Why is your life kept in a box?

It's very rare when you meet someone that is really living their dreams and I did just that! 

Diane is not only living her dream, but she is also helping people to understand how important it is to save all your life pictures into memory albums!

Diane Roney CEO of Transcribe-IT, INC.

Miss Tee: Hello Diane and thank you for sharing with The Essence of One readers your story! Tell us a little about yourself?

Diane: My name is Diane Roney.  I was born in Cambridge, MA. I am the oldest of four girls.  I am the wife of Phillip Roney and we have a daughter Kendall.  I have an Associate’s Degree in Executive Secretarial Science and a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism / Mass Communications.  I spent one year in law school and knew that wasn’t for me.

I am the President / CEO of Transcribe-It, Inc. a transcription service that specializes in legal transcription.  We do, however, handle all forms of audio transcription.  I spent a few years in television as a Publicist for CBS in Boston, worked for several major law firms and then started my own virtual assistance practice before changing the practice strictly to Transcription.  Presently, as well, I am a Creative Memories Consultant and photo organizer.

Miss Tee: How did you get started with scrapbooking?

Diane: I actually began scrapbooking as a child but never really knew that’s what I was doing until a few years ago when I was invited to host a scrapbooking party.  As first I thought this was too much and how in the world would I ever find time to do this.  But after attending a few parties and a friend of mine encouraged me to become a consultant.  I did for about two years and then I deactivated because I felt no one was really listening or interested in scrapbooking.  But a few years ago I came back because I feel the passion for telling the story.  I am so grateful that I did.

I enjoy creating memory albums for my family because I’m telling my / our family story to the next generation.  My family, especially dad was always taking photos and out of the four girls I’m the only one who is the paparazzi.  My family laughs at me because I always have that camera going.

Miss Tee: Now that you have started your own scrapbooking business Creative Memories, can you tell us how you started this business? Could you also tell us what Creative Memories. consist of?

Diane: I am a Creative Memories Consultant which is a company that is the leader in the scrapbooking industry.  As  a consultant I host get togethers, crops, events, retreats.  I teach people how to organize their photos and create memory albums for their families.  I began with Creative Memories by ordering the kit and went from there contacting all my friends and family members to host parties for me.  At present, I teach photo organization at local libraries, sponsoring a scrapbooking cruise, developing new contacts to teach people to tell their story.

Why don't you Celebrate your family's life with a "Life Board"?

Miss Tee: Now you have scrapbooking classes can you tell us a little about your classes what they also consist of?

Diane: Classes consist of photo organizing actually sitting down for about three hours and getting all your photographs organized.  Then we move on to showing you how to create memory albums.  The latest is now digitally scrapbooking and I’m digitally endorsed as a digital scrapbook instructor.  I still have people who are traditional scrapbookers, but with the advent of computers, we now generate Storybooks using our latest Memory Manager and StoryBook software.  I can host events at my workshop or at other peoples home or one on one consultations.

Miss Tee: I’m sure your family and friends thought you were crazy for starting a scrapbooking business. Can you tell us how you moved forward in following your dreams, and when you may have been faced with some negative people, how did you handle it?

Diane: Well I never got any negative feedback from my family.  It actually came from people who I would introduce scrapbooking to and I would hear all kinds of negative responses like “I don’t have the time for that”, “how can you sit there all day and do that”,  “That’s a white woman’s hobby” I mean craziness.  Since when is taking photos and capturing memories a color thing.  I used to get so angry, but it’s not about me…it’s about people.  And those who are ready will be ready and those who aren’t well they just aren’t.  I move from the negative and focus on those who really want to preserve their legacy.  When my daughter’s friends come over to my workshop and see me working and they see the books I have for my daughter so she can remember her grade school through high school years and all her performances and activities, the response I get is I wish my mother would do that for me.

It hurts me because the kids are crying out for their own books.  That’s why I’m going to be putting together a teen crop and teaching teens how to create their own Storybooks because they are very computer literate  and would be good at it.  I’m also focusing on Faithbooking which is a scrapbook of what God has done in your life.  So I’ll be connecting with churches to see if the women or men of the church would like to focus on the good God has done for them.  I’ve also just started creating Celebration Life boards for funeral homes.  I have been to many a funeral where people just throw up a board of photos, I have created a Celebration Life Board that is unlike anything you’ve seen and people really like them.

You can always learn more about a Life Boards at www.mycmsite.com/dianeroney1

Miss Tee: Diane, could you please tell The Essence of One readers that have hobbies or something they may be very good in doing, and may be interested in turning this into a business; what would be their next step in moving forward to make this happen?

Diane: Be passionate about what  you are doing and just do it.  Be open to sharing and not worry about whether it makes money for you because there’s a book I read “Do what you love and the money will follow” and it’s so true.  Take the emphasis off the money and focus on your clients.  It’s not about you.  Attend trade shows, church events do anything  you can to get your business out in front of people.  But just remember you have to love what you’re doing or no one else is going to like it either.

Miss Tee: How can the The Essence of One readers that may be interested in your scrapbooking classes or other services your company provides get in contact with you? 

Diane: They can visit my website at www.mycmsite.com/dianeroney1 or www.personal-photo-organizer.com/dianeroney  or call me at (404) 353-1638.  I’m always looking for people to host events with several of their friends or one-on-one consultations and join me at some of my workshops.  I have a workshop schedule if anyone is interested, I’ll be at the South Fulton Library in September for a photo organization class and sponsoring a digital scrapbooking cruise in March.

Diane, thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me and sharing with The Essence of One family, how you made one of your dreams come true!