So, I've been thinking and I realized that I haven't been sharing my newsletters here. I have recently started a newsletter on LinkedIn and I'm curious, would that be something that you all would be interested in? I can turn it into an email newsletter, or share it here. Let me know your thoughts on this since it's just another great way for you all to get information regarding writing! ✍️ Here's the link to the most recent newsletter on LinkedIn. LinkedIn Newsletter

When my first book was getting ready to come out, I was excited. 😆 I did the countdown. I told friends and family. I reached out to people. I promoted it. ✨ There was energy around it. ✨ And then eventually, I stopped promoting it. And when I stopped getting the book in front of people, the book stopped getting those eyes on it. 👀 It went to the sidelines… That taught me something I hadn't fully understood when I started. I had been so focused on creating the book that publishing felt like the finish line. 🏁 But putting a book into the world and helping people discover it aren't the same thing. That's one reason I now think it's important to ask: What do you actually want this book to do? Maybe you want it to reach certain people. Maybe it's connected to your business. Or maybe there's another purpose behind it. ❤️ I don't want to decide that purpose for you. I want you to know it. 👍 ❤️ This is YOUR story. ❤️ Finishing your manuscript is a huge accomplishment. 🎉 Publishing it can be another. And then there may be another part of the path waiting for you. Knowing where you want to go helps you make decisions before you get there. And understanding if you want support along the way is good to think about. That way you don’t have to do it ALL alone. 🙌

Sometimes we're so focused on finishing the book that we forget to ask why we're writing it in the first place. I wish I'd asked myself some of these questions more clearly before my first book. 😫 When other people's opinions started coming in, I didn't have a strong enough compass for deciding what belonged and what didn't. I felt like THEY knew better than I did with MY OWN story… 😔 So, this week, I don't want you worrying about word count. I want you to spend a little time with your why. ❤️ 💥 Your Story First™ Exercise 💥 Open a blank page and finish these sentences without trying to make your answers sound good: ✍️ I'm writing this book because... ✍️ The person I hope finds this book is... ✍️ When that person finishes my book, I hope they feel... ✍️ If this book could do one thing for that person, I would want it to... ✍️ The part of this story I don't want to lose is... Don't edit your answers and don't turn them into marketing copy. Nobody even has to see them. 👀 Just tell yourself the truth and then read them back. What did you discover about why this book matters to you? If you want, share one of your answers below. 👇

The Day My Shoes Melted: A Powerful Lesson About Persistence and Finishing What Matters This is my official entry for SKOOLx, and it's now live for voting. My talk is about taking that next step to get to your goal. I'll be honest, putting this together pushed me. I wrote this over so many times and focused on it for days. Then, I practiced it for hours and hours. But I'm proud of myself for finally allowing it to be finished. Sure, it needs work. But isn’t that why they’re having this competition, to help us make it better? If you feel that this resonates with you, I'd really appreciate your vote. Every vote counts and my dream is to make it to the finals! So, I'd love to have your support behind me with your melted shoes! 😉 (No shoes were harmed in the making of this talk) Vote here: https://forms.gle/bbqBf65BFVQaqvmP7 Voting ends on Monday, June 22nd! Check out the other competitors at The Public Speaking Community! Many great speeches to choose from! Thanks for your support! What did you think of my talk? Share in the comments! I’d love to hear your thoughts! @Shirley-Louise Daniels @Abby Davin @Akua Powell @Aisha P @Barbara Walsh @Bettina Lovas @Andrew Belock @Linda Brand @Andréanne Brault @Larisa Kocsis @Amber Griffiths @Karin Olson @Lawrencia Abugre @Linda Thomas @Carol Jenkin @Carly Wiggins @Caly Rohar @Danni Armstrong @Debi Lynn @Elizabeth O'Carroll @Elizabeth Veronique Hoka @Eliza Marin @Eileen MacDonell @Eirini Kapsidou @Elias McQuade @Frances Scully @Diana Frank @Katrin Differt @Danni Armstrong @Kd Dennis @Kevin de Haan @Faizan Ahmad @Faith Adebayo @Faith Romen @Hanni Meier @Mariam Kipiani. MD @Maria Leeper @Gwynne Conlyn @Gouree Gupta @Gaby Sanin @Hanalei C @Harris William @Hafsah Ahamed @Ian Darley @Iam Christian @Irina A. @Dorela iEPAN @Jasmine Collins @JeanAlbert Arnold @Jaime Glasser @Karen Sarmento @Karen Strauss @Kady Adamson @Meriliis Kivimägi @Kris Rather @Kristy Kelley @Ladavia Savoie @Lisa Black @Lisa Steenberg @Me ch Immelman @Aura Mengel @Mercy Helen @Nathaniel Parant @Nika Nika @Natalie Horseman @Naseef Hale @Nikki Hillhouse @Noelle Hyzy @Burcu Onaranel Erten @Chevy Patrick Oneil @Amanda Owens @Phillip Mackey @Pravin Choudhary @pineappleCITI Works @Rachael Bermingham @Rachel Harmsworth @Rachel Yu @Rafaela Moreno @Salma Samaha @Scott Aksamit @Sean Daly @Shawn Helgerson @Sharon Prahl @Shemmiah Lewis @Talya Ring @Tamara Fogle @Tara Hayes @Johannes Tamegger @Kathryn Traff @Uday Sarma @Vasi Smith @Birger Verpeten @Anna V. @Cinthia Varkevisser @Wendy Wiseman @Barbara Walsh @Yulia Drummond @Yan Lin @Yo Me @Kaushik Yadav @Candy Zulkosky@Ryan Clark @Chanie Twersky @Steve Belanger @Steven Cruz @Chris Hanlon @Christina Morales @Joseph Isosaki

Be honest. Think of the book that you are working on. What part of your book are you avoiding? This could be writing specific scenes, working on the book cover, or writing the author bio. Maybe it's the marketing. Drop it below. 👇