Sis, Me Too!
Sis, Me Too, is the podcast where we get real about adulting, navigating life after college, and all the messy, beautiful moments in between. Hosted by Lauren Martin, we’re here to share stories, swap advice, and remind you that it’s totally okay not to have it all figured out. No judgment, just real talk and a whole lot of “me too” moments. So join us as we laugh, reflect, and tackle this crazy thing called life—together. You’ve got this, sis! 💞
Sis, Me Too!
Fueling your Passion + Being Authentically You + Inspiration for Authors
In this episode of the Sis, Me Too podcast, we’re sitting down with Jessica Burgos, a writer and hustler who’s showing us how to juggle a 9-5 while chasing her big dreams.
Jessica opens up about the highs and lows of navigating adulthood—how overwhelming it can feel to balance work and her writing career all while continuing to discover on herself.
She gets real about dealing with self-doubt, and how staying connected to your community and leaning on your support system can help you push through the tough moments.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re falling behind or questioning your path, Jessica’s story is a reminder that you’re not alone. It’s okay to feel unsure, but don’t let that fear stop you from going after what you want. This episode is for every woman who’s courageously chasing after her dreams, one step at a time. 💞
Wanna stay in touch with Jessica?
Instagram @jessicaaburgos
Writing IG: @jessicaburgoswrites
TikTok: @jessicaburgoss
Book Website: https://linktr.ee/jessicaburgos
💞 Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend to grow our sisterhood!
🌟 Have thoughts to share? Leave us a review—it means the world to us!
📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: Sis, Me Too! Podcast Channel
If you’re a young professional woman of color, check out our online community, Soul Sisters, where we navigate the ups and downs of adulthood together.
Learn more at mysoulsis.com
Let’s keep thriving together, sis! ✨
Hey, hey, hey, welcome to the SIS Me Too podcast, where we dive into the real, the raw, and the relatable moments of adulting. I'm your sis, Lauren Martin, and today we have Jessica. I am so happy to have Jessica with us. We go way back. We actually connected on LinkedIn when she reached out to me, and I'm so grateful that she did. We've both been helping each other on our whole entrepreneurship journey, and she's just been a big source of light in my life. And today we're going to talk about her journey of being an author. I am so proud of her. Her third year anniversary is coming up of her first book and she may or may not be working on another book. So please join me in welcoming Jessica to our podcast today. Hey everyone, I'm so happy to be here. Thank you, Lauren, for inviting me. I'm so excited to talk about my journey. So yeah, like what Lauren said, I am a writer and I love writing poetry and prose. I did publish my first book when I was like 16. It was like poetry, my first one, my first collection. I don't really talk about that one much, but my last one, which is Finding Closure, I post about it on social media and it's... pretty much poetry, prose, and quotes. And I am working on my third one. So I am really excited for that. And I'm planning on dropping it next year. And I also do a little bit of marketing for my nine to five as well. So balancing both of them at the same time. So yeah, I'm excited to talk a little bit more about my background. Yes, girl, that is so awesome and incredible because, I know most 16 year olds, are rotting away in their bedroom playing video games, going out to parties or whatever it is. And you were locked in, you were writing your first book. So talk to us a little bit about that journey. How did you discover that passion or even just interest that you had in writing and then say, hey, you know what, I want to be an author. I want to publish my own book. I think growing up, was probably, I want to say, around like my pre-teen age, maybe a little bit before that, where I always just had this dream of like being a writer just because there was something in my heart telling me I want to inspire people through words. And I really loved being able to journal from like a little bit of younger age. Like I was like writing short stories like in my journal or just writing whatever came to my mind. And I was like, I think it would be cool if I became an author one day and even if I inspired just one person, that would mean the world to me. And I felt like that was important because I was like, I want to make a difference in this world. And I feel like with words, you're really able to do that. And so as I got through middle school, I was kind of just writing a little bit more. And then in high school, I was like, there's different platforms to write through the self-publishing industry versus the traditional route where you go to a company and everything. There's pros and cons to both, but I was like, if I can do this now, I might as well. And I'm already writing these things in my journal and in my notes that are very personal. it just felt right because I was like, if I can do it now, I might as well try. And it was like... you know, I guess you could say life-changing, I guess, to start it at 16 and publish a collection. Now, I do feel like my writing has grown since that first book. I don't really talk about that one that much, but it was definitely the start to like the fire, like in that passion that I had where I was like, okay, like I published his first one, like I think other people at school were reading it and just like... people in my circle and everything. And then when people started to tell me, like, wow, these words really meant a lot to me and I could definitely relate and it's really deeper and everything. I just was like, I can do this again in the future. I took a couple years off, I believe. And then eventually I published Finding Closure around 20. And I feel like that's really the book that I am. the most confident and the most confident right now. And like, of course I'm making more work, but it kind of just grew over time where I was like, I want to be able to