Posted Under: Entrepreneurship, Our Heroes

Melanie Jordan, an employee turned entrepreneur and author of six books, is our next guest under “Our Heroes” series, to share her journey from employee to entrepreneur and the lessons she learned along the way… I had a great time talking to her and here is how the interview went:

DD: Melanie, who are you and what kind of corporate job were you at?

MJ: My journey to full-time entrepreneur was several years in the making. I’ve tried out assorted businesses on and off as sidelines since I was in college. Being an entrepreneur is in my blood—literally—my great grandparents were entrepreneurs and inventors. I had always wanted to march to the beat of my own drum. However, I was practical. I was brought up to believe you study hard, get good grades, get a good job and work to move up the corporate ladder.

So I did just that, and started my career fresh out of college (after graduating with a nearly perfect GPA in Marketing while working full-time to put myself through school) with one of the biggest banks in the country. I worked hard and had the classic “progressively responsible career path” in bank marketing that employers love – moving all the way up to VP of Marketing. Despite my corporate success, I always felt like a square peg in a round hole.

DD: What made you leave the job? When did you realize that you wanted to be an entrepreneur & why?

MJ: Well, then I learned what they don’t tell you in business school—on any given day the corporate ladder can be pulled out from under you through no fault of your own, no matter how excellent you are at your job, and no matter how hard you work. In 1997 I was laid off for the first time after one bank merger too many got me. From that point on, I decided I was going to find a way to take control of my own livelihood and destiny.

I went in and out of periods of self-employment and employment as my financial needs dictated, with my sideline business (original content “infopreneuring” and marketing which I referred to as my “Plan B”) going always after that, and with my eye on the prize; making the transition to full-time entrepreneur was always in sight. It ended up being valuable that I didn’t make it to full-time entrepreneur right away, as several of my life lessons over the years that provided the impetus for my newest book “WHAT YOU KNOW IS WORTH MORE THAN YOU KNOW: Achieving the Life You Were Meant to Have by Making Money From What YOU Know!” which is meant to empower other would-be entrepreneurs (I’m a 6-time author, the others were written before I left the corporate world).

DD: How did you prepare yourself for the employee to entrepreneur transition?
How were the initial days/ months/ challenges?

MJ: In late 2007 I got laid off again for the second time – the day after I got the highest raise and best review the company had ever given. That’s when I decided enough was enough. I took my sideline business full-time and formalized my company – SunLover Publishing LLC – my publishing, media properties and coaching/consulting company. The first few months were easy because I had some people who wanted me do ghostwriting and marketing work for them on a retainer basis.

However, when the economy got rougher, and I took time out from everything else to get “What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know! ™” written, I had some lean times before the book came out and I launched my coaching services. But I knew that this time I had to make it work. That perseverance paid off as I now have a nice balance between client work and my own efforts in building out my full original information product and service line on infopreneuring and marketing. While it isn’t always easy, I’m succeeding, and believe I can stay “broken out of the 9-5 jail” for good this time.

DD: What are your Top 5 tips for aspiring entrepreneurs?

MJ: 1. Put your financial house in order first if at all possible before leaving your day job. I’m a huge advocate of having a sideline business going always as a “Plan B.” In my case, it was my saving grace, because the first time I was laid off, I wasn’t ready, the second time, because I had my “Plan B” in place, I was basically kissing the ground I walked on.

2. Believe that you are doing the right thing by pursuing your entrepreneurial path. When you first make the transition, even if you are taking a sideline business full-time like I did, not everyone you know is going to understand why you don’t have a steady paycheck and choose to do your own thing…but in time they will.

3. Consider a knowledge-based business like infopreneuring. Infopreneuring is making money from your own unique knowledge by developing a complete line of original content information products and services. It can be about anything that others would value knowing—be it a hobby, a field of expertise or life experience. This is what I did as my sideline business while transitioning from employee to entrepreneur and it makes a great “Plan B.” It doesn’t have high start-ups costs, and it can be done anywhere on a flexible schedule. Most importantly, since it’s based on what you know, the business you develop is unique to you, and one that no one can ever take away from you.

4. Make sure the business you choose is something that you have a passion for. There is no easy money, so you’ll have to live and breathe your business until you get established and start to experience success.

5. Be prepared to ride an emotional rollercoaster. There are always going to be good days and bad days. And especially when you first get started, there are always going to be wide fluctuations in your cash flow. However, you will ultimately control your own destiny, and I always think a bad day running my own business (and there are VERY few of those), is better than a good day working for someone else!

DD: How are you now? Are you still in same business, and how do you feel?

MJ: The best things about running SunLover Publishing is that it’s a business I run from anywhere that has an internet connection and a phone. I enjoy empowering others to achieve the life they deserve, and it’s something I should be able to do forever. I hope someone is asking me about my latest project when I’m 90 (and that’s many, many years away).

DD: Wow Melanie! Thank you so much for sharing your journey with me! It has been incredible to hear about your VP of Marketing turned entrepreneur experience and I wish you all the best in the future with SunLover Publishing. Thank you for your time!

MJ: Thank you, Devesh, for being interested in my world of entrepreneurship and publishing, and for believing in entrepreneurs like myself who just want to break the mold and follow their dreams.

DD: That was Melanie Jordan, successful author and entrepreneur. I was particularly struck by one of her statements: “The business you develop is unique to you, and one that no one can ever take away from you,” something to always keep in mind.

So what are you waiting for, go grab a copy of WHAT YOU KNOW IS WORTH MORE THAN YOU KNOW!

Success to all!!