Bound & Determined

You know that feeling when you meet a new friend and it's an instant love match? Friendship love at first sight? That's how I felt when I met Stacy Ennis. A few years ag0, we met at Farnoosh Torabi's book launch for A Healthy State of Panic. She's a book coach living abroad with her family, and…well, you know the work I do. Don't miss this episode of Bound & Determined–there's so much shared wisdom, and a lot of comfort around the sticky parts of being a writer. Stacy is a best-selling author, coach, and speaker on a mission to help leaders clarify their ideas and harness their unique story to make an impact. Along with being the founder of Nonfiction Book School, an accelerated author program, her background includes ghostwriting for a Nobel Prize winner in medicine and leading as executive editor of Sam's Club's Healthy Living Made Simple, a publication that reached around 11 million readers.  Her best-selling book, co-written with Ron Price, is Growing Influence: A Story of How to Lead with Character, Expertise, and Impact. She's also the host of Beyond Better, a podcast that explores how to create a business and life you love. Enjoy!

This week on Bound and Determined, I'm sharing how my own book deal came to be, the process of getting it to the right idea that lit me up, and all that I'm learning about myself along the way.  This is the first installment and there will be more as I move deeper into the process! Join me for the ride! And as I say in the close of the episode—it's all for you. This book is a love letter to your creative soul and an action plan for bringing it to life. Whether it's a book, podcast, new business, program offering, stage talk, etc… you will find home in these pages. I can't wait to continue to share the process with you as the teacher becomes the student!  Oh! And P.S. I have not had a new podcast review in OVER A YEAR! What?! So many of you tell me how much you love the pod and all that you're learning and appreciate. If you haven't rated and left a review yet, I'd be so appreciative!   

This week on Bound + Determined, Sam Vander Wielen joins me and we dig into what business owners may be missing, what's working right now, and how to really build a business that sustains you through life's hardest moments. While writing her book and continuing to run her business, Sam tragically lost both of her parents back to back. In fact, she was offered her book deal the day her Mom passed. We talk about running a business through grief, and how she managed to reach this finish line of Pub Day. Oh, and did I mention she also recovered from a brain tumor in the early days of her business?  She knows a thing or two about the rollercoaster of life. I'm grateful to call her a friend and am so happy she's someone I have on speed dial for all my business brainstorms. I hope you'll give this episode a listen!

Life is made up of billions of tiny decisions. The poor decisions can lead to a lifetime of laughter. Maybe it's the bad perm you got as a teenager, or the tattoo of a dolphin eating a cheeseburger. Maybe it was the horrible guy you dated in college, or the spontaneous weekend trip that ended in disaster. I, myself, am not a super spontaneous person. I sit somewhere in the middle “meh” of it all.  I've never boarded a plane the same day (or even the same week) to take advantage of a trip deal. I've never signed up for a class on a whim. I never even ditched school. I research restaurant menus in advance because I like to know what I'm getting before I'm there. I study the weather in an hour-by-hour breakdown each morning before leaving the house. I could never live a nomadic life–I even cross-reference review sites before booking a hotel. I think the best way to describe me is measured. But even if you are measured like me–that doesn't mean you've honed the skillset of making strategic decisions. Most of us don't think through big or small decisions with any particular level of strategy, which is why my guest on this week's episode of Bound + Determined is going to shed light on why we SHOULD be making decisions in a more thoughtful way.  Abby Davisson is the Founder and CEO of the Money and Love Institute and an expert on holistic decision-making. As a former Fortune 200 executive and after two decades of making change from within organizations, she launched her own business, focused on helping leaders make smart choices for lasting success in work and life. Abby's professional experience includes strategy-focused roles in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, including nearly a decade at Gap Inc., where she served as president of the Gap Foundation and co-founded the company's employee resource group for working parents. She's also the Co-Author of MONEY, AND LOVE: AN INTELLIGENT ROADMAP FOR LIFE'S BIGGEST DECISIONS, a guide for navigating life's most consequential and daunting decisions using research-based insights road-tested in a popular Stanford University course.  Abby has immersed herself in endless research that shows us how the decisions we make around love (and otherwise!) have financial consequences. Tune in to learn her framework that can be used for better decisions in love and life!  

This week on the Bound + Determined pod, I'm sitting down with Suzanne to discuss her book The Good Death: A Guide for Supporting Your Loved One Through the End of Life, which includes incredible education around having a good death physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and even financially. You'll also hear about one of my favorite topics to learn from Suzanne–how to keep death green. If this topic makes you uneasy, I promise Suzanne is the best person to learn from–she's an angel.  Plus, as always, you'll learn insider info on the book-writing process.

