My last name is, in the words of Winston Churchill, "...a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key." The key is that it's unique, just as each VA-client relationship is unique. High-level virtual assistance is is all about strong relationships. (Strangely enough, "Trca" sounds a bit like "Churchill" to the untrained ear.)

I love to see people succeed and be able to live and work in ways that truly bring them happiness. Virtual assistance allows me to use my talents and pursue work I am passionate about while supporting the success of others. After nine years of experience in administrative assistance and related fields, and a previous related business, I founded Alloy Virtual Assistance in 2005.

My journey to virtual assistance began as a child. As any small business owner, a VA must be a visionary entrepreneur, an effective manager and a skilled technician and my imagination as a child certainly reflected that. I didn't just play office, I played employment office. (I've always been a stickler for detail.) My make-believe business was "W.H.O."—an acronym for "We Help Out" and linked imaginary employees to employers. And I still have the plastic, pink phone I used in that office. Another of my favorite playtimes as a child was to sell things. But I didn't settle for the usual lemonade. For me, it was big marshmallows steeped in hot cocoa and individually packaged. I also sold "tickets" which were actually receipts for the subscription to the daily newspaper. (Remember when paper carriers used to collect payment?) My tickets were good for absolutely nothing, but I loved selling them to my family members (truly a captive market). And then there were the many theatrical productions I enthusiastically attempted to produce. Who says that you can't stage "The Wizard of Oz" in a backyard with just a bed sheet and three compliant cousins?!

After graduating from Simpson College (Religion and Political Science) and Iowa State University (Public Service & Administration in Agriculture—a program structured around sociology, economics and political science) and a foray into non-profit program and research positions, I finally admitted to myself that I was happiest when assisting others so that they could do the executive and program work. But I found conventional administrative assistant positions unfulfilling and knew there must be a way to make the most of my talents and my independent spirit. It was after a period of intense introspection, reflection and searching that I discovered Assist University. I knew that I had found the answer to my professional calling.