About | gracefulsolutions

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This is not just another generic Personal/Virtual Assistant site although business support is a sizeable percentage of what I offer...

After losing my sister in a car crash at the tender age of 16, I was shocked into realising the fragility of life and how we should make the most of life before we die. I began to dream of being a famous singer and read a mountain of self-help books (including the bible!) to find a way to create a fabulous life for myself but then after releasing my debut EP and album I was so overwhelmed with all the admin jobs that independent musicians have to do that I decided to put things on the backburner and earn some money from my day job whilst learning how to do the admin (PR, publishing, tours etc)

I became a self-employed Personal Assistant after moving to Frome in 2010. It's a wonderful independent town in Somerset, UK which has a tangible community spirit and supports the arts and entrepreneurism. I'd previously been working as a medical secretary supporting consultant doctors at the NHS in Bath where I developed a fascination for what I call “the art of holistic organisation”, bringing together mind, body and particularly – the soul!*

What can a personal assistant actually offer?

Well, essentially practical business support, but I can also help you identify your values and objectives, and come up with all sorts of creative solutions to help you achieve them. It is transformational to have someone who is invested in your success to bounce ideas off, and I have been told I ask the right questions.

No “man” (he/she/they) is an island! We all have skills, but we need people to help us with the things we’re not so skilled at, so I can either take on those tasks or find the right person for the job.

*My approach to organisation and work/purpose

My (new) logo is a combination of a treble clef combined with a yin yang symbol. This is because, being an artist at heart who needs colourful creative freedom in their life as well as structure, my approach to organisation is like creating a song - the rhythm section represents routine, and then the melody and harmony (that’s us working together!) is having enough slack in that routine to be spontaneous, creative and connected to our soul.

"the most valuable treasure exists inside every human being, far surpassing any material wealth like gold or diamonds." - Prem Rawat

The yin-yang represents balance - work, rest and play in equal measures to maintain wellbeing which is the foundation of everything and stops work/life feeling like slavery. I also love the Taoist teaching of "do nothing and all will be done" which I believe is similar to "let go and let god" - and then all the ideas and signposting to what we need will come to us!

I love the freedom of being self-employed even if it gets financially hairy at times - it keeps me on my toes because I have to trust in my inner resourcefulness, which I can hopefully pass on to my clients and help them identify (if needs be) and focus on what they’re great at, get organised and go for gold, because it’s life-affirming and exciting, and I want people to feel liberated and flourish.