In this week's episode of Bound + Determined, I'm chatting with Courtney about what felt different about creating her third book, how the idea of Gentle came to her (you may relate!), and how chronic illness impacted her career and writing. We talk about going from book proposal to manuscript and what she hopes first-time authors understand. If you're feeling the pull the simplify your life and be more gentle with yourself–this episode is for you!  

In this episode of Bound and Determined, I'm diving deeper into a conversation that really resonated with last week's newsletter—how I'm balancing social media alongside other platform channels amidst ongoing shifts in the digital landscape. Many of you shared that you're feeling reenergized, validated, and clearer on your next steps, so let's explore these pivots together. I'll walk through my platform strategy for 2025 and why these shifts align with where agents and publishers are focusing their efforts.

This week, we have our first new Bound + Determined episode of 2025, and it's not to be missed! I sat down with literary agent Cherise Fisher to unpack this incredible and sometimes maddening process of bringing a book to the world.

This week, I am pleased to introduce you to Amanda Bernardi, literary agent with High Line Literary Collective. Amanda champions books with fresh ideas paired with practical elements and actionable takeaways, those that inform as much as they inspire. Her specialties include compelling prescriptive and narrative nonfiction in categories including social & culture issues, feminism, parenthood, creativity, cooking, pop culture, design/art, environmentalism, and mental health & wellness.

This week I have a quick solo episode for you on Creating Through the Inevitable Changes of Life—I hope you'll give it a listen!

This week on Bound + Determined, I'm chatting with an expert who will demystify what we REALLY need in the first few years of an online business, as well as strategic ways to build a platform-- whether you're looking to get more clients or sell a book.

Back in June 2023, I interviewed matrescence expert Jessie Harrold on Bound + Determined, and she shared with raw vulnerability how hard it was to land her book deal. She talked about the timing, the road blocks, the shots in the dark she took, and what ultimately got her the publishing deal that is now launching Mothershift: Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage. I still get emails several times a month from people who have stumbled upon that episode (#91) and are grateful for it. They tell me it was helpful to hear that for some people, this process is challenging and not what they'd imagined--that resilience and perseverance are necessary traits to bringing this dream to life. So it felt right to bring Jessie back on the show, as she is weeks away from launching Mothershift, to hear what the rest of her process was like.

This week on Bound + Determined, I'm coming to you with a quick pep talk on how to get rid of perfectionism in your writing and creativity—complete with a story about my biggest teacher—my 6-year-old son.

Parker's incredibly helpful book Profit Pillars: A Proven System to Maximize the Bottom Line in Your Online Business launches November 19th, and we're chatting about what YOU need to know to have a thriving business on this week's episode of Bound + Determined. In this episode, we chat about: Financial challenges and perspectives at different stages of business Why we re-evaluate success each year in a fast-changing online world What profit pillars are and how to use them Why business owners are playing 2 important games simultaneously The book proposal process Getting a book deal with a small platform If you are a coach, course creator, group program facilitator, service provider, etc---this is an important listen!

This week on Bound + Determined, I'm chatting with Mike DeSocio, author of the new book “Morally Straight: How the Fight for LGBTQ+ Inclusion Changed the Boy Scouts—and America.” He's an award-winning independent journalist whose articles on the climate crisis and the LGBTQ community have appeared in the Washington Post, Bloomberg, the Guardian, Fortune, Xtra, YES! Magazine, and more.

  When it comes to writing a book, many authors dream about that big six-figure advance---they want that money, honey. And for good reason. You all work HARD.   And while I want all my clients and readers to be paid their value and beyond, I find that when I speak to people about advance payments, there's a lot they don't yet understand.   That's why I'm breaking down The Basics of Book Advances on the Bound+Determined podcast this week.   I encourage you to educate yourself NOW, so you know what to expect, AND you'll know the secret to what I think is even more important than your book advance. It may surprise you!

You may think that a conversation about death and how we want to live our lives is a serious one—but I can assure you that this podcast episode is full of fun and laughs.   While Jodi's work is steeped in research, she makes this conversation (and her book) so digestible that you'll find yourself laughing along the way—and getting some clear action steps.

Drawing from his experiences in the U.S. as a proud Cuban American and member of the LGBTQ+ community, Eduardo shares his message of empowerment and belonging with audiences around the world.    In this soulful conversation, we discuss: The difference between authenticity and dominant authenticity.  Looking at the shame that we tuck away, and letting truth-telling be a catalyst for growth  Why mundane moments can make great stories  Facing our brain bullies when sharing vulnerably  How to choose which stories to tell 

  This week on the Bound & Determined podcast I'm chatting with Chris Atley, an award-winning coach, a TEDx speaker, and author of Abundant Soulutions: A Mompreneur's Guide to Manifesting Success through Self-Care.   We discuss what it means to practice self-care as an entrepreneur (and we're not talking mani-pedis) and recall some of the sidesteps we took on our journeys as business owners—you know, those times when you should have trusted your gut but didn't?

