Novi, MI – August 22, 2013 – Very few individuals have the courage to walk away from a highly lucrative career to venture into the unknown. It was a big risk, but Novi business owner Rachelle Smith did, and hasn’t looked back. She voluntarily left a fruitful sales career in the Biotechnology industry and started her business in early 2012. “The income and perks were phenomenal, but I wasn’t fulfilled,” she says. “I knew there had to be more to life than that. I wanted to pursue my life purpose, and make a difference in the world.”
That courageous decision changed the course of her life. Her life is now filled with passion and purpose. “So many people are unfulfilled in the workplace. I can relate; I was one of them,” she says. While she had planned to start a consulting business after retiring from corporate America, she made her entrepreneurial dream come true – twenty years ahead of schedule. “Now that I have done it, I want to encourage others to do it as well. We all have things that we are passionate about and naturally gifted at. My goal is to inspire and challenge readers to engage in thorough planning and preparation to build businesses around those areas,” she says.
Find out what's happening in Noviwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Her book, Monetizing Your Passion: You Have What It Takes!, was birthed from her own journey, coupled with a desire to help others make their dreams come true. “Starting a business seems to be a far-fetched dream for most people. It doesn’t have to be. There are so many resources available to aspiring entrepreneurs. Now is a great time to start a business,” she adds.
Find out what's happening in Noviwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Entrepreneurship has been booming for several years in the United States. “In 2010, an average of 0.34 percent of adults created a new business each month, equaling about 565,000 new businesses per month,” according to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity 1996-2010, published in March of 2011.
In the book, Smith also cites the Novi Public Library, as being very helpful during her entrepreneurial journey. Novi Library Director, Julie Farkas, says, "Libraries are hidden gems when gathering valuable information for a business adventure. There is a wealth of resources both in print and digitally that can kick start performance and many programs that benefit the business go-getter. "
Smith considers Michigan a great place to start a business. “The Michigan Economic Development Corporation has great resources, such as the Michigan Small Business Development & Technology Centers (MISBTDC) available to help you get started. I attended a number of their workshops.”
She also considers Novi a perfect place to start a business. “A few months after starting my business, Oakland County District 9 Commissioner, Kathy S. Crawford (R-Novi) met with me. She shared some great ideas and insight, as she herself is an entrepreneur and CEO of Kathy Crawford Communications.” Smith was also featured on the March 2013 edition of “Business Avenue,” a show that highlights the Novi small business community sponsored by the Novi Economic Development Corporation and produced by Southwestern Oakland Cable Commission (SWOCC), which airs on Brighthouse Channel 13, and AT&T U-verse Channel 99. “I haven’t met anyone yet who hasn’t wanted to see me succeed,” she adds.
The book’s contents include wisdom from the author’s entrepreneurial journey, start-up accounting advice from Ursula C. Scroggs, CPA and Jean M. Stenger, CPA, both of Troy-based Derderian, Kann, Seyferth & Salucci, P.C., and also highlights the journeys of fourteen passionate and successful entrepreneurs surveyed from various industries across the United States. Novi-based award winning information technology services company, KBTS Technologies Incorporated, owned by Andy Chiranjeevi and Radhika Kandikonda, were among those surveyed by Smith.
Monetizing Your Passion: You Have What It Takes!, will be available on Amazon.com beginning September 7th.
Rachelle Smith, principal and founder of Positive Creative Infusion Consulting, LLC, a national consulting, training, and speaking firm based in Novi, Michigan. Her other books include: Happiness & Success Uncovered: Lessons From My Passionate Journey; Global Branding: An Analysis of Toyota Corolla's Brand Equity Among Students of American, Brazilian, German and South Korean Descent at Florida International University in Miami, Florida; and Marketing Strategies To Build & Grow Businesses, Non-Profit & Personal Brands: A White Paper Collection. For more information, please visit www.monetizingyourpassionbook.com.
