Thought Leadership That Works: Turning Your Book Into Opportunity with Laurinda Calongne

Most authors think the book is the goal. In reality, it’s the starting point.

In this episode, healthcare executive and clinician Laurinda Calongne shares how she turned her book Still Standing: Leading Well-Being in Crisis into a platform for real influence—opening doors to speaking, consulting, and leadership conversations.

Grounded in her experience leading through Hurricane Katrina, a decade of major storms, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Laurinda brings hard-earned credibility to the idea of thought leadership. But what makes this conversation different is the practical path she lays out for turning expertise into opportunity.

We get into the mechanics of nonfiction book marketing that actually reaches decision-makers: how to build a small group of champions who amplify your message, why LinkedIn is often the highest-leverage platform for thought leaders, how to tap into alumni networks and local press, and how to land podcast interviews that expand your reach.

Most importantly, Laurinda breaks down how a book evolves into something much bigger—keynotes, workshops, consulting engagements, and executive coaching—so your ideas don’t just live on the page, but in the rooms where decisions are made.

If you’re writing (or have written) a nonfiction book and want it to create real opportunities—not just sales—this episode gives you a clear, practical roadmap.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Learn more about Launch My Book

Transcript

Joel 0:12

Hi,

Welcome And Quick Subscribe Ask

Joel 0:13

everybody. Welcome to If I'm Being Honest, straight talk about book publishing and promotion. My name is Joel Pitney. I'm the host, and today I'm very excited to have Lorinda Kalloin. She is a medical clinician and healthcare executive. She's done that for over 30 years, and she's written a new book, which my company actually helped her publish, called Still Standing, Leading Well-Being in Crisis, Crisis Tested Healthcare Systems. And today we're going to be talking about her, her work, why she wrote the book, and also how to how do you how you can use a nonfiction book in particular to help build a thought leadership brand, which is something that she's done. So welcome, Lorinda.

Laurinda 0:55

Thank you so much, Joel. It's a pleasure to be with you today.

Joel 0:59

That's awesome. And by the way, just before we dive into the conversation, uh, if you enjoy our podcast, please make sure you subscribe and rate and review it on whatever platform you're listening or watching yet. All

Why She Wrote Still Standing

Joel 1:12

right. So Lorinda, I want to know, and and readers want to know, um, what is this book and why did you decide to write it?

Laurinda 1:22

You know, for me, after I like saying 30 years of healthcare experience because 36 really starts to sound or imply uh my age. So I'm gonna stick with uh write it around 30 years of experience in healthcare. You know, one of the things that I uh worked in South Louisiana, started out as a medical social worker, then became a clinical trauma specialist, and then a healthcare executive. And over the course of 20 years, if you think about the state of Louisiana, uh the state went through Hurricane Katrina, the largest natural disaster uh to ever hit the United States. Um, and then subsequently 10 major hurricanes hit in a 10-year span. And so when I think about leadership, I I think about the incredible colleagues that I worked with over a 20-year period and the fact that we kept showing up while we've lost homes, our families have been displaced, we've been displaced, and we still show up to take care of our patients. And so what I started to notice, Joel, we um, the hospital I was working for was involved in a national initiative through the Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers, and it was about physician burnout. And so I led our organization through um a wonderful initiative that looked at what were the drivers of physician burnout, what was the rate, and then developed solutions to, you know, to implement in the hospital. And I realized that we did everything right. We did everything right. We followed all, you know, the algorithm, the playbook, we did everything right. And then COVID hit.

Burnout Versus Depletion In Crisis

Joel 3:14

Wow. Right.

Laurinda 3:15

Then I started to see something different, and and I think that was the wake-up call for me. I wasn't observing burnout. It was something deeper than burnout, and it's what I call depletion. And I saw it in myself. I started having health issues because I was the leader with all the toolkits, right? Like I was working with team members uh to address our not only our problems, but develop solutions for our organization. And so for me, it was really my own burnout journey of I couldn't go anymore. My body absolutely collapsed and ended up having brain surgery at the height of COVID. And that um medical leave of absence for 16 weeks, it just it was such a wake-up call for me that I could not keep going and using the same tools that I had. I had to do something different. And so for the last four years, I had the opportunity to work at a university, slowed the pace, still had the same purpose. But then that gave me a little bit of time to kind of step away from the day-to-day churn of crisis. Um, and for some reason, I don't know, I just I turned 60 and said, you know, I feel like I have a voice. I still have a voice and I still have a calling. And Joe, throughout my career, I've always been led by purpose, I've always been led by mission. But I felt like this was a deeper calling for me to speak up on behalf of the people that I admire most and those that continue to show up and give their all in any organization. And so this book was uh some, it had a cathartic um element to it, but it was really more a passion to validate the people I worked with. And then because I have been a C-suite executive for more than 20 years, I know what leaders need. They need practical tools, you know, to get you so far. And then you you need to uh give them practical tools and strategies. And so the book I think is a combination of both. It's some uh learned real life experiences and I tell stories and I I also cite the literature because anything in medicine has to be backed by evidence. We know that. So uh I back it with evidence and then I wrap up the book with a practical toolkit for the book.

