エピソード

  • Active Grandparenting GoalChat with Kristen Coffield & Friends

    Active Grandparenting GoalChat with Kristen Coffield & Friends
    2026/10/22
    On this week's GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling celebrates the release of Active Grandparenting: A Guide to Modern Family Dynamics, Healthier Habits, and Functional Fitness with her friend and co-author Kristen Coffield. Special guests, who were part of our book's team, also joined the conversation: literary agent Paul Levine; Becca Stewart, Eyely Designs; and Tony Forde, publicity manager, Skyhorse Publishing, throughout the hour. They talk about traditional publishing, the submission and production process, what it takes to sell a book, and how Active Grandparenting came together.The Active Grandparenting BackstoryDeb first met Kristen a few years ago, through their friend Viveka von Rosen, when she wrote a story on each of them for Women's World. After Deb started writing for Third Act magazine, she reached out to Kristen for an interview. Then, asked where Kristen's book was; Kristen suggested they write the proposal and eventually the book together. Deb's initial response was no, but Kristen persisted, and here we are!Kristen shares the story behind the Active Grandparenting movement - how her viral reel on Instagram a few years ago led to this niche, and the need for her to share this important info on active aging. The book combines modern family dynamics with information on hydration, sleep, fitness, and healthy eating with a mini-cookbook at the endTheir agent, Paul Levine, talks about what makes a nonfiction book proposal stand out and why you need to make your case on the page.He sold the book in an exclusive submission to Skyhorse Publishing last fall; they got their "yes" in less than a month and the book release in about a year!Behind the ScenesA book takes more than an author, an idea, and a compelling book proposal - with targeted comparable titles and a hole you are filling in the marketplace, thank you, Paul - but that's how it starts.Becca has worked with Kristen for ten years, helping build her brand, website, social media, and digital presence. She also created illustrations for the book.Tony came onto the team, after the book's completion, as that's when the "publicity machine" starts. He talked about how marketing is not just a creative opportunity, it helps connect a book with readers - and why launch day is only the beginning.Want to Achieve Author Goals?Make your case. Show what makes your idea different, who it's for, and why readers will want itBuild your soapbox. Share what you know, grow your audience, and give people a reason to pay attention.Find your team. You don't need to do everything yourself. The right agent, publisher, and creative partners can help you take your idea further.Final ThoughtsPaul: Write proposals for books that are sellable. I don't want your complete manuscript. I want three sample chapters and your proposal. And those sample chapters don't necessarily have to be chapters 1, 2, and 3; they can be chapters 2, 7, and 19. It's so that I can show the editor that not only can my author write a good book proposal, but you can write the book as well.Becca: Build the things; start now, even if and when you don't know how it will end up.Tony: Advocate for yourself and your projects. There's an old saying in the public speaking world, where if you're giving a presentation, there's three rules: Tell people what you are going to tell them, tell them, and tell them that you told them.Kristen and Deb: Thanks to Paul, Becca, Tony, and everyone at Skyhorse, who helped bring Active Grandparenting to life.Learn More AboutActive Grandparenting: https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/9781510787230/active-grandparenting-101/ Kristen Coffield: https://www.activegrandparenting.comPaul Levine: https://www.paullevinelit.comBecca Stewart: https://www.eyelydesign.com Tony Forde: https://skyhorsepublishing.com Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com https://TheDEBMethod.com/blog Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 5 分
  • Credibility with Whitley Crawford, Christine Carlo George & Sarah Westcott

    Credibility with Whitley Crawford, Christine Carlo George & Sarah Westcott
    2026/10/15

    On this week's GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling discusses Credibility with strategists Whitley Crawford (impact and analytics), Christine Carlo George (branding and marketing), and Sarah Westcott, (referrals).The panel has a great time also tangenting - in a good way - about networking, referrals, "authenticity," buzzword and so much more.

    They about what credibility means, how it connects to trust and expertise, and the role it plays in building strong personal and professional relationships, both online and IRL.

    What is Credibility:
    • Sarah: When people trust you enough to borrow their reputation to get you where you want to go
    • Christine: Trusting someone's character; it's a balance between ethics and expertise
    • Whitley: Knowing who you are being presented to; your audience needs to be the right one, so you are set up for success
    Goals
    • Christine: Ask yourself how you can show up more authentically. Pick something you normally hide and lean into it
    • Sarah: Find someone in your current circle of influence. Ask them how you can help them. No agenda
    • Whitley: Ask three questions to one person to get to know more about them and find a win-win-win
    • Bonus goal: Be someone else's cheerleader
    Final Thoughts
    • Whitley: Be transparent with your intentions and be curious
    • Sarah: Be your awesome weird self
    • Christine: Be open to invitations; ask yourself how you want to feel when you leave a situation/meeting/event
    Learn More About
    • Whitley Crawford: https://www.whiitleycrawford.com
    • Christine Carlo George: https://www.postandbeamcreative.com/
    • Sarah Westcott: https://sarah-westcott.com/
    • Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com
    • https://TheDEBMethod.com/blog

    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 12 分
  • Healthy Harvest with Ken Albala, Amy Graves & Jessie-Sierra Ross

    Healthy Harvest with Ken Albala, Amy Graves & Jessie-Sierra Ross
    2026/10/08

    On this episode of GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling talks about Healthy Harvest with authors Ken Albala, Amy Graves, and Jessie-Sierra Ross. Ken, whose latest is The World Atlas of Fermented Foods and Drinks, is a food historian, professor, and chef; Amy is an advocate and founder of The Hidden Consumer; and Jessie Sierra is a food writer/photographer (Seasons Around the Table)/Founder, Straight to the Hips Baby.

