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TAMPA BAY • FEBRUARY 23-24 2026

This FINAL encore experience will be unlike any other. Because like everything we do, it's been "reimagined" from beginning to end. It's not a virtual or hybrid event. It's not a conference. It's not a seminar, a workshop, a meeting, or a symposium. And it's not your typical run-of-the-mill everyday event crammed with stages, keynote speeches, team-building exercises, PowerPoint presentations, and all the other conventional humdrum. Because it's up close & personal by design. Where conversation trumps presentation. And where authentic connection runs deep.

Happy One Year Blogging Anniversary to Me

I must say, I’m somewhat disappointed in the lack of support from my family and friends. But God! I always get support from my Mom and a few others who take time out of their day to read my posts. I’m also so grateful to Dennis Pitocco for believing in my talent as a writer and allowing me to be a Featured Contributor for BIZCATALYST 360°. I’m getting so much exposure.

I am keeping up with my blog, poetry book, and Fibromyalgia book, all the while, working on another secret project, my first novel. I’ve traded my crochet hooks in for Microsoft Word for now but I am still open for business on FB at Val’s Gifts of Warmth.

I’ve wanted to be a successful writer most of my life. But as other writers know, the lack of support or belittling of our capabilities to make money at this can stop you dead in your tracks.

I look at it like this, God will send those who will read my writing. So I write for myself, first. Then I write for those who’s life will be changed for the better, regardless of how many. Also, I write for those who will be simply be touched by my words. I’ve begun projects but was easily discouraged or distracted. I didn’t realize that when I quit any project, I also gave up on me. For example, I’ve been compiling my poetry book most of my adult life and my fibromyalgia book for over since 2008.

My problem is two-fold. First, procrastination and second, finances. I’ve put things off until the last minute ever since I can remember. Overcoming this character flaw is on my victory list. I’m better with it but I’m also a work in progress. There’s not much I can do financially being disabled but I plan to either invest in a home-based business or try my hand at being an elementary school substitute teacher.

Sometimes it takes us to our adult years to find what we are good at.

People get stuck working to pay bills instead of finding a career path that pays bills and makes them happy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking what anyone does to make ends meet. But there’s a huge difference between a job and a career.

I’ve had to change gears from nursing because I’m not physically able to work. But my next love is writing. I appreciate the power of words. I consider it a gift to be able to bring words together to say something profound. I respect the process.

Find out what you enjoy doing the most. Create a vision board. Then, another thing I do that I found helpful is to design a timeline. You may not stick to it word for word but give yourself a certain amount of time to complete tasks that’ll get you closer to your goal and career. Life is too short to just be ordinary. We all have the ability to be great!

God is love…

Valerie Collins
Valerie Collinshttps://mypoeticlifebook.wordpress.com/
Valerie Collins was born in Tucson, Az, the last of six children. She has loved writing since a child but decided to pursue a career in Orthopedic nursing. Shortly after her marriage and birth of her first child at the age of 22, she was diagnosed with the chronic pain disease, Fibromyalgia, its subsequent conditions, illnesses, and syndromes. Once the disease disabled her in 2001, she revisited her passion for writing poetry and short stories and has accumulated over 100 poems and spoken word pieces over the years. She became a member of the International Society of poets in 2002 and The International Who's Who in Poetry in 2006. She currently is a member of Realistic Poetry International, Who's Who Among American Business Women, and Women of Facebook Create. Her accolades include 2005 Poet of the Year. She was awarded both the Outstanding Achievement Award in Poetry and the Official Commemorative Poetry Ambassador Medal while serving as a Poetry Ambassador associate in 2007. She wrote a play entitled “Fix Me Jesus” in 2012 for Alabama 1st COGIC State AIM Youth Convention Competition drama category which was awarded second place. Currently, she is in rehearsals for her second stage play for the local playwright, Shawna D. Moore which will be on stage in August 2019. She is in the process of compiling a two-volume poetry book entitled My Poetic Life: A Memoir of Love and a book detailing her life with Fibromyalgia, entitled Behind the Walls of Silence. In July 2018, she created her first blog site My Poetic Life (The Book) as @vfurrmstheblogger to act as a launch for both books and it has taken on a life of its own. She also owns a small crochet business, Val's Gifts of Warmth, where she sells her handmade crochet items.

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7 CONVERSATIONS

  1. I was beat daily, thought it was normal and was shocked to learn otherwise. I mean when your being beat and your mother is screaming stop you’re going to kill him it sticks in your memory. Anyway, I was in my late 30’s before finding this out and about to have a son. PTSD is very real in my life as well as depression (which I believed my father also had) as well as ADHD. No one deserves to live in fear and I’m with you 100% when it comes to fixing this issue but I’m afraid it’s only going to happen when society recognizes the seriousness of the situation because when I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s it was hidden, protected and unfortunately condoned by many. Please don’t get me wrong, as I loved my father who I found out was treated the same way growing up, and I’m not totally against corporal punishment but what I lived through isn’t normal and needs to be stopped, I’m just not certain how. Thank you for your article and keep writing!

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