Patrice Simpson
Patrice Simpson is the CEO of Tricii Writes, a writer and entrepreneur who starts every day at 5 a.m. with intention. Her hardest-won insight: running a business is not easier than a 9-to-5 job, it demands more from you, and the only real difference is that you answer to clients and yourself rather than a boss.
From early mornings spent journaling and writing fresh goals before the rest of the world wakes up, to unlearning the belief that control over others is ever really possible, Patrice Simpson's path as a creative entrepreneur cuts through comfortable assumptions about what building something real actually requires. In this interview with Powerful Blueprints, Patrice talks candidly about daily habits, the mindset shifts that took years to arrive, and what she would tell any young person serious about building something that lasts. Good morning, Patrice!
What does Patrice Simpson's morning routine look like before the rest of the world gets in?
Patrice wakes at 5 a.m. every day without an alarm, moving between Bible reading, journaling, email, and warming drinks like ginger water, cerasse, or soursop leaves depending on the morning.
I wake up at 5 a.m. every single day, lol. I like to say that I have a built in alarm. Most times I either read a plan from the Bible app or I just lay for a while thinking. Other times I'll go sit at my work desk and journal or check my email.
I don't drink tea every morning but when I do, it's mostly ginger and warm water. I don't sweeten my tea with sugar. Other times, it might be cerasse or soursop leaves.
What is the one surprising daily habit that keeps Patrice Simpson motivated?
Patrice writes new goals every single day, favouring small, achievable daily targets over the monthly or yearly planning most people default to.
I write new goals every day. While some people might write monthly goals or yearly goals, I love to scribble in my notebook and what gives me motivation is writing daily goals that I can actually accomplish. It could simply be what I'm going to cook for dinner.
What would Patrice Simpson tell a college student who wants to build something real?
Patrice advises aspiring builders to shift their focus entirely away from money and toward how well they can serve others, treating consistency as the non-negotiable through years of slow progress.
Don't focus on how much money you want to make. Focus on how well you can serve others. The money will follow. You will have years of no progress but you just have to keep going. Consistency is the key.
What belief about running a business turned out to be completely wrong for Patrice?
Patrice held the belief for years that running a business would be easier than working a 9-to-5, only to discover it demands more from you while requiring full personal accountability and integrity in place of a boss.
So I had this mindset that running a business is easier than having a 9-5, and I was so wrong! Running a business is not easy! It takes more from you but the only difference is that you don't have a boss breathing down your neck, you just have clients or customers that you have to respond to.
And you have to hold yourself accountable and maintain integrity in business when problems arise. Your business is your brand and your brand is you!
What life lesson took Patrice Simpson the longest to finally learn?
Patrice learned over time that trying to control how others treat her, show up for her, and perceive her was a misdirection of energy, because the future is not hers to hold.
I can't always control the narrative because I don't hold my future. I've always tried to control the people around me. How they treated me, showed up for me, etc. I've always tried to control how people viewed me, what they thought of me. But I was only focusing on the wrong things.
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Patrice!
Frequently Asked Questions about Patrice Simpson
What is Patrice Simpson's morning routine?
As the CEO of Tricii Writes, building structure into every day is central to how I operate, and mornings are where it all begins. I wake up at 5 a.m. every single day without an alarm, I like to say I have a built-in clock. Depending on the morning, I'll read a plan from the Bible app, lie still and think, journal at my work desk, or check my email. When I do drink something warm, it's usually ginger and warm water with no sugar, or sometimes cerasse or soursop leaves.
What is Patrice Simpson's most consistent daily habit for staying motivated?
After years of building a business from the ground up, my most consistent habit has been writing new goals every single day. Rather than relying on big monthly or yearly targets, I scribble daily goals in my notebook, ones I can actually accomplish that day. It could be as simple as deciding what I'm going to cook for dinner. That sense of completion, however small, is what fuels my momentum. The daily practice keeps me grounded and moving forward even when the bigger picture feels distant.
What is Patrice Simpson's core advice for young people who want to build a business?
Having built something real from nothing, my first piece of advice is to stop focusing on how much money you want to make and start focusing on how well you can serve others. The money will follow. That shift sounds simple, but most people reverse it and then wonder why their motivation runs dry. You also have to be prepared for years of no visible progress, that's not failure, it's the process. Consistency is the key, full stop.
What is Patrice Simpson's biggest lesson about entrepreneurship versus traditional employment?
For a long time, I genuinely believed that running a business would be easier than working a 9-to-5, and I was completely wrong. Running a business is not easy, it takes more from you, not less. The trade-off is that there's no boss breathing down your neck, but that space is immediately filled by clients and customers who still need you to show up. Beyond that, you have to hold yourself accountable and maintain integrity when problems arise, because your business is your brand and your brand is you.
What is Patrice Simpson's approach to the things in life she cannot control?
After years of trying to manage how people treated me, showed up for me, and perceived me, I finally had to confront that I was focusing on entirely the wrong things. I can't always control the narrative because I don't hold my future. Trying to control how others viewed me or what they thought of me was energy spent in the wrong direction. The shift came when I accepted that the only behaviour I can truly shape is my own. That realisation changed how I move through both my personal life and my work.
