Meet Adrienne Horn

We recently connected with Adrienne Horn and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Adrienne! Thank you so much for agreeing to open up about sensitive topics like being fired or laid off. Unfortunately, there has been a rise in layoffs recently, and so your insight and experience with overcoming being let go is relevant to so many in the community.
When I was laid off in 2016, I was scared for my life. I had just moved into a brand-new townhouse and had a helpless one-year-old to take care of and a Christmas to plan. I had no one to turn to but God, and He just didn’t seem to move fast enough.

There was no Plan B. I lost my paycheck, my health insurance, and my 401K. It was sudden and completely unexpected. It would have been so much easier if I had been allowed to continue my desired path to career advancement. It was comfortable and familiar. However, if I had not experienced such a terrible time in my life, I may not have ever discovered all that I was capable of.

Being jobless gave me the push I needed to start my own editing company. Although it was initially a solution to a problem I knew I needed to solve quickly, I grew and learned so much as I built a new dream from scratch and watched it manifest in my reality. The process was not easy. I encountered a lot of opposition from some I thought would encourage me the most. However, once I took responsibility for myself, I went from being an insecure and jobless mother to a successful six-figure entrepreneur and speaker.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am proud to serve as the Founder and Executive Editor of I A.M. Editing, Ink and, most recently, Founder of the 501(c)(3) organization, The I A.M. Giving Foundation – a nonprofit organization for Black and Brown women and girls who suffer from mental illness, providing non-pharmacological methods to help them heal and live in their purpose.

With the art of writing being my first love, I believe that words are powerful and can aid in empowering and healing the soul. These beliefs have led me on a journey to entrepreneurship that has helped hundreds fulfill their dream of becoming an author by providing self-publishing services. In addition, I have published my own blog, The Writer’s Haven, which addresses the conflicts new and aspiring writers face throughout the self-publishing process.

A little over a year ago, I created “The Writer’s Haven” Journal Line – a purist, premium stationery line that celebrates African American cultures. It was designed to promote the art of writing and organization within the African community as a non-pharmacological approach to combat mental illness.

In the upcoming months, I plan to start an online workshop course, It’s Worth the Write Live, to equip new and aspiring authors will the tools they need to publish their books!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment, and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
During my transformation, I was the most successful because I allowed myself to:

  1. Be Bold – I had the courage to leave what was familiar and go after something that was so unlike anything I had ever done. Because of my decision, I have inspired others to follow me on my journey as an entrepreneur.
    2. Be Teachable – I immediately surrounded myself with a community of individuals who had become entrepreneurs themselves. Listening to them allowed me to make fewer mistakes than I would have had I tried to do it on my own.
    3. Be Creative – Don’t be afraid to explore all of the gifts that you have been given. Each of us possesses something that can be beneficial to others. Once you discover how to convert your gifts into gains, the possibilities will be endless.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I am overwhelmed, I take out my journal and write until I feel better. If you’re new to journaling, here are 7 tactics to help you on what I hope will be a newfound journey:

  1. Dust off your pen and paper.

You don’t need anything special to keep a journal. In fact, purists believe that using pen and paper is the best way to journal because you can carry it with you anywhere and don’t need technology to do it. That is one way to get rid of all the excuses!

  1. Do it first thing in the morning.

Don’t procrastinate about keeping your journal. If you are an early riser, it may be best to do it in the morning before you begin your day to affirm yourself and focus on the tasks at hand. You won’t need a huge block of time. Five to ten minutes can easily get the job done.

  1. Make it the last thing you do every night.

If you are a night owl like me, you may find it easiest to focus at night. Many people tend to use gratitude journals before bed. It is a great technique to help you think about the things you are grateful for as opposed to all the things you are worried about.

  1. Write every single day.

Whenever you choose to do it, try to get into the practice of doing it until it becomes a ritual and a habit. Being consistent will be much more effective than just doing it when you feel like it.

  1. Just start.

Don’t worry about style and substance right now. Just work on creating the daily habit with pen and paper (or, if it’s easier for you, a computer or smartphone). Don’t make it hard. Just get going.

  1. Begin with today.

Start right now and write about your day today. That’s the easiest thing to do. What of significance happened today? How did you feel about it? Why are you overwhelmed? What could you do differently? How will you improve tomorrow? These are just a few questions to get you started but feel free to create your own.

  1. Keep it private

The main thing to remember about your journal is that it should be kept private. The only exception is if you want to share thoughts with a therapist, counselor, or coach, or if you want to turn it into a book or course to help someone else overcome whatever you overcame.

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