Back on 09/21/08 (over a year ago) I posted a lengthy blog post called 10,000 Points and the Company You Keep.  As I said in that post,

"I don't ‘blog for points' per se, but I do use points as a measurement to see if I'm doing everything I can to grow my business and stay within my budget.  Blogging and networking on AR is one of the most fun and low cost ways I've found to grow my VA business."

At the time, I made that post "Members Only".  I have no idea why.  It's a great post and gives a shout out to lots of great people.  That post is now public.  The most likely reason, I was simply in a different place at that time, and was probably a little self-conscious.

As you know from Me and My Life - One Year Later, a lot has changed for me in the past year or so.  I'm trying not to be so self-conscious about things, especially myself, and I want to do a better job of giving shout outs (including to myself every now and then).

So last night I finally hit 15,000 points.  And for a moment I started to get down on myself, thinking about where I could be ‘if only, if only...blah, blah, blah'  Thankfully, I stopped myself pretty quickly.  I don't know anything about "if only", all I know is now and that I want to go forward.  Chin up!

So I'm proud of my 15,000 points.  And I'm going to give myself a little credit. YAY me!

Thanks to AR and to all the AR family out there.  The tools and the community are a great way to grow, learn and share, for my business and myself.

What are the basics?  Guess that depends on who you ask. 

What's my plan?  Good question!

As I mentioned in my post, Make the Move Has Arrived, earlier this evening, I recently received a copy of Claudia Wick's new book Make the Move.  This of course got me thinking both about my business and the businesses of my clients.

Lots of agents don't take the time to make a business or marketing plan.  Nor do a lot of VAs.  We all know we should have a written plan, but either we never make the time to get to it, or it overwhelms us to the point that we give up on it.

Then of course I came across Claudia's post, Are You Poised to Prosper in 2010, and I really started thinking about my business.  Let me be 100% honest.  I don't have a fully written business plan.  I do have an outline and format which I sometimes follow, but no day to day working business plan.

Looking back over my notes from recent conversations with potential clients, I realize that I get a lot of contacts from agents who aren't overly familiar with online marketing and business building.  They need to hear the basics.

As I shared in my post, Me & My Life - One Year Later, a couple of weeks ago due to a family tragedy I'm basically starting over again in my business and in my personal life.  So maybe I need to get back to the basics myself.

So that's my plan, I'm getting back to the basics for marketing and growing my business and for getting my clients positioned for success.  And yes, I will be writing out my business plan.  My goal is to have it written by January 1, 2010. 

Do you have your business plan ready for the New Year? 

OK, so I haven't actually, completely arrived yet BUT....

Saturday I received a wonderful surprise in the mail!  It was a copy of Claudia Wick's (RE Base Camp) new book Make the Move: How to Move Your Real Estate Business Online.  Having made plans to buy the book as soon as it was available, it made my day to receive an autographed copy.

It really made my day to be named in the acknowledgements!  Claudia has been my dear friend and mentor for a few years now, and she is brilliant.  And I am honored to know her, to work with her and to call her my friend.

The marketing and business building tips in Make the Move are great, and the format is easy to follow.   Industry experts, such as Blanche Evans, "Top 25 Most Influential People in Real Estate," REALTOR Magazine, evansEmedia.com and Dan Gooder Richard, author of REAL ESTATE RAINMAKER: Guide to Online Marketing, give Claudia and Make the Move stellar reviews. 

Claudia~ I'm so happy for you and so proud of you.  Thank you for sharing these amazing tips and stories all in one place!  ~T

Make The Move can be purchased at LuLu.com.  Check it out!

Kerry~  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I found this post on NETWORKEDblogs so helpful and easy to understand that I had to share it again via a Re-Blog.

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Here's the link to my FaceBook Blog:

http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/agent_assistant_blog/#

I hope you will become fan.  And please leave you link below!  As Kerry said, "It's a great way to leverage the power of Active Rain to support one another!"

PS... Be sure to become a fan of Kerry's blog as well!

~THW

Earlier today I realized I hadn't visited some of my usual web sites in awhile.  So I stopped by RE Base Camp where I found that my dear friend and mentor Claudia Wicks had been selected by the Seattle King County Association of Realtors as Instructor of the Year for 2009.

YAY Claudia!  You Go Girl!

For those of you who know Claudia personally or who have attended any of her courses or seminars, you know she gives tons of warm and wonderful energy plus valuable and timely information.  As a trainer, she truly takes an active interest in her student's success.  She is a fount of knowledge!

