The pandemic continues...and a best selling author is born

I've got to say that the pandemic really took a bite out of my professional life. All the scheduled speaking events for the next six months vanished.

I had to take a soul-searching look at what it was that I "did". Was I a speaker? Was I a coach? What was it that was really my purpose during all these hours of nothing in the planner?

I really thought. Hard. I realized that what I really was, was an inspirer. Through words and action, I inspire folks to look at their HEART DREAMS and decide to say YES to them.

So, time passes…. I’ve got my own Zoom paid account and had been meeting with friends and family. I’m an extrovert and Zoom has been a savior in sending virtual hugs. I was back to my "Fifty cups of coffee" challenge, virtually. (if you need to hear more let me know).

On April 28th, my calendar has Lisa K (Lisa Koenecke) at 11am scheduled. Lisa and I had met in January for our first coffee together. We had been introduced by Kirsty Blattner at an NSA meeting and wanted to follow up.

I asked Lisa what her dream was, a question that usually starts my calls. She said, “I want to write a book.” Ok….she continued, I want to have it for June 1st, the beginning of pride month. Ok….and off we went.

Weekly we met, she had started a blog two years before using the ABCs to guide her work. She was on P. It was great working with Lisa. I was able to be her accountability coach. Each week she had a list of what to do. I provided motivation and the tasks to get it done. I guess I can be honest here and say I had no clue what we were doing, but it was great fun.

Working with Lisa was the blend of my coaching and all the tools I had learned putting my little ebook together.

I can’t tell you how she felt on May 28th. Ok, yes there were tears involved. We made the deadline of 30 days after that first call to press the button on KDP to publish the book, Be an Inclusion Ally: ABCs of LGBTQ+. (https://tinyurl.com/yxzk6kqa) We cheered with our virtual zoom call and pressed publish together.

She had her book in her hand on June 1st. I had become a publisher for an author. On June 10th she made her book an Amazon #1 Best Seller!

Without the pandemic I wouldn't have had time for Lisa K. Without her asking for help for her dream to come true, there would be no book. Lisa's goal is to save lives. She is doing that.

My HEART DREAM of inspiring was full on June 1st.

What have you learned about yourself during this pandemic?

Has the disease changed your identity?

What new skills have you developed during this time?

How would you "author" these days?