The Virtual Assistant Talk Show Netcast 1 - Where VAs Talk the Walk [ 1:16:04 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Finally, our first episode of the VA Talk Show!

I’ve learned many things from putting this show together for the first time.  One is, don’t use the telephone for recordings (I hear you Brent!) and two, have scheduled recording days else you will be stuck in a cubicle recording for days on end!  So other than a few glitches in sound here and there because of telephone recordings, please enjoy the first episode and know that future shows will only get better as I learn more and more about podcasting.  I’d love to hear your comments and suggestions at the bottom of this post.

Below are the SHOW NOTES as promised for your surfing convenience.

VA Industry Spotlight
Click to interact at the VANA Forum with IVAA

Debbie Tester tells us all about the International Virtual Assistant Association

The International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the professional education and development of members of the Virtual Assistance profession, and to educating the public on the role and function of the Virtual Assistant. While certification is by no means requisite for IVAA members, IVAA holds the distinction of being the only organization offering the comprehensive IVAA Certified Virtual Assistant (CVA) exam, recognized internationally as the standard that Virtual Assistants strive to attain. Information is provided to the public so that a qualified virtual assistant can be found for your project. Read more about IVAA at their website.

BIO: Debbie Tester served as IVAA President through March 2007, and has previously served as Vice President, Historian and co-chair of the 2004 Summit; IVAA’s annual conference. Ms. Tester is the Managing Partner of Outer Office, LLC in Aurora, Colorado, specializing in technical documentation, grant writing, research and analysis. Ms. Tester holds the IVAA EthicsChecked™ certification and a B.A. in Communications from the University of Colorado. Her clients include small businesses in the engineering and IT industries, entrepreneurs, educators, and attorneys.

Links mentioned in show:

• The VA Summit – Annual Virtual Assistant Conference held April 25-28th in San Francisco, California
• IVAACast – The official VA Newsletter of the International Virtual Assistants Association! Sign up area on right side column of IVAA website.

Guest Speaker
Click to interact at the VANA Forum with Michelle Jamieson

Michele Jamieson of MJVA & Associates talks to us on "Starting up a Multi VA Business"

BIO: Michelle Jamison has been a Virtual Assistant for 10 years. Her company MJVA & Associates is a Multi-VA business, which is our topic for discussion today. Along with running her practice she is also an instructor for the online Virtual Assistant Certificate Program, at Red Deer College, in Red Deer, AB.

You may have heard of Michelle as she is the author of the popular VA book, The Virtual Assistants Guide to Marketing and has been offering coaching and consulting for Virtual Assistants on the topic of marketing, starting a VA business and multi-VA businesses for a number of years. She is a graduate of CoachU, where she received her formal training as a coach.

Along with all of this, Michelle is also the founder of the Canadian Virtual Assistant Network. A network dedicated to providing support and resources to Canadian VA’s.

Michelle is a Premier Partner of VANA and offers her Strategic Marketing Package at 20% off to VANA members.

Roc Talk
Click to interact at the VANA Forum with Brent

Introducing Brent Reilly of PC Computer Help who gives us a briefing on the pros and cons of upgrading to VISTA.

Brent Reilly: An audio enthusiast since the age of 8. Brent has a degree in Audio Engineering and owns Roc ‘N’ Red Productions and PC Computer Help. He has worked in some of the greatest Los Angeles Recording Studios and has a few Gold/Platinum records to his name. He has worked with Manhattan Transfer, Alice in Chains, Hanson, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, and L.A. Guns just to name a few. He was a voting member of the RIAA & the Grammy’s. He has his own production company and does audio recording & mixing back in San Diego (in his own studio) doing voice-overs, podcast recordings, and UCSD Cheerleading music. Just to prove Brent is an expert…if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, it does not make a sound.

Reasons to upgrade to Windows Vista – Testimonial #1 Testimonial #2 Testimonial #3
More Reasons not to upgrade Windows Vista – Testimonial #1 Testimonial #2 Testimonial #3
Vista Pricing
Dual Boot Windows XP & Vista
QuickBooks compatibility with Vista
Hardware requirements for Windows Vista
New User Interface
Vista shadow copy
Audio Comparison of Telephone vs. Microphone? Listen to Brent’s audio

Web Whys?
Click to interact at the VANA Forum with Karri and Tawnya

Introducing Karri Flatla and Tawnya Sutherland, your co-hosts for Web Whys?:

Tawnya Sutherland: A long-time active member of the VA community, Sutherland founded The Virtual Assistant Networking Forum, the largest online global meeting place for successful and aspiring Virtual Assistants. Tawnya is also the creator of the internationally acclaimed Virtual Business Startup System—which provides all the information, tools, and resources for a VA to build a viable virtual assistance business in just 30 days. Tawnya began her own administrative support VA business, Mediamage Business Solutions, in 1997 but has since focused on providing Internet Marketing services helping her clients turn clicks into cash. Tawnya is a Certified Internet Marketing Business Strategist and Multimedia Usability Specialist graduating in 2002 from the University of British Columbia.

Karri Flatla: A business graduate of the University of Lethbridge, Karri is the principal of snap! virtual associates inc., a virtual consulting firm providing Internet marketing services to small business. Karri helps entrepreneurs to realign their web presence with key business objectives, a critical factor in attracting qualified prospects. Karri also produces Outsmart, the newsletter for small business with big purpose.