E2A 087: Worthy and Wealthy: Writing a Book That Aligns with Your Mission and Business with Emma Lagerlow 

Episode Transcript

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Scott MacMillan:

You're listening to the Entrepreneur to Author podcast. 

Announcer

Welcome to the Entrepreneur to Author podcast, the podcast that brings you practical strategies for building authority and growing your business. And now, here's your host, Scott MacMillan.

Scott:

My guest today is Emma Lagerlow. Emma is a wealth and mindset coach and the author of Worthy and Wealthy, Discovering Abundance and Fulfillment Beyond Money. Emma, welcome to the podcast.

Thank you so much for being here.

Emma Lagerlow:

Hi, Scott. Thank you for having me on the show. It's really an honor.

Scott:

Oh, it's my pleasure too. To begin, Emma, could you share a little bit more about your background, expertise and the work that you do? What's the path that's brought you to where you are today?

Emma:

Yeah, so I guess I really wanted to be a journalist from a very young age and life sort of took me in different directions. I left home when I was quite young and so then I was studying part time and I just really wanted to get into a job where I could be, you know, earning money and moving on with my life. And so journalism felt like it was a longer game for me.

And so I went for, I guess, a quicker route, which landed me in finance and banking. And it was fabulous. Like I had, I did have a really great career over 25 years of in banking and finance and then later in the pharmaceutical industry.

And it was, it was fabulous, but I still always had this hankering about wanting to write a book and write in general. And then the pandemic was probably that catalyst for me. I mean, there was a few other things going on for me at that time as well.

My kids were all entering their teenage years and I was also going through early menopause, which is a whole other thing, which I didn't, wasn't really aware of at the time, but it just that opportunity to take that pause really made me think it's now or never if I really wanted to do the things that were on my heart, which was writing. And so I had this idea that I would start a blog and it was called Mama's Day to begin with. And it was for mums who are raising tweens and teens.

And that was me. And so I did that for a little while and I loved it and I got a bit of traction, but then I sort of started to feel like I just wanted to be more of myself as well. Like that as my kids were getting older, I was like, well, what's in this for me?

And so then I got into coaching as well as I was doing all that exploration and really found that I just loved it at being coached myself. And then I was like, wow, I could do this. I could actually make a living from doing this and not working corporate and potentially, yeah, take off in this direction.

And so study life coaching and then it's really wonderful to be able to bring in my finance background and I have a marketing degree as well. So that's really helped me in this entrepreneurial journey. And yeah, I got into coaching and then I thought, right, I'm going to write a book about all of this.

And finally, I had my, I guess, yeah, my pathway to writing my book. I did actually start writing a book when I was 25 and it was a fiction novel. But I got to a certain point and I went, I need more life experience.

So I went and got all that life experience. And yeah, here I am today. Almost author.

Very excited.

Scott:

Oh, wonderful. Well, listen, you've talked about your book a little bit, Worthy and Wealthy. Why don't you share a little bit more about the book itself?

Who did you write it for and what are you hoping that they're going to learn from reading it?

Emma:

Yeah, so I wrote it for women in midlife that at a point in their lives where, you know, whether or not they have a family or, you know, they're more financially secure as well. But they get to that point where they can potentially see some freedom for themselves. And then they might also be thinking, well, what does that look like for me?

Like, who even am I at this point in my life? You know, you've been working or you've been raising a family, been doing all those things and you may be like living on autopilot a little bit and you don't really know who you are. So it's for those people, people that are feeling maybe that there's more for their lives that they're feeling a little bit dissatisfied with where they currently are and they want more.

And so, yeah, it really helps them to work out who they are, then what they want and how to get it. And so it's sort of a bit of a roadmap to fulfillment and abundance.

Scott:

And that actually ties in really nicely to the metaphor that you use in your book. So for those who haven't read it yet, the metaphor is about a butterfly and the changes that happen as you go from caterpillar to butterfly. Could you share a little bit more about the importance of that metaphor and how you've used it to help your readers grasp the concepts in the book?

And the reason that I'm asking this is I find that metaphors in a book are really, really helpful tools to communicate ideas that otherwise might be a little bit ambiguous or hard to grasp for readers. So that's where that question is coming from.

Emma:

Yeah. Well, thank you for asking, Scott. I really appreciate that you find value in having a metaphor in a book because that was when I first started writing, I was writing with the expert author community in Australia and I had this sort of epiphany because I've always loved butterflies.

I had butterflies at my wedding, it's like my spirit animal, I guess you would say, that I just really have always loved butterflies. And I said to them, I've got it, I'm going to write this book. And they said, be very careful because you could actually lose the traction if you tried to just align it too much with that metaphor.

And so I really peeled it back. And then it was amazing when Olivia, my editor, when she brought it back in and I was like, well, this is obviously meant to be. And I do truly believe something about a butterfly starts out as a caterpillar.

