaborate with and not have to manage.</li>
<li><strong>I&#8217;m a collaborator</strong> &#8211; There is something magical about sharing creative energy, sharing ideas, brainstorming and then working with someone to make it happen. Working with a group of people, all of whom are working from their strengths to bring that vision to life. That is so energizing. This is a new focus for me in 2011, finding ways to collaborate with others whose services, skills, personality etc. compliment mine and create something really cool and meaningful.</li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>What about you? </strong></h3>
<p>Do you know and understand your personality enough to know what type of VA you can work with? Enough to know what kind of VA you need? Did you catch the difference in those 2 questions? We&#8217;ll talk about the first question here.</p>
<p><strong>What type of person can you work with: </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Are you a phone person or an emailer?</li>
<li>Communication &#8211; Do you need lots of details or are you more of a &#8220;just the facts ma&#8217;am&#8221; type of person?</li>
<li>Are you serious? Funny? Sarcastic?</li>
<li>What speed do you operate? Full speed ahead all the time, fits and starts, slow and methodical?</li>
</ul>
<p>These are all things you should be aware of and be able to talk with a potential VA (or your current one&#8230;) to find the best fit for you. Once you know and understand your needs, you can ask questions during a consultation about how they prefer to work and who they like to work with. The answers to these questions can give you confidence in your decision or it might show you some potential red flags before you get in too deep.</p>
<p>This may seem like a lot of work but it is such an important step that it warrants some time and attention. Make sure you are noticing your work habits, work hours and communication preferences. What bugs you when talking with or emailing others, what makes you say, wow, that was a great email, I know exactly what they are talking about. Or I really need to be on the phone for this one to help us both understand what I need. Are you visual in your learning? Audio?</p>
<p>All of these are important in your journey as a business owner. The team you bring on will either help move you forward or hold you back. Make sure you are building a team that will help move you and your business forward.</p>
<p>What other personality traits do you think are important when working with a virtual assistant?</p>
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		<title>The Blessings of Self Employment</title>
		<link>http://thebluejeansva.com/entrepreneurship/the-blessings-of-self-employment/</link>
		<comments>http://thebluejeansva.com/entrepreneurship/the-blessings-of-self-employment/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:02:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>marta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entrepreneurship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Blue Jeans VA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebluejeansva.com/?p=1248</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Following my dream of Self-Employment has been a roller coaster ride. Figuring out what my business would be, taking that leap of faith, the first day of the business, finding my first clients, learning new skills, watching the bank account rise and fall, days with not enough work and others I couldn&#8217;t get it all [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Following my dream of Self-Employment has been a roller coaster ride. Figuring out what my business would be, taking that leap of faith, the first day of the business, finding my first clients, learning new skills, watching the bank account rise and fall, days with not enough work and others I couldn&#8217;t get it all done&#8230;</p>
<p>Each step along the way, no matter if it was forward or backwards, I have known that I was on the right path. Amazingly (trust me amazingly&#8230;.) I have never doubted my decision to go out on my own, no second guessing, no wondering, &#8220;What have I done???&#8221;. Of course there are days of questioning and searching for answers but never the thought of &#8220;I need to go find a J-O-B&#8221;.</p>
<p>This month has been one of the most amazing and one of the hardest months of my self-employment journey and I&#8217;m still working on getting my feet back underneath me and one day at a time I am getting there.</p>
<p><strong>Let me tell you a little story&#8230;</strong></p>
<p>&#8230;about my Great Aunt Berneice. <span id="more-1248"></span></p>
<p>Since I was a little girl, as far back as I can remember, Great Aunt Berneice has been there. Just about every Thanksgiving and Christmas she was there and a major part of the celebration. She gave me one of my first tea sets when I was a wee little one and would play tea with me (she was in her late 50s at this point&#8230;), I got to sleep over at her apartment, stay up late and watch Knight Rider and walk over with her to McDonald&#8217;s in the morning for breakfast. She was my Auntie.</p>
