Invisible Stories: Write to be Seen

Today Publish Your Purpose: A Step-By-Step Guide To Write, Publish, and Grow Your Big Idea launched! Get the ebook for $2.99 on Amazon.   Today is my book launch, which I am quite excited about. And the book is called publish your purpose. It is a step by step guide to write, publish and grow your big idea, which might be the first time I have said the title and subtitle succinctly without botching it. So I'm impressed its launch day, here we are. So I'm excited about this conversation today. Because instead of just having this be a kind of me going on and on about my new book, and how excited I am with my new book, I am bringing in a bunch of other authors who have worked on their books for quite some time, in some cases, where, you know, some of us painfully moved through the publishing process, the the writing process and the publishing process. And some of us just kind of crank it out fast. And everyone's kind of a, in a different place in a different journey. And so, for me, this book started on July 9, of 2020. And so it was kind of a, I started it, I put it down, I started it, I put it down, it's kind of a lot of this back and forth. And so I'm finally here and having it published, which feels like a monumental effort. And it is also it is October 11, which is also also National Coming Out Day. So it was intentional that I included that on here as well, even though this book has nothing to do with coming out, other than maybe coming out as an author, which I think can be as scary at times for folks. And the thing I have is an ask for for folks today is I have discounted the book on Amazon for the ebook to 299. So if anyone just kind of wants to get access to it at a reduced price, it is there today for 299. If you do that my request is leaving a review. So I'm not really focused on hey, go buy the book. So we can get bestseller status, I'm focused on making sure that this book gets into the hands of the people who need it. And that means getting it into the hands of libraries. So that way the book is accessible for people in in whatever economic situation they themselves might be in. So my goal is to get reviews. And so with reviews, comes more exposure in the algorithms in primarily Amazon. Unfortunately, Amazon is kind of still the, the place where people at least, are at least doing the research around around books. So that's my goal. So if you do if you've already bought the book, which I had a lot of pre orders, and I have made my local post office very angry lately, making many trips with a lot of books. But if you've already, if you've already bought the book, please take a moment to leave a review today. If you don't mind, that would be my my number one goal. Okay, so just a little bit about the book, it's a step by step guide to write, publish and grow your big idea. So it does kind of anchor into three separate pieces of this process. It is the writing, it is the publishing and then it's kind of like what you do with the books. So there's a lot of marketing in this book as well. And my intention with this book was to kind of demonstrate for folks, what's possible, because I think sometimes when we look at books we think of we think of them in a certain way. Even if I asked you the question of like, what is it like when you think of a book, what are you thinking? Are you thinking of a coffee table book? Are you thinking of a novel? Are you thinking of a nonfiction book that's heavy with graphics, everyone kind of has their own vision for it. And so for this book, it is very graphically heavy, it is full color, it is designed in a way to be as accessible as possible. My goal was to write a book that was 35,000 words, it is 68,000 words. So it's just a just a little bit more than my intention was.

Today's Invisible Stories guest is Publish Your Purpose Press's own Brandi Lai. Brandi is a contributor and the mastermind behind the creation of the anticipated The Real Lives Of Transgender and NonBinary Humans, the first anthology from PYP. Brandi also recently started her own business, Best-Laid Pens, and she specializes in ghost writing and development editing. Brandi is passionate about helping other people share their stories and making a platform for other people to amplify their voices. In this podcast, Brandi and I discuss what it was like for her to be working on this new PYP project, and being the person spearheading this anthology. Brandi was passionate from the start about this project, and put her heart and soul into getting this book to happen. Brandi tells us a bit more about  The emotional and cathartic experience of working with the contributors, and relating to their stories on a personal level.  How as the collector of these contributors' stories, she had to put herself into their story to capture their voice, and how that triggered her own emotions from her past. She had to learn how to cope with her own emotions and reflect back on her own experiences, while still making sure the contributors' words were authentic and meaningful.  The ultimate goal of this anthology, which is to reach those trans and nonbinary people who are struggling or going through similar experiences, and give them hope for their own future. This book may also help cisgender people learn more about the lives and experiences of transgender and nonbinary individuals, and to act as a guide for those who love trans and NB people about how to support and relate to those people in their lives.  The ways this process of collecting these stories has empowered her to share her own story, and to become an entrepreneur herself much like the contributors to the anthology have done.   

