Let Me Introduce Myself

My name is Yolanda Ortega and I found myself this summer in quite a bind. I ended up at the food bank with $2 in my bank account and no food in the kitchen.  Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I had always been self-sufficient but when I was disabled with schizophrenia when I was 33 years old and I have been living quietly maintaining a very limited lifestyle since I only receive $1,200 a month in disability payment. I didn’t know what I was going to do in the future.  I didn’t own a home and I wasn’t sure how I would grow old.  Things were always really tight but I never expected to wind up at the food bank.

So I decided from that day forward I was going to find a way to change my circumstances despite my disability.  It’s very difficult to get a full-time job but I have been trying to be an entrepreneur for a couple of years it just hasn’t worked out. The problem was my pitching t0 different industry executives.   just don’t have the confidence to do it.  However, I was good at operations, marketing and writing.  As I look at what skills I must offer now, I can see that blogging is a real skill that I have developed.  Although I didn’t do much of it I do have the beginnings of a good career in blogging.  I didn’t know how I would monetize that but I knew the answer would come.

At this point, I am trying to figure out how to do an online business either an e-commerce store like drop-shipping or some other business model like eBay or Amazon.   I’m trying to find mentors for myself so that I don’t start from scratch.  I found a few Anton Crowley, Johnny FD and the guy from e-commerce fuel.  This is where I begin.  I don’t have much to offer to start a business in the monetary sense, but I have time.  I am told that is the most valuable commodity an entrepreneur can have to start a business.  

As I try to evaluate all the assets that I have I have come up with a list of things I have to offer. I can blog. I can do research on the internet.  I can watch YouTube videos and learn.  I have social media skills, and I can work as a tenth as an administrative assistant or executive assistant if I can get somebody to hire me.

I have a few things to work out with the Social Security limitations I have in my life. but I’m willing to take some chances to change the circumstances of my life for good.  I just don’t want to be a burden to my son.  I want to be an asset.  Most importantly I want to have my own home and a steady stream of income as I grow older.  My 50th birthday looms about 13 months away, and I want to figure it out by then.  I’m willing to work hard all this year to get there.

I talk things out with people frequently and they seem to think I’m on the right track trying to figure it out. I listen to the mentors and haven’t made any decisions yet.  I’m learning and I’m open to the possibilities.  When I’m ready to make that jump I’ll know it.

For now, I tell you this much I have intelligence, I have sensitivity and I have the ability to figure things out.  I can’t believe I was destined to just be disabled my whole life.  I just don’t believe it there’s too much inside that I want to do.  I want to travel; I want to be stable; I want to contribute to my son’s family, to my grandchildren.  I want to do all these things in my life and I still have time.  I shouldn’t be hard on myself; I was disabled.  I had a very serious condition and I needed time to heal but now I’m ready and I’m poised to take the steps forward.   

Follow me on this journey of self-discovery.  I am going to figure out what I can accomplish in my life if I work hard and focus on the end goal.  I am going to diligently write about my journey and I invite you to follow along.  I need you to keep me accountable for my actions and words.  I need you to give advice in the comments section.  Most of all I need your love and support.  That is the most important thing you can offer me.  I look forward to the journey before me.  I am scared but “there’s nothing to fear but fear itself”, as a wise man once said.