101 - Leadership Begins With A Book!

Do You Have the Courage to Step Up?

Intro:
Hey Guys! Nicole Gabriel here! I’m the host of the Let’s Get Your Book Published podcast. I’m also the author multiple books, a Book Designer, and a Publishing Coach as well as an intuitive Business Coach.

I’ve been in the book business for awhile now and I’ve helped many clients get their book published. On this podcast I share personal stories, client stories, and the truths about the publishing industry. Let’s get into today’s show…

Leadership Begins With A Book! Do You Have the Courage to Step Up?

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So many are going through massive shifts of awareness and transformation! If you are currently watching this happen to family and friends and you are in awe of either their level of blindness or their level of flexibility and awareness then you are probably someone that has already gone through massive shifts of awareness at some point in your life. You are probably a leader put here by design.

Since you’re a leader, you know this already…Leadership begins when you finally move past complaining about everything that’s gone wrong and past all the blame games and you have or are stepping into what you can do to spearhead transformation and change… of a situation, a movement, an ideology, etc.

It’s super easy to complain and super easy to point fingers. But I’ll be the first to tell you that when you step up to write a book you have now crossed the threshold and stepped into taking ownership of your life and stepping up as a leader! If you don’t figure it out at first you will certainly figure it out somewhere in the process of writing and publishing a book. When you can no longer sit back and you begin asking “when is someone is going to do something about this?” you know that someone is you! Your time is now!

I’ve always sorta lived with an unstated motto…if you put yourself in a position to find a problem then you better not talk about it til you have found a solution. When you step up to write you now have motioned your thoughts beyond complaint and into action. There is no way to avoid it once you approach a book. You have to choose a side. You have to form an opinion. You have to disclose your starting point and your end point. You’re going to have to have some level of comfort in your own skin to muster up the strength to overcome whatever self-limiting beliefs you have working against you to form the structure of your…we will call it…argument. Although, I don’t suggest you use your book to argue, but more to provide value. You want to use your book to state a position, but then back it up with research. And, as the true leader that I know you are…you are going to be smart about how you use your book to position you in your next steps personally or professionally.

I was having a chat with a client the other day about diversity and equality and I think it’s totally awesome to have a recognition of something that is unfair and something that has real proof of being so, but I want to talk about where we shift over from recognizing a problem to solving a problem. I totally get the inequality thing as a woman. I know what it’s like to work my butt off for little to no recognition. I know what it feels like when someone has an expectation of my behavior, appearance, or status and I don’t measure up in some way. I know what it’s like to not feel well emotionally or physically and to have to charge through and fight to keep up.

And, I know what it feels like to be turned down when I’m very well aware that I’m more qualified. I also know that I am very determined and I’m intelligent, intuitive, and a really hard worker. But, I have to work extra hard to present my experience and knowledge to stand out or get a chance. Regardless of how society accepts you, you have to work with integrity and truth. You have to keep your head down and you most definitely have to produce! You have to show up and keep showing up.

When I wrote my first book I really didn’t expect recognition. I wrote my second and third and had no expectation either. But, I realized that my book was going to have to align with how I earned (or hoped to earn an income) to produce a better result. And yet, even today….after writing the book; building the online training program that the book was designed to enhance or accompany; creating a New York publishing company; setting up accounts with the Library of Congress and Bowkers; creating a YouTube channel; and now over 100 podcast episodes, and so many more accolades… I still compete with others I know are less qualified!

I still loose business to the guy that happens to have written a book and now shows you how (because if he did you can)…with the literary agent that hasn’t written a book and plays in a band for extra pocket money, and the showboating sales guy with “run em in and run em out” program with unpublished and minimally educated call center agents with scripts.

The gift in free will is you get to choose what program you use, but I am not built to tell you something that isn’t true. I’m built to tell you everything the other coaches and systems don’t and I know that also costs me clients that want to be sold the lie.

I will tell you it’s not likely you will become a best seller, unless you finagle Amazon. The other guy will lead you to believe you will be. I will also tell you that I have an approach that isn’t a one-size fits all solution or canned solution because I believe that each person has a unique set of experiences that may require special attention as they tackle their book project.

I believe a leader is someone that you can count on to speak truth, someone that has a sincere desire to see everyone they lead, coach, or represent become wildly successful. Leaders don’t shout out their problems, they may identify them, but only do so because they are armed with a solution. Are you getting it? If you write a book telling the reader that something is not fair, then you better back up all of this with a solution! You have to step up as a leader!