<p>About 10 years ago it was becoming clear that she needed extra help and that living on her own was becoming harder, that is when I had to take over quite a bit. My Mom and I are the only relatives she has left in the area and my Mom cannot drive so I had to step up to the plate. My Mom and I made a point of getting down to see and check on her whenever we could. She fell and broke her hip, her breast cancer returned and she had to have massive radiation treatments and then about 5 years ago or so she broke her ankle. At that point with her friends and Doctors supporting my decision, I had to move her into a nursing home, it was not safe for her to live by herself anymore. It was devastating for her, so when she told me a year later that she actually liked the nursing home, I was thrilled!</p>
<p>On October 2nd, I got a call from the nursing home that she was not doing well. The next day she still was not doing well so I made the call to get her to the emergency room. Of course my car decided to break down that day so I could not get to her until Monday morning with a rental. She had been moved from the ER to her own room late Sunday night and was a mess. My Mom and I both had the feeling she was not going to make it. She was in pain part of the time, hallucinating from her infection and the drugs. She never really did wake up or was aware that we were there.</p>
<p>This started a daily trek down to Salem to be with her, check on her, soothe her when she got agitated and work with the nurses, doctors and nursing home on her care. By Wednesday, October 6th it was clear she was not improving and the doctor highly recommended we bring her back to her room at the nursing home and start hospice care. That is one of the hardest decisions and one of the hardest calls I have ever had to make, knowing what that decision implied.</p>
<p>On Sunday, October 10th at 10:00am my 97 year old Great Aunt Berneice passed away leaving her family with an incredible legacy of Faith, Trust, Joyfulness and Determination.</p>
<p><strong>Faith</strong> &#8211; She had the most child-like faith of anyone I have ever met, if you needed something prayed about you asked Auntie.</p>
<p><strong>Trust</strong> &#8211; She knew that her Father in Heaven had a plan for her and that he would take care of her each step of the way.</p>
<p><strong>Joyfulness</strong> &#8211; In spite of the incredible hardships she endured in her life (that is another LONG story in and of itself&#8230;) she rarely complained and she was not bitter.</p>
<p><strong>Determination</strong> &#8211; With everything she has gone through she learned to keep putting one foot in front of the other and trust that God would walk with her each step of the way.</p>
<p><strong>What about my business??</strong></p>
<p>To be honest it took 2nd place &#8211; my focus and my time was spent exactly where it needed to be, on my Auntie. Making sure she was taken care of and being there with her as much as I could.</p>
<p>I have enjoyed the flexibility of what I do and how I do it, but this month, the point, the benefit and the blessing of self-employment became a reality to me in a completely different light.</p>
<p><strong>Being a Free Agent&#8230;.</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Allows you to work with the clients you want to work with</li>
<li>Gives you the opportunity to create work you enjoy</li>
<li>Opens the door to set your own income level</li>
<li>Provides you the opportunity to set up your own schedule</li>
</ul>
<p><em><strong>But guess what?</strong></em> While these are wonderful, really cool benefits of being on your own, being a Free Agent is really about being available for your family when, where and how they need you.</p>
<p>For me that was one of the top 2 reasons I pursued self-employment 1) was to follow my dream and 2) was to take care of my family who was needing me more and more.</p>
<p><strong>What an incredible blessing!</strong></p>
<p>If I still had my J-O-B how in the world would I have managed these daily trips to see her? I would have used up virtually all of my vacation, would have had frustrated managers and bosses wanting and needing me back in the office and the stress level would have been even higher then it already was. Daily I was amazed at the position I was in, that I could do the work for my clients in the evenings when I returned, that I could grab my mobile broadband and work from the nursing home when needed!</p>
<p><strong>What an amazing opportunity!</strong></p>
<p>Even if I had ever entertained the thought of returning to a corporate job, after this month any small squiggle of a thought would have been banished completely. The power of my business, my work and the technology available have completely transformed not only my life but the life of my family.</p>
<p><strong>A big huge thank you!</strong></p>
<p>My clients were absolutely amazing. Their patience and understanding of where I needed to be was a gift. Their thoughts, prayers and well wishes helped ease some of the pressure and stress I did experience trying to get everything done.</p>
<p><strong>Finding the weaknesses.<br />
</strong></p>
<p>This was also a chance to look at my business and not only celebrate the benefits and blessings but to identify some holes and weaknesses that need to be addressed and shored up. That too is a blessing, being able to identify areas that need work and be able to pay some attention to that is a great opportunity to grow and learn more about me, my business and continue on the pat of self-employment.</p>
