I am going to tell you my true story of my journey to where I am today.
In 2006, my son was born. I was working as a paralegal for an older attorney and I loved my job. About 4 months after my son was born the attorney called me into his office and let me know that he was retiring. I wasn’t too worried in that moment because they had taken on a new partner. I would just work for him full time. But being the type of attorney he was that only lasted a few months, because he did 90% of all the work himself and didn’t really leave me anything to do. So I was laid off for lack of work. That hit hard because I worked for my first attorney for almost 5 years and love it there.
But with the advice of the old boss I went out and started my first real business. I became a certified mobile notary or otherwise as Notary Signing Agent, I actually loved doing it and I kept busy all the time. Building it from nothing to making $5k a month. I actually have a book you can find out how do it yourself if you are looking to start an easy business. You can pick it up on Kindle click the link here. This book just goes over the basics of how to start.
Now on with My Journey
I did the mobile Notary Signing Agent business for a long time 8 years to be exact. Worked long hours building the business, but it wasn’t really what I wanted to do with my life. I could have started a signing agency of my own, but at that time I didn’t know all I do about websites, apps, and all the other great technology that I know today. So what did I do, I started going to school to be a court reporter because I really enjoyed the legal field. But I washed out about a year into it because of bad carpel tunnel and I hated it. I think that was the main factor in it.
But in that part of my journey, I wrote two books. I became an author in 2012. Those books are online also, here are the links to those if you’d like to check them out here and here. I thought I found my passion, transferred out of court reporting school and entered my local community college to take up creative writing.
Oh, I haven’t told you that during that time I had another son also in 2007, started a blog, and was dabbling in affiliate marketing. It was very promising and I started to make good money doing it. But when you start doing something you get the naysayers. People telling me that it was not a real business and that it wouldn’t last long term. I so wish I hadn’t listened to them.
So I pivoted in all aspects again. Another thing I failed to mention above at this time in 2014, I am 40 years old.
I took a class called intro to web design just to fill up my schedule for the term. Guess what? I fell in love.
Here’s a Twist
I started my journey in web design. My first website coded was a complete and udder disaster. I mean, I did learn to code from scratch. But it was ugly, in comes CSS. Oh so beautiful. But you throw in the new mobile devices that are able to search up web pages and — here is the ugly again. I don’t have any pictures of my first website that I created, I wish I did. But I learned to make my sites mobile friendly which was a gift from heaven.
As my journey went on I found that I loved creating sites, but I still loved writing too. And I absolutely loved my small indie book community. So I continued to write under another pen name Selene Jasper, but the thing that I forgot to do is start a website as an author. I didn’t have a newsletter, mailing list or a clue about marketing my book. So it really didn’t take off the way I had hoped and I didn’t know how to start a web design business… not yet at least.
So I continued to doing my Notary Signing business, it was paying the bills. Until…
I got pneumonia and mono at the same time. I was putting in 60-80 hours a week out on the road going to peoples houses and working through it. My son who was born in 2006 was diagnosed with Autism and I needed to be with him. He was struggling and I was his life line. My husband said you have to be here for him. You need to quit. So my business of 8 years was just done. I closed up shop and focused on my family and my life, got a part time job as a waitress, but it is not what I wanted. What I wanted to do is write or create websites. I didn’t though. I didn’t do any of it, I just worked as a waitress for two years. Taking care of my kids, and just getting by.
Boom…what did I do.
Boom… sexual harassment in the work place and the corporation did nothing about it. So I quit…got another job 2019. But at this point I am miserable. I hate my new job, but it is only for a season or so I thought. I found ways of improving the company by offering suggestions here and there and worked my way up to Project Manager within 6 months. But I still don’t like my job, but at least when Covid hit they allow me to work from home. I am still so unhappy, I start dabbling with websites again after 4 years. I start blogging I even try my hand at Youtube. You should go check that out too. I am going to be more active on there again.
I land my first paying client… build a website and they love it. You can check out my portfolio to see them all. My first was for Detroit Oregon right after the bad wildfires. Then I got another client it was a huge one for a non-profit called Clackamas River Water Providers. But that is not where my heart is at so I created one for L. Wilder, author extraordinaire. I loved doing that site. The other’s that I have created are not on my portfolio because they were commissioned through white label companies and I am unable to share them.
But long story short on my journey
No matter how old you are you can still follow your heart and your dreams. I am living proof that you can. I am now 49 years old going full force in my own business. And I am here to support you in yours. So my mission statement is:
You are never to old to follow your dreams, I am here to make help you make them possible.
I create websites for authors, to help promote their dreams of being a full time author.
By utilizing a platform they own, and creating an email list to promote their books when they release them so they are not doing cold marketing everytime they release them.
But even better I help them develop other streams of income to supplement them through the time between releases by setting up shops and teaching them how to use affiliate marketing in their blog and groups and other social media platforms.
If you would like to book a consultation with me please just go here and set one up.
Now on with the journey:
This journey is just starting and I will be continuing it with intention and with consistency. So expect to see me all over the place, but if you want to be the first to hear when I have available design appointment or just to get all the tips I will be sharing on making your website your own sign up here and I will email you with them first.
I will be uploading videos weekly on YouTube, either tips on growing your email list, income streams ideas, or book reviews of my favorite book of the week. And I will also be posting weekly on my blog one book review and one tips and tricks for your website and email ist.