Kristen McGuiness, Founder Rise Writers & Rise Books
Kristen shares her journey from starting a book coaching business to the realization that she could fill a gap in the industry by working with clients who might not have traditional publishing opportunities. And shares the story of a client predicting her future as a book publisher. Listen and learn your many paths to publishing.
Listen
watch
00:02 Hi everyone, welcome back to a new episode of Emerging Brands podcast with Kelly Bennett. Today I have a really, really, really special guest, someone who I admired and followed on mine, and then I've had the privilege of working with. 00:19 She is the founder of a book publishing company from the Emerging Brand Incubator. I actually got to meet her IRL in New York, not too long ago after years of working together online, Kristen McGinnis, founder of Rise Writers and Rise Books. 00:35 Welcome to the podcast. Thank you, Kelly. I'm so excited to be here. I'm so excited. And I'm still so excited we got to meet in person. 00:44 Like, that is, it was like one of the great joys of this summer. I was like, and I got to meet Kelly about it. 00:50 Same right back at you. It really was, it felt so awesome because right when I gave you a hug, I was like, I feel like I've always known you in person. 00:59 Like it just was very seamless from our all my world to IRL and that for me is when I feel that from someone I'm like this is yeah these are one of my people you know so I'm just really thrilled that we're also now recording this episode because I've been wanting to interview you for a while and you've 01:16 been I've been like two years of trying to book this yes yes yes yes and so the day is here. 01:22 Today is the day. And we finally are doing it. I am honored and I am so excited. So for someone who is new to your orbit and new to what you do, can you give us a little behind the scenes of the story behind rise writers and rise books of why did you do this? 01:47 Why did you start a book publishing company. What are you doing? How did this happen? Why am I this crazy? 01:58 Yeah, no, I was actually having lunch a couple of weeks ago with another book publisher, and she's also a publisher of an independent book publishing house, and I was like, we're just like stupidly ambitious people, like it's not even, it's like doesn't make any sense, like, but we are doing these crazy 02:19 things. And yeah, but I think like anybody who creates anything, you know, because there's a need. And if there wasn't a need, then I wouldn't be doing it. 02:30 And, and I think that I, so a couple of years ago, I started with a book coaching business, and I was probably a whopping one month into that business when one of my clients said, you know, you're going to end up opening up a book publishing house, right? 02:46 You know, because he knew that like and he and he is actually on our list. But he saw that which was obviously going to happen that I was going to be working with clients who weren't necessarily going to find themselves with the traditional publisher. 03:01 And he knew that for himself like he knew that he would struggle to get a traditional publisher. He obviously was more savvy about how things work than you know, then other folks necessarily are. 03:12 And so he foresaw, which I very quickly saw as well, that I was going to have the opportunity to work with amazing writers, amazing thinkers, amazing activists, amazing people changing the world, who also were going to struggle to get a traditional book deal. 03:30 And not that there aren't a bunch of wonderful small and large independent presses in in this world, but I was going to uniquely know what their book was and how to publish it. 03:41 And so I began to grow that book coaching business. We're actually, I am celebrating three years of that business on September 4th, which is crazy. 03:51 Congratulations. I kind of started in July, but it was like, September 4th was the day that I officially left my full-time job and was like, and now I am a business owner. 04:02 And so I, yeah, and we launched it. And for those of you who are listening, the day I actually put that job and launched my business, I went to office depot, as one does, right, to celebrate. 04:17 And at office depot in Ventura County, I ran into Angelene, who is like a celebrity in Los Angeles. She's very famous for buying billboards of herself throughout, like the 1990s. 04:29 She drives a hot pink corvette and she wears all hot pink and she has these like very large set and but like seeing Angelina is like considered like a good luck omen in Los Angeles so if like you see Angelina you're like it's like a little rubble of gold on your shoulder and the day I launched my business 04:46 I ran into Angelina in the parking lot of office depot and like we got photos and so that's my that was the day I launched my business and I knew I was like I think we're gonna be fine folks. 04:59 I literally have goose bumps I love that so much our company yeah ironically the day I will say this you know I'm kind of storyteller I am the day we sent in our beer and alcohol license for my husband's pizza shop because we're dual entrepreneurs because they're a special set of crazy we ran into 05:17 Angeline again at the post office sending in the beer and alcohol stuff and it was like there she was she literally blessed us again with our other business, but that's only people in Los Angeles will understand and they will be like, whoa, I love this so much. 05:38 I didn't even know of Angeline, but I will be googling shortly after recording, but I love that. And I absolutely know whenever you tell a story, it always has the coolest ending or twist or turns. 