Courtney Pocock

I attribute my success to curiosity. That's really the drive for me. I just like to know how things work. I like to do the research and understand just how the entire world fits together, and I think that's one of the most appealing things about any type of writing. There's always going to be some research involved,, so you're always going to learn something new.

I don't even care what the topic is as long as I'm finding out something new. The other day, I was writing an article about high-efficiency furnaces. I learned the coolest fact about how they actually function and what makes them high efficiency. They're not actually more efficient in their production; they're more efficient in how they capture it at the end. It was incredible to me and exciting to get to learn something new and mentally break down this complex system.

I also have to say my husband's been really supportive. We've been partners in more ways than just in our relationship. He worked for me helping with website setup and overflow work, and I worked for him as an assistant manager when he was a property manager. We've just kind of gone back and forth. If I need to push in my career and do more work, he steps up at home and does everything at home or serves as the back-up me for work. And then when he was studying to get his teaching certificate, I stepped up and did extra. Having that type of support network in place has been really just phenomenally helpful. Whether I'm hungry because I forgot to eat during a busy day or need a pair of eyes to help me with a technical glitch, I know I ca rely on him to be right there. It's hard to overstate just how important it is to have someone at my side who is truly a partner in my personal and professional lives.

If I were to give advice to young women starting out, I would say just jump in head first and just go for it. As you get older, you have kids, you have a house, and you have a mortgage to worry about. Taking those types of risks, carries a much bigger cost than when you're graduating college and your idea of a splurge is making Top Ramen. If you can do those types of risks early on, it's a lot easier. If I were to go back and start my business from scratch now, that type of intensive workload would be much harder. Rake those risks when you're young, and you have the flexibility to do it.