We recently connected with Kenisha Darden and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kenisha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear your thoughts about making remote work effective.

My entire business concept revolves around remote work. In 2012, my company began partnering with another company to provide remote work opportunities for Fortune 500 companies that outsource customer service. Through Darden Quality of Works, individuals can work as independent contractors to provide customer service, creating a flexible schedule suited to their lifestyle and family needs.

Darden Quality of Works offers virtual receptionist services as well, which can be accessed remotely. Employees of Darden Quality of Works are able to work from home and provide their customer service expertise to other small business owners by serving as their receptionists.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Besides being a military veteran spouse and mother of three children, I am also an author and business owner. The establishment of the business was necessary in order to meet the needs of my youngest child, who had been diagnosed with autism. My husband and I both worked outside the home, so we needed to ensure at least one of us was available for our son’s development. Starting my own business gave me the opportunity to do so. A diagnosis of autism also connected me with a new community of parents, like myself. These parents are looking for a balance between providing for their families and being present for their children.

It was an opportunity that was truly unique, not only for parents with special needs children, but also for anyone looking to work from home. It was an extremely rewarding experience to be able to help others with my business. As a single mother with two children, it was extremely difficult for me to find employment; the majority of my income was allocated to childcare. Additionally, this provided another opportunity to earn an income while remaining present and not spending all of your income on childcare services.

In 2020, we will introduce a virtual receptionist service. The benefit of this service is that business owners can have a professional image for a fraction of the cost of an in-house receptionist. The service allows business owners to manage their day-to-day operations while we handle their phone calls, schedule their meetings and events, handle call overflow, custom call handling, call routing, and so on.

We have assembled a team of professionals to ensure that Darden Quality of Works provides our clients with the highest level of service. It is critical for us to take the time to learn about our clients’ businesses. This will enable us to ensure their customers are receiving the highest level of service possible. As a company, we do not take this responsibility lightly and are aware of the importance of presenting a professional image to our clients.

The most rewarding aspect of my business is the opportunity to provide a service to other parents like me. Offer alternatives to earning income for their families, whether it is a single mother or a parent with a child with special needs. Parents now have another option to take care of their children and remain present at the same time.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Originally, my business was intended to provide remote work opportunities. However, after Covid arrived in 2020, my business suffered a significant loss. Having expected business to increase significantly, I was totally surprised. This would seem to be the perfect opportunity for people to work from home more than ever before.

In fact, this was not the case. Many stimulus checks were issued by the government to assist individuals who were unable to work, resulting in severe damage to my business. Attempting to recover from this situation, I decided to offer another service since doctors, lawyers, and similar businesses were still operating, but maybe not at full capacity. There may be a need for a virtual receptionist.

As a result, Darden Quality of Works now offers virtual receptionist services. In an effort to minimize the financial shortfall we suffered because of Covid, we began offering this service. In addition to doctors and lawyers, we are also available to tax accountants, veterinarian clinics, lawn care services, chiropractic services, realtors, and any other type of business that requires a receptionist.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

After being laid off from my job in 2008, I decided to go back to school. In the midst of preparing for this, my life unexpectedly changed. Over the course of the week, I started experiencing pain in my chest, and on Thursday, I decided to see a doctor. A variety of tests were performed as well as blood work. It was during this time that I was diagnosed with acid reflux, and my husband and I looked at each other perplexedly. Despite the fact that we did not believe this was the case, we returned home with the prescribed medication since we were not doctors. By Sunday, the pain in my chest had become more severe. I could barely walk up stairs. Therefore, I contacted my husband at work and informed him that I was traveling to the emergency room. I was immediately admitted to the hospital upon arrival. During the next few hours, my husband and daughter will join me along with my mom. As soon as the nurse informed me that I was anemic, we all self-diagnosed, believing that a blood transfusion would be required and that I would be returning home soon.

However, this was not the case. The next morning, my husband was contacted and he needed to come in to sign papers so I could be treated. After some time, I was diagnosed with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP). It was going to be a fight for my life. My only concern was the welfare of my two children. If I died, who would care for them?

A total of one month and one day was spent in the hospital. Three weeks of which were spent in the intensive care unit, and there were times when my family feared that I would not survive. Nevertheless, I fought to survive, and my recovery was not easy. I had to learn how to walk, talk, and perform other ordinary tasks that we take for granted. It is only through the grace and mercy of God that I am here today. Having defied medical science, I wrote a book about my experience, “Not on God’s Watch” which can be purchased on Amazon.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dardenqualityofworks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dardenquality/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dardenqualityofworks
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dardenquality/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/dardenquality
• Other:

Image Credits
Shot by Dru