Grace Hatton is an 18-year-old British teenager who has lived on two continents, traveled on mission trips to South Africa and has won international writing awards. She wrote her first full-length novel at the age of 14, and is the author of the new book “The Guys, The Roses & The Regrets: The Girl-to-Girl Dating Guide,” which has been endorsed by Mark Victor Hansen and is an Amazon bestseller. Grace also is the CEO of an upcoming national magazine for young women. For more information on Grace Hatton and her books please visit www.gracehatton.com.
What are you working on right now?
I am working on my second book “Finding Your Inner Moxie,” which is going to be released within the year. I also am creating a national magazine for young women that promotes true beauty, character and a lasting difference in the world. The magazine will be launching in September. I have been very blessed, and I am looking forward to the future.
3 Trends that excite you?
It’s hard to pick three, but I would have to say the trends I am excited about are the global community, social media and social consciousness.
For years in business it has been dog-eat-dog, but as we moved into this new decade I have noticed the business world coming together. Cooperative business is essential for success. The business world and its consumers are coming together to make a community. Social media is a big part of that. Social media sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook have revolutionized the business world. Social media allows businesses and consumers to interact on a daily basis. It allows companies to create unique brands through social media that can spread like wildfire. Being on social media is now an essential part of being in business.
Lastly, I am excited about the social consciousness. My generation is passionate about making a difference in the world and is showing brand loyalty to companies that are giving back. Companies need to have a socially consciousness aspect to their business. All of these trends excite me.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Getting things done is something I consider myself very good at; however, sometimes life gets in the way. So, what I do is set very clear goals. I have two lists of goals, one for my everyday goals and one for my long-term goals. As I move through my everyday goals, I achieve my long-term goals. The other thing I do is have a gratitude journal where every day I write down what I am grateful for right now and what I will be grateful for in the future. This allows me to remember what I do have and inspires me to accomplish my goals. This is how I bring my ideas to life.
What is one mistake you’ve made that our readers can learn from?
I’ve made many mistakes, but I think my biggest mistake is waiting to start something because of being afraid. We have so many opportunities in life, but most of the time we are afraid to take advantage of them. We all have great ideas, but sometimes we are too afraid to act. This is a huge mistake. In order to be successful we must act on our desires and goals. You will get so much further faster by acting and figuring out the details later rather than constantly planning and trying to make your plan perfect.
What is one book and one tool that helps you bring ideas to life?
There are many tools I use, but I have to admit a fantastic book is “The Art of the Start” by Guy Kawasaki. It’s a great book to inspire you when you’re starting anything, but it’s also a great book to give you ideas on how to keep your business fresh. WordPress also is an essential tool for my business.
What is one idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Never give up. It may be an idea that readers have heard before, but out of all the tips I can give them, it’s the most important. If they give up, everything else is useless. If you have a dream, then never give up on that dream. Most people fail because they give up or don’t start in the first place. In order to be successful you must be strong, passionate and committed. If your dream means everything to you, don’t give up on it, because your dream will help change the world, and by accomplishing that dream you help us all.
What inspired you to write “The Guys, The Roses & The Regrets?”
When I was 14, my friends and I had a summer where everything that could go wrong with guys went wrong. At the end of the summer we were all left heartbroken, and as a writer I began to write about the experience. Well, it was more of a rant really, but as I ranted I began to think about the reasons we were all so heartbroken. It wasn’t as though we loved those guys, but somehow we were heartbroken and they weren’t. The more I thought about it, the more I realized there are things teenage girls just don’t understand about boys and relationships. So, I wrote “The Guys, The Roses, & The Regrets.” “The Guys” section deals with how guys think and why they act the way they do. “The Roses” deals with true romance and how to tell the difference between lust and love. Finally, “The Regrets” is about how to deal with a bad relationship and how to make sure future relationships are healthy.
In short, I wrote this book for every teenage girl who has had her heart broken or has been in love. I wanted to show girls that it is possible to have a healthy, loving relationship.
What inspired you to keep pursuing your dream amidst struggles?
I have faced many struggles as an immigrant and a young person trying to make it in an adult’s world. My book was rejected multiple times, but every time I got rejected — although it sucked — I knew I had to keep going. The reason I had to keep going was simple, it wasn’t about me. I knew my book could change young girls lives, and it was my responsibility to make sure my book got out into the world. When you’re fighting for something that’s bigger than just you, it encourages you to keep going even when you get rejected. So my advice is always think about the people your business, product, book, etc., would impact. Think about the lives you could change for the better, and trust me that will keep you going through any struggle.
Connect:
www.gracehatton.com
www.myspace.com/gracehatton
www.twitter.com/gracehatton
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.