The Journey of "Grace and Grit: Becoming a Confident Entrepreneur" with April O'Leary

Today we flip the tables as April O'Leary of O'Leary Publishing interviews ME and we discuss the journey of my book "Grace and Grit: Becoming a Confident Entrepreneur," from the spark of inspiration to its evolution, capturing the resilience and elegance required to face life's hurdles.  April and I peel back the layers on the collaborative process, exposing the raw passion and meticulous planning behind the powerful title and the stories within.

Hear about my personal stories, laden with vulnerability, highlighting the importance of embracing our past and the role of core values in shaping deliberate choices in both life and business. With April adding her perspective on intuition in storytelling and the exceptional support from O'Leary Publishing, this episode stands as a beacon, inviting you to embrace your own story and perhaps even share it with the world. #graceandgrit #confidententrepreneur #publishing #jenniferannjohnson #entrepreneur #womeninbusiness #smallbusiness #olearypublishing #businesscoaching

Visit us at jenniferannjohnson.com and learn how Jennifer can help you build the life you dream of with her online academy, blog, one-on-one coaching, and a variety of other resources!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:36

Today we're doing something a little bit different. I have April O'Leary with O'Leary Publishing in-house. Hi April.

Speaker 2: 0:44

Hi, jennifer, I'm so nervous.

Speaker 1: 0:47

So I am publishing a book, or April's company is publishing my book. I've written a book and I know, exciting, I'm so excited, exciting and we're turning the tables today. She's taking over the podcast and she's going to ask me questions, which I'm so excited about. Oh my gosh, what are you going to ask?

Speaker 2: 1:08

me. Jennifer said to me I have room. Would you like to come on my podcast? I'd like to interview you about your book and I'm like wait a second.

Speaker 1: 1:17

Hold on, it's my show, I'm like well, and I'm like wait a second hold on.

Speaker 2: 1:19

It's my show I'm like. Well, I think we need to talk about your book Because Jennifer has done such an amazing job. We all know and love Jennifer. If you've been a listener of this podcast for a while now, you know what a confident entrepreneur she is. You know that she knows what it takes to run and grow a business. If you've been in True Fashionistas- you know that as well.

Speaker 2: 1:42

If you've met her, you love her, I'm sure, and so when she came to us to ask about publishing a book and she and Heather and I met, tell us what that was like for you when we started from the very beginning with an idea.

Speaker 1: 1:59

You know, I've always had the back of my mind that someday I wanted to write a book and actually I dug out my in my desk drawer I keep a bucket list, okay and that was on my bucket list and I'm like I've always wanted to do this. And then something I remember, first of all, where I was. I was in my car driving back from an event that I had just spoke was. I was in my car driving back from an event that I had just spoke at and something in me said that's it, I'm done, I'm writing this book right now. So I called you up and said let's do this.

Speaker 1: 2:32

And I had started writing and I had written down a lot of stuff, but I had no idea how I was going to organize things and make it all look how it should. Right, and when I sat down with both of you, it became pretty crystal clear Like these are the chapters, this is what all needs to happen. I was excited. I don't see I was. I can't say that I was nervous. I don't think that ever crossed my mind Until after I got started writing even more in depth. I'm like do I say that? Do I say that? Am I going to tick someone off, because I said that it just those things started coming up kind of bubbling to the surface. But that meeting I left there excited and went. Oh yeah, I'm taking this on.

Speaker 2: 3:21

And we were excited because part of the process, I think, of publishing is collaboration and throwing all the ideas out on the table. So Jennifer is excellent at just having a million ideas and putting them all out there right, and it's like sorting through. How does this all make sense? How can we organize this together? What's the proper flow? What's the core message? Who was your reader? So who did we determine your reader was at that point? And has that changed at all? For?

Speaker 1: 3:50

you? Yeah, actually, at that point I remember I'm like I want to speak to women. That's why I want to speak to the end.

Speaker 2: 3:57

No question right.

Speaker 1: 3:59

I was very hard and fast about that, but as the book progressed and I realized that this isn't just for women. Now I love to coach women in small businesses. That's what I also do besides owning True Fashionistas. I'm a coach for women, a small business coach, but I realized this can be for men too. It doesn't have to just be for women. And it's so funny because I actually have a company, my company name. I went, okay, the book needs to change the title, but then I changed the name of my company on top of it because I'm like it's all making sense now. It became so clear as I was writing the book and we changed into dropping female from the title. I also dropped female from everything else that I was doing, because what I do isn't just for females, it can benefit anyone.

Speaker 2: 5:02

I love it and I think it was so smart, a smart decision that Jennifer deliberately made as we were talking through it, because, yes, her brand and her pink and all of that would seem to say I'm for women and she certainly is for women. But I know a lot of men, entrepreneurs, who can benefit from this message too, and we don't want to exclude them. We want to include, exactly, be inclusive, and so we're sitting here looking at her cover and her books in pre-order and you can get it on pre-order at Amazon or at JenniferAnnJohnsoncom, so I encourage you to get it. But this title Grace and Grit let's talk about the title. How did you come about? How did we kind of get that?

