Beyond Better with Stacy Ennis

A few months ago, I saw author Alex O’Brien on stage at Web Summit. Not only did she give excellent answers to questions on writing, AI, and beyond at Web Summit, but she also beautifully represented how I hope every author shows up when they talk about their work: with confidence, passion, and a genuine care to make a difference in this world.

Alex is a science writer and professional poker player whose work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, BBC, New Scientist, and The Times. Her first book, The Truth Detective, is a nonfiction science book on how to think like a poker player. In this week’s episode, we talk about:

• Alex’s journey as a science writer (and mine too)
• Stories from the poker table and how the rules of poker apply to daily life, including improving one’s mindset and decision-making
• Her writing process: how she came up with the concept of her book, The Truth Detective, and what the writing process was like (spoiler: it took her four years to finish)
• Challenges she faced during the writing process and how she overcame them to write a book she’s proud of
• How to get involved in science writing—a passion of hers

As you’ll learn in this week’s episode, Alex is an advocate for early critical thinking and works closely with educational institutions to help guide future generations into asking the right questions to then make smarter and wiser decisions for themselves. There are so many gems in this conversation—don’t miss it!

Learn more about Alex:

I talk a lot on this podcast about location freedom. Financial wellness is part of the location independence equation, and if you’re a parent, your financial life may include paying for college. With two kids myself, I’m especially excited to welcome this week’s guest.

Jeannie Burlowski is a past client and full-time academic strategist, podcast host, and speaker for students ages 12–26, their parents, and the professionals who serve them. Jeannie is the author of the book LAUNCH: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward. She helps parents set their kids up to graduate college debt-free, ready to jump directly into careers they excel at and love. Her work has been featured in The Huffington Post, USA Today, Parents magazine, US News and World Report, and CBS News.

In this episode, we discuss her work—and her author journey. You know I had to ask about this! Specifically, we cover:

• How people can build a life of financial freedom from student loans
• How she got into this work and why she’s so passionate about helping families
• How publishing a great book completely revolutionized her professional life and helped her step fully into her big vision
• What it was like working with a book coach

Listen to this insightful conversation, and learn from Jeannie’s expertise!

I talk regularly about all the help I have in my life and work, and how outsourcing is how I “do it all” without really doing it all. That’s why I’m so excited this week to share all about how to outsource—specifically with a marketing virtual assistant (VA).

In this week’s episode, I talk with guest Kirsten Graham about how to work with a trained marketing VA who takes care of video/audio editing, social media, and email marketing. We have a thoughtful conversation about:

• How we each outsource and some of the misconceptions around outsourcing
• Ideas for starting to outsource—so you can free up time to make more money
• How to avoid burnout
• How video marketing builds trust

We also dig into some of the specifics of working with a marketing VA. This is an honest, fun, and practical episode you won’t want to miss!

Show notes:

Disciplined habits are the cornerstone to my life. In this week’s solo episode, I explore how the mindset and habits I’ve honed and taught my clients and students for more than a decade lead to success. Specifically, I cover how to:

• Overcome obstacles to goal achievement, even if the challenges feel insurmountable
• Develop a mindset of self-belief, worthiness, abundance, and potential
• Make incremental progress toward big goals—and achieve them!
• Create the necessary habits and behaviors to support your success in all areas of your life
• Build self-trust by honoring commitments you make to yourself
  

This is one from the heart. I hope you enjoy it. And if the episode adds value to your life, I’d be deeply grateful if you would rate and review the show.

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If you’ve been part of my community for any length of time, you know that health and wellness are a massive part of my life. So when I met this week’s guest, Kisha Stewart, I knew I had to have her on the podcast. Kisha is a wife, mother of three, nurse, heart attack survivor, and a national advocate for heart health dedicated to improving the quality of cardiovascular health care for everyone. Since her heart attack, she has conducted extensive research about the specific health risks that women, particularly Black women, face.

