Haley Hoffman Smith

Authors

Early-stage entrepreneur and digital creator who used Her Big Idea to process failure, clarify her message, and articulate a mission centered on empowering women to pursue bold ideas. The book became the foundation for a speaking career, community, and long-term platform.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“When I wrote the book, it all felt aligned. That’s when everything else started to follow.”

—Haley Hoffman Smith

What Changed?

Writing Her Big Idea helped Haley confront and integrate her entrepreneurial failure into a coherent narrative. That clarity unlocked confidence, credibility, and momentum—leading to a national speaking tour, full-time motivational speaking, and the creation of an organization supporting female entrepreneurship.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book
Use a book as a business asset

Constraints

Needed structure and accountability
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting
Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

Founder / entrepreneur
Consultant / advisor

Roger Osorio

Authors

Reinvention expert, educator, and entrepreneur who had already lived multiple career transitions but needed a cohesive framework to connect his experiences into a teachable, repeatable model. The book became the backbone of his work at The School of Reinvention.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“What surprised me most was how much more I learned about reinvention by writing the book. My education accelerated exponentially through the process.”

—Roger Osorio

What Changed?

Writing The Journey to Reinvention transformed Roger’s lived experiences into a structured philosophy. What had been intuitive and experiential became explicit, teachable, and scalable—fueling his coaching platform, academic teaching, and speaking work.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Establish a category or methodology
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book
Use a book as a business asset

Constraints

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

Role

Founder / entrepreneur
Academic / educator
Consultant / advisor

Watch Deep Dive

Derek Gaunt

Authors

Veteran hostage negotiator and leadership trainer with nearly three decades in law enforcement who needed a way to translate high-stakes field experience into a durable leadership philosophy. The book became the vehicle to capture lessons learned under real pressure and make them usable outside crisis situations.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. That applies to negotiations, leadership, and writing a book.”

—Derek Gaunt

What Changed?

Writing Ego, Authority, Failure allowed Derek to distill decades of experience into principles that apply across leadership, negotiations, and personal growth. What had previously been situational and instinctive became explicit, teachable, and transferable to corporate and civilian contexts.

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

Limited time / full-time job
Not a confident writer
Needed structure and accountability
Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

Consultant / advisor
Executive / C-suite

Watch Deep Dive

https://www.blackswanltd.com/derek-gaunt

Aparna Verma

Authors

Debut fantasy novelist with a Stanford English background who approached publishing as a full creative ecosystem. Rather than treating the book as a one-time release, Aparna positioned The Boy with Fire as the nucleus of her identity, content, and community.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“My identity became this book. I talked about the tropes, the scenes, the characters. Once people connected with it, everything started to snowball.”

—Aparna Verma

What Changed?

The book transformed from a finished manuscript into a cultural object. By consistently creating content around themes, tropes, and characters, Aparna cultivated a highly engaged readership that drove speaking invitations, media coverage, sold-out special editions, and international book box partnerships.

Goal

Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
First-time author
Not a confident writer
Needed structure and accountability

Role

Memoir & Fiction Project

Morgan Wider

Authors

Former retail executive and economist who transitioned into entrepreneurship, Morgan entered the process believing a book should package her existing presentations. Instead, she confronted a deeper question: was she willing to step beyond service delivery and articulate a defensible point of view about identity, worth, and executive presence?

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I thought I needed a book to support my speaking. I was challenged to decide whether I wanted to write a commercial or actually become a thought leader. That changed everything.”

—Morgan Wider

What Changed?

The book became the mechanism that forced Morgan to move from intuition to insight. Through interviews, pattern recognition, and editorial challenge, her lived experience and client work evolved into a cohesive framework about confidence, body image, and executive presence. What emerged wasn’t a how-to manual, but a philosophy she could stand behind.

Goal

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

Constraints

First-time author
Needed structure and accountability
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting
Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

Founder / entrepreneur
Consultant / advisor

Paula Doroff

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Authors

Former Wall Street executive who rebuilt her life from childhood poverty in Brazil, climbed to senior leadership at top financial institutions, and ultimately faced a pivotal question: could her value exist beyond the career she spent decades building?

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I never believed someone with my background would write a book. The structure helped me turn a lifelong calling into something real I could hold in my hands.”

—Paula Doroff

What Changed?

The book became the bridge between Paula’s past success and her next chapter. What began as self-doubt and uncertainty evolved into a clearly articulated framework for intentional life design. The process helped her translate lived experience into a mission-driven body of work that now anchors her speaking, coaching, and leadership platform.

Goal

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

Constraints

First-time author
Not a confident writer
Needed structure and accountability
Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

Consultant / advisor
Executive / C-suite

Watch Deep Dive

Traci Mitchell

Authors

Emmy Award–winning journalist and media professional who translated decades of interviewing leaders, politicians, and public figures into a conversational, action-oriented book focused on communication, courage, and showing up fully.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I wasn’t sure anyone would actually read the book. Then someone told me it changed how they showed up in their life. That’s when it became real.”

—Traci Mitchell

What Changed?

The book became a portable credibility engine. Beyond individual readers, it unlocked local and national media appearances, bookstore partnerships, bulk orders, and speaking opportunities. What had once been episodic exposure through TV segments became a repeatable platform built around a clear point of view.

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
Needed structure and accountability
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Founder / entrepreneur
Consultant / advisor

Mayumi “Umi” Grigsby

Authors

Attorney and long-time policy advocate who turned a personal experience with dismissive medical treatment into a broader examination of systemic failures in U.S. health care, particularly for Black women and other marginalized communities.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“My book is about stories of predominantly Black women who had dismissive experiences with health care providers. I had the personal story, but I also had the research. You can’t deny someone’s existence.”

—Mayumi “Umi” Grigsby

What Changed?

The book transformed Umi’s advocacy from situational to structural. What began as personal frustration became a documented, research-backed body of work amplifying voices that are routinely dismissed. The book expanded her reach beyond her immediate network, contributing to national conversations and opening doors to unexpected platforms and recognition.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book
Use a book as a business asset

Constraints

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

Role

Consultant / advisor
Nonprofit or mission-driven leader

Watch Deep Dive

https://umistales.com

Ahmed Siddiqui

Authors

Senior fintech product leader and VP of Product at high-growth payments companies who had accumulated years of internal writing, diagrams, and explanations, but lacked a single, durable way to codify his thinking for investors, operators, and the broader fintech ecosystem.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I get calls from investors who just want help understanding what these companies actually do. Payments are complicated, and if you can explain them clearly, that’s incredibly valuable.”

—Ahmed Siddiqui

What Changed?

The book became a clarity engine. What had previously lived in slide decks, internal docs, and ad hoc conversations turned into a structured framework that helped outsiders understand an otherwise opaque industry. That clarity expanded Ahmed’s reach beyond his immediate network, influencing investors, founders, and even unexpected audiences.

Goal

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

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
Founder / entrepreneur

Watch Deep Dive

Rachell Kitchen

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Authors

Founder and CEO of Level Up For Life Coach, a professional coach working with women leaders to overcome self-doubt, who had long believed she was meant to write a book but lacked a clear path to turn that identity into a finished, usable asset.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Just before the book was published, I gave a keynote to 150 women and converted about $30,000 of business from that single talk.”

—Rachell Kitchen

What Changed?

The book became a credibility anchor that translated Rachell’s coaching philosophy into a clear message she could bring on stage. What had previously lived in one-on-one coaching sessions became a repeatable framework that opened doors to keynote speaking, audience trust, and immediate business growth.

Goal

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

Constraints

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

Role

Consultant / advisor
Founder / entrepreneur

Watch Deep Dive