We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Gulish and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I think the success of our brand can be boiled down to community. We’re in an industry dominated by a few massive commercial publishing houses. We can’t compete with them on the product level, but we can compete on the community level. Once we launched our business, we realized that so many folks wanted to spend according to their values and had no idea that there were so many inequities within the publishing industry. A big part of our work has been educating our public about these inequities and providing alternative solutions that put people (not profits) at the center of our work. Because our community members benefit from our growth as a company, we see much higher engagement and development centered on our community. Our authors like to say that they’re in the “F-flat fam.” And, it’s true! We feel like a family.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Over the past few years, I’ve realized that I dive headfirst into challenges, even if I don’t know the outcome. Whether it’s running a marathon, competing in a TV grilling competition, or founding an eCommerce business, I am constantly setting unlikely goals and figuratively and literally running towards them. I’ve hit a ton of roadblocks, made embarrassing mistakes, and fumbled my way through my work. But, I’ve realized that having the courage to make messy mistakes to pursue something you feel called to is 100% worth it.

My brand is all about elevating voices and focusing on people over profit. It can be easy to get caught up in imposter syndrome or feel overwhelmed at what I don’t know instead of focusing on what I do know. What I do know is that there are so many inequities in publishing. If my company can change even a handful of lives by offering a new path, I know that all of the messy mistakes are worth it. (And no, I will never run a marathon again.)

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a musician, I LOVE live music! If I had a friend visiting, I would definitely check out the live music that was happening that week and plan our entire itinerary around that. Drinks and good food are a must before listening to a great show.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my brother, David. When I had the idea for my business, most people thought I was crazy. He not only believed in me, he offered to be my co-founder and has been building it with me ever since.

Website: www.fflat-books.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fflatbooks/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-gulish-48ba54244/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fflatbooks?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fflatbooks/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmUdhjeFtTkrUjvMNYyosBg

Image Credits
David Allen, Brandon Gulish

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