From Burnout to Book Deal with Dr. Jen Rafferty, author of The Empowered Educator

A book deal is not just about having a good idea. It is about becoming the kind of person who can carry that idea all the way into the world.

In this episode of *Kind of a Big Book Deal*, Meghan Stevenson sits down with Dr. Jen Rafferty, educator, TEDx speaker, founder of Empowered Educator, and author of *The Empowered Educator*. Jen shares how burnout, divorce, motherhood, and a major life reset led her from the classroom to building a mission-driven business and eventually landing a book deal with Penguin Random House.

Together, Meghan and Jen walk through the real path behind traditional publishing, including market potential, platform growth, proposal development, literary agent rejections, publisher interest, and the patience required to bring a book to life. Jen also shares why visibility has to feel safe, why there is no fast shortcut to a meaningful book deal, and how the “why times five” exercise can help authors get clear on the deeper reason behind their work.

This episode is for entrepreneurs, experts, and creators who want to write a book without losing sight of their purpose, their pace, or their important work.

Dr. Jen Rafferty is an educator, an author, a TEDx speaker, and the founder of Empowered Educator, an organization transforming the culture of education by placing educator well-being at the center of school success. She holds a Ph.D. in educational psychology, degrees in music education and vocal performance, and certifications in Emotional Intelligence and Neuro-Identity Evolution. As a former middle school music teacher, Jen knows firsthand the challenges and joys of life in the classroom, and the toll it can take when personal well-being comes last. Her own journey from burnout to balance ignited her mission to help educators reconnect with their purpose, restore their energy, and feel empowered as leaders both in and out of the classroom.

Find Jen on social
IG: @jenrafferty_
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jenrafferty/
FB Group: @empowerededucatorfacultyroom

Get The Empowered Educator at https://www.empowerededucator.com/book.

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(1:34) Meet Dr. Jen Rafferty and The Empowered Educator
(3:39) Jen’s transition from classroom teacher to entrepreneur
(6:07) The first P: market potential
(8:58) The second P: growing platform and visibility
(13:22) Why there is no fast path to a book deal
(16:38) The third P: building a strong book proposal
(20:38) Sending the proposal to literary agents
(24:53) Publisher interest and the Penguin Random House deal
(28:38) Why Jen hired help to write the book
(31:45) Why the book timeline required patience
(34:54) The “why times five” exercise for authors
(40:46) Turning a personal why into a strong business message
(47:21) Jen’s best advice for future authors
(50:17) Free resources from Empowered Educator
(50:37) Outro

Have a great idea for a book but don't know where to start? MeghanStevenson.com/quiz


Traditional publishing expert Meghan Stevenson blasts open the gates of the “Big 5”—Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Macmillan—to share what every entrepreneur and expert needs to know about landing a book deal. 

In episodes released every Monday, Meghan shares wisdom and stories from 20+ years in publishing as well as interviews with authors, literary agents, and editors. She also answers questions from listeners like you. 

Whether you are an experienced entrepreneur with an empire, or are just starting out—this podcast will help you understand what you need to do in order to turn your dream of being a bestselling author into real life. 

Transcript

Stay Focused Amid Distractions

SPEAKER_01 0:00

I would say don't become distracted from your important work. There's so much to be distracted by right now. It's easy to hop on social media and Zoom scroll. It's easy to turn on Netflix that turns into, you know, 10 episodes of the same show. It's easy to sit at your computer and let the days go by without actually living it and just sitting there working or writing or whatever it is you're doing. And be very clear about what your work is.

Podcast Welcome And Guest Introduction

Meghan 0:33

Welcome to the Kind of a Big Book Deal podcast where entrepreneurs come to learn about traditional publishing. I'm your host, Megan Stevenson. After working as an editor for two of the biggest traditional publishers, I started my own business helping entrepreneurs to become authors. To date, my clients have earned over $7 million from publishers including Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, Harper Collins, and Hay House, just to name a few. In these podcast episodes, I will blast open the well-kept gates to traditional publishing. I'm going to explain what every entrepreneur needs to know about landing a book deal without losing your mind. I'm going to share stories, answer your questions, interview the successful authors I've had the pleasure to work with, and probably say platform more than a tech bro. So if you dream of landing on a bestseller list but have no idea how, this is the podcast for you. And I am so, so glad you're here. Y'all, we have another guest episode coming at you. So Dr. Jen Rafferty is an educator, author, TEDx speaker, and the founder of Empowered Educator, an organization transforming the culture of education by placing educator well-being at the center of school success. She holds a PhD in educational psychology, degrees in music education and vocal performance, as well as certifications in emotional intelligence and neuroidentity evolution. She's a former middle school teacher and knows firsthand the challenges and joys of life in the classroom, as well as the toll it can take to be an entrepreneur, to be an educator, and to be in a role where personal well-being comes last. Don't we all know that? Her own journey from burnout to balance ignited her mission to help educators reconnect with their purpose, restore her energy, and feel empowered as leaders both inside and outside of the classroom. And the real reason we're here, her book, The Empowered Educator: 10 Lessons to Prevent Burnout, Reclaim Your Joy, and Unlock Your Teaching Potential, comes out literally the day after this podcast goes live, August 4th, 2026, from the number one publisher in America, Pub Penguin Random House. And I am so, so excited to share with y'all about Jen's work and to talk with Jen about it. So, Jen, welcome to the kind of a big book deal podcast. Thank you. I'm excited to have this conversation. Okay. So I have to admit that I know more about you personally than the average author I work with. And that is because we met inside of a coaching container run by the amazing Tracy Litt from the School of Becoming way back in like 2020, I think. Yes, it was 2020. It was so long ago, in fact, that you were working as a teacher still in the classroom.

