Multi-talented Johanna Baker-Dowdell is grateful...

I love being part of the writing community because it brings me into contact with like-minded people who not only share an appreciation of the importance and roles of books in our society, but who share an appreciation of chocolate! One such fabulous woman is Johanna Baker-Dowdell. Based in Launceston, Joh and I met over the phone when she interviewed me for Manhattan Dreaming in 2010. We kept in contact via social media and finally met at the launch of Paris Dreaming in Hobart in April. I’m a big fan of Johanna, who is making her mark nationally, having been nominated for the 2010 Telstra Business Women’s Awards and was named finalist in the 2010 Home Based Business Awards. Pretty impressive huh?

Tonight, I feel privileged and of course grateful, that Johanna has offered a few words for my blog on what she is grateful for in life.

On being grateful Johanna says:

I've been running this topic through my mind for a while now, thinking of what it is I am most grateful for. Of course there are many things, but right now I am grateful for:

My job: as a journalist and blogger I get the opportunity to review some amazing books by authors I may not have been introduced to otherwise, like Anita. I'm a wife, mother and small business owner so there is not much time left for me at the end of the day. Being asked to review books means I have to read. It's a tough job...

My boys: when I'm not working - and even when I am - my life revolves around my husband Harvey, sons Noah and Ethan and furry babies Stanley (ginger tabby cat), Charlie (caramel tabby cat) and Jack (bichoodle). I joke that I live in a testosterone-fuelled household, but I adore being the girl they all love. (Note from Anita: Aren’t those boys GORGEOUS! They make me want to have one or five or my own… almost!)

Social media: I started exploring online networking options when I was working from home with a small baby, but found so much more. I've made friends on Twitter and Facebook who will be in my life forever more, some of whom I've met offline. I've also found new clients, made incredible contacts who have helped get my business to where it is today and utilised the platforms for quick research. I can keep in touch with so many people online and can't imagine life without it.

Mentors: When times are tough you need someone to call on who understands. Whether it's what to do about non-paying clients, which topics to blog about or how I can get the book that's in my head out (thanks Anita and Iggy Pintado [@iggypintado]), I know I have people I can call on for support and advice. Working for yourself can be lonely without people like these.

Chocolate: This had to get a mention, as it is one of the things Anita and I talk about most, but I have had a love affair with chocolate for as long as I remember (and my waist line will agree). I love the classic Cadbury Dairy Milk, but my favourite chocolates right now are the divine raspberry champagne truffles from Cocobean in Launceston. You have to try them!

So, are you grateful for similar things?