Have you ever been in a room full of people - be it family or friends - that just had a complain-a-thon? Do you have that one friend that you can always count on to be the downer? How about the pissed-off relative, co-worker, or friend that no matter what you do they don’t like it or you?

Well…once you get this idea of step up or step out you will see that writing a book forever changes you because you know are armed with the idea that you have taken action. You could spend a lifetime acknowledging what isn’t right, but when you step up to write your book you now shift your attitude, your demeanor, and your approach into becoming a problem solver.

You know, when I tell people what I do some think its an awesome and rewarding career, while others like to criticize the authors that come through the system as not good enough, not professional enough, not knowledgeable enough, or some other fault of imperfection. Yet, those that tend to criticize generally prefer only to criticize and not to step up and become a leader and write their own book. The “Negative Nancy’s” are everywhere. They think they can do better but never make the effort. I see it all day long and I’ve been there as an author myself. You know, it’s funny but when someone wants to get to know me but they never make the effort to read my books I know that they don’t truly care to know me. They like what they see on the surface…kinda like the flashy car, but they don’t have the kind of personality to get under the hood and check the engine. I always know that the ones that like the surface-level stuff prefer to build the illusion of me and that’s ok, but they just aren’t my tribe. Of course, they really could simply believe they will know me better outside of the book. But, there is a kind of control someone believes they have over you if they don’t dive into your entire ecosystem. They want to be served in some way in a personalized manner at a surface level and get in and out taking what they need. When you write the book you give people the option on the depth they wish to dive. But, it truly always comes down to value. If you are giving the reader something they want they will likely go deeper into all things you.

I get a lot of clients that come to me to simply design and layout their books and they care for nothing more. They don’t want coaching, they don’t need marketing, they just want to get in and out with the one piece they need you for. The design aspect of what I do is rather unique. There really aren’t many in the industry that specialize in book cover design and interior layout. Many clients have web developers, marketing gurus, editors, and some level of coaching on content or a strong business acumen to plow their way through developing a manuscript… but then just don’t know what to do to make a book or get a barcode or get it listed on Amazon or through distribution and they just need a little hand. If you are a leader personality you will likely fit this category. You also likely already know how you intend to use your book to serve your best interests. But, like anything, if you’ve never done it before, you might like to chat with someone that has.

Unfortunately, many of the coaching systems out there lead you to believe you will be working with someone that’s experienced as an author then pawn you off on a junior-level employee that has never personally or professionally been through the experience of authoring a book or been in any leadership role. You know, I have a very smart friend that took a job as a sales person for one of the publishing companies. She initially hired them to get her book done, then they offered her a job. They taught her all the lingo and outfitted her with their methodology and coaching system and she’s played the role very well. She doesn’t have large corporate experience or a formal education but she has a ton of life experience and she’s worked hard to figure out life’s challenging obstacles. For many that come through her system she’s a great fit. She’s helping produce new authors. There is someone for everyone. But, many that come through this particular system are not writing high-level executive books for business and leadership positions. There is a difference in how they are coached. They are coached to produce content, but not content that aligns with business initiatives. If you are writing your first book or an inspirational story or memoire this system is great. It will get you published. But, you would not know any of this as a novice.

Where my system differs is that I work primarily with high-level executives, speakers, business leaders, social media or MLM top tier producers. I work primarily with those looking to use a book to up their game. Most are not printing soft-cover memoirs or short stories to hand over to a few friends and call themselves an author. Most of my clients come to me as seasoned leaders and writing a book is a way to summarize many years of leadership experience and package their talents and offerings in a professional, stand-out, high-quality hard cover 250-page plus book. I came from the corporate world. This is where I got my start. Of course, as you can tell from my life experiences and the content of my shows, I have softened over the years. But, it doesn’t mean I don’t know how to go about smart business.

I have learned over the years, whether it be personally or professionally, that most people come to write a book because of some massive life shift that caused them to see differently. It can be due to a tragedy, a broken heart, a near death experience, a divorce, a loss of any kind…but, this is what causes the reflection to occur. Now from here some stay in the wounded phases and prefer to write about everything that has gone wrong. The leader generally says ok these are the things that have given me grit and stamina and the ability to learn how to overcome and be a better person, a better leader, or some kind of influencer. Either way is right. An author generally appeals to a like-minded reader. At the end of the day, the author steers the ship for the reader. You give the reader the experience you wish them to ride along on with you. The scary thing for many new authors is that the book will showcase their level of awareness, intelligence, or aptitude and it’s just not good enough.

