Victoria Shiroma Wilson

Author - Eric Koester

Victoria Shiroma Wilson, EdD, PCC
Advisor, executive coach, and program architect for global leadership and career development
Teaching Faculty, Duke University Fuqua School of Business (2023–present)

Victoria’s work sits where most leadership development falls apart, the culturally and ethically delicate moments leaders avoid. She helps multicultural leaders lead with clarity, build trust across difference, and communicate through uncertainty.

She didn’t need more credentials. She needed a vehicle that could carry her point of view into the world in a way people could recognize, share, and hire.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I already had the doctorate. The book was the thing that turned my expertise into a real platform, and it helped elevate me into a teaching faculty role at Duke.”

—Victoria Shiroma Wilson

What Changed?

Before the Book
• She had the credential stack (PhD/doctorate-level education, coaching background, serious expertise)
• Like most experts, her authority was trapped inside resumes, client work, and academic/professional circles
• She assumed writing would be solitary, heavy, and linear, and that made it harder to ship

The Manuscripts Shift
• She joined because it was writing in community with editorial support, not “go disappear and come back with a draft”
• The process was built around partnership, editor + designer, MVP cover, iterate, test with real people, then decide
• The book itself became a structured teaching tool, story, lesson, reflective exercises, repeatable for readers
• She realized the work isn’t linear, it’s iterative, and writing in collaboration gave her energy instead of draining it
• Editorial partnership helped her push past imposter syndrome and expand the strongest parts of her message instead of shrinking them

Outcome
• The book elevated the doctorate into a clear, publishable point of view, and that elevation helped her secure a teaching faculty role at Duke Fuqua, not just as a credentialed expert, but as someone with a teachable, structured body of work.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Establish a category or methodology
Clarify and organize my ideas

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
Needed structure and accountability
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Academic / educator

Watch Deep Dive

Kimberly Sauceda

Author - Eric Koester

Kimberly Sauceda, CPCC, PCC
Strategic advisor to Fortune 500s + startups, international speaker, executive coach, former Apple
Best-selling author of Meet Me on the Bridge

Kimberly’s work is about one thing most leadership programs dance around, relationships at work. Not vibes. Not “communication tips.” Real bridge-building that changes how teams perform.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I realized, I can do this. This actually is a possibility.”

—Kimberly Sauceda

What Changed?

The Transformation Story

1) The “Nudge” Moment
She didn’t wake up one day thinking, “I’m going to be an author.”
A friend in the program talked with her long enough for the switch to flip, and suddenly the idea wasn’t for “other people.” It was possible for her too.

2) The Overwhelm-to-Execution System
The program didn’t throw her into a blank Google Doc and wish her luck.
It broke the work into a process that matched how she thinks:
• write snippets
• turn them into stories
• turn stories into chapters
• add hooks

That structure took her from overwhelm to momentum, and she felt like it was “made exactly for me.”

3) The People, Not Just the Pages
This wasn’t only about writing. It was about being surrounded by leaders who were honest about the messy parts, leadership journeys, and “building bridges.” That community shaped the book and strengthened her message.

4) The Editorial Partnership That Made the Book Real
She’s blunt about the difference-maker: her editors.
“This book would not be here without the two of them.”
And she doubles down later: “Go find some amazing editors… Find a community.”

5) The Clarity That Let Her Finish
What unlocked the writing wasn’t motivation. It was strategy.
Getting clear on the goal, what she wanted the book to do, is what helped her write it.

The Result (What the book did)

Her book didn’t just exist on Amazon. It became the centerpiece of her leadership platform.
• A clear, teachable framework (her “Bridge” metaphor) people can use at work
• Stronger authority as a speaker and executive coach
• A flagship program and keynote topic that companies can say “yes” to quickly
• A brand that ties her corporate leadership background to a simple, sticky idea: results come through relationships

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Clarify and organize my ideas
Support a consulting or speaking business
Use a book as a business asset

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
First-time author
Needed structure and accountability
Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

Consultant / advisor

Watch Deep Dive

Katya Davydova

Author - Eric Koester

Katya Davydova, MSOD, ACC
Leadership coach, facilitator, TEDx speaker
Author of Joy in Plain Sight: Stories and Essays Celebrating Wonder in the Ordinary (May 2022)

Katya’s work lives at the intersection of leadership, presence, and joy. She’s led leaders and teams through high-impact sessions across major organizations, and her signature idea is simple but rare: wonder isn’t fluff, it’s a practice you can teach.

Book recognition
• 2022 PenCraft Book Award, First Place
• 2022 IAN Book of the Year Award, Finalist

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“The book didn’t just get published. It turned my message into an asset I could deliver at scale, and it helped me grow into 700+ workshops and sessions.”

—Katya Davydova

What Changed?

