Work at Home Success Story

An interview with Courtney Ramirez, internet marketing ghostwriter, private label articles writer and internet business owner.

Thomas Edison once said, "Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress," and Courtney Ramirez certainly serves as a shining example of what is possible when one refuses to settle for an unfulfilling career.

Frustrated by the constraints and shortcomings of her job, Courtney took control of her future and set out to create a better life for herself and her family.  Though Courtney doesn't necessarily think of herself as a "success story" yet, she was gracious enough to share her story with us.

Read on for an inspiring interview with a genuine work at home success: 

Creative Work at Home:  Courtney, first of all, thank you very much for taking the time to share your story with our readers.  We'd like to get started by learning a little bit more about you and how long you've been working from home.  What made you decide to begin working from home, and how did you get started?
 
Courtney Ramirez: Well, even before I had my first baby (who just turned two) I knew I wanted to be a Work at Home mom. I got started on my work at home path after I became frustrated with my nannying job about 15 months ago. Although I appreciated that I could take my daughter to work with me, I was tired of my hours being reduced, tired of commuting and tired of working for someone else. I quit in November of 2005 and have never looked back.

When I first quit, I kind of went into shock and flitted from business idea to business idea. I played around with ebay a bit, and even tried some internet marketing (which I love now…I was just intimidated at the time). I’d always been a writer, and finally in January of 06 I decided that this was my opportunity to write and work for myself.
 
CWAH:  What types of writing have you done, and which do you enjoy the most?
 
CR: I’ve worked primarily for online companies and individuals and have written about everything from industrial sealants to real estate in Spain. I’ve written articles, autoresponder courses, short reports and ebooks for my clients. I’ve also done sales letters. My favorite type of writing deals with self-improvement, health and success topics. Those are things that I care deeply about, so they are easy to research and a pleasure to write.
 
CWAH:  Is there any type of writing you don't enjoy?
 
CR: I think that any web writer will say that he or she doesn’t like keyword stuffed articles where they have to use a keyword a certain number of times per paragraph. I remember one assignment that needed me to include the words "modern architecture in Palm Springs California" 8 times in a 300-word article. It was a nightmare!
 
CWAH:  Sounds like it!  What made you decide to stop accepting those types of jobs and strike out on your own?
 
CR: Once I got over the first few months of excitement (“Wow! I’m making money from home by writing!”) I tried to increase my income. First I just added more and more projects to my workload. This summer was very productive for me, but I also got burnt out fast. Then I became pregnant with my second child, and began planning for the future because I knew I couldn’t keep up the pace of writing 30 to 50 articles per week.

The most important factor in my decision was family time. I didn’t see the point of working at home and raising my daughter if I was always overtired from staying up writing the night before. I knew there had to be a better way.

So I began to think about where the articles I was writing for low pay were going. The people who purchased them from me had to be using them for something. I had some knowledge about Internet Marketing, and as I started to learn more I realized that I could cut out the middle man.
 
CWAH:  Were you nervous about taking that leap of faith?  Or did you feel confident that you could make it work?
 
CR:  I’m still nervous! But I know it’s the right step for my business and my family. I think anytime you do anything out of your "comfort zone" it can be thrilling and scary at the same time. But that little bit of fear lets you know you're growing and challenging yourself.
 
CWAH:  Did you always long to be a business owner, or was this move more of a financial consideration?
 
CR:  I always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I remember setting up little businesses as a child and making little catalogs and menus and pretending to sell stuff from my bedroom window. I don’t know why I never considered focusing on business while in college. But after I graduated, I realized that owning my own business was something I really wanted to pursue.
 
CWAH:  And combined with your writing skills, it's undoubtedly a recipe for success.  You're getting ready to launch your Private Label Content website, www.PLR-Direct.com on February 18, 2007.  What do you offer your clients that they can't get elsewhere?  What makes your company unique?
 
CR: I like to think that my attention to detail and focus on quality sets me apart from a lot of the other content sources out there. This is especially true when it comes to PLR content. I know a lot of Internet marketers who are disappointed with the quality of work they receive from membership sites. I try to provide a good balance of quality and fair prices.
 
CWAH:  Have you had a good response to the upcoming launch of your website? Has your progress matched your expectations thus far?
 
CR: I am really excited, and feel fortunate, that I’ve been able to create a bit of buzz for the site before it opens. Having customers anticipate your launch is something that every business owner dreams of. I was expecting to grow the business over time, but it looks like I’ll have a pretty nice launch.
 
CWAH:  What other business plans do you have for the future, either with your www.PLR-Direct.com website, or other ventures?
 
CR: 2007 is going to be very exciting for me! I’m trying to keep my plans flexible, since I’ll be delivering our third child in March. I’d like to continue to expand PLR-Direct through the spring and summer. I want to incorporate more articles and more niches for my customers. Later in the fall, I want to expand my own affiliate marketing efforts and learn more about Squidoo, blogging and web design. Eventually, I’d like to create my own information products and expand my online business to include my favorite niches. But those are very long term goals. I’d rather take a more measured approach and spend more time with my children. The Internet will always be here but kids grow fast!
 
CWAH:  Very true!  What advice can you share with others who may be seeking a way to carve out their own niche working from home?
 
CR: Every business owner, whether online or not, should want to solve a problem for someone else. Keep the focus on the customer and what the market needs. Pair your own interests with the demands of the market, and you’ll have a niche that you are passionate about and that will create income.
 
CWAH:  Sage advice!  What do you want people to know about being a work-at-home success?  What's your secret?
 
CR: I don’t know if I’m ready to use the word success yet!  :-)  I feel very fortunate to be on the brink of this exciting time in my business and in my life. There were some days that I wasn’t sure if I’d make it to this point. My "secret" is having clear goals in mind, and persevering with faith. I never gave up, and knew that each step I took (even if it was a mistake) was getting me closer to my goals. I made my goals very specific and targeted and then looked for resources to help me meet those goals.
 
CWAH:  Looking back on your journey so far, is there anything you would have done differently knowing what you know now?
 
CR: I think, if I could go back, I would want to have more confidence earlier on to set out and do my own thing. However, I think confidence is something that needs be built, so in retrospect every step of the journey that I have made has been essential.

CWAH:  Very well said, Courtney.  Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us, and for allowing us to share your story with others.

Learn more about Courtney and her work:

Courtney Ramirez is an experienced web writer and owner of PLR-Direct, a private label rights article store. In addition to offering high quality PLR articles in the self-improvement niche, Courtney also writes original articles, ebooks, autoresponder courses and sales letters. You can visit www.PLR-direct.com or www.squidoo.com/imghostwriter for more information on her services.

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