From Classroom Burnout To Entrepreneurship

Meghan 3:29

Can you share a little bit with everybody listening about your background and how you became an entrepreneur?

SPEAKER_01 3:35

Sure. So yes, when we met, it was during COVID, it was the fall of 2020. So at that point, I had been teaching music, middle school music, which I loved, by the way, for about 15 years. And I thought I was going to do that for my entire career. I think if you would have asked me then if I was burnt out, I would have said no. But looking back on my experience, I was definitely burnt out. And I was completely hiding in plain sight, even from myself. All to say was that whole year was pretty tumultuous for me, in addition to what was going on in the world. My husband and I decided we were going to get a divorce in December of 2019. And I moved out with my two kids who were five and seven at the time. The same weekend the world shut down in March of 2020. So it was pretty wild. So, you know, everything I thought I was the day before, all of a sudden I didn't feel like I was anymore. You know, I wasn't living in my house. I was no longer a wife. I wasn't teaching the way that I was used to. Singing itself was considered very dangerous back then. And so I really had to come to grips with who I was and who I wanted to be, and how to make a bridge to get there. So I decided to stay home for what I thought would just be a semester, to homeschool my kids, which maybe is a conversation for another day. But I did that for uh what ended up being a year, started my PhD that same fall, which is when I met you in one of Tracy's containers, and dove into the research more about cognitive neuroscience, which always fascinated me, especially as a middle school educator, and emotional intelligence and high-level mindset work alongside my own healing journey. And I realized that teacher burnout wasn't anything new. We just couldn't ignore it anymore at that time. So I resigned from a job that I loved and I started Empowered Educator from my dining room table as a newly single mom. And now here we are in 2026 working with Penguin Random House and bringing this big, beautiful book into the world.

Why Turn The Work Into A Book

Meghan 5:39

I love it. I love it so much. So listeners of this podcast are gonna be super familiar with my three P framework to get a book deal. And I'd love to use your book as an example of how this works in action. So are you up for it? Absolutely. Okay. So the first P is potential, which means does this book have potential in the market? So let's talk about the problem. Why did you want to turn the work of Empowered Educator into a book? Like why that format? What was your mission? What was the inspiration?

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Great question. And I actually remember you asking me this on one of our two calls that we had before I had even agreed to work with you. And truly, it was I had seen the results of the work working with my clients, where the teachers I was working with, kind of a B2C format individually, were clearly making different choices for themselves and how they were showing up in and out of the classroom. They went from feeling exhausted with a sense of helplessness to all of a sudden finding this renewed sense of energy and joy and remembered their sense of agency, which is really what we do here at Empowered Educator. And so that was one part of it. And then I had the opportunity to work more and more with whole school communities. So I saw this work on not just the individual level, but also what happened when multiple people within a school community were participating, whether it be teachers, school nurses, office staff, parents, administrators. And that was changing the whole culture of a school. And so what interested me in doing it in this format was really access. How do we get more people on board as a runway into the business and the work that we get to do here and how we make massive change for with the people that we engage with, um, but also a way to maintain the work in between the times where we're actively engaging. So it was a way for people to continue to have their own agency and how they engage with the work with or without me.

Meghan 7:51

I love that. And that I think when we think about potential, that's a really good description of it, right? It fits into your business, it stands alone from your business, but it also fits in for your existing clients, brings new clients into the fold, gives them something to take away from working with you. It's all this, it's a product within your greater offerings at Empowered Educator. And on my side, I work with a lot of educators. You can see Erica Jordan Thomas's seven-figure educator, which hit the USA Today list behind me. And the publishing loves educators, it's one of those micro niches that they love because educators buy books, right? And so for me, having worked with Kyle Schwartz and Jamie Sears and Erica, I knew that this book had a marketability in the industry. And so it definitely had potential, which brings me to the two Ps or second P, which is a platform.

Building A Platform That Feels Safe

Meghan 8:45

So before we started working together, you were in a position that a lot of people listening to this podcast are in. So you had a great book idea, but you needed to grow your audience, your platform, your visibility. I feel like we didn't have a formal conversation around that, but I think we you probably got that conversation when we were in person together at one of Tracy's retreats. So you needed to grow, right? You need to grow your audience, you need to grow your author platform, you need to grow yourself, you need to grow your visibility out in the broader world before a book deal was really possible. So how did you do that? How did you wrap your mind around all that growth that had to happen?

