In this episode, Helaine and Leanne pull back the curtain on what they call “the struggle” – those seasons where self doubt, burnout, and rejection are loud, but you keep going anyway.
Drawing from the real behind the scenes story of writing and publishing Making Waves, they share how their first version of the book didn’t sell, the painful feedback that “women don’t buy business books,” and what it took to completely reengineer the project into an inspirational memoir that actually reflected Helaine’s full story.
Along the way, they talk about what it means to normalize struggle, why it’s okay to be in the struggle but dangerous to become the struggle, and how to keep it at arm’s length instead of letting it define you.
You’ll hear honest conversation about perfectionism, people pleasing, creative collaboration between friends, and the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship, book deals, and big pivots in mid-career and midlife.
If you’re a woman founder, leader, or professional navigating a career transition and wondering if your setbacks mean you’re off track, this one will feel like a deep exhale.
In this episode, we cover:
What “the struggle” actually looks like in real life and business
The difference between sharing your struggle and dwelling in it
The rocky path from startup style business book to vulnerable memoir
Gender bias in business publishing and why women’s stories matter
How to hold onto your “why” when the feedback is brutal and the outcome is uncertain
Perfect for women entrepreneurs, aspiring authors, and anyone in a messy middle season craving real talk about resilience, reinvention, and writing your next chapter while you’re still living it.