Today's Invisible Stories guest is author, podcaster, and speaker Nicolle Merrill. Nicolle has written for Four Seasons and National Geographic private jet tours, taught digital communication skills to global executives, and sold adventure travel programs in New Zealand. As the former Associate Director of the Career Development office at Yale School of Management, she coached hundreds of MBA students and professionals through all phases of their career transitions. Nicolle's book, Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots, has been published by PYP. This book upgrades career advice for the future of work. In the book, Nicolle translates the headlines about robots taking all the jobs into a guide to help career changers navigate the new world of work. Nicolle's human-centered approach to career changes, combined with a relentless curiosity about emerging career trends, has led to speaking engagements across the US, as well as in Canada and Ireland.      In this podcast, Nicolle and I delve into her life as a self-described job-hopper, and how she used her adaptability and Liberal Arts background to try out different career paths and guide others looking to do the same. Nicolle talks about How she took her experiences in different jobs and combined them into her book, to offer others insight into what their career path may look like. She emphasizes that career changes are not linear, and that they take different shapes depending on who you are and your journey may not be like somebody else's journey. How her attention-grabbing book title came to be, and how it is a larger message of learning to push away doubts and insecurities and be confident in your skill sets.  Her tone in her book, and how it really sets the stage for her speaking engagements and other branding elements. From the first few pages of her book, you know who she is and what she is about, and she is just like that in person. There is a congruence that just works.  The way she overcame her procrastination tendencies and carved out time each day where she would write whatever came to mind, without stopping to self-edit.

Today's Invisible Stories guest is the renowned speaker and bestselling author Terry Dyer. Over a span of 15 years, Terry's professional career has been spent in Corporate America working in both for profit and nonprofit environments. His background consists of Talent Acquisition Management, Recruitment, Client Services, and Program Management with Fortune 100 and 500 companies. Additionally, Terry has volunteered his time to various organizations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, and South Florida communities. Since 2007, he has served as a member of the San Francisco LGBTQ Speakers Bureau. He and the organization aim to dispel homophobic and transphobic violence by educating people about the Terry's memoir, Letters to a GAY BLACK BOY, sparks conversations around racism, inequality, homophobia, and more.    In this podcast, Terry and I discuss the process he underwent to find his authentic voice and to put pen to paper to write his memoir. He shares his insight on: How he started with a more academic tone in his book, but went back and revised the tone to have a more authentic voice. He wanted readers to feel like they were part of these heartfelt, open, honest, transparent conversations.  His purpose in writing this book, and how he wanted to take sensitive, uncomfortable topics like racism and homophobia, delve into why those topics are uncomfortable, and cut through the noise to find comfortability.  Even the audiences his book was not intended for, who had no shared experience with Terry, read his book and had it transform how they look at particular communities, and find universal commonalities.  How he decided what to include in his memoir, and what went through his head when considering how he should portray real people from his life who might pick up this book.

Today's Invisible Stories guest is Pasha Cook, the founder of Pasha Cook & Associates, an International creative solutions consulting agency that helps professional athletes and executive entrepreneurs Build Brand Identity Stories. She has been on an unstoppable path to success ever since. Pasha made history in 2018 when she became the first female college outreach speaking ambassador for the NFL. In 2019 Pasha played an intricate role in art directing an international documentary launched by the Yao Ming and the Chinese Basketball Association.. Pasha is the author of Brand Yourself Like a Champion: Cultivating Brand Excellence From The Inside Out, which guides readers by defining what a personal brand is and assisting them in evaluating themselves through interactive self-reflection exercises, teaching best practices so that readers can add value and obtain clarity around their personal brand vision.   In this podcast, Pasha shares insights into how she defines success and what her process was when she decided to publish Brand Yourself Like A Champion. Pasha provides insight into:  How her book stemmed from working with athletes to determine their transferable skills, and developed into how to make that type of content accessible for all people. She discusses how you need to look at your own strengths and weaknesses, identify what you value, and what your own personal mission is.  Not every step of her process will work for everyone. Sometimes a formula will work for one person, but others need to just pull some advice from the pages to be their most authentic self. Everyone is different, so she recognizes that people will utilize her book differently to learn and grow.  The intentional design of her book to look like a fashion magazine, drawing from her past in that industry, and how it links in unexpected ways to developing a personal and authentic brand.  How to give yourself time with your work before you put it out in the world. When your story is no longer hurting you or a hindrance to you, then you are released to help to heal other people with your words.

Today's Invisible Stories guest is leadership expert and author David O'Brien. David is the president of WorkChoice Solutions, LLC, a nationally recognized provider of leadership and team effectiveness consulting services. His corporate consulting career spans over twenty years and includes key leadership roles within a variety of industries including Aerospace, Healthcare, and Financial Services. He also works with many small and emerging market leaders to bring about lasting organizational and leadership transformation. David's books, The Navigator's Handbook and The Navigator's Compass share his formula for leadership excellence, and using a combination of personal reflection, story telling, and consulting case studies, David explores some of leadership's most pressing challenges. He provides proven processes and methodologies for helping leaders at all levels to expand their influence and impact.   In this podcast, David shares how he took his years of corporate leadership experience and adapted it for his two books. His goal is to show that anyone can be a leader, not just in their career but in their lives. David and I discuss:  Learning to let go of timelines and self-imposed restrictions to writing, and instead just allow the creativity to flow the way it naturally wants to.  How leadership and storytelling really go hand-in-hand: part of what makes an effective leader is the ability to share stories, to draw people in with them and compel others into action through those stories.  How writing a purpose statement at the beginning of your author journey may help to remind you what you are writing for, and who you are writing for, and can ultimately help you overcome imposter syndrome. 

