We were lucky to catch up with Marissa Moultrie recently and have shared our conversation below.

Marissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I am absolutely happier as a business owner, but there are days when the reality of being my own boss hits me HARD. Many people dream of being their own boss, but it takes a particular type of person to make it happen successfully. I truly believe that being a business owner is one of the hardest jobs in the world. I know many entrepreneurs who work 12+ hours a day, myself included; especially at the beginning of my business when I started scaling into an agency. I saw 3 am more than I had in my entire life in just one summer. I loved the work, which does make it much more fulfilling, but being so emotionally involved is also exhausting beyond belief. The fear of failure can be debilitating, plus the obligation to explain what you do to people who don’t understand. Tons of people don’t understand entrepreneurship, but even more don’t understand grant writing and the fundraising industry.
A few months ago I had an incident with one of my clients and team members that I didn’t know how to resolve. At the time, I thought about how nice it would be to have an internal HR department where I can bring my concerns. Unfortunately for me, I am HR! I’m also the CEO, Owner, and Manager of the 18 people on my team, both employees and contractors. Being the main point of contact is challenging and can be very draining, especially with HR or IT issues. Payroll is another element of being self-employed and managing a team that can be difficult. I have to keep up with tax rates, paying employees in multiple states, and other issues that many employees of a regular job often overlook. Most big businesses have dedicated Payroll professionals… for Manhattan Grant Writers, that is me! HR? Me too. Manager? Me. Director of Marketing? Me. Sales? Well, I do have help with that one! But it wasn’t always that way, and it’s totally a luxury to have someone to help.

One of the benefits (and necessities) of being an entrepreneur is that you learn how to quickly solve problems. The life of being your own boss is a constant challenge with little to no roadmap or guidebook. It can be isolating and confusing, especially seeing friends with their “regular jobs” getting off at 5 pm and being done with work for the rest of the night. And the benefits of regular jobs?! Don’t even get me started! Health Insurance felt impossible when I turned 26.

Despite its challenges, being my own boss is the best. You get to choose when you work and how to structure your days. You get to surround yourself with the people and clients you want. You can make executive business decisions. You can develop your own protocols and expectations. You get to work as much or as little as you want, which is perfect for my performance schedule as a professional opera singer. The challenges may be a bit intense, but it is totally worth it seeing the fruits of your labor.

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 am a professional opera singer as well as a grant writer. I founded Manhattan Grant Writers in 2022 after spending one year as a solopreneur and working independently with my clients. I was always looking for ways to better serve my clients, and one day I thought about the benefit of having a science professional work on science grants, a musician work on arts grants, and so on. Matching our clients with a grant writer who “gets them” both personally and professionally brings a piece of humanity into our process. I was tired of seeing the stereotypical grant writer who is unwelcoming and bland. I knew that I hadn’t seen anything like what I wanted, so I created Manhattan Grant Writers.

We are proud to offer highly-individualized services to our clients with a small team that works collaboratively. We have clients in multiple industries with our diverse group of grant writers, which is also what sets us apart. We work together to solve problems and help each other with complex grants that require input from multiple grant writers.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Absolutely! I had an incredible business coach throughout this process, Annie Calvaneso. Without her, I know I would have had a much harder time with scaling into an agency.

I have a big list of podcasts that I love, but I especially love Amanda Frances’s podcasts, books, and training videos. I also love The Freelance Friday podcast hosted by Latasha James.

In terms of books, I love Chillpreneur, How to Win Friends and Influence People, She Minds Her Own Business, The Emotional Entrepreneur, and The Body Keeps the Score. Sure the last one isn’t business related, but it made a big difference in how I manage my time and what I value most.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

During the Covid lockdown, I was in the second year of my Master’s degree, isolated from my friends, and not sure what I was going to do after graduation since my industry was crumbling before my eyes. As you could imagine, my anxiety reached an all-time high, especially when paired with the ongoing pandemic that prevented everyone from going outside. Due to chronic stress, I started having issues with anxiety-related nausea. I don’t just mean a queasy stomach… I couldn’t keep food down for 3 months and I was terrified that I was dying. Every day felt worse than the last.

Thankfully with the help of therapy and modern medicine, I was able to make it through. I came out the other side as a better communicator, friend, and boss.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.manhattangrantwriters.com
• Instagram: manhattangrantwriters
• Facebook: Manhattan Grant Writers
• Linkedin: Manhattan Grant Writers

Image Credits
Patricia Westley Photography