The speaker told their partner Chris they wanted to write while living in Rockaway, New Jersey. Chris thought it was as unlikely as becoming a rock star. After the speaker published "Toilet Paper Entrepreneur," a reader's letter showing how much it helped changed Chris's mind completely, turning skepticism into full support.
I will tell you probably the greatest story in family support that I don't know if I've told you. I remember I was living in Rockaway, New Jersey, and I told Chris, I said, "I want to become an author." She responded appropriately, not her words, but basically, "Authors don't make money. Are you crazy? You think you're going to be the next Stephen King? That's a 1 in a billion." It's equivalent to saying, "I want to be a rock star." Basically, no one makes it. She goes, "What are you going to do to earn money because we have to sustain?" I said, "No, I got to do this." I put fear in her unintentionally and never wanted to do that, but I did. But I also felt called to do it. I wrote the first book, Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, and I got a letter. I printed it out from someone that was so kind and said, "This book has served me in such great ways. Thank you for doing this." And I showed Krista and she read the letter. I remember she looked up, she goes, "Oh, she's looking at it now. This is your life's purpose." So she said, "You have to be an author." She was willing to roll the dice because she knew I had to, quote unquote, roll the dice.
