This was the brilliant subject line of the email I received from Nif Lindsay which served as her entry to my Build Your Online Business contest.
Here’s how the rest of her email went:
No seriously:
In 6 weeks I’ve gone from declaring my intent to eventually run my own business, to getting “restructured” out of my job, to determining what direction I want to go in, to soliciting specific strategies and ideas from friends and contacts (I just happened to find your website the same week I decided to do a professional blog!), to redrafting a book that I had put down for 2 years (just a side project), to reexamining my life goals for other reasons yet have that apply professionally, and now…
Here I go.
If I think about it too hard, I get terrified as I only have 2 months of savings… but I have never let fear stop me in the past, and I’m not going to let it stop me now. I’m doing it. I’m going to start a professional blog on local resources for seniors, from the point of view of the “sandwich generation.”
And use my informational interviews for this to build a new rolodex and find a full-time community relations job so I can get out of fundraising for non-profits and move in a more diversified and flexible direction (and yes, I’ve got some long-term BHAGs to work towards in this field.)
Using your wonderfully accessible e-book, I’ve done my business plan and marketing plan. I love planning, but my learning curve on this is so steep: all the details are a bit intimidating. Having a template to follow made it feasible and helped me capture and organize all the amazing ideas that have been bubbling up.
I am considering my domain names, have started drafting content for my blog, have been researching and will be filing my business papers by mid-January.
I’m looking forward to implementing some of your more refined strategies (like pop-ups, etc) once I’m further down the path a bit – but even now, I’m more excited to get up in the morning than I have been in years… and I’m a fairly excited morning person anyway, so I must be glowing!
My former colleagues say I look more relaxed and happy, and I want to keep this feeling and claim this lifestyle. I’d also love to win your contest! Have super New Year wherever your wandering feet carry you…
Thank you,
Nif
Nif (Jennifer) Lindsay is a catalyst, a former fundraiser for non-profits, postpartum doula and Warrior Mama. She lives in Portland, OR, and is grateful for the resources here that support her son and the beauty that restores her soul, even though she’s much too far away from her parents… for now.
Natalie here – don’t you just love real stories like this of entrepreneurs like you and I, getting out there and making it happen? I do and I’d love for you to share your BYOB story with me.