05:55 Like, I just love your life updates whenever we start a call together. I'm like, how are everything go? And you're like, well, this is crazy. 06:04 Shit is going on. I always thoroughly enjoy it. So I am not surprised at all that Angelina has blessed both businesses on launch day. 06:14 I love that so much. So tell me about the book publishing aspect of it too, because you worked in traditional publishing, you've worked with some of the biggest publishers right in the world. 06:29 And you saw from the behind the scenes, you yourself are a best-selling author too. So you've seen it from both side of the street. 06:37 And you also then saw that there was a need for different paths to publishing, right? That people that had great stories and stories that needed to be heard, but they were being overlooked by traditional publishing houses. 06:53 So what gave you that encouragement or maybe that next stage of from book coaching to, okay, I'm going to do this. 07:04 I'm going to start a publishing house. I'm going to start, I'm going to do it. What was that shift for you? 07:13 I mean, I think it was really the authors. And I mean, the way that I look, I mean, it's not a, it's a very accurate metaphor, I think. 07:22 You know, big book publishing, and this is Simon and Schuster, Harper Collins, Random House, and the people that don't, McMillan. 07:33 So that's St. Martin's Ferro Strauss and Garot. And I mean, those are sort of the big four, Inhatchet. That was formerly Warner Brothers. 07:40 So those are the big five publishers. They are still a big five. They almost became a big four when Random was going to buy Simon, but that didn't happen. 07:47 So there's still big five publishing. Not surprisingly, most of those publishers are actually owned or are, you know, in the same global family as a studio, like a Warner Brothers. 08:02 As I just mentioned, or Paramount or Universal, I mean, a lot of times Fox, for example, owns Harper Collins. And so it's a little bit like when you make a movie, you can make a movie in the studio system. 08:12 You can make a Marvel film with, you know, is that Disney? I think Disney and you know and you can and you can get those kind of budgets and that kind of bandwidth or you can make an independent film. 08:25 You can be a 24 you know. I mean there's tons of independent film producers and independent film out there and so I just think that I was working with clients who weren't you know they weren't the Disney fit both in terms of scope but also content. 08:43 And so being an independent really gives you a lot more opportunity to, you know, publish smaller, make, you know, make it, you don't have to sell 50,000 copies to meet a bottom line for shareholders at Viacom, right? 09:00 So it's just, it's a different sort of business structure. And so we're distributed by Simon and Schuster, which is amazing. 09:06 Risebooks has a distribution deal with Simon and Schuster, which gives us the leverage that they do our sales. They sell into shops for us. 09:14 They're amazing. Fantastic. I can't say enough about them. I was just talking, and also the co-founder of another publishing house, Ro House Publishing, and I was just talking to Rebecca the other day about the level of support that we get from Simon and Schuster is amazing. 09:28 But we still have the flexibility of an independent. And so it's really like a wonderful combination. I've worked with other independents that don't have big distribution deals and is tough. 09:41 You know, it's tough to get your book in Barnes and Noble. It's tough to sell into specialty shops unless you're just going to that store. 09:48 But to have a sales rep that's doing that selling for you is just phenomenal. And then they manage a lot of the structural stuff. 09:56 So but I think that in terms of being able to create an independent publisher where you know we can publish people who don't have massive platforms and you know I come I was doing a Kickstarter last spring as you well know and as I was filming the Kickstarter as you well know I went to say like I worked 10:16 in book publishing for 20 years and instead without even like thinking the words came out I'm up and worked in book publishing for 20,000 years and so it was a favorite moment of mine. 10:27 And I was like seriously just came out of my mouth and I didn't even catch it. I was like, I guess so. 10:36 But having worked in book publishing for 20,000 years, I really believe that you can build a platform off of a book and I do. 10:46 I believe I'm about to and I think especially for people who struggle with social media. You know I wouldn't say that I love self-promotion. 10:58 That's not my most fluent language. I struggle with time management to actually post stuff online unless I have a reason to be there. 11:08 I'm not someone who's like, here's my life every day. That's just not natural to me. It's not I don't I don't have any like judgment around it. 11:16 I wish I could do it more. I say I speak like socially, the way I speak French, like I can buy a mattress, but I can't get into like a debate around World War II. 11:28 And so it's just not. But if I have a product, I get out there, you know, if I got something to talk about, I'm actually pretty comfortable talking about it, give me a reason and I'm there. 