Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stephanie L. Jones. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Stephanie L. , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

522. That is how many consecutive days I gave a gift. My goal at the time was me, one person, looking to make a difference in one other person’s life every day for a year. I had documented my journey through a blog, and even though the writing was terrible, with a capital T, readers saw beyond the poor grammar and misspellings and enjoyed the heartfelt stories.

One day, from a friend, I received a book with a card inside. The note read, “I think you could have written this.”

The book was about a lady who did one good deed daily. But what shocked me more was this friend, who was influential in our community, thought I could write a book.

Over the course of five years, I plugged away at the book. Starting and stopping a million times because I had no clue what I was doing and discovered I was dyslexic. But the persistence paid off and in 2017, I launched out into the world, The Giving Challenge.

I never intended to write another book, but once that first book was out, the ideas flowed. I now have my own publishing company, have written seven books (four nonfiction, a journal, and two children’s books), and help others get their story out into the world.

Isn’t it ironic that my goal was to make a difference to someone every day and I received one gift that changed my entire life and helped me pursue a creative path professionally?

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.

Before I was writing books, I was on the stage speaking to any organization that would give me an opportunity to speak. I love sharing about my giving journey, but now I have expanded to a message I call, Giving Your Best Life. It’s about the power of giving (to yourself and others), gratitude, and having one good goal. I am a Christian, so depending on the audience, I’ll include that as part of my message.

My books, the Giving Your Best Life podcast, the message from the stage, and 1:1 coaching help women entrepreneurs who are tired of feeling stressed, burnt out, and stuck, despite trying every ‘Balancing Act’ out there and help them reclaim their energy, spark joy, and build a life of meaning.

What sets me apart from others is what I preach, I didn’t do ten years ago and am still talking about it. I live out this message every day. I give a gift (to others and myself every day), I practice gratitude every day, I focus on one goal (and have accomplished many over the years). I was that woman who worked sun up to the wee hours of the morning, trying to do and be everything to everyone. After crashing and burning on a speaking trip in Alaska, I came home, changed my ways, got healthy and love helping other women do the same.

I’m most proud of the women I coach and the real, lasting changes they make in their life, And since I have been able to take this message into high schools, it’s the social media messages I’ve received from high school girls, in how this message impacted them. And now, I’ve launched a children’s book series, Giving Gal, that shares this positive message to children and the messages I receive from parents, “This is my child’s favorite book. We read it every day.” That’s what I’m proud of.

At the end of the day, my clients become friends. I’m their biggest cheerleader. When they succeed, I succeed. And there is no greater joy than making a difference in a woman’s life, whether through a book, from the stage, or 1:1 coaching.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

If I look at this question through the lens of being an author, there are two ways society could support creatives. The first is, if available, to buy direct from the author (or creative). If you buy online at a big retailer, for convenience, the author sees a very small percentage of the price you pay. Buying direct allows the author to connect with their customer, build a relationship, and increase the revenue they make on their book.

The second way is to share with others the book (or product) with your community. If you liked the book, write a review, buy a copy for a gift, snap a picture with you and the book and post on social media, tell a friend, follow the creative on social media and be engaged with their content. All of these “gifts” to the creative take only minutes out of your day, but make a big impact on our business and keep us thriving monetarily, but more importantly mentally.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The mission driving my creative journey is the same mission I started back on January 1, 2011, me one person, looking to make a difference in one other person’s life every day. What I have found is focusing on this one goal, has impacted thousands of people, and that is a powerful driver for me each day.      

Contact Info:

• Website: www.4gmethod.com
• Instagram: giving_gal
• Facebook: givinggal
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieleejones
• Twitter: giving_gal
• email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Melissa Hanley