“People don’t buy what you do. People buy why you do it.” — Simon Sinek; Leaders Eat Last

I believe that kindness and creativity can change worlds because creativity allows people to be courageous and innovative without the fear of failure. I guide people on self-publishing and writing journeys because as a child I built worlds out of words and I haven’t left since.

Growing up I didn’t know I was poor. Sometimes my mom worked two jobs to take care us and once or twice she took us to work with her because she couldn’t find a sitter and her second job was family owned. We’d play Nintendo, eat chips, drink pop, and she’d pop her head in and check on me and my brothers during breaks. I love video games but I’ve always loved books.

The Braddock Carnegie Library was my second home as it housed an afterschool program where I aspired to tutor and a summer program where I learned I didn’t want to become a Girl Scout. It was there that I learned I didn’t have an ounce of rhythm in my bones (lol) and there was nothing wrong with being a latchkey kid. Because of the Braddock Carnegie Library, I traveled daily without even leaving Braddock.

Words were truly my passport and you couldn’t tell me that my library card wasn’t essential to this journey. I traveled to all kinds of places and when I claimed to have “read everything”, my brother jokingly told me to write a book.

The jokes on him! I wrote one book and soon there were three novels. I was unstoppable until teachers realized I was finishing my classwork and my homework in class with a motivation to write books. I even had one teacher confiscate my notebook. I didn’t understand. I was a writer before knowing that was an occupation.

I write for myself, as it’s fun, therapeutic, and freeing. I also write so others can see other career paths that are out of the box. You don’t have to be x, y, z instead follow a passion and see where it takes you. I help people write and guide them through a journey because I myself took a journey and it made me a better and stronger person.

Writing has no boundaries and it was a self-guided GPS to finding me.– Chardae Jones

What’s your why that you do what you do?

Check out the Simon Sinek Ted Talk that inspired this post below.