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In this episode, Sara talks with Jennifer Hofmann about her journey from home office organizer (and much more!) to activist and writer. Jen talks about how everything she ever did in her wildly varied career led up to this moment. She also gives some great financial advice for budding entrepreneurs, as well as tips for connecting with loved ones across political party lines. Since November of 2016, Jen has been writing the "Americans of Conscience Action Checklist" to an engaged list of over 70,000 subscribers. With diplomacy, sincerity, and heart, she helps fellow conflict-averse introverts, everyday Americans, and even moderate Republicans become inspired to engage in their democracy.   Sara and Jennifer discuss: How they got connected through Sharon Roemmel from Episode 018 Jen studying French and secondary ed at university Working at the YMCA for years Moving to Oregon and working for The Humane Society How she used her background in education in these positions Starting a business in real estate home staging Working part time side jobs to make ends meet Serving as a business adviser at her local small business center Starting a business as a website copy writer How everything she's ever done ties into what she's doing now The benefits of having multiple income streams How she started writing the Americans of Conscience Checklist Going viral, from 30 initial subscribers to 74,000 Her love for sending out positive messages that we can all agree on Receiving enough donations via her Patreon page to make her living Sara's brand new Patreon page A personal retreat Jen took when she needed to decide what was next in her career The concept of "less of this / more of that" Sara's and Jen's favorite self-assessment tests Gallup Top 5 CliftonStrengths Test 16 Personalities (Myers-Briggs Personality types) The Enneagram RHETI Test What Jen loves most about what she does now Jen's biggest fear in her business Finding common ground through political differences Seeking understanding before being understood Not tolerating verbal abuse Marshall Rosenberg's Nonviolent Communication How to empathize with others without reinforcing oppression John Gottman's "Four Horsemen" and "Soft Startup" The encouragement Jen received when she first became self-employed that kept her moving forward Jen's writing mentors: Elizabeth Gilbert Glennon Melton Doyle Jen's income streams: Writing website copy and managing social media accounts Writing the Americans of Conscience Checklist Jen's biggest regret in starting her first business Her advice for new businesses Taking what she'd learned, and pivoting again Jen's favorite self-care practices Noticing when you're not at your emotional best Tips for remaining optimistic and positive, regardless of political climate What Jen would do differently if she started over again Tips for talking about politics with people you love that have different perspectives than you do Great de-polarizing organization: Better Angels Finding opportunities to practice leadership ...and more! Jennifer's full bio: Before the 2016 presidential election, Jennifer Hofmann was a mild-mannered travel blogger, writer, and avowed politophobe. Then, everything changed. In response to the election, Jen put her taxpayer-funded education to good use and began researching how ordinary Americans could respond in the new political landscape. Since November of 2016, Jen has been writing the "Americans of Conscience Action Checklist" to an engaged list of over 70,000 subscribers. With diplomacy, sincerity, and heart, she helps fellow conflict-averse introverts, everyday Americans, and even moderate Republicans become inspired to engage in their democracy. See what she’s up to at americansofconscience.com.   Connect with Jennifer: Web: http://americansofconscience.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AoCChecklist