Looking back at April, one word sticks: Accountability.
In March, my best friend and I admitted the truth: we were drowning. Not in lack of ideas, but in the “overwhelm” of professional goals and personal chaos.
The Fix—I pitched her a “Mission Control” strategy. We ditched the vague “let’s catch up” and replaced it with a weekly, metric-driven call. I adapted a corporate spreadsheet—clinical at first, but we’ve morphed it into something that actually breathes.
The 12-Month Standoff
One goal sat at the top: Publish the book. I finished the draft a year ago. A year. It sat untouched because life happens (and so do excuses). With a self-imposed April 30th deadline, I had to get my 💩 together—fast.
I broke the mission down into weekly sprints. By Week 2, I was already behind, drowning in “easy” design apps that couldn’t handle the heavy lifting. I finally scrapped them all and went full tilt on Adobe InDesign. It’s a heavy hitter, but I didn’t earn the “Captain” moniker by abandoning ship when the water got deep.
The Win—On April 20th, I hit Order. The first physical proof is en route.
Why I Made You a Map
Navigating the self-publishing waters is full of “gotchas.” To save you the time (and the headache), I recorded a deep-dive tutorial on the process.
Watch the full walkthrough here:
The Starlink Snafu: Ever had your IP address blacklisted by Amazon KDP? If you’re on Starlink, you might. I found a fix that the forums missed.
Watch the 60-second fix:
Fat Pony & The Power of “No”
While the book took flight, my web development business, Fat Pony, caught a second wind. I spent April tightening up the website and connecting with new clients.
The feedback has been humbling. Jenn from Sun Bay Apartments sent over this note, and it reminded me why I do this:
“What sets Erica apart is her commitment… she has a unique ability to empower her clients, encouraging them to understand solutions while remaining readily available.”
The Lesson in Specificity: I asked the Universe for new business, and it delivered. But here’s the kicker—they weren’t the right fit. In the past, I would have taken them because money is money, (right?). This month, I practiced the power of “Thank you, but this isn’t the right fit.” I only want to work on things I’m excited about.
Speaking of Clarity…
Between Captain Erica, Fat Pony, and the launch of Paper Limbs, I was running into brand overlap. I spent the early part of the month drawing hard lines between my worlds.
It feels obvious—I do this every day as a Customer Success Manager—but applying “work logic” to “soul projects” is where the magic happens.
The May Mission
What’s on the block for the first week of May?
- Approve physical proofs (IngramSpark & KDP).
- The Sprint: I have a week off. I’m spending it rough-drafting my next book. 😅
- Home Base: Finally painting the top section of the house.
- The Heavy Lift: I’m due for heavy metal chelation. I’m optimizing my time off and pushing it to next weekend so I can stay in the “writer’s flow” this week.
What are you building this week? Let’s talk in the comments. I’m reading every one.
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