Meet Debra Channer | Author & Pharmacist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Debra Channer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Debra, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Work-life balance has definitely changed for me over time. The more I align with things I’m passionate about and walk towards my purpose the less I need a defined work life balance.

I think when you work a “job” where it is just a means to an end and it doesn’t really align with who you are or your purpose in life, then there needs to be a clear distinction between your work life and your free time. That way you can do things you enjoy to feed your soul and recharge your batteries before you head back to work. Without a clear distinction you most likely will burn out or become complacent in your workplace and or home life which I like to call being stuck in the matrix.

When your job or career starts to align with your passions and purpose then the work life balance starts to get blurry. Because you are doing something you enjoy it no longer feels like a chore to work. Therefore, it is likely that you end up intertwining your work life with your free time.

In older generations, I feel like people were forced to stay with jobs they might not have truly enjoyed for their whole life. Retirement was when they really got to enjoy their free time.

In this day and age, people are more focused on finding jobs/careers they truly love a lot sooner and are not afraid to hop around until they are satisfied. Which I think is important in order to live a fulfilled and happy life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a writer and I am super excited because I am actually releasing my first book in about two weeks called Don’t Blow Sunshine Up My Skirt. It’s about my dating life as a career woman here in South Florida and I actually mention a lot of local restaurants and spots in the book.

I started a health blog back in 2017 for fun and that’s when I realized that I actually enjoyed writing. I continued blogging and eventually put out a short story miniseries on Instagram. I got a lot of positive feedback from it and ended up starting a little audience for my writing.

It definitely was NOT easy! I am not good at formal writing or grammar but I love to tell a story. I’ve always considered myself a perfectionist so starting over at something new with minimal knowledge was definitely frightening. Thankfully, I was able to work through my fears and ended up creating a beautiful product from scratch. I also work full time as a pharmacist so spending my free time working on my book/writing took a lot of discipline.

Having a strong purpose, a good support team and a lot of patience helped me overcome all the challenges I faced and persevere to get everything done.

Writing and publishing is a whole new world for me so I have learned so much throughout the process as well as pushing myself along the way.

I learned that reaching a goal is an amazing feeling but when you enjoy the process of getting there, all the hard work,
the setbacks, the nitty, gritty sweat and tears—that’s when you know you truly have something special.

I think the way I tell stories is very unique. I make it entertaining but also try to include an overall lesson that people can take away from my stories. When people read anything I write I hope they always gather a genuine and relatable message that they can hopeful connect to.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love finding outdoor things to do so I would start by taking them to south beach. We could use the outdoor gym followed by a relaxing day on the beach.

We could hit Oleta River state park and go kayaking around the city. Stop for a nice picnic on one of those little islands as we watch the miami skyline.

Would have to plan a yacht day as well! A must for a trip to Miami.

As far as food, I would try and hit all the fancy Miami restaurants like Carbone, Papi steak and Novikov.

In order to get some nice views we would hit some rooftop bars like Sugar or Astra.

I would hope they would be satisfied with that!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The author Kevin Elliot has been a great mentor for me on my journey to become a published author. I was listening to a podcast he was featured on one day and was instantly motivated by his story. He shared that he wasn’t great at grammar but had a knack for storytelling which led him to become a writer. I related to that because grammar is not my strong suit and held me back from trying to start writing for a long time. I reached out to him on IG and have been following him ever since. Whenever I have a question about writing or the publishing process he always went over and beyond to help me and also supports me along my journey. His kindness did not go unnoticed and I hope to one day give back to other authors starting out just like he did for me. Definitely recommend checking out his work. He has an extensive catalog of books and has also worked alongside the rapper 50 cent!

Website: Www.dosesofdebz.com

Instagram: @Itsdebbae

Twitter: @itsdebbae

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Deb.E.Cakez