SPEAKER_01 9:22

So there are two things that happen. One, I think I had very much of a hands-on way of building that, and the other I think happened just because the stars aligned. And I'll start with the first one first. You know, my mission is to get empowered educator into the hands of every teacher that needs to happen. So what I needed to do internally was to make all that visibility feel really safe. That means doing things that felt super uncomfortable, like lives on Instagram when that first started to be a thing, and really dig into my network and grow my network, go to the conferences, make the cold emails, make the cold calls, being able to sell the ideas of what we do here in a way that is valuable to a potential client. And coming from the teaching space, those aren't necessarily skills that we hone as educators. However, at the towards the end of my career, I actually got really interested in a lot of marketing books because I thought to myself, you know, as educators, we want all of this information to stick. Who's really good at that? Oh, advertising and marketing. So I read a lot. I read Dan Heath, I read Seth Godin, I read, you know, there were like a lot of these prolific advertisers and marketers that I thought were really interesting, that I used their concepts in my classroom. So when I became an entrepreneur, it was a really easy bridge for me to be like, oh, right, I'm just gonna tap into these things that I already know to be true and test it in my classroom and just see what happens over here. COVID allowed me to be in this place, especially as I was re-identifying myself as a woman. I was, I was, you know, re-establishing myself as a career person in this world. I had a clean slate. And so I did a lot of throwing spaghetti at the wall without any attachments to what would happen or what kind of result I thought would be. I was, I, I was really fortunate to have some place space with this. So I leaned in and I made sure I was having fun in the process. I don't remember any of that feeling particularly heavy or hard. Challenging, yes, but exciting and interesting was was is what comes to mind as I think back on those earlier years. And so the outreach became bigger and the audience became bigger as I continued to grow and do more of that kind of work. And then I had the opportunity to be on the TEDx stage, which was an incredible full circle moment for me because I got to do it at my alma mater in at Ithaca College. The theme happened to have been empowerment. So when I saw it, I was like, oh, that's that one's mine. And I was one of 10 people that were chosen for that event, which was incredible. And a friend of mine took a clip of that and she's she put it together and she said, Jen, post that on TikTok and Instagram. It's gonna go viral. And it did. And over 4.2 million people have seen that clip, and it keeps circling around every year, every teacher appreciation week, every start of the school year. And it's it's a really powerful message. And I think having that potent mic drop moment of that sound bite that was transferable in a lot of different platforms really helped get my message out there and get my name into the ether, which allowed me to build that platform.

Meghan 13:07

I love it. I love it. Now, I know that a lot of entrepreneurs, experts, and creators who want to write a book want to know the right and the fastest way, the right way and the fastest way to get a book deal. As an expert in both educational psychology and as an author who has walked this road yourself, what advice would you give

Patience Over Fast Publishing Promises

Meghan 13:27

those folks?

SPEAKER_01 13:29

You're not gonna like what I have to say. It's patience.

Meghan 13:33

Okay, so yeah. This was the secret thing.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Yeah. Um, yeah, I saw right through that one. I mean, come on, there's there's uh, there's no right, fast way. There just isn't. And I and I get it, right? Like we all want the magic pill. And I think at the levels that we're reaching as entrepreneurs who really want to expand and get that book deal, it's really easy to put trust in a lot of external things and experts that tell you what to do, especially if it sounds appealing of fast and quote unquote right. And I I've learned this lesson over and over and over and over again, and they have been very expensive lessons. Um, you need to trust yourself. And the the road to where you want to be comes with patience, comes with grace, and comes with getting quiet enough to really understand is the discomfort that you're feeling right now the discomfort of growth, or is it the discomfort of something that doesn't feel aligned? And so often we choose the thing that might not feel aligned, but with has promises of being a quick fix. And it's really important that you sit in that discomfort and discern the difference between the two. Because I'll tell you, signing with you was wildly uncomfortable. However, sitting in that discomfort was very clear to me that this was aligned, that there were no false promises of fast and and right. It was what felt aligned for me and how did what you were offering fit into that vision that I had for myself. And I bet on myself, and and here we are. But that took a whole lot of patience. And we started talking. I looked back in my notes before this podcast, a year and a half before I actually signed with you. Because a year and a half prior, sure, the concept was there. I don't think I had the platform yet, but I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready to make that step of visibility, uh, even though maybe at the time I thought I thought that I was. Getting really quiet allowed me time to to realize I needed some more, some more space and and more growth before I was really aligned with doing something like this.