Speaker 1: 5:45

It was so funny because we were sitting at that table and we were all throwing out words and I remember somebody threw out grit and then I think I threw out grace and it was just like we were all looking at each other going, oh my God, I think that's it and I drew it because getting through my life has taken a lot of both right, graceful, being graceful and giving myself grace and other people grace. But yet I have a lot of grit to get through some of the stuff that I had to get through. I have a lot of grit to get through some of the stuff that I had to get through and they dance together, right?

Speaker 2: 6:27

They?

Speaker 1: 6:27

dance together beautifully. Sometimes grace takes over, sometimes grit it just depends where you're at and it just honestly felt in my heart of all hearts that that's what it needed to be. And we never changed we, and that part never changed.

Speaker 2: 6:50

It was always that, yeah, it has always been that grace and grit. And then it's becoming a confident entrepreneur, which initially we said becoming a confident female entrepreneur which we dropped that part out, and I'm so glad we did.

Speaker 1: 6:59

Now let's talk a little bit about the core message of your book, which is Well, it's all about how you live your life, and how you not only live your life, but, if you have a business, how you can grow your business with your core values. And when you know, you know right, and they're all. It's part of us, right? Our core values are always in there, they're always part of us, but it's going through some of my. I'm modeling my core values for you and showing you how I harnessed those to live my life and not really realizing what was happening. And that's kind of the crux of all of it is how you live and grow by your core values in your life and in your business.

Speaker 2: 7:48

And for some people they might be listening saying like core values, what are my core?

Speaker 1: 7:53

values.

Speaker 2: 7:54

And I think that's one of the beautiful gifts of this book is that sometimes we're just haphazardly running through life, making decisions what's urgent, what needs my attention, and we're not really deliberately making those decisions about how we spend our money or our time or growing our business based on what our core values are, because we haven't defined that. So how did you?

Speaker 1: 8:19

define yours? Well, honestly, I didn't know. Like you said, we are just sailing through life. We're getting done what we need to get Get her done. It's always been my model. I'm a get her done kind of girl. You just go and you get stuff done and you don't really realize what's all happening Until you allow yourself to sit back and reflect on things you don't know, and it's not like you know immediately what they are. When you start thinking about it, you're like what was that gut feeling that I got here and you'll see in the book I talk about whispers and all of that. And that's something to pay attention to, because that will lead you to what your core values are.

Speaker 1: 9:00

And it's again. We have to be still enough with ourselves to really harness that and learn from that. Otherwise it's just going to be another thing that just passes us by. Is your closet overflowing? Or maybe your kids' closets are as well, or maybe you want to redecorate your house. If you're wondering what to do with all that stuff that you've accumulated, bring it all to True Fashionistas. They'll do all the work and all you have to do is sit back and collect your money. You can reach out to them online at truefashionistascom, or come into the store or check them out on Facebook or Instagram, and that's truefashionistascom.

Speaker 2: 9:41

Welcome back. I'm taking over the show today. I'm April O'Leary and I am the owner of O'Leary Publishing, and we're talking to Jennifer Johnson about her book that is in pre-order right now, called Grace and Grit Becoming a Confident Entrepreneur, and we just covered core values and how to identify them, how to make decisions as you're growing your business and creating your life, and how did you come to the decision, based on your core values, to write a book?

Speaker 1: 10:13

So I have a profound story to tell and when you get the book you'll understand. And if you know me really well, you know my story. But I have had this sense in me for a long time that I needed to share my story, not with just the people around me, not just locally, but nationally. Like there's something when something happens to somebody, they may think that they're the only ones right, and once they see that, oh, it happened to that person, it happened, it becomes oh, I'm not the only one, it can happen to anyone. Okay, all right. So it all stemmed from me wanting to share my story, my life story, and wanting to help. Really and people have heard me say if I can help one person, that makes it all worth it. And it's so true. If I can tell my story to just one person and it changes something for them, then everything that I've gone through has been worth it.

Speaker 2: 11:17

One of the things I think is so powerful about your book is that you do share your story pretty transparently and, like you said, some of the people in your smaller network I'm just saying- people who know your warm network know this story and a lot of people don't, and so did you have any reservations as you were writing.

Speaker 2: 11:38

I think that for people that are thinking about telling their story in a book, there is a sense of like how much do I tell? What do I leave out? Will it hurt somebody else? Do I need to let people in advance know that I'm saying X, y or Z. So what was that process like for you and how did you dance around that fine line?

Speaker 1: 11:58

Well, it's so interesting because when I did the first run of the book, before I actually got it into anybody's hands, I was like, yeah, this is it. I mean, I'm telling I am bearing everything and I kind of left it there. I don't think I really took out very much, but the thought crept into my mind as it was going through the editing process. I'm like, oh my gosh, what if that person reads this book? Right, because I talk about sexual assault, you know, which is not an easy topic for people to talk about. And I thought, you know what if this gets into somebody's hands and they read it and they're upset or they're frustrated and wanting to protect my family, right from everything that I was sharing?

