How to turn your passion into a work-from-home venture/business

Too many times we give up on the idea of entrepreneurship, only because it seems like an un-scalable  dream/goal. Try these 5 baby steps to break that goal into doable steps and launch your dream biz (and be boss-free!). 

Here are my top 5 tips:

1.     Make a list of your degrees, skills, and passions, and zero down on a few that you'd like to build a business around.

2.   Check what you need to learn & which skills you need to upgrade before you begin to earn.

3.   Set small but achievable goals with the business building.

4.   Create a Facebook page to share your work portfolio and service offerings with your circle.

5.     Take that plunge.

To explore these further & know about the 6th bonus step, listen to my Audio post on my Youtube Channel here (click on the linked text or the photo below to go to the audio post).

And read the corresponding blog post here.

#milpreneur #entrepreneur #workfromhome #workingfromhome #businessideas #smallbusiness

The Brigade that Builds Brands: Air Force wife & home baker Hakikat Kaur on how to build a creative life around your talents

Hello! We're back with another milpreneur interview. Today, I'm speaking with a fellow Air Force wife Hakikat Kaur, who is a home baker as well as a super creative person. She has juggled her many talents and interests all through this military wife journey and believes that each of us can use our own creativity to stay happy and fulfilled.

Hakikat Kaur

CB. Please tell us something about yourself – what do you do, where are you based and how long have you been a fauji / military wife?

HK. I am married to an air force pilot. I am a peace and nature loving spiritual person who believes in simple living and high thinking. Love, kindness and honesty is what I live by. Natural surroundings rejuvenate and inspire my creativity. I am an avid sports lover and regular with exercise and holistic healing.

CB. What has been your business or creative journey been like; how & when did you start your venture?

HK. The first venture was Kiki Cupcakery. My husband was posted in Chandigarh, the year being 2014. Chandigarh being my home town, we would often have people over, a whole lot of birthday parties and dinners etc. Eager to always set a fine table of eatables, I would spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking and baking a variety of sweets and savouries. This was much appreciated by all and soon I was inundated by orders, and the journey of Kiki Cupcakery began.

Plan your way into 2020 with this planning system (a planner review)

This year – 2019 is on its way out, and the brand new year 2020, freshly minted and sparkling, is about to roll in. It’s at this time – at the cusp of the years that we reflect on the year that’s fading off and plan for the year’s that’s shining bright on the horizon. And a good planner is one the best tools to make this transition with.

Plan your business & lifestyle with a handy planning system

Honestly, as much as I like the idea of using a planner (and every year I look for one to use), I haven’t ever got down to getting one. I’m one of those people, who vouches to start on a new daily planner, only to give up on the idea before January is out. I prefer going with the flow and a simple to-do list jotted down in a notepad has worked for me till now.

But now that I’m juggling 3 ventures (two of which are in newborn and toddler stages), homeschooling my rambunctious son, devoting time to multiple military wife commitments, and carving out time to work on my health, I do need a simple system to jot down ideas, plans, goals and dreams. This is why I like fellow milpreneur Shreya Sharan Pawar’s digital bundle of planners – its user-friendly, visually appealing and flexible in the way I want to use it as a personal & business tool (thanks Shreya, for sending it to me to use & review).

Podcast Episode 5: Reality checks every milpreneur must contend with to grow a successful brand/venture

Have you ever wondered that when you’re a military wife, who wants to start her own work-from-home career, you have to take into consideration many unique challenges that come your way? From unexpected postings to long stints of single parenting when the hubby is deployed, to the many logistical issues that happen when you’re living at a small base, there are lots of big and small things that add color to entrepreneurial life.  But when you're prepared for these reality checks, you can Be your Own Boss From Anywhere, with style.

Here's what you'll need to know. Please click the image below to go to the podcast episode on Youtube:

Click the image to go to the podcast episode on youtube

Read the show notes aka the corresponding blog post to this episode here.

*Join our aspiring entrepreneur's exclusive Facebook group.

*Get my Free book + only-for-subscribers entrepreneurial tips by subscribing to my newsletter here. 

*Listen + download inspiring Podcasts in the "Be Your Own Boss From Anywhere" series at my Youtube Channel here.

