The Dip--Why I Started My Own Editing Company

I have always loved words. I am one of those people who had my sixth grade teacher read a poem and tell me how amazing I am with words.

My sixth grade teacher was Ms. Wilson. She was my English and Homeroom teacher for the one year that Washington County in Utah decided to put all of the sixth graders in the entire school district into one school for that year. We had class in some historic downtown buildings and had an entire block of park for our playground during class breaks.

So that’s when I fell in love with words, and not just words, but my relationship with words. They became one of my superpowers.

Fast forward a few (several) years to the infamous 2020. I was on the tail end of my first break-up after dealing with a divorce and the loss of my mom. I had just moved back into my condo, sleeping on an air mattress while I figured out what I was going to do. I had made ends meet with a job at a bar, but it wasn’t really my life’s passion and I was looking at needing a new career, not just a job. I had taught high school language arts for a long time, and to return to that job I needed to renew my license and/or complete a grad program (which were about the same amount of work) or start over completely in a new field.

Well, I love writing. I love, LOVE words. And I was digging really deep to decide which direction to take when a friend of mine suggested that I read the book titled The Dip by Seth Godin. I had never heard of him. Apparently, he’s a pretty big motivator in the entrepreneurial world, and he has a lot to say about finding your niche.

So, if I could do something that would put me in the top 1% of my field, what would that be? Not the top 10%, not even the top 5%. The top ONE PERCENT.

The answer? I’m a genius at teaching writing. My particular strength is helping the author to identify and connect with his or her audience. Words are POWERFUL, and they are even more powerful when they build the message you are trying to send.

I launched Nielson Editing Co. this last year and immediately began building my clientele. While the world has gone up and down, I have been basking in the magic of words and the gratitude of the authors I work with.

This was my dip. I’m still building the business and loving every minute of it. It hasn’t been easy, but the passion I have for this mission keeps me going.

And I have one final question for you—If you could do something that would put you in the top 1% of your field, what would that be?

(Please share in the comments!)