Christine Leninger, Founder of LUPI Docs & Designs

Kim: What would you say was the event that caused you to realize that you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Christine: I was in the corporate world for about 20 years. I discovered entrepreneurship late in 2013.

I unfortunately had just lost my father to heart disease. He had congestive heart failure with other complications that landed him in the hospital for two weeks. Then after his passing, I remained ‘home’ in the Chicago suburbs for another week as my sisters and I helped plan his funeral and helped my mom adjust to her new life without my father. At that time, I was working for a Scottsdale company in the laser manufacturing industry. I came back from PTO/bereavement leave only to find out that after just having celebrated a year with the company, I had three days of PTO left.

And at that time, my boys were very young, the oldest had just turned 7 years old. As a mom, having three days of PTO for the next year wasn’t enough. I wanted to be close to my boys. I wanted to be able to do my own thing.

Thankfully my husband, at the time, was very supportive and allowed me the space to be able to go out on my own.

Kim: Three days of PTO… that gave me goosebumps just thinking about how someone can manage just 3 days when you’re facing a difficult life challenge like that. Sounds like going out on your own was a good change.

So what was the introduction to entrepreneurship? Did you already know what you wanted to do?

Christine: Oh yeah, tech writing all the way! When I made the decision to go out on my own, I went to my employer at the time and said that this wasn’t working for me anymore. I said that I’m going to go out on my own and that I am happy to transition with you…. If you’re hiring an internal resource, I will continue to manage your manuals and marketing content until you find somebody, or I would love to freelance for you.

I also had a good friend who had just started working with a solar manufacturer down in Tempe, and they needed a writing resource as well. So I took on their manuals and had two good, solid clients that would allow me to move into going out on my own.

So, at the end of 2013, I cut the cord and went into 2014, and took LUPI Docs & Designs full time. Then, I worked my butt off to try and find more. I offered 14 different document types; I could do pretty much anything, writing-wise.

Kim: Well, tell me more about it. What is it that you do now? What are you an expert in?

Christine: I help people self-publish books; I can do everything from concept to publication with them.

Let’s say you have an idea for a book. I will help you flesh out the idea, capture the content, create the initial draft, and then get it to the manuscript. Once it’s finalized in manuscript form, I manage the process of getting it laid out, creating, and then publishing it. I publish using Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) for my clients.

Kim: Does somebody come and say, “I don’t have an idea, but I feel like I have something in my brain. Help me find it.”

Christine: No. They typically either want to write a book to support their business or to write a memoir, or a fiction novel. Often, they have written a book, finished or close to finishing, and don’t know what to do with it.

I tell them, “Let’s get that thing out of the drawer, let’s dust it off and massage it, shape it, and make it something that you can be proud of!” I love, love, love, love helping people go through this process so they can see how it works.

Kim: And the biggest thing for you is probably that it’s a partnership, right? You can only move as fast as your client allows. So when you have really motivated people, you can get a project done relatively quickly.

Christine: Yes. For example, a client of mine, CR Allen, published a book in late January. He was so motivated by seeing how well his book sold that he called me a month or two later. He was already working on the sequel. We plan to have it out very soon!

I tell all my clients that once you’ve been through the process, you get it, and you understand that it is a process, it’s repeatable.

That’s how people like John Maxwell or Mark Victor Hansen, or some of these very incredibly prolific authors, do it. They will go and rent a cabin up North (or wherever) for two weeks and write a book.

A book project doesn’t have to take years. If you’re motivated, you can get it done in 3-6 months.

Kim: If you could teach just one lesson to female entrepreneurs, what would it be?

Christine: I’m kind of a multi-preneur, as some people might call it. Not only do I have my own LUPI Docs & Designs business, but I also have Rich Pageant Media, where I’m a partner. I have been the “startup rockstar” for other businesses, but it’s only really within the last couple of months that I’ve really been focusing on what’s important to me.

My lesson to other entrepreneurs and women in business is to keep your eyes on your own page. Focus on you. Focus on yourself. Focus on your business.

Because yes, it is wonderful to build these other things. And I have told people in my life that if I even consider joining another startup, please smack me upside the head (lol). Just the small amount of time that I have been focusing on my own business, it’s opened up to me and it has blossomed for me and created so much happiness. It took me years to really believe that I can be successful on my own, so learn from my lessons. Create your business how you want it, and see it grow.

When you actually focus on yourself and focus on your strengths and where your business is, especially for strong women, it’s unbelievable what you can accomplish.

Kim: I personally know that you have made a huge impact for many other businesses, just to be clear. Huge, massive impact…. Where you want to spend your time is what it comes down to. Do you want to spend it with your three growing boys? Or do you want to help people grow their own businesses?

Christine: And that’s why I left the corporate world to begin with. That’s the lesson.

Kim: And it’s fantastic that you had the willpower to realize that and take action.

In your experience, what would you say are the unique strengths or perspectives that women specifically bring to the world of entrepreneurship? And how have these influenced your own journey?

Christine: That is an amazing question.

I know for myself and the women that I hold dear in my life, that we are all doers. We make stuff happen. We see the big picture. And a lot of times, we see how everything fits together. And we are amazing at collaboration, bringing it all together.

Kim: Yes, you are and yes we are!

I always wondered how you had the energy to just zip around and do this and grab this and do that and make sure all the pieces of the puzzle are functioning as they should so everything runs smoothly together.

That’s what I have always seen from you. You’re the woman who doesn’t just make it happen but makes it happen well and smoothly.

Christine: At my age, I have learned to give myself that grace and that space. Just give yourself the time to have creativity come in and to just take a step back from what you’re doing.

I don’t get the Sunday Scaries anymore like I used to when I was in the corporate world.

Kim: The Sunday Scaries?

Christine: Yeah, the Sunday Scaries is when you are having anxiety about having to go back to work on Monday.

Kim: Because your list of tasks is filling your headspace with all the things you have to do. Is that what you mean?

Christine: Yes. Instead of the Sunday Scaries, now I proactively create a list of my daily tasks. Before I go to bed, I will plan out and think about what I need to do when I wake up the next morning. Then, I can rest.

Kim: You sort of just answered one of my questions! What’s one habit you’ve developed that’s made a big impact on your success?

Is there one other habit that you wanted to talk about?

Christine: Yes. I’ve learned in my career to not overshare or feel the need to make excuses. People don’t need to know everything.

They don’t need to know where you are, what you’re doing, why you’re not responding immediately.

A: Nobody cares.

B: It doesn’t matter.

They want to know that you care about them, that you got what they sent you, and when you’re going to respond. That’s really it. That’s all they need to know.

Kim: Tell me, what are one to two of the most impactful books (or audibles) that you’ve read and would recommend to any entrepreneur, maybe women specifically?

Christine: I read for a living. When I am not working, I want to be served content; I want to be entertained (lol).

When I’m reading my clients’ manuscripts, I am learning. I am becoming a better writer when I’m editing their material.

There also are a couple of different newsletters that I am on for different content, like for business finance and writers.com has a newsletter I like with different content that I get a lot of value from.

ALTS is one. ALTS.co is a company that publishes alternative investment reviews and different things that people are looking at. I’m always interested in what’s hot, investing, and where people are putting their money.

You know, as far as books go, I finished the audiobook “Unf*ck Yourself: Get Out Of Your Head and Into Your Life” by Gary John Bishop.

I like his straightforward way of quieting that voice in your head and looking at things with a positive attitude and understanding. I’m now listening to his book on relationships.

So Just Live Your Life and Be Happy, and It All Is As Difficult or As Easy As You Make It.

Kim: If somebody wants to work with you, how can they contact you?

Christine: The best, most effective way to get in touch with me is through LinkedIn.

But I do have a Facebook page for LUPI Docs and Designs, as well as Rich Pageant Media.