Along with talking about Kisha’s mission—health care equity and heart health education—we also talk about how she went from discovering her purpose to building a successful platform to scale her influence.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Kisha went from surviving a heart attack at 31 to becoming the national spokeswoman for the American Heart Association (AHA)
• What heart attack symptoms young women should look for
• How to confidently advocate for yourself in the doctor’s office
• Needed systemic changes to achieve health care equity
• Practical steps Kisha took to grow her platform—including writing a book—that helped her scale her influence

Today, Kisha educates and inspires others to improve heart health through lifestyle changes and is a fierce advocate for systemic changes in the health care system to guarantee equity and social justice for all.

Listen to this week’s episode—it’s a great one!

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I love hearing from you about topics you’re interested in. So in this week’s solo episode, I address a very interesting question from a listener:

I do have a question that I’ve been thinking about when I see your posts and wondered how you approach your research for the books you write. I’m curious as to how research factors into the process for you. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences. I also appreciate your snippets of life in Portugal; it’s been many years since I have visited, but I have great vivid memories!

Join me as I discuss my process for gathering research (a process I love!) for the books I write.

Show notes:

Branding can feel overwhelming, especially for authors who are new to this whole “personal branding” thing. That’s why I’m so excited this week to welcome Taja Dockendorf, founder and creative director of Pulp + Wire a 100-percent female-founded and run creative agency.

Taja has consulted, created, and grown hundreds of brands while fostering a culture around growth and intuitive leadership for her female-forward team. Taja and her team have directed creatives for both start-up and national brands, such as Petco, Hasbro, Bob’s Red Mill, and more. In this episode, we discuss:

• Taja’s founding story and why she loves her niche work in consumer packaging branding
• Tips for building a great brand (these are so good!)
• Common branding and marketing mistakes and how to avoid them
• Core leadership lessons that have helped scale a successful creative agency
• Diversity in the marketing and branding space and how Pulp + Wire is helping influence the industry

Taja is also an active investor in emerging CPG brands, a mentor to other creative founders, creator and host of The Brand Alchemist Podcast, and a contributing writer for both national business and creative publications with a focus on creative leadership. As you listen in, I know you’ll benefit from Taja’s expertise.

Learn more about Taja:

This week, it’s a joy to share my conversation with the wonderful Dr. Luissa Kiprono, who went from a refugee from former Communist Romania to one of the most sought-after medical specialists in maternal-fetal medicine—and wrote a book about it. Her mission is helping women heal, both physically and spiritually, through her own story and vulnerability. It was an honor supporting Luissa as her book coach, and I know her story will inspire you as much as it did me.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What inspired her to share her painful personal story to help others
• How she achieved her goal of becoming a doctor, despite the many obstacles in her path
• What her book-writing process was like and why she decided to write her book, Push, Then Breathe
• How she’s transitioning from the doctor’s office to the digital world and growing her platform as a speaker and impact-maker
• How women can embrace a limitless mindset

Through her telemedicine practice, TeleMed MFM, Luissa provides high-risk pregnancy care to all women, beyond borders or geographical limitations. Her debut book, Push, Then Breathe, is based on the first fifteen years of her reborn life. On her platform, she invites women to join together in self-empowerment, intentional presence, and resilience.

Listen now to this inspiring conversation!

Learn more about Dr. Luissa:

When you hear the word “equity,” most of us will think of gender, race, and ethnicity. But oftentimes, disabilities are left out of the conversation—and that needs to change.

That’s why I’m thrilled to welcome this week’s podcast guest, Heather Markham, a woman on a mission to show businesses how to make their space warm, welcoming, and accessible to the more than 1 billion persons with a disability. With her background in electronic warfare and assistive technologies, she has honed her engineering skills and an eye for otherwise unseen details. Heather has fifteen years of experience as a power wheelchair user, and she taught me so much in this episode! In it, we discuss:

• Heather’s life-changing diagnosis of progressive muscular dystrophy at age 34
• How she leaned into a life of adventure and focuses on what she can control
• How she’s created a community around her and how listeners can build their own community
• Challenges she faces while traveling as a power wheelchair user
• How businesses can become more accessible, both in physical locations and online
• Why she wrote her memoir and what her writing process was like

Heather is an inspiring woman who embodies her personal belief: the one thing she can absolutely control every single day is how she chooses to react to things. She expresses herself creatively through her memoir Rough Waters: From Surviving to Thriving with a Progressive Muscular Dystrophy and fine art photography.

