Julie Lesser
You go to a dentist when your tooth hurts. You go to your hair stylist when you hair needs a cut. You go to a masseuse when your muscles ache, and you go to a therapist when you are at your wits’ end. Then why shouldn’t you go to what I call a Digital Personal Assistant when you need help with the wonderful world of technology? A DPA is someone you can hire on an hourly basis who will help you figure out Twitter, set up iTunes, show you Audible, explain whatever apps you are interested in, and even go shopping with you for your tech needs.
Let’s stop this insanity. Why should we be held hostage to our technology fears when there are so many youngsters who are out of work and willing to introduce us to a world that is beyond our comprehension? We lead vital and productive lives. Why should anything stand in our way of experiencing the latest in innovation? We should be a part of the digital revolution and learn as much as we can. Most of us rely on our children to help us. I think we all agree that they have little time and no patience for us. A friend of mine recently told me, “My son is the last person I would ask. He talks jargon and when I ask him more than once to show me something, he almost gets violent.”
The simple truth is that your children are the wrong ones to teach you this stuff. You need someone to call who knows there is a financial reward that goes along with it. I used to pay $25 an hour to a young friend of mine to teach my girlfriend how to use Skype, send multiple emails, fix her printer, and explain the wonders of scanning. It was my birthday gift to her. She has now used a Digital Personal Assistant several times.
Julie is a digital whiz
Last night I was talking about this concept with my much younger girl friend Julie Lesser who lives in Westlake Village, California. Julie is an Internet expert even though that is not her day job. She is just one of these natural talents who intuitively knows her way around software, hardware, social media platforms, mobile equipment, and apps. She spends six or eight hours on the net every day researching, reading, and learning more and more about how our lifestyles are being influenced by the tech world. It is not unusual for younger people to spend hours at their computers. In fact, it is what makes them much more sophisticated and specialized in a world that we don’t realize exists.
Julie was answering questions I had about Facebook and why there are so many format changes. She enlightened me as no one else has had the patience to do. That will also be another blog post. Meanwhile, we discussed the concept of the Digital Personal Assistant and decided that we would both venture into starting a small business that helped others. We were on the phone for two hours discussing all of the possibilities. That is a lot of time for someone to be offline, so I truly want to officially thank her now.
We would like to begin by helping any DigiDame readers. Email me at Lois@digidame.com. any time you have a question. If Julie or anyone else we add to our virtual staff can’t help you via telephone or email, we will get you someone in person. Don’t be shy, call. I know that the biggest challenge for this business model is getting the 50-plus crowd to make that first call. We either have a tremendous fear factor or we are just too lazy to learn. I don’t know how to get through to you other than to just keep saying it over and over. Technology is just not that difficult to learn. Once you learn it, or even part of it, your life is going to go in to a positive spin. Don’t you deserve it?
DigiDame 
Dear Lois, there are times that I must nearly drive my very younger and knowledgeable friend, Julie, absolutely bonkers with the questions I have. This business is a great idea for anyone let alone old fogies like me. Congratulations to the two of you for thinking this up. I’m going to pass
this message to everyone I know.
Pat Wiggins
Oh Pat…You never drive me nuts…I LOVE being able to help you & I wish you would have called me before you gave up on your iPad! You know I am always here for you! Thank you for your support!
Easily said there has to be a balance. It’s is great to know the ins and out of using the computer world. I have found a strange feeling that as I might keep up with friends via email when we finally see each other in person. We go straight to how have you been and it’s been so long. I think it helps to keep you connected and let people know you care but nothing replaces the natural human skill of communication face to face. Sure we can see each other on line now but do we know the real situation. If they are sick are they just smiling for the camera if they have been crying did they just dry their eyes. So many positive sides and yet keep it in peeaoective it is the virtual world. There will soo be a class in school on how to properly communicate with your human counterparts. Lol. As a flight attendant I have seen children go from coast to coast without looking out a window, speaking to their parents or siblings because the have their nose glued to a computer game not a book on a kindle. They haven’t even been taught to look away from the computer while asking for something to drink or eat. As a learning tool I often make them say please or thank you which is returned with a blank stare, like what for. I love my iPhone it keeps me connected around the world and also let’s me stay in touch with my partner, whom I met on line. Lol so I give thanks to computers yet hold the fact that I am glad I was forced to learn personal skills first. Chris
I shared this post, and by extension, your blog with a friend of mine who is exactly your target audience. She recently hired a digital assistant, although she wasn’t calling him that — yet. Thanking me for linking her to your blog, here’s what she wrote to me: “Thank you! Very interesting. The article on having a digital assistant to help weave our way through this stuff was very reassuring. I will be sure to show it to Henry to encourage this “business” he has going with his two “Grandmothers.”
First thing I’ll ask him next time around is “how does one subscribe/check in on a blog?”
Have a great day!!!
Stefanie”
You see, Lois, even the simplest things are difficult if you’ve never done them before. That’s why your blog is so great.