:) Till then, find me here:

Twitter @ChandanaMilSpo

Instagram @chandanamilspo

Facebook @chandanabanerjeewriter

#workfromhome #entrepreneur #milpreneur #bossbabe #militaryspouse #militarylife #workingmom #milpreneur #mompreneur #beyourownbossfromanywhere

Easy & Fun Christmas Crafts for Kids

With Christmas just around the corner, my son and I decided to dedicate a few of our homeschooling days to getting into the festive mood. And what better way to usher in the season than create Christmas decorations to hang onto our “upcycled” tree?!

Image credit: Chandana Banerjee

When a mom friend asked me for DIY Christmas tree decorations that her son can make as well, I decided to put it down in a blog post for all other moms out there, who’d like to do some Xmas crafting with their kids.

So, here we go.

Your Christmas craft kit:

6 Steps to turning your passion or skill into a work-from-home career

“With my qualification, I can’t find the right job where we’re based.” Is this something you feel often, as you move from one base to another, waiting for the right work opportunity to pop up?

If a tailor-made job offer is difficult to find at the boonies where you are stationed, you can always come up with an idea, skill or talent that you can upcycle into a career for yourself. Take a course, get a new degree or spend some time honing your talents before you turn it into a dream job.

Here's how you can do this:

1.     Make a list of your degrees, skills, and passions. See if you can merge your educational qualification with your skills or interests. Or maybe, you’d like to run with your passion and turn it into a tangible work-from-home career. What are your skills, qualifications and passions?

The Brigade that Builds Brands: Army wife, artistpreneur & businesswoman Sucheta Jaitly on creating a successful business on the move

Hello friends! Today, I’d like to introduce you to Sucheta Jaitly, an Army wife & a successful artist and businesswoman, who runs a brand of hand-painted wall plates that decorate the walls of restaurants and homes across India. She also teaches this art to underprivileged girls, runs a brick-and-mortar store in MHOW, takes part in handicraft exhibitions as well as in all the fauji wife activities with elan.

Let’s dive into this interview from The Brigade that Builds Brands series, which turns the spotlight on military wife entrepreneurs aka milpreneurs J.

*For updates on the #workfromhome series & #milpreneur inspiration, do follow us at @chandanamilspo on Instagram + check out the "Be your own Boss from Anywhere" series on Youtube here.

Sucheta Jaitly with her hand-painted wall plates

CB. Please tell us something about yourself – what do you do, where are you based and how long have you been a fauji/military wife.

SJ. I  am an  entrepreneur, running a startup of handicrafts called Earthenwallplates since last 2 years. We have decorates hundreds of client walls across India. Recently our venture was awarded by Times of India Group in Madhya Pradesh , in the art and culture category for creating vocational opportunities for the underprivileged girls.

After successfully creating a workshop in Lucknow, we are presently working from MHOW. We receive most of our orders from our website  www.earthenwallplates.com . Here at the shopping hub of faujis (MHOW),  we took a plunge of opening our first  retail store . We are also a supplier to some famous art selling portals like world art community, Quirkstation and Bomway, to name a few.

Recently I earned an Artisan card from my native state Uttaranchal which enables me to represent my state in various art fairs organized by the government of India like Delhi haat . It’s been 19 years being an Army wife. All the exposure at organizing various club activities and welfare meets, have finally been put to practice while running this venture .

6 Reality Checks for the work-from-home military wife

The nuts and bolts of starting a home-based career are the same in any sphere of life, but when you’re a military wife you have to take into consideration the many variables that come your way. From unexpected postings (PCS), to long stints of single parenting when the hubby is deployed, to the many logistical issues that happen when you’re living at a small base, there are lots of big and small things that add color to entrepreneurial life.

Have you factored in these 6 reality checks in your work-from-home plan?

1.     Posting orders and frequent moves to military bases anywhere around the country: Just when you’re getting cozy at work, your husband might come home with his posting/PCS orders. This means, slowing down your work and diving straight into a flurry of packing and moving. Add to that the long wait for accommodation at the next base, and then some more for a working internet connection, and you’ve got a ready-made sabbatical thrown in. 

2.   The need to tweak your venture/business/career goals as per the new place or portfolio:

5 Ways to work your way out of those excuses for not working-from-home yet

Do you really, and by this I mean, really want to work? Have you wanted to set up a home office from your corner of the country? Have you been thinking up ways of slipping in a few hours of work besides bringing up your kids and looking after your home? But at the same time, have you found yourself giving excuses, when the time comes to getting down to the brass tacks and setting up that work-from-home career? Here are ways to work through those excuses and come out shining:

Work-from-home Issues & Solutions

 1. “I want to work but I don’t have any time.”

Action step: List out all those things that are filling up your day. Packing school lunches, tending to a toddler, cooking dinners, changing diapers. Think really hard. What else might be taking up your time? An hour on Facebook, impromptu coffee or chat sessions with friends and neighbors, online shopping, television serials?

If you really want to work from home, are you willing to use some of your shopping, chatting or messaging time to work on assignments? Once you figure out where some of your extra time is going, you can use those hours to lay the foundations of a home-based business or get a work-from-home assignment.

 2. “I want to work but my time goes in doing something or the other.”

The Brigade that Builds Brands: Home Baker, Food Blogger & Army Wife Payal Kharbanda on turning a hobby into a biz

Hello friends! Today, I’ve invited Army wife, home baker and food blogger, Payal Kharbanda to The Brigade that Builds Brands series. She spills the beans on how she used her passion for cooking to bake up a delicious food blog & baking business. A fashionista by qualification, Payal is that lady who always finds a way to use her skills, interests or training to create meaningful work opportunities from wherever she is posted. I hope her story inspires You to create a work-from-home small biz that you’ll enjoy working at J.

*For updates on the #workfromhome series & #milpreneur inspiration, do follow us at @chandanamilspo on Instagram + check out the "Be your own Boss from Anywhere" series on Youtube here.

Featuring Milpreneurs

CB. Please tell us something about yourself – what do you do, where are you based and how long have you been a fauji/military wife.

P.  I am Payal Kharbanda, married for almost 13 years to the olive greens. I have two beautiful daughters and belong to Delhi (presently also based in Delhi). I am a fashion student from NIFT. I come from a business family. I, now am a food blogger (#365dishesonmyplate) and a home baker.

6 Reasons why military/fauji wives stop working

The military spouses/ fauji wives I meet are a talented and well-qualified lot. While a small percentage of them change over to a teaching profession to suit the nomadic life of military families, many ladies put their professional lives on the back burner because of lack of appropriate job opportunities.

Be Your Own Boss From Anywhere - Blog & Youtube series

Here are some of the most common reasons fauji wives press the pause button when it comes to working.

1.     “I can’t find a job to fit my qualifications.” This is the most common lament. When you live at back-of-beyond military bases with interesting job opportunities just as rare as the sparrow, it can be a demoralizing factor for many. 

2.   “Social and volunteer commitments take up all my time.” I agree, that within the defence services of our country there's often a lot to do when it comes to parties, welfare activities, and other social events. If you let it, all of this can take the place of professional work. But even though you can easily have a full calendar of events, with some gumption and prioritizing, you can juggle both – work and the social scene at your base. 

3.   “I don’t think I have what it takes to be a work-at-home entrepreneur.” Time and time again, I’ve seen military wives/ fauji wives give up on entrepreneurship even before they’ve taken the time to understand what it involves. When it comes to a job vs. your own venture, most prefer the former, even when there aren’t any good jobs on the horizon. Being your own boss seems like this huge mountain that is difficult to scale.

GIVEAWAY from Jugnoo Story Art, my quirky art brand

#giveaway  Helloo friends! Are you in the mood to win a set of these fun 'n' fresh art print #coasters for your table/ #coffeecups ☕/ # teacups from Jugnoo Story Art (@jugnoostoryart), my niche brand of quirky art and art prints?

Quirky coasters from Jugnoo Story Art

We are giving away 2 sets: 1 owl set & 1 set with #jugnoo characters (each set has 5 quirky coasters @399). These vibrant coasters are made of MDF with art prints of my original art and unique characters.

To ENTER this Giveaway, you have do All of these 3 steps:

1. Follow us on Instagram at @jugnoostoryart.

2. Like us on Facebook at @jugnoostoryart (https://www.facebook.com/778262202574763/posts/934873373580311/)

3. Answer this question/leave a comment on both the above pages:

"What kind of products would you like to see at Jugnoo Story Art in the near future?" 

