Doing What She Loves Every Day: an interview with Cathleen Barnhart, author of That's What Friends Do

Cathleen Barnhart is the debut author of the middle-grade novel, That’s What Friends Do. She has a B.A. in Creative Writing and an M.F.A. in Fiction Writing. She has held more jobs than she can count, including process camera operator, waitress, perfume salesperson, and middle school humanities teacher, but being a fiction writer is her favorite job.Cathleen shared that she was always interested in being a writer, from a young age. In high school, she took creative writing courses and was the editor of her school's literary magazine. Still, she was concerned about her ability to earn a living as a creative writer, and so majored in both professional writing and creative writing at Canegie Mellon University.Her first job out of college was as in a management training program at JPMorgan, where she wrote to foreign banks about how to properly format their transfer requests! She left that job and went on to get an MFA in Fiction Writing at University of Massachusetts in Amherst. She got married and had her first child while she was still in school, and became an adjunct professor teaching freshman writing and literature while her husband finished his medical residency.They eventually moved to New York, and Cathleen took a number of years off to raise her children. She wrote for a local newspaper, but ultimately decided to become a teacher in order to supplement her family's earnings and because she couldn't take the constant rejection of freelance writing! Though she loved teaching, she knew deep down that it wasn't fulfilling enough. When her salary was no longer a financial necessity, she took the risk, stopped teaching and became a full time creative writer.“When I go to do school visits, I always say that I was the biggest impediment to becoming a published author because I had so much fear of failure.” Cathleen BarnhartKey takeaways:- Do things that take you out of your comfort zone. Cathleen described that, when she turned 50, she wanted to try new things and have new experiences. She started a blog and tried something new each month, including making a new friend, learning to can fruit and taking singing lessons.- Ask yourself, what do I want to do that's really going to fulfill me and what's getting in my way? Cathleen realized that she wanted to write creatively and that she was her biggest impediment because of her fear of failure.- Find activities and groups that support you. Cathleen joined several writing groups so that by the time she actually decided to leave her day job, she already had a community of writers to support her. She also found her exercise classes to be a supportive structure to her day.About the guest:Cathleen Barnhart is the debut author of the middle-grade novel, That’s What Friends Do. She has a B.A. in Creative Writing and an M.F.A. in Fiction Writing. She has held more jobs than she can count, including process camera operator, waitress, perfume salesperson, and middle school humanities teacher, but being a fiction writer is her favorite job.She is married, has three mostly grown children, a dog, and a cat. When she’s not writing, reading, or walking Zeke, Cathleen fosters kittens and does CrossFit because it’s important to be sensitive and strong. Website:- http://www.cathleenbarnhart.com/Instagram :-https://www.instagram.com/cathleenbarnhart/Facebook:- https://www.facebook.com/cathleen.barnhart Interested in booking a free consultation? Schedule a call.Stay connected:Connect with Laura on LinkedIn@Rotters5 on TwitterConnect with Laura on FacebookSubscribe to my YouTube channelSubscribe to my newsletterGet your free copy of Unlock Your Money Blocks Workbook : Your step-by-step guide to unlocking your blocks to financial freedom.Disclaimer: Please remember that the information shared on this podcast does not constitute accounting, legal, tax, investment or financial advice. It’s for informational purposes only. You should seek appropriate professional advice for your specific information.