For most people, being self-employed happens because they either really love what they do or they want a bit of flexibility in their lives. For Lucinda Reed, it was a bit of both! Having started her working life in medical publishing and then as a Freelance Managing Editor and Writer with her own medical publishing company, Spotlight Medical Publishing, she then developed a passion for property and moved into Estate Agency as a Negotiator, Valuer and Property Coordinator.
Despite absolutely loving working in the property field, around four years ago Lucinda knew that she needed a bit more flexibility in order to support her elderly parents. Falling back on her skills as an editor and writer, and utilising admin skills picked up in office jobs, she set herself up as a Freelance PA/Virtual Assistant and Cornerstone pa services was born!
When This is Me was set up in 2019, Lucinda jumped at the chance to be involved as a support worker. Having known Michelle for several years through Nicola Jayne Little and Mint Business Club, she was thrilled to be part of the team and full of admiration for the work Michelle was doing.
Currently, Lucinda supports two This is Me clients, primarily with editorial services which is something that she loves; words are definitely her thing! She helps them with writing blogs, editing copy of all descriptions, and all manner of proofreading. As a support worker she knows that flexibility and being adaptable are so important and is always available to her clients for anything they need, whether that be admin tasks they may be struggling with or simply someone to talk to and bounce ideas off.
With lockdown easing up, Lucinda is hoping to be able to meet up with her clients face-to-face more, rather than over the internet. She hopes this will help her understand her clients’ needs and requirements a bit more and further improve their working relationships. Covid and the ensuing lockdowns have been a struggle for everyone so getting the chance to have more of a human connection should make a big difference.
It isn’t always easy to be a PA or a Support Worker. When you’re self-employed it can be quite difficult to hand tasks over to others, especially when you’re used to doing everything yourself, so it’s important to Lucinda that she checks in with her clients regularly to make sure that they know she’s there to help with whatever they need. All working relationships take time to develop but fortunately Lucinda is patient, a great listener, super organised, and able to adapt to her clients’ requirements. All skills that are incredibly important for a successful relationship between client and support worker.
Lucinda absolutely loves being a support worker and feels that she is a better person for having worked with the clients she has. She feels that she’s learned a lot from them and has a much better understanding of how their work and daily lives are affected by the challenges of their situations. She has so much admiration for how they cope AND have the time and energy to work on and grow their businesses.
“It’s so rewarding to think that, in some small way, I may be helping clients and it is an absolute pleasure when I see all the positivity. Thank you to Michelle and This is Me for giving me this opportunity. It is a privilege to support and get to know the clients I work with.”
We’re thrilled that Lucinda is part of the team and so grateful for all of her hard work. If you’d like to know more about Lucinda and what she does, you can find her here:
https://www.cornerstonepaservices.uk/
If you’d like to know more about becoming a support worker and helping a person with a disability or chronic illness get back into work, then please do get in touch with us via our contact form or on the email below. We’d love to hear from you!
