Welcome back to Candid Convos; our series where we discuss virtual staffing in the new remote economy with a business owner, or lawyer, who utilizes virtual staff. In this episode, our featured guest is Alina Nuñez, a Miami-based attorney with more than 18 years of experience whose practice specializes in real estate, title closing services, estate planning, and probate administration.
In this episode, Joe, the host, and Alina talk about the pros and cons of being an attorney, thinking outside of the box when it comes to virtual staffing to overcome and succeed in today’s global economy, and the importance of creating a talented team with a sense of camaraderie and commitment; whether they are “in the office” physically or virtually.
Helping People Through the Worst and Best Moments
Empathy and emotional intelligence are some of the key tools Alina has to use in her day-to-day to help her clients and their families. Especially when it comes to probate administration cases she needs to warmly assist the family’s needs so they can have their grieving process, while also providing a legal standpoint and safety. It can be very draining on different levels, but extremely rewarding as well.
Being part of the happiness of her clients it’s what Alina enjoys the most out of her practice. Being an immigrant herself, she resonates with a client when they buy their first house or fulfill a life-long dream after hard work and dedication. Following the pandemic, a lot of people felt adrift regarding their welfare, but the impossibility to visit Alina’s office was a delicate factor. Remote work became a necessity and with it, the need for virtual assistance and a great hybrid co-working environment.
Learning to Effectively Work with Someone Remotely
Alina and her team all became fully home-office based, slowly returning to the office and implementing a hybrid method of working. Enjoying the perks of virtual meeting with judges and avoiding the time-consuming chores like driving, parking, and waiting in the courthouse, Alina started to realize the potential of remote working in the areas where it could speed up the workload. While most of her meetings with clients tend to be in person, now she delegates more than 25% of their work to virtual staffing.
She kept one valuable member on her team after she learned her associate had to move to another state. Alina learned how to work with someone remotely. After recruiting a virtual assistant she onboarded her with the help of some valuable resources and quickly made her a valuable part of the team. Meeting once a week with the whole team to build a strong working environment and to nurture good human relationships.
Communication is crucial, delegating responsibilities to a good team, and focusing on the most important aspects of her business are some fundamentals that Alina shares with Joe. Considering how much-added value her firm has gained since staffing V.A’s, she looks back and jokingly says “Why I didn’t do it earlier?!” and closes on how she will definitely add more virtual members to her firm and the following: “Go as much digital as possible to make things easier. Stay flexible and adapt. Changes are inevitable.”
Contact Alina Nuñez
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