We recently connected with Mandy Maree and have shared our conversation below.
Mandy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
The best investment I’ve ever made – in terms of time and money – was myself. Choosing myself. I spent my 20s as an educator because I always felt called to serve. And while I miss the students dearly, I wasn’t investing my time and energy in myself. Finally, in 2021, I decide to go for it. To live out one of my dreams. So, I wrote a book.
Little did I know that when 2024 came around, I’d need to invest in myself again. To choose me. I have been going through a separation and divorce, and I’m learning a lot about myself and the need to love and believe in myself because that’s how you truly build confidence and make your investment worth while. By pouring love into myself and giving my time and energy to me more than ever before, I’m learning that the investment in myself and my own dreams is worth every penny.
Mandy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m a romance author originally from Florida, but I now live in Colorado with her two tiny humans. I’m a firm believer in love and happily ever afters. When you read my writing, which ranges from sweet romcoms to spicy contemporary or paranormal romance, my stories are filled with heart, humor, and happily ever after.
My debut is a sweet romcom called “Meet the Teacher.”
This fall, I will be releasing a paranormal romance co-written with a friend, titled, “Witch, Please” and a spicy novella called “Wild Ride.”
Follow me on IG at authormandymaree or visit my website for updates at authormandymaree.com.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
A story from my journey that illustrates resilience is my current situation. I finally started to have my “dream life” of being a stay-at-home mom and a full-time author. Little did I know that this happy world as I knew it would come to an end the moment my husband came back from an extended time away in the military. He came back as a different person. Someone I know longer knew. Someone who no longer wanted me.
How could I write stories about love when my own love story was coming to an end?
But, I’ve learned that it’s okay to still chase after my own wants, needs, and dreams even if it’s looking a little different. Writing was still the path I wanted to stay on, and I couldn’t let anyone or anything stop me from continuing to fulfill my dreams and work to achieve all the things I wanted, even if it meant that the route to get there looked completely different than what I had originally planned.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
If you are a woman writer out there, I HIGHLY recommend joining a supportive community who not only is there as support but accountability as well. Most specifically, I am a proud member of Quill & Cup. It has changed my life – not just my writing life – in so many ways, and I can’t express enough how vital it has been for my journey to be my best self. A lot of my resilience and the ability to stay true to who I am has been found in the welcoming arms of my sister in a virtual sisterhood that truly makes you feel like women all over the world are right there for you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://authormandymaree.com
- Instagram: authormandymaree
- Facebook: Author Mandy Maree