Note: Do all 3 steps to enter this #giveaway. This giveaway is valid only for people living in India.

:) We will announce 2 winners (each wins a set of our choice) on November 17 / Next Sunday via Lucky Draw, based on names of those o u who participate.

So, are you gonna be part of this Giveaway Party??? 


#artprint #faujiwifeentrepreneur

#milpreneur #art 

#owlart #owl #girl #lama #boy #table #tabledecor #free #jugnoostoryart 

The Brigade that Builds Brands: Writer, Novelist & Army wife Puja Mukherjee Khattri on creating a career that sustains you through different phases of life

Hello friends! Meet Puja Mukherjee Khattri, a freelance content writer and self-published novelist, and Army wife, who forged on in life and work with courage and gumption after she lost her Army officer husband on active duty, a few years ago. Puja and I have known each other online for the past many years. I really wanted her to share her story at The Brigade that Builds Brands to inspire ladies, whose husbands are still in service or those who have lost their better halves in the line of duty, to build sustainable careers from wherever they are in life or in the country.

CB. Please tell us something about yourself – what do you do, where are you based and how long have you been a fauji/military wife.

PMK. Hi Chandana, I am an army daughter and wife. I am a writer and have been writing for the last twenty odd years. The kids and I live in Delhi with my parents. We moved to Delhi after my husband, Lt Col Abhishek Khattri, died on active duty.

CB. Fauji wives make their home in an assortment of obscure places across the country. Our lives are about living in the moment and doing what we can, when we can. Can you share how you stayed creative or found work that satisfied you while moving across the country?

PMK. I truly believe that I am blessed in my choice of profession, because I can work from almost anywhere, as long as I have a computer and an internet connection. I have sent in my articles from the most interesting of locations. I remember standing at the doorway to our temporary accommodation in Sikkim, while it was snowing outside and the bukhari was on inside, waiting for the internet speed to pick up enough to send my email. And that time I used to log onto the internet through my cellphone. When we were moving out or moving into a new accommodation I have worked in middle of stacks of boxes!

6 Smart reasons to start a work-from-home career as a military/fauji wife

I prefer being my own boss any day over reporting to a boss. But if you’ve always worked for an organization—a company or school, then you might wonder what’s so great about this self-employed lifestyle. Especially, when working for yourself is about putting in just as much hard work or more and not getting a paycheck every month in the bank (the money trickles in, eventually).

Work-from-Home entrepreneurship for fauji wives

Here’s why I think home-based self-employment is a great fit for the military wife:

1.     You can pack and carry your work wherever you go: Whether you’re moving to another town on posting (PCS) or traveling with your husband on a TD (temporary detatchment), you can take your work along. While you may have to take a break when you’re moving to another base, you don’t have to quit working or worry about taking a long leave of absence. 

2.   You can work from back-of-beyond military bases: When your spouse is in the military, especially the Army and the Air Force, postings to obscure places across the length and breadth of the country is a given. And rather than making the difficult choice of staying back in a bigger town to work or giving up working altogether if you move with your husband, as a work-from-home entrepreneur, you can continue working (with some solid tweaks to customize it to your current posting and portfolio requirements) wherever the service sends you.

Be Your Own Boss From Anywhere: A brand new blog series for military wives & moms!

Hello ladies! Are you a military/fauji wife or aspiring work-from-home/homeschooling mom with talents, skills, degrees and a deep desire to whip up a home-based career from anywhere? Have you been wondering where to begin or how to start that work-from-home small biz? Do you often feel disheartened about the lack of good job opportunities where you’re posted and feel that you won’t be able to have a career as a fauji wife?

Helping military/fauji wives & moms with small kids, start that work-from-home venture

I’ve got a new & Free blog series, with audio (download it below) + video (am beginning my Yourtube journey soon) to help you get started. I’ve also launched a new Facebook group called Be Your Own Boss From Anywhere, as an online meet-up of work-from-home women entrepreneurs. 

What’s in this new series for newbie work-from-home military wives? From the nuts and bolts of identifying what you want to do, how you need to get started and how you can juggle work with your military wife commitments, this blog series has you covered.

