Today we’d like to introduce you to Willie Barnes Jr.
Willie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
On May 29, 2015, I made a decision to leave my corporate job and embark on the journey of entrepreneurship. I absolutely did not know what I was getting myself into, but thank God I made the decision. After graduating from college in 2011, I was blessed to land an opportunity as a Business to Business Sales Consultant for a Fortune 100 company. This is really where the journey began because it was here where I learned how to develop business, communicate with Decision Makers, assess a Prospect’s needs, and provide a solution to meet their needs.
After four years in Corporate Sales, I developed a confidence that made me believe that if I can develop business for someone else, I can definitely develop business for myself. This confidence, along with a couple of years of intentional self-development, is what ultimately sparked my decision to walk away from corporate and begin my entrepreneurial journey. Over a span of five years in entrepreneurship, I’ve failed a ton and lost a lot of money. However, I can genuinely say that the lessons I’ve learned from those losses have taught me more than all my years of school combined. I feel like the process and the journey has really provided a platform for me to gain true wisdom in the form of valuable experience.
The process has also helped me to really gain clarity in my purpose and mission in life. Though it has been difficult and at times, it seemed like there was no way, what I found is that our Creator got us at all times. Every step of my journey that seemed so random led to me where I AM today. This clarity led me to create a brand and movement called Kinda Scripted. The reason why I AM passionate about Kinda Scripted is because we all have a plan or a “Script,” but as we seek to make our dreams a reality, life happens and we must adjust and figure it out as we go. So life is ultimately Kinda Scripted.
Over the past couple of years, Kinda Scripted gave the people an inside look as I navigate my journey and process so they can see the real and not just a highlight tape of the process of someone going through the jungle to make their dreams a reality. In the midst of figuring out this Entrepreneur Life, I noticed that every time I leveled up for whatever reason, it was because of new information or new people who were introduced into my life. I truly believe that the right information with intentional effort and clarity can position anyone to achieve their goals and therefore, my wife and I created our education and publishing company, Willie James Books. The purpose of Willie James Books is to provide the community with books and courses that empower Purpose, Passion, and Authority so they have the courage to Create their Heaven on Earth.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The process has been anything but easy or smooth. I initially jumped into entrepreneurship or the jungle as I like to call it, by starting a trucking company. I took everything I had saved from my years in Corporate from my 401k and savings and poured it into starting a company I knew nothing about. Fast forward a couple of years and I didn’t have any more money or much success so I decided to count my losses in the trucking industry and move on. Remember, its “Kinda” Scripted.
Now, I’m in the jungle, married, and have no real plan or idea of how I AM going to survive. This is when the Creator introduced me to Real Estate. I am so thankful for Real Estate because this is where I became a professional again. Real Estate also surrounded me with other like-minded individuals and as well as provided mentorship. Real Estate definitely had its ups and downs but it was here where I learned about the systems and resources that I still currently use to this day.
I’ll be honest. I love Real Estate because I truly believe it is a tool for the everyday person to Create their Heaven, but I was not a fan of being a Real Estate Agent. Being a Real Estate Agent gave me information from the inside that I then used for the first book and course published in our Education Company.
Prior to making the decision to simply use Real Estate for Investing, I wrote my first book called, “Manipulate Homeownership: Your Cash & Resource Machine.” Its purpose is to show the community how to utilize Real Estate as an investment tool to finance their Dreams. I also developed a Course called “Manipulate Homeownership: Sell it FSBO,” which teaches homeowners the step by step process to sell their home by the owner like a real estate professional. If a homeowner has the time and will commit to the process, this course will show homeowners how to profit thousands by selling their home without the use of a Real Estate Agent.
All in all, the trucking company flopping led me to Real Estate, Real Estate led me to write my first book and course, and the decision to write my first book and course is ultimately the reason my wife and I developed our education and publishing company, Willie James Books. See, it all happens for a reason. Our Creator is guiding this journey and process. We just have to trust it. It may not look how we thought it would, but I can truly say that we are exactly where we want to be five years later with more Purpose and Passion than we could have imagined when we first started.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Willie James Books provides the community with books and courses that empower Purpose, Passion, and Authority to Create their Heaven on Earth. We’re in the age of information, and I truly believe that the right information with intentional effort can provide a platform to make dreams a reality.
I am super proud of the fact that our first book, “Manipulate Homeownership: Your Cash & Resource Machine,” was a Bestseller. I AM super proud of publishing my Mom and Wife’s first Children’s Book, “SonFlower Brothers STEM Adventures: A DIY Ice Cream Lab,” because it made one of my mom’s dreams and goals a reality. But I think I am most proud of the Kinda Scripted Movement we have.
Kinda Scripted empowers the community to Dream, and be intentional in making that Dream a Reality, not because of our own power, but because our Creator told us that we can do ALL things if we believe. Our first responsibility from the Creator is to be Fruitful and Multiply. I truly believe we can all live a life of our Dreams in being Fruitful and Multiplying, but the question is “Do we have a Dream?”. Kinda Scripted wants the world to be intentional in Dreaming with Purpose, Passion, and Authority to Create their Heaven on Earth. Willie James Books is the business. Kinda Scripted is the Movement.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
This is a tricky question because I AM where I AM because of my journey and process. Honestly, it’s been super difficult and we all wish it was easier, but I don’t think I would do anything differently because the process was built exactly for me to get to where I AM now.
The process allowed me to get comfortable with being uncomfortable therefore, I can relate to and empower others on how to get it out the mud to Create their Dreams. Yes, I could have done things differently to make my life easier, but our business and our movement is not about me. The process taught me the principles and values that are required to make your dreams a reality. Because of this, I AM now an example and guide for others because I know and understand many of the obstacles one can expect as they seek to make it out of the mud.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.williejamesbooks.com
- Email: WillieJamesBooks@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/willie_barnesjr
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/WillieCBarnesJr
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/Willie_BarnesJr
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