Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alyssa Berthiaume, Founder of The Write Place Right Time, located in Essex Junction, VT, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

The Write Place, Right Time is my virtual boutique of ghostwriting and book coaching services with a focus on the memoir. I love serving those who are pushed to the margins either by identity and/or experience and have been silenced, as I feel that they have something to share that we all need to hear. My sincerest belief is that when we honor our own narratives, we activate our own healing. And when those narratives are shared with others, we activate theirs. The more healed we are individually and collectively, the better off our world is. Books are one container for these narratives to be shared and spread, and I serve as a conduit. My focus is memoirs because these are the stories of real people for real people. This is a genre that I believe can make us feel less alone and more hopeful of what we are capable of. And I believe that while the traditional publishing industry predominantly focuses on the memoir of high-profile individuals, it's the everyday people that most of us relate to. When a memoir is written well, it has the power to reflect back to us something we have experienced while reminding us we are not the only one who has suffered and inspiring us to keep going.

Tell us about yourself

I started this business in 2018 under a variety of different circumstances. I began as a content writer and copywriter and eventually moved over to book coaching and ghostwriting, but that's exactly where I need to be because books and stories, and people have been in my heart always. Ultimately, I jumped on the entrepreneurial journey as one part of my commitment to showing my son what it means to pursue your dreams, be who you are, and not let anyone put you inside of a box. So I'm blending my love of people, my love of stories, my skill sets, and my gifts and talents and writing to serve people on their journey to publication. So why did I get started? I don't know that I was ever not meant to be a writer.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I am proud that through my business, my clients feel seen, heard, valued, and their experiences are validated and not judged. That they feel that their voices are captured on the page and their experiences recognized. I celebrate with them when their books receive awards and are/or truly serving the people who read them. Knowing that I played a part in that ripple effect of how a book can touch one person's life and therefore touch another means so much. My biggest accomplishments to date, however, aren't about the revenue I've made or the number of books I've collaborated on either by coaching or ghostwriting, or even the number of interviews I've had on various podcasts. There's nothing quantitative about what I'm most proud of and how I show up for my clients and team members. I'm proud of the work itself and the people and books I've touched, and the connections I've made. And last but not least, the example that I've set for my son to never give up on his dreams; he witnessed the fruition of one of my lifelong dreams in 2020 when I wrote and published my 1st memoir, Dear Universe, I Get It Now: Letters on the Art and Journey of Being Brave and Being Me, which recently received a Gold Book Award from the Nonfiction Authors Association.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

I believe one of the hardest things about being a business owner is wearing all the hats. You've got to have a vision, but you also have to understand the details and all the things in between. I've got one hell of a team of contractors that I adore, and that helps me make the magic happen, but even with their support, there's a ton to stay focused on besides delivering amazing services to my clients. That can be a lot to hold energetically.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

My top 3 tips for anyone on the entrepreneurial path:

  1. You don't have to have everything figured out to get going; the entrepreneurial journey is an evolution. Where you start doesn't have to be where you end, but you won't get anywhere if you don't at least begin.
  2. Sometimes, the biggest challenges we have are the ones we create through the stories we tell ourselves repeatedly and then choose to believe. For me, it was the financial operations of my business. Numbers had never been my strong suit, so I sought guidance from those who were more comfortable with financials and software programs like Quickbooks to help me. I don't regret that decision, but I also recognized in working with them that the belief I had 'that I had no business doing numbers' turned out to be wrong. I'm not comfortable with numbers, and they make me anxious, but I was actually very aware of what my business numbers are and what they mean, and I wasn't giving myself enough credit for having my finger on the pulse of the financial health of my business.
  3. This may sound a little 'woo woo,' but your business should align with your core values and how you want to show up in the world. So be brave to be you and trust your intuition. I've found that when I've listened to my internal voice, it has never steered me wrong.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://thewriteplacerighttime.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewriteplacerighttime
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aybTWPRT/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/berthiaume_y
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayberthiaume/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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