About

Tips and Tricks for Your Next Book with Author and CEO Leah Berdysz Leah is on a "mission to empower and educate girls on how to be beautiful from the inside out through discovery of social, mental, and physical components." After graduating from John Carroll University with her Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science and Entrepreneurship in 2017, Leah founded Empowered & Poised LLC. She is currently working towards her Master of Science in Social Administration (MSW equivalent) with a focus on School Social Work at Case Western Reserve University. She is slated to publish her very first book: Conscious Empowerment: A Guide to Helping Girls Build Self-esteem & Confidence in 2021.     Support the book, Conscious Empowerment: A Guide to Helping Girls Build Self-esteem & Confidence NOW! The goodies deadline is fast approaching!     TRANSCRIPT Massiel:  Welcome to the How To Write a Book Podcast. Leah, thank you so much for joining us.   Leah: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.   Massiel: Us too. I cannot wait to tell my listeners about your journey, about your book. Oh my gosh. So I'm excited. We're so excited. So let me just go ahead and dive into a little bit about, Leah, and then I'll have you take over from there.    Leah: Yeah.   Massiel: Awesome. Perfect. Leah is on a mission to empower and educate girls on how to be beautiful from the inside out through the discovery of social, mental, and physical components. After graduating from John Carroll University, with her Bachelor of Arts in exercise science and entrepreneurship in 2017, she founded Empowered and Poised LLC. She's currently working towards her Master's of science in social ministration with a focus on school social work at Case Western Reserve University and slated to publish your very first book, 'Conscious Empowerment: A Guide to Helping Girls Build Self-esteem and Confidence’, which is going to be published in 2021   Leah: Whoo-ooh! Thank you so much for that lovely introduction.   Massiel: Gosh, thank you. I mean, just reading that and you're like go girl. Yes, yes. That is amazing. I mean, reading your background, reading your organization, it is so beautiful to touch base with someone who wants to empower girls, who is striving to do that and you are doing it, your LLC Empowered and Poised is doing just that. And before we dive more into like your book and your organization, your background includes anxiety and body image issues as well as 10 years of working with youth. So do tell us, what did I miss out here in your background? Tell us how did you get here?   Leah: Yeah. So that's a great question. It's hard to say that there's really one thing that led me here because quite frankly, this is not where I thought I would be if you would have asked me, you know, five, 10 years ago. But I think everything has its way of working out, right? Like I taught Phys. Ed for four years and I never thought I would be in the field of education. I started a business, never thinking I was going to be a business owner. I went to grad school, never thinking I would be in grad school and here I am writing a book, never having thought I was going to write a book.   I think it's been very serendipitous and I'm really grateful that I've been provided with so many opportunities. And it was kind of like, you know, when somebody knocks at your door, you open it up and you walk in, it was kind of like that with me; certain opportunities would just kind of come about obviously, not just on their own, but with hard work, connecting with people, being serious about my education, all of those types of things. But when these opportunities arose, like this wonderful opportunity to talk to you, I really had to step into my own courage and share my story and share my passions and I think that's a lot of what has led me to where I am today.   Massiel: That is amazing. And especially because you're talking about being brave, stepping into things that kind of jump out in front of you, and that is something that we talk about on the podcast, which is believing in a message. And even if you don't know where it's going to go, the opportunities will rise and that's exactly what you're doing here. I mean, you've created this beautiful LLC, right? And you're talking with these people; just touching briefly on the interviews that you have included in your book, I mean, that is just so inspiring. And I'm going to say this again and again, thank you. Thank you because you're showing up, you have this calling and that's something that we always try to do within the How To Write a Book Podcast is saying like, you know, it can be scary, but show up   Leah: It can be scary. It definitely can. I will not deny that. And I think that's where that courage comes into play. It's like having the courage that even when it's scary to still give it a try and to realize that if you fall down, you can get back up and keep going.   Massiel: Oh my gosh! Yes. And that is actually so timely because we just released an episode on what if you get rejected or what if it just doesn't work out and it's like, you're going to keep trying and moving forward.    Leah: Absolutely.    Massiel: I totally agree. Now before we dive more into your book and your book writing process, I would love to talk about your organization. So tell us a little bit about Empowered and Poised. I mean, this sounds like just such a game-changer for teaching girls how to believe in themselves. Can you tell us more about that?   Leah: Yeah. I would love to; if there are any specific questions that you have for me about it, let me know. I know that you definitely hit on the mission, which is to empower and educate girls on how to be beautiful from the inside out. So we're looking at the whole person, so helping young girls to develop socially, mentally, physically, becoming well-rounded individuals. Teaching those skills to ultimately help a young girl to be confident in her own abilities. And we do this through a variety of different programming and just different platforms that we have. So for example, individuals of any age can share their story on our blog, which shares about what makes an individual empowered and poised in his or her own right. And so, we have been really fortunate that we've built a community where over 150 individuals have shared their stories about all of the amazing things that they're doing and the challenges and obstacles that they've overcome. So we're so grateful for everybody who's contributed to that.    