The holiday season is on top of us, the shoppers are rushing about, placing orders online but also driving to the malls and big box stores to get a jump on the big day coming up not so far away.

I am at the same time looking at stacks of books, thinking about concepts of push versus pull marketing, and knowing anything I do now won’t really pop until weeks or months from now…so I sit paralyzed for the moment. In the B2B (business 2 business) world, this is traditionally a slow time.  In the B2C (business to consumer) the holidays are when they are trying to do 30% of their business. I’ve been stressing about how slow my book business has been, but as I step back, I have to analyze: am I a B2B or B2C business?

OK, thinking of it in this context, I realize my book, LET ME IN, as a memoir about a business career, falls more on the B2B side of the world, at least the way I have planned on marketing it. I am targeting business’ diversity and inclusion groups, and women’s groups. The initial push to friends and family was a B2C sales effort, but long term, the traction will need to be in businesses and groups that will, as an aggregate, want to read my book.

If this is true, my focus right now needs to be planting seeds in businesses that will come to fruition in the spring. This is a long cycle. Nothing happens overnight. Even I have observed that “overnight” success usually takes ten years.

In addition to book sales, I am looking at a few other revenue streams that will augment my sales—speaking, retreats, teaching. I am also looking at how my Solo Ski Sojourn can penetrate the skier market. I really haven’t worked that angle yet.

On my to do list is “plan my work, work my plan.” Instead of stressing, I need to enjoy the season, sit back, reflect on my goals, and begin plotting my plan.

Earlier today I Googled “what do retired people do?” I was wondering if I was crazy to be pursuing this career, pushing myself to learn a new industry, stepping into the unknown. What surprised me was that the first hit listed getting a job as the top best thing to do in retirement! #5 was starting a business, which is what I feel as though I am doing as a writer.

LOL.  As much of a renegade I feel I am, I AM SO PREDICTABLE.