11:41 And so I think that a book is a reason for a lot of people to get out there to begin to build content, to share that content, to build community, to be in community, in like a really authentic way. 11:53 And they've got something there to share. And so I do believe books can help people to build those platforms. Unfortunately, though, for a lot of big publishers and even a lot of big independence, they want to see that that platform is built before they're willing to give you the book deal. 12:09 And so for us, it writes books, and especially for folks coming out of rise writers and out of our book coaching programs. 12:15 I really saw an incredible opportunity for people to be published without that and to really begin to create interesting marketing campaigns that you eat huge part of. 12:26 Thank you. Well, thank you for bringing me in because it is really cool. And that also brings me to my next question of how you've been creating this ecosystem for emerging authors for writers, for people who've been curious or feeling like there's a book inside of them but they're not quite sure what 12:49 that looks like or someone who has a bit more season maybe writer, but landing a book deal has been the hardest challenge that they've had. 13:01 You've created this ecosystem that is just so incredible. Again, seeing it behind the scenes and And with the launch of your website and even with the Kickstarter, it's been so cool seeing all the pieces that you've been talking about, really all solidifying and playing their own role because it takes 13:21 many different pieces from what I've learned from you to bring a book from your brain to someone's hands, right? And so I would love if you could give a little bit of inside of how you've been doing You have rise writers. 13:35 You have rise retreats. You have rise books. Can you give us a little of that behind the scenes of how you created those brand extensions? 13:45 Yeah, and I mean, again, I have you to I have you to say for this Kelly. It's going to turn into a Kelly, then an advertisement. 13:52 Oh my gosh. Well, thank you. I mean, I cannot do enough working with you. I really, I always say, and I do want to get my husband working with you two on his restaurant. 14:01 I mean, I tell Terry all the time about just how fantastic you are about helping people to develop their ideas, create the implementation plan, and then bug them, about actually, not so. 14:16 It's like exactly what everybody needs. I do that. I'm like, hey, yeah, I mean, one of the ideas I think, you know, I came up with you really was this idea of developing a path to publishing. 14:32 And so and trying to create also an equitable path to publishing. And I think that's the one thing that I know about book publishing. 14:39 It has historically been a variant like all arts, right? I mean, you didn't get all the money in the world and you could just lay around and do art all day and pay to get it published, you know, then you'd be an artist, right? 14:51 But for a lot of us, and I do come from, you know, I have to pay my own bills, and I have a lot of bills to pay. 14:59 So, and I'm just, you know, I didn't grow up with those opportunities or resources. And so I have struggled myself as an artist of like I've had to take the day job that made it really hard for me to write the book so many times over, you know. 15:13 I also have been a ghost writer professionally and it was great. That's actually where I was able to make more money than I'd made in doing anything else, but I also, that's totally stopped me from writing my own book, you know, and I had to put it on pause because I was so busy writing other people's 15:29 books. And so, so I really tried to create this path that people can come in through many different ways based on wherever they're at in life. 15:39 I I also try to create a path that is really gentle for people who are working jobs, who are moms, who have other things going on, but still have this desire inside them to write a book. 15:49 And so that really starts with offering free resources and workshops and talks and different things. But then ultimately, we do group coaching, which is sort of like, and there's scholarships involved in discounting. 16:03 But that's the area where I can discount someone where it's really hard for me to have a private client who's free. 16:08 Right. Oh, people are spot in a group workshop. And so I really love group workshops for that. And so we have a three different series of that right now. 16:16 And we have five days to find your story. The next one is actually coming in September, which is really just for people that are book curious. 16:23 You know, they know they want to write, they don't know what that looks like. And it's really about helping them to develop their idea and at the end of it to have like an intro and an outline for their book, so they know where they want to go with it. 16:35 And then the second one is five weeks to book proposal, which I will very quickly say, you know, depending on the genre of the book you are writing, some books are sold on full manuscript, memoir fiction, this pretty much it. 16:49 Memoir and fiction is always sold on full manuscript. Almost everything else is sold on proposal, and some memoir is sold on proposal, just depending. 16:57 But so for people that are writing in any kind narrative, nonfiction, they're doing a book proposal self help spirituality, personal development, you know, business. 