Let’s see what we can do.

You’re not alone! I hear this all the time from folks with big ideas and amazing work ethics who have realized that their focus should not be in the weeds of their business operations.

Think of me as your pre-VA.

Do you already have in mind exactly what that person will need to do? Great! I’ll write it all out and make it look good so your new VA can be confident in your leadership and do their best for you. I can even do their onboarding and training if you like.

Do you need help translating “ughhhh” into well-defined tasks that will enable your VA to produce the results you want? I’ll work with you to see what your business needs to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible, and I can even do a stint as a practice VA to make sure all systems are go.

Oh man I have BEEN THERE. When the bulk of your job feels like “other duties as assigned” and you’re treated like a catch-all for the stuff no one else wants to do.

I want to hear all about it. And then I want to help get stuff off your very full plate so you can concentrate on the work that got you into comms in the first place.

Let’s build that resource portal or digital asset management system so no one asks you to send them a logo file ever again.

Let’s create some documentation so the higher-ups can find and train someone to do those things that are dragging you down and making you less effective at your actual job.

Let’s get some knowledge management in place so it’s not you having to figure out whether or not your org has a country office in Zimbabwe.

What could you do with all that freed-up brain space?

Ah, the age-old struggle.

You’re doing your best, running a program serving an increasing number of vulnerable people on an ever-shrinking budget.

The comms team (if your org has one) is already at capacity trying to keep the web and social media content fresh so donors and partners will see what’s going on and continue their support.

You just need the training program manual and workbooks to read well and look good, but comms doesn’t do project work.

Do you try and make a go of it in Word and spend three hours trying to figure out why pasting an image makes all your text disappear?

Let me save you time and headache.

Give me what you’ve got, and I’ll work it into something that meets your needs and follows branding and style guidelines.

I can work in Word and Google Docs if you need the files to be easily editable, or InDesign if you need something that’s a bit more sophisticated and polished.

I’ve also worked with illustrators and graphic designers to create visuals explaining complex concepts.

Let’s make everyone happy — donors, partners, program, comms, and YOU.

I see how hard you are working. You are doing great. ❤

You’ve put your whole heart and self into your business and it’s starting to take off. Your product is a winner and your customer base wants more. But how do you give them more when you’re already doing all you can?

You might be ready to scale. This could look like hiring someone to help, or investing in tech that will organize and automate things so you don’t have to do everything manually.

Either way, the first step is to get down on paper what you are currently doing. It’s hard to build on what’s working — and change what’s not — if you don’t first know what is.

(if you aren’t already following Diane Lam on Instagram, that’s also a good first step)

If you can see where you want to go but aren’t sure how to get there, I’d love to help you figure it out.

First of all, oof.

How much time (and therefore money) do companies waste by not making sure new hires are properly oriented and equipped for success in their new roles?

And beyond that, what kind of impression is that making? When a new hire doesn’t have a desk, or a computer, or network access, or someone to tell them how to get set up on the five different systems the company inexplicably uses to track and monitor its work?

Onboarding can start as early as the hiring process, when the interview team is communicating or embodying organizational values. This process can signal what kind of a place this is, what kinds of things are rewarded, and what the company culture is like — for better or for worse.

Then of course there’s the nuts-and-bolts stuff. Based on the department and role, this person might need certain kinds of hardware and software. Perhaps there is a form that their manager can easily find and fill out, and a clear chain of communication so this can all be in place for the new hire’s first day. Maybe there are even illustrated step-by-step instructions for how to register and log into the systems they’ll need to do their work. Imagine!

Let me help you put your best foot forward and make it the best first day ever.

Look at you, being compassionate and valuing your soon-to-be-former colleagues.

(also look at you, honoring yourself by moving out of a situation that was no longer aligned for you! as my guru Emma Garrett would say)

This is some of my favorite work. I love the look on people’s faces when I tell them “I love helping people quit their jobs.”

Imagine.

You infodump your job at me.

I make beautiful transition documents that help your manager and team understand everything you were doing for them.

They marvel at you. You were doing ALL OF THIS??

Then you ride off into the sunset to seek further adventure.

And your former colleagues?

Are they in an increasing state of panic as they realize they don’t know how to do anything, and you were the glue holding everything together, and without you they are sunk?

They are not!

Because you are a beautiful human and you invested (or had the higher-ups invest, because this is saving them scads of time and money versus having a totally new person figure out everything from scratch) in transition docs that lay everything out clearly and with care.

Gold stars all around. Bravo ❤

I’m a PK (pastor’s kid) and I grew up in the church. I’ve been on congregational and synod councils and served as assembly rep. I’ve even been council president. I love church.

Which is why I can say, Lord help us into the digital age.

I’m not talking about livestreaming worship services or revamping the e-newsletter — though both are fine if your congregation likes and wants those things!

I’m talking about the admin side of church.

Some churches are highly resourced and have office staff and dedicated IT.

More churches, at least in my experience, run on volunteers, with either high turnover or no turnover (i.e., the same people doing everything forever and ever amen).

If high turnover, the wheel gets re-created every year.

If no turnover, all the knowledge resides in people’s heads and if that person isn’t there then the thing doesn’t get done.

Either way, you need a core set of guides on what needs doing and when and how.

Furthermore, in this day and age when more folks are doing things remotely, or when weather events are getting more severe and unpredictable, one way to protect access and reduce risk is to have information stored “in the cloud”.

If you needed to review your congregational constitution or council meeting minutes, how long would it take to find them?

What about historical records, like baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths?

How about building records, like when the roof was last repaired or when the building was paid off?

Even stuff like, who do we call when the boiler is out, or if the basement floods?

If this information lives in the brains of a few volunteers (or in just your pastor’s!) let’s chat about how I can help you shore up your beloved church to remain a constant presence in your community.

No worries! Part of the process is figuring out what exactly we’re trying to solve, and then customizing a solution. Just give as much detail as you can, and we’ll work together on the rest.