<p><strong>The journey of self-employment.<br />
</strong></p>
<p>The journey of the self-employed is a roller coaster ride. There are ups, downs, unexpected curves, abject terror and thrills. It is not a boring journey and each bend on the horizon presents new opportunities. It is also a journey that CANNOT be taken alone. You cannot do it alone. For me&#8230;</p>
<ul>
<li>It is a partnership with clients</li>
<li>It is talking to others on the same journey who pull you up when you are down and help celebrate the victories</li>
<li>It is the support of friends and family who pray for you, cheer you on and tell you how proud they are of you</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_1261" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 231px"><img class="size-full wp-image-1261" title="Berneice Glenn" src="http://thebluejeansva.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/berneiceglenn_small.jpg" alt="" width="221" height="281" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Berneice Doris Glenn</p></div>
<p style="text-align: center;">1/14/13 &#8211; 10/10/10</p>
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		<title>WordPress Wednesday: Press This Tool</title>
		<link>http://thebluejeansva.com/blogging/wordpress-wednesday-press-this-tool/</link>
		<comments>http://thebluejeansva.com/blogging/wordpress-wednesday-press-this-tool/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:35:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>marta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Blue Jeans VA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wordpress Tutorials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andy Traub]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marta Goertzen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Press This]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wordpress Wednesday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Xmarks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebluejeansva.com/?p=814</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The more I learn about WordPress the more I realize I have to learn. The &#8220;Press This&#8221; tool is quite a tool, to not have to think about logging into your site in order to do a quick post may be exactly what is needed to get your blogging habit back on track. For my [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="560" height="345" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="flashvars" value="i=93527" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="src" value="http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="345" src="http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="i=93527"></embed></object></p>
<p>The more I learn about WordPress the more I realize I have to learn. The &#8220;Press This&#8221; tool is quite a tool, to not have to think about logging into your site in order to do a quick post may be exactly what is needed to get your blogging habit back on track.</p>
<p>For my bookmarks toolbar I use <a href="http://xmarks.com" target="_blank">Xmarks</a> which you can sync across computers and different browsers. Hmm, I&#8221;m sensing another tutorial&#8230;.</p>
<p>Thanks to <a href="http://andytraub.com">Andy Traub</a> for introducing me to this cool little tool!</p>
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		<title>Do you have the right tools for your business?</title>
		<link>http://thebluejeansva.com/small-business/do-you-have-the-right-tools-for-your-business/</link>
		<comments>http://thebluejeansva.com/small-business/do-you-have-the-right-tools-for-your-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:20:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>marta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Small Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Blue Jeans VA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Virtual Assistants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eMachines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[How To Find and Hire A Virtual Assistant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HP Computers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marta Goertzen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebluejeansva.com/?p=806</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Over the weekend I made a purchase I have been putting off, simply because I didn&#8217;t want to spend the money and even more&#8230; I didn&#8217;t want to go through the hassle yet. At least not until I had some time (have you heard that excuse before?). Thankfully, I changed my mind! I have been [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://thebluejeansva.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/tools.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-807" style="margin: 10px;" title="tools" src="http://thebluejeansva.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/tools.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" /></a>Over the weekend I made a purchase I have been putting off, simply because I didn&#8217;t want to spend the money and even more&#8230; I didn&#8217;t want to go through the hassle yet. At least not until I had some time (have you heard that excuse before?). Thankfully, I changed my mind!</p>