17:08 Those are going to be book proposals. So we do a group called Five Weeks to Book Proposal or next one, it doesn't November. 17:13 And then I do another group called Five Months to Memoir, which is obviously this sort of big, big group where people are writing the first draft of their memoir. 17:23 And I always tell people that, you know, look, most people have to take it twice, because it's really hard to write a book in five months. 17:30 You can do it and I, as a ghost writer, I've written books into two weeks, so it's not impossible. Joe McGorgar from Real Housewives of New Jersey, I wrote his book in two weeks with a newborn, so it was a really hysterical right? 17:45 Yeah, I literally am like, I think Dylan was, I want to say three or four weeks old and the best my side, my angelic story for Joe Gorgar, which I always share because it was the funniest. 17:56 He was doing his acknowledgment. It's any one of me to help him write him, and then it got to me, you know, you have to acknowledge your coach, right? 18:01 And he goes, well, I don't know what to say. And I said, I can't write my own acknowledgment, Joe. And he was like to say, yeah, and you know, she was terrific. 18:09 She had babies crawling all over her. And she still wrote the book. She had babies. And I was seriously, had babies crawling all over me. 18:19 And I still wrote the book. Oh, no. This is why I love your stories. Yeah, there was a crazy, the crazy Joe Gorgas stories. 18:29 Andy Cohen, I am available. Yes. I'm dreaming of a museum. I'm not even in to realize why I'm just into Andy Cohen. 18:38 I just, yeah, so let's manifest this. I feel, I feel like our kids would get along. It feels like he has, he has beagles. 18:45 I love beagles, I just, Andy, I'm, I'm coming for you, Andy. Yeah, so but no, but we have five runs to memoir and then and then for folks, you know, who are usually more advanced in their careers, like they do have a platform there more likely to sell a book. 19:03 I have private clients and that's it more premium pricing. And then ultimately as people moved through that system, you know, then they had the opportunity to be published. 19:11 And so much like the private versus group options, we also have two options there which rise books is the primary publishing house, which is a traditional publisher, there's a small advance, a much more generous profit share involved in that. 19:28 And we really curate that list, we're going to be opening up submissions in September, but it's very it's very niche in terms of what we're publishing and. 19:36 And I'll say to you now, like, I really, for a long time, I was kind of using this term of radical inspiration, but I'm actually really now moving into the thinking of those books is inspired activism, because I really want to be a work of activism. 19:51 And I know, like, when we were in New York, we were talking about, I am actually the first author on RISE books, and really looking at how do we coordinate activism with that book. 20:02 And that has led me to think, like, wait, how do we coordinate activism around all of our books at rise books and I think that really is my goal with that with that company and then we also have an imprint ascent publishing which is for books in personal development wellness and business and that is 20:19 actually where folks can purchase publishing packages but they get all the benefits of rise books so you know they're working with an editor an editorial director we have ghost writers on staff and with our director marketing and publicity, who you got to meet, Lauren Schwartzville, I'll chat. 20:37 So cool. So you guys have continued to connect. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I really, really enjoy talking with her. And so that's Ascend Publishing, which is an imprint of RISE books. 20:51 And so really, it's about just offering all of these ways for folks to find their path to publishing based on where they're at and what kind of resources they have, but whether they're able to purchase a publishing package and guarantee themselves a spot on our publishing list with the send, where there's 21:09 someone who's just starting out in a group program who's being scholarshiped in and is just beginning their writer's journey. We really wanted to create a space that's open for all who dream of being a writer and really just walking with them on that path. 21:24 And I know for myself, I always say like I myself as a writer I'm always looking for my Kristen McGinnis. 21:32 Yes, I can't see that. So because it is like you know really in my rise writers you know because it is it's so it's so important to have those cheerleaders around you the group and the community and and we really do have a beautiful community of writers who you know have started with me. 21:53 My first two authors actually outside of myself at Rides Books are two folks who started in our five weeks to book proposal program. 22:00 The first or magnetic boxy whose book is coming out in April she was in my first group ever and Amy Miranda whose book is coming out in December what we've forgotten her she was in my second group ever and oh cool so yeah so it's really exciting that's so exciting and you touched upon that you 22:19 are going to be publishing your book and that you are the first author from Rise Books, which is so exciting. 