Writer & Computer Geek
Angela has been writing since the ripe old age of seven. It's not a career, it's a passion. A calling. Perhaps even a compulsion, but let's not get clinical...
She’s been a computer geek since she was in middle school in the late 70s (thanks to her computer-building father and her own burning desire to own a robot to do her personal bidding).
She is a graduate of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, and is a Danville native.
Before launching her own online business in 1999, Angela wore a few different hats in the work world -- all of them offering unique tools and invaluable experiences.
She served as the managing editor of a small newspaper, as a political campaign media coordinator, a public relations consultant, the coordinator of a regional cancer program, and worked in fundraising and event planning.
It would be several years before she would realize how well these varied skill sets and experiences would serve her (and her future clients).
Each one a unique quill in her pen case, she whipped them out later to use in her own business launch and many of them - even more honed now - are resources she still draws on to help her Cool Jazz clients grow their businesses.
Partnerships
On January 1, 2015, Angela Allen and Steve Knight joined forces to form Cool Jazz, LLC and launched Cool Jazz Web Design Studio. They were partners for seven years in the venture and together they served website clients with Steve handling the custom programming, optimization tools, and technical aspects of building a site; while Angela handled the content, layout/design, and SEO. Although Steve now focuses on his own business, Danville Computer Doc, the two still join forces on special projects from time to time.
History of Community Service
Angela has served on a number of international, regional and local boards of directors. On an international level, she served on the Board of Directors of the International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA.org) from 2001-2004, serving two terms as Vice-President and leading the organization as President from 2003-2004. She also served as the Communications Committee Chair of the Boyle County Republican Party, volunteered with the Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy, served as the Digital Communications Adviser for the Danville-Boyle County Senior Citizens Center, and served on the board for a local children's learning center.
Political Ventures
In the 90s, she had dipped her toe into politics by helping a local sheriff in his bid for re-election. (He won the election). It was a wonderful experience, and in 2017, when it became frustratingly obvious that there were no resources to teach citizens how to successfully run for local political offices, she launched a class to address the problem.
The weekly classes through the campaign season were designed to help those who wanted to serve their communities learn how to run a political campaign in the digital age. It included sessions on networking, door-to-door campaigning, developing an online presence, social media management, print marketing, speech writing, and debate preparation.
The class was run by Angela, her business partner, her mother, and any other volunteers they could round up. It was an edifying undertaking and several participants were elected to public office.
Virtual Work Pioneer
Angela has been working “virtually” since before the term was commonplace. An active member of online communities for real estate agents and mobile professionals, she has served as managing editor of an industry news publication for Virtual Assistants and has been a contributing writer to several virtual, technical, and professional publications.
Angela has promoted professional outsourcing for over a quarter of a century and has mentored dozens of individual entrepreneurs who were new to the industry.
An entrepreneur, she has been creating content and assisting clients with their marketing needs since 1999, serving clients in 28 states in the USA as well as international clients in Taiwan, China, Africa, Canada, Spain, Bermuda, and the UK.
The Focus
In every position she has held, communication has been her focus. Angela truly enjoys helping small business owners grow through fresh approaches to content, strategic planning and creative marketing. She develops SEO-targeted content and digital/printed products to effectively promote her clients' businesses.
Press & Publications
Angela has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, Business Week Magazine, Kentucky’s Information Technology Imperative Report, The Alliance for Virtual Businesses, several real-estate industry publications, newspapers, and the book: From the Homefront: The Simple Guide to Starting and Running a Home-Based Business.
Her articles on technology, mobility, and the virtual workforce have appeared in Broker Agent News magazine and Real Estate Business magazine. She spent over a decade writing for multiple platforms for the National Association of REALTORS® including publications for Senior Real Estate Specialist® REALTORS®.
She has edited three published books: a children’s book, a young adult novel, and a book on the tax implications of running a mobile business.
Personal Life
Aside from the blogs she writes for clients, she occasionally blogs for on one or two of her own. Although she has written a couple of non-fiction books, (one a memoir and one a self-help book for virtual assistants) and a children’s book, she is currently (and excitedly) beginning working on her first novel. Yes, she's started several in the past, but this one might actually NOT end up in a drawer!
She lives on a 25-acre farm in the backwoods of south-central Kentucky and is currently in the middle of major renovation of the cabin that she and her father built together seventeen years ago. In addition, she is actively encouraging her incredibly talented daughter to launch her own writing business.
Angela enjoys attempting to keep her own life simple (and truly believes with every attempt that THIS time it will actually work), and she is always happiest when an large mug of coffee, a fine pen, and a beautifully bound journal are all within reach.