It takes a lot to leave a good job that pays well to venture out on your own. However, that is exactly what Monica Marie Jones did, and she has seen plenty of success because of her choice.
Monica was no longer happy in the day-to-day grind, so she felt it was time to create her own path in the world. She is now a successful author, motivator, and much more.
I recently asked her a few questions about her business and what inspired her to forge her own path.
Tell us a little about what you do.
I am an Author, Motivator and Investor. As an author I have published 6 books (fiction, poetry and inspiration) and contributed to several other books and anthologies. I own the Literary Loft publishing company. As a motivational speaker I do training, public speaking and consulting under my company, Inspirationista Ink. Recently I started a real estate investing company with a partner called Team JP Enterprises. I split my time evenly between my three companies.
What inspired you to leave your job behind to write books and offer motivational speeches?
I found that I wasn’t happy working a 9 to 5. The longer I stayed the more I felt like I was betraying myself. I have an almost child like faith, excitement and lack of fear of failing that allows me to feel like I can do anything. This is what inspired me to take the leap of faith to leave my job.
What do you love the most about what you do? The least? The thing that I love the most about what I do is the freedom. Creative freedom, free time to spend with love ones, and now that I’ve added the investing piece and spent a year studying business and finances…financial freedom. There is really nothing that I love the least because I totally love what I do.
What are some of the points you like to cover in some of your speeches?
I often customize speeches based on my client’s needs, but I love to write speeches and motivational messages that encourage people to turn away from the fear of failure and believe in themselves and their natural talents and abilities.
What separates you from others in your category?
When it comes to my books, even though they are urban fiction, general fiction and poetry, I weave powerful messages throughout that force the reader to think about their life or the lives of those that are close to them. These thoughts are often the catalyst for meaningful change. When it comes to my speeches and workshops, I use the participatory learning approach which means that it is an interactive experience as opposed to me just talking at an audience. I engage them.
Do you have any goals you’d like to accomplish in the near future?
Just this week I accomplished one major goal of becoming a real estate investor, so I am REALLY excited about that. I also plan to write and publish one more fiction book, a book about my journey to financial freedom, and I will be publishing my first author (besides myself) next year.
What are some lessons your business has taught you?
I have learned that you must do your research, build a solid foundation and eventually be prepared to delegate as your business begins to grow. I started out really spontaneously, then as my business began to grow, I had to go back and put things in place that I should have done from the beginning. It is important to take the time in advance to build solid systems for business success.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I have a new book coming out on November 12th called Monday Morning Motivation. It is a collection of inspirational messages that are designed to be read first thing each Monday morning to inspire people to have a successful week and challenge them to do something differently that will add value to their lives. Also, My bio fills in the rest of the gaps. Here it is…
MONICA MARIE JONES is an author, motivator and entrepreneur. Her published works include The Ups and Downs of Being Round (Fiction/Self-help), Taste My Soul (Poetry), Floss (Urban Fiction), Swag (Fiction) and Sweet Soliloquy (Poetry). She has contributed to Chicken Soup for the Girls Soul, New Directions for Youth Development, 44th and Souls of My Young Sisters. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Michigan University and her Masters of Social Work from the University of Michigan. Currently she resides in Detroit, Michigan where she operates her motivational speaking, training and consulting company, Inspirationista Ink LLC; her publishing and literary promotions company, The Literary Loft LLC; and her real estate investing company, Team JP Enterprises LLC, along with a partner.
What piece of motivational advice would you offer someone who is just getting started in business?
Fear is the only thing that is holding you back. That fear is probably the fear of failure…BUT the most successful people in the world are the ones who were not afraid to take risk and those same people made several mistakes. Mistakes are how you learn. So release the weight of fear and take that leap of faith.
[]: http://www.monicamariejones.com/