We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alicia Johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alicia, appreciate you joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Based on the experiences I’ve had along my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve learned that it takes vision, resilience, a positive mindset, a strong work ethic, and continuous learning to become successful. Additionally, surrounding yourself with the right people and making smart financial decisions also plays a major role.

Walt Disney, the founder of the Walt Disney Company, faced some setbacks as an entrepreneur before becoming successful. “Disney’s first cartoon business went bankrupt and he faced some financial difficulties early in his career”. Despite these and other challenges, “he embraced his failures as learning opportunities, continuously sought-after improvement, and ultimately transformed his vision into a global entertainment empire”.

As a serial entrepreneur, developing a strong work ethic has proven itself to be beneficial for me in business. Prioritizing and delivering high-quality work, along with a commitment to excellence and integrity, has consistently paved the way for achieving and exceeding my business goals.

Alicia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have a natural talent for administration and spent over 20 years in my career honing my expertise in the areas of client relations, digital marketing, management, contract administration, and event planning. My true passion lies in helping individuals discover the unique gifts they’ve been given, guiding them to develop those talents in ways that serve others and create opportunities for personal growth and wealth.

My journey began with helping individuals create resumes, build websites, and organize their businesses. A co-worker introduced me to the idea of becoming a licensed Notary Public, which sparked my interest. After careful consideration, I decided to incorporate my initials into the business name to make it personal, and in 2017, ALJ Notary Services was born. Following a period of self-reflection, prayer, and discussions with close friends, I took a leap of faith and expanded the business to include business support services. A year later, I relaunched the company, which is now known as ALJ Business & Notary Services. Based in Atlanta, GA, I currently lead a talented team of experienced virtual assistants, video editors, and marketing professionals.

Services I Provide:
• Optimized Schedule Mastery: A full-service scheduling solution that carefully organizes appointments, deadlines, and commitments. This service focuses on enhancing productivity and efficiency by streamlining calendar management, preventing overbooking, and ensuring a smooth balance between professional obligations.
• Communication Management:
A comprehensive service aimed at optimizing all aspects of client communication. This includes managing and responding to emails in a timely and organized manner, handling phone calls, ensuring prompt and professional responses, and enhancing client relationships through personalized and thoughtful communication.
• Billing Workflow Enhancement:
A service designed to streamline the management of financial processes and documentation. Key tasks include creating and managing invoices for clients, tracking payments and monitoring outstanding balances, ensuring timely and accurate billing cycles, organizing and maintaining financial records and more.
• Seamless Onboarding & Data Integrity:
A service designed to streamline the client onboarding process while maintaining top-tier data management practices. Key tasks include facilitating a smooth and welcoming client onboarding experience, gathering and organizing essential client information accurately, ensuring all data is securely stored and easily accessible, and verifying and updating client records for accuracy and completeness.
• Video Editing
A comprehensive service designed to enhance and refine video content. Key tasks include cutting, trimming, and arranging video clips for seamless flow, adding transitions, effects, and animations to enhance visual appeal, editing audio for clarity, balance, and synchronization with video, and incorporating text overlays, captions, and titles for added context.
• General Administrative Support to include Social Media Management, Customer Support, Project Management, Content Creation and more.

Problems I Solve:
I specialize in handling repetitive, time-consuming, and administrative tasks, allowing my clients to focus on what truly matters—whether that’s growing their business, developing creative projects, or spending more time with family. I help solve the challenge of managing overwhelming day-to-day operations by assisting attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, and entrepreneurs in growth mode. My services boost productivity, reduce stress, and open up new opportunities for revenue growth.

What Sets Me Apart:
What sets me apart is my attention to detail, reliability, integrity and communication skills. I pride myself on being proactive, organized, and responsive to my clients’ needs. I can adapt to different industries and tasks with ease, making me a versatile assistant. Additionally, I take the time to get to know my clients’ preferences and workflows so that I can offer personalized support that feels seamless and tailored to their needs.

I also offer a high level of confidentiality and professionalism, ensuring that sensitive information is handled with the utmost care. I’m not just someone who completes tasks—I aim to build long-term relationships with my clients by consistently adding value to their operations.

What I’m Most Proud Of:
I’m most proud of the positive feedback and trust I’ve earned from clients over the years. Helping someone save time, reduce stress, and run their business more smoothly is incredibly rewarding. It feels fulfilling to know that my work directly contributes to their success.

What I Want Potential Clients to Know:
If you’re considering working with me, here’s what I want you to know:
• I’m here to help you reclaim your time—whether you’re an entrepreneur, a small business owner, or a busy professional, I can take on the tasks that drain your energy and time.
• I am detail-oriented, reliable, and flexible, adapting to your unique needs and making sure you’re always supported.
• I’m a strong communicator, which means you’ll always be kept in the loop and never have to worry about missed deadlines or unanswered questions.
• I aim to be your long-term partner, offering ongoing support so you can focus on what’s most important to you.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been relationship building. By dedicating time to cultivating genuine connections with my clients, I establish trust, loyalty, and credibility. As a result, my clients not only request additional services but also refer me to other entrepreneurs within their networks.

Additionally, I build relationships with fellow entrepreneurs both within and outside my industry through various networking groups and business organizations.

Any advice for managing a team?

Managing a team and keeping morale high has always been a balance I strive to perfect through strong leadership, open communication, and creating a supportive environment.

Lead by Example: I believe in setting the tone for my team by demonstrating the work ethic, attitude, and behavior I want to see. When I show professionalism, respect, and enthusiasm, I find that my team is more likely to mirror those same qualities.

Provide Growth Opportunities: I’ve learned that investing in my team’s growth is key to keeping morale high. Whether it’s offering training, skill-building opportunities, or giving them a chance to take on new challenges, I’ve seen that when my team feels like they’re developing and advancing, their motivation and energy grow right alongside it

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aljbns.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aljbns
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljbandns
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aljbns/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aljbns

Image Credits

C. Griffin Photography
Kimazing Photography