We were lucky to catch up with Korie Telfare recently and have shared our conversation below.

Korie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I sometimes joke with people, that being a business owner is not for the weak, lol. I love being my own boss and making all the decisions, but it can be overwhelming.

In fact, there was a time in my second year of business when I actually took on a full-time job for six months. I was drowning in work, too afraid to hire help, not charging enough for my services, and was taking on every client that came my way. I was a people pleaser with no boundaries, and that led to some really difficult clients who had no respect for me or my time. One client, in particular, would call and text me constantly, day and night.

The job was not a good fit, but everything happens for a reason. It was what I needed at the time to wipe the slate and start over. Thankfully, during that six-month period, I had the good sense to keep the clients I truly enjoyed working with.

I learned so much about myself; I’m more confident. I take days off and turn emails off on the weekend. I know if a client calls me, which is seldom, it is a true emergency. Things aren’t perfect, but I’m much happier, settled in my business, and actually able to set goals.

Fast forward to now, I’m in my fourth year of business, and I’ve hired my first contract employee, but I’ve reached a plateau and now it’s time to pursue my goal of building an agency.

Korie, 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?

In 2019, I launched The Ultimate VA to provide elevated admin support to women-owned businesses. My clients are all incredible women, juggling marriage, motherhood, running a business, and more. After being laid off from a corporate job I held for 15 years, I took some time off to figure out my next move. Becoming a business owner had always been a dream, so with the help of my severance package, I decided there was no better time to start.

My career began over 20 years ago in the insurance industry. From my first job as a receptionist at a major corporation right out of high school, to eventually managing a team of 12, I’ve always been drawn to supporting and leading others.

In my last role, I wore multiple hats, managing administrative employees and even jumping into project management which was the role held for 5 years before being laid off. I loved being the go-to person for answers.

When I thought about my skills and how I could help others, I saw myself as more than just a VA. I’m The Ultimate VA. I offer elevated admin, operations and project support. I collaborating closely with clients to create efficient systems, handle social media, email marketing, and client/vendor relationships.

What sets me apart (and it took me a while to get here) is that I don’t just execute tasks; I am a thought partner to my clients. Many times, they come to me stressed, request tasks without context, and impulsive projects with impossible deadlines. I’m not afraid to ask questions and dig deeper to understand what they truly need.

A few of my clients have been with me since the start, and the rest have been with me for over a year or two. That feels pretty awesome, and definitely, the ability to retain clients is something I am proud of.

Any advice for managing a team?

As an experienced people manager and contractor working with CEOs and alongside their teams with a view from the inside and outside, one of the biggest issues I see with clients is effective communication.

If an employee is not performing well or meeting your expectations, lead the initial conversation with questions to get their perspective and understand why they are doing what they are doing. You might discover you have gaps in training, an imbalance in workload, or that one or more of your processes are broken. It feels pretty discouraging to be accused of not doing something you were not properly trained on or told to do in the first place.

Lastly, respect the people working with and for you. Take the time to acknowledge their contributions to your organization, and when feedback is given, deliver it respectfully in a way that is clear, and fact-based with well-defined expectations.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The lesson I have unlearned is that it’s okay to say no – no further explanation or approval is needed. This is both in my personal and professional life. I come from a long line of people pleasers. For a long time, I thought it was selfish to put my needs first, and so I developed a pattern of saying yes to things and/or supporting people in a way that depleted me, and later regretted it.

So now I pause. I take into consideration the ask, my capacity, the person asking, and sometimes whether there is a mutual benefit. It’s a little different in business because I am being compensated, but I had a past client ask if I could work on a project outside of the services and in the same sentence say she could save money by having me do it. I immediately declined and offered to provide appropriate referrals.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.korietelfare.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_ultimate_va_llc/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/korie-telfare/