Interviewing Jennifer Williams from Exec Support Solutions
Showcasing like-minded business owners who love gemstones and appreciate great design!
Tell me a little about your business and what its purpose is
Exec Support Solutions is a Virtual PA service offering business owners, entrepreneurs and executives first-class PA support, virtually! We work remotely by providing valuable business support across all things Admin.
Where did your passion for your business come from?
After training as a dancer for 20 years, and promptly deciding that I favoured enough money to live, over slaving away on minimum wage(!); I got my first PA job at a web design and online marketing agency. From there, my career history saw me work across multiple industry sectors supporting Directors, Managing Directors and CEOs and nearly half my career was spent working in Formula 1 as executive assistant to Pat Symonds. In August 2018 I launched Exec Support Solutions and haven’t looked back since. I’m a people person and a natural organiser so I love nurturing and maintaining solid relationships with our clients which helps buck the trend of being ‘virtual’.
How have you adapted your business to the current climate?
Some clients have had to reduce the work they give us which is fine as some of the team have had to reduce our working hours too. Three of the 5 of us have children who are now at home so we’re all making allowances where we need to. For the clients who don’t have a need for our services throughout this time, we’ll be right here for them to pick up where we left off when the time is right. And in the meantime, we’re supporting our other clients adapt their own businesses to weather the storm.
I work a morning shift from my home office and then my husband takes the afternoon shift whilst I undertake my parenting duties to our three year old. Once she’s in bed, I work in the evenings if needed – it’s not ideal but we know it’s not forever. I’m just grateful that I’ve got a business which is keeping going.
What top three tips would you give to someone looking to start their own business right now?
Do your research – but don’t obsess over it. When I was researching the local competition in the world of Virtual Assistants, I could have been easily put off by how saturated a market it is. Looking at what other people were doing, how they were marketing themselves, what their services looked like, really helped me define my brand and my positioning.
Get help and seek advice – but get it from professional sources, which means paying for it. Don’t be afraid to say ‘no thank you’ to the neighbour’s kid who really loves graphic design but doesn’t have the experience to create you a ‘brand’ (even if he’ll do it for free). By all means go to the people you know and trust and pull in favours if cashflow is tight, but don’t cut corners in a bid to launch your business quickly!
Just go for it! You’re bound to have doubts along the way before launching, and thereafter. Imposter Syndrome is likely to kick in at some point and then there’ll be the unsupportive Auntie who tells you she thinks it’s a terrible idea, but if you’re confident it’s the right thing – dive in feet first and enjoy it!
What kind of jewellery do you wear?
I recently had a colour consultation which confirmed I should wear silver or white gold so all my wedding jewellery is white gold and diamonds (of course 😉), all designed and made bespoke by local jewellers. Aside from that, I always wear simple silver earrings and some sort of necklace to compliment what I’m wearing that day. I would love to expand my ‘day jewellery’ collection but accessories tend to be the last thing I shop for when I go out.
One of my favourite pieces of jewellery is the emerald & diamond cluster earrings that my husband had made for me as a gift on our wedding day – I only wear them on very special occasions because I’m scared to death of losing one! I also own a Longines Dolce Vita Diamond & Pearl watch which is most definitely my ‘fancy’ watch.
Do you have a jewellery wish list? Perhaps a board on Pinterest?!
It would dangerous if I had a Pinterest board of jewellery wants… but I definitely have a piece of Cartier jewellery on my wish list, something classic and timeless. I’ve also got aspirations to own a nice ladies Breitling watch, my Dad gave me a love of watches and the Breitling brand is luxurious yet functional without being too gaudy. Of course I also wouldn’t mind a piece of jewellery from the fabulous ‘Jade Thomas Jewellery’ collection so I’ll keep saving for that one 😉.
… Thanks Jen! I love those earrings, the emeralds are really vibrant - It is a colour that really suits you!
Jennifer Williams is the owner of Virtual PA service Exec Support Solutions
Website: execsupportsolutions.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExecSupportSolutions/
Twitter: @essltd2018