John 3:16 centers my life, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

Growing up in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, part of the Bible belt I learned early about God. Due to a traumatic childhood and lack of healthy Christian parents or elders to guide me, that knowledge became a double edged sword; I had an awesome sense of the majesty of who God was, but not of His unfathomable love that was mine to accept, so I could not accept Him completely.

Jesus was a good man, but I was not able to connect. At that time, I had no idea I would later come to a full understanding and reconciliation of the one and only God of the universe that would hang on a cross and die for me and for the world.

On Being An Entrepreneur

My journey to become an entrepreneur started from an early age. The development of leadership skills can be traced back to my childhood where I was the oldest of 5 children. Due to family dynamics, I was forced to take the lead in caring for my siblings and household.

Those skills were further developed when God placed an angel on my path as I entered my last year of high school and was frightened about an unsure future. There were no financial resources for me to go to college or even adult guidance giving me encouragement to help make decisions for my future.

My angel introduced me to a vocational program that my grades and credits qualified me to register for even though I hadn’t finished the last year of high school. Although uncertain, I chose nursing because it seemed to match what I had done all along – taking care of people.

After graduating from the nursing program, I worked for 3 years in a local hospital until I married my son’s father. Then, we moved to Germany for the next four years. Upon our return to the United States I needed to find a job. I felt this internal tension—I really wanted a career. I wanted to do something important with my life.

An overwhelming desire presented: I wanted to work in an office, to have normal business hours. I wanted to dress up every day and make important decisions. Internal fears surfaced: Was I smart enough, was I brave enough?

I pressed through fear and enrolled in a local business college for business administration. The program was 12 months long and I applied for a school loan of $1,650.00. I smile even today when I think about how far that $1,650 went.

My son was five when his father and I divorced. I spent the next several years educating myself and growing my skills in the business world. Raising a child alone, I sacrificed getting a college degree and some career opportunities.
I self-educated with voracious reading, training programs, college classes and of course OJT. When I graduated from business school my first job was a production clerk for a small Oil and Gas Company.

Today, I am an entrepreneur running my own business. Who knew!

I had grown weary of constant layoffs in the corporate environments, the 70+ hour work-weeks, spending less and less time with my family and literally no personal life.

I belonged to the company – there is a price to pay. I prayed for God’s guidance. The answer came, just not the way I expected. There was a reorganization of the marketing department where I worked and I lost my job.

Before the loss of my corporate cubicle, I never had a desire to be an entrepreneur. God placed in my heart that desire and now I can’t imagine working for anyone else. He has a plan for me as an entrepreneur to accomplish His purposes in this world. He wants to grow me and use me to for His glory.

In February 2008, I created VBS Virtual Assist, LLC, and now VBS Online Business Management. As an Online Business Manager, I manage the day-to-day operations, revenue generating projects, product launches, virtual teams and metrics in order to free up the business owner to focus ONLY on what she should be doing in her business to grow to new levels of profitability.

What is the big dream for my business? Of course, I want to provide for my family and my community in financial ways that God will provide. But, my BIG dream is to be able to build a successful business that supports women to grow and believe in themselves and their message. I look forward to the day when I can give witness that when God places a desire is your heart – keep going. He is willing and able to see you and it to its fruition. We are the ones that give up too early, not Him. He has a purpose for planting that desire that is bigger than all of us.

The three tips that I would share with a friend setting out on her own entrepreneurial journey?
• Be very clear on what you want to offer and who you want to serve then check the viability
• Be patient with the journey – it’s not an easy path, the growing is in the struggle
• Get a support group of other entrepreneurs. Family and friends are important for support, but other entrepreneurs get you.

Brenda Violette is CEO of VBS Online Business Management and an Online Business Manager. She has a passion to help women entrepreneurial Speakers, Coaches and Authors grow their business, establish themselves as new market leaders and assist in creating independent wealth in the process of sharing their God given gifts and talents with the world.
The authority that she brings comes from my nearly 30 years of business management experience and many satisfied customers. VBS Online Business Management conducts business using the core values of integrity, leadership, professionalism and best in class offerings. She is your CHAMPION!
Brenda is a devout Christian whose faith centers her each day. She lives with her husband, Joseph Violette. They both enjoy living in Middletown, Connecticut and spending time with family and friends and serving God through their church and faith activities. Brenda served as Director of the Alpha Program, training others in the principles of Christianity for many years at their home church in Cromwell, Connecticut. Her husband plays classical guitar for Connecticut based Christian Band, Knees to the Earth.
Brenda Violette
Online Business Manager
VBS Online Business Management
www.VBSOnlineBusinessManagement.com