I started Right Click Office Services with the goal in mind that I would start a business that would cater to small businesses and entrepreneurs who needed help with their “back end” tasks; document creation, website maintenance and word processing.

Boy have I come a long way since then! Now I work with social media, online marketing, email marketing and so many new programs I can’t name them all! I’ve also volunteered with IVAA and met some amazing people through my involvement with New Media Cincinnati! I even received my Virtual Author’s Certification so now I’m able to offer manuscript prep, self-publishing and book marketing services!

March 5th was my one year anniversary of starting my business and I completely missed it because it seems like I just started this crazy idea yesterday! To celebrate I am unveiling my new brand:

Your Creative Ally. I’m so excited I might pee a little bit! So what does being Your Creative Ally mean for me and the business?

• I will work with Creatives (authors, actors and artists to name a few) and help them make the internet work for them and their business
• I will not be the Vanilla VA anymore! It’s going to be all quirk and fun all the time!
• I will focus on MY creative spark and create fun and quirky blog posts, newsletters and products

As much as I would love to take credit for this whole idea I have to admit if it hadn’t been for my career coach, Michelle Ward, I never would have found the courage to bring this passion to my business. This is a scary deal people to put yourself out there for the world! Michelle helped me realize that I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and doggoneit, people like me! (wait…maybe that was Stuart Smalley…Whatever! Same difference!)

I sincerely hope that bringing my personality and my passions to the business will make Your Creative Ally even more fun and helpful in the coming year!

Would you like one FREE hour with me?

What a crazy question, of course you would! An hour could mean a newsletter sent out, a Facebook fan page created, spreadsheets created/updated or it could mean a brainstorming session with me about how to make the internet work for you and your business!

Here are a few ways that you could win one FREE hour of me:

• Are you following me on Twitter? Well I’m making the switch over to the new Twitter address, @creativeally, so make sure you follow the new profile and post this to your twitter stream, “@rightclickos is now @creativeally ! I made the switch because all the cool kids are doing it! http://bit.ly/b2OuQy”
• We have a new Facebook Fan page! Be sure to fan Your Creative Ally for a second chance to win!

The contest will run until April 3rd and I will randomly draw two names at the end of each week for a total of 6 winners all together!

Thank you so much for making this past year such a success and I’m looking forward to kicking butt for another year!

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You Are the Best by Allicoate

I watched the Oscars this past Sunday night. The glitz, the glamor and the funny moments that make the three hours worth it! I also love the acceptance speeches, and this year Michael Giacchino gave me my Oscar moment.

I’ll give you a minute to Google him…

Michael Giacchino won for Best Original Score for the movie “Up”. In his acceptance speech he said something that pulled on my heart. He said, “If you want to be creative, get out there and do it. It’s not a waste of time.” All my life I have been creative but it was always pushed to the background. I don’t think I have gone so far as to say that being creative is a waste of time but my actions sure have said that a time or two…

Try out for a musical in college or work to pay for book?

Start writing that novel I have in my head or get a real job to help pay the bills?

Design and paint the house the way I want or worry about how everyone else will see it?

When I started my business I was very vanilla – my creative side was again taking a backseat. Then I met my career coach and she made me realize that people want to work with me because of ME. I have such a strong personality that it was hard not to let that seep into my business! So now I am focusing on being creative and attracting creative clients who will make this job fun.

How can you bring your inner creative to the surface?

• Find out who you are! Discover your secret passions or reinvigorate those passions you might have had before but that got lost under the bed when you had to find a “real job”.
• Make the time to be creative! Try out for that musical! Write that book of poetry! Design your own jewelry pieces! I have started to schedule dance breaks into my day. Yes, the neighbors may invite people over to watch the craziness that ensues twice a day in my living room but I get to sing, have fun and decompress in my own creative way!
• Share your passions with the world! This one may be very scary but I found that when I let my guard down and decided that I was going to be my creative quirky self on a regular basis, life got a lot less complicated! My business is now my creative outlet! I get to work with creative people and make their lives easier! Maybe you need to bite the bullet and get that Etsy shop started or get that manuscript into the hands of an agent or even self-publish your own book! When you know who you are and are able to be comfortable with that, people recognize it.

Be Creative! It’s not a waste of time!

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