Joel 5:52

That's awesome. So I, you know, when when when we first started working together, that's when The Pit on HBO, the show starring Noah Wiley was just coming out. So I always I wa I love that show, of course, and I watch it. I always think of you as sort of a composite character in that show. You know, one part Noah Wiley, you know, the ER doctor, and then one part executive coming down and giving the bad news about budget cuts and all that kind of thing.

Laurinda 6:19

Exactly. And you know, there's there's so much being said about the pit. And by the way, every Thursday night at eight o'clock central, I'm watching the next episode. I love that. And actually just put out a social media post about one of the things I love about the book is that it actually shows not just the doctors and nurses, the importance of security guards, of social workers. And and so I it's the most realistic. And look, I started my career at what we call big charity in New Orleans. Charity Hospital of New Orleans was a level one trauma center. Like, if you talk to anybody in the country, if you trained, if you trained at charity, it prepares you for anything. And when I'm watching the pit, it just well, charity was uh was dirtier than the pit, but it it it just um it just really reflects what my experience was in that Wow. Wow.

Joel 7:12

And so

Who The Book Is For

Joel 7:13

so in terms of the book, right? So your your practical tools, who who did you write it for? I mean, is it is it for doctors? Is it for anybody who works in medicine? Is it for is it for just the general public interested in hearing more, a little little more about what it's like to be in that environment? What yeah, who are the target audiences for them?

Laurinda 7:33

The the target, I started with the tar target audience being people like me, people who are leading and know they need what they're doing is not working. And so what can they do differently? So I wrote it from that lens because that was the world I've lived in for, you know, more than 20 years. Uh, but in doing so, I felt this need to validate and to share personal stories that um may resonate with some leaders that maybe don't understand what their doctors are going through or what nurses are going through. So um, you know, secondary audience may, you know, are the clinicians that are in the field doing this. I have to tell you, the biggest surprise in all of this are the people who are reading it who are not in healthcare. Interesting. And that has been, well, first of all, I think the um hearing from doctors and nurses, physical therapists, I've heard from pharmacists saying, thank you, I feel seen. And so that's like the best thing you can say to an author or like someone who truly answered the call to have be more of a voice in this field. So that has been just so incredibly validating. However, what I've heard, the amount of teachers I have heard from, superintendents of schools. I'm actually gonna give you a yeah, a workshop for um a school um organization in the summer that is taking the book. They've made it a book study, a book club, and they're applying it to healthcare settings. So the ability to work with teachers in the future, that that's just so exciting for me.

Joel 9:14

That's amazing. So it's like a cross, it's jumping disciplines, crossing, but they're like parallel disciplines, and because leaving in a in a chaotic, publicly funded environment is similar from education and healthcare.

Laurinda 9:25

Exactly. And that's so I've heard from law enforcement and education.

Joel 9:29

Wow.

Laurinda 9:30

And those are people who uh I heard from um a police chief whose wife is a nurse. So the wife read it and said, Oh my gosh, you've got to read this. And the police chief reached out and said, You just replaced doctors and nursement nurses with law enforcement, and this is our book. Like this, you're exactly right. So it's been interesting that the target audience. Um, I am hearing from leaders, I'm hearing from healthcare leaders, I'm hearing what challenges they may have implementing some of the tools, which again is kind of opening the door for me to work with that organization and and help them with their path and journey forward. But um, yeah, the surprising thing for me has been I've heard from three cancer patients uh who have been involved in healthcare in some capacity, but didn't quite understand the stress of their doctors and nurses. And so that's been, you know, when I when I read the Amazon reviews, uh, which I love reading, and sometimes I just wake up and I'm like, I just I'm gonna read them all again.

