I had always heard the expression “Do what you know”, however, when I began Personalized Marketing Inc in 2008 there were many things that I did not know. My journey began as an author who had a dream about a dress. I could not draw the dress, so I decided to write about it. I had written poems and diaries in my youth so describing a dress in words seemed the right thing to do. Then the description changed, it went from talking about a dress, to describing the woman wearing it, the room around her, the emotions and why she was there. In the end, I ended up with a scene and did not know how I got there. I showed my neighbor and friend at the time what I had done, and she encouraged me to write the rest, to only stop when the description stopped. It was then that a man appeared next to the woman and their story began.

I had written a book, even ended up with a publisher, it was at that moment I learned about marketing, editing, and all the other various steps into putting a book out there. Thankfully, I had a wonderful friend who was already a published author helping me along the way. I had some bad experiences, especially being new I made quite a few. Everyone knows the next part… Then I was given a webpage and I found other author sites and wanted to know how they were made. I was hooked! I began devouring the different lines of code and seeing how the pieces connected together. At that moment I went from an author to beginning a web developer. While working on my own promotions, friends began to ask me to help them and one even suggested I could run a business doing this. Thus, in the summer of 2008 Personalized Marketing Inc was born.

I didn’t know everything when I started, learned some from friends, others by trial and error and eventually I ended up going to college. On my birthday in 2013, I found myself returning to school. Sure, I had contemplated right after getting my GED but I ended up not going then. Looking back, I thought it was the circumstances but today I realize it was because I had not found my calling yet. I cannot tell you what I would have went to school for back then, probably something practical, maybe even in auto. After starting my Associates program, I took an aptitude test to determine what career was best suited for me. I was very happy to see that I tested into the very career I already had; it was like a confirmation that I had done the right thing all those years ago.

When I began school, I had only planned on getting a Bachelor’s degree, thankfully my advisor suggested I break it down and get the Associates as well. You know a way of celebrating a milestone on my journey. I ended up going for a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with an Advanced Software Development certificate. Four years later, mom was gone, and I was tired. I think that maybe at that moment my time in college was over. However, a year later, I found myself enrolling in the Master’s program. Life had returned and the path waiting for me opened up again. It is now 2020 and I have a Master of Business with a concentration in marketing. In the 7 years it took, I had eye surgery, a hysterectomy, some other challenges, the loss of my mom and the reminder that life does go on.

If I had stuck to the saying “Do what you know” then I would not have gotten to where I am today. If I had followed that saying, I would have probably been content in life but I do not think I would have been happy. I guess the focus behind this post is to not just settle for what you can do but find out what you can’t do but want to do and grab it.