#MompreneurMonday Produce 3 Ways to Get Over Being Busy and Start Being Productive

Has this ever happened to you–24 hours have past and you’ve spent it doing this and that, but you feel like you’ve done nothing? You’ve definitely been busy. You’re perspiring and a good chunk of your to-do list has been checked off, but the time has not been productive. Most likely if you’ve had this experience or a similar one I know what else you’re experiencing or rather not experiencing.

You’re not experiencing any type of prosperity or growth in your business. Things are happening here and there, but nothing that you could anchor yourself on.

Are you over it?

I’m over it.

Yes, this has happened to me. The first step for getting over it was one having a reality check. This tip is a bonus tip. A friend of mine sat me down and said, “Nigeria, we need to figure this out. We need to figure out what’s blocking you.” After that conversation I discovered two things that were blocking me and one of them was I was too busy to be productive.

Mompreneur, it’s time to break from being busy and not being productive and move into prosperity and growth.  Here are the three things you need to:

1. Meditate. Psalms 1 recommends you mediate on the word of God both day and night and whatsoever you do shall prosper. Set some time up for meditating on the word of God. If you’re not used to this start with one minute a day. When you get it down pact include the family too.
2. Automate. Automate. Automate. You can’t automate when you’re kids are going to need you to take them to the hospital and you can’t automate playing with them in the park, but you can automate your email sequences, you can automate/schedule your social media updates and respond to notifications at a later time.
3. Organize. Instead of having things posted on a ton of different calendars and good ideas in different books and your to-do list somewhere else put it all together in one place, so you don’t have to waste time scratching your head trying to figure out what’s going on.

If you want access to a solid planner that combines everything a millennial mompreneur and faith based owner need to get organized and get PAID click here to order the Passion and Purpose Planner.

 

Can I tell you why the Passion and Purpose Planner was conceived??? Many people only share their strong side on social media, but let me keep it real with you I am organizationally challenged and easily distracted. That makes motherhood and managing a business hard. In order for a business to succeed you need organization, focus, and discipline and for a faith based brand to make bank Christ has to remain at the center. So, I created a planner that combined every aspect of running a 21st Century Faith Based Biz. 👉🏾👉🏾Click here: www.inheritancebooks.co/PassionandPurposePlanner to order your Passion and Purpose Planner Quarterly Planner. Take a look inside the Passion and Purpose Planner. 

These 4 Things Should Be Enough

It is great to have people in your life that support you, uplift you, and motivate you, but at the end of the day you need these four things to keep you moving forward when pursuing your passion. 

1️⃣ Confidence in the Spirit of God living within you and working with you should be enough to move you forward. 
2️⃣ Your quality of life should be enough motivation to move forward. 

3️⃣ Your belief in your ability should be enough to push you forward.

4️⃣ Your passion should be enough to push you forward. 

What’s your biggest internal motivator​?

When You’re Not Making Dollars Does It Make Sense?

This post is partially personal and partially inspired by last night’s episode of MaryMary. Yes, I watch MaryMary (we all need deliverance). Now, let’s get to the point at hand–and it is sometimes a point of contention for Christians in business–the dollars and the cents. 

We’ve all experienced that lull in sales or a lack thereof that makes you go, “What the…” Then you ask yourself why am I doing this, and then you ask you best friend why am I doing this, and then you ask God why am I doing this. Lastly, you wonder should I continue. 

When you’re not making dollars does it make sense? 

It seems to all stop making sense at that point, but I’ve got the answer for you and it comes from Tina Campbell’s very transparent moment on last night’s episode of MaryMary. Last night Tina confessed that the first leg of her tour had not made any profits. Not one of the shows she’d booked had sold out and thus she was unable to churn a profit. That seems impossible and highly unlikely for a star, but it happened and if it happened to her it can happen to us or has already. 

It happened to me. 

I was scheduled to teach a workshop that was widely publicized and well promoted I thought, however in the end only two or three people showed up. The first person was an older woman who really wanted to discover who Christ was. There was  another author conducting the workshop with me and we both sat side by side and ministered to her. We never led our workshop that day, but God’s work was performed and we did sell books to the small crowd that came through. 

