2015… A Five Year Plan in Review

Four years ago, almost to this exact day on 12/6/2011, I decided to make a bold move. I made the decision to become an entrepreneur. For me, that meant a combination of blogging, publishing and writing for online forums. At that time, I decided to give my plan five years beginning in January of 2012.. I chose January, because the beginning of each year always turns out to be the most productive time of the year for me. Turns out, I chose a good time to start.

Let me tell you, I was terrified. As a single mom who works full time, I knew that doing something like establishing a successful blog & publishing company wasn’t only going to take years of my time, but it was also going to require sacrifices. I nailed my nose to the ground and fingers to the keyboard and set to work.

My two greatest motivators: setting a good example for my two sons and leaving behind a legacy in my brand. As a young black male, it’s hard trying to find your place in the world. I want to show them that there is light inside the darkness that so many young men face these days, especially kids from single parent households.

On December 6^th, 2011, I published my first book, When Copper Suns Fall. It sold a whopping 6 copies. LOL. However, I was prepared and understood the risks and had made plans to tackle them. What followed was a four-year journey into several ventures and the forging of new alliances with some pretty cool folks. I built an online platform and worked on finishing up a few series.

In late 2013, I established a blogazine called Live Well… Be Fabulous! In June of this year, the blog reached the coveted 120,000 views milestone. Somewhere along the line, I also sold close to 100,000 books and counting. I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with some fantastic brands. And the 11-year home renovation project I started back in 2005 has almost come to a close. In my humble opinion, I’ve found the successes I opted to achieve back in 2011.

The five-year plan comes to a close on January 1^st, 2017. Having said that, I’m fairly certain I will have reached my ultimate goal of living my life as a full-time entrepreneur by the time that day rolls around. Here’s a brief recap of what I learned about each year of the journey.

Summary of My Five-Year Plan’s Results:

2012 was the year of confusion.

2013 was the year of ideas.

2014 was the year of experimentation.

2015 was the year of discovery and reality checks.

2016 will be the year of change…

I have no doubt that 2016 will be the year I finally realize all the goals I’ve been working toward. Late nights. Shrinking social life. Blood, sweat, and plenty of tears. All of that is about to pay off.

Here are my goals (not resolutions) for 2016. Some are big. Some might seem pretty small. However, each one leads up to the coveted “jackpot day” as mentioned in the above quote.

In Blogging

1. Setup a Linky Party for LiWBF called Agents of Fabulosity
2. Hire a small staff: social media, tech support, blog editor, writers
3. Build LiWBF’s email list
4. Establish an ambassadorship with at least 2 major brands
5. Publish the Bloggerly Life non-fiction book
6. Start a self-love class (Buddha in the Purple Box)
7. Kickstarter campaign to support an official launch

In Publishing

1. Incorporate KaSonndra Leigh Books, LLC
2. Keep a consistent publishing schedule throughout the year
3. Hire an Agent
4. Get at least one traditional deal
5. Build KLB’s email list
6. Kickstarter campaign to support an official launch and attract new authors

In Life

1. Italy Trip with the fam
2. Health & Fitness maintenance
3. Remastering my Christmas CD
4. Improving Credit Score
5. Finish the last major indoor home improvement project

The previous years have set the stage for future successes. Until I sat down and organized my thoughts in order to write this article, I hadn’t realized just how successful I’d been in working toward my five-year plan. Trust me when I say that if I were able to do these things, then so can you.

Do not let anyone discourage you from following the passion inside your heart.

Keep dreaming big. And then, get out there and do it!