22:29 So could you give us a little sneak peek of your book? I did get an advance copy and it's so good. 22:35 And just like the energy rating off, radiating off of it, it just feels just feels really special. Could you could you give us a little sneak peek of what's going on. 22:45 Yeah, even though you know this is it, but this is the finished copy. It's gorgeous. So anyway, yeah. Wow. It's a real book. 22:57 It's a real book. We did the unboxing video last night in my yard and and it's really exciting. It's really exciting. 23:07 Yeah, no, it's it's wild. So I wrote this book starting in 2016. I did have to take a break because I was ghost writing Joborg as book and many others for a period there and but I will say I you know I struggled to get it published and I believed in it so much I just knew I knew I had something to 23:27 say and I mean I have I have ghost written 20 books I've been on the LA Times bestseller's list I've edited a lot of huge writers and authors both some more literary some like Dr. 23:40 Phil you know right and I I've always said like, I know a good book, I mean, people pay me to tell them whether it's a good book, you know, like that's my whole career. 23:51 And I knew it was a good book. And I knew it was an important book. It is about gun violence. 23:58 And it is a very specific call to action about banning assault weapons in this country and using the executive order to do that. 24:05 I mean, it's a very clear moment in the book. But it's also about modern life and, you know, being middle-class and middle-aged in modern America, and it definitely looks different than what we thought it was going to look like. 24:19 And it's, you know, just trying to make it through. And, you know, and as I said, even before we began, you know, I mean, I, at one point, did have the nine to five job where I barely saw my child and that's not with any judgment. 24:33 And I understand that that's what a lot of people, we have no choice but to do that. And I would drop her off the date or AM, and I would pick her up at 5.45, and I would rush home, and I would make dinner, and I would feed her, and I would bathe her, and I would put her to bed, and that was the end 24:47 . And then because I did have other dreams on the weekend, I was trying to write books, and it meant, like, I could barely see her then either. 24:55 I mean, I still did, and I was just like, I don't, like, why is this what our life is? Like, why are we thinking this is the only option? 25:04 And so the book is, you know, it's about gun violence, but it's also a lot more about the systems in which we live and that we all know there has to be a better way. 25:13 And at some point, we have to stand up and say there has to be a better way. And it's really sad because I think we just had an amazing opportunity and not that there haven't been shifts. 25:21 And there's been some really good systemic changes like in terms of, you know, wages that people, I mean, we own a small business And we pay a lot more than we would have paid six years ago and we are totally I mean we don't really make that much money But we are thrilled to be doing that so that others 25:38 are getting a livable wage and I think there have been some shifts in our culture But I also think that like this idea of a five-day work week this idea of a 40-hour work week and not being able to you you know Especially since both parents work like it doesn't make sense and I just think there's a 25:55 better way to live and a better way to demand that we get to live. And so the book is about that too. 26:00 And it's really just, it's about living through this, both like the tragedy, but also just living through this life. Life. 26:09 So powerful for you. Did you just touch upon it? What do you think makes a good book? I think it has to be a spiritual adventure. 26:26 You know, I mean, I am like my grandmother talking about like I was somebody who like I was terrible at group sports. 26:33 I hate if you throw a ball at me I will run in the other direction like that was never maybe like a Christian wrong way and I'd be like no right way yeah yeah getting out of here I always wanted to be like a virtue oh so it like instruments and if I wasn't like if I couldn't pick up piano in two weeks 26:52 forget it and I have tried so many times but even now in adulthood I tried piano and I was like after two weeks I was never true also and I was like, I'm done with this. 27:02 I have no interest. I think there were only two. I have a recovered alcoholic, so I did actually feel like I was naturally a very good drinker. 27:10 The first time I ever got drunk, I drank everybody under the table and I was like, finally, something I'm good at. 27:15 I'm really good at this. This is like a natural talent. But I think my other natural talent wasn't necessarily writing. 27:23 I actually feel like, but my natural talent was reading. My natural talent was like a love of books and I was like in first grade, I read like full novels. 27:33 Like I was a voracious like very advanced reader. Like I was reading fifth grade level and like first grade and like I was reading like college level by like fourth grade. 27:43 Like I was reading catcher in the rye in third grade. My grandmother didn't really know what to give me. She just gave me Daniel Steele books and a lot of JD Salinger and that's like all I read was like I really like incredibly explicit romances that no third grader should ever read. 28:01 And I know I'm an age old and like if she ever read what I was reading, my grandmother actually was like, maybe you should give her some Danielle Steele like completely seriously and I was like, no, I'm not, I really don't know about oral sex and third grade, like I'm good with that. 28:18 I'm good with that. Yeah, but I wondered why I was so sexually advanced, so anyway. But yeah, but I love to read and I think it was just like, you know, I didn't have an awkward and tough childhood. 