Meghan 16:06

Yep, yep. And that's not uncommon. You know, our sales cycle for some people is up to two years because they have the idea or they find out about us or they get introduced to us, or I go chase them down. And when I do that, then I discover, oh, hey, they're not ready yet. And we we definitely I want to give them space

What Surprised Her About Proposals

Meghan 16:23

to do that. But we did work together on your proposal, and this is the last P, right? So you have potential, you have the platform, you're ready, you signed. Proposal time. What part of the proposal process surprised you, if anything?

SPEAKER_01 16:38

How in depth it was. You know, I was original the the reason why this even got started, I was approached by another publisher and said, Hey, we see what you're doing. I was pretty visible at the time. You know, do you wanna do you want to consider writing a proposal for us? And you know, you and I had known each other at the time, and I was like, well, I don't want to do anything before I talk to Megan. So I I had called you and I kind of worked through what does that even mean? What does that look like? And the the truth is, I guess there's two two things. There always seems to be two things to your to your questions. The the first part of it was I didn't know how to write a proposal. And so if I wanted to put something out into the world that had a chance of doing the thing that I really saw for this idea, it needed to be done right and it needed to be done by experts. And the second thing is there is such a steep learning curve that even if I did want to do this myself, such a steep learning curve for this. And at the time I was building my business, I'm a mom of two young kids. I was writing my dissertation at the time for my PhD. And I knew that I even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to put out the kind of products that a publisher or an agent would say, yeah, that's something that I want. It needed to be done professionally. And so that to me was a no-brainer after we talked about what was involved. I think really how how deep it was, not just in the concept of the book, but half of it's about how we're gonna sell this thing. And while I I could I could probably pull something together, it was it would have you know been nothing compared to what you're able to do. This is your line of work. And so for me, if we're gonna outsource something, you know, lean on the experts who know really what they're doing so that you can put the best product out there into the world.

Meghan 18:39

100%. So, what came easier in that process than you thought?

SPEAKER_01 18:45

I love the collaboration piece of it. You know, at the time I was working with Claudia and she and I had a great rapport. I didn't really know what to expect. And what I loved about it was once a week I had somebody asking me really interesting questions about my work, thought-provoking ideas that she offered about different perspectives that, you know, being in it, it's it's so nice to have somebody on the outside looking in, asking you questions. So there were things that she was able to draw out of me that I don't think I would have done naturally or in a timely fashion because I'm I'm so in it. And so that was a really lovely surprise. I looked forward to our sessions every week. I left feeling energized, inspired, ready to go try out some new phrase that we had just kind of figured out together or started to write some other contents because I felt so good about what we were doing. It was it was really refreshing, the whole process. I really enjoyed it.

Meghan 19:58

That's awesome. That's so great. I love it. Now, when we've complete a proposal, we don't leave you hanging, right?

Submitting To Agents And Handling Noes

Meghan 20:06

So, like when you have what I call a saleable book proposal, and most people do, because I'm picking people on those three Ps, right? So, like they're gonna have a saleable book proposal. When that happens, I introduce my clients to literary agents because I don't go direct to publishers, literary agents do that. So, how did you feel when your proposal was being sent out to literary agents?

SPEAKER_01 20:28

So that process was interesting timing because we sent it out probably around this time of year, and that's when things are kind of quiet in the publishing, you know, industry. And so I had a really deep knowing that whatever was going to happen was supposed to happen. And I didn't even consider that this wouldn't get off the ground, that that wasn't a that wasn't a thought in my mind. So the waiting game that happens didn't feel painful, it didn't feel uncomfortable, it felt intentional and purposeful, and I felt deeply that every no that we received from a literary agent was really important feedback. I'm working on a similar project, this is great, but it doesn't fit into my portfolio right now. Um, I'm booked up, I don't have room for this type of project. And none of that feedback was, I hate this idea. I don't think this is going to work. None of them. And so, as the as the feedback was coming in, even though they were no's, I felt more and more encouraged that the right person was going to pick this up and understand really what it is we were doing here. And that's exactly what happened. We found someone who was an excellent fit, and I felt really comfortable. Handing over this project to her that she would be a strong advocate when she went to push it out to the publishers.

Meghan 22:08

What was it like after getting all those rejections hearing that somebody wanted to? That like a literary agent was like, Yes, I believe in Dr. Jen.

SPEAKER_01 22:17

I was, I was really excited about it. I, you know, I it wasn't a moment where I was like, oh, finally, or or I can't believe this is happening. I think truly there was this deep knowing that I had inside of me that this book was supposed to be out in the world. And I was really looking forward to to meeting her and having that conversation just because it aligned with what I thought was going to happen. I can't describe it any other way. I I I don't I don't have that moment of um, I don't have that memory at that point of that complete, I can't believe this is happening because I I knew it was supposed to happen this way. So it was almost like um everything falling into place as it as it was meant to. So coming into that meeting, I felt so certain. Um, because even after that meeting, if she was like, nope, not for me, then that she wasn't my person. So it was a complete detachment of outcome, where in the work, you know, that we do, kind of personally, you and I, that's something that we talk about a lot, detachment from outcome. But I'll be honest with you, when we were living in the real world, especially when stakes feel really high, uh, that's not always easy to do. But for whatever, but for whatever reason with this thing, I truly felt this deep sense of knowing. And so it all felt good and it all felt correct.

