I want to tell you something about myself that most people in this space would never share. I left school with no qualifications. Not because I lacked intelligence. Because life intervened early. At eleven years old I was diagnosed with brain cancer. I spent nearly a year away from school. But, I could read, write, and count, and for the next four years I quietly chose the farms over the classroom. At fifteen I went back for the last two days to get my leaving certificate. Then I left. What I did have was a book that my Grandfather gave me. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. That book started my business education before most people had considered having one. I served my time as a carpenter. Started my own joinery company at nineteen. Joined the fire service. Built a property portfolio of 35 houses. Was days away from closing an enormous hotel deal in Turkey. Then the 2008 banking crash happened. I lost everything. Including my own home. In 2000 I had survived testicular cancer. I had already learned that life does not ask permission before it changes on you. So I went back to carpentry, and while I rebuilt my life with my hands, I quietly started building Babysteps Publishing on the side. Then came December 13th, 2013. A man named Martin Ward came to me with a manuscript he had carried inside him for sixty-five years. He was eighty years old. When he was three, he lost his mother. His father was a soldier who could not raise children while serving. Martin and his brother were sent to a Catholic care home in Dublin called The Artane, where what happened to them was something no child should ever endure. I read his manuscript and had to stop several times. I had never felt such emotion from a book. Martin did not have much money. I published his book for free. Not because it made business sense. Because it was the right thing to do and, I felt compelled to share it with the world. The book launched and reached number one in multiple categories on Amazon.

We now have professionals joining the Authority Through Authorship community from different industries and backgrounds, so I thought it would be great to get to know everyone a little better. If you're happy to, introduce yourself in the comments using these three things: 1️⃣ Your name and where you're based 2️⃣ What you do professionally 3️⃣ If you wrote an authority book, what topic would it be about? I'll start. I'm Kevin Long, founder of Babysteps Publishing. For the past 18 years, I've helped consultants, coaches, and business professionals turn their expertise into, authority books that attract clients and opportunities. I'm currently helping professionals structure their expertise into frameworks that position them as recognised authorities in their industries. Looking forward to learning more about everyone in the group.