Did we earn big bucks that day? No. We earned a few dollars, but it all made sense in the eternal scheme of things. God’s work was performed. 

Now, that’s not to say you shouldn’t earn a profit from your Christian business. I’m not that type of Christian. I don’t believe in the poverty gospel, nor do I partake in the I should n’t want gospel. Yes, I need to want less of the world’s goods and you do too, but there are too many times that God has promised to give me the desires of my heart for it to makes sense that I run a business and not expect a profit. 

Did I stop because I took an L that day? NOPE and neither did Tina. 

The question is what do you when creativity is costing you more than what it’s bringing in?

What should you do to make more dollars so this whole thing makes sense?

1. Pray for prosperity and promotion. The Bible tells us it doesn’t come from the east, west, or south, but from God and you can’t get something from someone you’re speaking to. 
2. Promote. Promote. Promote. Promote yourself and pay for promotion. Also don’t be afraid to book a strategy session with a coach. 
3. Redirect your energy to places where it is more effective. If you’re not getting a response from Facebook it may be time to check out other social media sites to build and create your following. 
4. Cut costs where you can. I am not saying do it all or waste your time trying to learn how to do it all, but if you can design a business card you can design a flyer and bookmarks. Save those dollars for ad space or to pay a promoter. 
5. Keep on doing what you do with the utmost confidence in the Gift Giver, Jesus Christ and confidence in His word–the gift He’s given you is good and it will make room for you. It may take others a while to come to that realization, but you keep working until they do. 

Got suggestions on how authors and other creatives can earn a profit? Drop them in the comments below.

Are you an author or a creative entrepreneur that wants to work with me? Send an email to nigeria@inheritancebooks.co to book a 45 minute Monster Manifestation Session to develop an individualized strategy to generate attention and growth for your writing or business. 

Balance. (FYI This is Not A How To)

If you came to this post seeking advice from a sage you’re in the wrong place. This is the Neophyte Author talking to you after all. 

What I offer in this post is a confession. I have been so unbalanced that I have accomplished a lot less than what I set out to accomplish.

In an attempt to establish and brand Inheritance Books I have neglected other things namely my personal brand.

How could that happen?

Well, I‘m not really sure how it happened. As I plotted and planned how to build my new company, which is now a year old I also bit off more than I could chew.

Do I regret it? No way. Within one year of business I released a book, started coaching other authors in the areas of marketing and writing, but where does that leave me?

For a moment I felt lost and I had some personal stuff going on that was trying to dim my light and as the to-do list got longer I stopped doing what I was supposed to do for me as an author.

Many questions came to my mind during this process and they might be coming to yours as well, so here’s what I know, what I still don’t know:

Is a personal brand and business brand necessary?

For me yes. For you maybe. It all depends on your ultimate goal. I am an author and I run an independent publishing company. Eventually (actually very soon), I’ll be publishing other authors, so Inheritance Books must become known as a company that provides content that edifies and entertains. I still want to continue to write and that is separate from the company. I already have a tribe and you all may not want everything that Inheritance Books offers, so I have to build a tribe for Inheritance Books (and thank you to those who are supporting us).

Does balance actually exist?

I don’t know. With two kids who are in every class that requires them to be on the stage and requires me to be in either the audience or back stage there are some days I can’t do business. With a husband who is not a creative and doesn’t get what I do there are some days that I can’t do business. With a whole other career as an educator there are some days that I can’t do business. Currently I’m playing tug of war and I just decided I am going to win, by creating this balance that is highly sought after and rarely found. 

Is there anything I can do to get close to being balanced? 

Get organized. Get a planner and actually use it. Use your smart phone for more than posting on social media. Set reminders. Then let go and let it flow. 

Have you been struggling to find balance in your life? What do you do to keep everything in order and get stuff done? 

If you’d like to work with me send an email to nigeria@inheritancebooks.co to book a Publishing Pow-wow (for authors) or a Monster Manifestation Session (for creative entrepreneurs and digital brands and businesses. Visit Inheritance Books for more information. 

Ready. Set.Goal.