This is an important, inspiring, and practical episode—don’t miss it!

Learn more about Heather:

Nearly every author I meet wants to be traditionally published. But the path to get a book deal can feel darn near impossible. Not only do you have to create a book proposal, which is a massive project in and of itself, but you then need to pitch agents. Where is an aspiring author to start?

Well, Richelle Fredson is here to help in this week’s episode. As a book proposal coach and publishing consultant, Richelle has worked with aspiring and published authors to create impactful book concepts and competitive book proposals. In this episode, we cover:

• What a nonfiction book proposal is and why authors need one
• The key components of a nonfiction book proposal
• How an author’s platform, credentials, and other aspects factor into their ability to get signed by a publisher
• Common misconceptions about the process of looking for an agent and landing a deal
• Tips for making your proposal stand out and getting your dream book deal

Richelle is the former director of publicity and book marketing for Hay House, and also served in acquisitions, so she knows her stuff. This was a fantastic conversation—don’t miss it!

Learn more about Richelle:

It’s mid-January, the period where momentum around New Year’s resolutions start to wane. In fact, statistics show that only 8 percent of people achieve the goals they set at the start of the year. In this week’s episode, I share my thoughts around achieving big goals and practical strategies to be part of the 8 percent.

I detail my secrets for how I’ve built a mid-six-figure business, moved abroad, and written multiple books. It’s not rocket science, but the tips I share may just be the needle-mover you need today.

This episode is short and practical. 

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I have to say: wow! I had a wonderful time connecting with you. Thank you for bringing energy, questions, and fun to our time together.

I hope you gained new insights and practical strategies to finish your book in 2024—and make the impact you’re meant to on this world.

As I shared during the training, I am a book coach and author educator who has spent my entire life developing my expertise in writing. From falling in love with reading at age seven to my master's in professional writing and editing, helping future authors like you is my life's work. I’m honored to coach smart people like you as they write powerful books that change readers’ lives.

I’m also an author myself. I’ve ghostwritten or authored seventeen books and thousands of content pieces over the last fourteen years. And I was able to do so by developing a successful, repeatable book-writing system.

This week, I’m joined by Catherine Fishman, who has been a part of my team since before we moved to Thailand. She’s been an integral support as I’ve grown from solopreneur to a small global team.

In this episode, Catherine and I talk about:

• How my work has shifted over the years—from book editor to ghostwriter to coaching to programs
• Where we niche in author support
• How a book supports our clients as they grow their thought leadership, businesses, and overall impact
• How we track and manage the many moving parts of the team, content creation, client work, and more
• How we celebrate clients (my favorite part!)

This episode is packed with client love and practical tips, because we share some of our own areas of learning as the business has grown, as well as reflect on our clients’ success. It’s also such a fun conversation with someone who has been along for the ride with me for so long!

Learn more about Catherine:

Oh, hey, podcast listeners—I’m back this week with a solo episode. I don’t do these enough, thanks to the many wonderful guests I have the honor of speaking with on the pod.

This week, I’m reflecting on all the things 2023. To guide this episode, I’m drawing on a team meeting we had recently, where we talked through big wins, challenges, and even our theme song for the year and what type of car the business would be. Specifically, we looked at:

On the pod this week, I’m excited to share a thoughtful conversation about book writing, business, and growing beyond the book. I’m joined by Dave Goetz and Melissa Parks, cofounders of Journey Sixty6, an editorial services company and independent publisher for the family business community.

In this episode, we cover:

• How a book integrates into overall marketing strategy
• A client case study that integrates a documentary, book, and more
• How to uncover the thesis of your book (what I refer to as a “core message”)
• How to self-diagnose your own needs on your book project
• Nerdy industry talk from long-time publishing pros 😊

Even if a book isn’t on your radar, this episode will get you thinking about all things marketing, messaging, and more.

