Desperate circumstances demanded that Jack and Jasinda Wilder find a way to make money to save the home they shared with their five children. Sometimes creativity and the will to attempt the impossible do pay off. We can all learn from their ingenuity.
“Jack and Jasinda Wilder” are the pen names of a Michigan couple who fell on one piece of bad luck after another. One of their five children contracted a disease so terrible that Jack had to stop working to care for him. While the family was completely dependent on Jasinda’s income, she was downsized.
On the verge of homelessness, the couple told CBS Evening News that in utter desperation they retreated to the basement of their home and started writing. They wrote steamy romance novels and self-published them in e-book form. In six months they put out 20 titles. The rest is history.
One of their books hit No. 1 on Amazon, and in one year they have sold over one million e-books. Needless to say, they saved their house, and now run an e-book publishing empire from the comfort of their own home.
What can we learn from Jack and Jasinda Wilder?
1. Never give up. Stay determined and keep working through your problems.
2. Don’t listen when people say, “You can’t….” You never know what you can do until you try.
3. Don’t be afraid to be creative and inventive. New ideas, whether they are born of desperation or just a burst of creativity, may seem like pipe dreams, but they can’t pay off until you try.
4. Know that you have hidden talents. Whatever you do for work is not the only thing you can do. Sometimes a hobby turns into a career.
5. Have a little faith in yourself.
Tell Us What You Think
What is your hidden talent? Don’t be shy, tell us about it below, and then join the conversation on Twitter.
More from PayScale
Can Studying Physics Save Your Life?
Half of Americans Want to Be Entrepreneurs
(Photo Credit: BryanAlexander/Flickr)
I needed to read this great article it was perfect timing. I have been pursing a career to be a RN but after just starting a new position in the hospital I hate it! I felt low thinking of all the time and money wasted. However I have always wanted to be an author, screenwriter, and songwriter. This article has given me the momentum and uplift to set out and pursue my true dreams! Thank you so much.
Wonderful article and read it at just the right time. I am orchestrating a major relocation and will need employment at the new destination. Have been sending out resumes daily and haven’t gotten any serious bites so was getting a little depressed. This article boosted by spirits in the belief that we can do just about anything we set out to do!