For my first feature interview, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amber Vlangas Owner/Principal Consultant of A.Vlangas Consulting, a management and development consulting firm for non-profit organizations. Amber is a Christian mom of three beautiful children; 11 year old Timothy, 8 year old Deborah, and 3 year old Lilliana. She has been married to a wonderful Navy Musician, Christopher for 12 years.
CBW: When and why did you start your business?
AV: I started my business earlier this year, after spending years working in the areas of management, marketing and development for nonprofit organizations. I had been taking freelance consulting jobs on the side for some time, but finally felt led to break out on my own.
CBW: What obstacle(s) did you face in getting started? How did you overcome it/them?
AV: I think the biggest obstacle that I faced starting out was transitioning from a stable paycheck to contract work. Having a background in marketing and management made startup easier, but it is always scary making a big change. I overcame this obstacle through faith. God always came through, giving me the wisdom and strength that I needed to move things forward.
CBW: We sometimes loose sight of God's ability to give us all that we need to bless us. Do you have specific habits that help you stay focused?
AV: The truth is that having faith is hard-especially when we do not understand God's time table or methods. We need to try to differentiate wants from needs. There were times for me that were harder than others, financially and otherwise. I found myself giving concerns to God and then taking them back, trying to do it on my own. Keeping a prayer journal has become invaluable to me. It is a place that I can write down not only my concerns but also the things that I am thankful for. It is fun to look back in the journal and realize how good God has been. It truly helps me understand that he will not forsake me. The history, coupled the reading of scripture, refreshes my spirit and helps me stay focused moving forward.
CBW: What is your favourite scripture?
AV: That is a very hard question, as there are so many that I hold dear! Galations 5:1 is definitely one of my favorites. It reads: "Christ has liberated us into freedom. Therefore stand firm and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery." In modern days slavery can be so many things...sin, anger, disbelief, fear, or doubt. How great it is to know that when we trust in Him, he releases us from the "slavery" of all those things!
CBW: What is your favourite business tool/resource?
AV: By far I would have to name the web as my favorite tool/resource. It is a great place to get a business out there, learn new things, and connect with people that share the same interests as yourself. Social Networking (myspace, facebook, linkedin, twitter, blogging forums, etc) really takes traditional "word of mouth" advertising to a whole new level.
CBW: How do you balance running your business with managing your family?
AV: Every woman constantly struggles with this question- it is difficult to juggle it all. In this age of technology, clients can reach you at all hours of the day and demand more work in shorter periods of time. For me it has been important to set boundaries and schedules, even if it means saying no to a client or sending them to voicemail. I have had to train myself to live for God and family first, then let everything else fall into place. I have even had clients comment on how much they respect me for that! In my experience, the key has been to be responsive and clear with my clients, setting boundaries in the beginning of the relationship.
CBC: What words of wisdom would you offer an aspiring business woman?
AV: The best advice I can give to any business woman is to set up a time with God on a daily basis and keep it like it was a business meeting! The busier you get, the more you will need this (though we all will have our moments of weakness). Prayerfully ask Him to reveal what the focus of the day should be. Then be still and listen! Don't make business decisions without consulting Him. He so much more equipped to handle everything than we are.
CBW: When and why did you start your business?
AV: I started my business earlier this year, after spending years working in the areas of management, marketing and development for nonprofit organizations. I had been taking freelance consulting jobs on the side for some time, but finally felt led to break out on my own.
CBW: What obstacle(s) did you face in getting started? How did you overcome it/them?
AV: I think the biggest obstacle that I faced starting out was transitioning from a stable paycheck to contract work. Having a background in marketing and management made startup easier, but it is always scary making a big change. I overcame this obstacle through faith. God always came through, giving me the wisdom and strength that I needed to move things forward.
CBW: We sometimes loose sight of God's ability to give us all that we need to bless us. Do you have specific habits that help you stay focused?
AV: The truth is that having faith is hard-especially when we do not understand God's time table or methods. We need to try to differentiate wants from needs. There were times for me that were harder than others, financially and otherwise. I found myself giving concerns to God and then taking them back, trying to do it on my own. Keeping a prayer journal has become invaluable to me. It is a place that I can write down not only my concerns but also the things that I am thankful for. It is fun to look back in the journal and realize how good God has been. It truly helps me understand that he will not forsake me. The history, coupled the reading of scripture, refreshes my spirit and helps me stay focused moving forward.
CBW: What is your favourite scripture?
AV: That is a very hard question, as there are so many that I hold dear! Galations 5:1 is definitely one of my favorites. It reads: "Christ has liberated us into freedom. Therefore stand firm and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery." In modern days slavery can be so many things...sin, anger, disbelief, fear, or doubt. How great it is to know that when we trust in Him, he releases us from the "slavery" of all those things!
CBW: What is your favourite business tool/resource?
AV: By far I would have to name the web as my favorite tool/resource. It is a great place to get a business out there, learn new things, and connect with people that share the same interests as yourself. Social Networking (myspace, facebook, linkedin, twitter, blogging forums, etc) really takes traditional "word of mouth" advertising to a whole new level.
CBW: How do you balance running your business with managing your family?
AV: Every woman constantly struggles with this question- it is difficult to juggle it all. In this age of technology, clients can reach you at all hours of the day and demand more work in shorter periods of time. For me it has been important to set boundaries and schedules, even if it means saying no to a client or sending them to voicemail. I have had to train myself to live for God and family first, then let everything else fall into place. I have even had clients comment on how much they respect me for that! In my experience, the key has been to be responsive and clear with my clients, setting boundaries in the beginning of the relationship.
CBC: What words of wisdom would you offer an aspiring business woman?
AV: The best advice I can give to any business woman is to set up a time with God on a daily basis and keep it like it was a business meeting! The busier you get, the more you will need this (though we all will have our moments of weakness). Prayerfully ask Him to reveal what the focus of the day should be. Then be still and listen! Don't make business decisions without consulting Him. He so much more equipped to handle everything than we are.
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1 comments:
Awesome! SO inspiring to know that there are other Christian women making a business decision with the LORD in mind! so blessed to have found this blog!
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