Meghan 23:47

I love it. Yeah, I was gonna say, like, this is the most grounded approach. I have a couple authors where I'm like, you are the chillest cat. And where are you gonna freak out? Like, I was like, what is gonna trigger this bitch, you know? Um, because nothing is, but like I think it is that management of the thought of like, you know, we've done a lot of personal growth work both separately and together. And I was like, I think that that that does give you a little bit of a different perspective of it. You're not listening seeking that external validation, you're not chasing something, you're actually being you're doing what the publishing industry actually wants, which is like inviting people to the table and saying, Hey, do you want to partner with me on this project? Yes, which is a little different than like please, please like me energy. Yes. Um completely. Okay.

Editors, Offers And The Deal Celebration

Meghan 24:36

So did that experience change when your agent sent the proposal out to editors? Yes. Yeah, it sure gets triggered.

SPEAKER_01 24:50

Yeah, it sure did. Uh, but not in not in that needy energy. What happened was that too, it was weird timing. It happened to have been sent out like right before Thanksgiving. And so it's like, okay, you know, we'll we'll see what we'll see. And you know, we ended up getting offers for meetings and offers, period, right away. So it wasn't this the space where I was like, you know, kind of biting my fingers, like, here we go, it's go time, let's see. We at that point had collectively put together such an excellent proposal. And then with my literary agents Two Cents Two, and what she wanted to see as she put it out to the editors, it was such a strong product. And so within days, I would say 48 hours, we were getting responses. And so that part was so exciting. That was the moment where I was like, it's happening. We're having like a book, baby. You know, it's like I called my sister, like, it's happening, it's happening now, it's now. So that was a moment where I was just so excited that, okay, I see, I get it. Like Megan got it, my literary agent got it. And now here are these publishers who really understand not just me, but the um the whole idea of what empowered educator stood for and what we were trying to do here. And so to get that many people behind it was that was really validating and and exciting for what was going to then come next.

Meghan 26:25

I love that so, so much. Okay. How did you celebrate getting your book deal?

SPEAKER_01 26:32

Uh, I was actually in Miami when I had the last meeting, which was with Penguin. I had four or five meetings, and the last one was with Penguin. I was there for Art Basil. It was the first time I had gone there. It was so cool. So being there for that was kind of the start of like, all right, we're gonna have this, you know, an answer within the next week. Um, and I remember getting home doing the negotiations. I remember we were on the phone. I was on the phone with my agent, kind of going back and forth. And my daughter was here with her friend. And as soon as the deal was like, okay, this is it, you know, verbal agreement. I remember I can cry, just like screaming at my computer and grabbing my daughter and squeezing her. And she didn't really understand what was going on. She's 11. You know what I mean?

Meghan 27:23

And I was just like, she was like, okay, great, I get a book at the Scholastic Fair, right?

SPEAKER_01 27:31

Yeah, it was very cute. I mean, she did the best she could, but she really didn't understand what's going on. Um, and it was a full-on celebration then, you know, that the whole rest of the month with my family. I'm very close with my family. And so we ever every time we we had an opportunity to get together, it was a big cheers and a big celebration. And it has continued to be that. It's been a long process, I think from beginning to end, three almost three full years. Yeah.

Meghan 27:57

Almost three full years, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

Yeah. So the the idea of um continued celebration has always been part of what we do. There's updates that you know, everyone wants to know how along the pro what the editing was like, what chapter are you doing, when does this happen? So it's it's been a very familial experience. It hasn't it hasn't just been mine.

Meghan 28:21

That's so awesome. I do want to talk briefly about the book writing

Getting Help Writing The Book

Meghan 28:26

process. So, you know, we got the deal. Why did you come back and say, Megan, please, please help me write my book? Like, why? Because I think at the beginning you were like, I don't know, I kind of want to write my own book, but I I need help with the proposal, right? And a lot of authors feel that way. So I think I would love to hear why you decided to hire help for your book.

SPEAKER_01 28:47

Yeah, I think, you know, I didn't know enough about it to make an informed decision prior to us having a professional relationship. And what I learned from the proposal process carried over through the book writing process. You know, the idea for Empowered Educator is to get the best product out into the world. I'm a great writer. You know, I do a lot of writing, I roll my dissertation. Writing this kind of a book requires a different type of writing. And I wanted it to be an excellent product, and that was worth the investment to me, where my ideas could be clearly communicated, my concepts can be easily digested by the reader. Why not have help, right? You you go to the dentist when you need to go to the dentist, right? Um if you need help with your math homework, you hire a tutor. For me, I wanted to put the best possible thing out into the world. And it was a no-brainer for me to have as much help as I could have. Um, and understanding too, this I think is is a point of confusion or misunderstanding for a lot of people. You know, the book is is mine, right? These are my ideas, these are my concepts, this is my language. Uh, but being able to partner with someone and engage in a way to get those out in a format that can can be accessible, that's what mattered. Because it doesn't matter if I have the best thing to say, if if it's not communicated in a way for people to understand. So that that communication piece was most important because otherwise, like, what are we doing?