<p>I have been a huge fan of the <a href="http://www.emachines.com/">eMachine</a> computers (I know&#8230; don&#8217;t laugh too hard!). They have been awesome computers for me, just outgrew my 2nd. Rarely had any problems and both lasted for a long, long time.</p>
<p>But the poor little guy was getting old, I needed way more space and a quite a bit more computing power. In comes the granddaddy of a computer&#8230; an <a href="http://www.hp.com/#Product">HP</a> with a 1 TB hard drive and a wonderfully huge 6 GB RAM. Woohoo! Now this might not seem like a big deal these days but consider that my desktop pc was chugging along with only a 160 GB hard drive and 1GB RAM, it was a trooper each day, especially with what I was putting it through!</p>
<p>Using it has been a dream, at least it was <strong>after I got everything transferred over</strong>, that took a long time and I still have a few programs that need to be installed. I am faster, more efficient and I&#8217;m no longer wishing for greater speed or wondering what I can delete or uninstall to give the poor computer some breathing room.</p>
<p>So this got me thinking, what other areas in my business have I put off, or ignored, getting the right tool for? It hit me the other day that I have not been taking advantage of the help of other VAs. <strong>Yes, I have been ignoring the very thing I tell my clients to do.</strong> So last week one of the VAs I had worked with earlier this year, got in touch to say hello and check in and my goodness what excellent timing! I realized right then and there that this was a tool I needed to have in my business and keep in my business. Good ole&#8217; fashioned help. (Not to generalize virtual assistants as tools&#8230; really more of an asset <img src='http://thebluejeansva.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  but I think you get the drift)</p>
<p>By bringing on another virtual assistant to help me out in my own business, I am going to become even more efficient, the to-do-list and want-to-do list is going to start being tackled (it already is!), and I am going to be able move some of my projects forward. Wow novel idea!</p>
<p>So I am taking a closer look again at that to-do-list and see what other areas I can have her take on so that I can keep moving my business forward and tackle some of those wish list items that seem to keep falling to the bottom of my to-do-list.</p>
<p><em><strong>What tool do you need today to keep your business moving forward? </strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>If you had an assistant, what could you tackle and cross of your to-do-list today? This week? </strong></em></p>
<p>P.S. If you have ever considered bringing on a virtual assistant onto your team check out our FREE special report &#8220;How To Find And Hire A Virtual Assistant&#8221;. Sign up for it here on our site for instant access.</p>
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		<title>Cleaning House &#8211; Clearing the Inbox</title>
		<link>http://thebluejeansva.com/email-management/cleaning-house-clearing-the-inbox/</link>
		<comments>http://thebluejeansva.com/email-management/cleaning-house-clearing-the-inbox/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jun 2010 03:30:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>marta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Email Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Blue Jeans VA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Email Inbox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marta Goertzen]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebluejeansva.com/?p=779</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So how many free reports, telesememinars, training programs and newsletters have you signed up for lately? Probably more then you realized. I just spent some time going through my inbox that was way overcrowded with emails that I was not reading, or barely glancing at. It made me realize that I could start cleaning house [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>So how many free reports, telesememinars, training programs and newsletters have you signed up for lately? Probably more then you realized.</p>
<p>I just spent some time going through my inbox that was way overcrowded with emails that I was not reading, or barely glancing at. It made me realize that I could start cleaning house and cutting way back on the number of emails I receive on a daily and weekly basis. What a relief!</p>
<p>There is no fun to be had with a full inbox filled with newsletters and announcements that you just haven&#8217;t had time to read and keep putting off reading. Ah the sweet sound of the delete key.</p>
<p>Not only is this a great way to clear up the inbox it is also a way to gain back control of your time, effort and focus so that you can use your time wisely and effectively.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Mistakes Coaches Make When Setting Up A Website &#8211; Part 3</title>
		<link>http://thebluejeansva.com/wordpress/blog-design/mistakes-coaches-make-when-setting-up-a-website-part-3/</link>