improve my work and like continue to inspire people because it feels good to know that other people relate to my experiences and just like personal experiences, especially like with relationships and things like that and growing. And yeah, it just feels really good. And it also gives me a little bit of comfort knowing that I'm not alone in my experiences. Other people are going through the same thing and going through this journey with relationships or dating, whatever the case is. So yeah. No, I love that for you. And I think a good spot for us to start was like kind of breaking down your journey is that moment where you said you were at 16 and you decided just to take that leap. I know for myself and so many other people that have big dreams, the hardest part is just getting started, taking that first step and really putting yourself out there. So I'm sure you had those thoughts of fear in the back of your mind. What will people think? Are people are even going to read this book? So how did you kind of push past those thoughts and actually go ahead and put that book out there on the market. That's a question. think the one thing that kept me going, I mean, I definitely had, you know, some doubts of like, can you really do this? Like you're so young, like, why don't you, you know, wait and everything like that. But I think because I was like in my room so long for just writing out my feelings and like, it felt so therapeutic to me where I was like, it's also going to be very like one of the biggest goals that I'm going to have and achieve. from I'm doing it for me and myself and because of this passion that I have and sticking with that mindset and I'm just like, okay, I'm just gonna drop it. Like I don't think I really marketed it like before. Like I think one day I was like, hey guys, like wrote about, you know, and a lot of people were pretty surprised at that. But I was like, it felt like it was really for me, like a personal project. I didn't think like, my gosh, I'm gonna get all these different people to like. get it, like it was really because it helped me with my journey with like dating and relationships and like the things that I have felt and experienced. So I kept that mindset and said, hey, like this is really what's important to me and I'm 16, like this is probably gonna be really cool. Like that's kind of the mindset that I had. But yeah, I mean. It was very satisfying for me. It was very therapeutic. So I think that's what helped me like continue to do it. So yeah, it's actually like publish it. Yeah, yeah, no, I think that's the thing too that a lot of times people don't think about or we do but not like put it at the forefront is a lot of times the work that we're doing, it's also healing us, it's feeding into us and that's what kind of motivates you to keep going, you know? So I guess kind of almost selfishly serving other people also serves you in a way a lot of times. And then I know selfishly I have to kind of throw this question in here. the future I would love to write a book. So can you talk a little bit about the journey of self-publishing? What does that look like? What are some tips or things that you would do differently whenever maybe with your publishing of your third book? Again, selfishly have to kind of ask that. Yeah, absolutely. mean, my best advice for you or anyone who does want to publish a book, I mean, evaluate your options first. Like there's the self-publishing route and then the traditional route, pros and cons to both, like I said, but traditional, what I have found personally is that, you know, they're going to charge you a lot more because of the production of the book and like placing it and like just getting the whole thing together while self-publishing is more like you do a lot of it on your own. and you're writing it, you're planning out the format, you can make a cover yourself or you can hire someone to make a cover. It's all pretty much on you and there's different self-publishing companies. So I would definitely suggest looking into the options that you have and what suits you. But if you do plan to self-publish, because things are on your own, I would definitely say have a plan. if you're, for example, whether you're writing poetry or fiction, you know, have your, I guess, timeline for like when you're writing your draft and when that draft is ready, would you want to hire an editor? And that is something that I definitely would want to do for my next book and have somebody revise, like have more of like a thorough process. had some people, like with my last book, look through and like edit it or just give me a little bit of critique. But if you want to really like hire somebody and hire like a really strong professional, I recommend that. And seeing what platform you want to use for your writing. I know some people use Microsoft Word. That's honestly like the most common format. The good thing about self-publishing is that at least with the platform that I use, you can have a preview of what your book is going to look like before it's going to, you know, be out into the world. So you can send yourself a copy, see what you want differently. You know, make sure that you get like your copyright in there. I don't know if that's... required for all of the self-publishing companies. So just make sure you know your things about taxes, copyright, and all of that. And yeah, my biggest advice would be, you know, if you want to bring other people into your process to give you that feedback and to help you write or to like edit specifically, then that's definitely what I strongly recommend. But it's because it's a process on your own. And one thing that I did like with my last book is that you can hire somebody to make your cover for you. So that's what I did for my last book and I'm definitely going to be doing that for my next one just because I have some design skills but I'm not that great at designing. So you know if you want somebody, another creative to help you you know bring your vision to life and to build you that cover and create that for you then I recommend that. But it's really just evaluating your options. You know, I'm not gonna say exactly what