Tina O’Keeffe
Stow and Behold
It seems impossible until it is done.
Why did you start your business?
I started this business to help people. I wanted to be active. I wanted to be charitable. I wanted to make an impact on people's lives every day.
I am lucky to have found a career that enables me to assist people, young and old. My business also allows me to be active, hitting more than 30,000 steps on a regular basis. And, I pride myself on donating almost all of what my clients don't want or need to charitable organizations across Long Island, sometimes nationally and even internationally on occasion. I feel that every aspect of my business creates good in the world.
Biggest Achievement so far.....
Besides, celebrating my 10 year anniversary in business and growing every single year that I have been in business, I am extremely proud of becoming a certified Minority and Women Owned Business on both the county, city and state level. In an unofficial capacity, I am extremely proud that almost all of my business comes from referral. That means people believe in me and that is super meaningful both personally and professionally.
Social Links
Contact
Email:
Phone:
5169007869
URL:
Location:
Stewart Manor, NY
Greatest Lesson Learned....
From an organizing standpoint: You have to organize to the standards and priorities of your client, not your own.
From a business standpoint: Communicate. When dealing with clients, it is essential that everyone's expectations are laid out. That comes in the form of a signed agreement. It means having a written plan or roadmap. It also means communicating via phone, email or text - in whatever way your client is comfortable - on a regular basis. Communicating is the key to success.
Person, Place or Thing that inspires you
The person who inspires me most is my father. He came to the United States as a refugee. He took honest work. He built himself up and eventually opened his own freight-forwarding business which operated for over 25 years. He liaised with airlines and was able to take my mother, my siblings and I all over the world through those relationships.
That travel instilled in me a lifelong passion for traveling. Traveling, in turn, inspires me. Meeting new people and learning about new cultures helps me understand the “why” of the world I live in. That love of travel led me to my spouse, a fellow traveller. That marriage led to children, the need for a new career, and, eventually, my own business.
People inspire us to do things. Things lead to passions. Passions lead to happiness. Inspiration = happiness.
Words to Foster others....
Say yes. In a busy life, it is easy to say no. But try saying yes. When someone asks you to try something new, say yes. When an opportunity presents itself, say yes. When someone asks you to help with something, say yes.
"Yes" led me to the Peace Corps in Ukraine from 2003-2005. "Yes" led me to starting my own business. "Yes" led me to be on the board of a non-profit. Showing up and saying yes are the ways we insert ourselves fully into the world. Keep saying yes and see where it leads you.