Meghan 30:49

Yeah, same idea. And uh speaking back to platform, what does it matter if nobody sees it? Because you don't have an audience, and so you can't promote it, you can't sell it, right? Right. That's equally as important. So I did check my Wayback Machine, otherwise known as my calendar app, because it's actually pretty accurate into going back to like you know, 10, 15 years. And we began our work together nearly three years ago in the fall of 2023. So right now we're talking in the summer of 2026, so almost three years.

SPEAKER_01 31:18

Yeah.

Meghan 31:19

A lot of times, a lot of entrepreneurs, experts, and creators would say three years is too long for any project, even for a book, to wait that long for something to come out. What is your perspective now that you've been through it?

SPEAKER_01 31:34

I have been living with this mantra for the last year and a half, and I and it works for me. I

Why Times Five Exercise For Authors

SPEAKER_01 31:41

put it on every day, like uh like my shirt that I wear every day. You are always on time. And for me, that holds true really in everything, even when you're late, you're always on time. And so as this book process unfolded, that trust and knowing that I was talking about earlier simply carried over into the timeline. There was one publisher who wanted to push it out to 2027, and it that did not feel aligned to me. Um, but it wasn't because I needed to get it out now. It was because it was 2024 and I felt that that was and that was the amount of time that it would take, and other publishers were kind of in that same boat. So that was the only time-related decision that I got to make in that. Um, but you you can't rush it. You you can't rush anything. And that sense of I should be further along, or this shouldn't be taking so long, causes that rush and hustle and that attachment to that outcome that we were talking about before, that makes everything really unpleasant. You know, there are a lot of things in my life, both personally and in my business, that I would like to be on my timeline and maybe like hurry it up a little bit. Uh, but so much of that is out of my control. And for whatever reason, this whole process going through the book, it felt I felt like I was on this really joyful ride. It was just supposed to happen when it was supposed to happen. And you can't rush things that are going to be great. I I couldn't imagine doing this any other way any faster. There's no way.

Meghan 33:30

Yeah, yeah, there's no way. There's just too many people involved, right? It's there's too many processes, there's too many like stakeholders, people, benchmarks, smile jones, whatever other word you want to throw out there. There's just it just takes time, but that's all it is. Um okay, so I must admit that even though your book is for educators, it's really a guide for improving how you think, how you feel, and how you live your life. So The Empowered Educator is literally one of those self-help books that could truly change lives. And I'm definitely making my husband listen to it when it comes out on audiobook. So to show you all why you need to read this book and why you should buy it immediately, Jenna and I are gonna walk you through one exercise that I think will be hopeful for all of you listening to this who want to be an author. So something I have noticed, and I'm talking to a lot, a lot of people about their book ideas and their books. A lot of people want to write a book, but they struggle to articulate why they want to write a book. Um, so Jen, would you lead listeners through the thought exercise you call why times five?

SPEAKER_01 34:43

Sure. This is really important for anything that you do. Uh, this this comes from a place just for some some background, so often in education, there's this, you know, platitude, you know, remember your why, which has become meaningless in in this place because teachers are so burnt out. And when administrators say, well, just remember your why, it usually backfires. And so this particular exercise comes from a place of we really want to action and live our why, not just remember it. And if you're going to be doing anything, especially as an entrepreneur, you have to understand why you're doing it. If you're walking towards nothing, then what are what are you doing? You're gonna be walking in circles, walking backwards. You need to have a direction. And especially if you're going to be investing time, energy, and money in something like a book, you better know why you're you're doing it. So why times five simply starts with the question, you know, why we'll use why do you want to write a book? And I think perhaps people struggle with that because they second guess their answer. And it's really important that you go with your first knee-jerk response. Don't think too hard. What's the first thing that comes up? So um, do you mind, Megan, if we kind of do this together?

Meghan 36:01

No, not at all. I was just like weird, one-sided.

SPEAKER_01 36:04

Yeah, because I think it'll it'll pack a punch if we're able to really exemplify this exercise. So, you know, and you can do a hypothetical if you want. So if we're kind of doing a role reversal, hey Megan, why do you want to write a book? What would you say knee jerk?

Meghan 36:21

The answer I get all the time is to make an impact.

SPEAKER_01 36:26

So the next step in why times five is now why number two. Why is making an impact important to you?

Meghan 36:35

This is what I hear all the time. So my story matters and it can help people.

SPEAKER_01 36:41

So why is it important to you? So this is why number three, that people need to hear your story. Why does that matter?

Meghan 36:52

So this is me projecting the shit out of this because I don't actually know the answer. Sure. But what I see people is like, well, it was important to me. And so now I want to share it. But they don't actually know like who's gonna receive it or how.

