Authors

Michael Biarnes works at the forefront of healthcare strategy, focused on improving patient outcomes and advancing meaningful innovation.

But beyond healthcare, he’s become known for something deeper:

Helping people redefine success.

His book, Redefining Success, blends:

• His own career journey
• Stories from high performers
• Behavioral science research
• Practical frameworks for well-being

What started as a class-based experiment evolved into a mission.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Never write alone.”

—Yogesh Soni

What Changed?

Michael describes the book as entrepreneurial.

You need:

• Discipline
• Passion
• Marketing
• Promotion
• Persistence

But the biggest shift wasn’t tactical.

It was personal.

“This book has radically changed me.”

Through interviews and research, he realized success isn’t linear.

It’s defined.

And redefined.

Michael expected to publish a book.

He didn’t expect this:

People reaching out.
Setting up calls.
Breaking down in tears.

Just from reading short excerpts.

“I’ve shared little snippets… and people from all walks of life have called me and told me how much it impacted them.”

That’s when he understood:

This wasn’t content.

It was connection.

Goal

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

Constraints

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

Role

Executive / C-suite
Consultant / advisor
Healthcare or technical professional

Authors

Carlo Mahfouz operates at the frontier of AI and human potential.

As VP of Strategic Technology Partnerships at Laerdal Medical, he works at the intersection of:

• Advanced technology
• Healthcare transformation
• Leadership ecosystems
• Human-centered innovation

But his writing is where his thinking sharpens.

He is the author of:

• Reality Check: In Pursuit of the Right Questions
• The Founders Truth Trilogy
• Daily Heartbeat, his Substack on technology and the human experience

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“The experience itself was a reality check.”

—Carlo Mahfouz

What Changed?

Carlo didn’t set out to become an author.

“I’ve tried different things… singing, guitar… why not a book?”

But the process delivered more than he expected.

“Going through the process… the experience by itself was a reality check.”

Writing forced him to confront:

• His assumptions
• His limitations
• How he framed the world

And something unexpected happened.

Clarity.

“I think throughout the process… you gain clarity. Bringing forth thoughts in an accessible manner… that’s usually very difficult.”

The book didn’t just publish ideas.

It refined them.

Since publishing, Carlo’s positioning has crystallized.

AI x Human Ingenuity.
Paradox.
Collaboration.
Technology and humanity as one system.

Writing structured his thinking.

Structured thinking strengthened his voice.

And that voice amplified his brand as a futurist, executive, coach, and speaker.

“It shapes how you structure and deliver things.”

The result:

Stronger keynotes.
Sharper thought leadership.
Clearer frameworks.
Expanded platform.

Goal

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

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
Not a confident writer
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Executive / C-suite
Healthcare or technical professional

Authors

Amnoni Myers is a social impact founder, speaker, and #1 Bestselling author of You Are the Prize: Seeing Yourself Beyond the Imperfections of Your Trauma.

After experiences that took them from Capitol Hill to the White House, Amnoni realized something powerful:

Your trauma is not your identity.
It’s part of your story.

Today, Amnoni leads Launch Ahead, a tech platform supporting youth transitioning out of foster care, and speaks nationally on healing-centered leadership.

The book became the bridge between lived experience and large-scale impact.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“This book journey changed me in ways I never imagined.”

—Amnoni Meyers

What Changed?

After publication:

• You Are the Prize became a #1 Bestseller
• Amnoni expanded their speaking platform nationally
• Built Launch Ahead, a tech startup serving foster youth
• Positioned themselves as a healing-centered leadership voice

The book wasn’t the end.

It was the catalyst.

Goal

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

Constraints

First-time author
Not a confident writer
Needed structure and accountability

Role

Memoir & Fiction Project
Nonprofit or mission-driven leader

Yogesh Soni

Authors

Yogesh K. Soni is an AI-native product leader who has launched and scaled multiple 0→1 deep tech products across B2B and B2C markets.

With a background in product management and AI-driven SaaS, Yogesh operates at the intersection of:

• Technology
• Belonging
• Leadership
• Community

His book wasn’t just an intellectual exercise.

It was a statement.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Never write alone.”

—Yogesh Soni

What Changed?

This book wasn’t just about product.

It was about belonging.

While exploring the concept of community, Yogesh realized something deeper:

“If you’re part of a community, you have to let others have the hook sometimes.”

Leadership is shared.

Voice matters.

He wrote the book to speak up, not just for himself, but for the next generation.

“My nine-year-old son will be working in these companies someday. I want to leave a better future.”

That’s not marketing.

That’s legacy.

Through the process, Yogesh gained:

• Lifelong mentors
• Stronger belief in community
• Confidence in putting ideas into the world

The biggest outcome wasn’t the book.

It was revalidating his faith in people.

Goal

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

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
Not a confident writer
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting
Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

Executive / C-suite
Healthcare or technical professional

Lisa Randolph

Authors

Lisa M. Randolph is the creator of The Wildlife Divas — a children’s action-adventure series featuring five African American girls who use science, technology, engineering, arts, and math to save endangered species around the world.

She wrote the series because she saw a gap:

Girls who looked like her weren’t seeing themselves as scientists, technologists, or global problem-solvers.

So she built that world herself.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Never told me a year ago I would be living this life — I would have said, you’re crazy.”

—Lisa Randolph

What Changed?

What started as a mission-driven children’s series turned into something much bigger.

After publication:

• She was invited to Uganda by the Ugandan Wildlife Authority
• Met the Director of Tourism
• Presented her book chapter by chapter
• Was invited back for a national television book launch
• Became a cultural ambassador on multiple tours
• Expanded the series internationally (Australia, India)
• Saw her book adapted into a video game and tabletop game

This isn’t just a book.