		<comments>http://thebluejeansva.com/wordpress/blog-design/mistakes-coaches-make-when-setting-up-a-website-part-3/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 May 2010 14:30:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>marta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[List Building]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Blue Jeans VA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Digital Access Pass]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marta Goertzen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Membership Site]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Hosted WordPress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WishList Member]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebluejeansva.com/?p=772</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the first 2 parts of this series we covered the pros &#38; cons of the All-In-One Package for coaches and the awesome pawesome custom designed WordPress site&#8230; until it isn&#8217;t so awesome. The missing piece, not thinking long term Now I don&#8217;t want to target coaches only with this problem, just about every entrepreneur [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In the first 2 parts of this series we covered the <a href="http://thebluejeansva.com/mistakes-coaches-make-when-setting-up-a-website-part-1">pros &amp; cons of the All-In-One Package for coaches</a> and the <a href="http://thebluejeansva.com/mistakes-coaches-make-when-setting-up-a-website-part-2">awesome pawesome custom designed WordPress site</a>&#8230; until it isn&#8217;t so awesome.</p>
<p><a href="http://thebluejeansva.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Fotolia_1728645_S.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-774" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" title="final piece series" src="http://thebluejeansva.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Fotolia_1728645_S-300x231.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="231" /></a></p>
<h2><strong>The missing piece, not thinking long term</strong></h2>
<p>Now I don&#8217;t want to target coaches only with this problem, just about every entrepreneur out there when they are getting started, have this issue. It&#8217;s also perfectly natural.</p>
<p>You are getting started in your coaching practice, you have a million things to consider, organize and set up. You are most likely bootstrapping your business and every dollar counts. So you look at the very short term and set up only what is absolutely essential right here, right now to get you up and running.</p>
<p>In many areas this will work, you do what you can then, add features plus all the bells and whistles you need, as you need them. But are you looking ahead 1, 3, 6, even 12 months down the road? Have you laid out an action plan of steps and needs as you grow your coaching practice? This is essential for your online presence: Website, Social Media, eCommerce.</p>
<p>When you don&#8217;t take that peek down the road a bit it is very easy to get caught in a trap of a solution that &#8220;Will work for now&#8221;. I can&#8217;t tell you how many times that has come back to haunt many entrepreneurs&#8230; and yes I&#8217;m including myself in that statement. Of course watching the $$ is vital but when you skimp in important areas such as shopping cart, list management and website it will hurt you in the end more then it helps up front.</p>
<p>Your website will become your home base on the internet and it needs to have a strong foundation in order for you to grow and expand, without needing to re-do the entire thing in a few months time. As mentioned before, <a href="http://thebluejeansva.com/services/blog-installation-and-design">a self hosted WordPress site is my favorite foundation to get started with</a>.</p>
<p>There are many who think a WordPress site is too &#8220;bloggy&#8221; looking and I can see that point. You want your site to stand out, be noticed and not look like everyone else&#8217;s. But you also want and NEED a site that can be up and running in a short period of time, is something that you can be comfortable working with and does not cost you an arm and a leg in the process. A WordPress site can do that for you&#8230; can your current site do all this:</p>
<ul>
<li>Easily change the look by installing a new theme</li>
<li>Let you easily update the site</li>
<li>Allow you to easily add new marketing mediums, blogging, video, podcasting &amp; social media</li>
<li>Expandable and adaptable website to allow you to add to new products, programs &amp; features as you add them</li>
<li>Need a membership site? No problem WordPress can handle that with WishList Member or Digital Access Pass</li>
<li>Easily integrate your shopping cart and/or list building  into the site</li>
<li>Add a forum in a matter of a couple hours&#8230; at most!</li>
</ul>
<h2><strong>So make sure to plan</strong></h2>
<p>Take some time to look down the road and review the goals you have in place for your business. What areas of the business will you be developing in the next few months, what role does your website need to play? Will you be venturing into new forms of marketing? What features will you be needing with the new products and/or programs coming up in the next 12 &#8211; 18 months?</p>
<p>Do you feel you have a strong foundation in place to get started and grow with? If not contact me today for your <a href="http://thebluejeansva.com/contact/schedule">FREE consultation</a> and we can see if WordPress might be a good solution for you.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Mistakes Coaches Make When Setting Up a Website &#8211; Part 2</title>
		<link>http://thebluejeansva.com/wordpress/blog-design/mistakes-coaches-make-when-setting-up-a-website-part-2/</link>
		<comments>http://thebluejeansva.com/wordpress/blog-design/mistakes-coaches-make-when-setting-up-a-website-part-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 May 2010 08:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>marta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Blue Jeans VA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coaching Website]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marta Goertzen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebluejeansva.com/?p=770</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Site looks perfect &#8211; how do I add a page? Okay you have totally awesome graphics, you love the look and feel of your website! You have it uploaded to your site either as a traditional HTML website or as a custom blog design. It looks great, you are getting great comments on the look [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3>Site looks perfect &#8211; how do I add a page?</h3>
<p>Okay you have totally awesome graphics, you love the look and feel of your website! You have it uploaded to your site either as a traditional HTML website or as a custom blog design. It looks great, you are getting great comments on the look of your website. Great that is what you were hoping for&#8230;</p>
<blockquote><p>After a few weeks you realize you need to add a page or remove a page. You need to add some sub pages that appear when you hover over the navigation tab. Then it hits you, uh oh I don&#8217;t know how to do that!</p></blockquote>
<p>You check with the designer and you find out that your entire menu is a graphic. So in order to add a page you will need a new graphic made, have it installed and linked to the new page.</p>
<p>Now I am not a proponent of the coach doing it all. Coaching, website guru, designer, bookkeeping,  customer service etc. In fact I think that is the fastest way to burnout. BUT I firmly believe that you the coach needs to be able to quickly and easily jump into your site to make minor changes. That sentence that you REALLY want to tweak or add a new page, drop in a video etc.</p>
<p>In order to get that small little thing that is staring at you from your to-do-list you need to be able to jump in and take care of it in just a couple of minutes.</p>
<h3>Your site looks incredible&#8230; content? I don&#8217;t remember what it was about.</h3>
<p>You have your design in place and it looks great you are getting comments on how nice your site looks&#8230; but where are the comments on your content? On the great blog post? There may be a few mentions but not nearly as many as you thought.</p>
<p>Take a look at you design &#8211; is it overwhelming and taking away from the content? <strong>A nicely designed, professional looking website is a must but there is also such a thing as &#8220;Simple is Best&#8221;.</strong> When your content is getting lost in the beautiful design it may be time to reconsider the design.</p>
<p>I have seen some gorgeous websites and I get caught up in the design details and then have to scroll down to the content.  Not good! You are establishing your online presence to have people get to know you and what you offer, not how wonderful your designer is.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t get me wrong I think a designer is an important part of the team and the right designer who gets what you are trying to accomplish can create something for you that looks incredible but does not take away from your content.</p>
<h3><strong>What can overwhelm your content?</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li>A header section that is wide and moves the content to the bottom of the screen or below it sometimes.</li>
<li>Sidebars that have huge loud graphics so that your eyes bounce from sidebar to side bar missing the juicy content in the middle.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>So what do you need to consider before having a custom design created?<br />
</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>What is my message? What do I want to convey right away when a visitor arrives on my site?</li>
<li>Will my content and headlines be visible right away or does the header move it all to the bottom?</li>
<li>How many sidebars do I really need? Will 1 be enough or do I need 2? What can I do to keep the important info displayed but not overwhelm?</li>
<li>Can I add and delete pages without needing a new graphic made?</li>
<li>Are there different page styles available? Full page (no sidebars), Left or Right Sidebar only (only 1 sidebar) etc.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you have a website for your coaching business is there anything you would love to change right now? If so what  and why?</p>
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