We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alyssa Guthrie a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Alyssa with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I think I first got it from my parents. As a kid, I grew up doing weekly household chores and doing yard work with my dad, whether that was pulling weeds, mowing the lawn or backwashing the pool. Work was always something that we were expected to do as kids. I think being homeschooled as a kid also contributed to that, as I needed to work hard to complete my school work before I was allowed to play with my sisters/friends.
Building good habits of hard work and study became even more important to me as I entered high school and continued growing in my faith in God as well. In high school I was challenged in my literature and science studies, as well as my music education. I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist, which while not a strength, definitely motivates me to work hard, even when I’m tired and bored of doing the mundane tasks.
After high school I enrolled in an online trade school called the Author Conservatory. This school is designed with a “learn-by-doing” mentality. I didn’t just learn about writing and business—I had to actually write books and build a business. This really helped to solidify my work ethic, and show me that I’m capable of more than I think I am.
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 run my own business, Arizona Science Clubs, where I teach in-person science classes to homeschoolers! My focus is on helping to engage a child’s sense of wonder about the world around them by teaching them in a high-energy, hands-on way. I’m actually running some science bootcamps this summer and am going to be teaching a full school year of physics in the fall. If you’re interested, you can join my email list at azscienceclubs.com and I can send you all the information about my upcoming classes.
I am also a YA historical fantasy author who writes vintage stories that sparkle with hints of the fantastical. My first published work, “A Deathbed Wish” is featured in the anthology Voices of the Future vol. 2.
“A Deathbed Wish” is about a WWII veteran who makes a wish and goes back in time 24hrs to see his daughter one last time before he dies.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
For me the most important quality that has helped me in my journey is a love of people. Once you become genuinely interested in other people, everything about business becomes easier! The best way that I’ve found to develop this skill is to go into every situation with an attitude to serve others, and then to listen to them. I’m not perfect at it, but I found those two things really go a long way.
The second one I think of is confidence. If you know you have something of value, it makes it way easier to share it! If you want more confidence, create something that truly has value and do it for someone else.
The third quality that has really helped me is to make sure that I don’t overthink things. It’s so easy to second guess your pricing, that email or that conversation. My advice is to do your best, and then go out and do the thing, and don’t let overthinking or perfectionism stop you.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. That book transformed the way I think about my interactions with people and really influenced the way I think about marketing.
The most valuable things I learned from that book is 1) Become genuinely interested in people 2) Listen to others 3) Smile.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://azscienceclubs.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/azscienceclubs
Image Credits
Personal Photo: Rob K Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
