Your Words Unleashed

Send us Fan Mail This episode dives into the single most transformative mindset shift that academics can make: moving away from a success/failure binary. We often get caught up in meeting others’ expectations and trying to adhere to narrow definitions of success in the academy. But what might be possible if you created your own definition of success that didn't rely on outcomes or performance...

Send us Fan Mail On today's episode I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Cathy Mazak, founder of Scholars Voice and host of the Academic Writing Amplified podcast, for an insightful conversation on the unique challenges that mid-career academics face. Cathy shares her expertise on how tenured scholars—particularly women and non-binary faculty—can redefine their goals and build meaningful support netwo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I dive into why writing in plain language is a game-changer for academics. Instead of feeling pressured to use fancy jargon, imagine connecting with readers by simply saying what you mean. I share a client’s story that shows how clear writing can make research more engaging and powerful. You'll also get  tips on figuring out who your audience is, avoiding the...

Send us Fan Mail When I left the academy roughly two years ago, I had many challenging emotions to navigate. I felt angry, sad, and afraid of what would come next in my life and new business. I was surprised by the depth of these emotions because I had been working diligently towards leaving my faculty position for several years. I also knew I wasn’t the only one. So, in this fourth installment of...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wanted to quit writing your book but felt intense shame and embarrassment about it? In today's episode, I tackle this rarely discussed, but crucial, topic. I share my own personal experiences of stepping back from a significant book project and talk about how the act of quitting can sometimes be the most positive, empowering choice you can make. I offer three ke...

Send us Fan Mail One of the biggest dilemmas academic authors face, particularly when their topic has broad appeal, is the decision of whether or not to publish with a trade press. This is further complicated by how hard it is to find answers, as the trade publishing industry is a whole different ballgame from scholarly publishing. Luckily for you, my amazing guest in this episode, educator, autho...

Send us Fan Mail Are you an academic struggling with writing or feeling isolated in your scholarly journey? In this episode I welcome my friend and writing coach, Dr. Michelle Boyd, to talk about the magic of writing retreats. These retreats provide not only time and space but also a supportive community and practical skills that can transform your writing experience. Michelle is the founder and d...

Send us Fan Mail Are you scared to death about how you're going to be able to get any writing done this fall? If so, join the club! In this episode I'm going to offer you some ideas to help you focus on your own research when you're juggling a million other responsibilities. I'll give you three surprisingly simple questions you can ask yourself to create useful writing strategi...

Send us Fan Mail Are you a woman of color in academia searching for strategies to help you thrive?  What is some practical advice on handling department politics without jeopardizing your career? Look no further! In this episode, I talk with Dr. Katherine Lee, a Higher-Ed Coach, Career Strategist, and founder of Rise With Clarity. We talk about her journey from being a tenured professor to now coa...

Send us Fan Mail Do you feel like perfectionism gets in the way of your happiness or achieving your goals? Perfectionism is usually seen as a big problem. What if, instead, it was actually a superpower? In this episode, I'm going to give you some ideas on how to do this, based on the book The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power by therapist Katherine Morgan Scha...

Send us Fan Mail What do acquisitions editors do at scholarly presses? What things make a book project stand out? When is the best time to contact presses and editors? Why is it incredibly useful to work with a developmental editor? In this episode, I welcome Jenny Gavacs, a developmental editor who specializes in sharpening arguments and improving the flow of academic books. We discuss all of the...

Send us Fan Mail In this exciting episode of Your Words Unleashed, Leslie sits down with Dr. Angélica  Gutiérrez, esteemed scholar and one of the world's best business professors under 40. Dr. Gutiérrez shares her fascinating journey through academia and her eye-opening research on imposter syndrome and impostorization--a term she coined that refers to how the environment makes certain people...

Send us Fan Mail Writing a book is a daunting task, often exacerbated by our own negative thoughts and beliefs. But what if changing the way you think about writing is the key to getting unstuck?  In today’s episode, I give four mindset shifts that can help you break through writer’s block. These simple but transformative mental reframes can turn a deeply stressful process into a more fulfilling,...

