I’m thrilled to have author, speaker and entrepreneur Donna Duffy as our guest blogger today. Donna recently published Embracing Autumn: A Motivational Field Guide for Midlife Women Entrepreneurs. This is her take on the experience.

Process, Presence and Positioning—My Journey from Writer to Author — Embracing Autumn

Writing a book has been on my heart and on my bucket list for years.  To have checked that off in 2015 brought a deep sense of pride and accomplishment.  The endeavor brought with it insight and lessons about self and what I value and hold dear. As a result, though my book has not flown off the shelves or gained me a spot on a national talk show, it has added to my contribution to the business world and to my community of followers and colleagues.

Three key takeaways made the experience and transition from writer to author rich, memorable and life-changing.

Process

Embracing Autumn: A Motivational Field Guide for Midlife Women Entrepreneurs

I think this one is my favorite. The act of willingly putting myself under construction, while I forged ahead, taking imperfect action and writing freely without judgement, criticism or edits, was something I would not trade. By allowing myself the opportunity to just dump my heart and head on the pages, it became a cathartic exercise in self-awareness. I learned so much about what I truly believe and hold dear as the core values and guiding principles of my life and business.  In my attempt to articulate to other midlife women the trials and triumphs of growing a vibrant business, I came nose-to-nose with where I truly stand and it helped me craft a manifesto for my life work.

Presence

This one is multi-faceted. In the process of writing to myself and women like me, I found myself gaining access and entry to our world with keen awareness and insight.  The joy, privilege and responsibility of being a participant-observer, ushered me into a place of representing us, of being a voice for savvy, 50+, dynamos and I felt proud to hold that space for us and I still do.  Though years of chronicling my journey may have made me no stranger to see my thoughts and words on paper, knowing other women, my entrepreneurial sisterhood, would be reading it raised the bar and the stakes and I rose up to meet them.

Positioning

Now with all of that behind me, and a published book in my hands and on the bedside tables and Kindles of women everywhere, I know that what I have shared, as candidly as I could, has given me a platform and has more solidly established me as a credible expert in my field. It took courage to push myself past my inhibitions and my fears and to step full in to the task of writing and saying I know this to be true. It has not only opened opportunities for me, but has been integral in bolstering greater trust and influence in the marketplace and is helping me to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other midlife entrepreneurial women as we breath in the beauty and bounty of the season and embrace autumn.

[bctt tweet=”#Writing a book has been integral in bolstering greater trust and #influence in the marketplace. @donnaduffy ” username=”loishoffmande”]

Donna Duffy is the CEO/Founder of 3E Marketing Solutions.  She is the current president of NAWBO Delaware and is the 2015 New Castle County Chamber of Commerce Business Woman of the Year. In October 2015, she self-published her first book, Embracing Autumn: A Motivational Field Guide for Midlife Women Entrepreneurs. 

In Embracing Autumn, you discover:

• Why your mid-life entrepreneurial journey is an unprecedented time of courage, growth and reinvention.
• How your years of wisdom, strength, insight and experience perfectly position you for success in life and business.
• How creating your own manifesto helps you on your quest toward transformation and change in yourself and the world around you.
• How resolve and tenacity keep you steadfast as you pursue your vision and achieve your dreams.
• Why collaboration, partnership and sisterhood bonds create greater abundance and opportunity.

If you are ready to take your journey from writer to author or even aspiring writer to writer, sign up for my FREE 14-Day Writing Challenge to spark your creativity, inspire your writing, and motivate you to follow your passion for writing. Learn more here.

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