Today's Invisible Stories guest is author, screenwriter, producer, director, actor, and journalist, B. Danielle Watkins. She is an international award-winning filmmaker, and creator of LGBT focused web series. She is also a professor of writing. B. Danielle's novel, The Alyse Diaries, explores the life and death of a young woman struggling with her sexuality.    In this podcast, B. Danielle and I talk about how she drew inspiration from real life when writing her fiction books. B. Danielle tells us about: How she decided to set the book in the 1990s and early 2000s, and how she drew on the universal themes of self-discovery to relate to readers.  The different experience of writing a novel compared with writing a screenplay, and how writing a book involves more characterization and building out of a character, as opposed to screenplays in which the characters are more influenced by the actors portraying them.   How there is still vulnerability in writing fiction, because we still put something of ourselves into our work. You still are influenced by your life and your writing is still being critiqued, even if it isn't a memoir.

Today's Invisible Stories guest is the founder and president of Total HR Solutions LLC, and author of Silent Overcomer: Trauma Comes in all Shapes and Sizes, Tracee L. Hunt. Tracee knows that people are the foundation of any business, and her company relies upon years of executive consultation expertise to work with key leadership in organizations to learn what is required to achieve the desired outcomes in a company. They then translate that into key people strategies.Tracee founded her business in response to a recognized need nationally for small to mid-sized companies across all industries, both for profit and not-for-profit, to have access to strategic Human Resources and Benefits strategies. In Tracee's memoir, Silent Overcomer, she shares her insights and encourages readers to examine their own traumas, offering hope and encouragement to anyone struggling with adversity, whether past or present. Her honesty and courage in telling her no-holds-barred story is an inspiring message of resilience.   In this podcast, Tracee and I delve into the details of her book, and how she managed to overcome her minimization of her own trauma and reframe her thinking about her story.  Tracee shares: Her perspective on trauma, and how it can color our world view and compound upon itself if we don't address the root of that trauma.  How she learned to move past the fear of how her work might impact the people in her past that had caused her trauma, and instead focus on those she really needed to reach, her audience that might also be struggling as she had.   By writing her book authentically and focusing on reaching others like her, she ended up reaching a far wider audience than she imagined just because she wasn't actively trying to address her book to everyone. The authenticity came across and really impacted people.

Today's Invisible Stories guest is Publish Your Purpose Press author Eileen Scully. Eileen Scully is an international keynote speaker, author of In the Company of Men: How Women can Succeed in a World Built Without Them, and founder and CEO of The Rising Tides, a consulting firm that makes workplaces better for women through assessment and advisory services. Eileen has been interviewed by Forbes, the Boston Globe, Standard and Poor's Global Market Intelligence, Thrive Global, Psychology Today, and Inc. She launched her book with PYP because she wanted to explore more deeply some areas that are very male dominated in the world and highlight not only women that are succeeding in those spaces, but the women that are changing those spaces from within.   In this podcast, Eileen talks about finding the motivation to get her book done, and how she put some of herself into her book despite it being a non-fiction book. She discusses How she overcame the imposter syndrome that so many authors face, and decided to listen to her editor and include more of herself and her own experiences within the book text. She was able to push past that panic that her story isn't worthy, and instead own who she is and claim her story.  How she focused her book content on sharing it in a way that every reader would see themselves on one or both sides of her examples of workplace interactions, and empathize and think more deeply about such situations. Learning to let go and be comfortable with the fact that even well-established authors will always find edits that they want to make to their book that is already on the shelf!  

Today's Invisible Stories guest is AJ Joiner, a multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, marketing strategist, coach, radio host, and author of  several marketing books, including Stop Bullsh!#%ng & Write Your Book! AJ consults with a wide variety of clients about marketing themselves and how to get their information out there through social media and the written word. He helps authors strategize how to reach their target audience and pull out threads from their writing that are universally relatable to their readers.    In this podcast, AJ offers amazing insight into how he strategizes with his authors, and what it takes to market yourself to your maximum potential. AJ shares his process for guiding authors through their writing process:  He has them focus on what are the universal lessons that the author learned through their experiences of trauma, and how they can use those lessons as talking points and a way to reframe interviews or discussions about their work.  How he impresses upon people the idea that they shouldn't be writing for the money, but rather to have their legacy left behind them and to encourage others that they, too, have a story worth telling.  Some tips and things to look out for in order to avoid predatory publishers looking to take advantage of authors. 