company you should choose. There's different ones. And doing your research with other writers, like on Instagram, I know other writers share their experiences with certain self-publishing companies. Definitely chat with other people who are writing the same things as you and just get suggestions from there. So yeah, I think it's more of a independent route, I guess, if you will. Like if you really want that creativity, like, mostly on your own and like you don't have like a company doing things for you. it's really like a lot of it is you're creating it, you're marketing it, you're doing this like essentially on your own. But again, you can still bring in like the editor and like who you want to hire or bring on in your process. So that's still up to you at the end of the day. So yeah, definitely pros and cons to both, but I do enjoy self publishing for that independence and like that creativity and doing things like on your timeline and all that. So yeah. Yeah, that was super helpful. I'm definitely going to go back later on and like take more notes about that because like I said, that is something that I seriously do want to pursue at some point in the future. It's just not a top priority right now. But kind of fast forwarding, how did it feel when you got that first sale or those first few sales after putting in so much work? Because I'm sure I can only imagine what that might be like writing a book where you're putting months, maybe even years of time and preparation. and then you're not getting any satisfaction or payoff until later on. So how did it feel when you finally got that delayed gratification? Yeah, I think specifically with my book, Finding Closure, was definitely getting, sales like earlier on, it was like, people that I knew. like, I was so grateful for it, but I still wanted to continue to like market it and like market it online. And I did a lot of that through TikTok. And with sharing my work, it subtly picked up with like some people a little bit. And I had certain videos that like, kind of popped off, if you will. And so more people would purchase my book and it just felt like unreal at the time. I was like, there's no way that people that I don't know are strangers, like actually picking up my book and not only picking it up, but also giving me the message of like, wow, I really enjoy this and it's really spoke to me. And like, they're saying like this healed me and it really helped help them process like break up and like help them grow. And that is what really gives me the satisfaction is like seeing like those really positive like comments or like interactions that I have with other people, especially like if I don't know them, I think that's like huge. But at first it was just like, my gosh, like this is what I've been dreaming of for so long. And it's like, I already got it. Like I've already like inspired people. Like that's the biggest satisfaction for me. so definitely surreal, a shock and definitely a little bit of a push for like motivation for me to keep doing what I'm doing. I think it gave me like the, what's the word, confirmation that I needed to say, Hey, like the universe is really telling me like, this is something that I meant to do. other people need what I'm putting out and it's really making an impact. So that's when I really felt like, okay, this is like really like worth it. And this is what I've always been dreaming of. like, it's even more like, even eventually became real like as time went on where I was like, okay, like, my gosh, like this is great. And so I'm thankful every day for like anybody who has read my book or read any of my work. Like it is greatly appreciated. Yeah, no, definitely. And I feel like now we just have to touch on you are a whole marketing girly as well. We didn't really talk about that, but in your day to day life, that's what you do. So you touched on a little bit TikTok helped you with your book sales. How did you go about marketing your product to increase your fan base? Because I think that's something for me, I really struggle with. That's my probably biggest weakness as a business owner. So anyone else that owns a business or even someone that's trying to build a brand for themselves. How can you kind of start building that following, whether it's on TikTok or another social media platform? Yeah, I think the biggest thing that helped me is that I have a degree in marketing. So that was huge. And like, even when I was in college, I was like, want to go into marketing and I want to do something related to like a creative field or social media specifically. So I was like, okay, I can use some of these skills for my book. And so I think this social media, like growing a social media account is still something that I'm learning. Like I'm just like, I'm doing what I know right now and there's so much to learn and it varies really your strategy is going to vary depending on what you're doing and like what your business is. But for writing, I've learned that being authentic is really what is one of the most important things. And being able to create a community and I feel like that really applies to other businesses or other accounts as well where especially with writing, like people want to have a safe space to relate to or read something and it's really like, you know, speak speaks to them. And it really like comes from the heart. So that's one thing that I would suggest and like really getting personal like with your followers, like even if you have 10 or if you have 100 or 1000, whatever the case is really curating, you know, your caption or your feed to speak to them directly and then other people will eventually follow. Like I know with TikTok that's something that I've been practicing. Another thing that I would suggest is to test out different forms of content. So I know there's like videos, mean with Instagram there's reels. Doing some research in your niche is going to help and looking at inspiration for other content. What's working like in your feel like with writing, like what is the content that kind of pops off if you will, oftentimes like very inspirational things that are shareable that people want to share on their