If you’re an author and are ready for feedback on your first draft, you may have considered this question posed by Trent. Especially if you’re weighing AI’s advice versus hiring an editor.

In this “Ask Stacy” episode, I talk about the trickiness of using AI and the potential hazards of watering down your voice as an author. I’ll also discuss the different ways you can receive meaningful feedback—from author coaching to writing community support. And if you have a financial roadblock to hiring an editor, there are free resources you can use.

There are limitations to using AI, but there are also ways to use AI to your advantage. The main focus is to invest in your success and long-term growth with integrity and efficiency.

If you’re an aspiring author looking for wisdom about using AI, you’ll enjoy this episode and walk away with inspiration on how to best use AI in your book-writing process.

Show notes:

• How to Use AI Ethically and Legally in Your Book.
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What do you do when you've spent nearly 30 years building one career, and your heart is quietly pulling you toward something different? In this week’s episode, I'm answering a question from Katie, a higher education professional in her early 50s who's dreaming of transitioning into writing and editing.

I share why I believe that it is never too late to reinvent yourself professionally. From my grandfather who saw patients as a surgeon well into his 90s, to a friend who successfully made this exact career pivot later in life.

In this episode, I walk through practical steps for making a career transition into writing and editing, including the value of certificate programs, the mindset work that I think is as important as the tactical stuff, and why—surprise, surprise—I think writing a book might be one of the most powerful things you can do as you make this shift.

Whether you're Katie, or you're someone else sitting with a big career question of your own, I hope this episode leaves you inspired and reminded that change is always possible.

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What if you didn't have to wait until the end of your life to rest, explore, and pursue the things that matter most to you? That's the question at the heart of this week's conversation—and honestly, it's one that has stayed with me long after we finished recording.

My guest, Jillian Johnsrud, never expected to retire early. So instead, she made a plan to retire often. By 40, she had taken over a dozen mini retirements.

In our conversation, we dig into what mini retirements actually look like in practice, how to overcome the very real challenges of planning, negotiating time off, and financing these breaks, and why intentional pauses can lead to more creativity, career clarity, and even higher earnings. We also talk about using mini-retirements as a low-risk way to test a new country before making a big move abroad—something close to my own heart.

If you've ever felt like life is passing a little too fast, or that you're waiting for someday to finally live the way you want, this episode is for you.

Get to know Jillian:

• Website
• Instagram @jilianjohnsrud
• LinkedIn
• YouTube @JilliansJohnsrud

Book recommendation:

• The Icarus Deception, by Seth Godin

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To submit a question, email [email protected] or visit stacyennis.com/contact and fill out the form on the page.

What is a brand? A brand is how you show up to the world. It’s how you articulate your unique voice and expertise to clients. If you’re new to promoting your brand, you may wonder where or how to start.

Join me as I talk with Luna Battalia, an expert on brand strategy and design, about the ins and outs of how to discover and refine your authentic brand voice. Building your brand can positively impact your business—from vetting great clients to enhancing client engagement—and you can do it in a way that reduces stress through clear, distinct messaging.

Luna is a leadership mentor and the founder of Caru Creative, a full-spectrum creative brand studio, and the creator of Animist Branding, a psychology-driven approach to marketing shaped by her master’s in spiritual psychology and 15-plus years at the intersection of digital marketing and buyer behavior. She partners with leading mission-driven women entrepreneurs building a personal brand world that reflects the depth and impact they lead with. Luna’s all about building legacies over businesses and seeing women communicate the value they bring with bold, unignorable confidence.

Listen to this episode to learn more about how to pave the way for improved sales efficiency, attracting just the right client, and enhancing client experience—even before signing on the dotted line.

Show notes:

• Get Luna’s signature course Messenger | Master the Art of Being Heard. The course supports entrepreneurs with Brand Messaging, content creation, and copywriting through storytelling. Use the code BEYOND for 10% discount.

Get to know Luna:

• Website
• Instagram @lunabattalia
• LinkedIn

Book recommendation:

• The Invitation, by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

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If you’ve followed me for very long, you know that I love books, especially because they inspire change and spark conversations. As a book coach, I get to help authors create frameworks that organize complex thoughts and help them communicate their message effectively in various contexts. Their writing creates a lasting influence that extends into their personal and professional realms.

Join me as I talk about the internal and external impact of writing—from transforming confidence and self-expression to refining the presentation of ideas and engagement with audiences.

If you’re interested in turning vague ideas into clear, purposeful messages, and moving into true thought leadership, you’ll love this episode.

