Dawn Martinello

Tell us a bit about yourself and about your current profession. What were you doing before you started out on your own?
When I was pregnant, I had every intention of returning to my office job working for one of the largest customs brokerages around.  I even began a grueling course during my maternity leave so I wouldn't fall behind and could continue to upgrade my skills.  That ALL changed when I had my son.

I knew almost instantly that I couldn't return to work and leave my son in daycare so I started brainstorming ideas on how to work from home and still bring in some money.  When he was 4 months old, we were at a local festival and someone shoved an Avon catalogue at me.  She chatted to me about my kid and threw in the bonuses that surrounded starting an Avon business.  A month later I decided to try it out - because it was only $20 and I could get stuff at a discount.  Turned out that I was really good at teaching people how to create a business that worked for them.  I did that for nearly two years.

As my son grew, it became harder to manage my business AND him, so I started looking for new ideas.  I found a company that was hiring Virtual Assistants on a part time basis so I applied.  Turns out, I was pretty darned good at that too and the job lasted about a year.  The economy was tanking in our area, my truck driving hubby was out of work, and we needed a solid income.  With $20 in the bank and a pocketful of talent and ambition I set out to create Monday Morning VA and it's been growing ever since.

When did you start your company? Where? And what motivated you to start it? What was your initial investment?
 I opened my business in February of 2009 out of my home office.  I was at a point where I needed to be able to work from home and yet not have to rely on the economy of our area.  Working virtually took care of all of that.

 I started my business with absolutely no capital.Nothing.I already had my computer and the software I needed so I just dug into social media to find my first client.

 What have been your achievements, accolades and upturns in your career?
 Most of my achievements come in the form of client success, so when you see one of my successful clients – chances are, we’ve played a part in that.  Most recently, I helped Danielle LaPorte of whitehottruth.com launch her uber successful ebook, The Fire Starter Sessions.

Any downturns, Unusual circumstances, hardships, you have had to face in your profession/business?
We’ve had a series of mishaps over the past year that have caused problems within my business – everything from contractors up and walking away to tornadoes and floods.  We’ve endured technical snafus and problematic client relations but the good news is that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.

 How do you balance your personal and professional life? How many kids do you have? What are your usual activities with them?
I have one son, and working from home while my husband cares for him is one of the best, and worse ways that I manage both sides of my life.  During the work-day I come out to eat lunch with the family and put my son down for his afternoon nap.  In the evening, I work from my laptop so I can enjoy some adult time with my husband.

 How do you spend your “Alone” time. Any hobbies, activities, groups you are associated with.
I’ve recently been introduced to meditation and yoga as well as energy medicine – all things that I love doing whenever I have a free moment.

 What’s the secret to your being a SuperMomPreneur? And what’s the best compliment you have received about your career or being a self-professional.
 My secret:  don’t expect perfection.
 Some of my best compliments have come from the clients OF my clients who rave about work we’ve done for them.