Learn more about Journey Sixty6:

Writing a book and being successful as an author is hard work. This week on the podcast, I unpack the hardness and amazingness of the author journey, from writing to marketing and beyond, with Alexa Bigwarfe, a USA Today best-selling author, publisher, and founder and CEO of Write, Publish, Sell. In this episode, we discuss:

• Alexa’s moving, personal journey into publishing
• What authors should know about the big-picture process of writing, editing, publishing, launching, and marketing a book
• The difference between integrating your book into your business growth strategy and making a living as an author
• Advanced author marketing strategies

I recently hosted an author celebration and meetup for my clients and students. It was a beautiful celebration of the amazing authors I get to work with, and I left overflowing with gratitude. I had such a good time that I was inspired to record a podcast episode with a look behind the scenes at the work I do with authors.

In this solo episode, I share:

• A recap of the community meetup (it was so good!)
• Why I’m so passionate about growing authors
• How I work with authors, including my Idea-to-Draft Accelerator and Author Mentorship program
• My criteria for taking on clients and inviting students into my cohorts
• Why celebration is such an important part of being successful as an author
• How my clients and students are living their purpose in this world—and scaling their impact

I love what I do, and I love the authors I work with. I believe in them and in their ability to make a difference in this world.

Shownotes:

Cherie is the cofounder and CEO of Saalt, a women-owned B Corp that creates reusable and sustainable period care products that replace disposable pads and tampons. You may have seen Saalt on the shelves at Target or other major retailers, but you might not know the mission behind the company.

Period poverty keeps underprivileged women and girls out of school and other activities that would further their economic success and participation in broader society. Saalt is looking to change that. Since their launch in 2018, Saalt has donated over 70,000 period cups and underwear to underprivileged women and girls in 50 countries as part of their 2% give-back program.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Cherie’s founding story and why she wants to end period poverty
• How travel impacts her as an entrepreneur and mom
• Her journey as a writer and how it impacts Saalt’s marketing, including practical tips
• Challenges she’s faced along her entrepreneurial journey and how she overcame them
• How she’s leading “outside of the norms of the patriarchal structure to improve the workplace for working women”

I left this conversation feeling inspired, moved, and encouraged to make a difference in the world—and I know you will too.

Learn more about Cherie and Saalt:

When I met Kevin O’Connor in my book-writing program, I instantly knew he was going to add great energy to our group of future authors. It was no surprise when he not only reached his goal of publishing his book, Two Floors Above Grief, but also leaned fully into marketing, garnering nearly 100 reader reviews on Amazon—an impressive feat for any author! In this episode, we discuss:

• How Kevin reached his goal of authorhood
• How “collaborative discipline” supported his success
• What it’s really like to write and self-publish a book
• Marketing lessons learned one year in, including success tips
• How to balance the “difficulty and discipline of writing with joy and self-acknowledgment” (this discussion is so good!)
• His top advice for aspiring authors

This episode is full of both great information and inspiration for anyone looking to reach their next big goal. Don’t miss this episode!

Learn more about Kevin:

In this week’s solo episode, I share what life is like after living in Portugal for four years. I talk about:

• How I feel about living in the Algarve
• Challenges we’re facing right now, including schools and medical care
• What it’s like running a location independent business in Portugal
• How our trip to the US impacted my feelings about living abroad
• One thing I’m missing professionally—and how I’m trying to solve it
• What the future holds for our family

This episode is highly personal and raw, and I hope it gives you insight into the beauty and challenges of living abroad.

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During my recent trip to New York, I spent time with this week’s podcast guest, Farnoosh Torabi. We talk about how to lean into fear—how to hone it, tap into it, and make it work for you. I loved everything about this conversation, and I know you will too.

In this solo episode, I’m answering reader questions that focused on the same topic: How did you get to where you are—and how can I get there too?

If you want to hear my long, windy story of entrepreneurship, from my first job as a high school language arts teacher in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, all the way to the location independent life I lead today in Portugal, listen in. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed recording this!

Show notes:

In this week’s episode, we talk about Debbie’s journey to reach where she is today as the founder of The Offbeat Life, a podcast and website that highlights the journeys of remote workers and digital nomads. We also talk about how she makes money, both in her day-to-day work and from her travel content. Today, she has accumulated over half-a-million downloads and shares what is possible when you work outside a cubicle and live life before retirement, while also creating sustainable income.

