“Put me in, Coach.
I’m ready to play. Today.”

― John Fogarty

This has been the summer of discovering that I don’t know everything.

I have been thrust into situations for which I had little experience and no time for preparation.

I am both energized and anxious at the same time — these ‘thrown into the deep end of the pool’ experiences are stretching me. I have a learner’s mindset. I love a challenge. I like to put my mind, skill set, and attitude into gear. However, when the hill to climb is steep and the outcomes affect the well-being of others (including tiny puppies), I hold my breath and have learned to ask for help.

Thank heavens for humility and the wisdom to ask and accept the generosity of others.

Everybody needs a coach. Even coaches need a coach. Every person needs a backup. We need each other.

Isn’t that a delightful lesson to learn.

I am grateful.

This June and July have been an adventure in being an untrained puppy doula to my female French Bulldog, Keller, and her growing brood of five tummy puppies. In less than a month they will be finding their forever homes. Interested?

I now have a better appreciation for the hard work of mothers and fathers of newborn infants. It takes many people to bring babies, puppies, kitties, and others into the world. I have received some wonderful coaching and helping hands. Thank you everyone!

While puppies were being created, gestated, and birthed (via C-section) – with the help of Randy Martin, the third book in my children’s book series about Big Boy and Buddha Bear was birthed as well.

I have been writing and publishing books since the late 1990s. I got into business book publishing early with a young publisher and at the very beginning of amazon.com. I learned from scratch how to market books, which fueled my speaking career, took me to cool places, introduced interesting people, and shared a vision of how working environments and working relationships could be at their best. It was a wild ride of six books, in total, and so much learning for me.

My writing became quiet when I redesigned my company to be smaller, providing more life balance for me and ultimately making room for a dog, a dog rescue, and sharing my home with my mother in her final year of life. I captured all those experiences in blog postings and Facebook blurbs. Frequently, people would encourage me to turn my stories into books. Eventually, I did and the children’s book series evolved.

Now, the third book in that series is launched. It chronicles the most difficult part of the story of loving yet, needing to let go of each dog because of serious health issues. It incorporates my grief of loss and my effort to keep my heart soft and open for another dog to find me. So many friends told me that after letting their dog go gracefully, they would never have an another animal — it was far too painful.

I understand, truly. However, the dog’s life is shorter than our own and yet for the duration of their lives we are the center of their universe. I asked these friends, “Would you give up all the years of unconditional love to avoid the days, weeks, months of grieving?”

This is the message I want to carry with this new book to children, their parents, grief counselors, foster and rescue advocates, vets, and animal lovers of all kinds.

Yet, I am back in the ‘deep end of the pool’ as the publishing market has changed due to technology and social media, and has exploded with self-publishing options. What I once knew is no longer applicable.

• Have you had this experience? What did you do?

My solution was to find another coach to help me. I once was considered one of the most experienced authors in the marketing side of the equation. But I have been out of the ‘game’ for a while.

What I have learned is that you need to find a coach who is the best in the field. This wasn’t hard for me as I had been watching my fellow authors and their advisors search for one who has grown her business as the world of publishing was changing. So, it wasn’t hard for me to ask Becky Robinson, Founder of Weaving Influence and author of the book “Reach: Create the biggest possible audience for your book, message, or cause” for help.

I joined three other authors for a virtual marketing set of workshops that broadened my horizons, provided tips and tools, helped me to format my marketing plan, and decide how to use my finite time and resources.

These books are a passion project of mine and I donate all the royalties to rescue and foster organizations and waive my speaking fees when those organizations are raising funds. Let me know if I can offer support for your favorite animal organization.

If I can give the books my best efforts, it may help animal advocacy in a small way. And my animals help me to be a better human being each day. So, bring on the coaching. I have much to learn.

• Is there an area of your life in which you need a coach?

• Are you offering your coaching to help another person to grow?

• Is there a passion project that you would like to pursue or share?

Let’s find ways to support each other and make our worlds smaller, kinder, and better for all.

Leslie

“You may never know what results
come from your action.
But if you do nothing,
there will be no results.”

— Mahatma Gandhi