Joel 10:33

And there are many, there are many, and they're all awesome. I've seen them.

Laurinda 10:37

And, you know, to read that, I'm like, oh wow. So now patients are reading it and have a a better appreciation for what um their doctors and nurses go through. So that's that's also been a a nice um and and you know, a nice reward as well.

Joel 10:54

That's so cool. I I recently heard someone say, um, I forget who it was or where it was, but they said they said something along the lines of they write for an audience of one, which is themselves. And I was thinking about that when you in the way you were speaking, because you wrote that for yourself. And if you do that authentically, it's amazing who you can reach.

Laurinda 11:17

That's such an excellent point. I, you know, now that I reflect back, it it really was. I was writing it to just get it out, like get it out. I had been sitting on it for 10 years and uh had written a couple of articles and had presented some things nationally, but it was really more like I've got to get this on paper. And and you're right. And then what motivated me is talking to peers who were still, you know, I was like, Lorenda, this is more, this is not burnout, this is something bigger. And, you know, you have a voice, you have credibility, um, help us, you know, you know, we really need your guidance. And so that was also a tremendous motivator for me.

Joel 12:01

That's so cool.

Using A Book For Thought Leadership

Joel 12:03

Well, so uh let's talk a little bit about the uh the business side of this. Um, and you know, because I think you're a good, you're just starting out. I mean, the book was launched in January, um, but you've already started to gain some traction. And one of the things I like about your case in particular is that you've woven this book into other things. You're not falling for the myth of if they publish it, they will come, right? You don't just put it up on Amazon and hope things happen. You're out there and you're doing all kinds of, you're using the book to open up all kinds of doors. So I'd I'd love to hear a little bit more about what you have done so far.

Laurinda 12:42

Well, I have to tell you, it goes back to our first conversation when you said, what is the purpose? Why are you writing this book? And you've really, you had me think through, Lorinda, what's the end result of this? Do you want to sell a lot of books? Or do you want to and I and I said to you, I want to open a conversation. I want to open dialogue. And I mean, Joel, I credit you because you really made me start to think about aside from this, what other opportunities might there be for people to hear the message? And so that's naturally grown into I've always loved to speak. Uh, you know, I've been a you know, I'm a medical educator. I've I know how to teach and I know how to present. Uh, and when you teach doctors, you really have to be very animated and because if they don't like what you're teaching, they're not gonna pay attention. So I think I've mastered the art of speaking. Um, I've I've had a consulting background, so that's been very natural too. But just to share with you what what the, if you don't mind, let me just kind of take you through.

Joel 13:50

Go for it. Let's uh yeah, we want nuts and bolts. Let's do this.

Social Media Champions And Platforms

Laurinda 13:53

The first, the first thing is the importance of social media. It just just because you're post, you know, because you launched doesn't mean anything. So the importance of uh finding your 10 to 12 champions or people that really believe in this, have encouraged you, have motivated you to write this, uh, and really gauge how much they're gonna help you really promote this as well. So I um I've had a tribe around me of people who have, you know, reposted things on Facebook and um and then we did a really nice like pre-launch, like just to kind of start introducing me to the world. People knew me as Dr. Cologne, worked at this hospital, was over academics, um, but really start to introduce the fact that I'm I'm going into this new space. So we did that for a couple of months. Okay. We launched, we used social media.

Joel 14:47

Just real quick, just it so you had you had reputation, yeah, but not necessarily a big following at that point. Exactly. Exactly.

Laurinda 14:57

Yeah.

Joel 14:57

Sorry, sorry to interrupt.

Laurinda 14:59

No, no, no. I think um, and it's interesting because you know, what I've heard from colleagues, and there's there's no better message than a text from a former resident who's now a critical care physician, who said, of course, you would be the one to challenge the status quo. Of course, you would be the one to say, guys, uh, we need a new plan. We need we need a new path forward. And um, so I think for me, I am, I do have credibility in the space of innovation and transformation just because of what we've been through in Louisiana, you know, like losing basically um thousands and thousands of a physician workforce after a storm and nursing workforce and then how we rebuilt from that. So I think, you know, having that credibility and then getting into a new space. So I do think I had trust. I had I think I had trust from the market that she is someone with the experience and we know her. So I think that has worked um to my advantage. And then introducing um, you know, basically saying, I am who you know I am to be, but now I'm gonna take that voice and that credibility and I'm gonna go and I'm I'm amping it up. I'm now gonna say, no, we need to do things differently, and this is what it needs to look like. So that was a little bit of um, wow, am I ready for that? And then, you know, I talked to all it takes is one person to fire me up, and then I'm I'm good to go. I I will represent a whole industry. So yeah, yeah, yeah. What's to get me started. But um, so we I decided to really invest in someone who understood social media. And I I I know a little bit about it because I had um launched a center for professional development at the university that I worked at. So I knew a little bit about launching a new program and overcoming some challenges with not having a name out there. And so really spent time focusing on social media to build the followers. And that has gone really well.

