We recently connected with Jennifer Wright and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
When I was a kid I hated my name. Because my last name begins with a W that meant I was always last. when they placed us in the classroom, they would put us in alphabetical order which meant I was always in the back of the room. I used that to hide. I became the kid who sat in the back of the room and spent my time reading and writing. I wrote stories, ideas, and just anything that came to my mind. Over the years, I wrote thousands of pages that I never shared with anyone. By keeping all of those stories to myself, I felt like I didn’t really have a voice.
I became a professional copywriter for a few years early in my career. I found that I was enjoying writing for others. I still wasn’t to the point where I
could share my own stories or my own expertise. Then a few years ago a friend asked me to help her write her book and that was an amazing experience. It gave me the ability to help her share her story and her expertise. We then wrote her second book together.
What I discovered through this process became so valuable for me. 1. Everyone has important experiences, skills and stories that can be used to teach, inspire and help others. 2. Writing a book can be a valuable communication tool for whatever you are trying to create. Whether you are building a business, building a career, trying to get on stages to speak or simply want to share your story with friends and family. 3. Many people have fear around sharing their own stories and expertise. They are afraid of being judged or afraid of putting their personal information out into the world. 4. The best way to get past whatever fear is holding you back is to understand the process, how to get started and how to finish.
I then became very passionate about training and coaching people in writing their books and sharing their own expertise. I found I was able to find my voice
by helping others to find theirs. I also help them to understand how much they can help and inspire others with their experiences. I get very excited when I see my clients being able to share their stories, become more visible out in the world and meet their
goals with their book
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a teacher at heart – I started my career as an English teacher and have always been drawn to adult training after I left the education field. I also have a background in corporate process and project management. These are all skills I use to help my clients to move through the creation process with ease. A book is a project, I work with my clients to help them understand their purpose, stay aligned with their purpose and create a plan for their book that helps them to ensure they are meeting their goals.
The goal with my services is to meet each client where they are in their book-writing journey. I offer everything from self-paced online training, strategy sessions, one-on-one coaching, editing services, ghost-writing services and writing workshops and retreats. The goal is to create a solution that gives my clients the most benefit to them.
Most of my clients come to me because they have great information to share, but just aren’t sure how to put it together into a book. Many of my clients have businesses that they are building or have a specific purpose for the use of their book. Some are building their careers and are working to get into an executive or C-suite position, they want to promote their businesses or they are speakers and want to get on more or larger speaking engagements.
What sets me apart is I work with my clients to do much more than create a book. We have multiple conversations about what their purpose and goals are – all of their goals. We talk about their goals for their business, for their life, for their community and network. We then create a plan that takes all of those factors into account. The best way to get your book into the world is to have a strong network or community. As part of the plan will build in what needs to be done to build that community. Many clients also want to use the book to promote their business. By understanding their business goals, we can build a plan to make sure we understand those goals and how to use the book and the community to reach those goals.
I work primarily with non-fiction, but it doesn’t stop there. There are many types of non-fiction books so I work with my clients to understand their audience and to choose the type of book they want to write that will have the best chance to reach their audiences.
I am also building a full-service publishing company because I have found that the process does not end with the book being written. Many authors need help with the publishing of the book. They also need to know about how to get their books into the hands of their audience and meet their other business and personal goals. The publishing services will help the authors to take their books through every process step from the initial idea through the publishing and marketing steps.
In addition to the book writing and publishing services, I also have a podcast, The Author’s Way: The Journey to Finding Your voice. In the podcast, I began podcasting as a way to find my own voice and connect with. other authors. Through the podcasting process, I have not only learned how to raise awareness, but I have had the opportunity to expand my network in an important way. I interview published authors and others who work with authors. We explore the book writing process and the author’s share information about how they got through the process and how to dealt with the challenges such as blocks and limiting beliefs. The podcast can be found on iTunes, Spotify, Google and several other podcasting platforms.
My other interests include standup comedy – I have performed multiple times at The Punchline in Buckhead), all things art, Oil painting and drawing (pencil and charcoal) and wine
I also offer monthly free webinars, Q&A sessions and pop-up events. If anyone wants to know more about my events, they can reach out to me via email or on social media:
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/
https://www.facebook.com/
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I spent the past 25 years working in the corporate arena. I was very good at the jobs that I held, but there was a dissatisfaction that I felt and that I wasn’t doing enough. I am an entrepreneur at heart and knew that I would eventually become a business owner. I left corporate for the first time in 2013 to become a professional copywriter and again in 2014 to focus on executive coaching and consulting.
For various reasons, both times, I was pulled back into a corporate position. In 2019 when I accepted my last corporate position, I knew it was going to be different. I had started focusing on the book writing business and new that would become my ultimate role. I new accepting that new position would only be temporary and I went into with that in mind. I was able to enter that organization with a much calmer demeanor.
The corporate environment can be a very frustrating one. Even when companies attempt to become more employee focused, when you are one of 14,000 employees you simply don’t have the time to focus on your own goals. You must focus on the goals of the company and the team. When you are a manager, you have even more responsibility because you have to make sure your team is cared for and that they meet their goals.
My exit from the last corporate role (and my last corporate role) was well planned and executed. I had the support of my leader and we planned the exit together. We knew we wanted to do this in order to make sure my team was well taken care of, the new leader had the time to take on the responsibilities and all of my other roles were transitioned well. I also wanted to ensure that I was had the time to develop the strategy for my business. I took the two+ years that I spent in this role to educate myself in my free time. I joined a couple of business masterminds, attended workshops, read, researched and made connections with potential clients.
When I was able to step into my role as a business owner, I was well prepared. Because of the preparation, I can now build my business with a calm and relaxed approach. I can take my time to build it as I would like, instead of in a hurried and desperate way. I can find methods that are authentic to meand align to my goals. I can seek out the clients that I most want in my circle.
This has perhaps been the most calm and inspiring pivot I have made in my career. I can attribute it to knowing what I want and putting the effort into developing my strategy before I took that first big leap.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I believe in storytelling as a craft. Everyone has important stories to tell and we can all become great story tellers. Books are a way to share your stories, your experiences, your skills and the lessons you have learned. Books can also be a great tool for business leaders who are building a business or a career.
I love storytelling in all of its forms and love hearing people’s stories. I’m passionate about helping others tell theirs.
Many people have a lot of fear and anxiety about sharing their story. They are afraid they will be judged – judged for what they share or how they share it. I believe my mission is to help them get past those fears. I believe the best way to address fear about doing something is to know more about how. Writing a book seems like a daunting process to many people. As I teach the process and show that it can be simple, I see that fear start to subside. I see that anxiety begin to fade.
Most people are better writers than they think they are. They are especially good when they are writing about what they know. Their stories can be compelling. Their knowledge can truly help others.
At times, all is needed is help. Help comes in the form of teaching, or it can come in the form of editing or help with the brainstorming to get the stories to develop. In many cases I can provide that help.
It makes me very proud to see someone who isn’t very confident in his or her skills to flourish through the writing that they didn’t know they could do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theauthorswaypublishing.com or www.execuwright.com
- Instagram: @theauthorswayprogram
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferwrigh or https://www.facebook.com/theauthorsway
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferwrightexecuwright/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaN6Rs2GCIYMn4j7TfVIN3w
- Other: The Author’s Way podcast on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-authors-way-podcast/id1608810722
The Author’s Way podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0akohLV3ie1pR7jGPuDNo1
Image Credits
Headshot – Angelina McEwen Photo 1 – Photo by Angelina McEwen, graphics by Zack A Knight