The Brigade that Builds Brands: Meet Navy wife & handmade entrepreneur Rupinder Kaur

Hello, dear readers! I’m back after a longish break – a surprising, out-of-the-blue break, where I launched a whole new career as an artist, making and selling quirky, cure, out-of-the-box artwork (here's my Jugnoo Story Art FB page). I was also recovering from some health issues, and giving all the required TLC to my spine ;-). I’m back here again, with new ideas, new challenges (i.e. balancing writing, art, homeschooling my son & my military spouse portfolio), and the gumption to nudge more of you into the ‘Boss Lady’ life as a self-employed, work-from-home, fauji wife.

I’m launching a brand new series every week with posts designed to help you banish those issues and create your own Girl Boss life, from anywhere in the country! Do subscribe to the blog to stay tuned. And, don't forget to join our new group: Be Your Own Boss From Anywhere.

Today, I’ve invited Navy wife and Jewellery Designer, Rupinder Kaur at The Brigade that Builds Brands, to share her creative journey as she juggled military life, motherhood and a business. Without further ado, here’s what we chatted about.

For those who are new to my blog: The Brigade that Builds Brands  is an interview series about Fauji wives who create businesses or stay uber creative while juggling all the social + family commitments.

CB. Please tell us something about yourself – what do you do, where are you based and how long have you been a fauji wife.

R.  By education I am a trained Hindustani classical vocalist and also have completed my B Ed. I spent my initial 10 years of married life looking after and raising my two lovely daughters. In 20114-15 I realized that I had some time to spare. Also my husband’s job took him for long sailings and to utilized my time gainfully I got involved with NWWA and also started making utility items from paper weaving. I started my brand ‘Recreation – The Inner Voice’ in February 2015. The page has been a huge success for me and today I have more than 800+ followers of my page.  My paper weaving art was a huge success but regular transfers thereafter ruined some of my artifacts due to their delicate nature and this made me think that I needed to do something different.

So I started making jewelry with a difference. I started investing my time in learning about fabric art and making jewelry out of jewelry. I also started hand embroidery and crafted my embroidery into jhumkas and neck pieces which were liked by my inner circle of friends. I started exhibiting my art within Naval community and also got chance to display my art during Kala Ghoda festival in 2017. NWWA, at Mumbai, was very supportive of my effort as well as that of other artists. Since that time there has been no looking back and my effort has been recognized by art lovers across India.

I am presently at Delhi. I am married into Naval family since 2002.

Rupinder's handmade jewellery

CB. Fauji wives make their home in an assortment of obscure places across the country. Our lives are about living in the moment and doing what we can, when we can. Can you share how you stayed creative or found work that satisfied you while moving across the country?

How this "closet illustrator" & writer became a working Artist - A peek into my artsy journey

The classic case of “life is what happens when you’re making other plans” actually happened to me on my birthday on March 30. 

Just as I was reaching the 5,000 word mark of my second in-the-works Kindle book, I morphed into an artist. A “for real” artist, who paints for a living and plays with beautiful colors and brushes for all her “working hours”.

So this is what happened. I was taking a break from writing, after having published a bestselling Kindle book “The Work-At-Home Military Wife”, and was hoping to recharge my batteries and get more ideas for my next ebook “Self-care for Women”. The best way to indulge in self-care myself was to bring out my paints and brushes, and paint the joyful pictures that I knew would rejuvenate me and fill up my well with happiness.

I shared the photos of those finished paintings on social media and these led to a few initial queries from moms who wanted to buy my artwork for their kids’ rooms. All of it snowballed into ‘Jugnoo Story Art’ my cute + quirky art venture, where I fuse my passion for painting & stories.

The Brigade that Builds Brands: Novelist, ex-Army officer & Navy Wife Sajita Nair draws inspiration from her military life

Hello everyone! Today, I've invited Sajita Nair at #thebrigadethatbuildsbrands. She is a former Army officer, a Navy wife & an acclaimed novelist. We talk about how the #military life can actually spur a #Milspouse to create meaningful work for herself.

C. Please tell us something about yourself – what do you do, where are you based and how long have you been a fauji wife.

