Sue Ingebretson, Author of FibroWHYalgia
Sue Ingebretson’s BIO
Sue Ingebretson was featured in the March 2011 issue of FIRST for Women magazine and made a guest appearance on the nationally syndicated health TV program, Know the Cause! Her writing has appeared in the National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) online and print magazine, FibromyalgiaAWARE, and the Fibromyalgia Coalition International’s magazine, Fibromyalgia Alternative News. Ingebretson is a contributing author to, The Gratitude Book Project: Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude. She has also authored many books for Playbooks, Inc., a children’s publisher of instructional classroom books. Her book, Fabulous Food Detectives, teaches students to read food labels and discern the difference between whole and packaged foods.
Ingebretson posts news and encouragements geared to promote positive lifestyle changes and healthy living. More information on her book and blog can be found at www.RebuildingWellness.com.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW
1. What prompted you to be a solo business practitioner?
Sue: I’m a natural researcher and that’s a solitary endeavor. As I continued my research into health and wellness topics (and was often asked to speak), it became clear that I needed to create my own business so that I could share information on a larger scale. I therefore created my own publishing company and all that goes with it!
2. Scenario: you meet a business exec who is looking to fund a business that already has had enormous positive implications for businesses. He wishes to offer $25,000 to a business that is innovative in its thinking. He has 10 minutes available to speak with you. What do you share with him about your business?
Sue: I’d probably start off with statistics on the chronic illnesses I study and express the vast numbers of unreached people. I’d explain my business strategy for connecting with these people with targeted and relevant information (i.e. products).
3. What are your “can’t live without” apps on your desktop/cell phone?
Sue: I’m online constantly – about 15 hours a day. I’m very active in social media, therefore Tweedeck is instrumental for me. I interface with Facebook there as well.
4. What are your tricks for time management?
Sue: I’ve recently come up with a very rudimentary spreadsheet that lists my projects and to-do’s in an easy-to-read format. I wish I’d done this a year ago. It’s helped me stay on track and see at a glance what’s up and coming. Because I can see it all at once, I can better prioritize my daily activities. It feels SO good to cross things off this list! I keep “done” things on (in another color) so I can see how the month as progressed and start fresh with a new spreadsheet at the beginning of each month.
5. Best advice received when you started your business?
Sue: I’ve heard this from several places in reference to writing books, but it applies everywhere: Good enough now is better than perfect later (or never). For those of us who happen to be perfectionists (that’s me!) we often suffer from “analysis paralysis” and don’t complete projects because we want them to be perfect. I learned that just getting “it” out there now is far better than perfecting it and perhaps never getting it done.
6. Given the current economic climate, how has your strategy for your company changed for the short-term and long-term?
Sue: The economy and trends don’t happen to have as strong an effect on internet marketing businesses of my type. Yes, times are tough, but as long as you provide products that are needed and have value, there will be a market for them. It’s also important to have products available in a variety of price points, thereby meeting your customer where they “live.”
7. What’s been your proudest achievement as an entrepreneur?
Sue: This is hard to answer as I’ve had several! In the past year, I’ve launched a book (my book launch event was very exciting for me), I’ve been featured in a national magazine (with a circulation of 1.5 million), and I’ve been a featured guest on a nationally syndicated health TV program. Pretty exciting stuff! All of this from my “little” idea that I needed to write down what I know about health and healing.
8. What are some of the ways that you achieve balance in your life?
Sue: This is an important question as it hits home for me! I write and speak on topics of achieving lifestyle balance, so I have to walk my own talk. I try to keep a predictable writing schedule and intermittently exercise between longer writing sessions. Of course, I eat very well (I’m an avid nutritional geek!), and I make every attempt to spend time with my children and grandchildren. When asked to attend my granddaughter’s softball games, I make it a point to drop what I’m doing and go. It doesn’t always happen, but I certainly make it a priority. Lifestyle balance is CRUCIAL to long term success.
9. Your top 3 book recommendations for our readers (and why?)?
Sue:
- 8 to Great by MK Mueller: It’s a powerfully practical guide to personal happiness and moving forward in life.
- The First 30 Days by Ariane de Bonvoisin: It’s a great book on making changes in your life.
- I wouldn’t be a good entrepreneur if I didn’t list my own book here. My book, FibroWHYalgia: Why Rebuilding the 10 Root Causes of Chronic Illness Restores Chronic Wellness is actually a good read for anyone wishing to improve his or her heath. It’s full of humor, easy-to-read suggestions, and encouragements to make healthy lifestyle changes.
10. If you had an exceptional month and earned double of your average month, what (if anything) would you spend it on?
Sue: I’ve actually had this lovely windfall recently. When the March 2011 issue of FIRST for Women magazine hit the stands, my book sales jumped dramatically. I sold far more books in that month than in several months previous. While it was very exciting, I knew it would be short-lived. I didn’t rush out and buy anything, but I am pragmatically seeking out the representation of a good publicist. That’s spending it forward!
11. What are some of your most rewarding charitable involvements and why?
Sue: Being active in my church and community has been a lifelong experience for me. I love to donate my time to various churches and local schools. It’s even more fun now that I have my own business. I love to donate workshops and lectures on the subjects of health, healing, nutrition, building a strong immune system, keeping kids healthy, etc.
12. Who has been the most influential person to you as you’ve advanced in your career?
Sue: I’d have to say the most influential person was my husband. He not only encouraged me to write, but he gave me the support I needed to realize that I really could “do it all.”
13. What’s your advice to my someone interested in starting their own business?
Sue: To anyone just starting off in business, my advice wouldn’t be anything new. Yes, it’s going to be a lot of hard work, and there will be more unpaid hours than imaginable, but the rewards are tremendous. As long as passion is involved, the business will be successful. Choose a subject or type of business that stirs up a deep passion and then hit the ground running!
BOOK DESCRIPTION
When Sue Ingebretson found her health spiraling out of control, she wanted to know why. Her tenacious research into the causes of chronic illness led her through a maze of traditional and nontraditional healing methods. Ingebretson eventually connected the dots and found wellness. FibroWHYalgia is a half diary/half tutorial guide that exposes the facts, fibs, and fairytales of failing health and offers practical solutions. Included are detailed descriptions for making nutritional, fitness, and stress-relieving lifestyle changes. Sue Ingebretson invites anyone with chronic illness to come down from the spectator seats and participate in restored health.
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