28:35 And I think that like reading was a very easy escape for me, but I also love this like I've always had just a wild imagination. 28:43 And I loved entering these worlds that were just really spiritual adventures and and that these characters could go and do anything, you know, and and that's really what I loved. 28:56 And as a writer, I love, it's why I might write nonfiction again at some point my first book was a memoir, but I really love fiction because I love this idea that, you know, these characters, as I say. 29:08 And in memoir, your character is going to open the door and the choices do I walk through the door or don't I and fiction they can set the door on fire. 29:18 They can fly out the door. They can write they can break the door. They can do whatever they want because it's fiction and you're not bound by reality unless you're writing like a more magical memoir, like Lydia, you know, Vitch or something. 29:32 But I think that for the most part, you're just not bound to what happened and you get to really create this whole world and I love that idea. 29:42 I love the idea of creating universes and I think that as a kid that's what I love was being able to enter all of these different universes and I'll end just by saying what are my all-time favorite quotes is from Salman Rushdie from the book Midnight children and he says in order to understand one life 30:00 you have to swallow the world and I just think like to me that was always that's what I feel like is a writer you know like our job is to swallow the world and that's that's how we share just one life you know so what a powerful quote in sentiment yeah it's one of my it's one of my favorite books 30:23 but that quote when I read it I was in college and I was just like that's why I want to be a writer like that's it and that was going to be my next question as far as how does someone realize that they are a writer? 30:39 I think you know I mean I think for some people like myself I mean I grew up always wanting to be a writer I remember going actually I went to like a rent fair when I was like fifth grade and I went to like a terror reader or something and I was like am I gonna be a writer and apparently she was terrible 30:56 terror reader because she told me I was going to be a lawyer and a judge and that's probably why I never went to law school because I was like no way my mom worked my mom was a legal assistant at a law firm and I grew up in a law firm basically because she worked all the time and I was like I am not 31:12 going to be a lawyer and I was like and a judge like I'm not aware of a black robe yeah, I like fashion, okay? 31:20 Like, I mean, so I always wanted that, but I find like through my clients, like, I just spoke to somebody today who's in my group of coaching program. 31:31 She now dreamt of being a writer. And it wasn't until COVID, she's a doctor and she works in hospitals and she saw a lot of really horrible tragedy in COVID and she started writing about it. 31:43 And I think, You know, I mean, I think that's the beauty of writing it's not and I think a lot of people think like Oh, I've had to be writing since I was a kid or I had to have been like a virtuoso, right? 31:53 And I always find people like It's like any it's like music, right? Like every once in a while there's a Mozart every once in a while There's someone who by the age of five they were all already proficient, right? 32:04 But like right but actually most of us are just learning our whole lives and And that process can be scaled based on any number of variables, you know. 32:15 And I work with people who are just like fantastic writers out of the gate. And I work with people who grow as writers. 32:23 And, you know, in our group coaching program recently, we had someone who I know she was really struggling as to write. 32:29 And it just wasn't coming together and I could see it. Like that flow wasn't happening. And she's been sort of in and out of the group just as a life. 32:36 And she recently wrote something. She should have with the group last week and another person who's been in the group for a while too, like she wrote, she was like, you finally f****** did it, you know. 32:45 And it was like, it finally, like, it was so beautiful. And like, you know, but it didn't happen on the first try. 32:53 You know, so I just think, you know, writing is really a practice in patience. And I know that for myself, like, I'm still growing as a writer. 33:02 Like, I look to do an M, I would love to do an MFA program, even though I've written so many books. 33:08 Like, I would love that kind of, like, just warm, long bath and craft and really, like, learning things that I don't know. 33:16 And one day, one day, I'm going to figure it out. One day, I love how you talk about writing. I really do. 33:26 The way that you explain the experience, like, I can listen to you talk about writing all day. I really can. 33:35 You make it just feel so magical because I know that that's the experience that you have with writing and it's someone who's dyslexic with learning disabilities and writing is definitely not a strength of mine by any stretch of the means. 