My First Job Series: Write & Day

How did Write & Day get started?

A person’s first job in their field of choice kickstarts their career and sets the tone for the future. We were recently so honored to be featured by our alma mater, Florida International University, and spoke to the FIU CASE community about how we got started and what our process has been like thus far.

Yesenia Roque and Jacqueline Lee-Garcia met in an online class during the summer of 2017.

“We had a group chat with our whole class, but we were the ones that would always respond and interact with each other the most,” Lee said.

The following semester they had two in-person classes together, by chance.

“It wasn't planned. We saw each other from across the class and I was like ‘Is that you? Are you that girl?’” Roque said.

They didn’t know it at the time, but that was the beginning of a friendship-turned-partnership that grew into their self-founded company, Write & Day.

Roque was born and raised in Miami. She graduated from Varela Senior High school in 2011 and received her associate's degree at Miami-Dade College before transferring to FIU. She came in as a dual-major in psychology and French literature. Somewhere along the lines she decided an English degree better suited her.

“People don’t know the beauty of saying that you have an English degree; it’s such a prerequisite for many other careers,” Roque said. “I decided I wanted to be a business owner because I knew what I wanted to do once I'd earned my degree. I also realized I didn’t like answering to other people.”

Lee was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey. She initially moved to Florida to attend Saint Leo University in Tampa. After a year, she relocated to Miami to attend Miami-Dade College.

“The financial realization hit me,” Lee said. “I couldn’t get any financial aid from Miami-Dade due to the loans I still owed St. Leo and the Dept. of Education, so I was paying out of pocket. I was working three waitressing jobs to support my education but soon felt burnt out. I needed a break. Two years later, I went back, determined. I told myself ‘You’re going to do this.’

And so she did. In April 2016, she finally graduated MDC with her associate's degree. However, things then took an unfortunate turn in her personal life. Her mom, who had fallen ill earlier in the year, passed away the following month.

“I promised my mom I was going to get my bachelor’s degree. I knew I had to continue making her proud,” Lee said. “It took me six years at Miami-Dade, but I went to FIU in August of 2016 and knocked it out in two years, maintaining my status as an honors student and earning my BA in English. I was very proud of myself.”

Lee always knew she wanted to pursue an English degree. She just didn’t know if she wanted to become a writer or an editor. She considers herself reserved and loves diving into a new book as often as she can.

Roque, on the other hand, considers herself to be outgoing and has an impressive background in theater. “We’re polar opposites, but we complement each other where the other one is weak,” Roque said. Insert the perfect company name for their personalities: Write & Day.

But how did two women studying English come together to establish a boutique writing firm?

“We had a couple of drinks at the Chili’s on campus after class and Yesi asks, ‘Do you want to start a publishing company?’ I was like, I'm down! Let's do it!” Lee said.

They admit they had no idea how much work it took to start a business, including the submission of various applications, registering with the state of Florida, creating marketing materials, creating our business plan, and much more. They focused on a writing and editing firm to start with hopes to grow into a publishing company.

“It’s an experience. Every day, we’re learning something new,” Roque said. “We’ve come so far from when we first met, to celebrating two years [of operation] in May [2019].”

Roque and Lee never went through a post-graduation job search. In fact, they opened Write & Day two months before graduation. Lee quit her job of almost seven years and Roque slowly let go of her three jobs as she transitioned to Write & Day full-time. In July of 2018, right before graduation, they landed their first client.

“We didn’t have business cards; we didn’t have anything. Our sweaty palms were out of control,” Lee said. “It was our first event and she ended up being our first book writing client.”

Some of the services Write & Day provides include (but are not limited to) storytelling, consulting, editing, content writing, resume packages, and more. They work with small businesses, local publishing companies, and individuals.

Down the line, Roque and Lee plan to expand in every direction. They currently work remotely but want to establish a brick-and-motor location. Their goal is to be known as the “Jiminy Crickets” of writing. They aim to have multi-locations with a growing team and eventually offer a seminar program that encourages people to share their stories. They’d like to become vendors and speakers at conferences across the United States. Most of all, they always want to stay true to themselves and encourage others to do the same.

“Whatever it is that makes you happy, whatever you’re really good at, like 10 out of 10 you recommend yourself, do it,” Roque said. “Start with freelance, believe in yourself and put your all into it. It won’t be easy, but it’s better to do it and risk failing than not do it at all.”

Lee echoes those thoughts.

“I’ve realized that sometimes you don’t know how you’re going to make your way out of something, but the choice you make, that’s what defines you. It’s not what happened to you, but how you handle it.”

It’s been a year of challenges and growth but Roque and Lee don’t regret a moment of it. In fact, they start every morning with affirmations. They set aside 15-20 minutes to breathe, get into the zone and establish a positive vibe for the workday.

“It makes a huge difference,” Lee said. “Even if we show up cranky and tired, the affirmations help us buckle down, zone out and get to work.”

You can find Write & Day on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, and their website.