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About Atwood LLC

Atwood LLC combines two complementary industries: remote virtual assistant and editing services. But who is the face behind Atwood LLC? How did the company begin? And what can you expect from the company?

Picture of Colleen Atwood
Colleen Atwood

Hobbies

85%
Writer
65%
Editor
100%
Cat Lover
60%
History Researcher
55%
Crocheter
70%
Cross Sticher

Who is Colleen Atwood?

Hello! My name is Colleen Atwood, owner of Atwood LLC. Thank you for taking the time to see who I am and how the company began and learn more about what I see happening in the future for myself and the company.

 

To start, I live in West Seattle, near Harbor Island. I have always loved Seattle, with the waterway surrounding me and the mountains to my back. My husband and I visit my mother-in-law as often as possible, who lives in Chewelah (an hour north of Spokane), at a beautiful golf course. As a result, I have started to learn how to play golf. While not great, I am still good enough to impress folks who have been playing their entire lives. This is good for me as my husband and I plan to move to Chewelah within 2–3 years once his boss decides to retire. And boy, we are looking forward to doing so.

 

Although I love Seattle, I have become disappointed with the way the city has been run in the last five years: (1) there is too much homelessness, and little is being done to help fix it (other than throwing money at the problem with few results); (2) too much crime and a city that refuses to let our police officers do their job; (3) high hard drug usage and a city that offers safe locations for people to inject their drugs; and (4) a City Counsel and Prosecutor’s office that refuse to do their jobs properly and create more problems than solutions.

 

Of course, Seattle is not the only place experiencing these problems—all major cities have their issues. And regardless of where we move to or when, we will still face these troubles. But having visited Chewelah at least three times a year (often for weeks at a time), I know that at least we will be away from the more dangerous aspects of living in a city. Chewelah is a small town, and I have learned that the small-town mentality suits me just as much as the city.

My Furballs: Trouble, Runa, and Shadow

Last November, my husband and I adopted three tiny kittens from the Colville Animal Sanctuary (Colville is another forty-five minutes north of Chewelah). We have always loved cats and, over the last twenty years, have had four—Missy, Tiger, Princess, and Jazz. Jazzy lasted the longest, living to almost twenty-one years old. We adopted the kittens just before Jazz passed, so it helped me have little ones to take care of while mourning my little snuggle buddy.

 

My mother-in-law went with us to the Sanctuary (she knew the director) and was there when I picked up the three-month-old kittens we wanted, which happened to be siblings. We learned the next day from our contact that our two kittens had two other brothers still at the Sanctuary. So, the following morning, we met the sanctuary director at 9 o’clock and brought the two brothers home. We took one, and my mother-in-law ended up taking the fourth. She, of course, already had two cats (adopted a year before from the exact location), so on the final night we were there, three cats and four kittens were running around the house.

 

The drive home was interesting. Trouble earned his name by unzipping the carrier when we were in Issaquah and letting himself and the other two out. This meant we had four animals roaming around the car. (Jazzy was with us, too, as he was not doing well, and neither of us felt right about leaving him home for a week by himself, even though my neighbor was willing to visit and check on him.)

 

Jazzy passed two days later, and we quickly learned that the kittens had kennel cough (as did their remaining brother). It took two complete rounds of antibiotics to get them better again and patience to get them up to proper weight. They are, however, perfectly healthy today and are nearing their first year. And boy, are these three characters.

 

I mention this because my cats are a big part of my life. We have had felines in the house for over twenty years, and it was interesting to relearn how to engage with (and, most importantly, teach) skittish kittens that humans are not bad people. We also take them with us when we visit Chewelah (their first interaction with their brother was cute as he instantly recognized them). Imagine six cats tearing through the house, four of which are siblings. Great to watch, and we would not have it any other way.

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What Made Me Start Atwood LLC?

After years of working as an administrative assistant within the maritime, higher education, manufacturing, fire equipment, and emergency services industries, I decided to open my own business in 2018. My vision has been simple since the beginning: to help small business owners achieve their business goals and create the life they want.

 

Over the years, I have worked hard to learn the complexities of owning and running an online business. With hundreds of hours of research, lots of trial and error, and learning the ins and outs of the marketing industry, I can fully appreciate the frustrations small business owners face when they find themselves overwhelmed with too much to do in a single day. That is where I hope to come in.

 

The hardest part for me having my own business has been landing clients. I suspect my lack of virtual assistant experience is discouraging folks from hiring me. Yet, I hope people remember that I have prior office experience as an administrative assistant, which can translate well depending on my projects.

 

For example, one of my jobs was at a local maritime college, helping potential students obtain their Coast Guard license for entrance into the program. Once admitted, I updated their college records in-house (and collaborated with the folks in the central college when necessary). I also helped prepare the final paperwork the students handed to the Coast Guard so they could upgrade their licenses.

