https___blogs-images.forbes.com_jrose_files_2019_06_andrea-1.jpg

There is a story on Forbes website about Andrea Robinson, who worked her way up from intern to Traffic Anchor and then host at KSAZ in Phoenix.

The story is written like she worked at Fox News and not at an affiliate, but it points out what many people working in TV news deal with.

Mounting debt.

Robinson and her husband had racked up $52,000 in debt.

She and her husband cut expenses and were able to pay off the debt in 7 months, mostly through budgeting, careful expense planning, and cutting out the “junk” in their lives they really didn’t need.

Forbes writes, her contract with Fox News was up for renewal and the couple needed to make a decision that would impact their lives in a huge way. Should she stay at her job or leave?

And although Andrea loved her job, she had grown tired of the 2:30 a.m. wakeups, the super early (and disruptive) bedtimes, and the long hours away from her kids. Basically, they knew that their life “needed some shifting,” she says.

Robinson put in her notice, finished out her contract, and never looked back, but that’s only because they had made smart financial decisions a long time ago.

“We didn’t have debt and we lived well below our means,” she says.

Robinson had also stumbled upon a unique business idea built around one of her personal passions — journaling. She initially adopted journaling as a way to work on herself while working through a messy season in her life.

“Journaling helped me set the day with gratitude and helped me see all the good that was in front of me,” she says.

At one point, Andrea’s husband Chris and her were chatting about her journal and how much impact it had her on her life. During that conversation, they also came up with a brilliant idea. Why not create a journal for other women who need support, encouragement, and help focusing on the positive in their lives?

At that point, Robinson’s The You Do You Journal was born — a physical product you can order on her website. The pair then began using her social media platforms to begin marketing their new product. She says she knew it was going to work when she began getting testimonies from new users starting in January of 2019.

“When I read ‘this has changed my life’ or ‘I am a better Mom and wife because of the time I carve out to journal,’ there is nothing better than that,” she says.

Robinson says she believes her success comes from years of “pouring into people.”

“Part of the success of this is the community I created while working in TV,” she says.

For example, Robinson built up a sizeable following on Facebook and Instagram during her time on the screen. But she doesn’t use those platforms to serve herself; she uses them to help and inspire people. Robinson is of the belief that people want to be seen and they desperately need encouragement. And when you put people first, success will follow.

“Don’t serve your needs first,” she says when I asked for her best advice for entrepreneurs trying to build a brand or sell a product.

“I see so many selling whatever they sell and yet they don’t show up for these people but expect them to do the same for them.”

H/T Forbes