Today's Invisible Stories guest is Steve  Disselhorst, the founder and principal of a consulting firm that specializes in personal and professional leadership development and consulting for diversity equity and inclusion. Steve draws on his MBA in marketing and his 25 years of experience in corporate America to help each client achieve their unique goals. He specializes in working with underrepresented communities, such as the LGBTQ community, people of color, and women. Steve is also the author of his memoir, Determined to be Dad: A Journey of Faith, Resilience, and Love.   In this podcast, Steve and I discuss his journey to becoming an author, and how drastic life events led him to reevaluate and decide what he wanted his legacy to be. Ultimately, he decided he wanted to help other LGBT+ families. Steve delves into:  How he learned to recognize his own value and worth and to overcome Imposter Syndrome and really focus on what he had to offer as a leader.  The rituals and routines he developed to get words on paper for his first draft, even if it was a messy draft, and realizing he needed to add in all of the details: the good, the bad, and the ugly, to relate to his readers.  The ways in which his book transcended his intended readership, and some of the incredible feedback he got from unexpected readers.

Today’s Invisible Stories guest is the multitalented Elayne Fluker. Elaine is a coach, speaker, entrepreneur, and advocate and leader for women looking to grow their businesses. She is the author of the brand new book, Get Over ‘I Got It’, which launched in early May 2021. According to her book, too many ambitious women strive to accomplish all their goals alone, leading to dangerous levels of stress and anxiety. Elayne’s book teaches women how a strong support network and meaningful connections are crucial not only to long-term success, but to peace of mind. As a coach and advisor, Elayne helps her clients get over what she calls “I Got It!” Syndrome, clarifying their vision, growing their support network, and determining what that next chapter can look like for them.  In this podcast, Elayne and I talk about empowering women of color, and her story-telling roots. Elayne gives us insight into: How she uses her platform to amplify the voices of women of color, particularly through her podcast Support Is Sexy. How she managed to overcome plenty of rejection when it came to her book, and to persevere and find herself a trustworthy publishing agent. She also talks about using her industry knowledge of publishing to navigate getting a traditional publishing deal.  The methods she used to increase her wordcount and enhance the content of the book without adding fluff or filler. She added meaningful content by taking inspiration from the women she interviewed. 

Today’s Invisible Stories guest is speaker, writer, scholar, and facilitator Dr. Joy Wiggins, who, through the company she founded, promotes racial and gender justice through compassion and open dialogue to ignite equitable, empowering and transformative practices. Joy Wiggins is the co-author alongside Kami Anderson of the book From Sabotage to Support: A New Vision for Feminist Solidarity in the Workplace. As CEO of Joy Wiggins, PhD: Equity and Inclusion Consulting, Joy provides speaking, facilitation, and mentorship opportunities on the topics of power, privilege, racial and gender justice and liberation. She has spent the last 20 years working on understanding our cultural identities and perceptions of how we navigate the world through our cultural identities.    In this podcast, Joy and I delve into the process she went through with co-authoring a book, coming from a mostly academic writing background. She discusses:  What it was like to partner with seasoned author Dr. Anderson, and how she learned to adapt from writing academically to creating their joint book on intersectionality and female solidarity.  How she was able to strike a balance between explaining concepts succinctly within her writing to guide her readers, while also learning to let go and not include every detail.  The collaborative process of working with a developmental editor, and the flexibility that comes with getting to choose an editor.  How Joy had to pivot in her ideas for a second book once COVID-19 hit, and how the pandemic has influenced the way she is researching and writing about women during this period of time. 

Today’s Invisible Stories guest is executive coach, public speaker, and author Gerry Valentine. With 27 years of fortune 100 leadership experience, Gerry is a trusted advisor to corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and high performing individuals of all kinds. His book, The Thriving Mindset: Tools for Empowerment in a Disruptive World, was published in March 2021 by Publish Your Purpose Press.    In this podcast, Gerry and I talk about what it was like for him to publish his book during a global pandemic. He wrote the book prior to the COVID outbreak, but his work happened to be directly related to how to thrive through disruptive, difficult circumstances. Gerry discusses his emotional experience with writing, something he wasn’t expecting to have when writing a business book. We talk about:  How Gerry rebranded his business and reworked his book so that it not only reflected his work, but also drew on more of his life, his personality, and his personal experiences. The ways in which Gerry drew on his personal experiences with adversity to write a book that would appeal to many people from all walks of life.   How to take the words of destructive distractors, those people who sow doubt about what you can and can’t do, and turn it into fuel to push yourself to defy expectations.  How Gerry changed his mindset about his dyslexia, recognizing it as a learning difference, not as a learning disability, and how despite the setbacks he was able to use this to his advantage when writing and understanding the bigger picture of his book.