SPEAKER_01 37:09

So what exactly? So now this is why number four. What exactly was important to you? When, why was that thing important?

Meghan 37:19

Because it had an impact on me.

SPEAKER_01 37:22

Right. So that so that that's still that's I'm gonna push even further then. So what exactly, right? And then and make something up, right? Just for the sake of this.

Meghan 37:29

And this is great, but like, okay, so like um, let's run through uh somebody I talked to recently. So they were working with children. Um, and so working with parents of children that have mental health stuff, right? So the reason they wanted to do it is because they're an expert and they wanted to share. Well, why do they want to share? Because they know it works. Why does it work? Well, it's because it's uh backed in science. Why is it backed in science?

SPEAKER_01 37:54

Because their research is no, not why is it backed in science is why is that important to you? Why is that important to you that this is that this is backed in science?

Meghan 38:04

Again, projecting because they were a parent in that same situation.

SPEAKER_01 38:09

Yeah, so what happened in that situation that if you had this information makes that important to you?

Meghan 38:17

I think they thought their childhood would have been better.

SPEAKER_01 38:20

Yeah. And why is that important to you for your childhood to have been better?

Meghan 38:27

Obviously, because it causes you pain, right?

SPEAKER_01 38:29

Right. And so that's the five. Because now all of a sudden we're getting to this rule root. I don't want anyone else to feel the pain that I felt when I was a kid. And that it's not even mine, like we're making this up and I feel this emotionally. Yeah, we're making this up, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so it, but I still I feel that. And then all of a sudden, that purpose becomes way more than like I want to make an impact. That's such surface level stuff. I'm writing a book, so kids have parents that would help them have a childhood that wouldn't cause them so much pain that as it caused me. That is a totally different way to approach what you're doing than I want to make an impact. Wouldn't you agree?

Meghan 39:08

Yeah, and that gives you, I think to me, gives you the idea of it gives you that courage to build that platform. Yes. Right? Because it's like you have this idea of uh who am I to go on, you know, I can't go on social and be live or whatever. But it's like at a certain point, it's like, who am I not to do that? Yeah, no one else is out here doing it. Yes, I'm gonna go do it.

SPEAKER_01 39:33

Yes, right. Yes. And when you connect to that really personal part of why, it's irresponsible not to, because then you're you're holding back your story, which you are the only person who's an expert in your story. And that's if that's gonna be the thing that's going to prevent people from feeling so much pain, like we were talking about this example, then that's such a driving force to do the uncomfortable thing, to sign with you, to do the live, to be visible once the book is out in the world. But but staying connected to that really grounds you in that purpose and and makes your conversations with people like you, with potential literary agents or publishing editors more rich and and truly more impactful. So everyone wants to make an impact, right? So what why you, why now? And asking the questions, why is that important to you five times really gets you to that deeper answer.

Meghan 40:35

The other thing I'll say too is if you get to that deeply personal answer, you got to do some work to clear that shit. Because no one is going to receive your trauma in a business setting, which is what traditional

Trauma Versus Business Packaging

Meghan 40:49

publishing is. Because when I was thinking about this, I was like, yes, I'm going through this with a person I talked to who needs to grow a platform, which is like 99% of people. But when I think about the authors behind me, they've got those whys figured out too. Like they've got, and it still comes from that place, that deep emotional place that only their soul can speak to. But they've found ways to wrap it into business packaging. You know, Dr. Erica, every if anyone deserves to be a millionaire, it's an educator. That is a brilliant line, and it comes back to her story ultimately. If you know more about her, you'll understand the links between that. Same thing with like Caitlin V, men's sexuality. Oh, we don't know enough about sex. Oh, men get served terribly. Let me go out and serve this underserved people, like that's all there, but they've learned to talk about it in a way that isn't trauma dumping on everybody, and that is like actually a business proposition.

SPEAKER_01 41:52

Sure. Yeah. Well, getting to that personal level, and I think I'm glad you brought that up because I I can see now how perhaps that can be confusing or conflated, having that very personal why that maybe for some comes from trauma, maybe not, right? My mine certainly doesn't come from trauma, but that doesn't that doesn't mean anything. I we all bring our own personal stories, selves, bitsy little trauma to the table all of the time. Yeah, all the time. Right. So, you know, that that knowing of your your purpose and intentions of writing a book um needs to be different than the packaging of it and how you're showing up to the creation of this thing. And so what is what does that look like for a someone who's going to be on your audience receiving this information, having an ability to empathize and connect and resonate with your story without it being a place for you to dump all of your emotional shit on. So it that's that's a big distinction there, you know, coming from that emotional place for motivation and inspiration, and then being able to talk about it and package it in a way that feels empowered and aligned with what you're trying to do here.