S.I am a former army Captain and writer based in Bangalore. My father served in the Air Force and I have been married to a Naval officer for the past twenty years. Hence I have experienced life in the three arms of the forces.

C. What has been your business or creative journey been like: how & when did you start your venture?

S.Post my tenure in the army, I began to work towards my dream of being a writer. Initially I published short stories, articles and travelogues in reputed publications. Only when I gathered enough confidence, did I attempt writing a full-length novel. My debut novel ‘She’s a Jolly Good Fellow’ was published by Hachette India in 2010 and follows the life of two pioneer women officers, trying to find their place in the male dominated army. 

C. Were you in a different profession and re-trained for the current one? If yes, can you share how/where you learned the skills required for your current profession?

S.I learnt everything about writing, on the internet. Formatting query letters, researching information, editing written work and presenting a polished piece of writing to the editor – I learnt all these from various websites. For serious learners, there is no bigger guru than the internet.

The Brigade that Builds Brands: Army wife Shreya Sharan Pawar builds two businesses on the move

Hello everyone! For every #militaryspouse #entrepreneur I meet, I meet 10 other talented #military wives, who tell me that being their own boss from military bases in boondocks is impossible. Today, I speak to a young Army wife, who shows us how you can not only build one but multiple brands on the go. Meet my #bizbuddy Shreya Sharan Pawar and let's find out how she does what she does.

Shreya Sharan Pawar

 C. Please tell us something about yourself – what do you do, where are you based and how long have you been a fauji wife.

S. I was an army kid and became an army wife in 2012. I am currently based in Wellington, Tamil Nadu but we will be shifting once again by mid April. As of today, I don’t know where I will be 6 weeks later.

I am a solo entrepreneur and have 2 business ventures which are very different from each one.

My first venture is“Burst of Happyness”  - a brand of vegan, handmade & natural bath and body products.

My most recent venture is Business Mentoring for creative Indian women where I help them build a business around a passion or a hobby.

C. What has been your business or creative journey been like: how & when did you start your venture?

S. I have always been a creative, DIY kind of a person and my first experience of entrepreneurship was at the age of 11 when I tried to sell handmade trinkets and cards to a local store in Panagarh, West Bengal. Unfortunately, my dreams were dashed coz I sold none.

I never thought of entrepreneurship again till I got married (while studying for my MBA), ditched a high paying corporate job offer post my MBA  and moved to MamunCantt, Pathankot with my husband.

 That's when I started Burst of Happyness as a hobby  from a Captain’s kitchen. It was a result of my own struggle with severe acne and hormonal issues which prompted me to follow a sustainable, green and a natural lifestyle. Soapmaking was a hobby I had picked up along the way to avoid hormone disrupting chemicals present in most bath and body products. I combined my background in adverting + my MBA in Marketing and my soapmaking hobby to build a business.

I started my other venture - Business Coaching - 2 years back. The reason for launching this was because a lot of women started to approach me seeing my progress with Burst of Happyness. So, I use this platform to share tips, tricks and all the lessons I have learnt as a solo woman entrepreneur in India.

The Writer's Den: Novelist Katie Mettner's journey as a prolific writer & self-published author

Hello friends! We’re launching a new series this month called The Writer’s Den (#thewritersden)! Once a month, we’ll invite a writer and author to come over to the blog and tell us about their journey in writing and publishing, their craft and their struggles, their inspirations and their stories. Today, we’ve invited #inddieauthor Katie Mettner, who has written 36 novels and published 31 of those, to tell us what got her started in this journey.

 C. Please tell us about yourself – what you do, the number of books you’ve written, where do you live, your family.

K. My name is Katie Mettner and I live in the Northwoods of Wisconsin near Lake Superior. My husband is a teacher for a local school district, and we’ve been married eighteen years. We had our own little instalove story. We met online in November 1999, met at Thanksgiving, he proposed on New Year’s Eve 1999, and we were married in April 2000! We have three kids, whom we call the three E’s because their names all start with E! Emily is starting college this year as a music education major, Edward is learning to drive, and Elias is learning the tuba! Our only pet is a very special leopard gecko named Leroy Jethro Gibbs (my daughter is a huge fan of NCIS).

