EP 42- Hilary Jastram, Founder of J. Hill Creative & Bookmark Publishing House: Write Effing Now!

We have experiences while we’re here that give us a frame, scope, and reference. At the time, we don’t know why. Sometimes we second guess the importance of what we’re being exposed to or learning, even discounting as a minor irritation. But pay attention to the little details along the way in your life.  Be alert to the coincidences that occur.  Take note on how everything is always working out for you, despite your lack of qualifications.  You have ordination on your life, an agreement you made before you came to this planet.  Today’s guest is going to take you on a journey in this brief episode that will stick with you for a lifetime.  Hilary Jastram is Founder of J. Hil Creative, Inc and Bookmark Publishing.  She’s invested thousands of hours in discussions with 130 humans to help extract their true stories and turned them into written books. She’s a dynamic host of the podcast, “Write Effing Now,” and is a best-selling author of “Sick Success: The Entrepreneur's Prescriptions for Turning Pain Into Purpose and Profit.” She lives in Minnesota with the love of her life, “D,” and all their fur family made up of cats and dogs.  Jeff and Hilary get to the episode in a friendly fashion discussing their affinity for Minnesota life and connect on having similar childhood upbringings.  They talk about the power of extracting certain lessons from those experiences to help them get to a better place later in life. They discuss taking betrayal, dishonor, and impoverished circumstances and turning them to a creative motivation to make a better life. Hilary shares how she takes an author into being very succinct about what their book is about starting with the exercises that bring forth a resonant message. Jeff and Hilary talk about the importance of having a passion and standing out amongst the crowd. Hilary shares how she wrote her first book between the ages of 4 and 6 years old about a potato chip getting married.  She has always written and discusses how writing comes easier than her interest in graphic design.  Hilary shares how she discovered copy editing while being an Executive Assistant.  One big opportunity would change the trajectory of her career back in 2015.  You’re in for an up-close look behind the scenes of what it takes to write your life and bring your message to the world.    What You’ll Learn: The method Hilary uses to stay positive through the tough times  Who 67-year-old Charles Hamm is, how he has 20,000 followers and why you should be one of them A course of study Hilary almost pursued in her life and the reason she didn’t  How long Hilary has been copy-editing books  The number of books she has copy edited for authors to date and when she started What it was like living with no electricity, extreme poverty while moving frequently Why every married couple should have a “talking stick” The name of Hilary’s book and podcast The adventures of the Minneapolis skywalks  An exercise where Hilary used the appearance of a real-life perfect stranger (unbeknownst to him) to write a character in one of her first books A few authors Hilary has worked with Why doing nothing is more important when you’re angry or have a ton of stuff going on Knowing when is a good time to stop  Why it was important for Hilary to learn how to fight properly How Hilary got into copy editing books   And much more!     Favorite Quote: “The biggest part of self-worth is we can sometimes be afraid to see how wonderful we are.”    -Hilary Jastram    Connect With Hilary:  Facebook Instagram Podcast: Write Effing Now!  Book: Sick Success    How to Get Involved: Addicted to Winning connects listeners through stories that prove why mindset matters. Jeff Brekken was working a 60-hour week on his family’s farm by the time he was 10. When he wasn’t helping with the harvest, he was at the hockey rink. Jeff’s early life experiences taught him he needs to be either all-in or all-out.  In 2000 he started a single-family home construction business and by 2008 he was looking for his next big thing. Jeff founded the Blue Sky Benefit Solutions & Rise Above HR/Recruiting on top of a lifelong passion for helping people. Through this show, Jeff will take that passion one step further. If you enjoyed this episode, head over and visit us on Apple Podcasts - leave a review and let us know what you thought! Your feedback keeps us going. Thanks for helping.