Meet the Mentors
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Laura Armbruster
Laura Armbruster of Valuable Connections, has been working independently since 2001. She specializes in providing web content for search marketing professionals and SEO design firms serving small to medium businesses online.
Laura has a background in technology support management, including working for an outsourcing company, where she was responsible for managing contracts for the firm and ensuring that all terms and conditions of the contracts were met.
A firm believer in the importance of good contracts for healthy business relations, Laura encourages virtual assistants, freelancers and independent workers to use contracts with every client. Rather than using cookie-cutter contract forms, she recommends that each service provider create a custom contract detailing the particular services offered and that each contract be tailored to the client industries being served.
Anna Baron
Anna Baron, The Virtual Link, has been a Virtual Assistant since 1997 and specializes in web design for effective Internet marketing and branding. She has mentored and coached beginning Virtual Assistants for over 5 years.
She has served on numerous professional boards and committees in the remote professional industry. Anna has been featured in Florida Realtor magazine, Texas Realtor Magazine, The Dallas Business Journal, and The Entrepreneurial Parent. Anna is a member of IVAA and holds the IVAA CVA and CRESS certifications.
Whitney Bishop
Whitney Bishop, Resolution Catalyst, has been working with individuals & groups for over 15 years. Her shift to independent catalyst for change and resolution began in 2007 and she’s never been happier. Her focus is working with individuals, teams and agencies that provide valuable services within our community. Specializing in conflict resolution, change management, strategic planning, creative ideation, creative problem solving and creative thinking. She firmly believes that when you can align feelings and reactions to change and conflict that you can focus on the business at hand, not the stuff that’s underground and stealing valuable creative energy.
Andrea Cannavina
Andrea Cannavina is a Master Virtual Assistant who teaches professionals how to upgrade their business processes to digital in order to get more done with less - less time, less resources and less stress!
Andrea has built her career on three pillars: (a) security; (b) mobility; and (c) frugality. Her first passion is security - of processes, people and information. Her second passion is mobility and Andrea delights in helping professionals cross over the virtual side and work from any telephone or Internet connection too. Finally, Andrea whole heartedly believes in not wasting a thing or spending a dime more than necessary to get the job done. Her tried and true processes and extensive client list all agree!
In her brick and mortar life, Andrea was a legal assistant who worked in various sized law firms in and around New York City. She has been a professional legal secretary/assistant for 17+ years and a Virtual Assistant since 2001.
To learn more about Andrea visit www.legaltypist.com, www.lawfirmsolutions.com or her Linked In Profile can be accessed here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/legaltypist
Jill Chongva
Jill Chongva, owner of VADiva.com, has been a Virtual Assistant since 1999, building on her twenty year career in Office Administration. Jill specializes in helping solopreneurs use the WordPress and Membergate platforms to build their businesses and their brand. Jill also helps clients with every aspect of their online marketing strategy, including everything from eCover design for digital products to article marketing to social media.
Jill is the former Communications Director for the Whyte Ridge Community Centre, a recipient of the CVA designation from IVAA, an EthicsCheck certified VA, and a Real Estate Support Specialist. She has been featured in an article on filing system management in The National Review of Medicine.
Jodi Diehl
Specializing in website programming, Jodi Diehl utilizes PHP and mySQL databases to create dynamic website solutions for her clients. She started Sunfrog Services, Inc in 2001 and continues to service clients worldwide. Working with numerous Open Source programs, Jodi is able to assist clients with implementing low cost website solutions with high quality results.
In addition to website programming, Jodi also offers brokered printing services to clients with a focus on environmentally-friendly inks and papers. Through her connections to several print shops, she can facilitate the development and delivery of printed marketing materials for clients, saving them time and money.
Jodi has served as President of IVAA and is the co-creator of RemoteProfessionals.com. She has volunteered in several non-profit organizations and promotes living a greener lifestyle.
Amber Drake
Amber Drake, Essential Admin, has been working independently as a Virtual Assistant since 2002. Prior to independence, she worked in the Silicon Valley high-tech field for over 10 years providing executive assistance. She specializes in Real Estate and Small Business marketing and support, including listing coordination, Internet and print branding and web design.
She serves fellow VAs in the remote professional industry through volunteerism, mentoring and instruction, and has been featured in numerous publications including RISMedia’s Real Estate magazine, Michael Russer’s The Obsolete Employee and various issues of Accent. Amber is a member of IVAA, IREAA, and REVA Roundtable, is a co-founder of INVAA, and holds several industry certifications including the MVA, PVA, PREVA, CRESS, and EthicsCheck.
Amber took her business 100% mobile and traveled the country with her family in their RV for a full year in 2006 – a pre-retirement dream only made possible through independent remote professionalism!
Clare Evans
Clare Evans is a personal and business coach working with individuals and businesses to improve their time management, increase productivity and create a better work life balance.
She has worked in the corporate sector for a global company for many years, managing IT projects and working with global teams. She understands the pressures today’s working environment places on people’s time and the difficulty of creating a better work life balance.
Now running her own business, she runs workshops, seminars and teleclasses on the subjects that challenge our time as well as coaching one to one. She frequently writes and publishes articles for newsletters and magazines such as Zest, Cosmopolitan and New Woman magazines, Better Business Focus a monthly internet magazine for business advisers and Financial Solutions the PFS (Personal Finance Society) magazine for Financial Advisers and is the author of Time Management For Dummies to be published in the UK in September 2008.
We all care about the best use of our time. Clare specialises in enabling us to achieve what we want in ways that makes us master our use of precious time. You can contact Clare on info@clareevans.co.uk for additional information or to invite her to speak at your meeting or event.
