FEARLESS Interview with Jennifer Lee

My friend Jennifer Lee recently published her first book: The Right Brain Business Plan and she is on a month long bloggy book tour! I am super honored that she asked to make Dirty Footprints Studio one of her stops along the way and I thought I’d ask her about being FEARLESS in her pursuits to follow her dreams!

Hi Jenn! Thank you so much for stopping by Dirty Footprints Studio on your bloggy book tour!! That is such an awesome idea! To begin–please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Thanks so much for hosting me here, Connie!

A little bit about me… I’m a certified coach, writer, artist, and yogini in the San Francisco Bay Area. I love afternoon naps, reading in my hammock on a sunny day, and dreaming big. My latest creative obsession is taking photos on my iPhone with Instagram.

I know that writing this book was a huge dream of yours and the thing that I love too is that your book is an aid to help others launch their dreams into action as well. When you began to transform your dream into a reality did you encounter any fear or insecurity–and if so, what did you do to overcome it?

I most definitely encountered fear and insecurity stepping into this dream (and believe me, I still do!). Here are some snippets from the voice of my inner critic, “You’re not a writer. You have nothing important to say. You’ll look stupid. People won’t take you seriously because of this silly approach you’re taking…” and on and on. Not very helpful!

I tend to think that the fear and doubt are often loudest when you’re on to something big. So I just remind myself of that as I moved through the fear. Having support from my hubby, my book coach, my friend Kate who is also the fabulous illustrator of the book, my Nurture Huddle, and other fabulous peeps helped tremendously.

It is really a matter of continuing to put one foot in front of the other despite the inner critic and having awesome support!

At one time Jenn you successfully worked in corporate America but you gave all that up to create a business that is driven from your creativity and heart. Often many Artists start to fidget and feel uncomfortable when the word “business” comes up. They fear that becoming a business means following the typical corporate model in exchange for giving up part of their soul. Your book is based around creating a business plan for us right-brainers. What advice do you have for Artists that are thinking of turning their passion into a business –but don’t want to lose their spark and love for their work that they do?

My main advice is to encourage artists and creative types to lean into their right-brain gifts when it comes to running their business. Being an entrepreneur is an incredibly freeing experience because you get to do things your own way and you can be super creative with how you go about doing that. I found that leaving my corporate job and launching my own business based on my own passions was a way to reclaim my creative spirit in a powerful way.

I recommend working with experts who can help and teach you about the more left-brain details like financial and legal matters. You can always ask someone to help you read your Profit and Loss Statement but you can only ask yourself what matters most to you and your business.

You and I both share a deep appreciation for the intuitive painting process. You are even a graduate of Chris Zydel’s teacher training, correct? How does your intuitive painting practice help you in your business as well as your every day life?

Yep, I got certified through Chris’ Expressive Arts Teacher Training program in the spring of 2010. The intuitive painting process has helped me in my business by underscoring the importance of following my intuition. Also, through painting humongous and bold wall-sized pictures, I got more comfortable stepping into my own bigness and being seen in a bigger way. The intuitive painting process was also invaluable during my writing process. I painted out frustration, the agony of waiting to hear back from publishers, and feeling overwhelmed. It’s also helped me to just enjoy the process of creating with no goals or expectations, so it’s a great practice for being present.

Your book is called the Right Brain Business Plan, does that mean you only have to be an Artist to benefit from it? Who is your book for and how can it help others achieve their dreams and turn their passion into a career?

My book is for budding and seasoned entrepreneurs who want a more accessible and intuitive approach for planning their business. Many artists will relate to it and so will anyone who is turned off my traditional business approaches. People who’ve used the Right-Brain Business Plan including writers, photographers, coaches, therapists, teachers, non-profit leaders, yoga teachers, massage therapists, consultants, marketing and branding professionals, and more.

The book guides you through getting clear about your vision and building the pieces your business plan in a fun way. Plus there are success stories of right-brain entrepreneurs who’ve made their dreams come true, too.

Thank you so much Jenn for stopping by Dirty Footprints Studio on your tour. I’m so proud of you–and extremely happy for you as well. Years ago I purchased your Right Brain Business Plan online and it was a great help in getting Dirty Footprints Studio started in the right direction. I’m super excited to run out and purchase your book now for some extra juiciness! Please let everyone know where they can find you and where they too can purchase The Right Brain Business Plan!

Oh, I so love hearing that the original e-Book helped you back in the day! And look where you and Dirty Footprints Studio are now! Awesome.

The Right-Brain Business Plan is available now on Amazon, or you can purchase an autographed copy at rightbrainbusinessplan.com/book