Having achieved very high levels of success early on in my corporate career, I can tell you that it knocked doubt out of my system for the rest of my life. I achieved very high levels of success so that I knew whatever came next would be do-able. It doesn’t mean it’s easier but because success came early for me I know that what I want for the next phases of my life are not things that are measurable by materialist worth. Things and stuff and people and places come and go. Many people in life will use you for achieving their levels of success. Many judge the actions of others on what they deem to be successful. Many have an ideology for success that isn’t about soul growth or personal connection. Lots of people are out there saying “no” to the appearance of success based on their personal level of achievement. There is a concept of busy is better. I have run into many at this stage in life that are looking to make their mark in their career before they leave as if it’s their last hoorah. There is a lot of un-needed pressure placed on achievement but there doesn’t often seem to be an end point where people say I’m satisfied and enough is enough. Lots of relationships suffer when the ole mighty dollar gets in the way.

I once heard a story of a corporation coming into a small town acknowledging the skill set of a man sitting by the river fishing. They approached him with a business opportunity to capitalize on his skillset, with the promise of great innovations and a lucrative income that would one day allow him the opportunity to return to sit by the river and fish til the end of his days. Yet, not acknowledging that this is exactly how they found him. His happiness was fishing and that was exactly what he had been doing. He didn’t have a need to go through building a large corporation and hiring staff to get to a level of satisfaction or perceived success.

You know, I’ve achieved very high levels of success and earned a six-figure income by the time I was 26 years old. I had my corporate office and all the bells and whistles. To many, I was the epitome of success. But, what many don’t know is that I was the least happy I have ever been in my life. I spent every spare minute in tears in the ladies room. I’d go home at night and rush to give the dogs attention and make dinner and work out. I felt like I was a machine. I became a part of a system. I couldn’t even begin to imagine a lifetime of this. I would pray every morning that I could find a way out. I wanted more than an income that bought me a few minutes with the things I purchased and the beings I loved. I wanted the simple things like the smell of a flower, the walk in nature, the kind smile of a stranger. I wanted time with the things that bring me the greatest joys. To me, leadership is about taking control of your life and success is when you have found the personal freedom to spend time doing the things you love.

Leadership to many is managing people or systems with certain expectations of achievement or measurable factors of success. But, to me, leadership is not always about income, speed, or the level of chaos or multi-tasking one is capable of handling. Generally is comes from having a solid foundation and a certain level of experience and likability and, one might say, a good leader has the ability to persuade others into actionable achievements…and perhaps this is simply leading by example.

When it comes to writing a book, are you a trust-worthy character that dishes out valuable content in a relatable and useable way for the reader? Have you identified matching desires? Generally this comes from knowing our audience. It’s kinda like dating too…are you available or absent? Are you complicating the readers life or are you providing solutions? Does knowing you provide a sense of ease, eliminate chaos, or sort through and organize solutions? No one wants to move into any relationship that creates more chaos! All good partnerships are based on a certain level of trust, authentic communication, and a solid understanding of the end goal one wishes to achieve. So, as an author, you can layout what is expected of the reader and where you will guide them by the end of your time together. You are leading them through a particular experience. Set the expectations as any good leader would. Let the reader know what their experience will be as you guide them through tried and tested solutions and into building a foundation for them to leap from as you part on your personal journeys. You are identifying a common language, a set of exceptions they will follow, and giving them the guidelines to get there. Communication is the key is all good relationships, right? Use your book to talk to them. What many authors don’t realize is that the book isn’t really about them. It’s about giving the reader an experience.

With all this being said guys, are you ready to step into your leadership shoes and to you have what it takes to step out with your thoughts, opinions, style, personality, and experience? It does take a certain level of guts to put yourself out there. Once you get over the hurdle and do it you will probably find a certain level of addiction and attempt to do it again…how many books do you have in you? Are you ready to create your legacy?

It’s a beautiful summer day here in Michigan. The pups and I are still here visiting family. We still have a few super bus warranty repairs we are taking care of here as well as some necessary health check ups. In all things c--- this is a friendly loving place to be for awhile. The world is a bit crazy out there as you know. Stay awake, aware, and safe! As always, wishing you peace, love, and light!