We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Minolta Walker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Minolta, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

In order to be successful, you have to understand that your self-worth is not tied to financial success. Success is defined by your effort and commitment to your dreams. The thing that separates your success from another person is the desire to keep going when the road gets tough. When things get hard and complicated, you have to find the inner strength to keep going and hold on to your dreams. Success is already within you, you just have to hold on to it.

The secret to long-term success is continuously cultivating a positive mindset and learning new things. Many of us will experience success at various stages in our lives. When that moment arrives are you open and ready to receive it? Success with the understanding that the success you desire within the world is external. Your greatest success occurs within your heart and mind of who you are within yourself.

Minolta, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Minolta Walker, the CEO, and Founder of The Manuscript Queen.

A boutique ghostwriting agency, where we help public figures, influencers, and entrepreneurs write, edit, and publish their books. I help my clients stay relevant and clarify their brand messaging with a book that helps them to craft captivating stories that will live in the hearts of their readers. We are most proud of influencing entrepreneurs to share their stories and connecting intimately with their audience. While at the same time inspiring their audience to take action in their lives.

If you have ever considered writing a book? We can help you establish and increase your authority in your industry and get your book done!

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

When I started freelancing part-time, it was out of necessity. I was looking to supplement my income after a divorce. With two small children in the home. I needed to create an income that would not require me to be away from my children. I started freelancing on and off for a few years on Upwork. I made just enough to cover bills and expenses for a short period of time. I grew restless with earning enough to just get by as a single mom.

It wasn’t until I decided to pursue writing full time that everything changed. In 2018, I decided to pursue writing full-time as my primary source of income. I began leveraging my social media following and talking openly about my writing skills. Within six months of leaving my full-time job, I was making triple what I would earn in a month.

Even though I was earning a good living as a freelance writer. I did not have the foundational tools to grow my business to where it is today. Some of the key milestones were understanding finances as an entrepreneur. It feels good to make money. It’s an amazing high. It’s more important to understand your relationship with money. To ensure your money can do more work for you in the long run.

Everything that comes into the business needs to be properly invested back into the business. Having legal aid to help with client disputes or chargebacks is avoidable when you have a good contract. Understanding the difference between running a business as an entrepreneur and being a writer is key to success. The biggest milestones many entrepreneurs face are understanding the value that they bring to the table and how to properly charge what you’re worth.

I was able to get where I am today through trial and error mostly. At the same time, being patient with the process of being a first generation entrepreneur.

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I built my social media presence by opening up my life in a way that is intimate and relatable. When someone discovers my page on social media they will discover three things immediately. I’m a black woman. I love the Lord. I’m an entrepreneur. People connect with people of like minds. I am very open about my personal challenges such as the miscarriage of my daughter late in my pregnancy. At the same time, I share my success stories and challenges with growing a business from scratch.

I think too often people feel judged and criticized when you are different than what’s trending. There is a lot of pressure to be like everyone else online. I think it’s more powerful to be in touch and connected with yourself. The more you feel confident and comfortable with yourself. The right people will gravitate towards you online.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.manuscriptqueen.com
• Instagram: @themanuscriptqueen
• Twitter: @manuscriptqueen
• Other: Tik Tok: @manuscriptqueen

Image Credits
Live it Up Photography Atl