Today we’d like to introduce you to Lynette Robinson.
Lynette, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I left corporate America after 13 years in technology sales and started my entrepreneurial journey in February 2020… literally right before the pandemic. (Great timing, right?) The year before, I was in church on a Sunday morning where my Pastor was preaching a sermon about “purpose” and how we should seek God to uncover what he put us here to do. I realized that day that I had never sought the Lord for my purpose. I thought I had done what I was supposed to do… I went to school, landed a great job, and had been making six figures for years… It hadn’t dawned on me until that moment that maybe that wasn’t what I was created to do.
Significant changes happened at work that affected my income and relationships it took years for me to build…
I was hanging on by a thread at work. I had just gone through a rough divorce, and did I mention that I had two babies under two? The sermon I’d heard at church months before was stuck to my bones. I knew I needed to make a change, but I wasn’t crystal clear on how. I felt heavy personally and professionally, so I looked within… I made a look at my career and made a list of all the things I enjoyed doing. I made another list of the things I didn’t enjoy doing (so I could stay far away from those things.) I decided to work from home not only to be more present for my children, but also so that I could do the work that God had purposed me to do.
After lot of research, I determined that a great entry point to the online space would be to start out as a Virtual Assistant. I figured I’d work in this capacity and move onto to higher position, once I figured out where I wanted to specialize. I invested in a training that taught me how to start a VA Business and two weeks after that, I left corporate America for good. To this day, I look back and I cannot believe I actually took that step. At the same time, it was the BEST career move I have ever made.
I immediately connected with a very reputable VA community online and got an accountability partner. This same accountability partner introduced me to a program that would help me up level myself from Virtual Assistant to Director of Operations. Today, I am the Owner/Founder and Director of Operations of my own hiring agency, Lighter Living Virtual Solutions. I match business owners with the support staff they need to grow and scale their businesses. I also hire temporary and permanent staff for corporations. Aside from this, I am an Accountability Advisor and Coach in the Director of Operations Certification that I graduated from earlier this year. I get to walk with women from around the world as they create new businesses and/or up-level their existing businesses in the disciplines of Operations. I absolutely LOVE what I do now. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My struggle has been with mindset. I don’t come from a lineage of business owners, and when I started out, I really didn’t have close enough relationships with business owners where I felt like I had people I could ask questions to or vent. There are times when I doubt myself.
Also in corporate America, Mission, Vision, and Core Values are given to you by the company you work for. I wasn’t ever responsible for branding, marketing, or messaging… As a small business CEO, I had to learn how to do all these things on my own! I have learned that making these decisions, defining my business for myself are like muscles that I workout on a daily basis. I get better at it the more I do it and I’m a stronger and better businesswoman today.
As time went on, I have been fortunate to connect with amazing people who have been very supportive. I now have awesome mentors and coaches, which is something I really never had in corporate America.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Lighter Living Virtual Solutions is a hiring agency that matches business owners with the aligned staff (in Operations and Administration) they need to grow and scale their businesses.
We know we have fulfilled our “Lighter Living Mantra” when our partnership with visionary leaders:
•takes them out of overwhelm and burnout,
•positions them to be more present in their personal lives,
•empowers them to be innovators in their industries, and
•allows their companies to grow with ease.
My newest offer includes hiring temporary and permanent employees for corporations that don’t want to be just another client of the big search firms. Working with me, means corporations get the priority they need, the high-quality candidate they desire at a quicker turnaround time.
What sets me apart from others is that I genuinely love people. I’m not just a staffer/recruiter… I am committed to make sure my client and the candidate matches win-win. My goal is to ensure that I bring candidates into work environments that have an organizational culture where they will thrive! I want the role I present to candidates to be aligned with their purpose and their core values… this helps avoid turnover and saves clients time and money. I help my clients plan and prepare for the quality candidate they desire. I work with my clients to validate the role they’re hiring for, define/redefine their organizational culture, and communicate their value proposition so that the amazing candidates they seek, have a sense of pride about the business they are becoming a part of.
Also, I don’t work with everyone who seeks me out. If I don’t have a sense upfront that I can accomplish what I described in the paragraph above, I will decline the lead.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
This is probably going to sound a little “woo” but being a mom makes me happy. I have two amazing daughters (Leah and Lyndsey)!
I’m happy when I get to take a break and do a little self-care like a massage or floating.
I love the beach! Relaxing on the beach makes me very happy!
Now, I can proudly say that I do what I LOVE. I can remember when I worked in corporate having days where I really didn’t want to go to work, I didn’t feel like dealing with certain people. Since I started my business and up-leveled my business, I LOVE IT. I love the people I work with. I love when I know that I have impacted my clients personally and professionally in a positive way.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@lighterlivingvirtualsolutions.com
- Website: www.lighterlivingvirtualsolutions.com
- Instagram: @lighterlivingvirtualsolutions
- Facebook: @lighterlivingvirtualsolutions
Image Credits
Mena Darre
