Worthy Writers Podcast Kirsten McNeill

Meet Sarah – some know her as a money coach, others as an award-winning author, or InvestHER. She sees herself as a girl who dreamed of a life filled with books, slow country living, and spiritual freedom... then went ahead and made it happen.

She always admired her dad as a successful business owner. He owned a fire/water damage cleanup business, and she used to carry those heavy machines and keep hoses out of his way as he worked.

He taught her to respect herself, be unafraid of hard work, and never accept the glass ceiling that holds so many women back.

In this episode, we discuss creating a budget and knowing where to invest your money on your writing journey. Do you consider yourself a bookpreneur or more of a hobbyist? How do you track where you’re making sales and where your attention and money needs to shift?

Sarah shares answers to these questions, along with stories about how her brother helped her publish her first book, learning the best ways to spend her money, and giving every dollar a job.

She then talks about:


different ideas for building a book funnel whether you are a fiction or non-fiction writer


building passive income that goes beyond selling novels


the difference between a hustler and an investHER

Collaboration is also a key part of being a bookpreneur, whether it be with other industry professionals or your reader community.

We hope you enjoy this episode! Connect with Sarah through her Main Website and Fierce Feminine Finance. Download the Book Funnel Bundle too!

Journal Prompts:

Do you consider yourself a bookpreneur? What are your goals for your book business?

What strategies in passive income and collaboration will work best for you?

What is most important for you to invest your money in when creating and marketing your book?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach | Book Editor | Artisan

Create Your Worthy Writers Lifestyle 5-Day Challenge

Explore Worthy Writers Editing

Podcast Guest Application

Music Credit

Beth Barany is an award-winning novelist, master neurolinguistic programming practitioner, and certified creativity coach for writers. She’s also an experienced international speaker and podcaster.

Beth specializes in helping writers experience clarity, so they can write, revise, and proudly publish their novels to the delight of their readers. Her courses are packed with useful hands-on information that you can implement right away.

She runs a 12-month group coaching program to help science fiction and fantasy writers edit their manuscripts and get published. She also offers bespoke one-on-one coaching and consulting programs for science fiction and fantasy authors and other adventurous thinkers.

When she’s not helping writers, Beth writes magical tales of romance, mystery, and adventure that empower women and girls to be the heroes of their own lives. And she makes short films and TV shows.

In this episode, we discuss honouring your creative process and being an entrepreneur in a way that works best for you and your goals.

There is freedom in being a business owner as a self-published author and creative individual.

Beth shares her experiences in writing for herself and when it’s time to think more deeply about your ideal audience. As a creative entrepreneur, there’s a lot of pressure that comes with wearing all of the hats, but with the right team and community around you, everything is easier.

Finally, we discuss how NLP helps us understand our creativity and why we write. Your journey may take some trial and error, and that’s okay. Don’t be afraid to explore and discover the right path for you.

Connect with Beth by subscribing to her Newsletter, listening to her Podcast, and buying her books on Amazon. She also suggests reading Transformational NLP by Carl Buchheit.

Journal Prompts

What is your favourite part of being a creative entrepreneur?

What type of support are you looking for on your journey and where can you find it?

How do you honour your creative process?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach | Book Editor | Artisan

Explore Worthy Writers Editing

Podcast Guest Application

Music Credit

Leigh Lincoln is an author whose narratives resonate deeply with the human experience.

With a passion for storytelling that touches hearts and provokes thoughtful reflection, she has carved a path that intertwines her love for writing with her dedication to advocating for the homeless and impoverished communities.

Her journey as an author is a testament to her commitment to making people ponder the choices they make, how they treat others, and the importance of empathy.

For over three decades, she has dedicated herself to making a difference in the lives of those in need. Her first novel, “Road Home,” was born from this tireless work. It serves as a thought-provoking mirror to society. Readers are challenged to consider how they live, treat others, and desire to be treated.

On this episode we find out how Leigh accidentally became a writer and strengthened her voice. In a community meeting, her voice wasn't valued. She was “just a mom” with no experience or education to contribute to the conversation.

She returned home to journal out her frustrations and opinions. This journaling habit transformed into a novel writing habit.

There are many emotional challenges that come from writing fiction based on real life situations. Leigh has interviewed adoptees and army veterans to bring more realism into her stories. She is so invested in her writing that certain readers believe her stories are not based in fiction, but her real life.

Leigh used to see herself as a little mouse in the corner, but now she is loud, proud, and out there with her storytelling and as a person in general.

When it comes to finding your voice, Leigh believes journaling with the classic pen on paper and travelling to new places is key. It serves a purpose in the pursuit of self-discovery and quality storytelling abilities.

Connect with Leigh on her website leighlincolnauthor.com

Journal Prompts

How has writing helped your self-discovery process?

What real life experiences inspires your writing?

What are your favourite ways to connect with your ideal readers?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach | Book Editor | Artisan

Explore Worthy Writers Editing

Podcast Guest Application

Music Credit

As a Heart-Guided Clarity & Alignment Mentor, Author, Speaker, Spiritual Teacher, and Pilates Instructor, Nanci supports successful, empathic, and mission-driven women to embrace their perfectly imperfect self with curiosity and gentleness, so they learn to trust the wisdom of their soul, live from their dreams–not their perceived limitations, and live their happily ever NOW–not after everything else is perfect.

