My Story

Welcome back.

For every Notary out there, there is a story. Some are likely more interesting than others.  Judge them at your leisure.  This is my story…be nice.

Before becoming a Notary, I had a great career.  I spent 22 of 25 years in a career that I really liked – in an industry that I loved.  After about 22 years, I got bored and decided to try something new, something different in my industry and quickly decided that I hated it and then, because apparently, I needed to suffer, I kept doing it.

I worked in the Electronic Payments world, most specifically, ACH – Automated Payments (Direct Deposit, Direct Payments, things like that).  Over the years, I have worked in Marketing, Education, Compliance, Regulation, Risk, Risk Management and more – I was a teacher, a trainer, a writer, a blogger, and a speaker.  I thought I had done it all.  I bounced around to a few different companies, but always enjoyed the work.  I was enjoying life running an Education Department for a Sales Organization, when my employer went into negotiations to eventually be acquired by a much larger company, and I was told that I was being laid off.  This is kinda where the sucking starts.  

Not generally one to rest on my laurels, I had a line on a couple of opportunities.  One was going back into training and the other was working in Vendor Management.  I had done the whole training thing for years and while I really enjoyed it, I was somewhat blah about it at the time.

But the Vendor Management stuff was new to me, and I thought it sounded cool.  Turns out, I was wrong.  It was really boring (no offense to anyone who loves that stuff).

Eventually, it became clear that it was simply time to move on. 

Anyway…after “leaving” that position, I bummed around for a few months and debated what to do next.  In ordinary times, finding another job in my chosen field should have been a cakewalk, but this was early COVID and jobs were simply not plentiful. Anyone who lived through it knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Eventually, a close friend, someone very near and dear to my heart told me about another friend that used to do Notary work.  I could not imagine making a living being a Notary.  I was thinking only of that one lady at the bank (in my small town growing up) who Notarized stuff for customers.  Being a Notary is – can be – so much more.  Thank you, Tonya.  I told her that when I am a success, it will be her fault.

I started checking out what it takes to be a Notary in Texas – where I live.  The process is easy; a simple application and a small fee and you get your commission.  I have since learned that this is fairly standard in most states.  I also learned that I was completely wrong about the woman in the bank who Notarizes documents for customers and to her, I apologize for thinking so small.  

I found myself on the National Notarial Association (NNA) website.  This is a great place to start for any beginner Notary or anyone considering becoming a Notary.  Please don’t misunderstand, you can simply apply for, and receive your Commission and do, what I affectionately refer to as “Regular” Notary work – the kind the woman in the bank does.  But, if you want to make a living or earn extra money, going the extra mile to become a Notary Signing Agent is the way to go. 

I went for it.  I paid the big bucks to get a package deal that included the advanced training, education, Certification, membership, study guides, Commission, stamp, Bond and $25k in Errors & Omissions insurance and a lot of other stuff, that may or may not have been useful.  I studied a bit, took the exam, passed it and officially became a Notary and Notary Signing Agent. Woohoo!

This is MY (abbreviated) story.  Not every Notary came to the business because they were dissatisfied with their career or disliked their work.  

Taken as a whole, my experience makes owning my own business kind of a ‘no brainer’.  I am sure it carries over to other types of work too, but this is where I choose to hang my hat, so to speak.

Compliance and Regulation work helps me understand my role and responsibilities and ensures that I abide by my obligations as a Notary – being a little OCD helps here too.  Marketing helps me market my services and write my mini biographies for posting to Signing Agency sites and with general communication.  The Teacher / Trainer / Speaker in me, helps with communication and makes it easy for me to speak with and explain things in ‘real people language’ to my Signers.  I firmly believe that a wonderful skill to have in any role is the ability to explain things, technical things, complex things, “anythings” to people in an easy-to-understand manner.  I have this skill in spades.  The ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, is only slightly more important in my book.  I could tell you stories…but, maybe another time.  While I am at it, having a strong Customer Service background helps too.

You don’t have to have all the same qualities or skill sets that I do, to be successful.  In fact, I think most people have it in them to be a great success in some form or fashion.  Whether or not being a Notary is right for you, is another question.

A Bit of Advice:

Because every state is different, every state has their own rules and requirements, you should make the effort to become intimately familiar with what your state requires of you. 

Also, it’s important to understand that not all Notaries are built the same.  Some Notaries are fantastic.  Some Notaries are good.  Some Notaries are just going through the motions.  As much as I don’t like thinking about it, collectively, we are only as good as the worst among us.  So, promise to do your best and make us all look good – even if others don’t.  Seek to emulate the best vs. lowering your behavior to match the worst.

And this is kinda where my story begins.