Andrea: Please tell me about a situation when you didn’t dare to live your dream.
Helen: For 30 years I worked in the corporate world. I began as a secretary to a secretary at a very low level, and I never thought of asking for more than what I was given. For 30 years I worked my way up the ranks, but I was never aggressive or thought I deserved more. I felt that if I did a good job, people would notice that and they would move me along.
Although I did indeed move along and achieve management positions, it never occurred to me then, over 30 years ago, that people could just speak out and say, “I deserve the same compensation as these other people…” or, “I could do that job. You should put me in a higher position.” I never had the self-esteem to do that. I did enjoy my work and respect the people who were my bosses, so I was actually pretty happy as long as I was intellectually challenged, but after a long time it became apparent that in American corporations, one’s loyalty was not returned.
After working very hard, putting in extra hours, and trying to be innovative, if you lose your job under those circumstances, as I did, you begin to feel that you are not appreciated and that you need to take more control of your life. I had always thought of being self-employed as a way to escape what I call, “the downsize, right size, outsize” world.
After working very hard, putting in extra hours, and trying to be innovative, if you lose your job under those circumstances, as I did, you begin to feel that you are not appreciated and that you need to take more control of your life.
Andrea: That is a cool expression. I really like it.
Helen: That was pretty much what I was experiencing in the 1980s and early 1990s. I had been entrenched for 30 years in the corporate world, yet I really wanted to take control of my own career. But like most people, I was reluctant to do that. People often wait for something to happen, or say, “I would like to do this…” or “I wish I could do that…” There are so many people that just wish for something and don’t do anything about it. U.S. writer Rita Mae Brown expressed it as "Never hope more than you work.”
So in 1996 I decided that I was done with the corporate world. There was no reward beyond the paycheck, and I wanted something more. We were at an early stage of technology, with computers being used both in business and in homes in the late 1990s. I decided to use everything I knew about computers from my job, and I left the corporate world to run my own business, and to help people be better at using the computer.
When I became a computer consultant in 1996, my goal was to help clients with software and technology so they could be more productive, manage their time better, and understand what people talk about all the time.
I knew too many people that didn’t have a clue how technology could benefit them or what it all meant. I also worked part-time as a freelance writer, maybe a couple of hours on Saturday. When I was in the corporate world I would spend little time on my own writing and I knew that being self-employed as a consultant would give me the opportunity to put more time into my writing.
When I became a computer consultant in 1996, my goal was to help clients with software and technology so they could be more productive, manage their time better, and understand what people talk about all the time.
For my computer consulting business I chose the name, Computer Clarity, and my goal was bridging the gap between people and technology.
Andrea: I would like to go back to your time in the corporate world. You worked there as a secretary and later you had a management position. Did you have any other jobs there?
Helen: I started as a junior secretary, and then I had a very substantial career as a secretary and executive secretary in several different companies over many years, averaging maybe 3-4 years per job. Then I’d move onto another company because of not moving up or not being appreciated, or just not feeling that I was learning anything new. I always found that my work was more interesting if I was being challenged, so once I was good at it and there was nothing else to do, I would start looking around again.
I always found that my work was more interesting if I was being challenged, so once I was good at it and there was nothing else to do, I would start looking around again.
I was fortunate enough to be recognized by the owners of one of the companies as someone who could take on more responsibility. That was in 1977, and I was promoted to Office Manager. It was a huge thing at the time to move from the front desk girl to a person who had their own office. It was wonderful and I will never forget it. My last 2 jobs in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s were very high level management positions and although I enjoyed them, I still didn’t feel that there was an opportunity to continue learning and growing, and that there was not loyalty in the corporate world.
In one of those jobs the owners kept hiring a new division president around every year. We would have to start doing everything differently. Such things as the paperwork being a different color; it was just foolish. Then a year later there would be another president and we would have to do it all over again a different way. It became very tiresome to have blue binders instead of red ones, as if that would make any difference, and staff meetings on a different day. I was so tired of not having personal satisfaction.
Andrea: When you worked there, did you experience some unfair situations between coworkers or between the boss and the employees?
Helen: Not really, but I saw that you have to be the right kind of person for them to take you under their wing or move you ahead, and I did not have a college degree at the time.
Andrea: What was your education before you started in the first company?
