An Inspired Chat with Michelle Goth of Kansas City

We recently had the chance to connect with Michelle Goth and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
For me, I’m most proud of building a business with passive income. Whether I work or don’t work that day, my business has revenue. Of course, I need to work to ensure that continues in the future, but having passive income has allowed me to prioritize my family and my health in ways that are hard to do with a traditional 9-5 job.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’ve been blogging at blackberrybabe.com for a little over 10 years now. It started as a hobby, sharing recipes that I had tried at home, but quickly grew into a business. In 2019, I left my job in the recycling industry to pursue blogging full-time, and I haven’t looked back!

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I love this question. I was a creative kid, easily distracted and always had my head in a book or some creative project. Some point along the way, I believed the idea that I needed to focus on a career where I could earn good money, regardless of whether or not I was interested in it. I’m grateful for my first 15 years of work because it gave me the best possible foundation for running my own business. But, as I age, I’m finding myself becoming more and more like that childhood version of myself. Easily distractible, always messing with a new project, and doing a lot of hands-on creative work. I’ve learned that I’m not meant to sit at a computer. When I’m doing hands-on work, I feel the most like me!

Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
Actually, I miss managing people. At my last job, I had a big team full of wonderful people. Seeing them grow and supporting them gave me a lot of joy! Working alone definitely has it perks, but I miss working as part of a team, too.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
I’ve been in the online publishing business for long enough to see people get totally distracted by new innovations, like AI. AI is simply a tool to help us get out work done. It isn’t the work itself. The industry has changed and will continue to change, but trying to ride every new technology wave that comes along is exhausting. I try to use new technology to help me in my existing workflows and otherwise do not worry about it.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Absolutely. I thought that a traditional career and the success that comes with it, awards, recognition and promotions, was the goal. I achieved that, and it did not satisfy me in the slightest. My priorities are more in line now, and I find that I am satisfied most days!

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