6 places to find your non-fiction book idea
6 places to find your non-fiction book idea When strangers tell me they’d like to write a non-fiction book, there is one fear that immediately rises to the surface. ‘But what would I write about?’ To the outsider, these people usually appear knowledgeable and accomplished. They have interesting ideas and something to say. And while […]
Writing is not a solitary craft
The Facebook messages almost always come late at night. Sometimes it’s me, about to press publish on a post that I know will ruffle some feathers. Could she just take a quick look, give me a neutral perspective, tell me how she thinks this paragraph comes across, suggest a better headline? Sometimes it’s her, […]
You don’t need an Oscar-worthy story
We were sitting around the campfire when the story turned to ‘how we met our partners’. I didn’t know any of the women super well and most were a few wines down, so took to telling their stories in the gregarious fashion of the slightly tipsy. And oh what tales they had. A tale of […]
Finding purpose in the small things
He began by giving thanks. He thanked Lego, he thanked Marvel, he thanked the cast and crew of Frozen, the inventor of trampolines and Paw Patrol and Teen Titans. He thanked the Foo Fighters and Led Zeppelin and children’s authors Julia Donaldson, David Walliams and Dav Pilkey. He spoke of the joy and connection and […]
How to integrate your latest idea into your business
Are you struggling to juggle your business and your latest passion project? Are you wondering how to bring together two different aspects of your work and interests? Perhaps you’re trying to link a new service offering to an existing physical product. For example, you may want to create a complementary Facebook group for those who love […]
Have you lost the flow in your business?
Are you struggling to show up online, create valuable content, or figure out how to get your message to those who need it most, in a way that feels good to you? I think we all go through phases where showing up feels like a chore. When we’re busy “doing-the-do”, then social media, blogging, vlogging, […]
Tell me a story
A lesson in marketing from the chateaux of France Last month, I travelled through France’s Loire Valley, where more than 100 chateaux have opened their doors to the public. With so many sumptuous palaces to choose from, how exactly is a tourist to choose? Few who hail from the Antipodes would forget their first visit […]
Ever doubt the value of your work? This is for you
In the late 1800s, two ships were wrecked at opposite ends of the sub-Antarctic Auckland Island, within a few months of each other. Neither crew knew the other was there. The island has a rocky, unforgiving coastline, and a year-round perishing climate of freezing rain and howling winds. Their chances of survival were grim. One crew fell […]
What funeral directors can teach you about storytelling
Death. You might consider it a challenging topic for a reality documentary series. Yet sometimes, the most unexpected topics have the power to make the greatest impact Recently I discovered The Casketeers, a reality TV show following the daily goings-on at Tipene Funerals, in West and South Auckland. This quirky series has been a run away success […]
You should really write a book….
Last year, a book idea took up residence in my head and refused to leave. It’s like a squatter, moving furniture around in dusty, shadowy spaces, scribbling on the walls and generally making a nuisance of itself. Try as I might to dedicate my time to more conventional business activities like signing up new clients […]