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This week on the podcast, I talk about three struggles I’m facing right now: two of which you’ve heard me talk about in the past, one of which might surprise you. But first, let me be very clear that I love Portugal. There are so many things I’m grateful for in this wonderful country.

But no country is perfect, and I’m a human being, which means life is not struggle-free. Life is life wherever you live. In sharing the hard parts, I hope you’re able to see the full picture in your own life too—to be grateful and contented in your everyday, but to also acknowledge the challenges and navigate them with a mindset of choicefulness.

We choose to be here in spite of the challenges. But that doesn’t mean I need to ignore the things that cause me strife. Join me as I share three things that I’m struggling with right now in Portugal.

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To submit a question, email [email protected] or visit stacyennis.com/contact and fill out the form on the page.

Storytelling shapes decisions. We’ve all been affected by stories in one way or another because they carry emotion and move us to action. It makes sense that using narratives in business can provide the same deep connection with our customers.

Today I am joined by Gavin McMahon, CEO and cofounder of fassforward, who has learned the power of storytelling. In our discussion, we cover the various storytelling genres and how they address different business needs—from motivating teams to building trust with customers. Stories create a deeper, more impactful communication that moves beyond mere facts, and as neurological evidence shows, the engagement they foster leads to motivation.

Gavin McMahon helps companies shape strategy, leadership, and culture through storytelling. A former engineer who once built submarines, sports cars, and steel plants, Gavin discovered that even the best plans fail without the power of story. After earning an MBA in innovation, strategy, and information technology from the Institute Theseus in France, he shifted his focus from engineering to business transformation. He is the author of Story Business: Why Stories Rule the World and How They Can Reinvent Your Business.

If you are interested in growing your business in a profound and impactful way, this insightful episode is for you.

Get to know Gavin:

• Website
• LinkedIn

Book recommendations:

• A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel, by Amor Towles
• Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae, by Steven Pressfield

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To submit a question, email [email protected] or visit stacyennis.com/contact and fill out the form on the page.

Today’s episode tackles a very hot topic: using AI in writing. Human authorship, our innate creativity, is crucial to impactful writing—and impactful living. Storytelling has existed for thousands of years and is an inherent part of our nature. We don’t want to limit our originality or risk uninspired outcomes, which is what happens when we depend on AI for content. AI can also create sticky legal issues, with publishers rejecting works with AI-created text due to copyright issues.

Yet there is a way to use AI ethically and legally in the process of writing your book (all with caution, I might add). After you’ve come up with your outline, AI can help with research by finding relevant content without generating text. You can also use AI to enhance your marketing—with definite controls in place—by repurposing your original content. The key to these efforts is to avoid AI-generated text.

Join me as I discuss essential points on how to use AI properly in your writing project and experience a richer and more productive writing journey.

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To submit a question, email [email protected] or visit stacyennis.com/contact and fill out the form on the page.

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Completing the first draft of a book is crucial, and you want your manuscript to be the best it can be. It’s hard not to stop and edit what you just wrote. You start backtracking by making little improvements here and there, and perfectionism starts to creep in. Your writing stalls and burnout becomes a real thing. Publishing seems so far away! How do you keep moving forward?

Join me in this episode as I discuss essential approaches to maintaining writing momentum—like establishing a solid outline and saving revisions for after the draft is complete. Even gathering community support plays a vital role, especially when struggling with self-doubt and lagging commitment to accomplish what you started out to do. With the right approach, you can successfully reach your goal—and complete that first draft without perfection getting in the way.
If you’re struggling with momentum, this episode will help you narrow your focus and get you back on track in your writing journey.

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To submit a question, email [email protected] or visit stacyennis.com/contact and fill out the form on the page.

Things feel heavy right now—and if you’re an aspiring author struggling to focus, you’re not alone. In today’s episode, I get real about my own experience navigating the weight of the world while trying to write. I offer some practical habits to help you reclaim your attention and protect your creative energy—from limiting news intake to replacing scrolling with reading, from getting enough sleep to starting your day with morning meditation and changing your work environment. These are a few of the strategies I use to stay focused, creative, and grounded.

If you’re a writer or author struggling to find deep focus in a noisy world, this episode will give you simple, actionable shifts you can start today.

Book recommendations:

• Cloud Cuckoo Land: A Novel, by Anthony Doerr
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V. E. Schwab
• The Bean Trees: A Novel, by Barbara Kingsolver

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To submit a question, email [email protected] or visit stacyennis.com/contact and fill out the form on the page.