We were lucky to catch up with Natalia Leigh recently and have shared our conversation below.

Natalia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I’m one of those people who really struggles to work under a boss. I got my first job when I was sixteen, and I knew immediately that I didn’t function well under an authority figure. I’m also an introvert and excel at solo work, so being asked (or required) to work in a team was incredibly difficult for me. Throughout my young life, I gravitated toward jobs that allowed me to work independently (and often with animals). This continued into my early twenties, and upon graduating from college, I decided to start a pet-sitting business. It was my first experience as a business owner, and it came with a slew of challenges: What should I charge clients? What am I worth? Should I have a contract? How do I prepare a contract? How do I do taxes? How the heck do I do any of this?

I faced these challenges one at a time, and I slowly started to learn what it meant to be a business owner.

In 2020, my pet-sitting business collapsed overnight; no one was going on vacation anymore, and many of my clients started working from home. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as I’d wanted to leave that field to focus my effort on Enchanted Ink Publishing. With no more clients and oodles of time on my hands, I threw myself into EIP, and it’s grown more than I ever thought possible.

I adore my role as the managing editor at EIP. In addition to editing for my own clients, I manage a team of five editors, one cover designer, and one typesetter/formatter. I work Monday through Friday (I’m finally taking weekends off!), about eight hours a day, and find the work to be pleasantly fulfilling . . . most of the time.

I am undoubtedly happier and find more contentment as a business owner, but that doesn’t mean it’s all good all the time. When something goes wrong, I’m the one who deals with the problem. When it comes time to hire a new editor, the burden falls on my plate. When the email inbox is bursting at the seams, I pour another cup of coffee and dedicate an entire day to getting caught up, sometimes at the detriment of my other tasks. The responsibilities are many, and I’d be lying if I said I don’t sometimes feel overwhelmed or like throwing my hands in the air, catching the next flight to Fiji, and learning how to surf. But it’s at times like these that I remind myself how much I love my work, how much I hate the sand, and how fortunate I am to have such an incredible business. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to have a “regular” job, but even in my most frustrated moments, I remember that there will always be hard days, regardless of whether I’m the business owner or the employee. I think some people function well in “regular” jobs, but I’m not one of them, and I’m incredibly grateful to manage a thriving company that assists people in making their writing and publishing dreams come true.

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

My name is Natalia Leigh, and I’m the founder of Enchanted Ink Publishing.

EIP is a small company that assists authors in bringing their books to life. We offer manuscript critiques, copy editing, cover design, interior formatting, proofreading, and more. Self-publishing can be a difficult and overwhelming task, and we simplify the process by providing professional services at affordable prices.

We pride ourselves on our top-notch customer service and high-quality work. Check us out if you’re interested in self-publishing and need a bit of help getting to the finish line.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I manage a team of seven, and it’s taken a few years to learn how to keep things chugging along smoothly. The first and most important element for me is choosing team members carefully. When it’s time to bring someone onto the team, I’m incredibly selective. I look for outstanding quality when it comes to the work, but I’m also looking for someone who’ll be positive, upbeat, and a joy to correspond with. There’s no room on my team for someone negative or discourteous. A poor choice on my part could result in low morale or work quality, and that simply won’t do.

Having selected a stellar team, my primary focus is then respect. I know how it feels to be talked down to and belittled by authority figures, and there’s none of that at EIP. I might be the managing editor, but that doesn’t give me the right to make anyone else feel poorly. This doesn’t mean I won’t have hard conversations, as it’s my responsibility to put out high-quality work and ensure the company runs smoothly, but even difficult conversations can be handled in a professional and respectful manner.

I suppose this could all boil down to one little nugget of wisdom: treat others the way you want to be treated. If you want a team of happy individuals who enjoy working with you, you must consider how you’d like to be treated when walking in their shoes.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Something I’ve had to strive to unlearn is the belief that I’m not worth much. Many of us have toiled away for minimum wage, and while I certainly can’t speak for everyone, this experience ingrained within me a false belief that I’m only worth what the legal authority says I’m worth. Was I content working for minimum wage when I was sixteen? Sure! All I wanted was enough money to buy a few things and put gas in my car. But now that I’m a grown woman with a mortgage, bills, and retirement to think of, I’ve had to dig deep to unpack why I deserve to do more than barely scrape by.

So, what does this process look like? It’s not only holding my work to a high standard and striving to do my best for every client I work with, but it’s understanding my worth and standing up for myself. It’s taking classes to further my knowledge and then turning around and raising my prices to reflect the time, effort, and money that went into sharpening my skills.

This has been an ongoing process. When I first started freelancing, I offered my services for below-average prices. But every time I completed a project, that price went up. There’s certainly something to be said for offering low prices when you’re learning and getting started, but after you’ve truly developed the skills necessary to provide your clients with high-quality services, you have to know your worth and hold your chin high. Some clients will push back against this in an effort to underpay for your services, but such clients will become easier to deal with. You can turn them away with a smile, knowing deep down that you’re worth it. It all starts with you and your beliefs about yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.enchantedinkpublishing.com
• Instagram: @enchantedinkpublishing
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDnWB3tgu-Nu4aqoI50Cd1Q
• Other: Personal Website: www.natalialeigh.com Personal IG: @nataliaaleigh