Helen: I had a high school diploma, and that is all. In all of those corporate jobs, except for the last 2, I had not had a degree. Once I became office manager and saw that I would need a degree to move further, I started going to school at night to get a degree.
Andrea: What degree did you get then?
Helen: I got a degree from Elmhurst University in the Chicago area in finance and economics.
Andrea: Finance is a great degree.
Helen: Yes, and also because most of the work that I did in those companies involved some kind of accounting management as well as managing people. It was a good fit for me, and as a result of getting that degree, my last two jobs were at a much higher level, so I know that this degree made a difference. I was glad that I had taken the time to do it.
Andrea: When you worked in the corporate world, was it possible for you to speak out what you think or was it difficult?
Helen: I never felt that I was censored in any way, but I think we learned a lot about women in corporate jobs. Even in the 1980s, you could say what you wanted, but it didn’t mean anyone was listening; and if they didn’t like what you said, they might consider you a troublemaker or someone they didn’t trust. So I think it worked against people, especially women, to say, “I have a better idea…” or “I know how we might do this.” I tended not to speak out a lot because I saw that happen to other people. It wasn’t that I was continually speaking out on my behalf and not getting recognized, it was that I pretty much was resigned to thinking that it wouldn’t do any good so I was not very aggressive in that area.
Even in the 1980s, you could say what you wanted, but it didn’t mean anyone was listening; and if they didn’t like what you said, they might consider you a troublemaker or someone they didn’t trust.
Andrea: Did this situation change later?
Helen: I think it changed a great deal in the 1990s when women were pretty much on par with men in the corporate world. But that was also when I began to realize “why are people fighting this hard to get ahead and be so ambitious and struggle for jobs when the loyalty in companies was not there?” We still see that today; even more in the current economic climate. Nobody is given the opportunity to rise to the top in a company unless they are really willing to put their whole life into it, and there is no reward for that. We see people being eliminated from their positions all of the time for reasons that have nothing to do with their performance.
Nobody is given the opportunity to rise to the top in a company unless they are really willing to put their whole life into it, and there is no reward for that. We see people being eliminated from their positions all of the time for reasons that have nothing to do with their performance.
Andrea: Could you please give me an example of that lack of loyalty?
Helen: I guess what I mean in a broad sense is that you could be the hardest worker on a team or in a company and never be recognized for it. If you had worked twice as hard as other people and you didn’t get any benefit, the company was not showing their loyalty to you.
Andrea: Was it an incident that made you leave the corporate world or was it a decision that grew and grew in yourself over a long period?
Helen: I would say that it was the realization that no matter what job I was in, I was not satisfied with the reward I got. The work was not challenging enough. After I moved into a new job, learned it and mastered it, then I was not challenged anymore. Working for myself, I could challenge myself beyond the boundaries of the definition of a person’s job.
Working for myself, I could challenge myself beyond the boundaries of the definition of a person’s job.
Andrea: What did you like about your jobs in the corporate world?
Helen: In most of those jobs I really liked being a problem solver and having specific goals every quarter, every year. I am very goal oriented. I found it very rewarding in the corporate structure to be able to say, “This is the job I need to get done and these are the steps I will take to do it.” I did like the organization of companies and the direct line of communication within groups and departments, but overall it was not enough to keep me challenged. Your loyalty is not rewarded when the company says, “We are not going to do it that way anymore. We don’t care how well you have been making this work. Now we want to do it a different way…” It became tiresome.
Andrea: Do you think that you should have made the transition earlier?
Helen: No, I don’t think so, because I had to be well established financially to be willing to go out on my own, and in my younger days as a secretary, I would never have made comparable money. But after I had been in management for a few years, I had both the confidence and stronger income that allowed me to make that change to self-employment.
Andrea: When you left the corporate world, how long did it take until your company was able to feed you?
Helen: I am not bragging when I say this, but when I got the idea to become self-employed, I thought awhile about the structure of the company, and what I would do to get clients. I find this so true for everyone who wants to make a change: if you put yourself out there and envision what you are trying to do, and you target yourself to the right people, the work will come to you. I really do believe that, even today. In any area, if a person envisions it, and makes the effort, instead of saying, “I wish I could do this…” or, “I wish someone would make this easy for me….” it does work.
I find this so true for everyone who wants to make a change: if you put yourself out there and envision what you are trying to do, and you target yourself to the right people, the work will come to you.