    They start with a conversation about food allergies, food sensitivities, and what’s really in the food we eat. The second half focuses on cooking, food literacy, getting back in the kitchen, and how to make healthy eating easier, more enjoyable, and community-centric.

    Food Mission
    • Amy: To help people understand what is in their food
    • Ken: To help people become more informed about the importance of cooking for various reasons and get great pleasure from it
    • Jessie-Sierra: Food is infinitely tied to history, family, gathering – to help people understand that what they make is an active of service
    Goals
    • Jessie-Sierra: Go to farmers market or food stand and ask them what’s good today? What are you cooking for dinner?
    • Ken: Cook something without a recipe
    • Amy: Try a new ingredient
    Final Thoughts
    • Amy: Don’t trust the marketing on your food label
    • Jessie-Sierra: Food – we’re all a big community and we need to support each other
    • Ken: This such a fun virtual conversation, imagine how much fun it would be in person
    Learn More About

    Ken Albala: https://Instagram.com/KenAlbala

    Amy Graves: https://HiddenConsumersConsulting.com/

    Jessie-Sierra Ross: https://StraighttotheHipsBaby.com

    Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com

    https://TheDEBMethod.com/blog


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 10 分
  • The Writer Life with Judy Baker, Nikki Green & Kathleen Kaiser

    The Writer Life with Judy Baker, Nikki Green & Kathleen Kaiser
    2026/10/01

    On this episode of GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling talks about The Writer Life with Judy Baker of Buzzworthy Books, Life and Business Resiliency Expert Nikki Green, and Kathleen Kaiser, co-host of Talking Book Publishing. The panel shared their writer origin stories, what the writer life means to them, and how they find balance/harmony. They also talked about how to get unstuck, the value of a writing community, and more.

    What is The Writer Life?

    • Nikki: You can't turn it off. You see the story in everything you do
    • Kathleen: Learning everything I can about all of the industry - the craft and business
    • Judy: Connecting with people, learning new things, sharing

    Goals

    • Kathleen: Create a writing space, different from your workspace
    • Nikki: Get a small paper journal. Get back to talking notes wherever you are
    • Judy: Dictate notes to yourself on your phone

    Final Thoughts

    • Kathleen: Just write
    • Judy: Be in community with other writers - it makes a difference
    • Nikki: Join Nikki for Prep-tober

    Learn More About:

    Judy M Baker: https://BuzzworthyBooks.com

    Nikki Green: https://TheNikkiGreen.com

    Kathleen Kaiser: https://KathleenKaiser.com

    Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com

    https://TheDEBMethod.com/Blog


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 7 分
  • What's Working on Substack with Jim Fuhs, Alexandra Hidalgo & Bob Woods #634

    What's Working on Substack with Jim Fuhs, Alexandra Hidalgo & Bob Woods #634
    2026/09/17

    On this episode of GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling talks about what’s working on Substack with Jim Fuhs (Fuhsion Marketing), writer/filmmaker Alexandra Hidalgo, and Bob Woods (CMO, Social Sales Link). They share why they love Substack, as well as what creators can do to step up their Substack game and set themselves up for success.

    Jim, Alexandra, and Bob also discuss the differences between building community on Substack and LinkedIn, the role consistency and frequency play in growing your audience, how it relates to "blog mentality," and more.

    Goals

    - Bob: Step up whatever you are doing a little bit, and see if it's sustainable

    - Alexandra: Draft a short email with bullet points about why people should subscribe. What it means to you and what it will do for them. Send to 50-100 non-subscribers

    - Jim: Turn on the camera, record a video, and see how you can repurpose it

    Final Thoughts

    - Alexandra: It's a gift to be able to create content and connect with others. Approach it that way.

    - Bob: You have value. Share it!

    - Jim: This is a way to leave a legacy ... in multiple formats

    Follow

    Jim Fuhs: http://jimfuhs.substack.com/

    Alexandra Hidalgo: https://alexandrahidalgo.substack.com/

    Bob Woods: https://imbobwoods.substack.com/

    Debra Eckerling: https://BookProposals.Substack.com

    https://TheDEBMethod.com/blog


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 10 分
  • Habits with Katelyn Carey, Lynda Monk & Beth Ricanati #633

    Habits with Katelyn Carey, Lynda Monk & Beth Ricanati #633
    2026/09/03

    On this episode of GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling talks about Habits with Katelyn Carey, RN; Lynda Monk; and Beth Ricanati, MD. Katelyn is a nurse educator and trauma communication specialist, Lynda is also a Books That Saves Lives author and founder of the International Association for Journal Writing, and Beth is the author of Braided and The Braided Prescription.