In this episode, Nanci talks about how we can be gentler with ourselves. It’s so easy to offer grace to others, and we forget about our own self-worth. Shifting your mindset creates room for greater transformation and leaves behind judgement and comparison.

Nanci has wanted to be a writer for her whole life, but perfectionism talked her out of a big opportunity because she was afraid of not succeeding. Instead of saying yes to a contract, she decided to do nothing and that led to a lot of self-loathing within her.

Years went by, and after struggling through her pregnancy (nearly dying), and learning about her new role as a mom, her perspective shifted. She learned that no one can be perfect.

A vision came to her that inspired her to pick up writing again. Seeing her book so clearly and in a complete form took off pressure from the experience. She realized then how much choice and control she has over her journey.

Nanci discusses how important language is when speaking to ourselves and others. You can choose to be deliberately kind to yourself and switch into more gentle language to help you forward.

We hope you enjoy this episode learning about gentle kindness and working through perfectionism. Connect with Nanci on her Website, Facebook, and in her Facebook Group, Sparkle Circle. At happilyevernowbook.com you will find her book Happily Ever Now, and a free offer called Align With Love Self-Healing Gift Set.

Journal Prompts:

How will you take action to bring more gentleness into your life?

What strategies will help you work through perfectionism?

What mindset blocks are holding you back from reaching your goals and what can you do to work through them?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach | Book Editor | Artisan

Explore Worthy Writers Editing

Podcast Guest Application

Music Credit

Meet Amira Sookram, the creator of a realm for emotional wellness.

As the author of ‘Guilt Free Goals,’ she wove the wisdom from her degree in Health Psychology with her defiance of societal norms. Her infectious smile, enchanting dancing to Caribbean beats, and voyage to become a yoga teacher captivated many.

On our episode today, Amira talks about her multi-passionate journey for writing self-developmental books and fiction. We discuss her Feelings Wheel resource and how that can help you build more defined characters and name your own emotions.

Creatives typically feel the most joy while they’re writing compared to when they finish the project. You may find yourself looking for what’s next instead of celebrating the current accomplishment.

It’s important to honour however you feel and be aware of it so you can understand yourself better. Everyone is different when finding their flow and creating the best writing schedule. If you know your routines and energy cycles well, this will be easy for you to understand.

Amira and I also discuss guilt and how to understand it to help your creativity. She believes as long as you honour who you are uniquely and forget what everyone else is doing, you’ll figure out what works best for you.

We hope you enjoy this episode! Find Amira’s books on Amazon and stay connected on her Website, Instagram, and TikTok. She’ll be more present on YouTube and her Podcast soon!

Journal Prompts:

What is your writing process? What helps you be most productive?

Do you know how to name your emotions and honour them as you’re feeling them? What resources can help you understand your emotions more deeply?

How does guilt affect your writing process? What can you do to work through this?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach | Book Editor | Artisan

Explore Worthy Writers Editing

Podcast Guest Application

Music Credit

CAROLINE TAYLOR is a novelist and short-story writer who grew up in the mountain west and traveled widely, including a brief stint in the Foreign Service. A former publications manager and editor of Humanities magazine, she is the author of several mystery novels.

Death in Delmarva was a finalist for the 2016 FREDDIE award. Loose Ends was the 2018 Goodreads best thriller set in DC and a recipient of a Firebird award in 2022. The Typist also received a Firebird award in 2022.

Caroline's nonfiction book, Publishing the Nonprofit Annual Report: Tips, Traps, and Tricks of the Trade, won an APEX award for writing excellence. A collection of short stories, Enough! Thirty Stories of Fielding Life’s Little Curve Balls, features many of the stories that she has had published over the years.

In this episode, Caroline shares her writing experiences as a pantser, creating twists and turns in mystery and crime stories, as well as non-fiction. Show don’t tell was a huge piece of advice that helped her develop her fiction writing skills. As a book addict, she reads as much as she can and she’s not afraid to stop reading what she’s not enjoying it.

“Keep at it!” she says, especially when you’re faced with rejections.

Publishers have a million reasons to reject your work, but you will find the right publisher for you. Whenever you’re frustrated on your journey, just let your story sit and give yourself a break. You have a passion for writing, so get the word out in a way that feels joyful!

When creating characters, Caroline struggles to give her main characters challenges. She loves them and doesn’t want to see them in pain, but it’s a necessary part of the process to create good fiction!

Connect with Caroline on her Website, Amazon Page, Goodreads, Facebook, and LinkedIn! We hope you enjoy this episode!

Journal Prompts:

How do I make my main characters the most active part of the story?

What can I do to bring more suspense into my stories?

How can I improve my writing skills and discover the best path for publishing?

What will inspire me to keep going when I’m feeling discouraged?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach | Book Editor | Artisan

Explore Worthy Writers Editing

Podcast Guest Application

Music Credit