And then in our programming, we've done after school programs, One-Time workshops, partnered with different school districts basically to help young girls, as we had mentioned before, become more confident in their selves and their abilities. And we do that through a lot of different hands-on activities. You know, a lot of people don't like to be talked at, even as adults, we don't like to be talked at, right? So we like to find a way to engage our students when we're working with them to spread the word. And now there's this book, which is to help the parents and educators and mental health professionals who are working with young girls to look at the different principles of how we can help a young girl, but keeping in mind that a one size fits all approach just doesn't work when we're empowering young women that we have to think about and look at their unique background and where they come from, their race, their culture, their socioeconomic status, experiences they've had in the past. So we're really excited and empowered and poised to just continue to spread the word about all of this that we're doing and to continue to promote positivity for young women.   Massiel: That is awesome. Oh my gosh! Literally just talking with you and I feel like this blossom of hope because I mean, a program like this, I know that it's a game-changer. I'm almost like, Oh, I wish I was like, you know, 10 years ago, let's do it. I love it. But still, I mean, we'll dive in now as well, but it is so awesome how you're showing up. And I would love to kind of talk a little bit about you're talking about this one size fits all approach that we have for girls right now. Can you tell us more? What is that? Cause when I read that, I was like, what is this approach? I would like to help in recognizing what this one size fits all is.   Leah: Yeah. So, I think that it's just, you know, when I was doing reading and research, it feels like sometimes people say like, okay, if you say this to your daughter or to the girl that you're working with, or if you do this or you do that, then automatically, she's just going to become confident. But it's like, you can't just do that for everybody. I mean, affirmations might work for one girl, but for another girl, it's going to be the importance of giving her opportunities and experiences. Granted, I would argue that really, it's both of those things but when you are talking to a young girl and you're affirming her, it needs to be specific to who she is. Not just general, not something that she's not going to believe about herself. Because just these blanket statements, unfortunately, the research says that, you know, they're not working the way that we think that they are, that they need to believe that in themselves too, that is something that they can do.    And so, you know, finding different role models who look like the girls that they're trying to empower and continuing to expand representation media and the different people who are helping our young women. So again, it's just that idea that when your working with a young girl, you need to really think about who she is as an individual and how you can help her based on what her interests are, what her experience is, the family that she's come from; just her general overall background.   Massiel: That is such a good point because I mean, as we dive into girls, their mentality, it can be a lot like, actually being a doctor in the sense of everyone's prescription is different, everybody has to be approached differently. And that is awesome. And that is awesome that you have found that not only is that true, that's the case, but you're working with girls and you're creating these outcomes. And speaking of the outcomes, I noticed in your program, you have four learning outcomes. And so, you touch on self-awareness and positive self-image, leadership skills, and creative thinking strategies. And there was one that stood out to me that I would love to touch on, which is your outcome is girls will become critical consumers of information related to overall wellness. So like, what's that one about?   Leah: Absolutely. So this one is explored a little bit more deeply in the book, if anybody wants to check that out where it really dives in. But just to give you an overall understanding, a great example would be about social media, right? Because unfortunately, on social media and just media in general, girls are depicted in such a way that it's not always what the reality is. They're photo-shopped, filters are used and so, it's helping a young girl to realize when she sees that picture, that it's not all true, it's not all reality so that she doesn't go and compare herself to something that's really unrealistic; which unfortunately is something that I have done for myself in the past that got me into a lot of trouble. I know I've shared this story before, but you haven't heard it so let me share it with you if that's okay.    Massiel: Yeah.   Leah:  So when I was in my undergrad career, I thought that I wanted to be a personal trainer for a little while. And so, I'm not that far removed from the social media age and technology where I was like, Oh my gosh, how is anybody going to take me seriously? Like if I don't look like these personal trainers on Instagram, AKA people who are filtered, maybe who are on some sort of, you know, are using some sort of substance, just really is not something that like my body is necessarily made out to be. And so, I had a friend who at the time was a nutritionist - still is - create me a meal plan, which it was all healthy foods so that was great, right? Because I was feeding my body, the fuel that it needed to be healthy.   However, what happened was I started weighing my food similar to how a bodybuilder would, but I wasn't competing. So in all reality, this was not healthy, you know, and thankfully it didn't turn into an eating disorder, but had I not had the knowledge and had I not had the support that I did to be like, Oh my gosh, something's not right about what I'm doing right now. And I'm not happy inside even though physically, I love great, you know, mentally I wasn't in a really great place. And so, I think that's why this particular objective is so important is because I've gone through it on my own, realizing that the impact that the media can have on a young girl, you know, as she's developing and trying to figure out who she is. And I just think that it's really, really important that we have these conversations starting at a very young age with girls about the way that, you know, the media portrays women and how we can fight against that and realize that that's not who we have to be. And that being our authentic self is really, truly what is going to help us, you know, to move forward in life as individuals.   Massiel: Wow. Yes. Yes. I mean, that is just powerful and you're so right. And I love that you're doing that. So it really is training girls to look at this critically and to understand that what's out there is not reflective of what you should be, you know, things like that. And trying to deconstruct that and loving yourself as you are, because we're all beautiful, you know, as we are right now.   