James Wang

Author - Eric Koester

James Wang is a General Partner at Creative Ventures, investing in healthcare, agriculture, and industrial technologies. He previously worked at Bridgewater Associates and Google X’s Makani project and is a co-founder of Lioness Health.

With degrees from Dartmouth, Georgia Tech, and UC Berkeley Haas, James sits at the intersection of venture capital, AI, and systems thinking.

His book, What You Need to Know About AI, grew out of his Substack Weighty Thoughts, transforming complex AI ideas into practical frameworks for leaders and founders.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Writing online clarified my thinking. Writing a book scaled it.”

—James Wang

What Changed?

James didn’t write a book to “become an author.”
He wrote it to scale clarity.

The book became:
• A positioning tool inside venture
• A signal to founders and LPs
• A bridge to international representation

From Substack → Book → International Agent.

The book formalized his ideas and expanded his platform beyond digital essays into durable thought leadership.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Use a book as a business asset

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Executive / C-suite
Healthcare or technical professional

Watch the Deep Dive

http://jameswang.ai/

Danny Lehr

Author - Eric Koester

Danny Lehr is a sought-after speaker, entrepreneur, and former competitive athlete obsessed with helping people accomplish their biggest goals—one hour at a time.

As the founder of the iconic fitness brand Caffeine and Kilos, Danny has spent more than 15 years studying the habits of Olympians, professional athletes, and 9-figure entrepreneurs. Those insights became the foundation of his W.I.N. formula and ultimately his book, Win Your Next Hour.

For Danny, the book wasn’t about proving expertise.
It was about turning lived experience into a disciplined, repeatable framework others could actually use.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I didn’t write a book by inspiration. I wrote it because I had structure, deadlines, and accountability.”

—Danny Lehr

What Changed?

Danny didn’t struggle with ideas.
He struggled with compression.

Writing the book forced him to do what he teaches others to do: commit to a system, show up consistently, and execute even on hard days.

Through a structured publishing process with clear deadlines and accountability, Win Your Next Hour went from concept to completed asset—becoming a cornerstone of Danny’s speaking career and professional platform.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Establish a category or methodology
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

First-time author, Not a confident writer
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Healthcare or technical professional
Academic / educator

Andrew Mangan

Author - Eric Koester

Andrew Mangan started writing his book while still in high school.

At 17.

He wasn’t majoring in neuroscience.
He wasn’t working in biotech.
He just got curious.

So he started calling people.

Including a doctor who implanted a chip in his own brain.

He interviewed researchers.
He read everything he could find.
He wrote.

And within weeks, he went from “I know nothing about this topic” to seeing “the edges of the picture.”

He became the person asking better questions.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“If you read three books and write one, you’re the expert.”

—Andrew Mangan

What Changed?

After publishing:

• First and only freshman at Stanford invited into a neuroscience lab
• Worked on spinal injury + brain-machine interfaces
• Founded PromptLoop
• Accepted into Y Combinator (W22)
• Building AI-powered research tools for enterprise
• Training for the Paralympics in rowing
• Advocating for athletes with spinal cord injuries

The throughline?

Curiosity → Conversations → Credibility → Creation.

The book wasn’t the outcome.

It was the launchpad.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Establish a category or methodology
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

First-time author, Not a confident writer
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Healthcare or technical professional
Academic / educator

Edwige Robinson

Author - Eric Koester

Edwige Robinson is a global technology executive leading digital transformation across Fortune 500 organizations. Recognized as the #3 leader in Telco & Innovation by Mobile Magazine, she is a Forbes Technology Council member, Crain’s Chicago Notable Woman in STEM, 30 Black Stars Pinnacle Award recipient, and finalist for the 2026 Women in Tech Global Awards.

Author of Believe It’s Possible, she has become a global voice on leadership, resilience, and multi-generational impact.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“You have everything you need right now. Just go.”

— Edwige Robinson

What Changed?

• Elevated from corporate executive to industry thought leader
• Recognized globally across tech and innovation sectors
• Expanded speaking, media, and advisory opportunities
• Positioned as a trusted voice beyond her company

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

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

Role

Executive / C-suite

Ty Pinkins

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Author - Eric Koester

Ty Pinkins is a 21-year U.S. Army veteran, former White House staffer, Georgetown Law graduate, TEDx speaker, and U.S. Senate nominee from Mississippi. His book 23 Miles in Running chronicles his journey from chopping cotton in the Mississippi Delta to serving in the White House.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Once I became a published author, opportunities started gravitating toward me.”

— Ty Pinkins

What Changed?

• Delivered a TEDx Talk using his book introduction
• Invited to speak at schools and bookstores statewide
• Built a statewide grassroots movement
• Became U.S. Senate nominee
• Turned story into political momentum

That’s leverage.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Support a consulting or speaking business
Use a book as a business asset

Constraints

First-time author
Not a confident writer
Needed structure and accountability
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Nonprofit or mission-driven leader
Memoir & Fiction Project

Stefaan van Hooydonk

Author - Eric Koester

Stefaan van Hooydonk is one of the world’s leading voices on workplace curiosity.

After three decades in global executive roles across Asia, Europe, and the U.S., he founded the Global Curiosity Institute to measure and operationalize curiosity as a performance advantage.

