Our Story

Ms. Carnahan, founder of Total Office, Inc., literally carved open the market for Virtual Assistants for financial advisors back in 1992 – quite clearly a pioneer in helping advisors manage their business and serve clients.”

– Blane Warrene

Pioneering the Virtual Assistant Industry since 1992

Sherry Carnahan, Founder and CEO

Long before the catch phrase “Virtual Assistant” came along, Sherry Carnahan was paving the way from afar.

In early 1990, long before the catch phrase “Virtual Assistant” came along, Sherry was working on a long-time vision of servicing clients all over the country while working from her office in Ohio. Personal computers and the internet were not readily available at that time and the word “Virtual” let alone the phase, “Virtual Assistant” hadn’t been coined yet. How was it going to happen? Only God knew!

Yet, on a colorful day in October 1992, with a typewriter, a box of business cards and an ad in the local paper, “Sherry’s Office Service” was born. By the end of the week she had her first client, a local contractor who worked out of his truck. He had no office or staff and desperately needed administrative help. When he saw the ad, he thought he would give it a try. As mentioned, he didn’t have an office so they decided that he would simply fax or mail his paperwork to her office, phone in appointments that needed scheduled and bids that needed to be typed, mailed and processed. They were essentially working “virtually.”

At the time, she had no idea that she was becoming a part of a very small, exclusive group of “pioneers” that started the virtual assistant’s industry or that she would go on to become the first to carve a niche in the financial advisory industry.

In early 1996, with over 25 years of experience working with financial professionals, she planned a strategy to target the financial planning industry nationwide. Sherry changed the company name to Gal Fridays, “The Paperwork Professional”, and with the help of the internet, personal computers and a new tool called a “website,” she was able to get the word out about her company. Within two months of launching a new website, Gal Fridays contracted with the first of what would eventually be a long line of out-of-state financial advisor clients. Her dream had come to fruition and the rest is history!

By December 1999, after an intense naming and branding campaign, Carnahan changed the Gal Fridays name to Total Office, Inc. to reflect the exemplary, broad-range capabilities of her virtual office. It is also a name that would grow with Carnahan’s vision for her company that had forged a niche in serving the unique needs of the financial planning industry.

Today, while still running her company, she is also an award-winning author and co-founder (with her husband James) of the non-profit, Molly’s Wheel of Hope. To learn more about her writing, visit: sherrycarnahan.com.

The Changing Faces of Our Company

Our Leadership Team

James Carnahan, COO

In 2006, with Total Office, Inc., continuing to grow, Sherry’s husband, James, joined the company.

After retiring from the U.S. Military with over 21 years of service, and a second retirement from the local Metro Parks, James thought his next career move was to enjoy the great outdoors and run his photo blog www.Oparuns.com.

Much to his surprise, Sherry had a better idea! Not wanting his expertise in training, operations, processes, security and a B.A. in English Literature to go to waste, she thought his background made him the perfect fit to head the company’s Operations department.

Today, when not in the office, you can finding him near a river, fly fishing or keeping our waterways clean through his non-profit, “Riverkeepers”, formed in 2023 after he discovered and reported a major oil spill in the Tuscarawas River on his way to his favorite fishing hole.

What Our Leaders Are Saying

Kelly Gosiewski

Account Manager

“I’ve always had a passion for small business and partnering for their success. With TOI, I get to do that every day with each of our advisors. I love finding ways to make things more efficient while still finding opportunities to go that extra mile for a client. I enjoy knowing that I can provide peace of mind that someone is taking care of the details so you can focus on what is important to you.”

Tracey Arp

Account Manager

“Besides the culture here at TOI and my coworkers who treat each other like family, I enjoy the variety. No two advisors are the same, no two tasks are the same, no two days are the same. Helping my advisors meet and exceed their goals is very satisfying. After all, our clients’ success is also our success.”

Brandy Mills

Account Coordinator

“I love building my advisors confidence in us so that they can hand off their tasks, no matter the level of difficulty. Hearing the advisors express their appreciation and confidence in us and everything that we do for them is the best reward! I strive for that with every advisor that I have the pleasure to assist. I also love having amazing, compassionate co-workers, that I consider my extended family, and having their support no matter the hurdle.”

Vicky Sawyer

Account Coordinator

“I love helping and watching my advisors expand their business and assisting their clients. Not only do I get to build a working relationship with the advisor, I get to build relationships with the end clients helping them achieve their goals as well. Here at TOI we have a great family! Everyone works together as a team and we support one another through thick and thin, in and out of the office.”