Visit her website and sign up for her free newsletter and download resources at www.clareevans.co.uk
Tiffanie Z. Lyon, MBA
Most non-traditional salespeople, such as attorneys, accountants, consultants and entrepreneurs, have limiting and misguided beliefs about selling. These beliefs have caused them unnecessary stress and cost them an incalculable amount of lost business.
Tiffanie Z. Lyon helps these people who don’t like to sell, don’t know how to sell and those who feel it’s just not in their nature. Through Lyon Sales Institute, LLC, she inspires non-traditional salespeople to increase their sales-confidence and grow their businesses. She single-handedly changes the way people think and feel about the concept of selling through her engaging presentations and educational resources. Tiffanie’s audiences walk away transformed by the realistic techniques that can be implemented immediately.
Her highly successful book, “Sales is NOT a Dirty Word: THE Inspirational Selling Guide for Non-traditional Salespeople” has been bought in bulk by professional services firms and expanded businesses with the simple, yet powerful sales concepts and practical techniques.
Armed with an advanced business degree and over 17 years of sales experience within several different industries, she practices what she preaches and people are drawn to her motivating demeanor. In addition to teaching college-level courses, Personal Selling and Principles of Management, she enthusiastically designs and delivers educational resources, seminars and speeches based on her message… Everybody Sells! ™
George Montgomery
George M. Montgomery, is an Enrolled Agent, licensed to practice before the IRS since 1983. Enrolled Agent is a designation issued by the Internal Revenue Service to individuals who have a two day exam covering the Federal treatment of corporate, partnership, business, individual, estate, gift, and payroll taxes.
In business for over 30 years, George specializes in tax preparation, planning and consulting for small businesses and individuals. He is a Certified QuickBooks Pro-Advisor and has an MBA degree in business planning.
George regularly participates in many continuing professional education courses offered by local chapters of national accounting and tax associations to keep his company, BusinessandTaxPlanning.com, on the “leading edge” of ever-changing tax laws and accounting methods.
Mary Motz
Mary Motz, owner of ProVirtual Solutions, has been assisting small businesses, nonprofits and individuals put their best foot forward on the web since 2002. She has a unique skill set that combines business administration, web marketing, design and virtual office expertise. In addition to her career experience, Mary is a Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW - Professional/Site Design) and a Microsoft Office User Specialist. She is also a member of several professional virtual assistant organizations, including the International Virtual Assistants Association and the Delaware Valley Virtual Assistants Association, where she serves on the Board of Directors as V.P. of Technology.
Michelle Murphy
Michelle Murphy, founder of Murphy Assistants, has over 18 years of experience in Office Administration and Association Management.
As a professional virtual assistant, Michelle partners with small businesses and associations who require back office support and association management. Due to an entrepreneurial spirit, Michelle started her business in 2004.
Prior to Murphy Assistants, Michelle worked for many years in the IT support field specializing in contract management and telecommunications. Michelle received training and certification in SalesLogix and SupportLogix.
Angela Allen Parker
WickedWordCraft.com owner Angela Parker specializes in helping small business owners and real estate agents communicate more effectively. She is a firm believer in the importance of quality crafted content as the best way to secure organic online marketing success. To that end, she provides web content services and offers her copywriting skills to clients across the US and abroad.
She has served as managing editor of an industry news publication for virtual assistants and has been a contributing writer to virtual, technical and professional publications. She is a tech-geek, has been working online since 1999, and has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil.
Mike Price
Mike Price is a veteran web technologist that has been working to provide the real estate industry with a wide variety of software and marketing solutions for the web since 1995. Mike attributes a great deal of his company’s success to a cohesive and consistent business blogging strategy.
Today Mike (and some friends he has met along the way) operate MLBroadcast.com, a provider of video podcasting and web video broadcasting services for listings and communities that feature clients from upstate NY to Southern Australia. As a marketing tool, the blog has become an integral part of the ongoing success in brand traction for his company.
Mike also provides consulting services to brokers interested in harnessing the new rules and new tools of Web 2.0 including listing syndication, web strategies and social media marketing. Mike established his own blog, Mike’s Corner, in June of 2006. It has become an award winning destination for marketing, news, and real estate technology.
Kimberley Thomas-Catanzaro
Kimberley Thomas-Catanzaro, owner of Bookkeeping and Secretarial Services, LLC is located in Jupiter FL. Kimberley offers full charge bookkeeping services to individuals and small businesses around the world.
She started her outsourcing business in 2002 and offers 17 years of bookkeeping experience. She served as IVAA’s Treasurer from 2003-2006 and is a regular volunteer for IVAA and other non profit agencies.
Jeri Winkler
Jeri Winkler is owner of The Secret Assistant, the company real estate agents go to for full remote support. With over 11 years experience in the real estate industry Jeri gives agents the quality service that only experience offers. Since beginning to work remotely in 2002 Jeri has had the privilege to work with many of this country’s top agents.
Jeri is a member of numerous organizations throughout the virtual assistant community and holds various certifications and designations. She has also been featured in several publications including Military Money, Realtor™ Magazine and Florida Realtor™ Magazine. In any of these articles you will see that Jeri has a passion for real estate, but her real passion is helping her clients succeed.
Kathy Zengolewicz
Kathy Zengolewicz, The Virtual Independent Contractor (The Virtual Assistant’s Virtual Assistant) has been a Virtual Assistant since 2001. Kathy caters to subcontracting for other VAs, established and those just starting out in the VA field. She specializes in web design and maintenance, internet research, newsletters and transcription. She is a firm believer in Branding your website. The sooner you start Branding the better.
Kathy served as Secretary for IVAA in 2003. She also, with two other VAs, co-founded the Delaware
Valley Virtual Assistants Association (DVVAA), a local Virtual Assisting organization.
