We were lucky to catch up with Naomi Sowell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Naomi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was one of the most important lessons you learned in school? Why did that lesson stick with you?
In September 2021, I joined an online school called The Author Conservatory. It’s college-level and beyond training specifically for writing and business. Being homeschooled and becoming a professional musician at a young age had me operating as a loner most of the time. I was used to people leaving and having few true friends outside of my family. (Thank God for siblings!) I always thought I worked better alone, but boy, was I wrong. After joining Author, I realized just how vital having a strong community around you was, especially in such creative work where you can get stuck inside your own head. Right after becoming a student, all hell broke loose in my personal life. I thought 2020 and Covid was bad, but my life got absolutely insane for almost two years. I’m still recovering and healing mentally, emotionally, and spiritually from all the hits I took. But for the first time in my life, I had a safe place to go, a community to cry out to and lean on, and trusted people I could share with without burdening my already struggling family. And I am so much better for it. Community is uncomfortable, y’all. It goes against the innate desire we all have to look out for self first and power through life alone. Community is scary. I still get butterflies (not the good kind) on calls, and my hands shake for a bit when I meet friends for coffee. I fear rejection. After tasting and having my inner cup full of beautiful people, I can grapple at times with the fear that it won’t last–can’t last. We all do I think. But a wise friend (my mom actually I think lol) told me, “People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.” That gives me comfort. Some folks will leave. But some will stay… for life. How amazing is that? Hence, why Found Family is my favorite trope. I’m so thankful for Author and this incredibly important lesson they taught me. I can’t imagine my life now without community. I have no idea where I’d be if I had to face the past two years alone. Finding and investing in the right community have drastically impacted my writing and business and even my life.
Naomi, 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?
Hey, y’all! My name is Naomi Sowell, and I write stories that light up the dark. We each battle our own darkness, and I try to encourage people along their journeys by being real and authentic, sharing my own pain while pointing to my Jesus, the Light of the world, Who has rescued me out of the darkness.
God has lit a fire inside me to spread awareness about human trafficking through writing. My goal is to give young teens and adults solid, soulful thrillers where I tackle heavy topics in a delicate but powerful way, pulling from the raw grit of fantasy, sci-fi, and speculative I love so much. I enjoy watching people, reading their stories, and feeling their struggles. Real people are what inspire stories.
Besides my writing, God has called me to music with my four siblings. We mostly play Gospel and worship music in an acoustic style now. It’s literally one of the best things ever. I love to travel the world, see new places, and soaking in God’s beautiful creation. I’m also a huge nerd on many things (too many to mention here but check my socials to see what I mean lol).
One of those things worth rambling on a bit is social media, marketing, and web design. I have 5+ years (way over 10,000 hours) of nonstop experience managing multiple accounts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, emails, and websites. Tracking analytics and adjusting marketing plans are great, but my main focus is community and engagement. I have a ton of experience creating content (ie copywriting, trend research, and short-form video). That’s actually my favorite part after connecting with people.
With websites, I can design and build a simple landing page up to a full-scale website, depending on your needs, to tie all of your assets together on Internet real estate that you own, plus track conversion there as well. That’s what I can do. But what makes me different? Well, I only work with someone who I’d be passionate about and able to easily match your brand voice. I’m only a text, call, or email away if something goes down. And I’m all about making your job easier, so you can focus on your clients and big projects. A VA, but on steroids. Or caffeine, since we don’t do drugs.
Even if you prefer to do the work yourself, I’d still love to help strategize and advise on marketing to grow your community and streamline your process.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
In December 2022, I began the process of building an e-commerce outdoor store. I had no idea what dropshipping was, but the company I hired to help me set everything up made it sound like it’d be mostly passive income within the first few months or so. However, as the weeks flew by and I tried to juggle the store, starting my second year in the Author Conservatory, people reaching out for marketing help, and small tours with the band, my stress levels skyrocketed to an unhealthy point. To get the new business off the ground, I’d gotten into some debt for the first time in my life. I hated it. I created this store for passive income and as a place to write a travel blog. Nothing panned out like I thought or hoped. A couple of new opportunities presented themselves with partnership and affiliate marketing as a brand. But then, those doors shut unexpectedly. By April, I was close to burnout again and just done with everything. I talked to my business mentor about the problems I had and all the emotions surrounding whether I should keep going or not. I didn’t want to seem like I gave up, but I was no longer happy with myself or what I was doing. He asked about my previous marketing business, and I share how a few folks were reaching out for help. My heart was in marketing, and he encouraged me to let the store go and focus on what I loved. I didn’t really need permission from anyone to make that choice, but hearing his words confirmed in my head what my spirit tried to tell me all along. The release felt amazing. I spent all of April tying up loose threads and deleting everything. By May, my business was back on the marketing track with the added benefit of web design. I was exhausted from the past long few months, but I felt so relieved to return to where I was supposed to be. I still had (at the time of writing this, I still do) the debt to take care of, but my heart beat contentedly once more with work I was proud of. Admitting my mistakes was scary and hard, but in the end, it was so worth it. If I had refused to say I was wrong and pivoted back, I’d be pretty miserable today and probably even more in debt.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I always strive for excellence in my work and writing. Authenticity attracts me as a customer, so I aim to be real with my clients on their projects. Open communication is a huge part of this. They’re human. I’m human. And life happens. If they’re late to pay an invoice because their grandma’s in the hospital and their three kids still need them at home, I show grace. Because when my schedule jumps the track and gets crazy with setbacks on a project, I’d want my client to be patient and understanding with me. (Which they have been and I’m so grateful) I try to present myself on social media and in emails as I am in real life, within privacy reasons of course. I think people seeing me being authentically myself in a filtered world builds trust that I will treat them with respect and pour into their business as much as they do. If I’m real, they can feel safe to be real too.
Also, help other businesses in your niche as well, a scarcity mentality can strain B2B relationships. We’re all in this together. It’s not a competition or comparison game. We can help each other win while winning too. Or as another business mentor of mine said, “Do good for yourself while doing good to others.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://naomisowell.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomisowellwrites/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naomisowellwrites
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-sowell-680032270/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@naomisowellwrites
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@naomisowellwrites