Paula "Panther City Paula" H.'s Profile

There is nothing more beautiful than a Spring evening in Texas, and Cafe Aspen's Patio is a PERFECT place to enjoy it. I LOvE their funky water sculpture, the top-notch food, frosty adult beverages, and fun staff. Plus the owner is a hoot! A+++

I just finished Rebecca Turner's book, Tattoo Turn passionate customer service into advocate marketing for your business, and have to say I found it most inspiring!  

Tattoo is a quick weekend read and well worth your time.  Turner takes us on a deep dive into what inspires a customer/client to recommend your product/service.  She breaks it down into 10 attributes which she calls "advocate marketing" that include differentiation, loyalty, customization, and much more.

I get so busy at times it's easy for me to forget why I quit my corporate job and became a VA in the first place - I wanted the opportunity to do my very best work for truly excellent people.  This book reminded me that its PASSION FOR OUR WORK that makes what we do meaningful not only to us but also to our clients.  

Prior to reading this book I had not considered writing a formal customer service policy or a credo that formalizes how I feel about my clients but I now see that these things matter.  They matter because how you treat your clients matters every bit as much as the product/service you offer.  

Finally, if you are a quote junkie like me you'll REALLY enjoy this book - she has found some ringers that will make your heart soar, for example:  "Try not to become a person of success but rather a person of value."  Albert Einstein.  Awesome!

You can buy the book by visiting http://www.readtattoo.com or calling 800-283-8946.

Bravo!  This was my first year to attend the Fort Worth Entrepreneur's Expo.  Overall I would give it a 9.5 out of 10.  The only thing that would have made it better was if it were longer.  

The luncheon was very classy.  Gary Bailey, a VP from Lockheed-Martin spoke about, and won an award for, being a small business advocate.  Mayor Moncrief (does he have a fan club I can join?!?) gave a short speech re small business growth in Tarrant County.    

The seminars were very good; I particularly enjoyed the one on marketing for small businesses, which included Jeff Klein's "30 second commercial" technique (http://www.kleincreati...).  Also informative was the seminar on outsourcing, which in essence, is what I am - an outsource.  

My favorite "give away" was a free CD on SEO from Franklin-Spirko (http://www.franklinspi...).  Many thanks to Mark Barrera, for the CD - I've listened to it three times!

Many of Tarrant County's business chambers (of which there are dozens) had booths, so I was able to conveniently get info about each of them.  I talked with several members of a local networking group that meets each Tuesday for lunch near my office, and I was given a free invitation to the Business and Professional Women's networking dinner next month (a $25 value).  

To top it all off = I won a paper shredder from Staples!

Some people call what happens at The Firehouse "renegade art".  I call it mind expanding, thought provoking, social inspiration.  Forgive me if this sounds cliche, but this gallery has opened up new worlds for me.  Where else in Fort Worth would a simple girl with no connections like myself get to met and converse with artists, poets, social activists, yogis, and even Kinky Friedman (I had a real conversation with Kinky, not just a handshake).  Lori and her crew not only bring art and new thought to our community, they bring it alive.  I am today and forever deeply grateful for the work that is done and displayed here.  Viva Le Resistance in Cowtown!

This is an excellent little candle shop.  From what I can tell it's a multi-generational venture - the daughter owns it, the mother along with the mother-in-law run the joint, and the candles are made by, or at least inspired by, the grandmother.  I may not have that exactly right, but the nevertheless the candles are divine!  They have done custom fills for me, given me condensed scents for me to add to my own lotion at home, and expanded my appreciation for the finer things in life.  Truly candy for the nose.

By far the best cleaners in town.  Jeff gives all his customers professional service with friendly home-town recognition.  A++ for providing great service, with integrity.

So many good things to say...love the atmosphere and the service is sublime, but it's the quality of the ingredients make this place a top pick for me and Sam.  There are three things that make this restaurant's sushi superior: 1) the wrap - you know how some wraps are tough, well these are the perfect blend of strength and tenderness - strong enough to hold the chow and tender enough to bite into, 2) the ginger - it's fresh, naturally colored (not that Frankenstein pink), spicy, and is reported to enhance the libido (according to the waiter anyway), 3) the wasabi - again, super fresh with just the right amount of bite.  Here is the perfect vegetarian meal for two: 1 order of the Teriyaki vegetables with a side of fried rice, a vegetable roll, a cucumber roll and an avocado roll.  The meal automatically comes with miso soup and a salad.  And as a bonus - the whole thing costs less than $30.  ...incase you want to bring us dinner some evening...