I actually started my 1st business when my youngest daughter was born. I was manufacturing post maternity/nursing clothing for about 2 years. I was doing pretty well. But as an FYI the clothing business is cut-throat and I soon found myself out of business and my designs knocked off by a major retailer...this is where I learned to be really diligent about understanding legal contracts and the ramifications of what you are signing (or not signing). - Great life lesson.

After that came a divorce and my re-entry into the corporate world. Here I was, a single parent, and going back for training as Windows was just coming out and I was a DOS girl - hahaha. So I updated my computer skills and went straight back into corporate as it was really a no-brainer for me to work in that industry. I got re-married to the most wonderful man in the world - hands off ladies (or gentlemen - hahaha) and I kept working (really hard) in the corporate world. My kids went to school and daycare or after-school care. I didn't really see that much of them, except on the weekends. And commuting was hard. I would always be one of the last parents to pick up my kids. I was losing touch with them, but what can you do when you are trying to make a better life for yourself and your family.

In 2006 one of my employers decided to move across the country but he didn't want to move the business. I came back to the company (I had left years before for a GM role) at his request to run the company and act as the GM for him while he figured out what he wanted to do. Would we keep it running (8 employees at any one time), sell it, or close it. He commuted 1 week a month back to the office and was virtual for the other 3 weeks. We were able to make this work. AND it opened my eyes to working online. I started to research this for myself. I was still working a lot as the General Manager. I learned about Virtual Assistants, but I didn't know all of the systems that people were talking about online. So I started to take different training programs from 2006 - 2009.

When the corporate job finished in 2009 I immediately knew that I wanted to work for myself and set my own hours so I would be available for kids when I was needed. The difficult part was really defining how I wanted to serve my clients. I didn't really want to become a virtual assistant. I knew I could help entrepreneurs at a much higher level. I wanted my clients to feel like I was their partner in the business. Running the day to day operations and really help them grow it. I was doing bookkeeping, remote office manager stints, and working as a project manager for a virtual assistant agency, but I was still not working with my ideal clients.

Then in 2010 I discovered the book Becoming an Online Business Manager by Tina Forsyth and knew that is what I was. The book laid out everything I had been trying to do, and then some. I started to follow Tina on social media and checked out her training program as well.

Truthfully, I didn't know if I needed the training. So I plugged along with my business for another year with the same results...not working with my ideal clients and not earning what I wanted. In 2011, I decided that I needed help and I took the Certified OBM® training and joined the International Association of Online Business Managers. That is when things really started to change for me.

I started to let go of clients that were not paying me at the level I needed, the ones who didn't even have an online presence or need an OBM. I made room for better clients. I started to do OBM level projects and soon landed my first 7-figure client. I was able to work with the best of the best in the online support community. I hired people to work with my clients' teams that I had been following for years. My connections grew and so did my business success.

Fast forward to today, and I have had the pleasure to work with some of the most influential, mission driven, and passionate women in the online entrepreneurial world. It has been a wonderful journey. Helping them to grow their community and teams. Working with awesome virtual professionals from around the globe (there are so many talented people out there).

I am now stepping into a new adventure on my OBM journey to train and mentor the next generation of Certified OBM®s. It has always been MY MISSION to empower and inspire other women to become whatever it is their heart desires. Becoming an Online Business Manager was so valuable for me and I want to share that knowledge to empower  hundreds of women to leave their corporate jobs, spend more time with their families, work with high-end, well paying clients, all while becoming successful business owners in the process.