I started my business, “Computer Clarity” in 1996. At that time, I was a computer consultant as sole proprietor. I walked around the corner from my house and got business cards printed and I never looked back after that. I told people what I did and everyone seemed to need computer help at that time; it was the right time to do it.
Andrea: I believe that still today is the right time to offer computer consultancy as I know lots of people who need help with the computer.
Helen: My computer consulting is still thriving. In the beginning, people needed help with everything about computers. I had to explain what a modem is and how the tone in the telephone can talk to the computer, because nobody understood that. Now people have reached a level where they use the computer for the internet, email, and word processing, and maybe budgeting, writing books, and keeping track of their schedule. But people are not continuing to learn new things with the computer anymore because our basic skill-set is enough for what we’re doing. I am sure you are acquainted with social networking sites, and nobody needs to be trained to use Facebook.
Andrea: I know some people who need training on that!
Helen: I suppose that is true. 12 years ago people needed to understand why they would want a computer and what it could do for them. Now people have embraced technology to the point that they know what it can do for them, so they don’t need the same level of training. I still do a significant amount of consulting for specific programs, such as Excel or PowerPoint presentations. People not in the corporate world love having a consultant who can work one-on-one at their own computer on their own schedule, and teach them exactly what they need to accomplish their goal. That is very satisfying for me because I love helping people, but I am also empowering them to move on to the next level of understanding how the computer can help them in their work.
My clients are a mix of small business entrepreneurs and individuals. I think my first clients were lay people who really needed to understand the computer to get the kind of job they wanted, so I did one-on-one training in their home or office, and I still do that. I have done a few classes, but it is not the same thing. One person gets it and one person is frustrated, and to me, it is not effective when one person is frustrated, so I do prefer working with people one-on-one. Your question was, “How long did it take me to begin making money with it or to feel confident that it was a business…” but it isn’t that I never had to struggle, but I never really needed to look for work.
I think if you do something because it feels right to you and you receive acceptance because what you are doing is useful, it nurtures you in such a way that the financial part comes along. All of that helps get you referrals. People enjoy the service you offer and appreciate it and send you more business, so the money takes care of itself. I still live in the same neighborhood, and I never looked back after that first step of getting the business cards. I never entertained the idea of going back into the corporate world.
I think if you do something because it feels right to you and you receive acceptance because what you are doing is useful, it nurtures you in such a way that the financial part comes along.
Andrea: Usually they say that new companies take 3 years until they provide you with income. How long did it take for yours?
Helen: I would say within the first couple of months I was able to pay my bills. And then during these 12 years of being self-employed, some years were much more productive than others. Maybe I would be in a corporate environment where I came in to train executives or office people in particular software. My niche has always been software training, not troubleshooting hardware. It was more lucrative than working with individuals, and of course I found it more lucrative to work in a company where they might hire me for an 8-hour day of training. The corporate rate is such that I could make a lot of money in one day doing that compared to going from house-to-house working with individuals.
So in the busiest years when people in corporate did not know what they know now about using a computer, I did quite a bit of corporate training and it allowed me to keep my rates low for individuals. I also did speaking engagements about the importance of computers, and workshops on the internet. How the internet is helpful for people who are unemployed looking for work, and how it is very, very helpful for writers, and why people need websites; all of that was new to everyone at that time. So it is plenty of work to do for one person.
Andrea: You also wrote some books. What are the names of the books and what are they about?
Helen: The first book I wrote is called “Computer Ease.” I wrote it after 10 years of running my business, Computer Clarity. It was about all of the pleasure I had working with people and all of the fun they had learning what to do with the computer. People used to say, “You should write a book!”
I decided to write a book that was light-hearted and shares the philosophy and humor of coping with computers. It also explained things in common sense English, like “How to solve a print jam” or “All of the wonderful things that we can do with the internet. I wrote it to honor the clients that had been with me for those 10 years. After listening to people talk so much about their frustration with computers, I wrote a book that would turn their mindset around.
It was my big pitch that technology is not going to go away and we have to get comfortable with it and embrace it. I used humor because I know that relaxes people and makes it easier for them to cope. One of the pieces I did was, “Before you call tech support…” and it says silly things like, “Go to the bathroom… Feed the cat… Have some magazines in front of you because you will be on hold for awhile…” so people would relax.
It was my big pitch that technology is not going to go away and we have to get comfortable with it and embrace it. I used humor because I know that relaxes people and makes it easier for them to cope.