And that's, you know, it's moving sluggishly through life, eating its way through it, sort of feeling, you know, really, I mean, it's just eating. So it can then transform, but it's not moving very quickly and all of those things. And then it goes into the chrysalis and it really is such an amazing thing.

And writing this book, I've even learned a lot more about, you know, what actually happens when they go into the chrysalis and then they metamorphose and they fully turn into liquid and then they turn into a butterfly. And then, you know, I just think butterflies are just so incredibly beautiful. And yeah, then they are able to then fly high above and really live this abundant lifestyle where they're going from flower to flower and getting the nectar and all of that.

And so it feels so aligned. And even with my business, my coaching signature program is called Become the Butterfly. So it really is so aligned.

And I just truly believe a butterfly represents that transformation more than nearly anything.

Scott:

Yeah, it really does resonate because, you know, it's interesting if you look at any of the individual steps from caterpillar to butterfly, it doesn't look all that impressive, right? But it's that transformation. It's the where you've been, where you're going.

And I think that's what you've really communicated beautifully. How did you find the writing process? You talked a little bit about the expert author community, you know, a lot of the folks that we have on this podcast have worked in the expert author community.

How did you find the writing process? Did you find it difficult? Did it come to you naturally?

You said that you had originally wanted to be a journalist. So obviously you've got some interest and some experience writing. How was that experience for you?

Emma:

Well, the expert author community was so invaluable to my writing because they really helped me to, they've got a roadmap really. So you really get the structure around it before, you know, you really put pen to paper, which I think is so important to be able to know who you're writing for and, you know, what the chapter outlines and all of that are going to be. So then you're sort of really coloring in the gaps, I suppose.

So that makes it easier. That being said, it was still a crazy experience. You know, you're plucking these ideas out of your head just from thin air, really, and hoping they're going to land.

And you put, but it was so cathartic as well. I really found that it was a healing process as well. There was, you know, things that I went through that to really make sense of, you know, some of my experiences and what I've learned and how I show up as a coach and even to improve my coaching.

So it was a great experience, but it was like a rollercoaster ride. Yeah, I would say. And I really felt I had to find gaps because I've got four kids, they're all teenagers.

And so I had to just really write in the gaps. You know, I think some people, I love the idea of being able to lock yourself away or go and live in Italy for six months or something like that. But that just, you know, wasn't definitely on my radar at this point in my life.

And so the times when I would write would be when everyone, you know, dinner was finished and everyone was sort of settled and I'd have, you know, set two hours from seven to a nine or something. And I could really just get in there and just write as much as I possibly could.

Scott:

Yeah, that that point that you make around matching your writing schedule to the reality of your life. It's such an important one. You know, somebody else that I had on the podcast quite recently, his approach was one where he got his book all outlined and then he went away for a week in a cabin and just locked himself away and wrote.

And that can work for some people, other people, you know, same time, same place, every single day works really well for you. It was finding those spaces in between life, right, because life happens and you've got to work within it. So thank you for that.

What about the publishing process? What did you find most interesting, most surprising? How was the publishing process for you?

Emma:

The publishing process has been just seamless, I would say. It's been really wonderful just to have The Grumman Factory there to hold my hand through the whole process because it's been such an unfamiliar territory for me. Initially, it was great to even have the option to do the full manuscript review or the partial and like that has been, I definitely know I have a much stronger book as a result of that.

I mean, it was a bit of a shock for me when, you know, I was toiling over that manuscript to try and make it as good as it could possibly be and then it got chopped in half and whole chapters were like on the cutting room floor, but I could also see definitely the direction and so I think placing my trust in you who know what works, you know, what's commercially viable and, you know, what people are going to read. I mean, I think I was, there was way too much narrative.

I was really still leaning on my fiction writing expertise, I suppose, and not leaving enough room for the reader to be the hero and so I think I just learned a lot from that, but it was done so beautifully and gently as well, like I never felt that, you know, anything was wrong. It was just how we could actually make it better and so it's been, it's been great. I've really appreciated all the handholding and the patience with me as I overthink the whole process all the time.

Scott:

No, I mean, it's a, it's a collaboration, isn't it? And you know, the, the ideas that you as the author bring in, you know, that, that's, that's really the core and then the work of the publishing team, the editorial team, the design team is to really, you know, take the gems of, of what you've crafted and, and package it right into something that's, that's ready to go to market. So what, what are your business goals for your book?

You know, you, you wrote it part, part of it was you, you'd always wanted to write a book, but part of it was to support your business. So what role will the book play in your business ecosystem?