33:51 I really love how you talk about it because it just makes me feel connected to something that has always been a struggle for myself and the way that you approach it and just make it feel more accessible. 34:06 Also that it doesn't have to be super intimidating and someone could just start even if they're not great at it, they could just practice something and learn something. 34:15 I just really appreciate what you do around writing and for people who are curious about writing a book. Thank you. 34:25 I just think it's about making it not this scary fancy thing, you know, isn't. It's this thing. It's a tool that's available to us all. 34:40 And you know, and for some people like writing and publishing a book is not necessarily the end game. I mean, sometimes it's just about the journey of writing. 34:48 And I always say like that first draft should always be for you. And if that's all you write, that's more than enough, you know. 34:54 So really is just beginning to see it as a tool of healing, as a tool of activism, as a tool of whatever you want it to be in your life, you know, for some it's a tool of business. 35:05 And that's perfectly fine too, but like it really is just seeing it as a tool. And it's one that like the more we do it, the more we find a community that we connect to with it. 35:14 And there's times I'm not the only business in town, but like, you know, I do try to make it that we really create a loving, gentle community that doesn't have, I'm not a high-brow writer. 35:26 And it's something that I, you know, I was talking to somebody recently. Like, I find, you know, I've had really good reviews. 35:32 I just got a fantastic review on from Kirkus on Live Through This, which was amazing. And it was a very like, yeah, like, but I do find like a lot of like literary world, like, has these sort of expectations of how writers should write. 35:46 And it's not to condemn it. I love those writers too. I just think there's a bunch of there's a lot of different types of writers out there for a lot of different types of readers and so you don't have to think you have to be like this kind of writer in order to get something out there in the world 36:01 and in order for it to connect with somebody else and so I mean that's why I told Terry yesterday like I know my book is I mean I hope people that aren't mothers relate to it and I think it's about a lot more than motherhood but I think that the main character in it is going through such really specific 36:17 experiences of a married woman with a child who is clearly not living the life that she thought she would be living, and who isn't living the life she should be living. 36:25 And I think that so many women there in that space and they don't know what to do, and they find themselves miserable in what should actually be a glorious experience. 36:35 I mean, I don't know, I always, I don't know, marriage, you know, marriage is a questionable thing. I don't know whether we need it, but I know we do need, if we want to continue this feces, we do need to have children. 36:45 You know, I mean, one of those things is just an evolutionary requirement. The other one is like a societal thing. 36:51 Marriage can go. I mean, it's fine. But like having children is how we actually stay on this planet. And like, that should be a glorious experience. 37:00 And when the rest of your life doesn't feel aligned with who you are, motherhood becomes another job. And that's a real bummer. 37:10 And I've had that experience of motherhood. And I've also had the glory. I mean, I just got off of it and it's not that I wasn't thrilled to drop my kids off to school today But like I got to spend like I've had fun. 37:19 I had that like oh my god This is why you're here. And this is why I'm doing this And that is really hard to have sometimes when the work doesn't feel aligned and the healing doesn't feel aligned and the passion for Living doesn't feel aligned and I've been there too and so really like live through 37:37 this is a lot about that and I know who I'm writing for And so I don't think it needs to feel literary in order for it to connect with my reader, you know, and so that's That's beautifully said. 37:50 I'm right. And that's why I try to help other people to write too. And I think the way that you're creating many paths to publishing for emerging authors You're also creating different paths for readers to find the type of books that really work for them. 38:08 Yeah, which is really cool which is really cool. So I could talk to you for hours because you're one of my favorite people. 38:17 Cause we do. We do. But I would love for you to give people insight on how they could start working with you. 38:26 What's that next step? How to know what their next path looks like or what path to get on. If you could just walk us a bit through of just helping people get started. 38:39 Absolutely so I mean the groups are the great way to start so our next group is five days to find your story it is it runs every day at 9 am PST noon EST I've tried to do it so it can fit into people with day jobs you can maneuver it's also you don't have to be there every day we we take the class and 39:00 all of the tools that are provided you can do outside of the group and then always you so it's great if you can come to a couple of them. 39:08 So that begins, I believe it's September 25th. I don't have a calendar right in front of me, but it's Monday and September. 