We even discuss celebrating failures because we learn the most important lessons and recognize all we have to be grateful for. This is a thoughtful conversation—and one that I hope will leave you feeling inspired and encouraged as you embark on the next great journey of your own life.

Learn more about Debbie:

When the producer of Beyond Better, Rita Domingues, told me she’d booked an 86-year-old first-time author for the podcast, I was both curious and impressed. And as I readied for our conversation, I could see why Rita had selected her as a guest.

• One of the first female hospital CEOs in Canada
• Climbed Kilimanjaro at age 64 (!)
• Cofounded the Panama Hospice and Respite Foundation
• Breast cancer survivor who is also blind in one eye
• Published her first book at age 86

Recording this episode felt like sitting with a friend over coffee, listening to her incredible stories. It’s rare to get an opportunity to learn from someone who has lived such a choice-filled life like Joyce. I hope you gain as much from this conversation as I did.

Show notes:

I dream big. Like b-i-g big. Big to the point that I catch surprise on even my closest friends’ faces when I share my vision. And I work with people who dream big. They share their aspirations for the keynote stage, their desire to write books of meaning, the scaled impact they want to make with their story or message. Yet we know a lot of people just won’t get it.

But we don’t just talk. We take action. We get up early to focus on our creative projects. We invest in programs and coaching and people and equipment and software. We know that all the manifestation in the world ain’t nothin’ if you don’t put your boots on and go to work.

Join me in this live episode as I share thoughts on investing in your dreams—while I’m on the road, investing in mine. I detail why I’m in New York, why I made the decision to invest in a mentorship program, and how my investment and action are already showing up in big ways in my life.

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In this solo episode, I share my reflections on my time abroad this summer. I spent the month of August in the US, mostly disconnected from work and present with my family and friends. I hadn’t taken a meaningful trip to the US since early 2020, just before lockdowns started. And I noticed a lot of surprising things. Join me as I share my observations about environmental signals that reflect on the culture at-large.

(Of note, while my podcast is generally clean, this might not be one to listen to around young children.)

Show notes:

When you first enter the world of book writing and publishing, the options can feel overwhelming. That’s why I’m excited to welcome Karen McNally of Girl Friday Productions (GFP) to talk all things publishing.

Karen has been with GFP for eight years. Prior to joining, she worked for Amazon Publishing, as well as Amazon’s retail division. She’s passionate about helping authors achieve their goals and ensuring an excellent client experience. Areas of expertise include end-to-end book production, distribution, complex book design, and illustration management, as well as all stripes of print management. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• How she accidentally ended up in publishing
• Tips for selecting the right publishing route for you
• What hybrid publishing is and how to know if it’s a good option for you
• Why you have to run your book like a business
• Three things she wishes every new author knew about publishing

This is a great episode with a lot of heart and useful information. Don’t miss it!

Show notes:

In this week’s episode, I get to pull back the curtain on the elusive world of writing for television and movies with my guest, Katiedid Langrock, and share some behind-the-scenes on what it’s like to write for major animated series, including Barbie, Paw Patrol, and Hello Kitty.

Katiedid is a screenwriter, television writer, longtime syndicated humor columnist, adjunct professor, author, and writing coach. Shows she codeveloped have been nominated for a number of awards, including an Emmy for Best Children's Series and multiple NAACP Image Awards, and won the 2020 Diversity Media Award for Best Kid Series. She recently worked as a writer or head writer for shows on Disney Jr., Nickelodeon, and Amazon, and just published a humorous book on pregnancy called Baby Bump Bucket List.

Katiedid is also location independent, so you know I had to talk about that! We discuss her year traveling the country in an RV while working on Hello Kitty, as well as her philosophy on taking risks and living a bold life. You don’t want to miss this episode.

Learn more about Katiedid:

For this first episode of season 5 (!), our team got to record in person! For the first time ever, three of us were in the same room—normally we work from the U.S. and Portugal. Our time together inspired us to record an episode all about our work. We cover:

• What it's like meeting for the first time in person
• The pros and cons of remote team dynamics 
• What it's been like for me (Stacy) to go from working on my own to leading a team
• How we've stayed connected while living so far apart
• The risks we've each taken to go after our dreams
• Our wonderful clients and why we love working with them 
• What we value in each person on the team

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As part of my summer podcast replay series, I'm excited to share this week’s episode with my good friend Amanda Turner (writing as AK Turner). In this episode, she shares how her family travels two to four months a year—all while running a business and writing New York Times best-selling books.

Amanda's Vagabonding with Kids series was inspirational for me as we were dreaming of moving to Thailand way back when I was pregnant with my oldest child. As kindred travel and writing souls, we had a lot of fun in this episode talking about our travel experiences and what we've learned about the book-writing process. Amanda shares so many great pieces of advice! If you’ve ever wanted to travel the world or write a book—or both—you won’t want to miss this episode.

Learn more about Amanda:

As part of my summer podcast replay series, I'm excited to share this week’s episode with author David Morales. His book, American Familia: A Memoir of Perseverance, was released in February 2022 and already has dozens of five-star reviews and has impacted readers across the US and beyond.

In this conversation, David shares the inspiration behind the book and his larger vision of impact, including the work he’s doing through Ahora Inc., a nonprofit organization he cofounded with his wife, Samanda Morales, focused on increasing economic mobility and empowering individuals and families to gain financial freedom. We discuss how two qualities, self-agency and critical thinking, helped him overcome both rural and urban poverty to become the person he is today. He also delves into how he navigated publishing a vulnerable memoir while working as a high-level executive in the health-care industry.

If you’re an aspiring author on the journey to impact, David’s insights about his own author journey will inspire you to take action.

Learn more and connect with David:

As part of my summer podcast replay series, I’m excited to share this week’s episode with Michael Zipursky, CEO of Consulting Success®, a consulting business that specializes in helping entrepreneurial consultants grow profitable, scalable, and strategic businesses. We talk about Michael’s journey through multiple businesses and how he transitioned from burning the midnight oil to structuring his business in a way that supports a lifestyle of freedom. He shares what a healthy entrepreneurial work-life balance looks like for him and the mindset shifts necessary to achieve it. Hint: the key is to optimize our business and our lifestyle so we can start enjoying more of what we want today and not delaying it for the future.

Michael explains how authorhood impacted his business (Michael has published three books to date), as well as the four pillars of developing a highly profitable, scalable coaching business (the components of his Clarity Coaching program); content marketing; social media; and more.

This is a value-packed episode you don’t want to miss!

Get to know Michael:

As part of my summer podcast replay series, I’m sharing a replay of a powerful podcast episode with a past student, May Lam Rocco.

May’s memoir, Confi-Dance: Memoirs of an Asian Businesswoman’s Journey from a Traditional Upbringing into Unconditional Love, has been endorsed by an impressive list of people, including the former president of Gucci China; the speaker-elect of the US House of Representatives; and my friend and coauthor, Ron Price, president of TTI Success Insights.

During her time in my program, May went from thinking her memoir was meant for an audience of one—her son—to realizing that her book had a significant role in fulfilling her newfound purpose of helping other people up-level their confidence in business, parenting, and life. She’s a shining example of using one’s voice for impact, stepping into a bold message, and helping further other women (and all people!) through her story.

Get inspired by this week’s pod replay on building confidence, writing a book, and making an impact.

Learn more about May

About five years ago, I sat down in my home office in Thailand to record the first episode of my podcast, which I called The Stacy Ennis Show. The little show I started with my iPhone has reached 100 episodes!

It’s been a delight to see how my expertise in public speaking and interviewing—the latter developed from ghostwriting so many books—has translated into hosting a podcast. I share more in my celebratory 100th episode, as well as reflect on clips from some fan-favorite episodes. If you want to hear a little more of my backstory, how the podcast is fueling my personal and business growth, and how I’m shaping the future of the pod to deliver even more value, don’t miss this very special 100th episode of my podcast, Beyond Better.

Show notes:

This week’s podcast guest (one of my former students!) has learned how to capture attention, grow an audience, share her opinion, and use her platform—now hundreds of thousands of people—to influence for good.

