Download the Grant Writer FAST Focus Workbook at www.teresahuff.com/fastfocus. Grant Writer FAST Focus Welcome back to this special Podcast Power Series, Grant Writer FAST Focus. This week I'm going to help you develop the confidence and clarity you need to start your grant writing career. So far in this series, we've talked about: Part 1 - Move away from “Do I have what it takes?” and instead ask, “How can I get there?” Part 2 - Take inventory of your skills Part 3 - Learn the F.A.S.T. steps - FOCUS on your goals, ASPIRE to learn, SHAPE your online presence, and TRACK your progress Now in Part 4 we're going to tie up the loose ends and bring it all together so you can develop a plan for your grant writing career. How Can I Start as a Grant Writer? We’ve gone through all those steps, so today we’re going to talk about the #1 question I hear from grant writers. That is, “Where do I start?” Today I'll share some of the struggles and mistakes I've made along the way, and how I've learned from those. Turns out those valuable lessons are now helping other grant writers in a big way! You don’t need to be nervous, struggling, or not sure where to start. You most likely have a lot more skills than you realize already, Take that inventory and then figure out the shortest distance from point A to point B to become a grant writer. Make sure you’ve listened to all the episodes in this FAST Focus series and DO the homework. If you still need help, then get on the Fast Track so I can help you dig deep and get really clear on this. F.A.S.T. Track to Grant Writer: How do you know if this is for you? You have a heart to SERVE. You need to be passionate about helping nonprofits. You love to LEARN. You need to be willing to put in the time to learn in the program. Show up for the group calls and watch the videos. You’re ready to IMPLEMENT. You need to be committed to doing the work in the program. This isn’t for people who want to consume more content and then send it to the digital graveyard. It’s for go-getters who are ready to take serious action. You’re ALL IN. You’re ready to take the next steps in your career. You’re not going to hide behind fear or “what ifs” anymore. You’re ready to go all in on this new adventure. This is the most cost-effective way to work with me. You’re getting high level, intensive advice customized to your situation.  We work on both the technical grant writing skills and the business/career building. Start with what you know and go from there. Figure out the shortest distance from Point A to Point B. But to do that, you need to do 4 things F.A.S.T. (and by the way, these are the 4 phases we cover in Fast Track to Grant Writer): FOCUS: Get clear on your career goals and what is realistic for you in your current season. Develop your career roadmap - either for starting your consulting business or working for a nonprofit as an employee. ASPIRE: Learn pro grant writing strategies. In grant writing, you’re going to need to understand much more about nonprofits than just how to write a grant. SHAPE: Build a professional online presence and LinkedIn profile that reflects your career goals. TRACK: Execute your action plan so you can build your grant writing career around YOUR ideal life with confidence. You need a plan and goals. Those are the steps most new grant writers miss. And it’s the support I wish I’d had as a new grant writer. Challenge for Grant Writers I want to leave you with some important challenge questions today: What do YOU have that makes you memorable? What do you have to start with? We all have something, no matter where you are in your journey. I’ve worked with brand new grant writers, experienced grant writers, business owners, retirees, college students, a nurse, a digital marketer, an artist, and so many others. You’re not too old, you’re not too young. Stop making excuses for yourself and let’s explore what’s possible. What do you need to learn? Do you already know business? Nonprofi