Hidden Gems: Meet Brenda Haire of Joy of Pursuit

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda Haire.

Hi Brenda, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve had over forty jobs and have been working since I was twelve. I’ve never been fired and am not ashamed of my work history. I always worked my way up, out, and on to the next adventure. Many see this as risky and call me fearless. I’m here to tell you that fear was always a factor, I just chose faith instead.

I felt called to write in 2003, but after being told I was a “nobody” by a publisher, I struggled with my identity as a writer. Not one to give up, I pursued my dream and after 15 years of creatively avoiding it, I released my first book, Save the Butter Tubs!: Discover Your Worth in a Disposable World in 2018.

This book is a little San Antonio history, a little memoir, a little self-help, and a whole lot of love. I share my grandma’s story of always knowing her worth and the story of discovering mine.

I was hired by my publishing agency immediately after the book was released, and went on to become the president of the company.

An entrepreneur at heart, once again I left on top, and now a six-time author in Christian nonfiction, Bible studies, and business, I use my experience to help authors become business owners and business owners to become authors. My passion is awakening the grace-given gifts in others and providing a path for them to have joy in their pursuits.

My core philosophy on work and life is this: Knowing your worth changes everything.

My husband and I are both United States Air Force veterans and served our entire careers in San Antonio at Lackland AFB. When I’m not writing, speaking, or coaching others, we enjoy hiking and chasing waterfalls across the United States.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The first publisher I met with told me that they loved my two manuscripts and creative titles but that I was a “nobody” and to come back when I was a “somebody”. That left me questioning the path to becoming an author and my writing abilities.

I decided I should get a safe job and went back to college to study journalism and later communication. After publishing successfully in the college paper, I sent those articles home to my grandma. That must have inspired her because she later asked me to write about all the good in her life.

This is when my original book turned into Save the Butter Tubs!: Discover Your Worth in a Disposable World sharing both her story as she wrote it and mine. Taking a full-time job with the agency that helped me publish the month that book was released, didn’t allow time for writing as I was told it would.

So I left that company in October 2021 and released Worthy, the companion Bible study to the first book (co-authored with my daughter), in November and then The Team Solution Series of four business books (coauthored with my business partner) from January to June of this year.

I currently have a backlist of over thirty books waiting to be written.

We’ve been impressed with Joy of Pursuit, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I cofounded Joy of Pursuit with my business partner Amanda J. Painter. We had worked together at another company and after both deciding to leave that company, we were each awakened in the middle of the same night with the same business idea.

We help authors build businesses and business builders become authors. We specialize in publishing and building small businesses. Amanda and I are both natural integrators and love breaking down goals into tangible to-dos so that our clients can accomplish their dreams. Together, we co-authored The Team Solution Series: HR Coaching to Grow Teams and Profit.

This four-book series is written for small business owners and leaders sitting in an HR seat they might not feel qualified for. We provide over thirty-eight free templates, worksheets, tools, and four clear processes for hiring, onboarding, retention, and employee exits.

At Joy of Pursuit, we offer individual consulting, workshops, group coaching, and a ton of free resources on our website and through our books to help authors become business owners and business owners become authors.

As a speaker, I am also available for keynotes and usually speak on the topics of faith, worth, purpose, identity, and of course, business and publishing.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Because I’m in Texas and Amanda is in Tennessee, Google Workspace is our go-to! We can easily work on the same documents at the same time from over 800 miles apart.

We also utilize Basecamp. We operate on an Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and this software works well for us to keep track of our to-dos. And of course, we can’t leave out Zoom. We meet almost daily over Zoom and work remotely with our clients from around the world through Zoom.

As a life-long learner, I’m always listening to either a podcast, audiobook, or reading book. One of my favorite podcasts is Marketing Your Business with Stu McLaren.

His energy is off the charts, and he gives practical advice. A book that left a lasting impression on me is Know What You’re For by Jeff Henderson. This is the kind of clarity all businesses and authors need.

Pricing:

• Free resources
• Books and additional resources under $50
• $97 courses
• $250 consulting hours
• $5000+ group coaching

Contact Info:

• Website: TheJoyofPursuit.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyofpursuit/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoyofPursuit
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoyofPursuit