Authors Who Lead - Learn to write a book from bestselling authors and leaders

Why Authors Sometimes Hate Their Own Book, And What To Do Next

Send a textI often feel we take communication for granted, assuming it’s just about relaying information. Yet, in my latest conversation, I sat down with Sage Hobbs—author of Naked Communication—to explore how communication rooted in authenticity and curiosity can radically alter our relationships at work, at home, and within ourselves. Our talk was a candid look at what it really takes to write a book, launch it (twice), and confront your own vulnerabilities.Timestamp:00:00 Writing to connect authentically05:28 Reflections on teaching and growth08:18 Writing reveals self-discovery11:30 Loss, reflection, and renewal14:01 Reflections on growth and change17:02 Curiosity can transform the world22:17 Facing fear through writing24:13 Merging grief and professional growth28:57 Connection over job titles30:13 Who is this not for?33:56 Connecting with the authorFull show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your book🤫 Secret Podcast: Born to Write, Scared to Start⭐ You're Allowed to Write This BookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage

From Ideas to Manuscript: How True Human Evolved Through Writing and Honesty | Samantha Sweetwater

Send a textIn this episode of Authors Who Lead, I sit down with Samantha Sweetwater to discuss how her book True Human: Reimagining Ourselves at the End of Our World evolved from scattered ideas into a cohesive manuscript through patience, humility, and honesty.We explore what it means to write during a time of ecological, technological, and cultural transformation—and why authorship requires more than inspiration. Samantha shares the four-year journey of shaping her ideas, letting go of what didn’t belong, and allowing the book to mature into its final form.Timestamp:00:00 Reimagining humanity in the Anthropocene04:10 Writing to reveal oneself08:56 Guide to radical civilizational transition10:13 Responses to the personal transformation chapter13:24 Navigating a transcontextual crisis16:34 Patience nurtures ideas into form20:49 Why this book resonates24:56 AI cover art collaboration29:09 Authors’ long-term success plan32:35 Regenerative devotion and resilience35:01 Books thrive through community38:03 True Human: the author journeyFull show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your book🤫 Secret Podcast: Born to Write, Scared to Start⭐ You're Allowed to Write This BookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage

How to Find Confidence to Start Writing Your Book | Azul Terronez

Send us a textIf you’re waiting for a surge of confidence before you start writing your book, you’re not alone. I’ve spent years hosting the Authors Who Lead Podcast, talking with authors at every stage of the journey, and one belief comes up again and again: “I just need a little more confidence before I begin.”Here’s the truth I’ve learned—confidence rarely shows up first. Action does. And waiting for confidence is often the very thing keeping us stuck.Timestamp:00:00 Confidence comes through action05:14 Embracing change and self-expression08:13 Take action, publish your book10:47 Purpose drives creationFull show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your book🤫 Secret Podcast: Born to Write, Scared to Start⭐ You're Allowed to Write This BookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage

Memoir Writing Tips from Film and Television Executive Barbara Caver

Send us a textIn this episode, I sit down with Barbara Caver, a film and television production executive, passionate traveler, and first-time memoirist. Her debut memoir, A Little Piece of Cuba, weaves together Cuban heritage, family memory, and a life-changing trip in a way that resonates far beyond cultural boundaries.In our conversation, Barbara and I talk openly about the creative process, emotional roadblocks, and how lived experience slowly becomes a finished book. What emerged is a powerful reminder for aspiring authors: memoir isn’t about recording everything that happened — it’s about listening to what memory insists on telling.Timestamp:00:00 Cuban heritage memoir journey06:15 Writing progress through collaboration06:56 Writing, reflection, and evolving stories12:17 Overcoming challenges to keep writing16:26 From idea to published book18:49 Second-generation language struggles22:51 Memoir and memory’s subjectivity23:46 Cinder Bottom: a fictional memoir27:13 Unintentional intimacy in writing33:05 Daily writing builds momentum35:00 Seeing and describing deeper37:32 Author updates and Substack contentFull show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your bookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage

Kathryn Henry: Why Clarity Comes Through Writing, Not Before It

Send us a textWhat if grief wasn’t something to get over, but something that could teach us how to live?In this deeply moving conversation, Azul Terronez sits down with executive, speaker, and author Kathryn Henry to discuss her memoir, A Dime to Say I Love You. After losing her wife Lisa following a decade-long battle with cancer, Kathryn began writing not just to remember, but to heal, to listen, and to live more fully.This is a conversation about love, non-attachment, forgiveness, and what happens when writing becomes a spiritual practice. It’s also about trusting the story that wants to be written and letting it change you in the process.Timestamp:00:00 Lessons through loss and healing05:31 Unexpected endings and acceptance08:18 Rediscovering our true essence09:49 Forgiveness: a gift to yourself16:28 Memoir writing and reflection17:19 Intentional introspection and spirituality22:17 Honoring experiences amid challenges24:57 Living a life I love28:52 Peaceful passing and dime moments31:16 Audiobook out now: Katherine HenryFull show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your bookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage