I've been rereading the Big Leap and he talks about how we all have an upper limit, the high end of our comfort zone where we might sabotage ourselves before ascending it. I'm curious if you've noticed this in your own life. I definitely hit one in 2022. Some of it was burn out--I didn't allow myself enough rest and fun to recooperate. And I once left a room of very successful authors, telling myself I did belong (even though I did!). And I see how I avoid being more visible on social media--there's some visibility I allow but I tend to control it. Denise DT talks about how some people get sick before launches, or don't allow themselves to launch at all! Or spend their money as fast as they make it, or give their money away or feel guilty about saving it. Or avoid doing the things that would make them successful, like marketing (I've done this too!). Think of a time you had some break out success or momentum and notice how you behaved. Did you celebrate? Allow yourself to rest? Or did you go out and wreck your car (I had an entrepreneurial ex-boyfriend who did this every time business went well)? No judgement, just notice! How do you sabotage yourself when reaching your upper limit?

THE SHIFT What’s the one key thing that took you from making newbie money to making a living money? - I was one of the lucky ones who hit the right combination of market timing with the right book out of the gate. (And I had help from my sister who was already a published, full-time author.) I would say one of the things that helped by quick start was rapid-releasing the first three books in a series and having very tight branding, to-market covers, and good blurbs. I was also publishing in a hot genre (MM romance) that had high demand and not too-high supply yet. Writing in series helped a ton since each release bumped all the other books, too. Can you nail the moment, or define it, when that moment of change happened, whether it be an internal or an external moment. And if yes, what exactly switched? - One thing that helped me with a mindset shift was going to Romance Author Mastermind and hearing a presentation about Six Figure Thinking. It included the idea of treating your author business like a business which means showing up even when you’re not feeling it. Sometimes I think of myself as a trash collector who has to show up and collect trash even when they’re in a bad mood, or have a challenging family situation at home, etc. This is my full-time job now so I don’t get to nope out of work because I’m not feeling it. My mortgage lender is still going to expect that payment next month whether I’m feeling it or not. This isn’t the case for every author, of course, but it is for me. And it helps me show up and keep plugging away. THE STRATEGY What strategy got you where you are now? (Hard work is obvious) - Consistency, treating it like a full-time job, staying in one lane (clear brand promise), building a platform of followers. My best advice for building a platform is to use reader magnets and bonus story offers in backmatter to capture your readers in their hottest-for-you moment and convert them to newsletter subscribers. Building a robust newsletter is the single most powerful marketing activity you can do to help you sell future books.