We recently connected with Andrea Reid and have shared our conversation below.
Andrea, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
To grow and learn in life, we must take risks. If we don’t, then we will never know if we will succeed at doing something. Taking a leap of faith, I took a risk when I wrote my first book, “Treasured by God.” As an editor of books, I’m accustomed to editing my clients’ books but never thought I would one day write my own. One of my greatest concerns was what friends and family members would think of me after reading the content that I included in my book. Would they view me in a different light based on what they read? I also wondered if others (my audience) would receive it well. I was nervous and petrified; however, I was thankful to have great friends around to encourage me, dismantling my fears. I took the risk hoping reading my book would encourage and inspire others. Truly, it takes courage to tell your story.
When I saw the end product, I was well pleased from cover to cover and was proud to share my book with the world. The responses I received from people who purchased a copy moved me as they gave raving reviews. My outlook is that if something in my book inspires or affects the lives of others, then it was worth taking the risk.
My advice: Take the risk!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I was born on the beautiful island of Jamaica and migrated to the United States where Connecticut became my home. As a proud graduate of Howard University, I received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing and then worked in different marketing departments for a few companies. I worked closely with legal and compliance departments where I proofread marketing materials and other documents to ensure they were error free and presentable for our customer base. By doing this line of work, I realized how much I LOVED it!
In 2014, my mentor asked me to review a manuscript for a professor and after proofreading it, the professor was thankful for the revisions and suggestions I offered. Shortly thereafter, another professor suggested I consider proofreading as a business. I was reluctant at first, but after discussing it with a friend, I moved forward on the idea because I started getting an influx of referrals to proofread/edit other books; mainly faith-based ones. Initially, this seemed like just a hobby, but I was determined to establish my editing business. In 2019, I founded Proofreiding, Inc., a proofreading and editing boutique that offers editing services for nonfiction books, blogs, biographies, newsletters, marketing materials, business reports, proposals, and website content.
I enjoy proofreading and editing because it’s just me and my words. Being labeled as an “eagle eye,” I love finding errors and improving on documents/content. I pay great attention to the details. Clients may request my services, and by the time I’m done proofreading/editing their document, they are always satisfied with the results. I aim to please.
As I mentioned above, in March 2022, I released my first book, “Treasured by God,” where I share my personal relationship with God and how He speaks to me through dreams and visions. I wrote the book to encourage other (new) dreamers who see forthcoming events while they sleep. My goal was to make them aware of how special they are that God speaks to them in dreams and visions. I wanted to encourage them so they would not feel weird or awkward as I did. People can purchase this inspirational book on Amazon for $19.99 (paperback) and $9.99 (eBook). I am currently working on a sequel to “Treasured by God” — the women’s edition.
I believe in giving back to society in some capacity. And as a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, I co-chair the Ad Hoc Committee on HBCU Scholarships with my cohort, Andy Huston. Together, we established our “passion project” — the first EFA Ruth Mullen Memorial Scholarship Program geared toward HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). This scholarship was named in honor of Ruth Mullen, a longtime member of the organization who died tragically last September when she was hit by a bus in New York. Recently, we awarded two scholarships to two students at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the amount of $5,000 (each). One student is a junior at Spelman College and the other graduated from North Carolina A&T and is now attending Harvard Business School. Offering this scholarship was unprecedented for the EFA and I’m proud I was part of the process in getting it established. We look forward to awarding even more scholarships to deserving students who are attending or have attended HBCUs in the upcoming years.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
The best source of new clients for me has been through referrals. However, I’ve also had other clients to reach out to me through my social media platforms as well.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
There have been times when I’ve had to pivot and show resilience in life. I’ve had times where my finances were affected because of layoffs and caring for my best friend each time he had to be hospitalized for renal failure complications. These were tough times but despite it all, I remained focused on getting my life back on track. I’m a fighter so I will always figure things out and work it out somehow for my betterment. Through it all, I never lost sight of my business because it’s part of my purpose. There was no way I was going to quit; I had to keep going.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.proofreidinginc.com
- Instagram: @proofreidingincar ; @andrealreid_author
- Facebook: proofreidingincar
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-reid-9a395719?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BYmB5ZIZoQtaDrPeoQKghwg%3D%3D
- Twitter: Proofreiding Inc
- Youtube: proofreiding Inc
Image Credits
Dorian Long of Jamal Stallings Studios Donyelle Kess (Graphic Artist) Dr. Kishma George of K.I.S.H_magazine