 

I had been working part-time for years (with promises for the position to go full-time at an undetermined point) and finally got tired of waiting. In addition to other places that never worked out due to miscommunications and unrealistic expectations (on both sides), I finally decided it was time to work for myself. With my husband’s support, I opened Atwood LLC nine months later.

 

I have always enjoyed helping others when it comes to office work. It allows unlimited educational value that I can apply to other areas of my life and business. Even failures (of which I am not immune) supply a learning opportunity. That is the most critical aspect of owning a business: Without learning the latest information, processes, and technology, we cannot move forward into a changing future.

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Being a Writer

I have been writing a series of interconnected novels since my early teens. I began to use writing as a relief source after my adoption went through, still unsure how to respond to my new surroundings and life. And as time progressed, I realized I had a lot to say. Considering I was an avid reader at that time (and still am), I decided it would be best to tell my story using more than a single character. While this sounds ridiculous, you must remember I was only twelve when I started writing. And because my new parents were willing to help me in any way they could, they actively encouraged my writing if it helped me in any way.

 

I divided the original character (and family) into multiple individuals and families, including male and female protagonists. Although impossible sounding, I have an entire world comprising over two hundred (200) primary protagonists subdivided into twenty-four (24) families, each with eight characters and guardians.

 

What happens in one family often affects other families (especially considering the friendships and love interests that arise) and where each character goes. Further, each family is knowledgeable (and protective of) six major secrets that affect specific people but could cause severe issues for more than the individual(s) it pertains to.

 

By the time I was sixteen, I had finished three books. However, I never tried to get them published. I knew the writing was not at its best and that the story was nowhere near ready for publication (which had nothing to do with editing, which I will discuss soon). I knew there was still plenty of work to do, even more so today (although editing does have something to do with this part).

 

I have spent the last 28 years refining the plots, background information, settings, how each protagonist and antagonist interact, and every other aspect of worldbuilding a writer can address. I have begun writing again and intend to eventually self-publish my books. It has been and will continue to be an arduous process, but it is worth my time and energy.

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Becoming an Editor

Due to my interest in writing, I began focusing on editing in high school. My father (who has been writing a biography about a general in the Civil War for longer than I have been alive) would occasionally have me complete writing or editing projects when new information came to light. I have continued to help him over the years, and thankfully (for everyone involved), he is on his final rewrite. Hopefully, his book will be published sooner rather than later.

 

I also began editing other documents for people throughout the years, including business documents. Of course, not every suggestion was taken to heart or included, but most were. When others have a spelling question (or want to know the right word), they usually turn to me.

 

Most recently, I completed a manuscript critique of the first six chapters of a novel for a friend of my mother-in-law who lives in Chewelah. She was happy with my recommendations and questions, and we have a working relationship for other types of editing in the future (see the What Is a Manuscript Critique? blog for more details on the information I supplied).

 

Although new to the editing world and working hard to sign my first virtual assistant client, I have the advantage of being a stubborn woman (especially when someone tells me I cannot do something). I am fully committed to doing what I can for my clients and adhering to the highest standards in the business.

 

I opened Atwood LLC with the idea of helping small businesses grow to their highest potential. That mission has never changed over the years.

 

I look forward to collaborating with you and your company!

Our Mission

Atwood LLC’s mission is to offer flexible, straightforward, and efficient virtual assistant (VA) and editing services. We believe that by streamlining the process of running a business or drafting a book, we help our clients focus on what they do best.

Our Vision

Atwood LLC desires to become an indispensable resource for business consulting firms and authors. We aspire to provide high-quality services to these professionals with our virtual assistance and editing expertise through effective collaboration and support. By elevating our customers’ success and professionalism, Atwood LLC will be the first choice for their business needs.

Our Core Values

Client Success. Small business owners (SBOs) and authors have countless projects to complete throughout the day, requiring a shift of focus from one task to another and lost time. Delegating background activities to virtual assistants results in more time for SBOs to focus on core functions and higher success rates for the company. When our clients reach their goals, so do we.

 

Flexibility & Adaptability. Attempting to keep pace with continually changing markets, innovative technology, and shifting client expectations is difficult. Atwood LLC prioritizes keeping up with the most current trends so we can offer a range of contemporary services, pivot when necessary, and present unique ways to help clients achieve their goals.

 

Lifelong Learning. Every phase of each project supplies ample opportunity to learn something new. Personal and professional learning is a priority for Atwood LLC and something we take pride in doing.

 

Service Excellence. Clients deserve the best from Atwood LLC as their VA or editor. We aspire to meet and exceed your expectations each day, not just at the end of the project.

 

Straightforward Communication. Communication between collaborators is the most critical part of every project. We ensure every interaction is respectful and straightforward and allows both parties to engage without reserve from beginning to end.

 

Teamwork & Collaboration. Reaching business goals takes time, effort, and persistence. Collaborating with internal and external partners increases the chances of success for all parties. Atwood LLC believes that harnessing each collaborator’s unique personalities, perspectives, skill sets, and experiences results in creative and innovative solutions to problems.

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