Giovanna Gonzalez is not only a TikTok influencer and financial educator, but she is also a soon-to-be author. During the Great Resignation, she quit her ten-year corporate career in financial services to pursue her true passion: teaching financial literacy to young adults. Since then, Giovanna has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, and Business Insider—and has hundreds of thousands of fans across the world—in just two years as a content creator. Giovanna’s powerful book, Cultura and Cash, will be out in January 2024.

In this candid conversation, Giovanna and I discuss:

• How she left corporate to pursue being a full-time creator
• BTS on what it’s really like to create content all day (hint: it’s not what you think)
• How to build an engaged, loyal following on multiple platforms
• Why first-gen money advice should be different
• What it was like to win a $50,000 writing grant—and what she did afterward to be successful in completing her book
• The highs and lows of her book-writing process
• The journey we went on together (this was my favorite part—I teared up!)

Learn how to capture the attention of hundreds of thousands of people—and make an even bigger impact with a book.

Get to know Giovanna:

Megan McCaleb is a masterful improv trainer, comedian, author, and the creator of Improv Team Culture, with a specialty in coaching executive leadership and their teams to adopt the simple and effective principle of "yes, and," the core rule derived from performance improvisation.

In this podcast episode, we discuss:

• Megan’s journey as an author and what it was like to publicly share a personal, vulnerable story
• Writing craft tips, including adding sensory details and varying sentence lengths
• What improv is and how it can support healthy team culture
• The power of “yes, and” for healthy teams and relationships

If you want to develop your voice—both on and off the page—don’t miss this week’s episode.

Learn more about Megan:

This Ask Stacy episode is full of writing and publishing-related questions from my listeners. Topics covered in this episode include:

• What to do if English is your second language and you’re finding it challenging to write.
• Whether traditional publishing is better than self-publishing.
• If ChatGPT is an ethical route to write a book.
• The average word count for a nonfiction manuscript and what to do if you’re struggling to create enough for a whole book.

Show notes:

I’ve collaborated with Reedsy on a few learning resources over the years, including a course and webinar, always working with Martin Cavannagh, Head of Content. He does a fantastic job running their content and has been successful positioning the company at the top of search results, helping drive a steady stream of leads to the marketplace. So when he agreed to come on the podcast to share some BTS on how he runs content strategy and execution for Reedsy, as well as tips for authors, I knew this episode would be packed with value.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Martin’s journey to publishing and work as the Head of Content
• His advice for creating content people are searching for—and how to show up in the top three of search results
• How to build a content ecosystem if you’re just starting out or grow an empire if you have support
• His thoughts on publishing pathways and how to ensure you’re working with real pros

Whether you’re dreaming of writing your book or marketing a recent release, don’t miss this thoughtful, fun, and informative conversation.

Learn more about Reedsy:

I get emails every week from listeners and readers who want to know about life abroad. Questions cover: What is it like to uproot everything and move somewhere new? What is the visa process like? What should I consider when deciding on whether to move abroad? These questions get more specific when it comes to dating, raising a family, and everything in between.

That’s why I loved this conversation with Cepee Tabibian of She Hit Refresh. We discuss what it’s like to move abroad as a single woman thirty and older, what it’s like to raise a family abroad, and some of the real-life consideration for people looking to build a new life abroad. Since Cepee and I come from different life situations, we brought our experiences to this discussion, sharing our experience living in different countries. If you’ve ever considered moving abroad, don’t miss this episode.

Learn more about Cepee:

A book launch party is a special moment for an author. After many months—often years—of working on a book, the launch party is the moment to celebrate the incredible achievement of authorhood.

But here’s the thing: while a launch party can be fun and exciting, a successful party requires planning and execution. That’s why I’m so excited to get to share this week’s episode, a conversation with Virginia Frischkorn of Partytrick.

Virginia is the founder and CEO of Partytrick, a tech platform built to disrupt the event industry, helping to make planning and executing highly curated events accessible and convenient for everyone. Throughout her fourteen-year career in the event industry, she has gained prestige among her peers as one of the top event planners in the country, including being named best wedding planner by Vogue, Brides, and Over the Moon.