Leah: Absolutely. And I think this is too right. It's more than just what we see, but it's what we hear like in songs. So like if a song comes on the radio and it's talking about degrading women and your daughter hears it, you know, having that conversation with her to say, what are your thoughts on this? Do you think that this is okay? You know, how could this be changed? You know, so really, just engaging these conversations with students and the young women that we live and work with.   Massiel: Wow. Yeah, totally, totally. And I agree with that, just consuming all of that and trying to understand how to filter it and better see the perspective and those conversations, you know? And so now, I mean, yeah, let's dive into the book. I mean, just that message alone, having that in the book is amazing. So the book itself, you know, I mean just the title, it is The Conscious Empowerment, and it's a guide to helping girls build self-esteem and confidence. So let's start with just the idea of this. So was the LLC and the book kind of hand-in-hand or how did the idea of the book come about?   Leah: Yeah, so they kind of went hand in hand. So as you had mentioned, I'm in grad school. And so why not take on one more thing while I'm in grad school and decide to write a book. Like naturally that would be the only thing that we could do. I was really fortunate that I had actually a friend go through this program because I'm writing my book in a unique way. It's actually through the Creator Institute. And so, they take you through essentially a course that helps to teach you how to write a book, because the reality was, I didn't know how to do this on my own and I needed some assistance, which is why I decided to enroll in this program. And at the time a fellowship was going on so I decided to join this fellowship which started this past, I think it was either late spring or the summer of this year so 2020.    And we started this journey and I think that I always had some inkling of like, I think this would be me to write a book, but I think what really propelled me was like, Hey, this is a really great opportunity over the summer. I don't have as many classes as I do, now, I have time to actually begin writing this. Let's just do it because, you know, no time is going to be a great time. And this sounds awesome because it's a fellowship and I'm going to have the support of other authors and editors and kind of a framework to build this book from. And so, I thought like this would be a really great opportunity to expand Empowered and Poised, to help get the message out more, and to connect with even more great individuals that I could interview for the book. So I got really excited about it and here I am.   Massiel: Yeah, that was so awesome. I saw your trailer right on Indiegogo for the book. And just like you said, like you're interviewing like these awesome go-getters as well. The CEO of Girls Inc; Stephanie Hall, Dr. Gillian Lambert, Lee Paiva, who's a founder of No Means No Worldwide. And then Julia Lambert is a chief strategy officer for the Emily Program, which I actually wasn't aware of this program. So it's a national leader in eating disorder awareness treatment and lifetime recovery and that is awesome just having those resources. So, I mean, so all the interviews and the way that you structure your book because you have the different sections of your book and then you have these interviews, was that already laid out for you within this course or that's from your idea generation?   Leah: Yeah. So that's where my idea generation, we were able to lay it out however we wanted. So usually like when you start writing a book, it's not going to probably end up the way that you think it is in the end. That's what they always tell you, like where you start is not necessarily where you finished. But what I decided to do was really use this opportunity, like I said, to connect with different individuals. I don't want to say just women because there were also, you know, a couple of really amazing men that I interviewed who are key. So like, for example, Lou Birkholz, who is the author of Vital Connections, which talks all about how to connect with young people, which I highly recommend that book, Vital Connections, it really is fabulous. And so mostly though, you know, it was a lot of different women who are experts in this field of working with girls that we interviewed.   And what I ended up noticing was that there were some different principles that stood out among many of these interviews. So that's how I decided to pool the six principles that are now in this book was what are those kinds of trending topics, right? When we say trending, it's like the things that we see over and over again, and it also relates to young girls because obviously, they're very, you know, intertwined in the world of social media, so kind of a fun play on pop culture. And so those six trending topics have become the chapters of the book. So it goes into those. And then from there, we kind of discuss a little bit of how-to, so how do you implement this principle in a way that, you know, you can use it with whatever girl you live and work with and make it unique to her and helping her. So really tangible steps on how to apply these principles or what comes after what the main principles are. And I'm happy to share with you if you're interested in what some of these principles are.   Massiel: Definitely. Actually, that was my next question. So let's dive in.    Leah: Yes. So I'm not going to give you too much, but I will give you a little teaser here. And that is to be that adult, which is basically being the person, the role model that a girl needs in her life, being there, being her champion. Exposure, which is exposing her to different activities, events, and things so that she can learn more about who she is, who she wants to become, and what she enjoys in life. Representation; so this is kind of what we were already talking about, making sure that there's representation in the classrooms, in the media of girls who are from different backgrounds who look different, who speak differently, who are just diverse.   We have affirmations, which we spoke a little bit about and the chapter does a much better job than even I just explained about how to actually use affirmations in a way that science backs and that it actually works. Being seen; so this is the idea that to be seen, it's not about wearing the most glamorous dress. It's about exactly what you said to me here today is showing up, being who you are, being brave to speak your truth. And then finally, we have a chapter all about sports and fitness. Because like I said, with the wellness triangle, it's social, mental and physical wellbeing, and there's a lot of science out there that sports, fitness, exercise, you know, physical activity, that those things can also help to improve a young girl and her self-esteem and confidence.    So those are the principles that are explained in the book and hopefully, people take the opportunity to check them out. I would really appreciate your support, you know, in picking up a copy and reading the book and then giving us feedback on what your thoughts are.   