His bestselling book, The Workplace Curiosity Manifesto, has sold over 10,000 copies and positioned him as a trusted advisor to brands including PepsiCo, Mars, PwC, ABB, and Red Hat.

He works with C-suite leaders worldwide to turn curiosity into measurable competitive advantage.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Of everyone who starts writing a book, only 2% finish one.”

— Stefaan van Hooydonk

What Changed?

Before the book:
Senior executive leading learning functions globally.

After the book:
Recognized global authority.
CEO conversations.
Enterprise keynotes.
Research platform.
Institutional brand.

The book became the calling card.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Support a consulting or speaking business
Use a book as a business asset

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
First-time author
Not a confident writer
Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

Executive / C-suite
Consultant / advisor

Zachary Green

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Author - Eric Koester

Zachary Green is a US Marine Corps veteran, former firefighter, and award-winning entrepreneur who built a $30 million company after starting from the trunk of his car.

He’s testified before Congress, secured $5M+ in venture funding, and now trains leaders using battlefield-tested principles of grit, discipline, and resilience.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Nothing was harder than entrepreneurship.”

— Zachary Green

What Changed?

Before the book, Zach had a story.

After the book, he had a framework.

Warrior Entrepreneur transformed:

• His lived experiences
• His leadership philosophy
• His adversity

Into:

• A structured training system
• A coaching program
• A B2B consulting platform

The book became the intellectual property behind the movement.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Clarify and organize my ideas
Support a consulting or speaking business
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
First-time author
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting
Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

Founder / entrepreneur
Nonprofit or mission-driven leader

Douglas Scherer, Ed.D.

Author - Eric Koester

Douglas Scherer, Ed.D., is a keynote speaker, consultant, and lecturer at Columbia University.

Before writing F.O.R.G.E.D., Doug had already published multiple books with major publishers and sold over 50,000 copies of his work in technical leadership and information systems.

He led global technology teams.
He taught graduate students.
He operated at high levels of pressure and performance.

But something was missing.

The book he ultimately wrote wasn’t another technical manual.

It became a framework for conscious leadership in volatile times — blending neuroscience, mindfulness, and real-world executive decision-making.

Today, Doug speaks nationally on leadership, clarity, and resilience, helping senior leaders make high-stakes decisions with presence and purpose.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I’d written books before. But this was the first time I wrote the one that changed me.”

— Douglas Scherer, Ed.D.

What Changed?

Before F.O.R.G.E.D., Doug wrote from expertise.

After F.O.R.G.E.D., he wrote from identity.

The process pushed him to:
• Move from data-heavy writing to story-driven leadership
• Interview and build relationships with top leaders
• Expand his professional network nationally
• Reposition himself from technologist to transformational leadership voice
• Integrate his mindfulness practice into his public platform

The book didn’t just publish his ideas.

It clarified his voice.

And that clarity accelerated his speaking, consulting, and thought leadership presence.

Goal

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

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Academic / educator
Consultant / advisor

Jane Finette

Author - Eric Koester

Author, Unlocked: How Empowered Women Empower Women
Founder, The Coaching Fellowship
Former Senior Leader at Mozilla, eBay & Sotheby’s

Empowering 1,200+ women leaders across 90+ countries
All book proceeds fund leadership access for women worldwide.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
"We know it works. Someone's done that for us before. Let's go ahead and do it for someone else."

— Jane Finette

What Changed?

Jane Finette didn’t write a book to become an author.

She wrote it to scale a mission.

After a breakthrough experience with executive coaching, Jane realized something powerful:

Access to leadership development changes everything.

So she founded The Coaching Fellowship, a nonprofit that has supported more than 1,200 women leaders across 90+ countries.

But she didn’t stop there.

With Unlocked: How Empowered Women Empower Women, Jane transformed her framework into a practical playbook that anyone can use — and she directed all book proceeds back into funding leadership access for women around the world.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Clarify and organize my ideas
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
Needed structure and accountability
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting
Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

Nonprofit or mission-driven leader
Founder / entrepreneur

Peter Parnegg

Author - Eric Koester

Peter Parnegg is a sales strategist, instructor, and the author of Why Bother Asking?: Unexpected Keys to the Kingdom of Connection, a book that turned conventional sales wisdom on its head and redefined what leadership and connection look like in today’s world.

As a seasoned Ninja Selling Instructor, Peter spent over a decade helping sales professionals refine the art of human-first selling — before he turned those principles into a framework that resonates far beyond real estate. With his book, he didn’t just share insights — he codified a lifestyle of connection, courage, and curiosity that helped sales teams and individuals unlock deeper client engagement and more meaningful outcomes.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“People were honored to support it.”

— Peter Parnegg

What Changed?

Before the Book:
• Sales instructor
• Practitioner of connection-based selling
• Industry educator

After the Book:
• 1,000+ copies sold in just months
• Expanded authority in the sales and leadership space
• Built a speaking and training platform beyond traditional sales circles
• Grew ongoing monthly book sales that continue to fuel his influence
• Positioned as a thought leader on human connection in business

Outcome:
The book didn’t just teach skills —
it expanded his reach, amplified his message,
and turned his ideas into an ongoing platform.

Goal

Use a book as a business asset
Support a consulting or speaking business
Build authority or thought leadership

Constraints

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

Role

Consultant / advisor