GNA's onboarding more helpful than it has any right to be

If you haven't already, get yourself to an onboarding session, or go back and repeat it. I was taken aback by how incredibly helpful the onboarding was. I got personalized recommendations for my profile, tips for operating effectively, a walkthrough of GNA resources, and a connection to other advocates.

I had spent considerable time preparing my GNA profile, following GNA's suggestions and reviewing others' profiles. So, when I saw the text and email that my GNA profile would not go live until I attended an onboarding call, my shoulders sank. Here I am trying to move things along as quickly as possible—like we do for our clients—and I'm facing another hurdle.

Fortunately, with two options every week, I didn't have to wait long. I jumped on a Zoom 2 days after I received the email and text. I was met by AnnMarie Cross and a fellow new advocate-entrepreneur.

AnnMarie laid out a clear 5-point agenda, showed exactly ZERO PowerPoint slides, and kept to the allotted time. Those facts alone would make me happy, but the onboarding session goes beyond the basics. Here's what I got that I didn't expect:

Personalized profile recommendations. AnnMarie had my profile open at the start of training and walked me through ways to improve it to facilitate better matches and engagement.

Tips for operating. In addition to the profile recommendations, she offered us a script for managing the time limits of a free consultation and for avoiding loss to follow-up.

Walkthrough of resources. Okay, walking through the resources GNA offers isn't a surprise, but the resources themselves—such as the wealth of blog posts, referral channels, and GNA staff support—were unexpected.

Connection to fellow advocates. As a new advocate, it was heartwarming to meet others doing the same work across the country. This is primarily a solo job, so having someone to refer clients to during vacations or periods of overwhelm, and a community to share your challenges with, is vital to longevity. 

Thanks, GNA and AnnMarie, for a delightful onboarding experience. Cheers to what seem like hurdles that actually turn out to be a boost.