Massiel: Yeah. And that's so cool, like right now that you have the book on Indiegogo. And you say on there that as part of the tears, when you pledge in, you can give feedback and be part of the author community. So how did you come up with that idea and to create that community there?   Leah: Yeah. So actually I'm grateful to be able to work with the publisher. So New Degree Press has helped along the way and coming up with some of these ideas, because they've had a great number of authors that have come before me to kind of figure out like what works. Now, outside of that, community is just super important to me. I think that it is so vital, especially in this COVID-19 world, that we continue to connect with one another to build community. And that's the whole premise of Empowered and Poised is like joining this community, join us.   Join the community to help empower and inspire young women. Now, I am very excited like you said because people joining the author community, means that they get the opportunity that if they hop into this presale campaign that we have going here just for this month, they can help to pick the cover of the book, help give feedback and being beta readers. So some really exciting things to be really a pivotal part of this journey of launching this book, which is I think super exciting. I'm excited to see what everybody has to say and which book covers they might like the best and feel like, you know, what speak to the audience the most.   Massiel: Yeah. Oh, that is so exciting. And totally not going to lie, I purchased your book cause I was like, I love all this.   Leah: Yeah!! Thank you! I appreciate it and I'm excited for your feedback too.    Massiel: Oh my gosh. Yes. I was just reading the intro, your principles that you broke down in the chapters on there, the interviews you had, and then you were also being really transparent about your editing process on there as well. And I was like, I mean, as a writer, first of all, you're just laying it all out there, which is awesome. It's empowering. And I think it really ties into this idea of, you know, how as girls, we have these myths that we need to deconstruct, but then also as writers, we have these myths that we need to just kind of break down. So I was like, I'm going to support that as well, but then also your message.   Leah: I appreciate it.    Massiel: Definitely. I'm so excited for where your book is going and, you know, speaking of, I mean, it's such a great and powerful message. At any time did you feel like when you decided like, okay, let's just like tack on the book as well, did you feel overwhelmed? What were your mental obstacles when you first started?   Leah: Oh yeah. I definitely felt overwhelmed. I still feel a little overwhelmed if I'm just being honest. I would be lying to say that this was an easy process, that's not the truth of it. There were definitely times where I hit creative blocks and walls, times where I wasn't as interested in writing, maybe, on one day or the people that I was reaching out to interview, you know, I'd have people who wouldn't get back to me or, you know, right now, as I'm trying to reach this huge goal for fundraising, for the book and it's not going maybe as quickly as, as I hope for it to. But I think at the end of the day, it's everything that we're talking about right now is you just have to continue to be patient, continue to, you know, do your best, work hard, and know that you have a good message.   And that's something I needed to remind myself as like, this is really important work that's happening, you know, and it's not going to be an easy process because for as cliche as it is, if it was an easy process, everybody would be doing it. So I think through this process, what I want to say is just thank you to all of the other writers out there, to all the other authors out there, because I definitely, through my own journey of writing a book, have found a new respect for authors and the challenge that it is to really come up with a kick-butt book that, you know, it takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of effort. It takes a lot of research. I just want to say, thank you to everybody else out there who is writing books to inspire people, to educate people, and to also just entertain people because it's not a super easy process.   Massiel: Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, that is something that we talk about on the podcast, which is thanking the authors who have inspired us, who have shown up to write. And even when you're staring at the blank page and you're like, I don't know what I'm doing here and that doubt creeps in, but still showing up and believing in that message. And so you actually just touched on something that's you said that you had to remind yourself about that message. Was there anything specific you're doing? Cause you talk about affirmations in your books, so I'm curious, are there some principles that you're also using that are mentioned in your book that you use to write your book?   Leah: Yeah, that's a great idea. You know, I think a lot of times we're inspired to write the things that are personal to us. And so, I think that, you know, if I'm just being completely transparent, that for as much as this book is for everybody else, I think it was still a part of like my journey for myself and seeking and helping myself to understand some of the parts of me that I still continue to be uncovering. And so I think I just needed to go back and really listen to some of the advice that the different interviewees gave me along the way and the inspiration that I was feeling every time that I got to talk to such a wonderful individual who was passionate about the same things that I'm passionate about and, you know, their advice, how to help other girls has in return, helped me. So in addition to thanking all the authors, I think that it would only make sense for me to also thank, once again, all of the interviewees who helped contribute to this book, because just as you were helping all of these other young women, I want you to know that, you know, you've also helped me too. So thank you for that.   Massiel: Oh, that's a beautiful message. And yes, thank you. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this book and everyone who continues to put out powerful and inspiring messages. And it's exactly, as you said, I mean, actually that is how this podcast was born, which was trying to understand what my own writing process was and trying to show up because you have maybe this doubt or this the struggle. And so, we write this in other words for ourselves, but you know, there are people struggling with this as you have encountered and we're helping them by also showing up. So that was awesome. Thank you. So I would love to talk about your interviewing process because I know some of our listeners, they want to write memoirs that might take other people into account or might be doing research nonfiction. So what was your interview process like? How did you choose, you know, who you were going to ask, and go from there?   