Member Spotlight: Mary Vasquez-Slack Local and Virtual Assistant My Versatile Secretary
Hey there!
Did you know that the Berkshire BPW Member Spotlight can also be used to give information about something other than showcasing your place of employment or business? It’s true and I’m going to use this opportunity to tell you a little about me, my business and other interests.
Pittsfield has been my home for decades and I love living here. I’m a transplant from La Puente, CA. You may be wondering, how I came to the Berkshires, so here it short and sweet. After high school I attended community college for about two months and honestly was underwhelmed by it all. At that point decided to enlist in the United States Air Force. You know, travel and see the world. Well, I ended up going from Southern to Northern California. It’s all good because that’s how I ended up in the Berkshires.
When starting my business, I used the skills and knowledge that I had at the time, which was 20+ years of experience. My first move was joining a networking group. That was over 15 years ago when My Versatile Secretary was founded. (I get a kick out of people when they realize, years later, that my name and business have the same initials -yeah I worked it!)
As a local and Virtual Assistant (VA) I help businesses reclaim time by providing administrative support. In more recent years berkshireFLYER, a posting & distributing service for marketing materials was started. It was an idea that came from a VA gig with the Berkshire United Way.
VA Clients come to me when they need office support to work on newsletters, contact management, PowerPoint and so on. Sometimes the need is project-based and in other cases ongoing or seasonal support is needed. I would love to tell you more about my business so hit me up at a BBPW meeting!
Living in the Berkshires opened me up to volunteering for which I am truly grateful. When we moved here, my children wanted to play baseball and the YMCA needed coaches, so I stepped up. To quote Mahatma Gandhi, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” And I’ve been joyfully doing just that since the early 90s.
What I love about BBPW is the opportunity to network with women in different stages of their lives both professionally and personally. I feel that we’re all role models for each other giving strength, courage and confidence just by being here.
Please consider volunteering on a committee (Communications, Membership, Mentoring, Programs, Scholarship, Women of Achievement). The experience is truly rewarding and on so many levels!