In today’s episode of Invisible Stories, I speak with award-winning author and owner of HALO Publishing International, Lisa Umina. Lisa founded HALO Publishing to publish the voices of authors around the world. Lisa created The Milo and Lisa Show after writing her first children’s book, Milo Finds His Best Friend. Her third book, Milo and the Green Wagon won the national Christian Indie Publishing Award. Lisa traveled and performed with Milo and as a motivational speaker all over. Writing led to her full-time career as an international publisher.  Lisa blended a number of her different passions together (writing, speaking, comedy, and publishing) in order to create her business and brand. She shares her knowledge on the publishing industry, and how she helps authors to find their own voice and get it out into the world.  Lisa and I chat about:  Why it is so important for speakers to write a book and get it published as a resource for their audience.  How the publishing industry has changed over the years, and why indie publishing and hybrid publishers are oftentimes a better alternative for authors.  How social media has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for authors to market themselves and their books and brand.

Today on Invisible Stories, I speak with Dr. Shelton J. Goode, diversity and inclusion specialist and president and CEO of Icarus Consulting, a veteran-owned consulting firm that specializes in helping organizations create inclusive cultures that leverage diversity and inclusion for a competitive advantage. Dr. Goode has also written four books, the newest of which is Winter in America: The Impact of the 2016 Presidential Election on Diversity in Companies, Communities and the Country.  Shelton and I discuss how he goes beyond just inclusion in his books, and how he instills his own experiences within his works. Shelton offers wisdom on:  How he took an already saturated market for DEI books, and created something new with his books.  Why vulnerability is important, and why you have to do the work and insert yourself into your book to connect with your audience.  How his experience writing and defending his dissertation prepared him for defending his writing with conviction and purpose.

In today’s episode of Invisible Stories, I speak with diversity and inclusion entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and author Bernadette Smith. Bernadette’s work in the field of LGBTQ+ Inclusion with her company, Equality Institute, has empowered businesses through elearning, consulting, and training in the field of DEI. Bernadette is also a prolific writer, and has published three books, relating to inclusion in both LGBTQ+ wedding planning and in business.  Bernadette and I talk about our similarities when it comes to our businesses, as well as her solutions for writing and accountability. Bernadette shares:  How her writing evolved from a very niche topic of Lesbian Wedding Planning to business-to-business inclusivity.  Why it was so hard to write her first book, and why it was easier to write her subsequent books.  How she utilizes dictation and compiles past articles and newsletters to form the content of her books, and why that could work for other authors stuck on a blank page.  Her methods for overcoming her limiting beliefs, and her rituals for helping keep herself focused on her writing.

Today’s podcast is with Valerie J. Lyons, a career empowerment coach, power networker, women’s empowerment facilitator, and the author of Power Networking from the Inside Out: Where Your Career and Your Well-Being Meet.  In this podcast, Valerie and I discuss her work in networking, and how it translated to writing her book. She discusses:  Staying true to yourself in your writing, and how to embrace yourself for who you are. Adjusting to changing situations in both your writing and your life, and how to adapt and overcome.  Why there is no such thing as work-life balance.

In today’s podcast I speak with the inspiring Rhodes Perry, entrepreneur, speaker, and author of Belonging At Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate An Inclusive Organization. With two decades of change management experience, Rhodes helps leaders from a broad range of sectors including government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations advance their diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments by building psychological safety, trust and belonging in their organizations.  In this podcast, Rhodes talks about his journey to hybrid publishing, and how he found the support of the right people to be in his corner as his cheerleaders. Rhodes and I discuss:  The importance of having pre-readers who he trusted and admired to give honest feedback on the book before it went out into the world.  The unexpected and wonderful ways his book has resonated with readers globally.  How writing his own story led to further connection with trans and non-binary audiences, and how by sharing his views on the topic, he has helped others who relate to his voice, his perspective, and their shared experience.

Today’s Invisible Stories guest is Dr. Steve Yacovelli, also known as “The Gay Leadership Dude” is founder of TopDog Learning Group, a learning and development, leadership, change management, and diversity and inclusion and consulting firm. Steve is also a renowned speaker, podcaster, and author of Pride Leadership: Strategies for the LGBTQ+ Leader to be the King or Queen of Their Jungle, and the accompanying Pride Leadership Workbook.  In today’s podcast, Steve shares insights on the writing and marketing process of his book, and how he took one idea and turned it into a massive branding strategy. Steve and I discuss:  Why it is so crucial to market early in your writing process, and how to bring your audience along for each step of your journey. How you can use Scrivener to store ideas and develop your manuscript.   Why publishing timelines can take longer than some authors expect, and how PYP uses the PYP Academy to guide authors on their journey to publication.  Why he decided to do a companion workbook for his book.