This episode may surprise you and ultimately give you the perspective you need to take action. From fear of the process and sharing in a group setting to concerns of taking up too much space or preferring private work, Leisse Wilcox and Dympna Weil share all the thoughts they had before, during, and after the Book Proposal Blueprint Program.

This week on Bound + Determined, I'm chatting with Kerry Dobson, a Group Program Architect who helps authors, established coaches, and experts craft and lead a signature group program that delivers real impact. Kerry has created and led over 100 group programs and helped more than 200 people lead their own groups (including many authors or soon-to-be authors!) Her experience and graduate degree in Adult Learning have taught her the true power of groups. When created and led well, groups ignite passion, create long-lasting and meaningful connections, and, through the support and accountability that comes with a group, results are almost guaranteed. Tune in to hear her suggestions and things to avoid when considering launching a group program, and hear the ways it can benefit you as an author!

This week on Bound + Determined, I'm thrilled to be in conversation with Marissa Eigenbrood, the President of Smith Publicity, a PR agency that I deeply admire. At Smith Publicity, Marissa leads a passionate team that champions a diverse range of literary voices. From established publishers to innovative hybrid presses, from independently published debut authors to influential keynote speakers and industry luminaries, Smith Publicity is committed to amplifying the voices of all authors.

Today on Bound and Determined, I'm chatting with Michelle Glogovac, The Podcast Matchmaker™, a podcast publicist, author of How To Get On Podcasts (McGraw Hill, 2024) and host of the award winning podcast, My Simplified Life. She works with entrepreneurs, authors, and experts to hone their storytelling abilities, grow their businesses, and elevate themselves as thought leaders. She's also the Founder + CEO of The MLG Collective®.   Tune in to this episode to hear about the value of doing a podcast tour both before and after your book and how Michelle works with people to make their messages snappy and impactful! You'll also learn about her experience becoming a published author.

This week on Bound + Determined, I'm sitting down with Lily Womble, author of Thank You, More Please, (Legacy Lit, June 2024) —a book I've proudly been a part of since a chance meeting with the author pre-pandemic.

I'm sitting down with my former client Jannese Torres, host of the award-winning podcast Yo Quiero Dinero and author of the upcoming book Financially Lit. We chat about how aligned partners seamlessly moved her through the process, how she never had to “convince” anyone her idea or story was worthy, what it was like to go from proposal to manuscript (including adding a whole new chapter on love and money as she navigated a divorce during book writing), and so much more.

Don't miss this conversation with Jennifer Keishin Armstrong where we break down the anxieties of publishing a book, what still surprises her, how she decides what to write next, and her thoughts on the bestseller list.

This week on Bound + Determined, I'm giving you a pep talk on what your platform has the potential to be if you just begin…

Becoming a bestseller is a wonderful accomplishment, but for many who seek to see their books on shelves, it's not the end-all-be-all, and for a vast majority, it's a goal that can be more harmful than good.

Stacy is a bestselling author, coach, and speaker on a mission to help leaders clarify their ideas and harness their unique story to make an impact. Along with being the founder of Nonfiction Book School, an accelerated author program, her background includes ghostwriting for a Nobel Prize winner in medicine and leading as executive editor of Sam's Club's Healthy Living Made Simple, a publication that reached around 11 million readers.  Her best-selling book, co-written with Ron Price, is Growing Influence: A Story of How to Lead with Character, Expertise, and Impact. She's also the host of Beyond Better, a podcast that explores how to create a business and life you love. In this episode, we dive deep into our experience of working with authors on both book proposals and manuscripts, what we wish more writers knew, and some things about publishing that drive us nuts. You'll also hear about how Stacy runs a location independent business and is raising her family in Portugal!

This week on the Bound + Determined podcast I'm talking with Frenchie Ferenczi, a business strategist and advisor for overwhelmed (but seriously ambitious) experts and creatives. She helps online business owners do the right work at the right time so they can stay on the path to consistent revenue growth. From having sold out launches to spending more time with their kids, she empowers her clients to achieve their biggest business goals without falling victim to the business grind. In this episode we talk about: -some of the easy mistakes business owners make -determining the right time to add a big project (like a book!) -her method for discovering where to put your time and energy -intentional marketing -and so much more… If you are looking for revenue growth (and more presence in your life) in 2024, don't miss this episode!

