This week on the show we get to wish an amazing author a Happy Release Day! Sandra A. Miller joins Michelle this week to tell us all about her fabulous new book, Wednesdays at One, and how her husband’s career and their real-life stalker inspired the story. She talks about the journey to being published and how it definitely wasn’t an overnight process, and she shares some wonderful words of encouragement by telling us all to never give up on our dreams. Join us this week for a wonderful conversation about writing, red carpets, and real-life treasure hunts.

In This Episode, Michelle Talks About

• The inspiration behind Wednesdays at One
• Sandra’s journey to become an author
• How Sandra used writing to search for meaning and connection

Links Mentioned

Sandra A. Miller’s Website

Wednesdays at One By Sandra A. Miller 

Zibby Books

The Artists Way by Julia Cameron

This week Michelle is tackling a question that she gets asked a lot, does podcast size matter? We’re talking download numbers, reach, number of followers, do those numbers really make a difference? When pitching to podcasts, is it important how big of a podcast can we land? Michelle goes into detail on podcast stats and how important they are when you’re a guest on a show. She also touches on the cost of being a podcast guest.  Should you be paying? Should the host be paying you? There are lots of vital things to consider when you’re looking into being a quest on a podcast, and Michelle is here to answer those burning questions.

In This Episode, Michelle Talks About

• How important is the size of the podcast?
• Finding your podcast audience
• The cost of being a guest on a podcast

Links Mentioned

Podchaser

This week Michelle is joined by author, cultural critic, career coach, and the queen of BookTok and TikTok, Leigh Stein. While originally wanting to be an actress, Leigh moved to NYC to go to acting school where she was writing and publishing stories at the same time.  After her first short story was published in a literary journal, she started to think that perhaps writing was her true path, maybe that was what she was supposed to be doing.  Five books later she is here with us to talk to Michelle about her amazing career and gives us an interesting look into the world of publishing, TikTok, and sickness in the name of health.

In This Episode, Michelle Talks About

• What is a career coach for writers?
• Book proposals and 'why should this be a book?'
• The research involved in Leigh's book, Self Care 

Links Mentioned

Leigh Stein's Website  

Leigh Stein's Twitter Profile

Leigh Stein's Instagram Profile

Leigh Stein's Tiktok Profile

Self Care by Leigh Stein

What to miss when Leigh Stein’s poetry book

The Cut

The Class

Jane Friedmans Website

This week we are so fortunate to have Matt Gilhooly on the show. Matt is a fellow podcaster who created the powerful, motivating, and incredibly moving podcast, The Life Shift. The show features candid, real and free-flowing conversations that Matt has with his guests around pivotal moments in their life that changed everything for them. Matt has quickly become a friend of the show and the team, and we cannot wait for you to hear his chat with Michelle, and when you are finished listening, head on over to The Life Shift podcast and check out Matts show. He is a natural listener, an expert at connecting with people, and the podcast therapist you did not know you needed, but you will not be sorry you found him.

In This Episode, Michelle Talks About

• Matt’s 'why' and the message behind his podcast
• Matt shares his story and how the podcast came to be
• The truth behind creating and maintaining a successful podcast

Links Mentioned

The Life Shift Matt Gilhooly’s Podcast 

Matt Gilhooly’s Instagram Profile

Matt Gilhooly’s Twitter Profile

This week Michelle talks about failure, and how if you put your mind to it and put in the effort, you really can’t fail. Michelle tells us a little about her background and how she started out in corporate aviation, and along the way ended up falling in love with podcasting, and how this doesn’t mean she failed, she just pivoted and chose a different path on her journey.  Join us as Michelle shares an honest and candid episode about failure and how you can set yourself up for success.

In This Episode, Michelle Talks About

• A pivot does not equal a failure
• The importance of finding what you love to do
• Goals and setting yourself up for success

This week on the show we wish Jane Delury a very Happy Book Launch Day! Michelle chats with the incredible professor and author, Jane Delury, who tells us all about her new book, Hedge. It’s jam packed with relationships, marriage, affairs, mother/daughter relationships, parenting, co-parenting, families, and mothers and all the different relationships that as a woman you may experience.  Jane tells us all about her own background and how she chose the unusual and interesting profession of garden historian for her main character, Maud.  This was such an interesting and fun episode, and we can’t wait for you all to listen and immediately run out to buy the book!

In This Episode, Michelle Talks About

• What exactly is a garden historian?
• How Jane came up with the theme for her book
• What Jane’s writing process looks like

Links Mentioned

Hedge by Jane Delury

Jane Delury’s Website

Zibby Books 

This week’s episode is for the authors! After everything shut down during the pandemic, and book tours got cancelled, authors found themselves without that opportunity to make themselves visible and promote their books, so Michelle created a podcast book tour. In this episode Michelle explains what a podcast book tour is, what it entails, who can benefit from it, and so much more.  If you’re an author, aspiring author, or even a reader, this episode is full of information that gives you a better understanding of the fascinating world of book tours.

In This Episode, Michelle Talks About

• What is a podcast book tour?
• Who can utilize a podcast book tour?
• When to start your podcast book tour.

Links Mentioned

Podcast Book Tour™ – How Author Interviews Can Increase Book Sales

The incredible MaryCatherine (MC) McDonald joins Michelle this week. MC is trauma researcher, author and certified life coach who has spent over a decade researching trauma, grief, and resilience.  She is here to tell us all about how she got to where she is today, her own trauma experience, her work on redefining trauma, and her new book, Unbroken, which debuted in March.  This is such a wonderful, insightful, and powerful conversation that we can’t wait for you to hear. 

In This Episode, Michelle Talks About

• How MC became a trauma coach
• How do you define trauma?
• MC’s new book, Unbroken, and the meaning behind it

Links Mentioned

https://alchemycoaching.life/ - MaryCatherine (MC) McDonald’s Website

MaryCatherine (MC) McDonald’s Instagram Profile

Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong By MaryCatherine (MC) McDonald

In this week’s episode Michelle sits down and shares with us the differences between podcast hosting and podcast guesting.  What exactly is a host and what does it entail? What are the benefits of being a host rather than a guest on someone else’s show? What are the downsides of being a host vs that of a guest? Michelle answers all these questions and more, so if you have ever wondered which path is right for you, this is the episode you need to hear!

In This Episode, Michelle Talks About

• What exactly is a podcast host?
• Should you be a host or a guest?
• The pros and cons of each role

Links Mentioned

Libsyn - Use promo code LIFE for a discount

Podcast Hosting vs Podcast Guesting - Michelle’s Free Guide

Julie Chavez joins Michelle this week to talk about her life as a librarian, mother, new author, and writer.  She tells us about how she went from thinking she was going to have a career as an OBGYN, to becoming the newly published author of her first novel, ‘Everyone but Myself’, and all that came in between.  Join us this week for a hilarious conversation about finding your true passion and embracing wonderful friendships.

In This Episode, Michelle Talks About

• Julie’s story of being a librarian, mother, author, and writer
• What Julie’s writing ritual is
• How Julie simplifies her life

Links Mentioned

Juliewriteswords.com - Julie Chavez’s Website

Julie Chavez’s Instagram Profile

Ask A Librarian podcast

Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books Podcast

Zibby Books