With five organizing books on my lap, I had an idea — I'd organize spaces for a living. I didn’t know if it was even a thing, but I thought I could do it.
So I started Dhucks. And… I waited.
I built my website. And… I waited for them to come. I had no budget for marketing, no experience, and no confidence.
I ventured out for coffee one day and started a conversation. I got my first client!
I wrote a blog. And… I waited for them to read.
I booked speaking gigs. I joined networking groups. I built my business and my confidence. Dhucks expanded until the economy contracted. My business slowed.
I kept working. I repurposed content and self-published my first book. Publishing was easy, marketing was the challenge. Rather than focusing on becoming better at marketing, I published another book. And… waited for them to buy.
I continued organizing. I continued speaking. I continued blogging and building connections.
One day, Geralin Thomas, well known in the business, asked me how to self-publish.
I shared everything I knew about self-publishing. She thanked me and published From Hoarding to Hope. After publication, she hired me to market on Amazon. Turns out, I'd given her more guidance in that first free call than she’d received from the paid experts.
She suggested I start a business helping others publish. Her encouragement didn’t push me out of my comfort zone so much as shove me off the cliff… so I could fly. Thanks, Geralin!
I started HYH Book Coach. I published more books. I worked with Kathy Vines to edit, format, and publish Living with Less. I worked with more authors.
I’m a writer and a published author. I help others do the same because I want to...
But there is one thing missing. One step I’m not taking. A key stage I’m failing… no, refusing to do — MARKETING.
I use Amazon marketing tools. I mention my books in networking groups. I sell books at workshops. But I’m not reaching the larger audiences. I’m not marketing. Since I’m not marketing, I can’t help my clients market.
You might have the impression I don’t use social media. It’s not true. I’ve set up social media pages for my businesses. I learned Facebook well enough to get roped in (okay, volunteered) to run pages for several organizations. But I’m not using it effectively.
Things change. The Amazon marketing platforms I relied on changed. They’re not giving me the lukewarm return I expect. I HAVE to change. I must learn to market better. I need… no, I want to learn to market sustainably.
I’ve chosen Udacity’s Digital Marketing Nanodegree program because of the eleven topic areas; the eight projects; and the live advertising I’ll do on their dime. The clincher for me is their career services. I plan to use my new skills to market books. But I’m excited about working with a creative team in a company to build a brand and a community.