story. Again, things that are very relatable to people and testing out the different formats of like, what's your hook? And I think that this gets a lot of talk on social media with like a bunch of different businesses. It's like, if you're going to have a video, like what's the hook going to be in the first several seconds that people are going to you know, get, how are you gonna catch people's attention in a way? And so with writing, sometimes that's like, you know, sharing like, this is the message for you and saying like, this is, you know, the message that you need to hear. Something along those lines can help, but you can also apply that to, you know, other accounts that you might wanna grow or like a business that you wanna grow. And then, yeah, I would say being authentic. mean, looking at your analytics, which I know that I need to do a little bit more. But my biggest advice is to not, at least if you're not like focused on like a new business that you're starting or something, but like if this is something you really enjoy and that you're passionate about looking at the analytics, but not getting too deep into the numbers to the point where it's like, my gosh, like you lost a couple of followers or something like that's something that I know other writers have told me they're like, how do you like post without just like, you know, I'm just so focused on like the numbers and everything. And it's like, why are you posting is like something that is going to have to carry you like, while you're trying to grow your page is like, why are you doing this? And like, for me, that answer was to build a community and to help inspire other people and like other women. So I think that helps with like building the consistency. So continuously posting on the platforms, whatever that schedule looks like for you. and knowing your passion behind it versus saying like, I want, you know, thousands of followers like tomorrow. You know, it's like, it's not realistic. It's about, you know, what's driving you? Why are you posting first? Building up that consistency, trying different forms of content, being authentic with your followers and like other people that going on your platform, showing yourself like, who are you behind the page? You know, some people like with it's when it's authors, they kind of want to know who you are. And especially if you're younger, it might help build a face to your page. But continuing to share new work, old work, that's really my best advice. I know that this is kind of trying to be as broad as I can. But for writers specifically, that's my best advice. Being authentic, being... consistent and knowing why you're being consistent. What is the passion that's driving you? And eventually that community will follow you. It takes time. It's not going to happen overnight. So, you know, it's okay. It takes a lot of time to grow. But looking at other inspiration, what are the other accounts that, you know, you're kind of looking up to? What can you take from them? What are the hashtags that are working best for you? And if you're willing to invest a little bit. There are platforms that help you with scheduling and will give you like ways to build up a strategy for your Instagram and TikTok. I know personally, I like to use the app Plan That so you can like curate your feed and like see what are the best performing posts that you have. So when you analyze that, like what can you do in the future, for example, and it'll give you inspiration for the content that you that's like kind of like in your niche. So I would suggest that there are free versions, paid versions, but that's just a little bonus. So yeah. Yeah, thank you for sharing that because I feel like you just touched on three really important things that, yes, are important to building following, but also can just be applied to general life, especially when you're talking about adulting. So if you don't mind, I would love to spend some time just breaking down each of the three things you just talked about in terms of being authentic, consistency, and then your why. So starting out with being your authentic self. I feel like in order to be your authentic self, you have to know who you are first, what your values are. So I know for myself, I kind of started that journey of figuring out who is Lauren during college. And like you said, a lot of that was through journaling, a lot of that was through self-reflection. And do you mind touching on kind of your journey of figuring out who Jessica is and how that allows you to then show up authentically yourself? Ooh, that is a really good question. I might need to pause on that one for a second. Wait. Authentic me. And you're referring to like values specifically or like with my book, like, or do you mean like outside of my book, like authentic values? I might have to this part out, but. No, you're good. Honestly, think I mean everything. So I think this is kind of now pivoting the conversation to you being you as a person, everything that makes up Jessica, whether it's your personality, whether it's the things you enjoy doing, just who you are as a person. how did you, cause obviously you had to figure out who Jessica was to be able to present what you've gone through and the things to other people, if that makes sense. I don't know if like where I'm getting at or what my thoughts are inside or coming out correctly. Do you understand the angle I'm trying to take? Like holistically, how were you able to figure out who you are to then be able to show authentically yourself for other people? Hmm, that that's a really deep question because I almost want to say like I don't I'm still figuring out who I am. Is that like good? Yeah, I still okay. Okay, so here's my answer So that's a great question Yeah, well, I feel like okay here now, so I feel like that's a great question because we need to, sorry, I don't mean to cut you off, I was like, to make things a little bit easier, I probably need to ask the question again and then we'll pick up. So let me rephrase that. Honestly, I don't remember exactly how I said it the first time, so let me just go. All right, so you, I really wanna touch on now, like how did you