We had the good fortune of connecting with Jordan Brooks Hill and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jordan, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Growing up, I used to write short, funny stories for my family and friends. I had an active imagination and liked making my friends the star of my own Choose Your Adventures. When I was in high school I took a creative writing class and the teacher told me that my writing was too silly for any kind of serious career in writing. I tried to write “seriously” and found it to be an agonizing chore. I figured this meant I was just a bad writer, and I from then on I only wrote as a hobby to amuse my friends. My mother was the first to encourage me to try and write a book. Which seemed very daunting, as I still thought of myself as a bad writer. But I decided to see if I could do it, so I started to take my writing seriously, and focused on writing a book. It was pretty rough going, as I hadn’t taken any writing classes since high school and didn’t have any training.
Luckily, I found my editor, Elaine Ash. I hired her to do a review of my manuscript, and she saw value in it that I had never imagined. I was still stuck in failure mindset and it was thrilling to and it was thrilling to learn that writing “silly comedy” was the hardest writing to do. She compared me to Terry Pratchett who was arguably the most successful “silly” fantasy author in the world. The thought of being able to share my stories with a larger audience is both exciting and terrifying. So far, it has been a great adventure.
Do you have a budget? How do you handle financial decisions?
As of right now, it’s more about time than money. I try to set aside dedicated writing time in my day. It can be hard to find time without distractions, where you still have energy to be creative.
What do you think about risk? How has risk-taking played in your life/career?
I think calculated risk is necessary part of growth. While taking risks can be scary, it’s really the only way to move forward. When it comes to risk-taking I try to gather as much information as possible and choose the best way forward. I always try to bet on myself.
Where are you from and how does your background impact who you are today?
I grew up in a Utah, in a large family. My mother struggled with MS, so I had to grow up rather fast. I learned a lot from her about patience and perseverance. After finishing collage, I served in the Navy and then went back to school to get my Masters before establishing a career in science. I like having a job that focuses on making things better for people, and I enjoy being able to work as a team to solve problems.
What is the most important factor behind your success?
While I haven’t been published yet, I did score a perfect 10 in the BookLife competition by Publishers Weekly and made it into the SemiFinals. I think with writing the most important aspect is not giving up. I also think that having a good mentor is key to succeeding in a new field. I had lots of helpful guidance form my editor, Elaine Ash. She took a “No Nearly Nothing Neophyte” and gave me a crash course in novel writing. She gave me the confidence to keep believing in myself and to navigate all the difference pieces of feedback I was receiving from readers.
What value or principle matters most to you? Why?
I think being honest and having integrity are essential to any relationship, but are key to establish successful business relationships. I think if people know they can depend on you, they are more willing to take a chance on your business.
How do you handle work/life balance?
I haven’t always been good at this honestly. My day job is very demanding but also very rewarding, so I can get lost in it and forget to make time for other things. After working for seventeen years back East, I took a leap of faith and moved here to take new job in Colorado. My goal is to use this as an opportunity to reprioritize how I spend my time and create space for other things that are important, like connecting with my family and starting on another book.
What’s your end goal? Where do you want to be at the end of your career?
I would love to be an established, published author with a book series. It would be so neat to go into a bookstore and see my books there.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I started writing, I wanted to create something like the great, fantastical adventures that I read growing up. I set my story in 1895, in a Steampunk New York, where young monster hunters fight supernatural horrors across the five boroughs. My characters are trying to figure out who they are, who they want to be, and how to clear out that ghost haunting the local cardboard factory. There’s airships, gadgets, and tea parties. Its everything I love in a story, and I hope others love it too.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take them up to Estes Park. It has such beautiful scenery. We could take the tramway or hike around the lake to enjoy being outside. There are a lot of fun shops and restaurants downtown along the river walk. Then finish off with the ghost tour or a show at the Stanley Hotel.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would shoutout Ashely Savage. She’s a photographer with her own business in Longmont. She takes such wonderful pictures! She has creative ideas for using backgrounds and setting up the perfect shot. She was an absolute pleasure to work with.
Website: https://www.crimsonfallhq.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanbrookshill/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimsonfallhq