General
Writing A Career Book: Updates, Breakthroughs & Lessons Learned
Podcast Audio Only:
Here's the thing about writing a book while running a business: sometimes you need someone to hold you accountable, or you'll convince yourself that responding to emails is productive work. Spoiler alert, it's not.
I'm giving you an honest update on my book (working title: Control Your Career), what I've learned about the difference between coaching and writing, and why I finally admitted I needed help.
What I'm Writing
This book is based on my Control Your Career process, the same system I use with every client. Most career books are built on frameworks from the 1950s and 60s. They assume everyone starts from the same place and responds to the same advice. That's just not real.
The book structure:
Part One: Walk through the five-stage Control Your Career process. It's like having a career coach in a book.
Part Two: Common career challenges and how to use the process to work through them. A resource you come back to throughout your career.
Stage One: Realistic Reality
I just finished writing Stage One, Realistic Reality. It's about figuring out what is actually real in your situation. Not the story you've told yourself. Not where LinkedIn says you should be. What is REAL.
Here's what I learned while writing it: I'm not solving anything for you in this section. I'm helping you see what's real.
This book isn't about steps or formulas. It meets you wherever you're at, regardless of your background or career level. That's what makes it different.
The Writing Process
I Wrote More in 1.5 Months Than in 8 Months
I'm going to be blunt: I'm not self-disciplined enough to write a book on my own. I wrote more in the last month and a half than I did in the previous eight months. The difference? I hired a writing coach.
I needed someone to report to because being accountable to myself doesn't work. It never has. And once I admitted that and stopped pretending otherwise, everything changed.
The Coach vs. Author Breakthrough
I'm a coach first, author second. So when I started writing, I naturally wrote it the way I coach, solving problems, asking questions in real time. It took me a few sections to realize: this doesn't work on the page.
Writing a book, I can't respond to you. So, I have to guide you to uncover your own reality. That shift changed everything.
What's Working
- Writing coach = game changer
- Outlining (even though I hate outlines)
- Knowing when to stop if the writing isn't coming
- Writing on our exercise bike (yes, really, it works perfectly for me)
What I'm Still Figuring Out
- Balancing writing with business and life
- Not over-explaining everything
- Being okay with a bad first draft (so hard for perfectionists)
Why I Said No for Years
I rejected writing a book for a long time. People told me I should, and I kept saying no. Why? I didn't want to write the same old career book that sounds like everyone else.
I only started when I found my anchor point, when I figured out what would make this book different and core to my message. Will it be a marketing tool? Yes. But it's also THE foundational book for my work.
About AI
I'm not using AI to write or edit this book. This writing is coming from my brain, my voice, my experience. I am using AI for planning and outlining, as a thought partner, but the actual writing? That's all me.
Where We're At
The book is happening. Stage One is mostly done. I've got my writing coach keeping me honest. And I'm learning that writing a book is just like building a career, you need a realistic view of where you are before you can get where you're going.
If you're a potential reader, stay tuned for updates. If you're a writer, get some accountability. And if you're both? Welcome to the chaos.
Want updates? Subscribe to my email list or follow the podcast.
Email list: https://ridethetidecollective.com/emailsignup/
Writing a book? Connect with me on Instagram or LinkedIn, I'd love to hear about your process.
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