It’s intellectual property with global reach.

Goal

Publish a legacy or mission-driven book
Use a book as a business asset

Constraints

First-time author
Limited time / full-time job
Not a confident writer

Role

Nonprofit or mission-driven leader
Memoir & Fiction Project

Alisha Weilfaert

Authors

Alisha Wielfaert is a best-selling author, transformational coach, speaker, podcaster, and artist who empowers creatives, entrepreneurs, and seekers to align with their inner wisdom and build flourishing lives and businesses.

But that wasn’t always her story.

As a child, she wanted to be a writer.
She didn’t have a neurotypical brain.
She believed she wasn’t smart enough.

Writing her book didn’t just launch her platform.

It healed something much deeper.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“The book’s not even out yet and I’ve already landed paid speaking engagements.”

—Alisha Weilfaert

What Changed?

Before the book:
• Coaching online
• Building an audience
• Holding a quiet belief she wasn’t “smart enough”

After the book:
• Best-selling author
• Landed multiple speaking engagements before launch
• Generated nearly $15K in presale revenue
• Deepened her authority and client impact

She didn’t just publish.

She stepped into her voice.

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

First-time author
Needed structure and accountability
"Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting"

Role

Founder / entrepreneur
Consultant / advisor

Jennie Byrne, MD, PhD

Authors

Dr. Jennie Byrne is a physician and neuroscientist who built her career on evidence, precision, and expertise. Accustomed to academic writing and clinical rigor, she entered the book process believing the challenge would be intellectual.

She was wrong.

Writing Work Smart required a different skill entirely: translating expertise into something human, accessible, and lived.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I thought the research would be the hardest part of writing a book. It turned out the hardest part was being honest and human.”

—Jennie Byrne, MD, PhD

What Changed?

The book forced Jennie to confront a gap between what she taught and how she lived.

Preselling an unfinished manuscript introduced vulnerability she hadn’t expected. Editorial feedback pushed her beyond research and into personal narrative. The result wasn’t just a book, but a clearer, more integrated relationship with her own work.

Leverage created:
• Expertise → lived insight
• Academic voice → human authority
• Knowledge → connection

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Establish a category or methodology
Use a book as a business asset

Constraints

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

Role

Founder / entrepreneur
Healthcare or technical professional

Victor Barnes

Authors

Victor Barnes is a CPA and MBA with a career grounded in financial rigor, analysis, and professional standards. He approached authorship with skepticism, not sentiment, and evaluated the book process the same way he would any serious professional undertaking.

Rather than treating the book as a marketing asset or personal milestone, Victor viewed it as a craft to be learned, tested, and executed correctly.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Going through this process felt like a mini-MBA. It fundamentally changed how I think about writing a book.”

—Victor Barnes

What Changed?

Victor entered the process with content, ideas, and expertise, but quickly realized that expertise alone doesn’t produce a real book.

Through structured editorial guidance, he learned:
• How to design a compelling hook
• How to build narrative flow (“chain-link” structure)
• How to think like a reader, not just a subject-matter expert

The shift wasn’t emotional.
It was technical, structural, and repeatable.

Goal

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

Constraints

First-time author
Needed structure and accountability
"Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting"

Role

Executive / C-suite

Marcelo DeSantis

Authors

Marcelo DeSantis is a global technology and business leader with more than 25 years of executive experience across consumer goods, automotive, professional services, and technology consulting. He has served as CIO and Chief Digital Officer for multinational organizations, leading large-scale transformation efforts across the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.

Beyond corporate leadership, Marcelo operates as what he describes as an “impact executive,” applying his experience to elevate organizations, entrepreneurs, and next-generation leaders through board service, venture investing, and global nonprofit work, including UNICEF.

His work sits at the intersection of technology, leadership, and human systems.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Transformation isn’t a destination. It’s a way of behaving, continuously.”

—Marcelo DeSantis

What Changed?

Writing Figure Eight forced Marcelo to slow down and articulate patterns he had lived for decades but never formally named.

Through interviews with more than 20 leaders across business, technology, investment, sports, and extreme environments, a consistent insight emerged: the most effective leaders are not those with the most answers, but those most comfortable admitting what they don’t know.

The book became a way to codify a leadership stance built on:
• Humility under pressure
• Continuous learning
• Collective problem-solving
• Responsibility in the use of technology

This was not about predicting the future.
It was about equipping leaders to navigate uncertainty without false certainty.

Goal

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

Constraints

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

Role

Executive / C-suite
Founder / entrepreneur

→ Read the full case study

https://theascentcoaching.com/

John Thompson

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Authors

John Thompson has been a senior executive at GE and Northwestern Mutual, leadership coach, and team builder with more than two decades of experience across operations, sales, and leadership roles in corporate America. Known for his practical, no-excuses approach, John focuses on helping individuals and teams take ownership of their choices and outcomes.

His work centers on a simple but demanding idea: excellence is built through intentional actions, not circumstances.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“It’s not about the cards you’re dealt. What you can control is how you play your hand.”

—John Thompson

What Changed?

John didn’t write Stack Your Deck because he needed another credential.
He wrote it because he believed the message demanded commitment.

The book became a forcing function, not just a deliverable. Through the writing process, John sharpened his philosophy, clarified his voice, and proved to himself that discipline applied consistently creates momentum. On the other side, he didn’t just have a book. He had alignment.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Support a consulting or speaking business
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

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

Role

Executive / C-suite
Consultant / advisor

→ Read the full case study

https://www.stackyourdeckbook.com/