Get to know Virginia: 

I’ve been in the publishing industry for more than thirteen years. And while I don’t claim expertise as a publisher—I anchor heavily to the writing side of the industry—I’ve been around long enough and seen enough to know things are not as they should be.

In 2020, I was cautiously optimistic that things might change. As racial protests broke out across the country, big publishers sought out more voices of color. But it turned out that they were offering these voices a fraction of what their white counterparts made. The hashtag #publishingpaidme went viral as authors began sharing numbers. The discrepancies were shocking. One white author, for example, shared her $400,000 advance as a relatively unknown first-time author; a black author who had won a National Book Award shared how she had to fight for a $100,000 advance.

To put this into perspective, most authors only pocket about one-third of their advances after taxes and expected marketing expenses. A book can take a year or more to write. A net gain of $30,000 isn’t much, especially for a proven author.

Compound that with an assessment by The New York Times. After reviewing fiction books published by major publishers between 1950 and 2018, they found that 95 percent were written by white authors.

Things have gotten better, but they’re nowhere near equitable. More in this week’s episode.

Research references:

In this week’s podcast episode, I share an update on our life here and what we’re thinking through as the kids get older. I talk through some of the cons of living in the Algarve and the pros of the life we lead. I talk through the balance we’ve been able to achieve here and how intertwined our everyday life is with nature. And I share the challenges we’re facing as we consider life beyond our kids’ elementary school years.

We love our life here—but will it be enough for us in the long term? Listen in this week as I share where we are and what we’re exploring next.

Jeffrey is often described as an advocate for self-employed business owners. His journey began with selling eggs door-to-door at fourteen years old to becoming one of the most sought-after portrait photographers for affluent families in the U.S. in his twenties, a business he ran for more than three decades.

Today, Jeffrey is an author, the host of The Self-Employed Life podcast with nearly two-million downloads, and the founder of the Self-Employed Business Institute.

In this episode, we talk about the journey of self-employment and why he doesn’t love the term “solopreneur.” We also dig into marketing strategies for attracting ideal clients, including his Hug Marketing method.

This is a fun conversation about the joys and hardships of self-employment, the challenges business owners face, and how to build a business you love.

Get to know Jeffrey:

Amy Mangueira experienced the full range of life’s wild ride, all the way to rock bottom, when she hit such extreme burnout that she permanently lost hearing in her left ear. On the pod this week, we talk about what led her to this moment—and what she’s done to find her way back to balance.

Amy is a 4x entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker on a mission to rid the world of burnout. Amy’s goal is education and coaching women to find balance in their careers and live by putting themselves first.

In this episode, we discuss how Americans are conditioned for “grind mode,” a hustle-til-you-have-a-breakdown mindset that keeps many people exhausted and dissatisfied with their lives. She shares how she took steps to break free from burnout and rebuild her life—and offers ideas for how you can do the same.

Get to know Amy:

Looking to build a platform to establish yourself as a thought leader? I've got you covered. This week's solo episode dives deeply into both the experience of building one (mine) and nine practical steps to build yours.

Whether you're an aspiring or published author, entrepreneur, or looking to build a powerful personal brand, this episode is for you. Best of all, I’ve created a free, detailed guide to walk you through each of the steps.

Jovelle Fernandez is the author of The Expat. She’s also an obstetrician gynecologist with a subspecialty in reproductive endocrinology, infertility, and oncology, as well as a multi-award-winning and highly respected health care executive.

In this conversation, we talk about her unique experiences of an expatriate, including various challenges living and working as a foreigner in academia in a male-dominated society and in the corporate world, while juggling the demands of work and family as a wife and mother. She shares her advice for getting out of your comfort zone and becoming the best version of yourself.

We also discuss her book-writing journey and why the experience of writing was deeply meaningful for her. She shares how she grew through her author journey and why everyone should write a book. If you’ve ever dreamed of living abroad, writing a book, or following another big dream, don’t miss this episode.

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This week, I’m answering some of my guests’ latest questions about the book-writing process. From refining and clarifying your book idea to how to properly cite others’ work, this episode is highly practical. I also discuss some behind the scenes about ghostwriting, including different ways you can engage a ghostwriter and how I structure fees.

Show notes: