Mama Minisode 06 With Tiffany Dodd

Episode Transcript

[00:00:00] Melyssa: Hey there. Hello. Today’s a mamma mini-sode guest is Tiffany Dodd. I met her online as I do many people in our industry. And the funny way that I met her is we were in a business group and someone had asked the question, what word makes you cringe? I think that’s how it was phrased. And my cringe word is mompreneur because I am an entrepreneur and they don’t call dads dadpreneurs. So that’s always the one of my gripes and Tiffany, her response was niche. I asked her why she felt that way about the word niche, especially because as a mentor, I talk about how, I think it’s beneficial to narrow your niche. And she just kind of explained that in her business, her model, that it works best for her as a VA to stay more general, she really enjoys doing that. And there really is nothing wrong with that. It. It [00:01:00] opened my eyes a little bit. And, then I asked her if she would be willing to talk to you about her business and she graciously said yes. So here is her response to the questions that I ask on every mama mini-sode.

[00:01:13] Tiffany: Hey everyone, I’m Tiffany Dodd. I’m a Virtual Assistant and content writer. I’m also a single mom of three children, ages 9, 11 and 13. And no, my ex husband and I did not plan it that way. Before becoming a freelance business owner, I was a high school teacher. I taught tested subjects like AP World History and US History.

[00:01:33] Tiffany: I left for a few reasons, but mainly the mental and physical toll that teaching took on me as a single parent. Those of you who are teachers, you understand I had zero work life balance. I wanted flexibility for my family, so I took a leap and started my business. As a Virtual Assistant, I do administrative and creative tasks to help small businesses gain back their time and their freedom. Without those tedious tasks, they can focus on the parts of business they actually love. 

[00:01:59] Tiffany: I’m [00:02:00] also a content writer, which means I write blogs, social media posts, and website copy. I love expressing ideas and information, especially if it can help others. I currently have both VA and writing clients, and I love it. When I’m not working, I play solitaire, hang with family and friends, and I go to the park with my kids. 

[00:02:16] Tiffany: Melyssa asked me a couple of questions. The first being, what advice would you give to moms just starting out or in the newer phase of their online business journey? Well, first thing I would say is start. Don’t worry about what others are going to say, keep your plan close to the chest and just start. 

[00:02:33] Tiffany: Another thing that’s huge is marketing. Before you quit your nine to five, start getting your name out there with word of mouth, social media posts, optimize your LinkedIn profile, handout business cards locally. It takes a while for people to associate you with what you do and that networking to actually lead to clients. So be direct and promote yourself. Remember, this is your dream. It will become what you put into it. So start [00:03:00] associating your name with your business and become who you truly are. For example, Tiffany Dodd, VA writer and business owner. Sounds nice, right? Now try it with your name. 

[00:03:12] Tiffany: Question number two. What has your online business meant for you and your family? It means freedom. I no longer have someone in charge of my time and energy. I now have the energy to cook dinner at night. I sit at the table with my family and we talk instead of me staring off into space, like disassociating on the couch, all because I’m just so exhausted and too tired to do or think anything when I get home from work.

[00:03:38] Tiffany: It means that I get to passionately tell my family and friends what I’m working on instead of grumble about some unreasonable expectation at work. I’m able to pick up my kids from school, take them to doctor’s appointments. I actually get to go to events at their school, which I was never able to do as a single mom. Single parents all understand my sick days had to be saved [00:04:00] for when the kids got sick emergencies, anything else was extra and I couldn’t afford to miss pay or miss a day of work.

[00:04:07] Tiffany: Now, I will say that entrepreneurship is not for everyone. There is risk and vulnerability involved. When you put your name out there and market your skills, there can be rejection and judgment, especially from family and friends who are strictly nine to fivers. Those who are strictly nine to five can’t possibly understand what you’re building. They only see it as risk. But they will see the successful end result if you stick to it. And part of that end result is doing what you love and living life on your own terms. To me, it’s worth the risk. Thank you, Melyssa, for having me as your guest. It was an honor. Those in the audience, I hope you take this as a sign to invest in yourself and go get the life you’ve been dreaming about. I’m rooting for you all. Hugs and talk to you soon.

[00:04:54] Thank you, Tiffany. This was great advice. I hope you mamas enjoyed this. Her [00:05:00] information will be in the show notes and on the podcast slash blog page, you can learn all about how to connect with Tiffany if you’d like to reach out. I will catch you in the next episode.