Leah: Yeah, absolutely. That's a great question. So I think this is one of the most fun parts, I think for me of the book writing process was kind of discovering such amazing individuals. Some of whom I did not know about before I started writing this book and it was really through just a lot of research; Googling like experts in girls, experts in girls confidence, all those kinds of keywords, buzzwords that hit the book. And that's when I just started reaching out to people and it was kind of just like, Hey, I've got this project, you know, it seems you have a similar passion to me. I would really love to take 30 minutes to an hour to interview you for it, to hear your expertise on this topic. And I think you would be surprised by how many people are willing to help and said yes.   And then from there, it was a snowball effect. Because when I would talk to one person at the end, I'd say, you know, and if you have anybody else that you think I should talk to as I'm writing this book, I would really appreciate if you could connect me and a lot of them did. And so, that's how I started meeting and learning about all of these other really wonderful people and growing my network, and growing the interviews for the book. So it was really just a super exciting process that was just simply asking and that was kind of it.   Massiel: I love that. Yeah. Because exactly you said the snowball, what's gonna start getting that traction. You start trying to be like, okay, I'm rolling, I'm rolling. I love that. So I'm wondering how many interviews did you do, I mean, you started this summer, right?   Leah: Yeah. So in the end the bulk has incorporated roughly, I'd say like 35 or so interviews. So the majority of them did make it into the book. Unfortunately, not every single one did, but I would say, Oh, probably a good 90% did. And these also, the other thing too, is we were instructed by NDP - New Degree Press - to really bring in stories. And I'm so grateful that I did that because I think it makes it that much more enriching. And quite frankly, it's like in this book, you're not going to find these stories anywhere else, because some of them are from everyday individuals or from the experiences of the leaders of these young women and the things that they've seen. So it's not something that you could go pick another book up off the shelf and read about, because like we said, stories are unique to who you are. So I'm really excited and really grateful that people were brave enough to share their stories and allow them to then go public. And so yeah, about 35 individuals, in the end, were interviewed for this.   Massiel: Wow. That is fantastic. I mean, especially because it's letting us know that there are so many resources out there and that is amazing because sometimes you jump into a topic and you're really not sure where to begin, but you have like consolidated all of that and given us an opportunity to search for and find these new enriching places where we can get that information, and that is awesome.   Leah: Yeah. And I think that's where authors can like really tap into the wonderful resources that we have in this virtual world. Even though there's a lot of negativity around it, there's also a lot of really amazing things that have come from it. And so it could be as small as like searching up a hashtag and like finding somebody who's kind of in that same genre community as you are, you know, I've recently been trying to connect with some books-to-grammars, you know, which is something kind of new that I just found out about. Are you familiar with that bookstagram?    Massiel: Yeah. So Instagram, it's the authors and the books of bookstagram. So hashtag bookstagram. Or like hashtag writers of Instagram. Yeah. I'm actually pretty new to this as well, but I'm like, once I find it, I'm like, well, here I go. I love it.   Leah: Oh my gosh. I know it's so easy to dive right in. And that's the same thing that I did when I was looking for different individuals to interview is I just dove right in. And I also should give the credit to, you know, some of my interns as well, who has been a major part of this process and supporting me along the way. So shout out to all my amazing Empowered and Poised interns. I appreciate you all as I tell you all on a daily basis, but I'm really so grateful to have a team supporting me through this. Because just as I always say with entrepreneurship being a lonely road, I think that writing a book can also sometimes be a lonely road. So really connect with other authors in the community, whether it be through social media or through your own network, going out and meeting people on LinkedIn, whatever you have to do because having people who also understand what it's like to write a book can definitely help to continue to push you forward when things get challenging, in my opinion.   Massiel: Yes, totally. I agree with you. And especially, I was just going to take a moment to say thank you for being so transparent as well. Because I think that that is something that we strive to do here on the podcast, which is letting people know that every writing process can be different. Every personality is different when it comes to writing. And sometimes we, you know, want to strive to be a certain image of writing. But when we struggle, it's totally normal. It's totally okay. It doesn't mean that, Oh, you're doing anything wrong; you just keep showing up. So thank you again for being transparent on the process. And also that, yeah, writing can feel lonely. But there are like bookstagram and things like that we can start connecting. And maybe this is just me, but I love all those beautiful photos of books piled up on Bookstagram.   Leah: Oh my gosh. I love them too. My photography skills really probably aren't that good.   Massiel: Mine too. I'm just like I'll just stare with them. Seriously. I'm like, if I could just get big posters of all these, it would be fantastic. But I totally get what you mean. So I mean, the journey can be up and down, but just based on what you're saying, always worth it showing up. So after all your interviews, I'm sure we would love to know. So you've done all this interview process and you're talking with your publisher about maybe the organization, what happened from there? How do you go from interviews to actually writing?   