Today we’d like to introduce you to Charity Bradshaw.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Charity. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As a granddaughter and daughter of authors and public speakers, writing books and speaking to hundreds and thousands of people was normal to me. However, I didn’t think it was going to be the life for me. I liked my privacy and what that afforded me.
By 2014, I was running a successful styling business in Nashville, Tennessee, raising our four children, with a husband about to graduate with his bachelor’s in nursing. I was also a regular adult study teacher at my local church. Life was good, really good.
It wasn’t until I was asked to speak at a conference in Houston, TX where my mom’s ministry is located that I had ever taught in front of a crowd larger than say, 40-50 people. There were over 200 in the room that day and I walked away from that event with a new feeling–greater impact. I was invited to speak two more times that year and in August 2014, I felt God speak to my heart about moving to Houston to begin a new season of my life and accelerate my impact.
My husband agreed and so our family of six moved to Houston in January 2015. This transition was tough. I went from being the breadwinner to nearly zero by the time our bags were unpacked. This season gave me time to write some important heart-messages I had carried for a while. I went on to publish three books within nine months, and while doing that, developed a writing strategy that could help those struggling with a book idea actually get it written–in less than 90 days!
I began offering Launch Author Coaching, a live, online 12-week course that helps first-time writers get their manuscript written. I quickly noticed there was nowhere to send my graduates to get their manuscripts published into books that looked and felt like something professionally done while the author still retained ownership of their intellectual property. So, I created LifeWise Books, a turn-key publishing solution for authors with meaningful messages who want their books to be top-notch.
Recently, my husband and I just published a book together called, “Staying I Do: Committed, Connected & Crazy in Love For a Lifetime”, and if I could help my nurse-husband become an author, anything is possible!
Has it been a smooth road?
The life of an entrepreneur is never easy. It has its abundant rewards and steady stream of challenges. One of the main issues my personality is always up against is worry. Worrying about all the possibilities, being excellent all the time, not missing any errors, and of course, work-life balance. My top strength is future thinking (thank you, Clifton). This is a huge asset for what how I help my clients brand themselves and cast vision for their next step but it can also be my achilles.
What I found to be helpful was investing in a proven business coach to help me plan for myself. It is vital to get help especially in areas you serve your clients in. What we do for others is almost impossible to do for ourselves. And it’s supposed to be that way. We are meant to be in community.
Secondly, join (or create) a network of women who support and believe in each other without competition. I belong to a Mastermind group here in Houston and these women not only provide a sounding board and support to me, but also are people I can help support in my areas of genius.
Whatever you do, don’t feel like you have to do this alone. Your mind will play so many tricks on you through doubt, fear, shiny-object-syndrome, and other distractions that having the right people around you to keep you straight is paramount.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with LifeWise Books & Productions – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I love helping people find and use their voice, establish their market identity (brand) and figure out who their tribe is. I do this through author coaching, publishing, life and business coaching. There are plenty of people who offer similar services, but what sets me and my team apart is our individualized approach. We care for each client like they are our only client. We provide everything from brilliant artwork design to helping our clients craft a high-impact bio. No detail goes untouched.
Our passion is that our clients will not only be proud of their book today, but also for years to come. Authors that go for the amateur or cheap approach often don’t get their book into many hands. Maybe some friends and family, but not the general market that is trained to differentiate quality. This gets me fired up because there are a lot of great messages that didn’t reach their targets because the book looked junky.
Friends, people do judge a book by its cover.
Who have you been inspired by?
My grandmother was an amazing, bold, talented woman. She was a pioneer, trailblazing for women by speaking from the pulpit as an itinerant minister. She and my grandfather wrote over 70 books, three of which she wrote in her 90s. She believed in me long before I did.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.charitybradshaw.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @charitybradshaw
- Facebook: @charitybradshawinc
- Other: www.tedandcharity.com
Image Credit:
Book collage, Always My Hero photo – Charity Bradshaw, Staying I Do book and couple photo – Peter Phillip
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
