"That which you or I think is most unique about ourselves we hide. In ordinary discourse, in the normal state, we share our common self, our superficial self. Yet what is most unique about us is what has the greatest potential for bonding us. When we share our uniqueness, we discover the commonality in greatness that defines everyone on the planet." — Robert E. Quinn
Hi my name is Stefanie and I am a
26 year old Freelance Personal Assistant and Virtual Assistant based in London.
I have decided to start a business blog and where else to start but with my own
story? At the age of 16 I left school with 10 GCSE’s all grades (A*-C) and I
decided to attend 6th form to undertake A-Levels. At this stage in
my life, I really did not have a clue what I wanted to do. I had always thought
about going to university, but was unsure what field I wanted to specialise in.
In year 2 of my A-Levels I was attacked on a bus and shortly after this I had a
very bad case of Glandular Fever. I could not keep up with the workload, so in
April 2006 I quit my 6th Form education. After recovering from the
attack and Glandular Fever I started to apply for office jobs. In August 2006 I
was offered a job at Lidl GmbH. I was hired as a Mystery Shopper and an
Administration Assistant and this is where my business journey began.
Over the next year I thrived at
Lidl. I was working alongside a great group of people from all different walks
of life. I got along really well with everyone from the maintenance warehouse
workers all the way up to the regional director. Over the course of the year my
job became increasingly more and more varied. On a Monday I could be running
out of stores with alcohol, conducting mystery shops and test purchases. On
Tuesday I could be auditing store accounts and arranging stock transfers.
Wednesday I could be managing a team and be walking the streets promoting a new
store opening with free goodie bags. Thursday I may be working in the warehouse
taking stock, arranging store deliveries, or working in the customer service
department. And Friday I could be the Regional Director’s PA. This job was the
making of me and it really encouraged me to aspire to greater things. I gained
experience in so many different business areas and I could never thank Lidl
enough for the opportunities that they gave to me.
In 2007 I went back to college
and undertook an Access to Higher Education qualification in Social Science and
Humanities. By 2008 I was attending Greenwich University and undertaking an
undergraduate degree in Human Resource Management. I was still working at Lidl
part time and I also started working for the university itself. I was an Open
Day Assistant and assisted with student enrolment and campus tours.
I was born with quite a severe
facial deformity and in January 2010 it started to give me some problems. One
morning I woke up and I had a headache. I did not think anything of it. I had
been working hard in my second year at university and I had two jobs. I just
assumed it was due to tiredness and stress. As the day progressed, the pain
started to spread down the left hand side of my face. By 7pm that night I was
in complete agony. I had taken Ibuprofen and Paracetamol and it had not made
any improvement. After this day I have never been pain free.
In April 2010 I started working
for Chartwells, part of Compass Group (the largest catering company in the
world). I was hired to work part time as an Auditor, Trainer and School Kitchen
Monitor. I was later hired to work full time as a HR assistant.
In July 2011 I graduated with a
First Class BA Honours Degree in Human Resource Management. It had been the
toughest 2 years of my life. But I had done it; I had competed with daily pain and
tiredness, held down three jobs and completed my degree. After 5 years of
working for Lidl it was time to move on. I had been offered a full time
position working as an Auditor and HR Assistant at Compass. Although Lidl had
been so good to me, I felt like it was time to move on.
In the August of 2011 I undertook
orthognathic/maxillofacial surgery to correct my facial deformity. It was hoped
that I would make a full recovery and this would alleviate the chronic pain I
had been experiencing. After the operation I was completely rigid from the
chest upwards. I could not lift my head off of the pillow or even raise my arms
without assistance. On top of that, my face had been broken into small pieces
and placed back together like a jigsaw. I was in so much pain and I was on a
liquid diet for 3 months and a soft food diet for a further 3 months. I started
to develop reoccurring sinus infections and even more pain. I had to have all
of my titanium plates and screws removed in 2012. 3 months after my original
operation I returned to Compass and tried to get back to normality. It was not
to be. With all my appointments and my on-going issues I felt compelled to hand
in my notice. I have never accepted defeat in my life and this is exactly what
it had felt like to me.
During my recovery period I hit
some very low moments. It had seemed like my career was all mapped out for me
and now it had been taken away from me. I spent my time in self-reflection and
evaluating what I wanted from life. I really took a step back and thought about
my passions, my core values, my targets and my skills. As I was unfit to work
at the time, I pooled all of my energies into creating a blog and charity
project. I had felt so alone in my journey and I did not want anybody else to
feel this way. In November 2012 I created Jaw & Face. This is a charity
project that I continue to run, alongside King’s College Hospital and Saving
Faces Charity. I blog about my experiences, support and mentor patients,
conduct research and write self-help books for charity.
After recovering from my
surgeries and undertaking physiotherapy, I needed to do something new with my
life. As my Nan always said; you cannot live on love alone. The charity project
was brilliant, but now it was time to concentrate on my career. From a young
age I have always had a fascination with creating businesses. I remember being
6 and having a notepad full of business ideas. I would spend hours pretending I
was a hotel owner/ manager. I would draw out and brainstorm everything from the
room layouts and décor, to the prices and breakfast menus, all the way to the staff
wages and rotas. I did not want to jump back into the busy rat race and exhaust
myself with things that were out of my control. I wanted to be my own boss, to
work with likeminded people and be involved in a career that allowed me to
build on my existing skills.
I did not want to start off too
quickly, so I decided to create SG Virtual Office UK in 2013 and work as a
Virtual Assistant. It fitted perfectly with my appointments and other family
commitments. I started being hired by friends and family. As the business
developed, my family and friends started to recommend me to their own friends
and business contacts. Being purely a ‘Virtual’ Assistant was too restricting,
so I started to undertake short term Personal Assistant contracts. It was so nice
to be out and about again and having contact with the outside world.
During this time I realised there
was a market for sole traders and small businesses that need some additional
support. It is daunting running a company or your own business. I have been
fortunate to have over 8 years of varied corporate experience and a degree in
business. Most people do not have the opportunities I did. So this is where I step
in!
I have no hesitation in saying that my services
are unique. I am a highly experienced Personal Assistant with both education
and practical experience to back it up. I have no problems in helping my
clients with any aspect of their business and I will even teach you how to do
these things for yourself. I understand running your own business can be
overwhelming. It is important to keep costs low and this is why I offer all
sorts of contracts (hourly, flexi, short term and long term). I provide over
100 services and I have never come across a job that is too big or too small. I
am a great people person and a dedicated worker. I am not only a Personal
Assistant; I am a business consultant and team member. I treat my client’s
company like it was my own and always maintain the highest level of
professionalism.
It has not been an easy road, as
you can see. But I finally feel like I have found something that makes me truly
happy. This career has allowed me to work with some amazing people and
contribute to the smooth and happy running of several businesses. I absolutely
love the variety of my job and waking up every morning to a new and exciting
challenge. My work allows me to incorporate all the expertise I have learned
over the past few years and expand on my own skills and learning.
This career may not be for
everybody though. So I advise that you look at the positives and the negatives
of this career choice before you take the plunge. In the following weeks I will
be discussing what I get up to on a daily basis and discussing the
qualifications and skills required to become a first-class Personal Assistant.
If you are looking to hire a
Personal Assistant and you believe I could help you or your business, please do
not hesitate to contact me. I offer an optional free face to face consultation
for all clients in the London area and telephone consultations for those clients
outside of London.
To find out more about the services I provide, visit my
website services page: www.stefaniegrant.co.uk/services
To receive a free quotation or to book a consultation please
visit:
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