Today we’d like to introduce you to Anjeanette Gunter.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started writing really melodramatic poetry when I was about eight years old. When I was ten, my best friend and I wrote a “novel” during recess. It was about 150 pages long, spread out over two wide-ruled notebooks. My parents bought me a typewriter when I was in elementary school, and I owned two or three of them before I’d started 8th grade.
I don’t think I really saw myself as a writer until around 7th grade. I’d written a response to Summer of My German Soldier, and the teacher wrote a note on my paper that said, “You are a writer!”
I’ve just never forgotten that.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think I have been guilty of consistently getting in my own way.
Failing to take opportunities that appeared. Being apathetic or unappreciative. In general, just being scared that my work wasn’t good enough, or that I should devote myself to “more important” things.
I’m lucky that I’ve always had the support of my friends and family— even when my early writing didn’t deserve it. LOL!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Just Bridges Ventures – what should we know?
Just Bridges Ventures is about (1) college readiness, (2) financial literacy, and (3) entrepreneurship for K-12 audiences.
I started the justbridges.org blog in September 2018 as a passion project. I wanted to learn more about personal finance so that I could be a better resource for my niece and nephew. Since I love documenting things, blogging and creating books just seemed like a natural progression.
I self-published my first book this January 2019, so I’m only about six months into this adventure.
BUT, I’m looking forward to creating workshops and courses—in addition to books—that aim to help young people navigate three pathways: college/careers, entrepreneurship, and vocational training.
I think I have a lot to say about these pathways because I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my professional trajectory, even though others always had high hopes for me.
Through my experiences, I’ve learned that all advice is not good advice. We need mentors, targeted strategies, and specific skills.
I think we should also have a lifelong commitment to learning. We need a plan—although not all of us are wired that way (I’m not really).
We need to learn as much as we can about making and saving money so that we aren’t stuck in situations that stifle us, weigh us down, or force us to make decisions that could put us in harm’s way.
I also have a lot to say because I’ve seen education from so many different vantage points.
• Studying education policy as a graduate student
• Working at city colleges, community colleges, four-year institutions, and a seminary
• Teaching at a women’s correctional facility and a residential drug treatment facility, etc.
• Being an elementary teacher
• Being a Title 1 tutor
• Being a GED/ high school equivalency certification instructor
• Becoming an ESL teacher for non-native English learners
I really want to create things that are meaningful and useful, and I’d love to collaborate with others who have a similar vision.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Patience and resilience.
I’ve always been really afraid to fail and afraid to make mistakes, but trying to create something of value forces me out of that mental space.
Failure is both inevitable and useful. We need it in order to grow.
Pricing:
- E is for Entrepreneur: A Coloring Book of Goods & Services from Aprons to Zippers – $5
- J is for Journalism: A Coloring Book of College Majors from Accounting to Zoology – $5
- S is for Savings: A Personal Finance Coloring Book from ATM to Zero Down – $5
- 104 Writing Prompts for 6th-8th Grade Entrepreneurs – $8
- E is for Edamame: A Coloring Book of Fruits and Vegetables from Avocado to Zucchini – $5
- 104 Writing Prompts for 5th Graders: Story Starters & Essay Ideas – $8
- 104 Writing Prompts for 3rd & 4th Graders: Story Starters & Essay Ideas – $8
- Just Bridges’ Birthday Surprise! – $12
- 104 Writing Prompts for 1st & 2nd Graders: Creative Writing Ideas for Young Writers – $8
- P is for Peacock: A Coloring Book from Aardvark to Zebra – $5
- Blank Writing Journals (various titles) – $5
Contact Info:
- Website: https://justbridges.org/
- Email: jbridges.education@gmail.com
- Instagram: justbridgesventures
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Anjeanette-Gunter/e/B07N6GFJB1?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1565925567&sr=8-1
Image Credit:
Anjeanette Gunter
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