Meet Innovative Woman Nicole Denison founder of Ms. Incredible Virtual Assistance and a finalist for the Innovative Women In Business Award!
How/why did you begin your business?
I have an unquenchable passion for business. The backstory…I had my little girl when I was only 16 years old and became a single mother. I was determined to finish high school and college. I started my business career at 19 years old. I attended Fox Business College and earned a secretarial certificate. I starting working as an executive assistant and went to school part-time at night and on the weekends for 7 years while I was working full-time. I completed my business degree in 2007. I worked in the corporate world for 12 years. Although “Executive Assistant” was my title, I always did much more than that. I handled everything from marketing to hiring and felt that I very easily reached the ceiling in my jobs.
I loved my work, but I didn’t like the limitations and office politics that came with it. I needed more of a challenge. I also wanted to work in a way that separated me from office drama and allowed me to really help businesses grow. I wanted to be viewed as a partner, not a subordinate. I wanted to do work that allowed me to think outside the box and that gave me the flexibility I need to be creative and take care of my family’s needs as well. I began my business because I had a passion to do and be MORE.
What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge was my lack of self confidence and fear around income. I would think “Who is going to want to work with me?” And, if they do work with me, “What if I let them down?”. I was initially afraid I would disappoint my clients. I had a lot to learn and doThe last 3 years have been an amazing learning experience. I have developed whole new skill sets and my business focus changed, as I started to understand more about my strengths and weaknesses and what I love to do. I overcame it by being honest with my clients and sharing what I had to offer as well as my goals.
How do you define SUCCESS?
Success is waking up in the morning and feeling excited about your work. It is feeling that you are making an important contribution to something you really believe in and knowing it’s appreciated. It’s that moment when you are having so much fun doing what you do that you almost forget you are working. And, it’s being paid what you deserve, so you can feel safe and enjoy your life.
I received a valuable piece of advice from one my greatest mentors, Anastacia Brice. She said, “When work or a relationship feels like we are paddling upstream—difficult and frustrating—we should drop the ore and paddle downstream”. We should let it go and work on projects and with people that make us feel like we are always paddling downstream…a natural fit. I never forgot those words because they really impacted my life. When this happens, you know you are in the right place doing the right thing.
If there was one thing you wish you knew before you began your business, what would that be?
I wish I knew how well my clients and I would work together and how valued my skills would be, so I didn’t have to worry so much about whether or not I would succeed.
What makes you an innovative woman?
I am an innovative woman because I believe where there is a will, there is a way. I don’t believe in not being able to do or achieve what we want in life. It’s all a matter of strategy and will. Innovating is defined as Introducing new ideas; original and creative in thinking: “an innovative thinker”. It’s about figuring out a way to make things happen, and I have a lot of experience with that I have had to overcome many obstacles to get where I am today.
In my younger days…I had a child at 16 and had to work and go to school with only 3 hours of sleep for what seemed like an endless amount of time. I had to barter babysitting services with other moms to make time to study. I chose to work for a company that helped pay my college tuition.
Despite the fact that I was unemployed and my husband got injured and couldn’t work either, I used most of my savings to pay for my training at AssistU and took a huge chance I would succeed. So I had to, not only believe, I had to know I would make my business work one way or another. And, I was the queen of fake it until you make it.
I had to build the business with very little resources, so I learned to build websites and then built my own. And, when that was done, I learned to market my business online and then did all of it for my clients (and realized I love it)!
I also innovate all the time for my clients to help them tackle the impossible. I believe there is always a loophole, an angle, a back road…a solution we haven’t thought of that can help us women do anything. And, if one is out there, I’ll find it!
To find out more about Nicole visit www.MsIncredibleVA.com.