authentically, I wanna touch on now, how did you do the work to figure out who Jessica is in order to be able to show up for other people? You know, I think for me, that's a really great question. And I almost want to say figuring out who I am is not done. Like, I feel like because I'm still so young, I am still figuring out who I am. But as I get older and I experience like relationships and different friendships and like different dynamics and like growing up as we all are around the age of 23, it's really... Figuring out, I think one thing I'm practicing is like even with my writing and outside of it is like. I was gonna say something and I lost my train of thought. I'm so sorry. Okay, the one thing that I am still practicing with my writing and even outside of my writing is what are the ways that I can put myself first? And one of the ways that I'm learning how to do that is through writing, saying like, okay, if I went through this, whether I'm happy, I'm sad, I can write about this, this experience or something that I'm feeling. And again, like that's very therapeutic to me. And it also helps me feel like my authentic self because I'm not feeling like I'm hiding anything. Like the pages are going to feel like what I'm feeling. And then obviously like talking to friends about it, like focusing on your mental health, like getting a therapist, like 100 % recommend that. And saying like, hey, like even if it's not perfect on the page, like right now it's It does not have to be like just be messy on the page. Like that's what I tell myself and that helps me remember that I again value like being authentic, not hiding or shying away from certain emotions or certain feelings, like saying like giving myself grace of like, okay, I can be upset or I can be angry about this or I can be happy and I can be joyful and I can feel all those things. So I think especially with women, sometimes we shy from feeling certain things. It's like, we're told that we can't feel certain emotions or like, we don't have the right to be angry about certain things and everything like that. But it just reminds me writing is like an outlet and it gives me the opportunity to say, this is my experience and this is also other women's experience. So learning that through writing, I can put myself first. And then of course, like I said, Another way putting yourself first is like, if you want to get a therapist, like if that is something that you can afford, it is a service that I highly, highly recommend. To also guide you to being authentic and learning how to love yourself and to put yourself first, that is definitely the journey that I'm on. And knowing that even if not everyone, not everyone is going to... they be like your work or like what you're putting out, whatever the case is, that can vary by situations, but that is okay. You can give yourself the affirmations, I know that's something I'm working on, valuing myself and knowing that I love who I am every day, whether I'm writing or when I'm not writing. So working around that and being like, it's okay to like, you know. take breaks from the phone and to take breaks from the world. Putting me first is my biggest journey that I'm on right now. just other things that I value is just being progressive, learning that I care about the world and I want changes to be made. And just that's also something that is with internal and something that's... you know, a lot of people are passionate about and that's something that like I am passionate about and wanting to see change in the world and like in this country and everything. it's just like, it's constantly learning. And I'm just, I feel like I'm starting there, but I'm most definitely not at the finish line. So yeah. Yeah, no, I love that. And I feel like you hit it on the nose. we're always gonna be rediscovering who we are because we're gonna continue to evolve as humans. So even whether we're 23 or whatever your age is now versus when you're 60, you're always gonna be figuring out who you are and what this new phase of life looks like for you. And then you also right too, like in order to authentically show up, you have to do the deep work of figuring out who you are. And that's going to look different for everyone. And I love that you've been able to find your outlet is writing for other people. It may be just sitting in a silent room for others, maybe listening to music. know for me, a lot of times that helps me to clear my mind. So whatever that is for you, just figure out what it is and don't compare your outlet to other people's because we're all different people, different individuals. have different needs and wants. So that's definitely really good. And then the second thing that you touched on was consistency. I feel like that can be applied to literally any part of our lives, whether that is your fitness goals and showing up for yourself in the gym, whether it's you as a writer, showing up and writing consistently. Can you touch on that in terms of, I know there's probably some days where you don't want to write, but you're like, I set this deadline for myself. I need to get writing in. Or again, whether it's you going to the gym, eating healthy, how do you stay consistent when things get rough? I love this question because I feel like I've been doing better with consistency recently because I figured out the why. I was like, okay, 2025 is coming around. I'm working on my next book. If I want to grow my following, why is that? Or why am I writing another book? again, that goes back to being authentic and wanting to build a community and a safe space for women. I was like, okay, there's also a reason that I have to be consistent and it like ties into that. But the biggest thing that I've learned that I know so many people say online, but it is so true and this really applies to anybody, like whether you're right or not, but like it really be that phone. Like it really be that phone because I, you know, have spent so much time like earlier this year, like scrolling on social media and just like seeing what other people are doing and like. You know, that's great. Like there's a, there's time for that. I'm not going to say like, don't do