Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
It's a few days into the new year but I want us to talk!
I was in a strategy call session a few days when my client asked me what I studied. I mentioned that I was a graduate of English and she was shocked. She added, "Are you serious?"
We were actually drafting some strategies for her brand as my agency was handling the Brand Communication and Content Management side of her business. She was, however, fascinated by the strategies I shared with her as regards Sales and Marketing.
I smile when people tell me that they feel I have a degree in Business related courses because of how I tend to see the business side of almost everything. Aside from being a writer, I am also a mathematician. I have my numbers at the tip of my fingers. I plot progress graphs for my business every month.
I know that when I want to earn a certain amount of money from my books, all I have to do is divide my anticipated income by the cost of the book to know how many persons I have to sell to. I do a lot with numbers even as a writer so, brainstorming on strategies and drafting business model charts are part of the things I do at the backend with my clients.
Talking about my writing journey...
I started writing as a little girl. I was so engrossed in Reading and Writing while growing up which has today, made me a great writer and speaker. Those who have heard me speak on topics within and outside my core will tell you that I am very good with words, analysis of ideas and creation of thought patterns.
Writing and Speaking are my special gifts. I cannot count the number of opportunities I have accessed just because I could speak my thoughts through and write excellently and professionally. This is why you should make efforts to learn how to write and speak well in 2022.
In today's world of work, you cannot build a career or business and get to that level of fullest expression if you do not possess the tools of expression which are WRITING and SPEAKING. All you know will remain in your head if you cannot write and speak.
Not only will these skills set you on the pedestal of growth and influence building, but you can also build a business around them. I know this because I have experienced it.
After graduation from the University, I didn't go in search of a job as most graduates in Nigeria do. I was already doing great stuff with my writing and speaking skills. I was taking up social impact projects and funding them personally. I had already built a business around my writing skill so, it was easy to impact more lives and boost my income.
I leveraged my writing skills to earn more. I was getting paid because I mastered the art of writing. Today, I am not waiting for salary, instead, I am providing jobs for people. I currently have people on my payroll.
Note: Getting a salary is not wrong. Searching for a job is not wrong. What is wrong is NOT having skillsets that will set you apart from every other person struggling for that same job vacancy. At most, be a great writer. Learning how to communicate your thoughts in writing will position you as the best fit if you decide to go job hunting.
Even as a career professional, writing is a great tool for massive exploits. You will attract more attention to your brand if you can create powerful content around your message.
What I did earlier in my career was to identify my special gifts and harness them. I took up writing as a business and consciously built a brand around it. I have consistently taught the Art and Business of Writing for years now so I know what it entails to build a profitable business as a writer. I have worked with brands and professionals in countries including Europe, UK, Canada, Liberia and here in Nigeria, so I know what it means to profit from one's skill.
Everyone is blessed with a gift, skill or talent. But there is more to these things you have. You cannot sleep and expect your gifts and talents to bring you results when you have not mastered how to turn them into profit channels. It is as simple as that!
I did not start profiting from my skill just by sleeping and waking up, complaining that nothing is working fine meanwhile, there are resources I can access and experts I can leverage their experience to build something and grow.
Go the extra mile!
It was my zeal to make a difference that pushed me to spend on self-development and talent mastery. I was sure tired of being told that there were no jobs in the country. I didn't want to graduate with the same tale graduates tell.
As it stands, I have long passed that stage of blaming people, especially the government or my family for what is not working well. Your time should be paid to figuring how to make things work for yourself. This is why I am concerned when I see people say that they are waiting for the government to provide jobs.
I didn't expect to get a job from the government after graduation. As huge as it may sound, I built a highly profitable writing career starting from my days as a student. It started with a decision to do more using what I have despite the limitations at that time.
At certain points in life, we may not get the best of what we ever wish. We may not be where we want to be. We may not have the best of life but one thing is certain; we have something that can take us to that height. We have gifts that can move us from being broke to being highly profitable. However, these gifts pave the way only when they have been discovered and harnessed.
Back then, I was so broke that I had to ask myself a lot of questions. It happened because I didn't know how best to monetize my skill and the business models to take up.
If you are reading this and wondering why you are not making money despite all the powerful information and knowledge you have in your head, I want you to know that there is a lot of work to be done. It is no longer time to sleep and expect someone to do what you have to do for yourself. Sadly enough, everyone is fighting for a spot on the path to success.
If you are a newbie, there are no limitations. Learn the strategies to grow a profitable brand. Commit to learning from those who have walked the path with results to show.
As much as you can, join a powerful inner circle that will support you and keep you accountable to setting and hitting your goals. Access superior information from people who have done what you want to do.
What's my point?
Be ruthless about harnessing your gifts and talents and building something viable around them. If you have a gift, don't leave them dormant. Work on them. Master the Art and Business of it. Build a brand around it.
This year, you need to go the extra mile to become a profitable writer and business owner.
I hope you will.