Introducing the FIRST "PeopleWhoProsper.com" featured entrepreneur, Rochelle Carter, SPHR. Since starting Ellechor Publishing House in 2009, she has signed 12 authors and released six books! Ellechor is a royalty paying/no author investment, Christian book publishing company. She also started Live.Write.Publish! which is a self-publishing imprint for authors who want to maintain full control. I have had the privilege to ask her a few questions and hear her inspirational story and share it with you!
She answered a few questions about herself so that we may get to know her.
1.Tell me your story. What were you doing before you started your own business?
I was, and still am, a Senior Professional in Human Resources and a Project Manager. I had a great job right out of College and was blessed to work with many great people at a great company.
2. What made you want to start a business and what is your mission?
I started this business as an investment and for the long-term satisfaction of a family business. I needed to put myself in a position where I could have a business that I loved and create opportunities for others. I chose publishing because reading is my passion and writing was my hobby for a long time. I thought it was time we made our relationship official, plus I had always wanted to be an editor!
Our mission is to produce quality Christian Fiction and Non-Fiction that changes lives while entertaining, and to provide hope/support to aspiring authors in a company that will dream big with them.
3. What inspires you? What keeps you motivated daily to keep growing your business?
My love for books inspires me, and my authors keep my motivated daily to do my best and to keep growing this cause. They have put their faith in God and in me, and I pray that God continues to bless me so that I can bring inspiration to them. I ask myself daily, what have I done for my authors today? What have I done to promote Christian books today?
4. Do you have a mentor? Who is it and why? Do you believe it's important to have one?
This is a surprisingly tough question! One mentor is Demetria Hayes, because she brought me into Human Resources and the world of helping people. Without her guidance, I may not have been motivated to find my true joy in work. I do a lot of career counseling and resume writing because she showed me how I can use my skills to help others. My second and all-time favorite mentor is my mother. She worked hard to get her Masters while raising four children, started her own business in a time of need, went to the Philippines to gain her PhD later in life. She is always getting things done!! It's so important to have a mentor, because they are the one person you will never compare to and therefore your motivation to keep moving. If you no longer see the value in your mentor, you need a new one! You should never be without a positive influence.
5. What would you tell someone who wants to get involved in your line of business but doesn't know how to get started?
Call me! Or, just jump right in. Thinking about writing a book? Just start! Want to be an editor? There are plenty of college students who need help. Offer your services free of charge to an author with a completed manuscript in exchange for a reference. There is no great starting point. I have met with many professionals in my journey who wanted to set me back, and I refused. I have not regretted it for one moment, because God has blessed me with a great team and we are getting things done right!
6. What advice would you give to someone with an entrepreneurial spirit?
If you are looking for something lasting, forget the get-rich-quick plan. What do you LOVE to do? What can keep you up hours at night with no regrets? Do that! Write the business plan- it doesn't have to be pretty but cover the basics in 4 pages or less. You can refer to it as a basic outline until you work out the details. Find others with your same passion, always keep learning more and be willing to adjust to new situations.
I just want to thank Rochelle for stepping up and taking the plunge of telling her story. It is so refreshing to hear other people's stories sometimes for many reasons: 1. to learn from their mistakes. I know, may sound a little harsh but it's true. That's why these people share their stories, so that you don't have to go through some of the same hardships they went through. 2. to gain, rebuild or sustain your motivation. If they can do this, surely you can! So, make sure you're reading successful and prosperous people's stories often to keep your fire burning!
Again, thank you Rochelle for sharing how you became so prosperous.
Til next time!
Hear Rochelle's story on PeopleWhoProsperTV
We are always looking for people to feature on PeopleWhoProsperTV and garrisonprosperitysolutions.com. So, if you're bold enough and proud enough of yourself and your accomplishments in business, then I dare you to share your story with us! Just email PeopleWhoProsper to Tamara@garrisonprosperitysolutions.com for more details!
Tamara Garrison-Thomas
deut8:18
www.garrisonprosperitysolutions.com