Today’s podcast is with Heather Vickery, professional leadership and success coach, founder of Vickery & Co, and host of the podcast The Brave Files. Heather is also a motivational speaker and author of Gratitude Journal: Shift Your Focus and Grow Grateful: A Gratitude Journal for Kids and Families. Through her story of personal bravery, perseverance, and resilience, Heather inspires audiences and empowers clients with the tools they need to live bold and meaningful lives. In this podcast, Heather and I talk about:  How she set goals and deadlines for herself and found the motivation to keep writing.  Why writing her second book was easier for her in many ways, and what she learned about the necessity of focus groups for her work.   How she learned to practice her own advice to others, and to leverage her fears and turn them into intentionally brave choices.  Why having a published book increases your clout as an expert in your field.

In today’s podcast I speak with the incredible Lamont Robinson, supplier diversity professional, entrepreneur, founder of Robinson LaRueCo Consulting (RLC), and author of his biography, TransformNational: Journey of a Bastard, which details his personal experiences in overcoming challenges on Chicago’s violent West Side to achieve success.   In this podcast, Lamont offers insight and wisdom to those authors working to craft their own memoirs. Lamont discusses:  How he was able to work through the trauma of his past and stay true to himself and the stories of his family.  How he was able to channel his experiences and utilize how others perceive him to create a brand for both himself and his work. His own methods for immersing himself in his past and overcoming others’ judgement to stay true to his memoir.

Today’s podcast is with award-winning speaker, and diversity, equity, and inclusion expert Jennifer Brown. She is the author of two essential books about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, titled How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive and Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to Change.  In this discussion, Jennifer and I talk about two of our favorite topics, marketing and entrepreneurship, and how it relates to wrestling with authors’ self-doubt. Jennifer Brown reveals: How she overcomes feelings of imposter syndrome in order to market herself and her brand, and to reach a wider audience.  Her experience as a keynote speaker, and how she is able to get her words to relate to and be accessible for people of all backgrounds.  Why it was important to her to include her own story within her books, and why hybrid publishing can be a faster track to success.

Today’s guest on Invisible Stories is Monica Kang, founder and CEO of Innovator’s Box, a company dedicated to creative educational workshops and consulting with the goal of helping all professionals hone their creativity to solve problems in the face of change and complexity. Monica is a renowned speaker and educator, and the author of Rethink Creativity: How to Innovate, Inspire, and Thrive at Work. In today’s podcast, Monica and I talk about allowing yourself to take your time on writing your book, and how she leveraged her unique perspective to create a book with mass appeal. She shares: How she used her unique perspective as a dual-language speaker to consider the perspectives of all her readers, and how to market her book to a global audience.  How she overcame self-doubt and recognized good writing is hard and that sometimes you have to challenge yourself to go deeper and get to the heart of the writing.  Even if she could change the past, she wouldn’t, because it has brought her the experiences and learning she needed to grow and write the best book she could.

Today’s podcast guest is online business brand and marketing strategist Nikki Groom. Nikki is the founder of the Movement Makers Mastermind, which is a small business incubator for women business owners, as well as a podcaster and author of A Power of Your Own: How to Ignite Your Potential, Uncover Your Purpose, and Blaze Your Own Trail in Life and Business.  In this podcast, Nikki and I discuss the love-hate relationship that exists for authors writing their first book. She offers her insight on: How she overcame her own doubts about her writing in order to serve a greater purpose by inspiring other entrepreneurs with shared experiences.  The benefits of working with a writing community as a support system.  And how she walked the line between getting blunt feedback and critiques from others, while still staying true to her vision and her mission.

Today’s podcast is with Robyn Vie-Carpenter-Brisco, a spiritual life coach who utilizes the “5 Priciples Of Joy” to unlock her clients potential and inspire them toward growth and fulfillment, through mindfulness and manifestation techniques using stones and crystals. She is the author of Let's get stoned: Using Stones and Crystals to Create a Life That Rocks! In this podcast, Robyn and I jump right into questions of editing and writing in a way that realizes your true purpose. Robyn shares: How she switched gears mid project and wrote the book she feels she was meant to write instead. How she learned to trust her editors and let them do their job, and how to recognize the fact that editors are hired for a reason: so writers can focus on writing! Why Hybrid Publishing was the right track for her book.