I’m disabled as an amputee, but I used to be a medical transcriptionist for a dozen years. That job gave me a lot of fodder for stories and the knowledge to write about physical conditions and how to research them. I spend my days writing, editing, reading, crocheting, and momming (is that a word?) I just finished my 36^th novel and currently have 31 published. I have two more releases for 2018.

How to Write & Self-publish your First Kindle Book: Lessons from my indie publishing journey

Hello friends! I recently wrote and published a Kindle book (which made it to the #amazonbestseller list in the first week) called ‘The Work-At-Home Military Wife – A quickstart guide to creating a pack-and-carry career and work-from-home lifestyle on the move’. It took me a few months, from start to finish, and it’s been one roller coaster of a learning experience.

How to write, launch and promo that first Kindle book

I’d love to write and publish more books, both non-fiction and fiction, and the lessons learnt here will help me in the months to come. If you’re self-publishing your first book, I hope my journey will help you too.

Writing a book: I started writing this book in December 2018, when my parents were visiting me, and I could grab a few extra hours to write every day as they were helping out with my homeschooled son. When it comes to writing a book, there are so many tiny steps, and Hassan Osman's ebook helped me break down the process into bite sized pieces. Here are the steps I followed:

1.      Write down the ideas for your book, and choose one that you want to take up for the current project.

2.    Break it down into a list of topics and create a table of contents.

3.    Add in the extras like Acknowledgements, notes, copyright information and anything else that you want in your book apart from the chapters.

4.    Set some deadlines for yourself, like maybe 1000 words each day or 45 minutes at your desk writing your book. While a lot of authors suggest writing tonnes of words each day, I fit things according to my schedule. This is the best thing about Hassan’s book; he asks you to spend only 30 minutes per day, if that’s all you have, to get your book done.

5.     Spend at least 5 days a week on your book, so that you don’t lose the rhythm and flow.

6.    Finish the book. This can be the tedious part because by the time you’re at the end of it, you might feel a tad bored or may want to take a break from it.

The Brigade that Builds Brands: Air Force wife Sanyukta's Children's Room Decor & Linen Biz

Hello friends! I’m back with another story from #thebrigadethatbuildsbrands series. We’re featuring Air Force wife Sanyukta Bhardwaj today and her ‘Apple of My Eye’ – a handmade children’s room linen and art venture. I’d  like to mention that we will also feature veterans, veteran ladies and Veer Naari’s as well as Armed Forces wives, who have set up interesting businesses and brands. If you know anyone we can feature, drop us a line (contact details below). 

Now, on to our chat with Sanyukta.

Sanyukta Bhardwaj - #Milpreneur

C. Please tell us something about yourself – what do you do, where are you based and how long have you been a fauji wife.

S. I’m an Air Force wife, stay-at-home parent and an Architect by education. Currently based out of the outskirts of Delhi NCR and have been married to my man in blue since 10 years.

C. What has been your business or creative journey been like: how & when did you start your venture?

S. The venture honestly started by chance; it all started when I was packing the hospital bag for my yet to be born son. Being an architect and a daughter of an artist (my mother), I have had a flair for painting, so both of us decided to hand paint and stitch linen for him. Post the birth I happened to show all the hand painted stuff to my fellow Air Force friends. And they motivated me to start this venture when they mentioned how such kind of linen and accessories are not available and even if it is, it costs a bomb.

So that is how ‘Apple of my eye’ was conceived and formed. My very first order for customized bedding set was from the same dear friend (an Air Force wife herself).

My mother and I run this venture together. I mostly do the PR, managing the Facebook page, handling client orders, and my mother does the execution or field work ( since she is stationed and I move from place to place) so we discuss all the details of fabrics, textures, designs, colors etc over the phone.

I however, do most of the wall art orders myself as sourcing canvases and stocking on art and craft supplies is easy with the constant moving!

C. Were you in a different profession and re-trained for the current one? If yes, can you share how/where you learned the skills required for your current profession?

S. I’m an architect by education and all architects are artists/designers by default, so I’m the jack of all trades; the trades being sketching, drawing, doodling, painting and scribbling. So I just had to polish my skills when I started with ‘Apple of my eye’, and now I’m planning to learn stitching too.