Meet ‘N Greet: Julie J Davis

I am one who definitely believes that our past experiences and relationships help build us into the people we are today. They shape our moral and ethical beliefs (both personal and professional), our outlook on life, and help us determine what our dreams and goals are. We all have different backgrounds. Some are more colorful than others, but in the end I think we all want similar things: to be loved, feel like we belong somewhere, and feel like we have a sense of purpose.

God, family, and friendships are three very important relationships to me. I would not be where I am today without believing God had a plan for my life, and the encouragement of my friends and my family (both biological and in-laws!) along the way. I thrive on supportive relationships. After seeing how important they were and are to me, I strive to offer that in my work with my clients. 

In case it isn’t clear – I am Southern. I grew up in Texas and now reside in Columbia, South Carolina. My southern roots are a big part of who I am and how I interact with people. I try to carry my “Southern Hospitality” into my client work, but please know I can turn off my “southernism” when needed 😉 

Perhaps being southern is why I am so drawn to the blue and light purple hydrangeas you’ll see throughout my site. Not only am I southern and it’s a popular southern flower, I’m also a Pisces so “cool” hues are my favorite. I love that there are so many different shades that can bloom – even on the same plant – just like people come with so many varieties and backgrounds. To me, they also represent all the pieces that make up the whole: all the smaller flowers combine into the large bloom that people enjoy. Kind of like how there are a lot of “pieces” that make us who we are smile

When you Google what the blue/purple colors symbolize, you’ll find a variety of different answers. These are the ones that resonate with me: 

 Grace, and beauty

Radiates abundance because of the lavish number of flowers and generous round shape

Deep understanding

Thankfulness

Those are attributes I hope to live out in my life and practice daily.

My story starts in Texas, in a small town called Palestine (and it is pronounced Pal-uh-steen, if you ever go visit, *not* Pal-uh-styne like the country). While we were big enough to hold the county courthouse, we were still small enough to know just about everybody at the high school football game. And yes, football was king in Texas. Even as a youngster, I liked being with and helping people. I grew up in a Methodist church, and went on several mission trips around the state or town. In high school, I was a member of the dance team, National Honor Society, and several other clubs.

Small town living is great, but it was time to move on once I graduated high school. I couldn’t bear to leave The South and all our “genteelness”, so I went to the University of South Carolina and became a Fighting Gamecock. My original dream was to become a dolphin trainer, so I graduated with a degree in Marine Science and minored in Psychology. After college, I did an internship at Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys. It was after this internship I realized that I was meant to do something else, so I moved back to Columbia, SC to pursue a new dream.

After moving back to Columbia, I reconnected with my college crush and we got married in 2008. We now have 2 very active boys that keep us busy with extracurricular activities 🙂

While in college, during my internship, and after I moved back to Columbia I worked at several different hotels and a resort, which gave me tons of people and customer service skills. These skills came in handy as I started the next chapter of my life as a dog trainer, then owner/manager of the Columbia franchise of Dog Training In Your Home. I started as a trainer with the company at the end of the summer of 2004, and bought the franchise the following year. It was one of the best decisions I had made at the time. I was able to still use my training skills for the dogs, I met so many wonderful people in our clients, I managed my own business and hours, and I was able to have employees as well. 

Meeting and working with the clients in my dog training business showed me how much I enjoyed helping people get results and meet their goals, which set me up on the path for Virtual Assistance. 

In 2012 my life changed again in a big way when my husband and I had our first son. Once he started getting more active and going to daycare, I realized how much I was actually missing from his life by being in the dog training business. While it was true I could set my own hours, the most productive ones were from 4:00-8:00 weeknights, and Saturday mornings because we were going to clients when *they* were home, and most people had 9-5 jobs so they needed evening or weekend hours. As a mother, this bothered me – I would take my son to daycare one morning, and not see him until the next morning when I got him up for breakfast. 

So in 2013, I started researching stay-at-home job options and found Virtual Assistance through AssistU. It seemed like a perfect fit!  I graduated from AssistU in 2014 – and the rest, as they say, is history!

 

 

”’It’s always fun to know a few non-business related things about someone you work with, so here are a few things I love outside of family and work:

  • South Carolina Football and Baseball – in fact, my first date with my now-husband was at a Carolina baseball game laughing
  • Chocolate and peanut butter – I mean, who doesn’t though?
  • Snow skiing – I used to do it frequently when I was younger and would like to start doing it again
  • Crafting – but don’t have as much time for it now with 2 boys undecided
  • Singing in my church choir
  • Travel and making memories 
  • Trying new restaurants
  • Zoos/Aquariums – especially now through my kid’s eyes!
  • Puzzles/Games – I get a little obsessed if I start a jigsaw puzzle and want to finish it ASAP wink I can get competitive on family game night, too!
  • SCUBA diving – I am certified!
  • Nail Art – stamping, in particular 💅🏻😊 I have given myself mani’s/pedi’s since I was in middle school, and during COVID I discovered nail art and stamping. Being the only female in my house, it’s my main “girly” outlet 😆 And who doesn’t want fun/pretty nails while they are typing at computers all day?

 

 

 

AssistU Recognitions

In 2019, I was nominated by the AssistU Community for “Techie of the Year” and “Most Supportive Community Member Of The Year”. During our Community Recognition Awards Ceremony that year, I was both surprised and honored to be awarded the 2019 Techie of the Year.