Meghan 43:12

I think too, the point is when you live your why, when you understand the purpose behind what you're doing, right? Not only do you have a direction, but then you start to be less, it let it starts to be less internal and less me, me, me, and more about them, right? Like it starts to be more, okay, I'm gonna have this purpose of helping people. And you know, for me, I'm like, I know what makes a good book, I have the network to make it happen, I have the expertise. Now all I have to do is show up in a way that attracts the clients to me and then choose correct, use my integrity as one of my values and to and my intuition to some degree, to choose the right horses, to choose the right people. And so if that's what I'm doing, but then I'm Um, also is part of my purpose, you know, doing stuff like this that helps everyone else that I can't maybe work with. And so it becomes less about the Megan show and more about okay, here's the segments of authors I see. How can I help every single one? And where do they fit in my business ecosphere? It becomes more about strategy and the book being one piece of that. So that's part of platform building, I really believe. And part

Final Advice And Closing Resources

Meghan 44:26

of business and personal growth that walk together. Like you can't do them together, like separately to me. Um, at least not in an aligned and like beneficial way to everybody around you.

SPEAKER_01 44:37

Yeah.

Meghan 44:38

I mean, you can be a tech bro and build a billion-dollar company and not give a shit about anybody, but but that's not what we're doing here, hopefully. So the idea of like being aligned and like starting from purpose is so useful because that does give you the drive to then do the scary stuff, do the hard stuff, stay with it, be resilient, build that grit, and like then come to the conversation around your book more grounded and more ready for that next step because it is a big next step in visibility and permanence. Like for online entrepreneurs, a book is hella permanent, and that is the scariest thing. They can't take it down, they can't decide not to launch it, they can't pull it off Kajabi, they can't, the internet won't forget it. It will be forever. And so that is that is a challenge too, right? It's not just the visibility, but it's also like you have to own your success as well. You have to promote the book, you have to, you're gonna be the main driver of the sales. So, like it's not, I don't know. I think a lot of people are under the impression that it's easier and simpler than they think. Um, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 45:57

For sure. I think, you know, everyone, everyone has an idea for a book and wants to write a book, and that's wonderful. And it is a long road. It's a journey, it's it's an epic journey, you know, and just like any good story, you're going to have challenges along the way. And oftentimes your biggest challenge ends up being yourself, which is to your point, why your own personal growth and development has to go alongside your professional growth and development. There, there's no other way around it. Your business is a reflection of who you are, and being able to lean in and embrace and embody whatever visibility comes along with writing and publishing a book, your nervous system needs to be ready for it, to not just accept it and live in it, but also grow with it. There's so much potential there, and oftentimes we we become our own roadblocks and our own limitations. So that piece to me is essential.

Meghan 47:04

Yes, I agree. Okay, last question for you. This podcast is for entrepreneurs, experts, and creators who want to land a book deal and write a best-selling book, so small things. What would be your best advice for those folks?

SPEAKER_01 47:18

I would say don't become distracted from your important work. There's so much to be distracted by right now. It's easy to hop on social media and Zoom scroll. It's easy to turn on Netflix that turns into, you know, 10 episodes of the same show. It's easy to sit at your computer and let the days go by without actually living it and just sitting there working or writing or whatever it is you're doing. And be very clear about what your work is. And by work, I'm not I'm not even talking about your business necessarily. You know, your your work in this world is and gets to be your impact. So what do you need to do in order to keep that trail and stay on that path? That requires a holistic life that's well lived. It requires balance, whatever that word means to you. It requires self-love and self-trust. And um sometimes walking away from something to give it some air. But the the distraction piece is so alluring right now that we forget that some of those things that I just described and rest um seem like distractions, be really clear of what is and what is actually going to be helping you walk down that path.

Meghan 48:42

I love that. And the book isn't the end, right? It's not the capstone, it's not the end of anything. And it's just one more piece and your greater impact and your greater contribution, I think is even a better word, right? Like it's not, oh, I'm not here to like impact somebody and like shake their world apart. It's like, no, I'm here to contribute to that person. It's growth and their understanding of themselves and the world and and contribute to their contribution, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 49:09

Yeah, a hundred percent. And and like you said, there's life after the book. You know, I remember doing the TED Talk, and there was all of this, you know, momentum leading up to that moment, and then it happened. And I remember like there was this all of a sudden feeling of, okay, well, well, now what? And you know, there was a recalibration time for you know what happens, all of my time and energy were going into this one thing. And so then life went on, and there were more things to do and more things to build and more things to experience and explore. And so that the same thing, yeah, does does happen with this book. Life will go on, and you get to use this as a tool as part of your bigger impact. It's it's not the thing, even though it is a beautiful, important, special thing. There are so many other moments that are awaiting.

Meghan 50:01

A hundred percent. Well, Jen, thank you so much for coming on the Kind of a Big Book Deal podcast. Y'all, there are a lot of awesome free resources for you available at empowerededucator.com backslash book, including the opportunity to be mentored by Jen directly. I highly recommend you check it out. It includes that free resource of the five whys. And until next time, cheers to your success.