    They discuss intentional versus accidental habits, as well as how to create, change, and remove barriers. The panel shares their specialties - combating stress (Katelyn), journaling (Lynda), and baking challah (Beth) - along with some of their favorite habits.

    What are Habits?

    - Katelyn: Patterns that can be conscious or unconscious that we do on a repeated basis

    - Lynda: The things you do for yourself on a regular basis

    - Beth: Entrenched behaviors; whatever the habit or practice, we have the power to change/modify it and grow

    Goals

    - Katelyn: Put a habit or habits on the calendar

    - Lynda: Find a community or habit buddy

    - Beth: Say your intention out loud; it can be for a goal, habit, or intention

    Final Thoughts

    - Lynda: What we focus on, grows. Have good, compassionate self-talk when making change

    - Beth: Remember that small acts/habits can have a big impact on our well-being

    - Katelyn: Unconscious unplanned habits typically come from coping habits; the best habits are the ones that bring us happiness

    Learn More About

    Katelyn Carey: https://KatelynCarey.com

    Lynda Monk: https://LyndaMonk.com

    Beth Ricanati: https://BethRicanatiMD.com

    Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com

    https://TheDEBMethod.com/Blog


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 6 分
  • Writing & Productivity with Dr Judith Briles, Christine Carron & Danielle Weil #632

    Writing & Productivity with Dr Judith Briles, Christine Carron & Danielle Weil #632
    2026/08/27

    On this week’s GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling talks about Writing and Productivity with author/publishing expert Judith Briles (The Book Shepherd), productivity expert Christine Carron (Goodjelly), and Danielle Weil, who specializes in creativity and copywriting.


    The panel explores what it really takes to get the words on the page, including getting past the pressure to always be productive, finding your own rhythm, and figuring out what you need to do to get unstuck. Judith, Christine, and Danielle share anecdotes, recommendations, and more.


    Define Productivity

    - Christine: Old school is more, faster; new school is your best work done as fast as possible

    - Judith: The perfection factor is what stops productivity

    - Danielle: What words will actually move the needle; pint your best efforts toward the things that will make the biggest difference


    Goals

    - Judith: If you never say, your yeses are worthless. Don't do well what you have no business doing - choose 3 things that are important for you to do!

    - Christine: Every time you sit down to work, ask yourself how to make it easier for you. Do something for 10 minutes and celebrate the progress

    - Danielle: Embrace your constraints; figure out how to use your constraints to your advantage

    - Deb: Get rid of a project that is not serving you


    Final Thoughts

    - Christine: Give yourself grace and give yourself credit for all the things

    - Judith: Take credit for the work you've done - getting up the morning is a big thing

    - Danielle: Enjoy the process


    Learn more about

    Judith Briles: https://www.judithbrilesbooks.com/

    Christine Carron: https://www.goodjelly.com/

    Danielle Weil: https://https://dwcopy.com/

    Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com

    https://TheDEBMethod.com/blog



    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 5 分
  • Imposter Syndrome with Jackie Cote, MJ Fievre & Leslie Marsh #631

    Imposter Syndrome with Jackie Cote, MJ Fievre & Leslie Marsh #631
    2026/08/20

    On this episode of GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling speaks with freedom mentor Jackie Cote; MJ Fievre, author of the Badass Black Girl series; and mind methodologist Leslie Marsh about Imposter Syndrome, and its connection to confidence, self-doubt, and reaching your goals. The panel talks about where Imposter Syndrome comes from, how it shows up, and what you can do when those "voices" get in the way.

    What is Imposter Syndrome

    - Leslie: The voice that says you are not capable of doing something

    - MJ: It's the part of yourself that says you have not earned your place at the table; it's a voice, a guide

    - Jackie: A protective mechanism that reflects the stories and things we think about ourselves that tries to keep you from failing, getting hurt


    Goals

    - MJ: Ask yourself what is one skill that you would benefit from learning; educate yourself

    - Leslie: Start looking at your beliefs; look at the lie within them and prove yourself wrong

    - Jackie: Allow yourself to feel your feels, be aware of where it is coming from, acknowledge it and put it in the back of the bus - you are the driver


    Final Thoughts - Leslie: Give yourself space to be you - take it all up

    - Jackie: It's never too late to start; there's so much you can still accomplish - awaken your inner you

    - MJ: Be the main character and the architect of your story

    Learn More About

    Jackie Cote: https://destinymakers.net/links

    MJ Fievre: https://badassblackgirlsbooks.com

    Leslie Marsh: https://youtube.com/in/@therapistsinconversation

    Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com

    https://TheDEBMethod.com/Blog



    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 12 分