Reflections on Becoming a Best-Selling Author: Lessons from My First Year

Did you know that only about 0.0025% of authors sell at least 1,000 copies of their book? Learning that made me gasp, take a step back and give myself a loving pat on the back. With several thousands of copies of my book Permission to Be Human sold, organically becoming a best-selling author on amazon, and more business and press inquiries than ever before I know I’m just getting started and have so much to be grateful for! And I wanted to share with you some tips for authors I learned along the way.

There’s something transformative that happens when you build something up in your mind for years on end, unsure of whether or not it’s possible, overcoming self-doubt and scaling obstacles until it finally becomes a reality. That type of resilience, purpose, and pride creates an intrinsic reward like nothing else can.

And that’s exactly what it was like in my journey to becoming an author.

For YEARS I had “become an author” on my vision board, my annual goals, and legacy list for what I knew I wanted to create in order to share my wisdom on a broader stage. And like many visions, it took a lot longer than I had hoped it would. The pandemic’s abrupt halt on most of ‘regularly scheduled life’ created a silver lining opening to choose to prioritize the birth of the book that was brewing inside me for so long.

And now, a year and change later, I can look back on what it was like to write and publish my first book baby, Permission to Be Human, and share the unexpected wisdom that came from the journey in hopes it might serve you too!

1. Patience is Key!

Lordy did I learn this one the hard way. I sure thought I needed to have all my sales, recognition, and media spots accomplished in the first month in order to count myself as a “success” and I couldn’t have been more wrong. Not realizing it at the time, my dormant work addiction came right back to the forefront of my daily practices, never feeling like I had enough time, always behind on my “to-do” list, and being overwhelmed and unsatisfied as a result.

Ironically, I gave myself the opposite of permission to be human and it crushed me right after the launch. After about 6 weeks to recalibrate I was back to taking my own medicine, being a mindful leader, and realizing that time isn’t as fleeting as I had made it out to be in my head.

The reality was that everything compounded month over month. More sales each month, more book clubs, more speaking engagements, and more tv spots!

I didn’t even account for the fact that people buy books and don’t necessarily read them immediately. Hello Captain Obvious?

Literally last month we had our biggest sales payout yet. And I didn’t do anything to stress myself out to get that. It’s been a great reminder in developing a healthier relationship with time. Once I got into that vibe everything unfolded with ease and grace when I took one step at a time, without judgment of pace.

2. Insta-Expert Status.

I’ve been told for years that writing a book would massively up my game. I knew it was true because years before getting published I had a conference organizer ask me to give her a quote for 300 copies of my non-existent book and a keynote address. It was so interesting that she assumed I had a book and when I let her know I didn’t, I never heard back! But even with that taste years ago, I had no idea how many more clients, partnerships, and a general understanding of legitimacy my book would create.

I’ve been preaching the message and practicing the strategy of knowing, owning, and living your values for nearly a decade and it mostly felt like I was the underdog constantly trying to make my case and often falling on deaf ears.

Now that I have a book that outlines my process for how to operationalize your values at work, I literally have new and bigger doors opening with no prospecting. My keynote rates have tripled, and I have a consistent flow of new business inquiries from people who are already bought in because, you guessed it, they read my book!

3. Legacy is Inevitable.

Legacy was never something I had invested a lot of energy into. Without biological children, I wasn’t sure if this was a concept that applied to me. I’d always heard of legacy in terms of family or some type of massive impact someone made in the community. I wasn’t sure what that might be for me, but I had a feeling writing might be where it lived.

As I began the Permission to Be Human manuscript writing process, I immediately started to get that legacy tingle. What I didn’t know or dare give myself credit for before I started was that I had a replicable, simple, innovative process that I could guide people in through my writing. I realized that, much against my former beliefs, I didn’t have to be there in person, holding a client’s hands and answering their questions in real-time for them to get it and make it their own. I had a taste of that with my audio course on knowing & living your values but this book took it to another dimension.

What I know for sure now, is that if I don’t wake up tomorrow, I am so darn proud of the legacy I’ve left behind in Permission to Be Human. I trust that it will get into the hands of those it’s meant to and impact the hearts who have been yearning to feel a kindred spirit gently guiding them to a new possibility.

I’ve got many more books living in my heart and I hope to have the opportunity to bring them to life in many years to come.

4. Global Like-hearted Community Ignition.

The opening line of Permission to Be Human reads, “This book is a love letter to any fellow humans who have felt like they were the underdogs for deeply caring about people and their well-being at work.” From that sentence alone, I’ve had people reach out to me from around the globe saying they felt like they were seen for the first time. In the beginning, I was shocked and now, a year later, I’m grateful that I didn’t change that line because I thought I was being too sappy, too extra, and too niche. I ultimately went with my gut and it really paid off in lighting up those connections with people who really “get it” and know what it’s like to feel so alone in trying to make things better.

Together, we’re now linking arms globally to create more possibilities for healthier environments at work, at home, and within. Right now I’m most excited about the online communities that I’ve built through weekly guided meditations on the Permission to Be Human Pledge with thousands of humans on Insight Timer. As well as the retreats, cohorts, training, and certification programs that we’ve developed and are now sculpting to ignite even more education, community and connection with more people who “get it” and want to have the tools and support to feel equipt and supporter in the ebbs and flows of this deep work.

Looking back, I’m deeply grateful for the community, love, support, and wisdom that has transpired as a direct result of choosing to become an author. If you’ve ever thought about a “big goal” a “vision” or a “life’s dream” that you didn’t know if it would work out or pay off in the end, I encourage you to take the very first baby step into that possibility. Get curious about what’s holding you back. Explore your limiting beliefs and then find new evidence that it’s possible for you too!  I’ll be cheering you on, for sure.