Two Authors Walk Into A Deadline And Try Not To Cry
A bestseller tag is nice, but the real story is everything it took to get there—and what we learned about authentic leadership by trying to write it down. We pulled back the curtain on our launch week for The Authenticity Upgrade: Rebooting Leadership for Real Humans and discovered that writing is less about perfect sentences and more about radical empathy for a reader who can’t talk back. Without a room to read, we had to anticipate confusion, trim complexity, and build a path that invites people to keep going.
We also double-clicked on our core belief: self-leadership comes before team, culture, and results. People often look to fix the external—bosses, processes, metrics—but transformation begins when you reclaim the energy lost to performing. As we threaded self-awareness, emotional literacy, and values clarity into a single arc, the through line became unmistakable: authenticity frees capacity, and that capacity is what makes collaboration, influence, and leadership sustainable. That clarity didn’t arrive quietly. Co-writing meant letting go when the words were right but not “ours,” rebuilding an “easy” chapter from scratch, and managing gremlins that insisted nothing was ready.
Beyond the page, we talk candidly about the logistics most authors underestimate: editing sprints, cover design, metadata, a 60-plus-page companion workbook, and the vulnerable act of promotion. We don’t chase rankings for ego’s sake; we play the platform game so the people who need this work can find it. From tech glitches to mailing list mishaps, we share the stumbles and the systems that ultimately worked. If you’re curious about how empathetic writing overlaps with modern leadership—or you’re facing a creative leap and want a field report from the edge—this one’s for you.
If the conversation resonates, grab the book, download the workbook, and leave a quick review to help others discover it. Subscribe for more real talk on authenticity, leadership, and the messy, meaningful work of being human at work.
Grab your copy here.
