Hello All In community! Today’s entrepreneurial story comes to you from a valuable member of my community, Corrin Foster. We are honored to take advantage of her expertise as an entrepreneur and marketing expert. Enjoy!

By day, I’m the Director of Marketing and Branding at Greenleaf Book Group. I work with authors and experts to define their message, build their audience, and make their books a success. I spend most of my days working with successful entrepreneurs who are now sharing their story through a book. That’s how I had the good fortune of meeting Stephanie; Greenleaf is the publisher of her new book All In.

By night, I’m a lifestyle blogger. For the past 15 years, I’ve shared my life online and have partnered with major brands, local restaurants and shops, and non-profits to share products, experiences, and movements with my community.

It’s been wildly rewarding and absolutely stifling, sometimes in the same day. I’ve had the opportunity to go places, do things, and meet people that wouldn’t have been possible without the community of over 50,000 fans, followers, and friends that I’ve worked hard to build. I’ve also spent late nights learning how to code, weekends taking photography classes, quite moments processing reader feedback and trying to ignore trolls, and hours reviewing contracts to make sure I’m not promising something I can’t deliver.

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot and given a lot of advice to authors and entrepreneurs, usually in the form of task-lists and homework. But when I pull back and think about the experience of turning the hobby of blogging into an entrepreneurial endeavor, I come back to these three pillars…

Find Your Community Being a solopreneur can get lonely, even for an introvert like myself, and working in a silo rarely produced the results I envisioned. I find inspiration and motivation through attending conferences, connecting with others on social, and joining local co-working meet-ups. Even if your community is one other entrepreneur that you can meet for coffee and bounce ideas off of once a month, take advantage of that opportunity.

Manage Your Commitments When you’re trying to establish your brand, it’s easy to say yes to every opportunity, good or bad, that knocks on your door. Take the time to consider which opportunities are the best and highest use of your time and which you’re nodding your head yes to just so you don’t disappoint someone. The commitments I’ve found to be most worthy of my time are the ones that propel me towards my ultimate goal, that I’m excited to add to my calendar, and that add value for those on the receiving end.

In the same vein, learn to stick to your guns. When you commit, follow Stephanie’s advice and go all in. Don’t hold back and you won’t be disappointed. When you decline, be confident that you’re making the right decision for you and your business.

Have Fun Not every aspect of being an entrepreneur is going to be a party, but the process should be fulfilling and achieving every tiny goal should be rewarding. If it’s not, stop and re-evaluate. A small tweak in focus can change your entire experience and may lead you down a path that ultimately exceeds all your expectations.

With over fifteen years of experience in branding and digital marketing, Corrin has extensive knowledge of content management, product marketing, and online advertising. At Greenleaf Book Group, she develops and executes strategic marketing programs; oversees social media; and consults with authors on building their brand, establishing online presence, and growing reader communities. Corrin holds an MBA in marketing from Indiana University, completed the Yale Publishing Course, and was a 2015 Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree. Corrin also maintains the popular lifestyle blog Oh Hey and has spoken at IBPA Publishing University, WordPress WordCamp, BlogHer, and South by Southwest.