Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stacy Dymalski, Founder of The Memoir Midwife, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am a story developer who works with authors, directors, and producers to fine-tune their manuscripts and scripts. I've created development programs that help everyone, from soccer moms to studio execs, find, write, and share their stories in the form of books, movies, and TV pilots. And my bestselling book, "The Memoir Midwife: Nine Steps to Self-Publishing Your Book," shows authors how to release their own books without traditional publishers.
Tell us about yourself
I have been a standup comedian since I was 19 years old. In order to improve my skills, I took post-graduate screenwriting and story-development classes at UCLA through their professional development program. From there, I found that I love screenwriting as another form of storytelling. And through UCLA contacts and referrals, I carved out a niche as a story developer. I then expanded my skills to include non-entertainment-industry people who wanted to write books but didn't know how to structure their stories or even how to get started. To date, I've helped over a hundred people write their books and ghostwritten a few for notable coaches and experts. I truly love helping people bring their stories to light, especially when I know (for some of them) their books never would've existed. And I still do standup comedy on a regular basis--which is my first love. To me, standup is the most authentic form of storytelling.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is my independence. I'm very good at budgeting my time so that I'm free to do the things I want to do when I want to, all while respecting the needs of my clients. Plus, I can do my business anywhere, so I'm able to travel while keeping up with my workload.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest thing about running a business is the "business" part of it. For example, accounting, filing quarterly taxes, marketing, and keeping up with social media are all things that have nothing to do with writing and storytelling, but I can't ignore them. Even if I hire people to handle these things, I still have to manage those people and tasks. At the end of the day, I'm still ultimately responsible for all aspects of my business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Find a way to make money doing what you love. Then your job doesn't feel like work.
- Hire professionals to do the things you're not good at or don't like. If you can't afford to pay them, work out a trade or use college interns (especially when it comes to social media).
- Make sure you stay happy doing your business. If it becomes overwhelming or evolves into drudgery, course correct or quit and move on to something that does make you happy.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.thememoirmidwife.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stacy.dymalski/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacy_dymalski/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StacyWriteNow
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacydymalski/
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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