That book actually did really well, and I was surprised that it had a market beyond my current clients, but it did and it got me invited to speak as an author on the topic. Some people were also interested in how to get a book published and that has led to another aspect of my career. Writers would see me giving a talk about Computer Ease and they would ask how you write a book and get it published. I had self-published Computer Ease through print-on-demand technique. Do you know what that is?
Andrea: The book is only printed if somebody orders it?
Helen: Right. I knew that there was a limited market for Computer Ease because things change in computers so it would become out-of-date. Also I was targeting an audience of lay people that were not educated computer users. I just wanted to publish it myself and have it available on my 10th Anniversary to enjoy it.
I investigated different methods of self-publishing and I found print-on-demand to be ideal because the company puts the book together for you, charges a small amount of money, and it looks the same as every other book that is out. They make it available online so that it is available worldwide the day it is published. Then they fulfill orders and handle credit card processing and all of that, so my book was ready in a matter of months instead of years, as happens if you go the traditional route with an agent and a publisher.
Talking about getting published and helping writers led to a second book that I wrote in late 2007, “Release Your Writing - Book Publishing, Your Way!” Again I was asked to give talks and prepare hand-outs that explained the differences in book publishing. Because I was also a freelance writer, I had a huge community of people who knew me through my writing in the Chicago area and nationwide. So I was asked to speak at conferences on the techniques of getting published, and the importance of marketing your book to keep it alive and available everywhere.
Andrea: This book, “Release Your Writing”, does it help people who would like to write but who just can’t find the beginning?
Helen: No, it is not so much about the writing itself. It is about releasing your writing to get it published. It covers three parts. One part is about understanding the publishing industry and how to make the choice between traditional publishing, self-publishing, and print-on-demand. Another part explains handling word processing and manuscript formatting if you do self-publish so that people know how to create a table of contents and index and how to manage graphics. The third part is all about marketing.
Andrea: Your first book is about computers; what topics did you cover in this book?
Helen: The first book is the “Philosophy and Humor of Coping with Computers.” It talks about the shift in our intellectual ability to comprehend things by getting used to technology for people of all ages. A lot of it is written towards seniors who are lost in the computer world. Then there are parts of it that are very practical, hands-on problem-solving, such as understanding the difference between a software problem and a hardware problem. Much of the book is helping people appreciate the huge intellectual benefit we receive from having the internet. So it covers search techniques and I have explained what a search engine is and there are many tips and tricks on how to do all sorts of things with the computer.
I was amazed at the reception to the book. It was very widely and well-received and “Release Your Writing” was even better received. I am very pleased that I made the effort to say, “This is something that I want to do and I am just going to do it.” I didn’t listen to all of those books that tell you to write a book proposal and wait two years for an agent; I didn’t go that route. My timeframe was shorter and I am very pleased that it was, because both books were very well received and now I am asked to consult and speak on both topics.
My timeframe was shorter and I am very pleased that it was, because both books were very well received and now I am asked to consult and speak on both topics.
Andrea: How many copies did you sell of those books?
Helen: I would say “Computer Ease” was about 1500 copies and “Release Your Writing” is still selling; I think that I sold at least 2000 copies of it.
Andrea: Your first book, is it not sold anymore?
Helen: It is, and I probably sell 1-2 a month without my awareness of it through the publisher, online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and other online retailers. It has always been available online in the UK and Amazon’s other venues in different countries as well. When I give a presentation, of course I bring both books and sell them.
One of the reasons that they both continue to sell is because I have always been a big proponent of using the internet. “Release Your Writing” covers a great deal of how to keep your book alive through marketing techniques, most of which are internet marketing. “Computer Ease” is very visible on a lot of technology sites. I get reviews and blurbs and that keeps the sales going.
Andrea: Which book is your favorite one?
Helen: I would say, “Release Your Writing.” The reason is that it empowers people to understand the industry without needing a Master’s degree to do it. It gives them an opportunity to take charge and not wait their whole life. If you have a dream to do a book, this is the blueprint to get your book published, have it out and enjoy it. The rewards are wonderful. Most people that self-publish one book will self-publish another book afterwards. That is not to say that an agent or a publisher would not come along after seeing your book does well, and sometimes they do take over a book and reprint it. Self-publishing does not mean that you can’t get a chance of doing that in the future. It doesn’t limit anything; it just lets you realize your dream without other people telling you that you can’t.