This post is a bit of a drive-by. There’s no lengthy commentary that I have–I’m just dropping by to share a little goody with you all.

For those of you who don’t know, in addition to being an author I run Inheritance Books, which publishes books that entertain and edifies and develops resources for the creative entrepreneur. That’s been keeping me busy and I wanted to share one of the resources we developed–the Goal Setting Sheet. You can type directly into the worksheet or print it out. The Goal Setting Sheet walks you through setting goals for your personal and/or professional life: Goal_Setting_Sheet.

Are you ready to set your goals for 2016? Post your goals in the comments below. I’ll be sharing my goals shortly and if you haven’t already check out Inheritance Books on:

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Pathways to Your Passion: Hello August

The eighth month of the year is here. For teachers that it the dawn of another school year is on the horizon, for parents it means their kids are someone else’s problem, and for us dreamers it’s time for us once again to reassess our goals.

You might be tired of these blog posts about goals, but come December you’ll be thanking me for holding you accountable. So, where are you? I’ll go first.

Here are the writing goals I began the year with: 

I am nowhere near where I need to be to finish and begin all of these projects, but not because of procrastination. My writing career under went some changes. In the process one of the items on my vision board  came to fruition (I’ve launched my own publishing company).  I did complete Tempted to Touch–it’s with the editor now undergoing inspection. That’s all that I’ve finished. I started working on a new novel and these characters will not go away. All of the projects on my list are important to me, but new projects that popped up have become my main focus. That leaves me with only one option it’s time to re-prioritize my goals. If you need to do so as well then do it. 

They are your goals and flexibility is allowed. The only thing not allowed is giving up.

My revised goals now look something like this: 

• I’ve begun a new novel, Children of God-set in the Dominican Republic and it will tackle the events that have transpired there this summer with regard to their anti-Haitian legislation. That can’t wait. I must finish that. 
• Begin Birthright (special collaboration project) 
• Finish Riches of Grace

Now it’s your turn–have you met your goals? on track to meet them? in the process of revising them?

There are only four months left in the year yes squeeze all the pulp out of 2015. 

Today is the Day: Seasoned with Grace is Here

My second, yes second novel, Seasoned with Grace is now available in stores and online. If you haven’t ordered Seasoned with Grace yet please get in on the fun and order you copy today! 

Synopsis: Sentenced to probation, thirty-year-old supermodel Grace King must put her plans of transitioning into acting on hold. Desperate to keep a close eye on Grace and his job, Grace’s ambitious lawyer, Ethan Summerville has her complete community service in the last place Grace wants to be—his church.

Instead of God, Grace finds a “chocolate drop” of a man, Brother Horace Green. Unfortunately, Horace isn’t looking for a supermodel. He wants his woman saved and sanctified, but Grace has never met a man who has been able to resist her. Will Horace compromise his faith for a taste of fortune, fame, and Grace?

While Grace focuses on the pursuit of passion, Ethan finds one director willing to take a risk and cast Grace in his debut film, but this role fits Grace all too well. Will this film revive Grace’s relationship with God and her career, or bring her closer to destruction?

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

BOOK-A-MILLION

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE Support my second novel by sharing this post, liking this post, reblog this post.

And the Winner Is…Wheatley Awards Recap

Ladies and gentleman it has been a wild weekend for me that started with the Phillis Wheatley award ceremony on Friday. 

For those of you who regularly follow The Neophyte Author, you know that I was nominated for a 2015 Phillis Wheatley Award for First Fiction for my debut novel Born at Dawn. In June I became one of three finalists and I am pleased to announce that my God is faithful and as His word says He has blessed the work of my hands. Born at Dawn took home the 2015 Wheatley Award for First Fiction. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! 

There are not enough words to describe the level of emotions that washed over me when Omar Tyree (yes, the Omar Tyree, author of Flyy Girl) called my name. It was a wonderful night and I have some pictures of the other winners and I would like to congratulate all of the finalists and winners. 

