Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Nahas.
Stacy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in the mid-west, the oldest of four siblings raised by a single mother with very little means. I began working at a very young age to help out, so discipline and responsibility came early for me. After many various jobs and paying my way through community college one class at a time to earn my A.A. Degree, I started my career as a paralegal where I remained for 10 years. At this point, I decided that furthering my education was paramount in order to progress my career. I went back to school and secured my B.S. in Business Management-Finance from the University of Massachusetts. I was then able to secure senior positions with Citizens Financial Group and Bain Capital in Boston. Subsequently, my husband and I co-founded Smith&Press, a boutique publishing company which specializes in translating and producing 15th to 17th Century early printed books and manuscripts into English. Our works can now be found in the Smithsonian.
I was always very driven with a good work ethic which was instilled in me by my mom. I knew that success was not handed to you, that you must “make” your own success. My mother was a constant instrumental beacon in my life. As a child, I was often angry with her because I had to be an “adult” so early in life, but as an adult, I realized how very hard she worked to make sure all of us kids were fed, clothed and had a roof over our heads. Hindsight offers powerful revelations. Over the past year and a half, I watched my mom suffer and then succumb to cancer. She was fierce in her battle and it affected me like nothing else ever has or probably ever will. I was struggling with what I wanted to do and who I was. My mom was always so very proud of everything I had accomplished, and I wanted to continue to make her proud. I also wanted to have a purpose of my own and be someone who my son and husband were proud of. It was after my mom’s passing and during my grief that I decided to launch GrandView Management. I wanted to take all the skills I had amassed over my career and offer them to small businesses to assist in their success. Starting a business is a lot of hard work and sweat equity but I think the satisfaction of “making your own success” is well worth the investment of time in yourself. I consider myself lucky because I have an amazing support system in my family and friends. The sense of accomplishment from starting GrandView Management propels me, fulfills me and brings me a sense of joy because I can see the pride in my mother’s eyes and I can hear it in her voice and it is all I need to know that I am doing what I was meant to be doing.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road has certainly not been smooth or easy. It was a constant struggle with endless questions in my head of “What am I doing?”, “What should I do?”, ‘Am I doing the right thing?”, “What if I fail?”, “I am not good enough!”. Sleepless nights, therapy sessions, and talking through the insecurities. There was a lot of self-doubt and uncertainty. BUT, I also asked these questions, “What if I succeed?”, “What does success look like for me?”, “What would Mom tell me?”, “What do I have to lose?” For me, I came to this conclusion: Do Something that scares you, something that takes you way out of your comfort zone, because it is in that space where you will grow and progress and learn more about yourself and who you are than at any other time.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into GrandView Management story. Tell us more about the business.
GrandView Management provides a unique and personal approach to helping small business owners, entrepreneurs, executives & attorneys with business operations & financial management as well as high-level executive support. We are Friendly, Consistent, Reliable, Honest and Trustworthy. We value our clients and the success of their businesses. Our goal is to be the go-to firm for virtual operational and administrative support. Our expertise lies in organizational excellence. We streamline small business operations allowing business owners to achieve efficiency, improve profit margins and maintain a work/life balance. Our business model often eliminates the overhead costs of hiring and managing full-time staff.
Smith&Press continues their quest to bring works from the 15th and 17th centuries into the modern world for readers to enjoy in English. Exciting products in the pipeline include translations of works by Leonardo Da Vinci, Philippo Finella, and Gerolamo Cardano.
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
I am a big proponent of Audiobooks, Podcasts, and Facebook. I have secured a good deal of my clients from FB Networking. I like to take a walk when I need to decompress and listen to Audiobooks and Podcasts. I enjoy taking photos of nature and flowers while I am on my walks, the beauty of those images brings me a sense of peace. I find Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday series of speakers on living your best life to be profound and enlightening. I also enjoy watching Ellen with my 10-year-old son – her message of “Be Kind to Everyone” is a simple but powerful one.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.grandview-management.com AND www.smithandpress.com
- Phone: 617-877-4301
- Email: info@grandview-management.com AND sales@smithandpress.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrandViewMgmt AND https://www.facebook.com/SmithandPress
- Twitter: @GrandViewMgmt AND @SmithandPress
- Other: linkedin.com/company/grandview-management-llc
Image Credit:
LJR Images, Stacy Nahas, The Lazo Group
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