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From Barista to Writer: Building a Business out of Thin Air

posted 20th October 2011    Written by: Dusti    CATEGORY: All Posts, Dusti, Job/Career/Work, Season 5

I never had any intentions of being an entrepreneur. Really I didn’t.

I thought I was just starting blog. Harmless, really. Then, it was a month-long course on blogging. No biggie. Then, I made my first affiliate sale. Oooh, that was pretty exciting. Then, I was writing and marketing an ebook.

Okay, so it was a slippery slope.

Who am I kidding? I showed all of the telltale signs of the would-be entrepreneur.

The inability to stay at a job I couldn’t stand and couldn’t change. (Seriously, I’ve had 36 jobs.) I had to stop participating in student council, because I blew a fuse or ten when I realized all they did was fundraise for parties and dances. So much for wanting to get the curriculum updated and get the school more active in the community. That may have also been why I was voted most likely to be a politician… in 8th grade.

I joke about it, but honestly, stepping into this new role has changed my life in ways I struggle to describe.

Let’s jump back to the summer of 2010. I was working at a Starbucks, slinging coffee out a window to people more or less unhappy with their lives. (The only notable exception to this was Phil Knight and his wife, two of our regulars.) Life was okay. Except that I knew I was handing a false answer to their problems out the window.

When I wasn’t making coffee, I was online. I’d started blogging in my spare time, downsizing my life, and doing more of what I loved. And what did I love? Writing. Sharing. Even when only an hour of my day could be devoted to this secret passion, it lit me up like the 4th of July.

When I first got started, I did it all for the love of writing. All of these thoughts and ideas had been building up with nowhere to go, and when I started blogging, it was like the floodgates opened. My heart soared every time I penned something. Little pieces of me scattered online and throughout the world.

Now it’s October 2011, and I have built myself a job and the makings of a business. In the past year, I’ve written about half a million words. No exaggeration. Between college, writing for pleasure, and writing for business, the flow of words has been more akin to tsunami force than that of the steady river metaphor I had considered using there.

With no qualifications, I wrote ebooks that real people bought. I offered my services as a branding coach and a copywriter – and real people paid me with real money. Danielle LaPorte says the universe speaks in cashflow, and it certainly did to me. The whole thing still blows my mind.

It’s amazing on so many levels, but entrepreneurship is not easy, especially if you’ve got workaholic tendencies. It feels like your work is never done. There’s always this inner conflict going on. How should I be spending my time? How much time with my daughter is enough? How many hours a week should I work? How many would I like to work? How many do I actually have to work to pay my rent?

We take the structure a workplace provides for granted. The thing with being the one calling shots is just that – you’re the one calling the shots. There’s no one else to blame. It’s all on you. Every decision you make about your schedule, your rates, everything. I’m a fan of bootstrapping, but now I dream of the day I can hire my very own virtual assistant. (I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure the heavens will open up and angels will sing.)

Have you considered starting your own business? I’d love to hear about your ideas, and if you have any questions about how I made the transition, I’m happy to answer them! (Molly and Hannah, I want some input here from you guys, too!)

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Happy Birthday Stratejoy.com!

posted 6th November 2009    Written by: Molly Mahar    CATEGORY: All Posts, Molly, Stratejoy the Biz, What I've Learned

Happy Birthday Stratejoy.comIt’s been one year since this website went live!

One year since I quit my full time job to concentrate on birthing this baby.  One year of working towards a goal that many in my life thought impractical, frivolous, unimportant.  One year of working towards a goal that I know is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.

Happy Birthday www.stratejoy.com!

You had me at hello…

When I think about it– a lot has happened in this last year.  I hosted my first Lifestyle Design Workshop in February, started a support community for the amazing women in our Tribe, spoke in front of hundreds of women at Girl Power Hour and lululemon, spent a summer working with some incredibly talented interns, facilitated a Life List Workshop (with men!), recruited and fell in love with four contributing bloggers, connected with many of “my people” via Facebook and Twitter, created the homestudy Joy Equation course and realized that I can totally do this.

In the middle of all that craze, I also kept up my love of traveling– heading to Santa Fe, Maui, San Diego, New York, Montana and Bali to celebrate weddings, families and just plain adventure.

I am grateful for all of it.  All of the butterflies, all of the late night writing, all of the learning curves, all of the support.  And most of all?  I’m grateful for all of you.  Yes, you and you and you.

Thank you.

You have been part of this adventure.  And hopefully, I have been part of yours.  This “Tribe of Gutsy Girls” is strong and growing stronger each day. I get the excited wiggle when I think about what’s in store for all of us in the upcoming year.

Of course, it hasn’t been all peaches and cream. Working for and supporting yourself has been harder than I ever imagined.  In my 29 years, I’ve never had to deal with so many insecurities, so much fear of failure, such little confidence that I’m doing things “right”…

One of our fabulous Tribe members, Holly, posted this quote on Facebook this week.

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”  – Mary Anne Radmacher

It reminded me that being “gutsy” isn’t always big and bold and out loud.  That even when I feel overwhelmed with the task ahead of me, getting up each day and moving forward bit by bit is courageous.  That I am being brave because I’ve committed to what brings me joy, even when it’s hard.

And you know what?  I’m learning.  I’m stretching.  I’m growing.  Perhaps I can even say, I’m coming into my own.  And in that growth, I get to witness and support YOUR growth.  Your exploration.  Your attempts to navigate an authentic life.

It’s been amazing.  It will continue to be so.

Here’s to another year of clarity, inspiration, camaraderie,  adventures, tom foolery, finding flow, rockin’ out and being authentic!

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