Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jessica Buchanan, Founder of Soul Speak Press, located in Alexandria, VA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I operate a writing and speaking coaching service called Soul Speak and founded a hybrid publishing imprint, Soul Speak Press. I help women who are ready to tell their stories craft their message into a Memoir Manifesto that shares with their audiences what they have been through, what they have learned because of it, and what they are ready to teach us about what they know now. My clients are women who have a willingness to write a book and speak professionally about their stories.
Tell us about yourself
In 2011, I was working in Somalia for a humanitarian aid organization, and while on a routine field mission, I was kidnapped at gunpoint and subsequently held hostage in the desert for 93 days until I was rescued, by order of President Obama, by SEAL Team VI. I learned many things throughout my ordeal, but the most enduring lesson is trusting my intuition. I am on a mission to support women tell their stories from a place of empowerment and depth. I have gone on to do many things, including becoming an NYT Bestselling author (Impossible Odds), and have spent the last ten years sharing my story professionally. I meet so many women with incredibly captivating stories, and they just don't know how to get started- I love being able to use what I've learned to help women launch into a purpose-filled career.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment thus far would be setting up my own publishing imprint and working with 21 other women authors for our upcoming anthology, "Deserts to Mountaintops: Our Collective Journey to (re)Claiming Our Voice," slated for publishing January 2023.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I think there are many things that are hard about being a business owner- but above all, I think it can be sort of lonely. People who are not working for themselves don't understand why you have to prioritize your work and why you have to dump all your energy and resources into building it. I do this because I love what I do, am driven to serve, and believe in my worthiness to make money. Not everyone gets that, and it can feel isolating.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Just keep showing up. I remind myself every day that Jeff Bezos (while highly controversial!) did get it right when he said it takes ten years to become an overnight success. Consistency is the secret sauce.
- It is safe to be yourself in your business- don't try to do it like everyone else- your magic is what will bring you clients and customers.
- You are only limited by what you think you can do, earn and become- if it's crazy, it's probably the way you should go!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.jessbuchanan.com/publishing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicabuchananpage/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jessicacbuchanan/
https://www.instagram.com/soulspeakpress/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jess_buchanan1
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3dAActM
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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