Send us Fan Mail Finding the right balance between work and life in academia can be a never-ending struggle. That's why in this episode I'm chatting with accomplished professor and author of the popular Academia Made Easier online newsletter , Dr. Loleen Berdahl. Loleen has a wealth of knowledge about academic professional development. Her strategies for balancing work and life provide i...

Send us Fan Mail Are you feeling completely exhausted and depleted at the end of this long school year? Join the club! If you're like most academics, you love what you do. The problem is that the work has become way TOO MUCH. Today I will re-air one of my most downloaded episodes. In it, I give 3 actionable steps to heal from burnout so that you can recuperate to the fullest this summer and r...

Send us Fan Mail Academia can sometimes feel like a world locked away in an ivory tower, but what happens when scholarly research breaks free and speaks to the heart of society? My guest in this interview, Dr. CJ Pascoe, does just that in her crossover books, Dude, You're a Fag and Nice is Not Enough. CJ is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Oregon whose research focuses...

Send us Fan Mail When you get negative feedback on your work, do you feel disappointed, hurt, and personally attacked? What if there was a way to avoid taking harsh critiques of your work personally? In today's episode, I'm going to give you five different ways to do this so you can keep moving forward without losing confidence in your work or your abilities.  Support the show Check out...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever wish someone could just tell you exactly how to find the right publisher for your book? As academic writers, we sometimes tend to make things a lot more complicated than they need to be. In this first-ever guest episode of the podcast, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Dr. Laura Portwood-Stacer, a developmental editor and publishing consultant. Laura and I d...

Send us Fan Mail This is the third installment of my series on leaving academia. I’m going to share five  powerful, commonly accepted beliefs or assumptions that I think keep academics stuck in place. By stuck, I mean stuck in certain dysfunctional behavior patterns around work and/or stuck in difficult or toxic workplace situations.  I’ll name them so you can start considering ways to free yourse...

Send us Fan Mail If you’re struggling in your daily life, as many academics are, it’s imperative to take a deeper look at what you believe to be true about your situation. Once you know which underlying beliefs are operating, you can choose to reframe them or to take action to change things for the better. Therefore, today’s episode presents the top 4 beliefs scholars must question and unlearn if...

Send us Fan Mail Who is your ideal reader? It’s a tricky question for academics. Now that I’ve been a book coach for some time, I can tell you that the vast majority of authors never stop to think about who they are actually writing the book for.  If you don’t know who this audience is, or if the default audience is Reviewer #2, then it completely shows through in your writing. In this episode, I...

Send us Fan Mail Does it feel like pulling teeth to get yourself to work on your book or an important article? Do you find yourself doing just about anything else to avoid writing? Internal resistance to writing is something that nearly every author feels at some point.  It’s not a problem in and of itself. Where it gets to be a problem is when you realize months have gone by and you haven’t made...

Send us Fan Mail In this first episode of the new year, I help you connect with a version of your own future self who you can use as a source of wisdom and perspective. Support the show Check out Leslie's website at www. YourWordsUnleashed.com ! The three ways Leslie can help you with coaching & developmental editing: #1: Six-month Your Words Unleashed signature book writing coaching prog...

Send us Fan Mail Many of the writers I work with started off with a bang in September and then their writing slowed down to a mere trickle or stopped altogether. It’s okay and, actually, to be expected given everything going on in the world and in peoples’ lives right now. For this episode, I wanted to give you something inspiring to reignite your desire to get back to writing, when you are ready....

Send us Fan Mail Hi writers! I've been putting off talking about leaving academia for a long time now, but it can no longer wait. My clients are consistently asking for coaching on this, as are participants in my workshops. I decided to record this episode in the hopes of helping more people who may be trying to figure out how to navigate this really difficult career and life transition. Toda...