A Good Day

August 20, 2018

A Good Day

So many good things happened the other day.

First of all, I donated my car. Finally. My 1994 Jeep Cherokee was the first and only car I ever owned. I bought it with cash at age 28. Jeep Cherokees are my favorite and I got to own one! How lucky am I? Parting with it was a hard decision, but now it's one less hassle that I don't need to deal with, especially since I literally live across the street from where I work (again, how lucky am I?).

The best part? Aside from saving money on insurance, gas, and AAA, I now get to rent out my parking spot! How much am I renting it for? Let's call it the Jen Lourie barter system. The renter has to buy and ship me 6-7 books per month purchased on Amazon. Not only will those sales (hopefully) help my algorithm, I then get to sell the books, thus making more profit than if I just rented the parking space for $. #imahustler

Let me tell you, it is really hard to have a bestselling book when no one knows your book exists. So, I am now in the process of hiring a publicist who I talked to that afternoon (which is super exciting! She might get me on TV!!! Cross your fingers!!). I originally met her when I attended a conference last year and held onto her business card ever since. I had wanted to see how far I could get on my own, but I know I need help taking it to the next level. #bestsellergoalsonly

The best part? On her website, her bio says, "If you are ready to embark on your journey, I'm driving. So fasten your seatbelt... I promise a fun and worthwhile ride."

Um, HELLO. Could this BE any more perfect based on the name of my book?! #trusttheuniverse

That evening I went to a networking event in order to spread the word about my book and blog. I did NOT want to go. I do NOT like networking. But, I forced myself to go, reminding myself of what I wrote in my book, "You never know WHAT can happen."

Well, I talked to some people and forced myself to stay until I ran out of business cards. I survived. Maybe a conversation will convert into a book sale or some blog traffic, maybe not...

BUT, on my way out of the event, who did I run into but my favorite college professor! Professor Ed Smith is an African American native Washingtonian who himself never went to college but who became a speech writer in the Carter administration and taught at American for 45 years!

Professor Smith, a Washington gem, was a major influence on my education. He taught me that, "you can't sharpen a knife against a stick of butter" and that "there is no such thing as luck - luck is when opportunity and preparation collide" and "when you read a biography, you make a new friend."

I probably wouldn't have even WRITTEN a book if I hadn't taken Professor Smith's class American Life in a Biography. What an honor when, of course, having a copy of my book on me, because I never leave home without it, I got to read him the section of my book that he is in! As I sat with him catching up, I felt so grateful to myself for forcing myself to go that night. I felt like I had won a prize.

And when I got home that night? To top it all off, I had a lovely long message waiting for me from a stranger which started out, "I have read your blog and just completed Alone in the Backseat on my Kindle app. Absolutely fantastic work."

THAT was a good day.

So yeah, put yourself out there, you never know WHAT can happen.

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