The Signal

I recently had a realization that changed the way I'm approaching my current book: I'd turned writing into a job. After 40 years of working in business, where deadlines, deliverables, and getting things done were part of my DNA, I found myself bringing that same mindset to my creative work. I was tracking word counts, setting arbitrary deadlines, and judging myself when I wasn't making the progres...

In part 2 of my conversation with author Kent Schwendy, I wanted to dig into something that can be both essential to writing and a wonderfully sophisticated form of procrastination: research. Kent writes historical military fiction, so research is a significant part of his process. But what struck me was his distinction between research that gives a story depth and research that becomes a way to a...

What happens when someone who has spent his life thinking in systems, processes, and logic decides to make room for something much less predictable: writing? In this conversation, I sat down with author Kent Schwendy to explore the writer’s journey, not the mechanics of publishing, but the internal shift that happens when you finally give yourself permission to call yourself a writer. Kent began w...

I went to Anna Maria Island for two weeks with a very specific goal: write. I had a book in progress, a solid outline, 20,000 words already on the page, and a beautiful place to work. I fully expected to come home with another 20,000 or 40,000 words. Instead, I spent much of my time walking the beach, reading, resting, talking to strangers, journaling, and letting my brain do whatever it apparentl...

In this episode of The Signal, I unpack the heavy, sacred decisions every writer faces when stepping into the realm of memoir and narrative nonfiction. Moving far beyond basic craft instructions, I dive into the core intention behind telling your story—and why writing a powerful memoir isn't about collecting field notes of every detail that occurred, but about serving the emotional heart of the na...

Today, I sat down with author, keynote speaker, and culture consultant MaryBeth Hyland, broadcasting live from the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho. MaryBeth shares her personal journey of untangling herself from a history of trauma, work addiction, and a desperate need for external approval and how writing became the ultimate vehicle for her freedom. Together, we explore what it truly means to step...

In part two of my conversation with author Andrea K. Stein, we shift from the craft of writing to the realities of building a writing career. After publishing nearly forty books, Andrea has learned firsthand that writing the book is only the beginning. We talk about self-publishing, marketing, newsletters, networking, finding mentors, hiring the right people, and why success rarely follows the pat...

Award-winning author Andrea K. Stein has spent more than six decades writing and has published nearly forty books, but her journey began with a young girl filling marble notebooks with stories long before she knew what it meant to be an author. In this first half of our conversation, Andrea shares how an encouraging teacher changed her life, why journalism taught her the discipline every writer ne...

After launching The Signal newsletter, I received an email that congratulated me on "reinventing myself." It was meant as a compliment, but the word reinvention stopped me in my tracks. Why did it bother me so much? In this episode, I unpack the unexpected emotions behind that moment and what it revealed about one of the biggest obstacles every writer—and every creative person—faces: the fear of b...

In this episode, I share the unexpected story of how a chance conversation with a Starbucks barista led to the creation of Verano Writers, the writing group that helped reignite my passion for writing books. What started as a simple desire to reconnect with writing became a reminder that sometimes the things we're meant to pursue are waiting patiently for us to give ourselves permission to begin....

In this first official episode of The Signal , I share why writing prompts will become a cornerstone of both this podcast and my companion newsletter. While prompts are a wonderful way to get words flowing, their real purpose runs much deeper. My goal is to help you reconnect with your authentic voice, access the stories only you can tell, and develop the courage to trust what emerges when you giv...

“I’m a writer. At my soul-deep level, I am a writer.” Welcome to the very first transmission of The Signal. In this raw, organic, and unfiltered trailer, I’m pulling back the curtain on why I wrapped up my previous show, My Solopreneur Life , to dive headfirst into a brand-new creative conversation about writing from the soul. I’m touching on my lifelong journey with the written word, from winning...