Today’s Invisible Stories guest is Kristin Andree, a business strategist, speaker, podcaster, and author of You're Not for Everyone: But, You Can Be For Everyone. Kristen specializes in working with folks that own businesses, financial advisors, and powerhouse women looking to scale up their businesses and generate growth. An engaging speaker, Kristin’s goals are to Coach, Challenge, and Empower her clients.  In this podcast, Kristin and I delve into the details of how to market yourself and your book. She advises listeners about:  Never compromising who they are, and to instead capitalize on their strengths to build an intentional life for themselves.  The benefits of engaging with a beta reader group and other publishing professionals, which helped make the publishing of her second book a better, more organized, and streamlined process.  Marketing themselves and their book using calls-to-action and online and social media marketing.

On today’s episode I speak to Tony Ferraiolo, author of Artistic Expressions of Transgender Youth, volumes 1 and 2. Tony has dedicated himself to both promoting competent and respectful health care for the transgender community, by educating providers, and advocating on behalf of patients. He also trains educators on providing a safe and respectful space for transgender children in a school environment. In this episode we discuss: Stay in the moment. Mindfulness is a powerful tool.  Write a sentence a day, that’s how you start. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, just write for yourself. They are your words, and they matter.  You’re not in this alone, get a support system around you. It can be a mental health provider, a writing partner, or even a Zoom writing friend.  Enjoy the episode!

On today’s episode I speak to Dr. Maysa Akbar, Author of Urban Trauma. Dr. Akbar is a clinical psychologist and board certified in child and adolescent psychology. Her work is centered around the impacts of trauma within urban communities. Her company, Integrated Wellness Group, is a behavioral health clinic in Connecticut specializing in culturally competent care and addressing racial trauma.  In this episode we discuss: Start by sharing with small groups, then build up your confidence and start sharing with more people. And write it down. Converse around your story. You’re the only one that can hold you back! Not the time, not the people, not the naysayers, not the shame No one’s going to be able to narrate and dictate your life better than you. Those people don’t live in your shoes, those folks don’t know what you’ve gone through or how you’ve overcome. Enjoy the episode!

In this episode we discuss: We can move our pain. Through our story, and through sharing our story with other people, and finding meaning in it, we can transmute pain.  Having a dig word, a truth that you are operating and acting within creates a different vibe even if the topic is the same. By acting within the bubble of your dig word, you can add all new meaning to a topic you are speaking or writing about.  You as you are, are never going to exist again. That’s the coolest thing about my job is extracting these operating systems from people and getting to their truth and just knowing, this is never going to happen again.  Having a safe space where you can let your guard down, be vulnerable, and create and share, is a prerequisite for writers.  Enjoy the episode!

On today’s episode I speak to Sarah Gallardo, author of Hiding in Plain Sight: A Glimpse Into the Reality of Domestic Violence.  Sarah’s story goes beyond being a survivor. Her message is about overcoming adversity, defying the odds, and staying positive when the world feels like it’s crashing down around you. Her non-profit, Sarah Speaks Up, supports women, children, men, and families living free of every kind of abuse. In a society where discussions of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and spousal abuse are not supposed to be openly reviewed, Sarah Speaks Up.   In this episode we discuss: One way to cope with writing triggering topics is to build a team of friends/family/supporters around yourself who can help when you need them.  If you have difficulty writing in your current space because of the rising up of difficult emotions, if you have the ability to leave your home, and you can go to a coffee shop or a friend’s house, the more you can get away from your current working situation, the better.  Don’t isolate, don’t make a painful thing more painful that it needs to be. You are only hurting yourself.    Enjoy the episode!

On today’s episode I speak to Azul Terronez, author of The Art of Apprenticeship: How to Hack Your Way into Any Industry, Land a Kick-Ass Mentor, and Make A Killing Doing What You Love. In this episode we discuss: Whatever you need to go to get it done, do it. Whatever works for you is what you should do.  Get out of your usual place to write, to avoid distractions. Find a “writer space” to change your scenery when you are writing, so it feels different than where you live and work.  I was looking for the big idea in the book. There is no such thing as big ideas: There are small ideas that every walks over but you stop and you pick it up and go, “hey, did you notice this?” The small idea becomes a big idea the more you talk about it.  When you are leading from a place of service, you are like a magnet everything else kind of comes to you.  All writers struggle with the same things, we are all in it together.  Enjoy the episode!

On today’s episode I speak to Talonya Geary, author of #goDo: How to Live on Purpose.  In this episode we discuss: Be your authentic self no matter the circumstances, and it will help resonate with readers. Knowing who you are, and not continuing down a path that doesn’t feel right for you.  It’s so much easier to write in your own voice, rather than someone else’s voice.  Use social media or blogs to get feedback and test out your voice.  If you lose yourself in the process, it is ok to stop and find yourself again, to become a more authentic version of yourself.  Be ok with being in the position of being a seeker of new knowledge, as long as it takes for you to be ready to apprentice that new knowledge. When you are done apprenticing, and it’s time to create new art, you’ve apprenticed enough and you can now go on and create art on your own. Go do that. When you have done that enough, and you can now share that with others, go and mentor them, go share your mastery.  Enjoy the episode!

