PYG 102: Say yes to the opportunity

If you've been listening to the podcast, you know I've been in Italy for the past week or so, and it's been an amazing trip, I've had a great time. But I was reflecting on the fact that I almost didn't come. About six weeks ago,a friend asked me to join her in Italy since she'd be traveling here for a conference. I did something I normally don't do - I didn't hesitate. I said yes.

 

I've been thinking about ways to get more adventure into my routine, because I've been head down grinding on behalf of my family, and my academy programs for the past two years.

 

Taking a vacation or traveling anywhere internationally used to be on my mind all the time, but in this new season, it has been completely off the radar for me. And funny enough, I've written the words adventure and travel in my journal and on my vision board, but haven't made the time to create any intentional plans.

 

So when my friend asked me if I'd like to meet her in Italy I just said yes. I had to make sure my husband would be in town to cover the kids, that I wouldn't be out of town speaking, and that I wouldn't miss anything major. But I remember saying "count me in" as I hung up the phone with her, checked my calendar, checked in with my husband, and looked into the price of flights.

 

I said yes because the opportunity resonated so deeply with me, and spoke directly to what I'd already verbalized. When the opportunity to have an adventure and get some travel in presented itself it spoke to me on a soul level.

 

Now reflecting back on the week that just passed, I'm in awe of the opportunity to step away from my routine and get refocused and re-energized on the opportunity that is my life. While seeing some of the places I've always wanted to see, and experiencing Europe as a person of means (not a broke college student) has been powerful, it has also made me reflect on why I don't say yes more often.

 

I love the process of travel because it allows you to get some distance from your day to day. When you're not in the thick of things, you can get the perspective that you're too close to observe when you're in the weeds of your life and business. My friend and I were reflecting on the year that has passed, and while I'm so proud of the things I've been able to make happen in the last 12 months, I had to call myself out on not tackling one big specific goal.

 

About a year and a half ago, I helped my son publish his first book, and he's gone on to publish two other titles. The process of helping him allowed me to see very clearly where I was falling short on my own goal to write and publish a book, so in packaging his genius I got a clear confirmation that it was time for me to finally write Package Your Genius and get it out into the world. I poured my heart and soul into the project and spent the first half of the year writing and editing the book and published it in early fall. I promoted it on social media and did a moderate amount of press, but nothing crazy. I put it out there, got a good response and felt good about checking that book off the list. Because if you know anything about me, you know I have about 3 other books currently in the queue. So this was just the first.

 

But something started tugging at my heart shortly after I published the book. And that was this bigger vision of publishing other people's books - not ghost writing the books and assisting them with the process. But being a full on publisher focused on amplifying marginalized voices, especially women of color who want to write non-fiction books tied to their professional expertise. So I had this big insight, then I did nothing.

 

I did what we do when we're staring our big dream in the face. I talked myself out of it. I told myself that to do what I really want to do - launch a boutique publishing imprint - would be impossible. Who would I publish? How would the process work? How would the marketing and distribution work? Where would I find authors? What about all of the parts of the process that aren't my expertise - the legal, creative, artwork? How would royalties work? What about author advances? Would people pay for this process, like a coaching program? Or would I take on their projects for a slice of the future revenue potential?

 

So many questions hit me and I got bogged down in the details. Paralysis settled in. I didn't move. Instead I mentally pushed this dream to the back of my dream drawer, and locked it tight.

 

But the funny thing about an opportunity when it is YOUR opportunity? It will come back and find you - haunt you even - when you're least expecting it. It will find its way out of that locked drawer and back to the forefront of your mind, because once you think it, verbalize, and let's not even think about what happens when you write it down - it's in the ether.

 

Like me writing the words adventure and travel down on my vision board, but taking no intentional steps to book a trip, and then a friend proposing the perfect remedy to my rut, the same thing happened with my kernel of an idea around publishing.

 

No less than a month after I verbalized wanting to publish others, a friend mentioned how she'd love to write a book, but had no idea where to start. Then a client mentioned how having a book would be a great way to build more leverage at her speaking engagements, but she needed to sit down and think through how to make it work. Then while in Florida speaking at a conference, I randomly ran into an alum of PYGA. She mentioned that ever since her cohort wrapped up she's been thinking about how she can make her book happen, but she knows she can't do it alone.

 

Three separate confirmations from three separate people showing me a pathway to do what I already said I wanted to do.

 

And would you believe I still wasn't convinced? That's what I've been exploring this week in Italy.

 

Why am I fighting against what I already claimed?

It It just about fear?

Not believing it can work?

It could totally not work.

But it totally COULD work.

 

When you think about traditional publishers - Random House and Penguin all started somewhere, likely with one person or a small team of people that had a vision. They had to start somewhere. Maybe where I am right now is where it starts.

 

If this trip has taught me nothing else, it is that I can't lose when I say yes to the opportunity I already put out there. Why can't my publishing imprint be my next thing?

 

But whether it is my next thing or not, I'm not willing to waste any more time languishing in indecision. What about you? How much more time will you spend overthinking? How many more times will you pass on the opportunity to do what we truly want?

 

When confirmation presents itself, just say yes. And see what happens. You never know, it just might work.