We had the good fortune of connecting with Ebony Nicole Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ebony Nicole, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
My work life and personal life balance have changed since I set firm work hours. Determining that my workdays, as an entrepreneur, need to start and stop time, I only dedicate 9am to 6pm Monday – Thursday, Friday 9am to 3pm, Saturday 9am to 12pm and I’m off on Sundays.

This allows me to have time to enjoy my life outside of the business which includes my family, friends, and dating. If I don’t have anything going on, I can choose to do work or just relax with a glass of wine and watch a movie. It also gives my brain a rest, which is good because when I’m not thinking, random ideas come to mind.

More importantly, I’ve written my “downtime” into my schedule so that when I become a wife and a mother, the time for them is already set. I’m prioritizing my time now, for later.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am the writing coach and publishing engineer to faith-based men and women who desire to write and release the book God had given them.

Where I am today, is based on the determination to see what I’ve never seen before: success in my own life. It is also the customer service that I’ve given my clients. Allowing them to reach out to me at any time to talk, producing a product, either book or workbook, that they are proud of. Helping them to overcome obstacles that become a hindrance to their journey. I would say, praying with and for my clients, becoming more than just their coach, but a friend allows them to trust me and me trust them. We have conversations that are beyond the book writing and publishing process.

There were times where building my business was hard. I had to learn how to effectively market my business and build my brand. The lessons I’ve learned were to strive for excellence in every area of my business. Every 6-months I do a S.W.O.T. analysis of my business to see where I can grow and become stronger. Doing this allows me to deliver new products and services to my clients to help them on their journey.

As far as me and my story: I was once a woman who wanted to see what two characters formed in her imagination could accomplish. Once I allowed my imagination to run wild, I had written a 300-page fictional novel and published it. 10-years later, I am a 10x award-winning author and publisher. I have helped over 22 people become authors and over 100 to start their journeys.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had to entertain a friend from out of town, I would take them to one of my favorite spots in the City which is a restaurant called Pane Vino by the River for dinner. It has the best SEAFOOD FRA DIAVOLO I’ve ever had. Along with the entree, I would recommend the artichoke french as an appetizer and the white sangria. After that, I would take my friend to a karaoke bar so we could sing loudly and offkey.

We would attend either a comedy show or a live jazz concert. I would hire a photographer to do a photoshoot at different points of interest around the city.

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?
I would like to shout out my mother Vivian Smith, and my mentor Vanessa Miller-Floyd. These two women have been by my side since I started my business in 2016 and have kept me going when I wanted to give up. My mother is like a walking promotional board for me. Vanessa is one of my prayer partners and I can seek her when I need prayer for my business.

Website: http://ebonynicolesmith.com

Instagram: @coachebonynicole

Facebook: facebook.com/coachebonynicole

Youtube: Coach Ebony Nicole Smith

Image Credits
David Patrick – David Patrick Photography John Lee – Studio 55

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