On today’s episode I speak to Tina Alexis Allen, author of Hiding Out: A Memoir of Drugs, Deception, and Double Lives. In this episode we discuss: Writing as a way to work through your trauma and past How your book can “pay it forward” for others who need to hear what you went through The impact your book has on individual readers and the feeling when they reach out to tell you this How your ability to be brave and courageous is good for you in your healing, but how that provides hope and helps heal others Enjoy the episode!

On today’s episode, I speak to Dr. Tony Byers, author of The Multiplier Effect of Inclusion: How Diversity & Inclusion Advances Innovation and Drives Growth.   Dr. Byers is best known for leading and revitalizing Starbucks’ highly respected and successful Diversity and Inclusion function and programming. As Head of Global Diversity and Inclusion, Dr. Byers developed and led the company’s strategic direction to drive engagement, innovation, and business growth. He now speaks and consults worldwide on effective strategies for building support for diversity programs among senior leaders.   We have a fascinating discussion that weaves in and around how we tell our story and the impact doing so can have.

On today’s episode, I speak to Debra Lynne Driscoll, author of A Series of Surrenders: A Memoir of Grief. Debra is an author, grief guide, healer, and speaker who believes we all have access to magic and are our own greatest teachers and healers. Using intuitive guidance, storytelling and lessons learned in death and grief, Debra will help you to ease your ‘ouch’, unwrap your gifts, and soul expand. In this episode we discuss: How to craft your story to be in service of others Your responsibility to sit with people with your story after they’ve read your book How grief is a different form of love and how we can learn to sit with her and befriend her How to focus on getting your story out, and having mentors and people around you to help you find the balance.  In the creation of your book, it might hurt a little bit. You will be challenged, but you will also be delighted.  Books do not have to be written in a linear fashion. Sometimes you need to choose when you will dive into writing the hardest parts of your memoir.  Enjoy the episode!

On today’s episode, I speak to Betsy Cerulo, author of Shake It Off Leadership: Achieving Success Through The Eyes Of Our Labels. Betsy's greatest professional accomplishment is designing a healthy workplace that advocates creativity, excellence, and unconditional acceptance. As an openly LGBTQ+ business owner, she is proud to create a safe workplace where they walk the talk of diversity and inclusion for all people. In this episode we discuss: Who is going to benefit from hearing your story? Even if you just make a difference in one person’s life, it is worth it.  Everyone struggles with feeling not worthy, not good enough. Write your book anyway! Just write for you. Write for your eyes only first. Then you can make that decision gradually to decide, ok, I wrote for me only. Now I’m getting more comfortable with the idea of someone else reading this. And moving from there, rather than trying to come from a place of perfection right out the gate.  Enjoy the episode!

On today’s episode, I speak to Fern Pessin, author of I'll Be Right There: A Guidebook for Adults Caring for Their Aging. In addition to being an author herself, Fern also works with people on telling their stories. I’ll Be Right There was written to remove the overwhelm of the caregiving role and support families on the caregiving journey; to help people know what they didn’t know they needed to know when they find themselves in the role of helping a parent. In this episode we discuss:  Your memory/recollection you recount in your book isn’t going to align always with the memory of others you are talking about in your book. You just need to clear it with them in advance or include a disclaimer that says this is told according to your truth and memory, and it may not match up to how others may have remembered the experience. Make it a habit to write every day. Writing can be a cathartic experience, getting everything out of your head and onto paper, so you can have some emotional separation when you are editing it.  Write every day, get it all on paper. And then you can look at it after.  Enjoy the episode!

On today’s episode I speak to Iman Gatti, author of Cracked Open - Never Broken. Iman is an empowerment trainer, a transformational speaker, an author and Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®. She helps people go from feeling unfulfilled to living life with joy, self-love and confidence.  We cover a lot of ground in this episode, along the lines of key questions such as— How do we make sense of what seems meaningless, and why we must for survival  Can I be safely seen? How do we find perspective amidst a traumatic story? Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode I speak to Dina Proto, author of Identity Impact: When Society's Expectations Collide With the Authentic Self. We had a really interesting discussion that covered a lot of ground. A few highlights include: When writing or communicating it's okay to not have the right words to say. The therapeutic use of self applies both in healthcare and in writing which allows us to find a way to relate to a patient or the reader based on our common experiences. Don't judge how long it takes to complete your book; the comparison game serves no one. I hope you enjoy this episode!