The SpecialMoms Parenting Magazine 4th Issue | Page 16

others. I had no specific goals for book
sales. I just had faith that it would get
into the hands of parents who really
needed to read it. Any time I get a
personal message from another parent telling me what an encouragement my writing
was for them, that’s the greatest, for sure.

the help of an experienced blogger
friend, I ramped it up a few years
ago into what has become today.
I started writing our family’s story more than eight years ago as a
novel. It never felt right and, quite frankly, it was
horrible. Five years ago, I chucked it in a drawer,
started with a blank screen, and began writing my
memoir about our experiences with Brielle. Part of
it why I wrote it was to share our experiences and
insights. But, it was also the best therapy I could
have ever gotten. Now, I feel a real sense of pride
and satisfaction knowing how both my blog and
book help people every day.

Are you using social media to promote
your business? How?
I use social media daily including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. However, I get more
interaction on Facebook and find posts I do on
social media that are personal and vulnerable resonate more with my readers. There’s an interesting
balance between marketing my book and building
a relationship with my readers. I care more about
those relationships than I do about sales. As long
as I keep at it, the sales will happen the way they
are supposed to.

What was your biggest struggle you
encountered starting your business?
Sometimes it was just the basics. The technology
of creating a blog. Time to write. Inspiration to
keep at it even when I wasn’t getting much feedback. Certainly, when I began writing my book,
I had a difficult time finding my authentic voice,
one that let out all of those messy emotions. About
midway through the writing process, I took a sixmonth break from writing anything at all. When I
stepped back into it, I found those hard places and
it just poured out of me.

If you had one wish, what would
that be?

What is your proudest/greatest
accomplishment to date in your
business?
I certainly knew I’d never earn millions blogging or
publishing a memoir about being a special needs
parent. But, I knew I had something I could offer
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I want to continue to touch lives, one family at a
time. As the mother of an 18-year-old with special
needs, I have a unique perspective that just isn’t
out there in the special needs parenting blogging
world or books. I’d like to be part of the village
that helps parents through their own journey and
shows them the positive side to what can otherwise
be a very difficult road.§
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