I'm not sure why Claudia didn't (or hasn't) blog on this herself, but I felt compelled to brag on the award for her.  (And I'll of course give her a bit of ribbing, for not posting a brag blog herself.)  Maybe she is being her humble self.  I'm both happy for her and proud of her for adding this to her long list of awards.

The Seattle King County Association 2009 Realtor Awards Banquet is tomorrow, December 3, 2009.   I wish I could attend the awards banquet and congratulate Claudia in person, but I'll be on a plane to Bama.  But Claudia, as always, you are in my fondest thoughts.  I'm so proud of you!!

Please join me in congratulating Claudia Wicks - SKCAR 2009 Instructor of the Year!    

Last evening my husband and I spent a little time really reflecting on, despite how tough this past year has been, just how lucky we are.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We are so fortunate that we were actually invited to two Thanksgiving celebrations, and we were able to attend both. 

In spite of everything, we really do have a lot to be thankful for personally.  After reading several Thanksgiving posts on AR, it's clear that so many of you do as well. 

This got me thinking, with so much to be thankful for, how do I give back?  I mean really give back...not just give in the hopes of receiving.  Of course I attend some groups both because I enjoy them, I'm able to make a contribution and because it's a great way to network.  I do give of myself and my time in these settings, but I also have the ulterior motive of new contacts and potential new clients.

I mean, how or where do I give back with no expectation of anything in return?

As I mentioned in a previous post, over the years I've battled depression and anxiety so I've always been active in bringing awareness and education to mental health issues in various ways and organizations.  After we lost my sister to suicide on March 14, 2009, I became even more involved in this area.  I'm especially active with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Out of the Darkness Walks they hold as fund raisers.

On October 10, 2009 Brett and I walked in the Puget Sound walk around Green Lake with my friend (she lost her twin just over 5 years ago).  Team Holton raised $220 (not bad for our first walk).  This Thursday I fly home to Decatur to join my mom and my niece, Brelin, in the North Alabama walk at Wilson Morgan Park on Saturday, December 5, 2009.  So far Team Mason has raised $130. 

More impressively, Brelin now speaks at school and church on suicide prevention.  After losing her mom 9 months ago, I'm more amazed by her each and everyday.  I'm sure this is an area where Brelin and I will work and give for years to come.  Neither of us expects a thing, our only hope is to help someone overcome this very misunderstood disease.

On Sunday, Brett and I cooked dinner for a dear friend.  Brett's friend is battling cancer and is currently going through chemo.  A group of friends have been taking turns to prepare a meal each Sunday for the family, and this was our Sunday.  So tried our hands at a delicate vegetarian dinner...they said it was wonderful.  They are a very kind couple!! :-) 

My friend from the walk also has an immediate family member who just began chemo.  So I'm starting to learn more than I ever imagined about cancer, cancer treatment, proper nutrition, cancer research, etc.

Something tells me I'll be adding another fund raising walk to my calendar in the future.  And guess what?  I'll be happy to do it!  All they have to do is say when and where, and I'll be there.  Heck, they may not even have to ask.  ;-)

With all the wonderful Thanksgiving posts this past week, it is clear there is much to be thankful for. 

So, how do you give back?

Well, my bio line reads:

Tracie Mason Holton is a coach, trainer, writer and part-time VA.  She is "The Happy Wife (THW)."

But I'm not sure that answers the question completely...

In the past, I was a Senior Coach and then Distance Learning Producer for HouseValues.  After leaving HV at the end of 2006, I started my own VA business, Agent Assistant Network.  However, as I mentioned in my post a couple days ago "One Year Later", my VA business has honestly been on hold for the past year or so.  Family matters required much of my attention.

While I've had a day job for the past year and no VA clients for about 9 months (by choice), I have pursued coaching and writing.  These are both areas I enjoy very much, and they are much more flexible than a full load of VA clients.  Agents truly depend on their VAs to assist in growing and running their businesses, and my worst fear would be to ever let a client down.  So I was better able to adapt coaching and writing to my changing schedule without affecting anyone else.

I've decided to remain a part-time VA knowing this will affect the growth of my business for now.  Again, knowing my family situation may not completely settle down for several more months, I don't want to take on more than I can comfortably manage for now.  And do I want to continue to write and coach.