Before the Book
• She already had the skills: coaching, facilitation, leadership development
• Her “joy + wonder” philosophy was compelling, but hard to package fast
• Like most facilitators, growth depended on word-of-mouth, one room at a time

After Publishing Joy in Plain Sight
• The book became her authority anchor, the thing that makes people say “Send me that” and “We should bring her in”
• Her message got portable and repeatable, not just a vibe people felt in a session
• It opened new doors for stages, universities, and organizations because it proved her ideas had depth and structure
• It accelerated her shift from “great facilitator” to category-based leader with a named body of work
• It helped her launch and scale a workshop format (joy habits), so the impact could grow beyond a single keynote

Result: the book helped her scale into 700+ workshops and sessions, and turned her mission into a platform instead of a schedule.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Support a consulting or speaking business,
Establish a category or methodology
Use a book as a business asset

Constraints

Needed structure and accountability
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting
Limited time / full-time job

Role

Consultant / advisor

Watch Deep Dive

Jeff Shannon

Author - Eric Koester

Master Facilitator (Strategy Offsites, Business Planning, Leadership Development)
Author of Hard Work Is Not Enough and Lead Engaging Meetings
Former Conagra Brands leader (17 years)

Jeff spent 17 years inside Conagra building brands, leading strategy, and running leadership development programs. Then he stepped out to build a facilitation business where leadership teams hire him to guide their most important meetings.

Today he leads 80+ strategy, business planning, and leadership development workshops per year for organizations including Airlite Plastics, Cargill, Deloitte, FNBO, Google, Kiewit, Lutz, Macy’s, and Union Pacific.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“The book turned my work from word-of-mouth to a scalable platform, now I lead 80+ high-stakes workshops a year.”

—Jeff Shannon

What Changed?

Before the Book
• Strong reputation, mostly driven by referrals
• High expertise, limited “proof at scale”
• Harder to explain his approach quickly to new buyers

After Publishing
• Clear “product” for his expertise (book as credibility + method)
• Faster trust with leadership teams before the first call
• Easier to scale beyond referrals (book does the pre-selling)
• Positioned as a recognized voice on meeting leadership and credibility at work
• Business matured into a high-volume, high-trust facilitation engine (80+ workshops/year)

The real shift: the book became the asset that carries his reputation into rooms he hasn’t walked into yet.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Clarify and organize my ideas
Support a consulting or speaking business,
Establish a category or methodology

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
First-time author
Needed structure and accountability
Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

Consultant / advisor
Founder / entrepreneur

Watch Deep Dive

Don’t let external voices devalue the work

Don't let external voices devalue the work

Debbie reminds authors that publishing is not the finish line, it’s the beginning of the book’s life. A serious nonfiction book should create ongoing conversations, opportunities, and reader relationships. Modern authors build books that continue working for them through talks, workshops, teaching, and community. Longevity comes from depth and alignment, not from chasing a one-week launch.

Guest

Debbie Millman

Key Lesson

Create work you value, but don't let the external value affect how you value it.

Key Quote

"Does it make it any less good if somebody doesn't like it?"

Modern Author Persona Tag

Coach

Modern Author OS Pillar

Launch & Longevity

Action Step

Fall in love with your work before you give it to too many others.

Your Second Book Requires a New System

Simon reframes creative friction as adaptation. Modern Authors don’t cling to past methods, they rebuild the writing system each time life changes.

Guest

Simon Sinek

Key Lesson

Writer’s block is often a failure to evolve your process.

Key Quote

“Are you attempting to use the old method but you’re a new person?”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Catalyst

Modern Author OS Pillar

Writing Architecture

Action Step

Treat each book as a new experiment in workflow, not a repeat performance.

Voice Is the First Signal a Story Works

Ruffin emphasizes that voice precedes plot. Modern Authors should listen for aliveness in the opening pages, because voice is what earns the reader’s trust before ideas ever land.

Guest

Maurice Ruffin

Key Lesson

A story is alive when the voice feels distinct and autonomous.

Key Quote

“If the first chapter feels alive… it’s all about the voice.”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Guide

Modern Author OS Pillar

Voice & Story

Action Step

Write the opening page until the voice feels unmistakably not-you.

Every Job Teaches Your Voice

Kepnes shows that authorship is cumulative. Modern Authors don’t start from nothing, they pull from lived professional writing experience. The book becomes the refined version of everything you’ve already practiced.

Guest

Caroline Kepnes

Key Lesson

Your writing voice is shaped by every form of writing you’ve ever done.

Key Quote

“I am so grateful for all of those jobs… it gives you different kinds of writing to draw upon.”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Builder

Modern Author OS Pillar

Voice & Story

Action Step

List the 3 writing environments you’ve lived in (emails, journalism, teaching) and mine them for book material.

Write From Intuition + Research Together

Vishen teaches that authorship isn’t just logic or inspiration. Modern nonfiction becomes powerful when evidence and insight are stacked together.

Guest

Vishen Lakhiani

Key Lesson

The best books combine deep research with integrative intuition.

Key Quote

“It’s a combination between research and intuition.”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Teacher

Modern Author OS Pillar

Research & Case Studies

Action Step

Identify one area where you need interviews, and one where you already hold lived wisdom.

Write in Your Speaking Voice

Gabby reveals the simplest voice breakthrough: stop trying to sound like an “author.” Modern Authors write with conversational authority, not literary performance.

Guest

Gabby Bernstein

Key Lesson

Many nonfiction authors unlock voice by writing the way they speak.

Key Quote

“I could write in my speaking voice.”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Speaker

Modern Author OS Pillar

Author-Owned Publishing

Action Step

Draft your next chapter as if you’re teaching it out loud to one person.