Speaker 1: 12:54

But I still kept going back to no, I'm sharing my message, I'm sharing my story because, again, I want to be impactful in every word that I wrote, every syllable, every comma, every period in this book. I want it to be impactful. So I thought about it and then I just went. You know, I got to let this be. I have to because it needs to be an authentic story of how I saw it from my point of view. It's my book, it's my point of view and I just I wanted it to be pure.

Speaker 2: 13:35

I think you really achieved that. And I think anyone who's reading that that they will feel inspired, that becoming a confident entrepreneur doesn't mean that you don't have anything difficult in your past, and I feel like that's one of your core values is really sharing transparently that the journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur is not easy. But also you don't have to have come from the best background or have had the best things happen to you, Despite having difficult things you still were able to become successful.

Speaker 1: 14:07

And I think that's an important message, because people have to know that they can live and run their businesses authentically. They don't have to hide behind a facade of the white picket fence, because most of us don't. And when you realize that as a person and as a business owner, it's really freeing, you're like, oh my gosh, everybody does this. You know, everybody's had something. We're not perfect. We may look like we are on social media and everywhere else, but no, we had a lot of the same challenges. And so, again, it all goes back to authenticity. It's like, yeah, I'm okay.

Speaker 2: 14:49

And I think we all have that need for human connection where we feel like, oh yeah, me too that happened to me versus somebody who puts on that air of perfection.

Speaker 2: 14:59

It almost feels like I can't be myself around this person, because now I don't want them to know. Obviously they have a perfect life and I don't. So I'm trying to keep up a front which, also to me, keeps people at a distance, and I don't want that anymore, and I know you don't either. Absolutely. So, with this book coming out very soon, what are your hopes for the book as it enters?

Speaker 1: 15:25

the world. I want to get this book into as many hands as possible, and you don't just have to be a business owner, right, you could be an aspiring business owner. You could just be an individual wanting to read an inspiring book. And my goal is, again I want to change as many lives as possible, and that is, you know, whether it's personally or professionally, because I have a story to tell and I'm being very authentic and very open, very transparent, as you said, and my hope is that this will help somebody. I have no doubt that it will, and my hope is that this will help somebody.

Speaker 2: 16:01

I have no doubt that it will.

Speaker 2: 16:03

I have no doubt that it will. So your book Grace and Grit Becoming a Confident Entrepreneur is in pre-order. You can get it on Amazon, you can get it at jenniferannjohnsoncom, and there's some free bonuses that you'll get if you get it at Jennifer Ann Johnson. So I encourage you to head on over there and check it out. Is there anything that you would say to someone who's sitting there and saying, well, yeah, but you're Jennifer Johnson, I could never tell my story. What encouragement would you leave someone with about possibly sharing their story? But you are you right.

Speaker 1: 16:37

Mine all started with hey, I want to share a story. I want to share a story. I want to share my life. I want to share my experiences and I was nothing special, right, like I. It all came out of just wanting to share. And if you have that within you to be, hey, you know what. I just want to share my story because I wanted to help someone. Just do it. Pick up the pen. Maybe you're not ready for it today, but get a notebook. Get a notebook and start writing down thoughts. That's what I have done. I have done that for many years and you don't have to do it, but it's an idea. So just get out a pen and paper. Or, if you're technology you love technology do it in your phone, I don't and just start making notes. And then, when you're ready, you're going to know in your gut, because those whispers are going to come out and keep telling you you need to write this book, you need to write this book and then act on it, and then act on it.

Speaker 2: 17:37

Actually, do it, take that action, because it's going to be you're fulfilling something within you and you just have to do it. I think it's actually an ultimate act of faith and courage, honestly, because when you're doing something that you've never done before, you're putting yourself out there in a way you've never done it before. It takes some faith faith that the universe is working on your behalf, that there are people who need to hear your message, and that you don't know necessarily who those people are or how they're going to find your book or how it might help them. But you're willing to take the action to do it, knowing that your story is important enough and it's going to be impactful enough to help somebody else, and I love that you bring that forward in your message.

Speaker 1: 18:21

Thank you, and that was very eloquently said. Ditto what she said Totally. But everybody has a story and everybody's story is worth being told is how I see it.

Speaker 2: 18:35

I agree.

Speaker 1: 18:37

Thank you, April. This has been an amazing takeover. That's wonderful. She took over the podcast. Thank you, April. This has been an amazing takeover. That's wonderful. She took over the podcast. Thank you, April. If you want to get in touch with April to work on your book, we would love to hear from you how do they get ahold of you?

Speaker 2: 18:51

April, you can go to o'learypublishingcom and take our author adventure quiz. You can schedule a publishing consultation with me, an editorial consultation with Heather DeRocher, and see the services that we offer. We would love to hear from you and help you get your story out into the world.

Speaker 1: 19:06

And Heather and her team I'm going to tell you from firsthand experience are amazing. Thank you, we adore you, Thank you.