39:17 So whenever that, you might be fast or at this right now. Yep, September 25th, September 25th. Through the 29th, you can go to risewriters.com. 39:27 I'm sure by the time you post this, it will be posted as well. That is a great way. If you're interested in private coaching, then you can, you know, find us at risewriters.com. 39:39 There's a contact page there, go ahead and email us. You can also directly schedule with me to do a 20-minute call just to talk about where you're at and see what is the best fit. 39:50 And if you're already done, if you know you want to do a book, you're interested in a publishing package. Certainly reach out for a send. 39:56 We have four spots available for 2025 and very excited to start publishing people there. And then in terms of rise books, we are going to begin accepting open submissions in September, so that should launch right after Labor Day. 40:11 I'm working with Kate, fellow Kelly Bennett on the website and we are updating all of that next week. So we're going to have that launch very soon with all the submissions and submission ability for people to send stuff in. 40:24 So incredible. And when does your book go out into the world? My book launches October 10th. And we are having, I think it's a five-city tour now. 40:37 I think that's where we're at. All of the dates and places down, but it looks like we're going to be doing Bedford, New York on October 10th. 40:46 We are working right now on Boston for October 12th or 13th. And then we're doing Los Angeles, Santa Monica, it's Zibi Books on October 17th with me and Jennifer Pasteloff. 40:59 I should say Boston is with Laura McCowon, the author of the Lucky Loans. I believe it's the time to get that title right. 41:07 And then Jennifer Pasteloff author of On Being Human, doing Chicago on Tuesday, October 24th with the author Gina Francello and gun rights activist Brendan Mitchell, who is with every town with gun safety and monster man. 41:22 And then doing an event in Seattle on November 1st with the author Emily Paulson, who's a dear friend and client of mine, who's book Heyhan about MLM's just came out this year and June from Ro House. 41:35 So yeah, so we're going to be doing a tour and lots of podcasts and media going and hopefully today show or I was on to do show for my first book and I keep saying it was like my dating life and I'm like I don't get it like you had me on for this silly little memoir which was awesome I'm very proud 41:53 of my first book but I'm like this is like an important book about things we should be talking about so Andy Cohen and the today show those are my you are putting it out there you're out there in the interest sphere but I love this so much and you could say you you heard it here first everyone the emerging 42:13 brand podcast. So thank you so much. I'll add all the links to all the things in the show notes. And one last thing before I let you go, what is a piece of advice you would share with someone who starting a brand are in those early stages and they're like, I think I'm going to do this thing or they 42:32 kind of started or started. What would you tell that person? We joke before this that you know I was going to say Ron but no I don't run I mean I also said after that you know I love owning my own business I 90% of the time I love being an entrepreneur and 10% of the time want to pull my hair out so 42:56 and I will say I don't do it alone I mean I think that's the biggest piece to me and not just to not you have not paid me to say this but like working with I mean, I work with other folks too. 43:08 I have a lot, I am a coach, I really love coaching. I think it is so important. I have a business coach, I have my marketing you, my marketing coach. 43:20 Like I'm about to like go hunt for another coach right now. Like I love having coaches and people who have already done this before me because there's so much that you don't know, right? 43:32 And it's all about the question you do. That's what it's gonna get you, right? The question you never knew to ask, you know, and then you get the answer wrong too. 43:40 And you're like, I didn't even know that was the question. And there is so much about building a brand in a business that you just don't know. 43:48 And so having people who've already walked down the road, I really think the beauty of coaching to me is that I think it is a lot like apprenticeship, which is how we learn to do everything, how we've learned every trade across the course of humanity. 44:00 And I think coaching is just the like 21st century version of apprenticeship where we get to share knowledge and it's this really beautiful relationship and and obviously turns into a lot of friendships too and a lot of networking and a lot of awesome stuff but really If you go in and alone, it can 44:20 be a really scary and terrifying place, and the more people you have around you holding your hand and leading you through and bugging you when you're not getting stuff done, which is, you know, being in your own boss can be hard sometimes. 44:30 Yeah. It's really critical to do all the great creative work that we are here to do. So. Beautifully said, thank you so much for just being you and sharing your book and sharing your passion and knowledge and insight to create this ripple effect and to make some really damn good impacts on this world 44:59 . And I just appreciate the hell out of you. So thank you so much. Thank you, Kelly. I'm so excited. You're welcome. 45:05 Thank you everyone for listening. Go connect with Kristen. And I'll see you on the next episode.
