We recently connected with Nicole Angai-galindo and have shared our conversation below.
Nicole, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
The Gifted Bipolar Writer
Mission statement: I can, not despite my biploarness, but because of it.
I know my mission statement now. I certainly did not when I started my business. I lived many years with untreated bipolar II disorder. Mental illness runs in my family; my father is bipolar I. I have other relatives with schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. At the end of 2020, I suffered the worst and last bipolar episode in my life. I can confidently say “last” because I am under psychiatric care. The combination of medication that I was started on all those years ago has stayed the same. I think of it as my “morning vitamins!”
That is the backstory. However, the real story of how my entrepreneurship journey began took place over a year later. A fatal error, an unlikely encounter, and a life-changing accident were the main ingredients for an appetizer preceding a grand feast! At present, I continue to sample all of the offerings, but I have still not decided which of the main courses are my favorites.
The Fatal Error:
I opened a spam email at work, entered my credentials, and let a virus through the backdoor. Four years into my career as a project coordinator for new residential elevator installations and on the cusp of a promotion to project manager, I’d made a fatal error. I was understandably chastised and put on probation. What I did not see coming was the expectation to sign a document agreeing that I had maliciously acted in this manner. Tears smudged the ink as I wrote my name on the signature line. Two weeks later, I quit.
An Unlikely Encounter
I joined the Linkedin professional networking platform in 2015. It felt as if I signed in and signed out all in one fluid motion, feeling that the platform served no purpose for me. Shortly before my “fatal error” occurred, I started checking out the Linkedin scene again because a co-worker was using it to look for a new position. I was scrolling the home page when I came across the picture of a doggie lying in the middle of a doorway in an office. The company owner talked about how he brought his dog to work and how his employees found playing with him a great way to relieve stress. I loved the idea, commented on it, and soon after, received a connection request. Well, that company owner is my current employer!
A Life-Changing Accident
At the end of 2022, less than 6 months into my new position, I had a nasty fall on my left knee while decorating the office for Christmas. I shattered my left kneecap into four pieces. The surgery and subsequent recovery period put me out of commission for almost 3 months. To distract myself, I spent the majority of my time on Linkedin. I became adept at using the platform, building the foundation for a thriving network, and discovering my voice as an advocate for people with bipolarness. One of the people I met along the way, after learning that I had always wanted to write, suggested I give Medium.com a try. I did, and that choice has forever changed the trajectory of my life. Soon after starting my blog, I was invited to share an article about how I use my bipolarness as a guide to my success. A week after that publication, I was published as a co-author in an anthology that became a best-seller.
I had never considered opening a business something viable for me. It was my growing social media presence, newly started writing journey, and desire to show the world that I was not broken that led me to start The Gifted Bipolar Writer. I wanted to show the world that the very thing they viewed as my shortcoming was indeed my strength, and the natural ability I had to tap into my highest and lowest emotions as a source of deep inspiration to write from would be the driving force for my success. I want for people with a mental illness diagnosis to know that they deserve to life their very best life.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Well this is a tough one. This year, 2024 I published a trilogy of anthologies, each with 12 co-authors. This was in October. Then in December I published an anthology with 21 co-authors. What this did was open up the door to major opportunities in 2025. After publishing a total of 47 co-authors, as some from the trilogy joined the anthology following, I’ve been asked to promote and publish two solo books.
Prior to going into publishing I offered a LinkedIn Visibility and Network Building Package. In 2023, I took one business page from 0 to 600+ followers in 3 months. Business pages are hard to build. This year, I took on one client earlier in the year before starting all of the book publishing. This person I took from 100 followers to 1,000 in 3 months. I use a combination of a LI banner makeover, profile optimization, introduction to my network and visibility building through my audio room and live show. Connecting the people I know who are likely to work on collaborations and/or fulfill a need is one of my greatest strengths.
I’ve been a part of two virtual global summits. One in 2023 and one with Jenlyn Unbn December, 2024. I was a speaker, on Crafting Compelling Narratives, my company The Gifted Bipolar Writer sponsored the event, and was awarded the certificate for Pinnacle Publisher of the Year.
At the start of my business, after publishing in the first anthology, I introduced a package called, “Published In Style” – book cover design and marketing materials. My designs now grace the books of three clients and are sold on Amazon. I was just published as a co-author in my 11th anthology.
In 2025 I will continue to publish anthologies as The GBW, take on solo book publishing projects, provide the Published In Style Package and a new offer will be out shortly to help authors effectively market their book/s for monetization. I will also be taking on live stream sponsors to aid in non-profit work for mental illness. The last goal for 2025 is to start a peer mentoring group for people with bipolar disorder with an affordable yearly subscription to live weekly zoom calls.
I know, it’s a lot!
Have you ever had to pivot?
Okay, this is a big one! When I started the author’s call in May for the trilogy of anthologies, I published in October, the book was meant to include 21 co-authors and was called A LinkedIn Love Affair. With additional people inquiring daily after the book was filled, I decided to pivot and break the anthology into a simultaneously launched trilogy, each book with 12 co-authors. This opened up 15 more spots, and they were all gone in two days!
I hired two people to help with the first round of edits as I work full-time. I was turning out two full weekends of Zoom calls with the co-authors and a ton of promotional material. Shortly before publication, I changed the book title. I had requested trademark use of the LinkedIn name but was denied. Sharing this with the co-authors was nerve-wracking, and I was so upset that I would disappoint everyone. Well, I got tremendous support, and the title was changed to A PEOPLE-FIRST PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING PLATFORM. Needless to say, the trilogy is about our journeys on LinkedIn, LOL. Book 1 (Why we came, Why we stay) Book 2 (We came as professionals, We make impact as people) Book 3 (How we found our purpose and started a business). I shared my chapter in book 3. It is because I joined LinkedIn a few years ago that I started a business.
This project was meant to launch in August but did not until October. It took 6 months, 100+ hours, and many sleepless nights, but my ability to ride out the waves and change direction as needed won out in the end.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I consider myself to be a new publisher. The first publication was at the end of November 2023. I had a team, and though we did not have much-combined experience, we figured it out. By the time I decided in May to do this on my own, I could remember very little. I’d already established a growing community, so when I put the call out and offered a steal of a deal, people signed up. What this did was prove to potential authors that I had what it took. I went fast; I went hard. What I truly believe kept everything moving was my transparency. I made it very clear that I was NOT an experienced publisher, I was not in this for the money, and if they were looking for someone to call them out for missing a period, I was the wrong publisher. I love writing and storytelling, and I feel everyone has a story that needs to be told. I wanted to make an impact, and I demonstrated that every day by showing up, being present, supportive, and showing empathy.
I want people to be able to hear themselves in their story, not the publisher’s voice pushing a “theme” to make sales. Taking the time to get to know your co-authors, their reasons for sharing their stories, and the message they hope to impart makes all the difference in guiding them through the editing process. And note, I said guide. Not red-line their work. I was once a new co-author as well, and I remember what it took to write that very first chapter. The self-doubt, frustration, thinking no one wanted to hear what I had to say. As a publisher, you can make or break a person’s writing dreams. It is a responsibility to ensure that the experience, especially for first-time authors is great!
You have a story. Own it. No one can tell it like you! Do it for you, not for anyone else. Your story will end up in the hands of the people who need to read it. You will never know who you have impacted, whose life you will forever change the trajectory of. Set aside your fears, knowing that one day, your words will help another.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.angaigaudiosi
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicthegbw/
- Other: Email: nicthegbw@gmail.com
Image Credits
N.I.C. Never In Control Executive Producer Aaron Gibson