Andrea: What do you like about having your own computer consulting business?
Helen: I was able to continually reinvent myself according to what my clients needed. Very often they do say in any kind of business, if you listen to your customers you will find out what they need. They almost tell you exactly what they want you to do. I found that was true when I was talking to a group of people and they would say, “That is interesting, but do you do ‘this’?” They will tell you exactly what they want you to offer. Because I was a one-person company, it was very easy for me to quickly adapt to meet people’s needs. I found it continually challenging and I still do, because people are always asking me for something more that they want to do with the computer. Because I am self-employed I can quickly get up to speed on what they wish to do, and help them achieve their goal.
I was able to continually reinvent myself according to what my clients needed. Very often they do say in any kind of business, if you listen to your customers you will find out what they need.
It is very, very satisfying to be self-employed, to be able to react to what the market needs on my own, without having to go through corporate policies, hierarchies, and procedures. I enjoy it tremendously and I am very, very glad that I was bold and brave enough to make the change. As my mother used to say, “It was the right time to do it.” And it was because computers were so new to people in 1996-1998 that there was a need for my type of consulting, and there still is today. There was a need I filled, and I never looked back.
Andrea: Why should you look back?
What does your best possible life look like?
Helen: I would say to have enough work to keep me challenged and always learning, but the flexibility and free time to travel and pursue new interests for myself, such as learning a foreign language or taking an interesting class. So I would like to have enough work but still be able to balance it with the rewards of life.
Andrea: In an email you wrote as your last sentence “Who would have expected this business to lead into so many pathways?” Can you imagine that there will be more of them?
Helen: That is a nice thing for you to say, and yes, I do, because what has occurred in this last year after “Release Your Writing” was the opportunity for many more speaking engagements and workshops. In the last year I was asked to speak around the country, including Washington, New York, and Wisconsin, which is not too far from where I live. To be asked to speak out of town and not just where people know you and reach a much broader audience is something that I didn’t expect to happen. A number of people have hired me to help them get their book produced.
So I work as a publishing advisor, which is something I never, ever dreamed would come of writing my book. I help people make the decision about what type of publishing they should do: traditional, self-publishing, or print-on-demand. And then help them achieve that goal, whether it is getting the manuscript in correct form or doing the marketing. I do websites for people and teach them how to use a blog as a marketing tool. Those are things that come from my work that I never expected when I started out. I believe that will continue to happen, that people will look to me as an advisor in different roles because I have a lifetime of expertise to share with them.
Andrea: Do you still have some dreams that are unfulfilled?
Helen: I would like to get the chance to travel more frequently without a purpose. The idea of just traveling for fun, to be somewhere else and absorb another culture without squeezing it in as a vacation is an unfulfilled dream.
The idea of just traveling for fun, to be somewhere else and absorb another culture without squeezing it in as a vacation is an unfulfilled dream.
Andrea: So right now you are traveling when you speak somewhere?
Helen: Yes. I do get one or two vacations a year, but the idea of just being able to travel without a timeframe is very appealing to me. You just decide to go somewhere and choose to stay a month, instead of calling it a vacation when you have a date you must return to work.
Andrea: What do you do when the fear of being rejected shows up?
Helen: I do it anyway because I always think, “What is the worst that could happen?” So often I do something and think people will appreciate it, but I don’t feel a lot of fear. I have never experienced writer’s block or fear of public speaking, but if I think something is not going to work, I wouldn’t do it. If I try something, I generally don’t worry about it not working. If that happens, then I will change course. I am personally optimistic that if you put yourself out there the right things will happen.
If I try something, I generally don’t worry about it not working. If that happens, then I will change course. I am personally optimistic that if you put yourself out there the right things will happen.
Andrea: What do you do when huge obstacles show up?
Helen: I find a way around them. I have never had a huge obstacle with my consulting business. But if I did, I don’t think it would hold me back; I would find another way to get things done.
Andrea: You told me that you also do some workshops? What are they about?
Helen: Most of the workshops I do now are not about technology but about writing. I do many to help people choose the path to publication. And I tell people that writing a book does not need to be a lifelong project. Writers can give themselves a deadline and motivation to get their book finished. Knowing the options of publishing really does free people to do that; to finish the book because you know that you have different avenues for getting it published.
