Interviews
Interview with Mailbutler’s UX/UI designers Magda and Yadira
We spoke with Mailbutler UX/UI designers Magda and Yadira to find out more about the process of implementing the Tags feature.
In this interview Erika Yocom has taken some time out of her busy schedule to give us a glimpse into her daily work, her passion for technology, and why she couldn't imagine a workday without Mailbutler.
Irena is an experienced Content and Email Marketer who loves animals, slow mornings, and all things Tolkien.
Erika Yocom is a Virtual Personal Assistant (VPA). As a VPA, Erika takes over the backend work for solopreneurs and entrepreneurs so they can fully concentrate on driving their businesses forward. Erika doesn't only take care of the typical assistant tasks, though; she also works as a generalist. This means she's a social strategist, tech trainer, and website developer, on top of the rest of her work. Today she's taken some time out of her busy schedule to give us a glimpse into her daily work, her passion for technology, and why she couldn't imagine a workday without Mailbutler.
... the variety. I’m a ‘generalist’ because I like doing a whole bunch of different things for my clients, from creating a website to managing their Inbox, or becoming their COO.
... that I have a way of explaining things that make it easier for them to understand. I love seeing the lightbulb go off over their head, and if I can help with that, I am a happy camper!
... patience. Sometimes, the best thing I can do is listen and offer to take something off a busy person’s plate. And sometimes that takes a few conversations to find the pain point(s).
... clear instruction. I’m a ‘doer’ - if you know what you need done, I will find the best way to accomplish it. The one skill I don’t have is to see inside someone else’s business vision. I need a plan, a map, and I will get them there as quickly, easily, and cheaply as I can ;~).
... Mailbutler. I know, that sounds like a suck up, but I really can’t imagine running my business without this valuable tool. I cannot count how many times a day I use the ‘oops, not yet’ pull-back function. Oh, and knowing someone has opened an email has become very important, especially when I’m directly contacting my clients’ clients.
I’m actually the first ‘VPA’ that I know of. It was a name I created over 11 years ago. I wanted to combine ‘virtual assistant’ with ‘personal assistant’, so folks would know that I could do both sides of that position. My clients are solo- or entrepreneurs that have too much work to tackle alone, but not enough to hire a full-time executive assistant.
I take over the backend work - site updates, invoicing, spreadsheets, email management, and calendar management - so my clients can get back to building their business. They can get back to being creative, or selling, or whatever it was that got them into the business in the first place.
Goodness, that’s a big question. I do pretty much anything my clients need, with the exception of bookkeeping or cold calls. I do everything from booking travel to finding the best Christmas presents, from building a new procedure to reaching out to their clients to book appointments. Again, I like variety.
A generalist like me does. There are niche VAs that work within specific areas, e.g. a real estate VA. I love technology, so I love adding to my quiver of skills. I’m not afraid of tech, so my clients know I won’t shy from a challenge.
I have been a tech-head since 1986 when I got my first taste of the internet on a chat board. I became absolutely enthralled to know I could reach out across the world and find others out there to mentor me, commiserate with, or encourage me forward. Being virtual, yes, tech is necessary. To what extent depends on what kind of client you’re trying to serve.
Finding a doggie DNA kit was fun. Turns out, they’re all over Amazon, but I had never even thought about needing one until a client wanted to use her puppies' questionable parentage to run a ‘betting pool’ with her clients. Oh, and booking a multi-country European trip, using mostly public transportation, was a lot of interesting work.
As I said above, I cannot imagine not having these tools in my business. I’ve become very accustomed to knowing when folks open an email, and having an awesome email signature, and snoozing email (that one is HUGE for me!). Currently, I manage 10 different inboxes. I’ve been as high as 18. So having a trusted email tool has been incredibly important to me!
I tell everyone about Mailbutler! I’m an affiliate, too. And, as you’ve been to my site, you know I don’t have a lot of those. I have to really believe in a product to promote it to my clients!
Calm, health, and growth - in our personal as well as business lives.
Don’t forget to read our interview with EA How To founder Alicia Fairclough. Check it out now.