Check Out Kristina White’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristina White. 

Hi Kristina, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began my career in retail and slowly worked my way through different retail channels. While in college, I decided to take an amazing opportunity and move to Orlando, Florida and work at Walt Disney World. However, before I took that internship, I decided to audition to be a character or dancer for many different shows. Growing up, I was a part of the competition team at my studio and on the junior then varsity dance teams. It was an amazing opportunity to grow and learn how to work as a team. I sadly did not become a character for Walt Disney World because of my height, but I still moved down to Orlando, Florida. I lived there for over 6 months and got to meet some amazing friends. The memories I made in Florida were undeniable. 

After coming home, I decided to look for a different opportunity in retail. I began working at a larger cell phone provider company and worked my way up the ranks. I learned everything I could from front of house to back of house. I learned how to do inventory; I was the top-performing sales representative at my location; I truly enjoyed the business side and continued to learn everything I could. 

I was offered an opportunity at a hospital where I became a nurse assistant. This was an amazing opportunity that I had been looking for because, at the time, I wanted to become a nurse. However, after working there for a while, I decided that becoming a nurse was not what I wanted to do. And that is okay. From there, I decided to go back to retail and landed an amazing opportunity at an even bigger cell phone company. I took all of my knowledge from the other roles and pushed to become the best sales representative. I trained and learning everything I could, and after all of that hard work, I became an Assistant Manager. I was so proud and excited. By becoming an assistant manager, I also got to open up a brand-new smart store which was one of the first in the area. I learned how to open the store, what it took to train the new team and many inventory management tools. 

From there, I was offered another position in the business to business. This allowed me to work Monday through Friday and not have to work retail hours anymore. I absolutely loved the new position. However, after some time, I decided to resign as I was pregnant with my oldest daughter. For health reasons, I had to do what was best for my family. 

I then stayed home with my daughters for a few years until I decided to figure out my next steps. I researched many different positions and began applying to different companies but was unable to find a job that I truly wanted to do every day. After that, I decided to research and see what type of roles I could take all of the skills I have learned over the years. By doing this, it lead me to becoming a Virtual Assistant. I started my own business, and I was on my way. It took a lot of hard work and many hours figuring out my niche. After some time, I was able to begin working with three amazing clients. One of my clients decided to evolve my roll, and now I am Director of Events and Operations. This has been a dream roll of mine for so many years, and with a lot of hard work, I am working in the role I have always wanted to be in. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It is never a smooth road. I have had many struggles along the way. I have had to work twice as hard as my coworkers, and I have had to work extra hours. At times, I worked 45+ hour weeks to prove myself. I have always been a hard worker. I am determined and will never let anyone get me down. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Currently, I am the Director of Events and Operations. I help assist the CEO and work alongside with her day in and day out. I coordinate all of our clients with multiple project management and keep all of the trains running. I also handle the operations side of her business. I assist with hiring Virtual Assistants, I distribute daily, weekly and monthly tasks. I handle the scheduling and tracking their hours. I specialize also in the technology side of the business as well. I strive to make sure that upcoming events have the latest technology available to make the client’s event elevated. We love to take the event to the next level and wow their attendees. 

What sets me apart is my drive and ability to multitask. When I tell you that I am the queen of it, believe me. I am! I juggle four Virtual Assistants with multiple tasks plus questions, our CEO’s calendar, email management, project management, 5+ large clients with ongoing events weekly, monthly, and yearly, plus so much more. I use so many different and amazing technology tools to keep me organized. 

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
ClickUp and Evernote keeps me organized. Beachbody OnDemand keeps my health and wellness in order. 

I absolutely love listening to my Audible books. 

Allie Reeves, Melanie Mitro, and Office Ladies are my favorite podcasts. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elitesolutionsva.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kdougiie/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/kdougiie