Leah: Yeah, so, you know, I kind of did it along the way. So as I would there's actually a really great, and I think your audience would love to know about this, it's called Otter AI, and it's an app. And Otter AI helps to transcribe the different interviews that you're doing, which is really great because even though it's not a hundred percent accurate all the time, you can go back and look up keywords in that interview. And so for me, it was like, I remember, I don't know, like Stephanie Hall saying this really amazing thing about the importance of making sure that this book fits all girls and that we realize that confidence doesn't look the same for everybody. So a girl can be shy and still be confident. So maybe I would look up on Otter, AI shy the word shy because then it will ping it and you can find that part and relisten to her and it even types it out for you so you can go back.    And then what I did is I would kind of listen to these interviews again or start typing up. I would type notes out too, as I would interview, and then that's how I would come up with the stories. So the stories were really based on these individuals, and having this Otter AI technology was super helpful because, for me, it was really, really important that I'm not speaking for the women who I interviewed, but that it's really their voices that are coming through and being heard. Especially because I interviewed you know, many different individuals from various backgrounds that weren't similar to mine so I never want to act like I'm the expert of a different group that I'm not a part of. So being able to use this technology was really helpful and then developing the stories. Then once I had the stories is kind of when I would pair them and say like, okay, these are both about sports and fitness, so I'd put them in the same chapter.   And then from there I would go and add in my own experiences, my own suggestions from the years that I've had working with young women. And then, finally, I would take and beef it up with some research to make sure that the information that we're giving is actually, like I said, backed by research. And then, that's kind of the way that the chapters were built. And then, from there, just figuring out how to piece everything together to make one coherent book; figuring out what's the history that we need to add in the beginning of the book to help set the scene so that people understand the difference between self-esteem and confidence because that's not very well understood, you know what is this word, intersectionality? What does that mean? And then it kind of flows into those principles and how-to, and wraps it all together in a nice little book.   Massiel: That is so awesome. And I love what you're saying. So, as you were researching, you were building, so the book was being built as it was going. I love that.   Leah: Yes. Yes. I think for me, it would have been very, very overwhelming to not have done it that way and to have done all of the interviews and research and then have to write it all after. So I really enjoy doing it along the way, especially because immediately upon listening to the interviewee or speaking with them, that's when I was most inspired. Because I just got off the phone and I'm like, this is awesome, people need to hear this, people need to know this. So to be able to write right then and I would also if you don't mind me sharing another tip that I have for all of your listeners and that's to not get too stuck in the way you've always used to do things but be open to a different process. So what I mean by that is I thought that I was going to be the type of writer where I would set a block of time aside, you know, like every Monday at five o'clock, I'm going to write for an hour and then I'm going to write again on Wednesday or whatever because I like to have checklists of things that I accomplished.   That's just the way that I kind of work. I'm a little type A, but what I realized was in creative writing, that didn't work as well for me. I actually needed to write when I was feeling inspired, as opposed to when I thought I could just get the work done. And I think that that definitely probably helped to make this an even better book is because that passion was really jumping outside of me as I was writing the words on the pages.   Massiel: Yes, yes, totally. That is literally, what we talk about on the podcast. It's getting to know yourself as a writer and knowing that it's okay if you need to change and transform and do things a little bit differently; totally. You hit the nail on the head and especially because like you said, like if you thought you might be in one way, and I find that I'm one way when I write nonfiction, but I'm different when I write fiction.   Leah: Yes. Yes. Well, that's what I found from like my academic papers that I've been writing academia, you know, for my grad school is very different than what I have been writing for this book. Even though there's research in it, it's much more creative and it was a very different process, and writing up these stories too, which was like, it was kind of a challenge, an exciting challenge though but it was definitely different for me. So I totally understand what you're saying. That it was different for you fiction versus non-fiction writing. I totally get that.   Massiel: Yeah. Right. Exactly. So for all the listeners out there, you know, just like Leah's talking about, it's okay if you find that you actually need to go this way, you need to go that way, you need to pivot and change. It's totally normal. Totally okay; embrace that and jump into it. You said you were enjoying the process and that's something that we like to hit upon is like, it's like enjoy the process cause it's fun. It is fun.   Leah: It really is. I really did have fun writing the book. I'm not even going to lie. I'm not just saying that, it was exciting.   Massiel: That's awesome. Was it surprising to you, like before that, were you thinking like, Oh, I'm not sure how I'm gonna feel about this?   Leah: Yeah, I think honestly, I thought it was going to feel more like work that did, and I'm not saying, like I said, it was hard work and it definitely wasn't necessarily wouldn't it call it easy, but I don't think I've realized I would enjoy it as much as I did. I think it was more like, this is a really good idea. I have a message. It needs to get out there. I would love to do more speaking and I'd love to be able to speak, you know, about the things that I'm sharing in my book. But I don't think I realized how much I would enjoy the process of writing. And so I'm really grateful that I tried something new because who knows, maybe there'll be another book in the future now that I never would have thought.   Massiel: I love that! Yes. I love that because I'm always telling everyone and my listeners know, I'm like, you know, you write your first book, but you probably have another book in you so just keep going.   Leah: And I think I'd like to do something very different. Like I would maybe like to write for the young women that I work with or maybe do a children's book. Like, I don't know. I mean, there's so many opportunities and possibilities, you know, like I said, nothing else in the past, I really thought I would be doing so I'm not going to say no, I'm not going to say never. And who knows what might come next.   