Most importantly, I've become "The Happy Wife (THW)".  After loosing my sister in March, this solidified the importance of family for me.  Family has always been important, but it suffered at times because of my work load and my attitude & ambition.  I've since realized that jobs, careers and businesses can come and go but family is forever.  Sadly, it took me awhile to learn this.  But learn it I have!!!

While not 100%, some of inspiration for THW definitely came from TLW.  Even when I wasn't actively business building, I've continued to enjoy and follow her posts (personal and professional).  I'm pretty certain she doesn't know me from Eve.  But she seems to be a sassy southern gal after my own heart when it comes to family, friends and business.  So I'll keep following her posts...

And while I may coach, train, write and VA for living, and while I REALLY enjoy these things....these titles do not define me.  I am the "The Happy Wife (THW)", and these are the jobs I do.

Let me know if I can be of help to you!
 

Sadly, as I mentioned in my earlier post this afternoon, I've been away from AR taking care of family matters for awhile.  But tonight I got back to blogging.  I also got hit over the head with the realization of how much "new stuff" there is on AR.

While this will be my first re-blog, after reading this post (thank you Midori), I see so much value.  For me, I'll be spending some time relearning AR for myself so I might as well share some of that information with my readers.

Thanks again Midori for the original post.  And thank you Naoma Doriguzzi, it was your re-blog that I actually came across first.  I appreciate the wealth of information you both continue to share.

OK, so it's really been one year and 44 days.  But who's counting, right?

In my last post "Where's Tracie been lately?", dated 10/13/08, I shared a few of the new and exciting things that had taken me away from Active Rain for about a month.  I also shared some thoughts on where my VA business might be going.

WOW...how things have changed....

Sadly, this most recent and lengthy departure from business and AR wasn't for good reasons.  A few years ago, my younger sister began a serious struggle with depression which continued to get worse over time.  The last year and half were the worst (and it came on so quickly), with my parents having to help her financially as well as emotionally.   

My parents and I all began to assist in raising my niece.  So in turn, my husband and I started helping my parents more emotionally, as well as financially from time to time.  Having experienced my own battles with depression in the past, it was a no brainer for me...family first in this case.

The past couple of years have been a bit of a blur at times.  I took a day job for a steady paycheck.  I started going home to Alabama every couple months or so.  I became even more active in depression/mental health awareness and education.  I wound down my VA business, finally even letting my dear friend and mentor Claudia Wicks go as my last client.  All so that I could have every available moment and cent to focus on pulling my sister and my family through. 

(Yep, believe it or not, a day job was easier during this past year.  Plus, I decided I'd rather let my clients work with another VA than run the risk of ever letting them down.)   

On March 14, 2009 we lost my sister Lesley Kay Mason to suicide.  She is desperately missed by my Mom & Dad, by my husband & me, by countless friends and family members.  She is missed most of all by her daughter Brelin and VIP Shea.

Over the past year, I've learned a lot about myself and what kind of life I want.  For now, I've kept my day job, and I still fly home to Bama as often as I can.  But now I fly home for want and not need.  While the steady paycheck has been a nice change, the work leaves me a little unfulfilled.  Plus, I really, REALLY miss having my own business.

So here I go...starting over again with my business and a new page in my life.  But it sure beats the alternative!

First, thank you to all of you who thought of me while I was away (a couple of AR associates even sent me emails).  It's nice to be missed...  :-)

The first week I was away because my new mother-in-law came to visit from Ohio; and my sister-in-law flew up from Del Mar, CA to surprise us.  :-) (I'm smiling with love...really!)  So that week really got packed quickly. 

The second week...

Well, let's be honest.  When real estate slows down or the market changes, many real estate professionals start to cut expenses.  Many times this includes marketing expenses.

For a VA, an agent cutting marketing expenses also means cutting VA hours from time to time...  So not too long ago, this got me thinking.

In my past life I was a Coach and Trainer for HouseValues.  I REALLY enjoyed Coaching and Training, and have often thought about ways of implementing this.  In all honesty, often times a VA does do some coaching (especially when agents find they need to get back to doing some things themselves). 

Technically, I've been a way from Coaching for awhile now, so I took the opportunity to get reacquainted.  I took a couple of new marketing courses, and I started a Coach Certification program.

I see this as a great compliment to Virtual Assisting, and I really like sharing tools, techniques and new strategies.  I'll let you know how it goes.  And hopefully I won't put myself completely out of the VA business!