Joel 17:15

Um, but then what platforms have you focused on?

Laurinda 17:20

LinkedIn, LinkedIn and Facebook. Link Facebook, I have more followers. Uh LinkedIn for me are my decision makers because they are the um executives, leaders of those um of those organizations. And um LinkedIn, we're also on Instagram, and we're gonna be launching a YouTube channel. So we're setting that up right now. Um I think those are the ones that we're on. Um I think, yeah, I think that's it.

Joel 17:52

So the um So you started that you so you took this authority, you turned it into a social media platform, which is fledgling.

Laurinda 17:59

Yes, exactly. And um, and that's that's going really well, and that's getting me out of my comfort zone, right? Like uh I I remember someone telling me you have to go through to get to where you want to be. And for me to get to where I want to be, I have to go through these things that I'm not comfortable with, like self-promotion and social media. And so this is a little bit of you know, stomping in mud for me, but I know I know I have to do this to get to where I want to be. And um so what has really worked, a couple of things. Um, I do have to say, reaching out to alumni associations from the colleges that I graduated from. So, you know, sending a notice, a press release that, you know, an alumni, you know, that graduated. So I've gotten some traction from that. I've gotten some traction from just um identifying those colleagues I have that have a following on social media and sending them a complimentary book with a note and asking them to share, you know, if if they're comfortable to share that. And that has gone really well for me. Um, so some grassroots efforts, you know, my hometown newspaper wrote a front page article um uh, you know, about uh local girl does good kind of thing.

Joel 19:22

Oh, that's great.

Laurinda 19:23

That's been great. We've had some coverage there, and I'm starting to get into the podcast to be in guest on podcasts. So to your point, we're two months out. So within the first two months, it really has been um living in, you know, being comfortable with the uncomfortable world of where where I am right now and how to do both grassroots efforts and tap into what I hear from others is working, and that's the social media outreach.

Joel 19:56

You that's great. And you know, pushing into the uncomfortable is awesome because everybody has to go through it, you know, regardless of your genre. A book doesn't market itself, and nor nor do any great professionals you might hire. Um it's it's all up to you, and you've really taken that on.

Speaking Consulting And Coaching Offers

Joel 20:14

Um one thing I I I I think I have this right, you've also started to do some institutional outreach. Yes. Right? I mean, you talked about doing a training with the with with a teaching organization, the school district or something. Yeah. What have you done in that regard? Because that that can often be a really great way for not to be.

Laurinda 20:33

Yes. I um, you know, that's the advantage of working in a field for more than 30 years, is a lot of people you work with have moved on to become CEOs of other systems. And so I've reached out to all of those colleagues and it and Joel immediately it's like, so when can we hire you to be a consultant? And it's like, well, yeah, I really want to launch a speaking practice, which is gonna be launching um in two weeks. So I've been working on keynotes, identifying four keynote like signature talks that I can give to organizations. I've been working on those, fine-tuning those. I um I've done a couple that have gone really well. So I really want to promote that. I think that's gonna add value to organizations of, hey, let's get her in, do this. And then I could also offer a workshop. So when they hire me as a keynote, I can come in and offer a workshop that accompanies that keynote, maybe for, you know, identified leaders or wherever they, you know, what whatever they think the need is. Um, and then I'm also I've been an executive coach for five years. And so really starting to focus maybe on group coaching and group coaching as it's gonna relate to still standing, the book. You know, how do you, how do you help your organization build well being in as a strategy, as a strategic priority? So I will be looking into that. So I have a business model, I have a business plan. Um,

Joel 22:00

And for you.

