I recently found myself knee-deep in a venture I never expected to take on – helping my 7-year-old son publish his first book. What began as a whimsical idea, almost one year ago, turned into a rollercoaster of challenges, surprises, and long nights.

However, I must admit that it also reminded me of some valuable lessons.

As we continue to roll out his book, I find myself thinking of seven things I learned from the experience, that make sense in every other aspect of my not-so-simple life.

Now let me just say this, I think of myself as a problem solver. I always try to focus on finding a solution, like I tell my team “Call the ambulance, then the police”. In other words, let’s fix it and then we can discuss what went wrong, why, and who needs to step up. I am also very proud that through my agency and consulting, I get paid for ideation. Providing my 2 cents that leads to someone making so much more than that, is well worth my price. You see ideas, that are linked to strategy, consumer insight, and even some well-thought-out execution suggestions can save businesses and busy people time, which we all know is valuable. I do that!

So when I jumped into my son’s book, I thought I would just read up online, maybe take up a course, and be able to apply everything easily. With the goal of launching almost 6 months prior to when we actually launched, I did not think this ‘small’ project would require a lot. I was wrong.

Why This Book Mattered.

My son came up with this story over fries one day after school when his teacher had started teaching fiction in Writer’s Workshop class. I suggested he could turn it into a book, more so to encourage him to consider possibilities outside of his current view. I wanted to plant the seed that you can do wonderful things with your creativity and show him all the options at his disposal from an early age…and so it began.

You can learn more about Michael’s book here

My 7 Lessons:

1. Seek Guidance, Even If You Think You Know It All:

Sure, I’ve got a diverse skill set, including marketing expertise, but diving into the world of book publishing was an entirely different beast. Lesson one: Don’t let your ego get in the way. I sought guidance from individuals who had been down this road before, acknowledging that everyone starts as a beginner. Coaches need coaches right? The insights and advice I received were priceless.

Now picture this – you’re at work, faced with a project that’s like deciphering hieroglyphics (not pointing fingers, but Business Analysts and supply teams….I’m looking at you). It’s tempting to rely on your own know-how, but seeking advice from seasoned colleagues is like unlocking a treasure chest of insights. Their guidance is the secret sauce to making the task more manageable.

2. Trust Yourself and Do What’s Right for You:

Amid the chaos of deadlines and external pressures, I held onto my core principle: Do what’s right for me. Balancing multiple commitments, I learned to filter out the noise and stay true to my instincts. This project was about my son’s dream, but it was also about maintaining my sanity and sense of self amidst the chaos.

It’s the same thing we face daily. Everyone is expecting something from you, but you can only do so much. Even with all the wonderful guidance we may get, it is paramount that we maintain control of our boundaries.

3. Leverage Your Strengths:

Where I had expertise, I leaned on it heavily. Marketing, project management, and organization became my allies. I didn’t hesitate to use my skills where I could, even in a completely new territory.

Think of an everyday situation, maybe planning an activity at home. Your knack for organization, honed through years of managing work projects, becomes the conductor’s wand, turning chaos into harmony. Or we have all experienced having to work on teams, where maybe everyone is an expert and does not hesitate to let it be known. It is easy to feel insecure about your own abilities. This is where we need to tap into what makes us unique and what we do without breaking a sweat. Avoid trying to ‘compete’ or be recognized for everything. Focus on what you bring. When in doubt, go back to what you know.

4. Stay Focused on the Why:

Amidst the whirlwind of tasks and unexpected challenges, I recognized the moments where I could have been derailed. How often does this happen in our daily lives? I always say “Stay focused on the focus”. I reminded myself of the “why” – I promised my son we’d make his book a reality. His innocence and excitement became my anchor, a reminder of the true goal when the process became overwhelming.

At work, amidst tight deadlines and office politics, keeping the focus on your career goals and personal growth acts as a compass, guiding you through the storm. We need to keep our WHY front of mind. I have found, admittedly with age, that not every battle is worth fighting; and there are times it is worth putting up even with the uncomfortable parts.

5. Be Prepared to Go It Alone, Sometimes:

As ironic as it sounds, when it came down to the nitty-gritty work, my 7-year-old, the instigator of this project, was nowhere to be found. Even when you may have people around you, remember Lesson #1? You will still find times when you feel like you are the one stuck in the battle. Their busy lives will take over or maybe you just can’t rely on them. Lesson five: Be prepared to go it alone, even in projects that begin as joint endeavours….don’t take it personally. Recognize when it happens and find your plan B. Ensure your intentions are pure, and the journey will be worthwhile.

6. You Get What You Pay For:

Ah, the topic about value; in my case the freelancer dilemma. So working on a budget, I decided to go the affordable route initially, only to realize that you truly get what you pay for. In hindsight, some of these decisions ended up costing me more; more time, more money, more moments of peace. Stressful interactions and subpar work became a headache.

We are constantly faced with these decisions when P&Ls, KPIs, and budgets are the talk of the town. The saying “penny wise, pound foolish” always comes to mind. Sometimes, investing a bit more upfront saves you from headaches and disappointment down the road.

7. Patience is More Than a Virtue – It’s a Necessity:

Patience has never been one of my strengths….coming up with solutions, yes – but not patience. Publishing a book takes time, and when you’re dealing with a 7-year-old’s rollercoaster emotions; you realize just how much of that P word you need.  The process demanded waiting, revising, and waiting some more. Lesson seven: Patience isn’t just a virtue; it’s an absolute necessity.

Helping my son publish his first book was a journey filled with unexpected turns and valuable lessons. Through seeking guidance, trusting myself, leveraging my strengths, staying focused on the why, being prepared to go it alone sometimes, understanding you get what you pay for, and embracing patience, I not only fulfilled a promise to my son but also gained insights that extend far beyond the world of publishing. Whether you’re contemplating a creative project or simply navigating the challenges of parenthood, these lessons might come in handy.

Now some may say that patience is not a topic for the corporate world, when in every weekly report we are expected to deliver NOW, and even when challenges are well known, you still get the “so these are challenges, BUT what can you do” statements. You wonder, in a world where there seems to be no time to ‘build up’, how do we communicate the need to exercise patience to those making the demands?

Helping my son publish his first book was a journey filled with unexpected turns and valuable lessons. So far the support has been awesome from multiple press features and even his first review! As we look to the next phases, this first project has given me invaluable knowledge, especially from all the things that I struggled with.

Through seeking guidance, trusting myself, leveraging my strengths, staying focused on the why, being prepared to go it alone sometimes, understanding you get what you pay for, and embracing patience, I not only fulfilled a promise to my son but also gained insights that extend far beyond the world of publishing. Whether you’re contemplating a creative project or simply navigating the challenges of parenthood, these lessons might come in handy.

I would love to hear if any of these resonate with you, or if you experienced the same with any BIG ideas. If you want to see the final product, you can see it all on his website www.skinnersworld.com – (yes, my 7-year-old has a website, welcome to the new age, sigh.)

Cheers to unexpected adventures and the wisdom they bring!

Hi there, if you got any value from this post, then please let me know in the comments, and let’s connect! I’m TRYING to spend more time on social media lately, Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin. I know it matters to many, and it can be so powerful, so if you’re on there then let’s connect…but it’s a lot of work isn’t itThe truth is, I love meaningful connections, so if you want to get in on some things I keep for my special circle, then be sure to join my mailing list. Here’s one link with everything or scan the code to make it super easy! Sharlene.

PS – If you are interested in seeing what all the chaos was about, you can check out Michael’s book here along with all the other things we’ve been working on.