This week on the Bound + Determined pod, we're talking all about the art of creating a book, with my favorite person to sink into conversation with about craft–Suzanne Kingsbury.  

If you are looking for a quick pep talk (it's only 10 minutes), packed with tools on how to navigate this sensitive time, AND still feel energized with your book projects–I hope you'll tune in.

Where once, your only options were to traditionally publish or self-publish, we now have a third option which, depending on your goals, could be a great pathway to explore! The rise in hybrid publishing has opened doors for folks who may desire a process that fits their time, creative and business needs But who is this process right for? In this week's podcast I chat with Maggie Langrick, CEO and Publisher of Wonderwell Press.

Richelle sits down with therapist, Kristen Boice, to discuss where imposter syndrome is rooted and how we can navigate it, so we can continue chasing our book dreams.

In this week's MUST LISTEN episode of Bound + determined, we look at 3 main obstacles for writers: Imposter syndrome, waiting for inspiration to strike, and finding the “right time” to begin your book. Terri Trespicio is an award-winning writer, speaker, and brand advisor, and she was named one of the "Top 18 female speakers who are killing it" by Hubspot. Terri Trespicio Passion Trap Free Program 

In this week's episode of Bound + determined, join us as we dive into the power of self-talk with author Katie Horwitch. Discover her step-by-step process for embracing your true self and eliminating self-doubt. Tune in to learn how to break free from the cycle of negative thoughts and find strength in your own voice.

According to Ben Guttmann, it's actually kind to be simple, and his new book Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win—and How to Design Them tells us exactly how to do it. In this eye-opening interview, we chat about what authors can do to help their messaging stand out in a crowded market, the mistakes he sees people make in their communication, and tools for writers to keep their messaging on track.

In this celebratory 100th episode, Richelle is on the other side of the mic. Interviewed by Jennifer Racioppi, Richelle talks about the evolution of this podcast and the publishing industry. They get into expectations and realities when it comes to publishing a book. This is both a tender and teachable episode to enjoy.

In this episode, Richelle chats with acclaimed author and education expert Ana Homayoun about why education needs a reframe and what parents and community leaders can be doing to support young minds. She also shares the process of her 4th book, Erasing the Finish Line: The New Blueprint for Success Beyond Grades and College Admission

What does it mean to be alive? Richelle digs into this question with integrative spiritual consultant Catherine Duncan. They discuss her new book Everyday Awakening, and her choice to hybrid publish.

This week I'm talking to Sherry Sidoti, author of A Smoke and a Song, all about honoring our lived experience through memoir.  

In this episode, I sit down with Stef Ziev to chat about what's possible when we remember that the choice is ours!

Eager to get your book published and curious about my signature Book Proposal Blueprint comprehensive program? This episode gives answers to the most popular questions about the program.

In this episode, I sat down with top publishing editor Hannah Robinson from GCP Balance/Hachette to get the WHOLE scoop that you need to know, NOW.

In this episode, I sat down with top publishing editor Hannah Robinson from GCP Balance/Hachette to get the WHOLE scoop that you need to know, NOW.

In this week's episode, Richelle sits down with Gina Moffa, LCSW, sought-after grief therapist and upcoming author of Moving On Doesn't Mean Letting Go, deep-diving into all the emotions and the reality of asking people for kind words.    

In this inside-peek of an episode, Richelle sits down with HGTV star Sabrina Soto to discuss how she got started in television, and why her goal is to help women build a life they love. Sabrina is working on her second book, and shares her journey with us.

In this episode, Richelle sits down with Jessie Harrold, women's mentor and doula, about the persistence and years of effort it took to land her book deal. In this honest and transparent conversation they talk about strategy, cost, and all the twists+turns when it comes to getting your book published.

Richelle sits down with Laura Belgray, founder of Talking Shrimp, to chat about her new book Tough Titties. This episode will encourage you to release your inner rebel, embrace your late bloomer status, and get comfy disappointing people. Tune in to hear Laura's ride to authorship (bumps and all).

Richelle sits down with the Queen of Saying it Out Loud, Vasavi Kumar, for a conversation around the ways we speak to ourselves, how creativity and mental health intersect, and why we all need to be telling ourselves a different story. They also discuss the launch of Vasavi's first book.

Richelle talks with functional medicine practitioner Carrie Levine about how to live a whole life while navigating the messy, busy reality. They discuss practices and mindset shifts for prioritizing your health. Carrie also shares her process of becoming an author. CW: child loss