We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Whitney Brooks. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Whitney below.
Whitney, appreciate you joining us today. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?
If I were starting over in my entrepreneurial journey, there are certainly a few things I would do very differently that would lead to success more swiftly and efficiently.
1. I would collaborate with others to grow my brand and my revenue. So many people fail to understand that community sharing leads to profit sharing. There is an abundance of money available and once you understand that what is for you is for you, you eliminate the self-esteem issues that lead you to believe you’re going to miss out when you collaborate with others. Subsequently, I would establish strategic referral partners. These are people who are mentioning my name in rooms I have yet to walk in and vice versa. But as a partner, they recognize that when I win, they do too. And when they win, I do too. That’s how partnership works.
2. I would assign a coach or mentor and marketing as my two largest business expenses. A coach should be someone of wisdom and knowledge, preferably in your industry, who’s journeyed the road you’re about to embark on. He/she should know the detours, the back roads, the potholes to avoid and hence, the shortest and most successful route to reach your final destination. This ensures you less stress on your respective journey. While your coach is offering guidance, more times than few, it’s going to require a marketing budget, because simply put, no one knows you exist. A strategic marketing plan and execution of that plan requires funds.
3. After growing, I would reinvest the money the business has earned BACK into the business. As a new business owner, I understand the eagerness to want to “pay yourself” a few coins. However, it takes money to make money and the more you invest into strategically growing your business, the faster you will see your business grow.
4. Finally, I would have put myself on payroll a lot sooner. As a business owner, you should be an employee of your business. If you’re paying yourself a substantial income, save yourself the stress and become a W-2 employee as soon as possible. Paying/owing taxes is no fun!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m Whitney – mom, entrepreneur, 6X published author and business coach for millennial moms. In 2015, I became a full-time business owner as Co-Founder of Patience for Patients, LLC, a non-medical homecare agency. After being in business for five years in 2020, and a full-time stay-at-home mom for two years at that point, I realized how blessed I was to be living a life I loved. Inevitably, I then wanted to help more moms create a life they too could love: a life that didn’t require them to choose between work and spending quality time with their family, or vacationing, or simply self-care days. I launched a lifestyle coaching brand, The Millennial Mamapreneur, that helps millennial moms develop the confidence and clarity to build six-figure brands from home. Prior to launching this new venture, I had never considered writing a book. However, as a new “coach”, I quickly realized that I needed a product that displayed my level of knowledge and expertise in the industry in order to build that know, like, and trust factor with potential clients. In October 2021, I self-published my first book, Walk Into It: 7 Steps to Develop Confidence as an Emerging Entrepreneur. That book instantly gave me credibility and authority as a business coach.
However, it wasn’t just my desire to grow my coaching business that led me to publish my first book. In 2016, I began freelance editing for first-time authors. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Creative Writing that I obtained in three years, turning rough drafts into masterpieces brought me such joy!
During my five years of editing for authors, I discovered the same challenge among them all: None of them knew what steps to take in the self-publishing process. After I had perfected their manuscripts, they all would ask “what’s next?” Eventually, I grew tired of responding “I don’t know” so I vowed to have the answers for the next client who asked.
I became adamant about self-publishing simply as a way to serve my clients in a higher capacity. I recognized that so many people wanted to share their experiences and expertise but had no idea how to do that. They had a problem. Empower Her Publishing, LLC became the solution.
Recognizing that not only were my editing clients struggling to navigate the publishing process alone, they were also consulting with multiple service providers in several industries to assist with various aspects of publishing. One service provider for editing. Another for book cover design. This one to take professional head shots. And the list goes on. I was overwhelmed for them. That’s when I decided to structure my business as a one-stop shop for authors.
Empower Her Publishing, LLC offers an all-inclusive approach to becoming a published author: writing coaching, development editing, book cover design, book ISBN and barcode, book formatting, a professional photo shoot, a website, social media graphics and training on how to pre-sell your book. We don’t just publish books; we create author brands, seamlessly.
I’m extremely proud that after just two short years in business, I’ve helped over 100 people become first-time authors and others 2X, 3X and even 6X published authors. My clients consistently use their books to grow their brands, expand their businesses, inspire others with their stories, and step out of their shells. I’ve witnessed people regain their smiles and walk boldly and courageously into new lives after helping them perfect their stories. Publishing books is more than a business to me; it’s a ministry. It’s truly my life’s purpose.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Believe it or not, every single one of my clients for the past two years has been by way of referral. They were either a past editing client of mine or they were referred by someone who has worked with me before. Having a referral-based business, however, requires two things:
1. Brand Trust and Loyalty
2. Excellent Customer Service
People need to see you show up for yourself, for your business and for your clients – consistently. Once you show that level of consistency, people begin to trust you. Once people trust you, they’re more inclined to do business with you. After you provide them with a stellar customer service experience, they’re inevitably going to refer you.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
This past year has been my year of resiliency for sure. In June 2023, I was diagnosed with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. There have been more days than not that I really haven’t been motivated to work. Most days I’ve been in an insurmountable level of pain and experience an overwhelming level of fatigue. On the days I am motivated to work, I’m reviewing and editing manuscripts with swollen fingers and aching wrists or fighting the urge to just crawl back into my bed to rest. Despite the joint pain, muscle aches, headaches, fatigue, frozen fingertips and toes, chest pain, hair loss, face rashes, mouth sores, and more, I get up every single day and show up for myself, for my five-year-old son as a mother, for my community as a member of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., as a daughter, sister, friend, church member and volunteer. I have lupus, but lupus doesn’t have me. The marathon continues.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.empowerherpublishing.com
- Instagram: @themillennialmamapreneur
- Facebook: @themillennialmamapreneur
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themillennialmamapreneur/
Image Credits
Jeanita Castille Virgil Odell Saraellen Bagby