One of the most thrilling things about being an entrepreneur is realizing how possible it is to create something amazing out of thin air. That’s what Ally Machate did. When her job at Simon Schuster took a hit from the dot-com bust, she decided to “take a chance” and experience a year off to finish her degree while doing some freelancing on the side. Then, once a year passed she found that freelancing was really working out for her and decided to run with it. Today, Ally is the founder of The Writer’s Ally. She’s a bestselling book collaborator, award-winning editor, and expert publishing consultant. You’re going to love hearing about the organic way that Ally has grown her client base and the biggest lesson that she’s learned in business. GIVEAWAY: To be in with a chance of winning an amazing book that Ally collaborated on called The Way of the Seal - a national bestseller full of principles that will help you grow as an entrepreneur, then leave a comment below with your biggest takeaway from today’s episode.   You will learn... >> How Ally transitioned into being a freelancer as an “independent editor” >> How she expanded her client base through reaching out and putting up “a very simple but attractive website” >> How networking can be the launch pad for your business and play a huge ongoing role >> Her tips on how to use a book you’ve written to grow your business (your expertise and experience comes first) >> How she learned that learning to say “no” is such a crucial skill >> How she learned how to specialize and go deep on what she wanted to work on and delegated out the rest by expanding her team. >> The biggest lesson she’s learned in business (it has to do with self-sabotage) Resources and People Mentioned: Animoto.com/business Ally's website The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks The Way of the Seal by Mark Divine Carrie's 10 Minute Masterclass with Ally Carrie’s Book: She Means Business