Categories and Finalist (Winners in Bold)

YOUNG READERS

Granny’s Helper by Selma Jackson

Midnight and the Man Who Had No Tears by Tiffany Golden

Tate and His Historic Dream by Bernard C. Turner

YOUNG ADULT

Dear Diary, The Bullying Won’t Stop by Delicia B. Davis

The Madman of Piney Woods by Christopher Paul Curtis

Willow by Tonya Cherie Hegamin

FIRST NON-FICTION

Daffodil: A Mother’s Journey by Demetria Hayes

No Doubt: The Murder(s) of Oscar Grant by Thandisizwe Chimurenga

Regina Anderson, Harlem Renaissance Librarian by Ethelene Whitmire

NONFICTION

A Light Shines in Harlem: New York’s First Charter School by Mary C. Bounds

Breaking Grounds: My Life in Medicine by Dr. Louis W. Sullivan

Businessman First, Remembering Henry G. Parks, Jr… by Maurice W. Dorsey

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POETRY

Brief Evidence of Heaven: Poems from the Life of Anna Murray Douglass by M. Nzadi Keita

City of Eternal Spring by Afaa Micheal Weaver

Tears for My Ancestors by Malik Canty

FIRST FICTION

Adinkrahene: Fear of a Black Planet by Jeffrey A. Faulkerson (Check him out, please :)) 

Born at Dawn Nigeria Lockley

Shifting Allegiances: A Nigerian’s Story of Nigeria, America & Culture by Amaka Lily

FICTION

Every Day is for the Theif by Teju Cole

Glorious Sunset by Ava Bleu

Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique

#WriterWednesday: 3 Lessons Writers Can Learn From Misty Copeland

Unless you were offline yesterday or out of the country then you know what wonderful event occurred yesterday and in case you don’t I’ll give you the skinny. Misty Copeland has become the first African-American woman to be named principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater. Now, you may be wondering what writers can learn from dancers, but any time someone reaches their dreams or some level of success there is something we can all glean from that.

3 Lessons from Misty Copeland

1. You’re never too old to begin. Misty began her dancing career at the age of thirteen which in the world of professional dancing is the equivalent of a stay-at-home mom trying to reenter the workforce after little Joey’s on his way to college. So, dust off that manuscript or exert some extra effort to promote you’re current novel. You’re not too old to do this and be a success.

2. Don’t listen to the naysayers. Ignore every no you get and continue to work on being better. Misty was told she couldn’t do this not just because of her age, but the fact that she didn’t look like a dancer. You may have been told no that won’t work for a variety of reasons. Forget the naysayers, forget the realist who say that’s never been done before or that’s not going to work. It is and it will because you’re going to make it work.

 

 

3. You have to have a goal or destination in mind and always reach higher. Since Misty began dancing all she wanted to do was be a part of ABT and she achieved that. It wasn’t enough to be a dancer or to be a soloist. Misty wanted to be the big cheese and now she is.

So, this week let’s not just focus on craft, but on being inspired to push forward. Who else’s journey inspires you or has taught you how to push forward? Please share their story in the comments.

#MondayMotivation: Six Month Check Up

Happy June! 

We’re in the six month of the year and it’s time to dish on our dreams.

Where are you?

What have you accomplished and where are we headed next? 

I’ll share some of my progress:

Goals

-Tempted to Touch is done (editing is a different story–don’t judge me)

-Riches of Grace is still a work in progress

-Berri and Delilah still a work in progress

-I’ve got some notes for High-Stepping

-Set a date to begin outlining that collabo (feeling super duper excited about that) 

Vision Board Progress

Now this year was the first time I engaged in this process and Lord is really blessing me. 

-My Born at Dawn has been reviewed in USA and called a “Must Read”

-The African-American Christian Fiction Book Club read “Born at Dawn”

-My second book, Seasoned with Grace has appeared in Publisher’s Weekly

-I’m making “power moves”. I formed my own publishing company, Inheritance Books and I am preparing to not only publish my books, but the work of other authors and facilitate workshops. 

To be truly successful I’ve found that it’s been most helpful to have someone hold you accountable, so right now the Neophyte Author is checking you, boo. Where are we at in terms of reaching our dreams, where are you at on the pathway to your passion? 

For more information on my new company Inheritance Books visit the website

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