Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in publication but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Joseph Quaderer, Founder, and CEO of StorySavor, located in New York, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

StorySavor is a biography writing services company. Clients commission us to write their biography, and our professional writers help them artfully capture their stories in a beautiful book. Our customers tend to be senior citizens (they have the best stories!) or adult children who want to capture their older parents’ stories.

Tell us about yourself

I’ve always been a storyteller. In grade school and high school, I wrote poetry, short stories, and novellas. After college, I wrote novels. After my third novel, I realized I wanted something different – rather than inventing fictional stories; I wanted to hear real ones. I started interviewing people, and I quickly discovered that everyone has a story to tell, but not everyone is a storyteller.

I launched a website in 2013 to share these stories. With each story, the website gained more followers. I learned there is a great fascination with the untold stories of others.

I interviewed dozens of people, including:

  • A man who was part of General Patton’s ‘Red Ball Express’ – a famed truck convoy system that supplied Allied forces moving quickly through Europe after breaking out from the D-Day beaches in Normandy.
  • A man from New Zealand who overcame cerebral palsy to become a world-famous inspirational Ted Talk speaker.
  • A blind Syrian refugee who moved to America without speaking any English and lived on the streets of Los Angeles and New York City while pursuing his dream of attending Harvard University.

Through this process, I realized I loved connecting with people and sharing their stories – yet I was still self-conscious that I’d never been trained as a journalist. I wanted to improve my craft – to be the best storyteller possible – so I applied to Columbia Journalism School, and much to my surprise, I was accepted! Three years later, I graduated as a professionally trained and published journalist.

I founded StorySavor to connect people with professional writers so they can capture their stories too. I’m excited to bring the gift of professional storytelling to people because I know that through stories, we understand ourselves and the world we live in.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The first book we were commissioned to write was by the family John. John had early-onset Alzheimer’s. By the time his youngest grandchildren were old enough to speak, he was non-verbal. But the family wanted his grandchildren to know the man he was, not the man they knew him as. They commissioned us to write his first-person biography as told by his closest friends and family. They were able to read John his biography nine days before he passed away last December. The family flew me out to Cincinnati, so I could personally hand the book to John’s widow. It was an emotional experience that reiterated the tremendous power of storytelling.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Loneliness. I never heard any entrepreneur mention how lonely it is to start your own company, but now whenever I speak to other entrepreneurs, it seems like the only thing people talk about (aside from our obviously awesome and amazing companies)!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. You have to have compassion and conviction with your idea. If you’re just doing something to get rich, you won’t stick with it when the going gets tough.
  2. Assume your costs will be double your initial estimate.
  3. Try the entrepreneur lifestyle before you pull the trigger – it’s not for everyone! Take a few days off from work and simulate what your life will be like. Try it before you buy it!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Fortune favors the bold. ;)

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://storysavor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StorySavor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/StorySavor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StorySavor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storysavor/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.