Laurinda 22:01

And I just keep going back to the one thing, you know, because you hear everybody you talk to has an idea of what you think you should do first. And you need you need to be doing this, this, and this. And for me, if I can offer something that adds value to a person and organization, I want to explore it. If it doesn't add value, like for instance, I'm not a I don't want to be in big ticket sales and you know, I get all these, well, you know, grow your business by doing this, this, and this. And I'm like, that just doesn't feel comfortable to me. I I I can't go on a high-ticket sales pitch kind of thing, you know, be a woman entrepreneur. I'm like, I am, I am all those things, but I, if it doesn't feel right, I'm not doing it. And ultimately for me is does it bring value to the people I want to serve? And if it does, I'll explore it and I'll again I'll go through the uncomfortableness to be in a comfortable zone.

Joel 22:59

I I just feel like that that's so inspiring because it it's like from the first conversation I had with you all the way through, you've been driven by a passion to do something. Yeah. Positive. Exactly. That's been driving every one of your decisions every step of the way. And I feel like that's a big reason why you're starting to have success. Thank you. Thank you. So um that's interesting. So this is great. I mean, super inspiring and super helpful. Um, and I I hope that everybody has enjoyed hearing your story. I mean, whether you're interested in the healthcare system or you're interested in how to launch a book. Um by the way, if people are have enjoyed this, please share this episode with their friends. Um uh you can subscribe to our show, you can you can like it. It helps us get our information and uh the stories of people like Lorinda out to more and more people so that they can they can be inspired.

Fear Of Publishing Scams

Joel 23:51

Um so I I always I kind of like to end these interviews. The name of the podcast is If I'm being honest. And it's a it's kind of a cheeky name, but the reason we we say it is that I always think there's something interesting. Uh I feel like everybody has something that that maybe um they it might be hard for them to be honest about um when it comes to their book. And I'd be curious for you, what would you if if you're being honest, you know, you know, like a piece of advice for for somebody, if you're being just honest and frank, what would be what would be something that you uh that you'd like to share?

Laurinda 24:28

Um if I'm being honest, I was scared to death. I was like, okay, let me take let me just take that back. I was scared about being scammed. Because there is so much out there, you know, publishing for $5.99. So when I started researching this, I I really I was so scared of getting scammed, you know, because I had a a finite finite amount of money that talked to my husband about, and this is what we're gonna commit to investing in this. Um and I I don't know, I I just I got overwhelmed with this publisher, that publisher, and then I would put him through chat GPT, and it was like a be weary, this might be I'm like, I don't know who's real and who's not real. And you're at something came across Facebook and it was you talking, and I'm like, oh, actually, there's a person.

Joel 25:23

Oh, that's cool.

Laurinda 25:24

It like has an accent that I recognize, so let me schedule a call with him.

Joel 25:28

Not a Louisiana accent.

Laurinda 25:34

Right. Exactly. But I um and so that call, I was like, I finally found like exactly what I need. And so, you know, if I'm being honest, that I was so scared that I was getting into a space I didn't know about. And since I've gone through this journey, I've just heard horror stories. Some shared on Facebook, some shared like with like who people have been scammed. And so it's a scary, it's scary for someone who has a desire like I did, to really get into this space and not have any, you know, connections of big publishers, but need the, you know, a small publishing company that I can build a relationship with. And and that's what you and your team offered to me. And, you know, think, you know, blessings, sprinkle, whatever from heaven. Um, you know, it it it has worked out tremendously to have you guys as part of the team.

Joel 26:35

Oh, that's so cool. I mean, we've loved it too, Lorinda. We, you know, we do all kinds of books, but my favorite books from day one have always been mission-driven change the world books like yours. And so it's always wonderful to see someone like you start this process, you know, as kind of a as Bambi, you know, and kind of and now, and now you're running and prancing through the forest, and you know, it's it's so cool. Um, so it's been wonderful, you know, to work with you. And I'm I'm really glad that you're starting to have an imp the kind of impact you want.

Laurinda 27:08

And we're all only just beginning.

Joel 27:10

So Yeah, it's awesome. So, you

Where To Find The Book

Joel 27:13

know, just where where can people find out, where can people find out more about you? What do you want them to do?

Laurinda 27:19

Okay. Uh the book is on Amazon, so still standing. My name is Lorinda Cologne, and um, you will see wonderful five-star reviews about the book. And that so that's been nice to see that trend. Um, I also have a website, it's uh www.standstrongstrategies that dot com. Um and I am visible on social media. You can find me on LinkedIn, Facebook, would love to connect with anyone listening. Uh, I am all about relationships. Um, that's and collaboration. So would would love to hear from people, would love to connect. And thank you again for for this incredible opportunity to have a conversation with you today.