that ever, but I taught myself that, okay, I'm learning my schedule now that I'm working like nine to five. I also want to write my next book. And so I also want to post on Instagram and I also want to, you know, be fit or like be more consistent with my fitness goals and like doing all these things where I'm like, okay, now that I have these responsibilities, how am I going to do this? So. When it comes to the phone, realized like, okay, taking a break is probably going to be taking occasional or like consistent breaks are going to be the biggest benefit for me because oftentimes when I'm on my phone and I'm like scrolling through Instagram reels or TikTok, I feel like it kind of almost like takes away some of my creative energy. Like I'm just not in the mood to write when I do that. I'm just like, I'm kind of getting that dopamine hit. And just feels like, okay, like I'm not gonna write anymore. So once I learned that about myself, I was like, okay, if I'm scrolling through social media, I'm not, I know I'm not probably not gonna write. Like if I'm scrolling for like an hour or something, I'm just not gonna feel like doing that. And I'm just gonna eventually go to bed. So I was like, okay, when I'm off of work or on the weekends, like I will not be like, I'm gonna be on Do Not Disturb. Like if there's a emergency, I might get that phone call, like, you know, except like. certain notifications from certain apps like reminders or calendar. knowing that if you want to pour into a hobby or be consistent with something, you might have to take some time away from social media. At least for me, that has been the biggest help because I noticed that when I've done that, I'm like, I'm not opening Instagram. I'm not, you know. doing that. Like the only time I will is like if I'm going to post on my writing accounts and then I'm just going to interact with some other writing pages and like take a break and then go back into my writing. That has been very beneficial versus like endlessly scrolling and it's just like I know other people have had that experience where it feels good in the moment but it's like dang like I could have gotten things done so again like I still do it but I feel like I'm definitely getting better at not relying on it right after work and then just scroll for the rest of the night. I've that I've done so much more with taking a break from it and not scrolling as much on it. At least limiting or reducing my time. I have been able to journal right after work and then post on my writing page, go to the gym. you know, brainstorm for my next book, just like different things like that. That has been the biggest help for me. So just reducing like time on social media again, like I still am on it. Like, like I'm still going to post and everything, but just at least cutting down some of those those minutes on certain social media apps so that I can go out, take a walk, write, know, do what I got to do, catch up on chores, whatever. it feels like productive and it just feels like, okay, like I did that, like I got some things to unsub. So that's the biggest advice that I would have because I feel like it helps you, it helps at least for me, go out and experience the real world, like outside of the apps. So that's my biggest thing. And then with writing, and really I think that this could apply to any hobby. or personal projects, passion project that anybody has, but even doing it for a couple minutes a day, it does not have to be perfect. And I know as writers, like we'd like to be very critical of our work and like, it has to be perfect. Like, when we write it, like it does not have to be that way. Like I just give myself grace and be like, if I feel like a line comes in my head while I'm driving, like I will write it down and I'm going to come back to it later because I'm like, okay, like I did something like it was a little line. It was a little like, you know, few words or whatever, but it's something and you're still creating like throughout the day, even if you know, the idea comes up or like, you know, this could really apply to anything like if you're practicing music or learning a language, like it's really those couple minutes of a day. And if you miss a day, like you got things going on, that's fine. Just say, hey, like I can always pick back up. Like it's not, I'm not gonna lose anything. I'm doing just fine. the hobby will always be there in a sense and your passion will still be there. And sometimes you have to live life outside of your phone and experience things to give you that inspiration for whatever you're creating, like maybe for business or for music, writing, like drawing, whatever the case is. Being away, experiencing life, you can always come back to your journal. You can always come back to your hobby. It's gonna be there. But take a couple minutes for it, know, even if it's for a day. And I remember the other day, like, I got off of work, like, I had my therapy session. I was like, I really feel like writing right now. So I'm like, I'll put my headphones in. Again, not checking my phone. Putting it away, putting it out of sight, out of sight, of mind, like. and just writing and getting in that zone, it feels so good. And it's like, I guess what you would call healthy dopamine is what some may call it. But it feels so satisfying. It feels like it's from the heart. And you're gonna be proud of yourself after you do it. So that's also one other piece of advice that I have. So hope that helps. Yeah, girl, you're literally in my head on that one. I was thinking the same exact thing because I think I actually implemented that tip myself after I read Atomic Habits because that's one of the things he suggested. And like you said, it's so real. But to me getting on the treadmill and I don't want to, I'm like, all right, Lauren, just five minutes. Next thing I know it's been an hour or I'll open my laptop. And so like you said, getting on my phone and it's just like starting that small activity. usually will help you and make you want to keep going. So I definitely agree with that tip for sure. And then I know the last part of the three things that we want to touch on really quickly was