Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonya Leonard, aka Tonya Sue TimeSaver.
Tonya, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I come from a lower-class family in the urban Midwest. My working life began at the age of twelve when my pregnant mother, older sister, and I were evicted from our home. Being homeless, or “couch surfing”, meant I had to learn to think on my feet and was unable to become attached to anyone or anything.
I quickly began working to help support myself and the family by any means necessary- babysitting, washing cars, cleaning houses, shoveling driveways, etc. By fifteen years old I had dropped out of traditional high school to provide care for my baby sister while working and putting myself through homeschooling to get my diploma.
At seventeen, I had worked numerous jobs at local retailers and restaurants, where I had saved enough money to move into my first apartment. Of course, I had to withhold my actual age frequently, but like I said, I’m a quick thinker!
All of this turmoil in my teen years and early adulthood led to a long and unfulfilling career in customer service where I seemed to bounce from one company to the next, hoping to find stable employment that would provide more than a meager minimum wage salary and unchallenging transactional work. Feeling defeated and depressed, I had resolved to accept my lot in life as less-than-successful…. for a little while, anyway!
Flash forward to a wellness retreat that I helped cater last year, where I explained my pursuit of professional happiness to a friend. I told her that because I had had so many occupations that I didn’t believe I was good at any ONE thing, which must be the reason why my resumes and applications were going unnoticed. She informed me that I had it all wrong! Sure, I wasn’t good at ONE thing, because my extensive hands-on experience had made me a Jill-of-all-trades!
That much-needed confidence boost changed how I would perceive myself forever. That was the birth of Tonya Sue TimeSaver, the Virtual Assistant!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth road?? More like road RAGE!!! Haha!
Much like all small-business owners trying to survive the pandemic, I am subject to the constant fluctuation of the economic climate. I’ve learned to be flexible and deal with each issue as it arises, developing an adaptability for change during unprecedented and unplanned situations.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
My mission is to help businesses navigate through the continuous changes being required of them in the wake of COVID. The Virtual Assistant services provided through Tonya Sue TimeSaver are a viable solution to operating during the stay-at-home orders. Get the support you need, remotely!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tonyasuetimesaver.com
- Phone: (323) 212-5224
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TonyaSueTimeSaver/
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