Massiel: Exactly. Exactly. No, I love exactly how you've recapped you know, where you started, your interview process, and then your writing process, which is so beautiful. It really just speaks to the creativity and how much fun you were having. And one thing that you also mentioned inside your Indiegogo page for the book is next year editing process. So how is that going? Cause what are the updates on that and how did you decide how you're going to approach your editing?   Leah: Yes. So as I had mentioned through this program, we are also given an editing team and I'm very grateful for that because that is also a huge process. So we originally had our developmental editor, which helped us to kind of just get our ideas out, you know, find any holes maybe that we would have, make sure that the flow of the book is working nicely. And now I'm in the stage where an acquiring editor is looking through the book. So they're going through and looking for things that are a little bit more detailed, but after they look at it, then everybody who is in my pre-sale who has purchased a copy in the presale campaign, they also will have the opportunity if they so choose to be beta readers. So before the book actually launches and goes live, they can help to give me feedback.   And I'm also gonna recruit some individuals who are in my network, who I really trust, who are good editors, excellent readers, things like that to make sure that it really is in tip-top shape. And then from there, it goes on to another editor. I'm no expert in the editing process and how all of it works. Through this program, they've really offered support to help us figure out the editing process and how that all works. But I know that that is going to be after this pre-sale is going to be the next big thing is really sitting down with the book and taking time to kind of rewrite it. You know, I was recently told that the editing portion is just as hard if not harder than the writing portion, so I'm putting on my belt and getting ready for it.   Massiel: Yes, totally. Actually that was going to lead me to my next question. So the editing process, it can totally feel like a different beast, you know? And something that we also talk about is like, sometimes if you need help, it's totally cool. Right? You have that editor friend that you said, like you have a circle of people you trust also the editors that are available to you. That is awesome. And just like you said, you said you're going to put on your seatbelt. And I love that because sometimes we have to prepare. We're like, okay, how am I going to do this? So like, what are you doing to prepare them? What's your seatbelt? Are you doing like affirmations or are you telling yourself, okay, I'm just going to like buckle down and listen and jump into this? How are you bracing yourself for the editing?   Leah: Yeah, I think that's a great question too. So right now, I'm trying to stay a little more present. Because right now this presale launch is kind of the main goal right now is to focus on this. And there's a lot that goes into it, I think a lot more than people can ever imagine, a lot more than I thought that there was; sharing with your network, reaching out individually to people, sending texts, DMS, putting it on social media, sending out newsletters. I mean, it's a big job to just share about the launch, presale launch of the book. So that's where I'm really focused right now because I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, kind of one step at a time in order so that I don't get overwhelmed.   As far as getting ready for the editing process, I'm kind of a little bit at a standstill at this point because my acquiring editor is still looking through things. So I'm just being patient and waiting until I get that feedback back. And then once I get that feedback is when I'm really planning on diving in kind of taking that jump, which is why I need my seatbelt on is to make sure that I can stay grounded during that time so that I can get the work done that needs to be done because I'm sure that there'll be plenty of feedback that I then need to adjust. And also just thinking about like who's in my network that are really good writers that might be interested in this book, that might be interested in helping me so that I then have a support team along the way? Because I'm always of the belief that no matter how good of a writer you are, we still miss things. Like we're not perfect people and no one should expect anybody to be perfect. So the more eyes that can get on to the book before it actually published onto Amazon and into the bookstores and the libraries and all of those types of things. It's just thinking about who in my network might be willing to support and help me edit along the way.   Massiel: Yes. And that really, I think, is going to resonate really well with the listeners, which is like you said, so editing is down the road. So right now, focusing on what's going on right now and for a lot of listeners, it's writing the book or simply doing their research. So I think that's going to be really helpful. So instead of looking at that mountain far away, you're just trekking on this one. That is, yes, totally beautiful. I love that.   Leah: Yeah, because, you know, I think otherwise, I mean, I don't know, I don't want to speak for everybody, but for me, especially when I first started this process, it seemed really big and daunting. So I think breaking up, you know, writing your book into steps, into small measurable, achievable goals so that you can feel and find that progress along the way that can continue to propel you forward. Because I think if you would try to do everything all at once, it's much easier to get stuck, feel defeated, and maybe just not finish at all. So when you can find little achievements along the way, I think that it makes it much more realistic and doable to actually getting to the end goal, which is publishing the book.   Massiel: Yeah. Yeah. And I agree, and that's exactly what we tell our listeners. It's like, you know, just a little bit at a time and checking a little bit at a time and you know, actually, this leads me to a question before we wrap up. You said here that you're helping Girls Inc. So the book is helping Girls Inc. Now how is it doing that exactly?   Leah: Yeah, that's a great question. So a portion of the profits from the presale campaign is going to go to support Girls Inc. And the reason that I decided to partner with Girls Inc, is because I strongly believe in their mission. It's very similar to that of Empowered and Poised and to everything that's being shared in the book. And considering we had Stephanie Hall interviewed, who is the CEO, as you had mentioned earlier, of Girls Inc, we felt that it only made sense to partner with them and give a portion of the proceeds back to a charity that's doing such good for the community and helping underserved young women who might not otherwise have the chance to experience some of the things that are mentioned in the book. And it's organizations like Girls Inc that really give them the opportunity to learn more about themselves, to expand their horizons, and to be able to grow into confident young women. So we're really excited about this partnership, and we hope that we can raise more than enough so that we can give back to the community of Girls Inc.    