your why. I know you've already talked about this a lot, but I truly am more a person of like, if you get your why right, it'll make the work a lot easier because your why is your North Star. And I've seen it time and time again in my life when I didn't have the right why. And that's when the motivation a lot of times lacks. A lot times I didn't want to put in the work because I didn't know why I was doing it in the first place. And it sounds like you already kind of figured out your why for 2025. So I'm so excited to see what the next year brings for you. The last thing I think I want us to kind of dig in deep about really quickly is you said you have a nine to five, you have a whole full time job, yet you're still out here writing books. You're still out here having the whole fitness and healthy lifestyle. How do you make time for it all? Because I know some of us girls are like, Man, I gotta work, I wanna come home, throw Netflix and just go to sleep. Like, how do you find time to juggle everything and just have the energy to kind of do it all? And trust me, I am like, I'm just a girl. Like I am literally like everyone else that I also have the days where I'm on Netflix and like, I'm not always writing, you know what saying? So I'm definitely not perfect, but I know that this might be like really basic advice, but like having a calendar has really changed my life. Like anything that you have coming up. add it to a calendar where you can see and get a reminder before the event comes up. So it can be like a day before, like if it's a big event, like the day before I'll remind myself like, okay, this is coming tomorrow. And then 30 minutes before, because I'll get that notification that reminds me that something is happening. So for example, like I work a nine to five, majority of the time I work from home, but still pretty busy. But. Knowing, okay, I'm working nights five to five, an appointment, adding that to the calendar because it's for the evening. So again, limiting my phone time so I'm not scrolling before my appointment. I'll come back to it at another time when I'm ready. And doing grocery shopping. So that's another thing to consider is like I buy my own groceries. I like to plan out like, I guess on the weekend, like towards the end of the week, okay, what am I gonna make? What are the meals I'm gonna make? Like using Notion. using the cute little, know, make it look cute, make it look, you know, presentable if you want, or use your notes out because it's like super simple. List the ingredients that might help you make your meals for the week. Like, are you a meal prep girlie, or do you just want to, you know, grab something and go, or, you know, what are the foods that you like? Like, that's for me personally, like, a side note of like, learning how to adult on my own, but. It's super beneficial to, you know, plan out like, okay, here's when I'm going to be doing my chores Like if I know I'm going to go out Saturday night, I should probably get groceries either Saturday afternoon, morning or Sunday, like in the afternoon, because I'm not going to wake up that early. Like I'm not going to feel it. Or I can wake up early Sunday and like add, go to the gym, then go. to the store to get my groceries and then meal prep after that. And then the rest of the Sunday evening is like my time to chill and just relax, maybe read or put on a movie, for example. So when you have your week planned out like every, when you plan out like your next week, it really gives you an idea of like, okay, what's coming up. You get the notifications for it, you get the reminders for it. And it definitely saves you, you know, from like last minute. you know, like, my gosh, like, I forgot, you know, that this was coming up. So that is definitely the biggest advice I have. Have a calendar, use your Notion, use whatever free, you know, tool that's going to help you plan out your days and use it to your advantage. Use all the features because it's going to help. Like figuring out what is kind of the best system for you. Like it might not be calendar, that works for me. It might be Notion, it might be Notes, but it is going to be very, very useful if you have something. Like it might be a physical calendar. Like if you, have a friend who like prefers to see like her days and like what's coming up. So having that is super, super helpful. Yeah, I agree. When you're juggling multiple things, you have to have a system. Like you said, no matter what it looks like. I know for me, I even have kind of a hybrid system. Like I have most of my things digitally, meaning I use like Google Calendar. I love Notion. If you're not on Notion, go look up some YouTube videos and it will change your life. Notion is amazing. And then I also have like a big wall calendar because I love to look up just and see, okay, what do I have for this week? How many days even are left of this month? Things like that. So yes, just staying organized is key when you have a lot of things and you're juggling multiple things. So I basically want to ask, what is next for Jessica? I know we talked about, obviously you have your next book coming up and you have so many things planned with that, but where do you see yourself in the next year, next five years, or maybe even a decade from now? Ooh, that's a big question. I might, well, guess location wise, I might be staying in Charlotte for a while just because if I decide to move in the future, it's probably gonna be farther from now. I just don't know what my next move would be. But I'm fine with being here right now continuing to write. You'll be seeing me on social media, definitely posting my work and everything. Of course, writing my next book, so that's what I'm working on now. And you'll like definitely see it, you know, me marketing it beforehand and the official publishing like next year, so 2025. And I would definitely like to write more after that too. So maybe some some more books in the future. I don't know. I like to take things one at a time, one book at a time. And then Yeah, mean, just continuing to grow like in my marketing career. love doing social media and I love doing content. Like I do a lot of writing at