Meet Brigitte Franzen – Born, raised, and educated in Germany.

1978: Interning on a family-owned livestock farm in Illinois led to a job offer that she accepted.

1980: She emigrated to the United States by herself. First, she managed the hog farm of her former host, then built her own breeding stock farm from the ground up, dealing with the challenges of doing business in a male-dominated field, establishing a credit history, and supervising employees.

1987 – 1999: Brigitte owned/operated Salt Creek Farm, selling breeding stock (pigs) into 5 states, exporting boars to South Korea, and earning industry awards.

1999: The collapse of family livestock farms as a business model as the number of factory farms reached critical mass. She closed down her business, and her 300+ customers did the same, as did most family pork producers nationwide.

2000 – 2022: Career encore! She became a Certified Financial Planner, then an Estate Planner and Business Succession Planner for farm families.

2023 – present: Brigitte is writing her memoirs, starting with the first novel Have Pigs, Will Travel

Join us on today’s episode to learn more about Brigitte and her memoir writing that began during Covid lockdowns.

She shares her favourite way to structure a memoir, and knowing the goals she has for the novel which helped her decide which stories of her life to share.

She encourages authors to follow the most rewarding path for their unique writing journey and making the most of life experiences.

Write your memoir with no regrets, and be protective of how you spend your time. Read and write what is worthwhile to you!

Connect with Brigitte on her Website for more about her journey, a sample chapter from her novel, a blog featuring her cat, and more.

Journal Prompts:

What moments from your life do you love to talk about?

What is your purpose behind writing your story?

How will your life experiences impact your readers?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach | Book Editor | Artisan

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