Massiel: That is awesome. And it's such a great mission, such a great organization because they've done a lot. I know some of my listeners would love to set up proceeds for an organization or charity. So I mean, how on that technical level, how does that work? Does it do like an automatic type of like split so that they can know like, this is how I want to contribute once my book is published?   Leah: Yeah. So actually, again, just being transparent, the way that it's working with them is once we raise our complete funds, then anything after, you have the opportunity to kind of put that in your pocket or give that to a charity. And so we've decided to get 50% to Girls Inc. once our goal is raised. And then also the other 50% is likely going to go to Empowered and Poised to help with that mission, which is not public but since it's my organization, I have a feeling that's probably what we'll end up doing so that we could then serve more girls in that way and that can help to reduce the cost for the girls and pay for some of the art supplies and different things that we need for our programming.   So I guess on the backend, a lot of it is reaching out to the organization that you'd be interested in partnering with to make sure that they're open to it, that they're okay with it, that you're following any of the guidelines that they offer to you about engaging with their platforms. Obviously, it's a partnership, so you want to be respectful of that. Now, logistically, on the backend the publisher is helping 50:20speechfreeze] coping with all of, necessarily speak to that in this circumstance. But I know that there definitely are ways that you can do that through websites where you raise donations or through other fundraising sites as well, similar to Indiegogo where if you wanted to raise funds to then give back to the community that you could certainly do it in that way. I don't know, did that answer your question well enough on how people can kind of go about partnering with an organization?   Massiel: Yeah, absolutely. I think cause sometimes we will look at an organization and we might feel exactly as we're talking about overwhelming, how do I contribute? But you laid it out. It's really straightforward, you know, to start the communication. And I love that because I think that a lot of listeners will be like, okay, like that's a step forward that they can take to writing their books, finishing them, and then also donating their proceeds to an organization or a charity just like you're doing, and also going back into your LLC, I mean, which is fantastic because you guys are doing so many great things. That is awesome. Leah: Thank you. Yeah. And I mean, I think it was also important too that we highlighted this organization in the book. So that's part of the reason why we decided to partner with them, was not only because of the interview from Stephanie, but we also spoke about a young woman who went through the program and then her confidence was kind of increased because of the opportunities that she was granted, which I believe that that's in the exposure chapter. And then we also had a Girls Inc Alum speak about her experience working with the organization. So there were multiple different individuals within this book who highlighted the importance of Girls Inc.    And you know, I really think when we talk about community, this is a collective effort. How can we all work together to support the same mission? So I think that some people might see like, Oh, doesn't your organization kind of do something very similar to them? Why would you not just give all the money to your organization, if it's basically the same goal? And it's like, well, they're on a much larger scale than we are now cause we're still kind of in that startup phase. So they have the connections and the opportunity to be able to immediately impact young women. And so, yes, and... it's a yes, and; yes, we can support Empowered and Poised and support somebody else. Because at the end of the day, there are so many young women out there that could utilize these services and need this support and I can't do that all alone, they can't do that all alone. So like let's work together, right?   Massiel: Yes, totally. Totally. Just like we're doing here, right? Like, I mean, showing up and doing the podcast or doing YouTube and sharing each other's message. I mean, it's about growing together. We grow exponentially when it's done together so I think you hit the nail on the head. That is amazing. Thank you so much.   Leah:  Thank you.    Massiel: I mean, all day I'll be like, thank you so much cause I'm so excited for your book. And so, for the listeners who are listening, where can they find you, Empowered and Poised, and also your book? Where can they go to find more information to keep up and also to donate, to contribute to your goal as well?   Leah: Yes. Thank you. Thank you for asking that question. So if they want to follow me on my personal pages, it's @itsLeahbee. And that's on all social platforms. Feel free to connect on LinkedIn as well. And then for Empowered and Poised, the handle is Empowered Poised; there's no 'and' in between because it's too long of a handle to be Empowered and Poised. So just Empowered Poised or you can check it out at www.empoweredandpoised.com and there's information about the book on most of these platforms. So definitely check it out on Indiegogo to be able to support and thank you, everybody, who's taking the time to listen to this podcast. Hopefully, you have some great tips that you can use in developing your own book. And thank you again for your support with Conscious Empowerment and Empowered and Poised.   Massiel: That is awesome. Thank you so much, Leah. That is 'Conscious Empowerment: A Guide to Helping Girls Build Self-esteem and Confidence.' Everyone who's listening less than 21 days to reach that first goal. So everyone, jump on in there and support this message. Thank you, Leah, for joining us and we're wishing you luck and we're looking forward to seeing the launch of the book.    Leah: Thank you so much. I truly appreciate it.   ----- Support the book, Conscious Empowerment: A Guide to Helping Girls Build Self-esteem & Confidence NOW! The goodies deadline is fast approaching! ------     Still having Writer's Block? Get your Free Writer’s toolkit at www.blackheartedstudios.com and click Resources for Writers (http://blackheartedstudios.com/resources/) Email us at massiel@blackheartedstudios.com.