my job too. So just continuing to like pour into, you know, my creative fields and growing like I would love to grow at like the company that I'm at now. And maybe pour into other hobbies. Like I thought about picking up an instrument again. Like I haven't done that in a long time. So just doing Maybe a little bit more fitness classes. don't know, things that I enjoy, focusing on, okay, what else do I like? What are the other creative hobbies that I can fit in? But next decade, I have not really thought about that. I I really love where I'm at. I'm like, okay, I'm doing things on my own. I would love to just continue this journey of writing and focusing on social media, focusing on me. Maybe I'll get a pet. I'm thinking about getting a cat pretty soon. Like, I don't know. Like, that's kind of what I've been thinking about. But probably in Charlotte for a little bit, maybe that might change in the future. But just continuing to grow and to, you know, spend time with friends, family, and continuing to just do what I'm doing now. And just, you know, definitely traveling. I would love to mention that. Traveling, definitely. exploring new places and just experiencing life. So yeah. I love that and I definitely don't ask that question for you to have the perfect answer you have all figured out. Just a little curious to know what plans you may have for yourself. And before we wrap up, if you could give one piece of advice to someone that's navigating the stage of life. So basically someone that's probably already on her journey of just basically conquering her dreams. She's been doing it for a little bit. How can you help her stay motivated and continue to keep striving for that next thing and not stay stagnant? I have a couple little pieces that I would want to like put together and if it's one if I have to choose one I Mean, I guess it's kind of like tightens the same thing but focus on what your thoughts are and I think What I mean by that is like I think I heard somebody say the other day I think it's like based off of a book or something but if you are striving towards your goals and you especially like as women you're striving towards your goals and like you have specifically like you're experiencing doubts, just remember to not necessarily believe all of the thoughts that you have. So what I mean by that is like if you feel a negative thought like creeping in like practice and take time to say, okay, why is it that this negative thought is coming to my mind? Like where is this coming from? Just ask yourself like. you know, is this thought true? Like, is this just, you know, coming from me? Like, that does not necessarily mean like, you know, if you feel like you're not being good enough, like, where's that coming from? Like, why are you thinking that? Is there proof for it? There's not proof for that, you know? So that would be one thing. And focus on, you know, retrying. It's a daily practice. It's really a practice to frame your thoughts and tell yourself the affirmations of I am capable of doing these things and I can accomplish my goals. I have all the knowledge and the resources, skills to be able to accomplish what I'm doing, whatever field you are in. These can apply for that because eventually your mind is going to believe that, at least try to believe that those are real and eventually it will become true for you. that has helped me because I have had doubts. I've been questioning if... on my journey, like, like, am I good enough, like, to be doing what I'm doing? Like, do I belong in a space? But you are in the right place at the right time. And if you are, you know, on your journey to starting a business or pursuing a passion or you're starting over, just know that you are in the right place and good things are gonna come for you. and just focus on again that intention of why you're doing what you're doing and let that be your guide and keep that in your mind over any negative doubts that you might have. So that's my best piece of advice. Yeah, thank you for sharing that because I think that's so good. I think a lot of women see other women accomplishing wonderful things and they're like, how are they doing that? How are they not scared? How are they not doubtful? It's like, no, honey, we're doing it with the fear. We're doing it with the doubt. But that's the thing, like you said, you have to almost fight yourself and fight your inner thoughts. So I love that you're really open and vulnerable with how you do that on a daily basis. So before we wrap up to you, I also want to make sure to give you a chance to kind of plug in your your handles. So if you want to talk about any of your social media pages, how people can stay connected to you, of course, I'll also put in the show notes, but just in case people are listening and want to go ahead and follow you. Yeah, absolutely. So I do have a personal Instagram page. I actually get these mixed up. I think, let me pause here because one of them has like an S, like two S's and the other one has like two A's because the other like were taken. So let me try to find that. So. I just want to make sure before I say anything. Okay, cut here. Okay, so my, do have several social media pages where you can follow me. So to find me on TikTok, my at is Jessica, so J-E-S-S-I-C-A, Burgos with two S's. My last name just has one S, but that was taken, so. You can follow me on there. And then my Instagram page, I do have my personal account, so you are more than welcome to follow me on there. Jessica with two A's, Burgos, so B-U-R-G-O-S. And I do have my writing page, so Jessica Burgos writes on Instagram. So feel free to follow me on there. I'm more than happy to chat with you and connect with you. Well, thank you so much for joining us today, Jessica. It was a true pleasure having this conversation with you and breaking down your writing journey as well as touching on a little bit about just adulting and how to be authentic and stay consistent. So if you are listening and you had a me too moment today during today's episode, make sure to hit follow and share it with a friend who can use a little bit of girl talk in her life too. Thanks again for listening and bye, sis.
