I had no idea when I was walking along the beach on a random day in May in 2022 that I was about to meet someone who would change my life. I was strolling with some friends when I noticed a woman coming out of the water wearing an emerald green dress. She was wringing out her long hair as she walked.

We made eye contact and began to walk toward one another. We introduced ourselves, realized we were headed to the same event, and have been friends ever since. That woman was Michele Bender - a professional writer and celebrity ghostwriter.

If you’ve ever whispered, “I think I have a book in me…”—this is for you.

There's a stat floating around on the internet that says 81% of people say they have a book in them but only 3% ever write a book. Michele is going to help us begin to believe we ALL can write the book on our hearts. And here's the big takeaway: 

You don’t have to be a professional writer to share your story. You just have to start.

In my latest podcast episode of Your Yes Filled Life, Michele Bender and sat down to talk. One big theme that kept coming up was around the surprising way writing heals, both in real time and over the long haul.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

✨ Write first, edit later. Let your story out without judgment. Don’t worry about grammar or spelling—just get it down. I hadn't thought about it before this episode, but Michele's right. If we're trying to judge our writing while we write it, it's so much harder to create. What do you think?

🌀 Start small. Michele recommends just 7 minutes a day. Set a timer. Use a prompt like, “This story matters because…”  or write a letter to someone, and go. I've used Michele's prompts and they are GOLD. One prompt during our class is a memory of my dad walking me down the aisle. Now that he's gone, that's even more poignant to read. 

🔥 Rejection is part of the path. Michele shared how her first big break came after a lot of no’s. What changed everything? Staying in motion (writing every day) and trusting her voice. I've also found that the more I put myself out there (meaning volume) the less I care about specific rejections. I mean... it's never easy, but if you don't have all your eggs in one basket it helps. 

💎 Your story is the bridge. Whether you're writing about personal transformation, leadership, or something deeply spiritual, it’s your humanity that connects the dots. Readers want to know you. The daily stuff, the small stories, the tiny details... that's GOLD according to Michele. And as I reflect on my favorite books and writers, I feel like the more specific the writing is, the more it carries me away. 

🎁 Bonus Insight: You don’t have to publish right away. Write for yourself first. Let it simmer. Then decide if and how you want to share it. This one is HUGE. So many times I've found that what I wrote is actually MORE potent after time. But if I share it too early, I'll feel a vulnerability hang over. Which reminds me.... I like to think about sharing the wound, not the scar.

Ready to begin?
✨ Grab your journal.
✨ Light a candle. (and follow one of Michele's favorites... a bag of gummy bears)
✨ And write as if no one will read it.

You might just uncover the most important story you’ve ever told.

👉 Listen to the full episode [here].