Doing things on your own sometimes can be a bit intimidating. For so long, anything I’ve done in business has either been taught to me in school or directed for me at work. But with my most passionate quest in writing (and forming a business of it), I’m doing this on my own. I’m making my own way, my own mistakes, my own successes…my own memories, but I am doing it. It’s a tough road, but I keep taking steps forward. And that is the only difference between me and the next person—I keep moving…in spite of being intimidated—in spite of the unknown.

Branching out and networking with vendors, trusting editors, negotiating with distributors is the name of this game. And even though it can be an intimidating process, it’s all for something much bigger than who I am, so I keep going forward and I pray that God continues to walk with me because I’m new to this.

I’m always so impressed with the person who’s created her own business in spite of herself. I used to get my hair styled by a woman who had been styling hair for 20 years. Within the last two years she had decided to go back to school to get her bachelor’s degree in Marketing. She told me of how surprised she was when she realized what she had learned in class was everything she had already learned how to do—naturally.

A lot of people are asking me how I’m starting my own business in writing or how they can start their own. I always say that the first secret is making the first step and the next secret is continuing…one step at a time. Making the first step could be something as big as filing your business name or as small as putting an idea for your business on paper. But you have to do something. Moving in spite of being intimidated is easiest when you are inspired...work hardest during those period and keep praying for inspiration.  Either way, it’s difficult, but so well worth the struggle.