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“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question every breathing adult on the planet has asked a child at one time or another. We all want the chance to encourage the next generation and applaud excitedly when the Small Humans in our lives announce they want to be Astronauts, Ballerinas, or the next Angelina Jolie.
We even try to force encouraging smiles and head nods when these same Little People rattle off careers and job titles that we Big Humans had no idea existed, like YouTuber, Professional Gamer, or Ice Road Trucker.
I think that we adults secretly hope to live vicariously through our offspring when we ask those questions. Because, well…wouldn’t it be awesome if our child were to become a contestant on Dancing with the Stars or have to write a Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech?!
So, even though I truly love the career path that I am on, it’s fun to take a moment to pontificate on what I would do if money was no object and I could not fail.
Would I be Lady Gaga, flying from wires, singing my heart out to millions of raving fans while wearing a jewel-encrusted diaper-thingy?
Would I be a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Wrangler? Dangling from Snoopy’s front leg or SpongeBob’s inflatable shoe might make for some fun and memorable moments.
Side note; the folks that dance around dressed as Christmas trees might be kind of a hot gig too.
Or would I have more fun in a role as a Malt-o-Meal Taster (hey, that exists) or better yet, a Dove Chocolate Quality Control Officer? Maybe I could be the person who eats all of Rachael Ray’s leftovers after her show or is the official backstage sampler on Cupcake Wars.
I could go on for days, but for now…if I could be anything, I know I would choose to be a writer.
I used to think that was a far-fetched dream. I thought writing books was for those who could weave a story that moved readers to tears. I thought it was for …anyone but me. I am not sure where that self-limiting belief came from, but I’m pissed I let that notion squelch me into not even trying to pursue my life-long dream of being published.
But that mind-block shifted the early part of this year when I took a self-publishing course taught by the brilliant (and crazy-talented) Carissa Andrews. As I sat in her class, I had the Mother of All Lightbulb Moments. I realized I already had everything I needed to publish a book. It was all already written within the hundreds of blog posts on this very site.
It’s no mistake that more and more bloggers are signing book deals. And it’s a trend that’s sure to continue. In fact, I think it will be more and more unusual for authors not to have blogs.
I heard someone in the book publishing industry say recently that one of the first questions a publisher asks about a prospective author is this: Do they have a blog or a good platform?~ Amy Lynn Andrews
Now, I didn’t get a book deal, but I don’t need one either. That’s the beauty of self-publishing. It’s now easier than ever to create, format, and publish a book (or ebook) on Amazon. And I have a platform that I’ve been cultivating for then years.
So that’s what I did. I wrote two books in two months.
First up was Book #1 FREElance FREEdom; a rebirth of an ebook I wrote almost 6 years ago. Then, before I knew it, Book #2 in the series was born. It was an epic moment filled with happy dances and maybe even a happy-tears-ugly-cry.
The second book was longer, but just as satisfying to pull together. MOM BOSSING is the stronger of my two books, but both serve equal purpose in helping others achieve business and home business dreams.
MOM BOSSING: The Freedom to Create the Business You Love is a book filled with personal stories, resources, support, wisdom, and encouragement from a solopreneur who has been in the trenches as a mom boss. This step-by-step guide shares the truth, fears, tears, and cheers of being a mom who is building a business empire on her own terms. If you are looking for a new career for the “second half of life,” venturing into direct sales, rocking a home business, or dreaming of leaving a dead-end job, this book provides the building blocks needed to move forward with a healthy dose of humor authenticity. In many ways, this book could also sport the tagline of Building a LIFE on Your Own Terms.
If you feel the urge to click through and buy these books, I would love you forever. Truly. But the main purpose of this story and to let you know, if you’ve dreamed of writing a book, you got this.
And there’s no better day than today to get started.