Emma:

Well, I'm really feeling like it's going to be a real foundation piece for my business that it's such a book is such a accessible, cost-effective way for us to be able to showcase, you know, what we can do and how we can help people so people can really dip their toe in the water. So like, I'm even thinking it's like a business card in some ways is, you know, read this book and then if you like it, you know, you might want to work with me a little bit more or you might want me to do a talk or something like that. So I really feel like it's going to help me grow my credibility and then just open many more doors and opportunities.

I mean, it already has just by meeting the authors in the expert author community and people like you and all of that to be able to have opportunities to come on podcasts and things. So it is, I think it's just going to be a real door opener and just really help to grow my authority and my credibility in, you know, the coaching space.

Scott:

Yeah. Yeah. Perfect sense.

You're thinking about exactly the right way. And, you know, it's interesting. A few days ago, you and I were on a Zoom chatting and you were on your way to a content creation session, which is amazing.

So beyond the book, you know, what role does content play in your business and how are you thinking about managing that balance between giving content away, right, which is part of part of the marketing effort of running a business versus productizing and selling your knowledge and experience?

Emma:

Yeah. Thanks for this question, Scott. I really appreciate it because it's so thought provoking because I really just love creating content.

I just love, you know, thinking about how can I spin that, you know, how can I share that, you know, what can I bring into that to make that sort of be attractive to someone. And I would love to just, I could just do it for free. And I mean, I do, you know, podcasts, you're not making any money from a podcast.

Well, I'm not at this stage anyway and things like that. But it is a fine balance because, you know, we do, I've got four kids and we're still trying to grow our wealth and secure our future. So I do need to monetize it if I can.

And so that's where I think the book is a great tool as well, because again, it is something that is not overly expensive. So it's a good entry point for people to come into my business. And yeah, so it's just a fine balance.

I mean, I feel so blessed that I found something that I am deeply passionate about. I really, really love creating content, writing, thinking of ideas. But I also really do need to bring money in the door as well.

So it's hopefully, you know, I'd love to even open some doors into some corporate work and that type of thing where, you know, they have deeper pockets as well. You know, I could do some workshops. I also am a sound healing facilitator, so I've got some ideas about how I could bring an experience into, you know, a corporation where, you know, they get a book, they get a talk and then they get a bit of sound healing to really, yeah, just to maybe click on a bit of a light switch of, you know, what they really want for their lives.

Scott:

Yeah, I love how you're thinking about it in terms of, you know, an ecosystem, right? It's not just the book, it's not just the products and not just the content, but they all play a role. And, you know, bringing people in with free content is a way to whet their appetite and then move them up that ascension ladder into the book or, you know, a entry level product and then on and on and on.

So I think you're thinking about it exactly the right way. One question that I ask of a lot of my guests is related to those people in our audience who have always wanted to write a book, but for whatever reason, they haven't taken that leap yet. You were once in that position.

What advice would you give?

Emma:

I would say, you know, get a good support system around you. The expert author community have just been amazing. And you're a coach in that community.

And I know I listened to one of your presentations right at the beginning. And it was so good to even get clear on what my goals were for writing a book. And I think that's really important to understand, like, why do you want to write a book?

Like, what is, you know, is it just something that's on your heart? Is it to expand your business? But then I would say just rip the bandaid off and go for it, because when you do have that great support team around you, they will hold your hand, they will support you, they will show you the way, you know.

And even if you're so worried about, like, what is my writing going to be like? You know, the editors are fabulous. They're so good at, as you said, pulling the gems out of what you're writing and then sort of giving you just a gentle nudge to push you in the right direction.

Then to write again, but to be writing in a way that is going to be, again, commercially viable and appealing to your audience. So, yeah, I would say don't hold back, give it a go. But you also, I think you do need to give yourself that little bit of time and space to be able to do it.

So you do need to maybe step back from something a little bit to be able to carve out that time to be able to write, because you do need to actually make time to write.

Scott:

That's very, very good advice. Emma, how can people get in touch with you to learn more about the work that you're doing?

Emma:

So I have a website, it's www.emmalagerlow.com, and I like to say Lagerlow is lager like the beer, and low how you feel if you have a little bit too much. I'm also really active on Instagram, so that's @emmalagerlow, and I'm on LinkedIn a bit more these days now that I'm, I think that's a bit more of an author community. So you can find me on LinkedIn @emmalagerlow as well.

So yeah, they're probably the best places.

Scott:

Excellent. Well, we'll put those in the show notes so that's easy for people to access as well. Emma, thank you again for joining us and thank you for being so generous with your experience and your time.

Your book is really beautiful visually, and it also, importantly, delivers great value for your readers and your expertise really shines through. So thank you again for sharing your authorship journey with us.

Emma:

Thank you, Scott. It's been an absolute pleasure. And yeah, I'm already thinking about the next one.

Scott:

As we wrap up this episode of Entrepreneur to Author, remember this. Now is the time, time to write, time to publish and time to grow. I'm Scott MacMillan.

Until next time.