Print-on-demand and self-publishing are becoming much more common, and even large publishing companies are now using print-on-demand to do short-print runs or to keep a book in circulation without having the financial commitment of 10,000-20,000 copies. I always tell people that no one is ever going to drive down your street and say, “I wonder if there is an author on this block?” You have to put it out there and then you will be rewarded.
Andrea: The books don’t provide you with much income, do they?
Helen: No, but they pay for themselves. When you self-publish a book, you might spend $400 in advance to get the book formatted and ready for printing. You share a percentage of each sale with the printing company. But in traditional publishing, if someone goes through an agent and a publisher and they get an advance for the book, they don’t receive any royalties until that advance is paid back to the publisher. Also, the agent takes a percentage. So there is less money for the author even when the book does sell well. In self-publishing and print-on-demand, the percentage that the author gets is significantly larger, like 30-50% of each sale. So you make more money per book, and if you have the opportunity to reach a wide audience, it is more lucrative than traditional publishing, unless you have a best-seller.
The way the publishing industry has changed today, they generally don’t even want to keep a title in print or keep it in the bookstores if it has not sold well by their standards. After 3-6 months, it is just gone. When you publish a book yourself, it never goes out of print and you can reprint copies whenever you wish. You don’t have a huge cash outlay because people are paying for it along the way as they purchase the book. To me it is a wonderful option. I like giving people the freedom of choice.
Andrea: Do you get hired as a speaker pretty often, where do you speak and for what reason?
Helen: Everything I have booked from the second half of last year through this year is on the topic of writing and publishing. Technology is so natural to us now there is less need to speak about that. I have events where I speak to small writing groups at a library or large groups in an auditorium on publishing and marketing. My workshops include a lot of demonstration on the internet of the resources available to people for publishing and keeping their book out there.
Andrea: Are you living life to the fullest?
Helen: No. The fullest would be taking the time to get more personal satisfaction from other areas of life such as travel, as I mentioned earlier.
Andrea: Do you mean other areas or just travel?
Helen: I would say travel and learning; continuing to take classes and learn languages; those appeal to me. Those are both within my reach but I just need to take the time to do them.
Andrea: Have you already studied some foreign languages?
Helen: No, not seriously. Before I went to Italy I taught myself Italian using the CDs on the computer and the same with Spanish. I learned enough to enjoy the trip, but I would like to be fluent in a couple of those languages.
Andrea: Do people around you support you?
Helen: Yes. I have a lot of friends and most of them are also self-employed. As a result, we are always trying to help each other get the next gig or opportunity. We like to promote each other.
Andrea: How should you treat a person who tries to restrain you from creating your best life?
Helen: I would recommend ignoring that person. Don’t let her or him influence what you are doing. They are probably not living their best life, either, so who are they to try to curtail what you are doing?
Andrea: What if it is a very close relative?
Helen: I have never had that experience. I can’t relate to that because I have never had that problem. I have always had tremendous support from people around me.
Andrea: That is really great. You are a lucky person.
Helen: I had not realized that but I appreciate you saying that.
Andrea: Do you encourage other people to create their best possible lives?
Helen: I do. It comes across in all of my workshops. My goal both in teaching people about computers and writing is to empower them to realize that it is up to them and they can do whatever they set out to do. I have seen the results among my clients who have taken those bold steps, and they are very, very happy now.
My goal both in teaching people about computers and writing is to empower them to realize that it is up to them and they can do whatever they set out to do.
Andrea: Based on what you have learned and experienced, what advice would you give to people who want to create their best possible lives?
Helen: I would say, “Don’t waste any time and don’t listen to the doubts or fears that come from you or other people. It is your life and you should just reach for it.”
Andrea: Could you tell me about a situation when you realized a dream even though it was difficult for you? Please explain how you found the courage to do it.
Helen: I don’t think I can because the only one that comes to my mind is leaving the corporate world to be self-employed. I didn’t really have to find the courage because it just felt like the right thing to do. I don’t think I have had the misfortune to be in that position so I can’t answer that.
Andrea: You are a really lucky person.
Helen: I do realize that. I don’t know how I ever became an optimist, but being an optimist goes a long, long way for people to have confidence in themselves.
Andrea: Do you have any regrets?
Helen: No, I do not.
Andrea: That is what I expected you to say. Thank you so much for this awesome and insightful interview, Helen!
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