Authority On Demand

In this episode of the Authority On Demand Podcast, formerly Authors On Mission Podcast, hosted by Danielle Hutchinson, Dena Yohe shares the personal journey that led her to become an author and ministry founder.Dena never planned to write a book. Her writing journey began when she started sending short emails to parents who were facing challenges similar to those her family had experienced. Over time, those messages grew into a blog, a writing group, and eventually her first book, You Are Not Alone.Dena opens up about her family’s experience with a child’s self-injury, mental illness, addiction, and recovery. She also discusses the grief, guilt, shame, and isolation that parents can experience when their child is struggling. Rather than focusing on a step-by-step solution, her books offer hope, validation, faith, and encouragement for parents who are trying to find their way through difficult circumstances.She also introduces Strength for the Brokenhearted, a short devotional designed to offer encouragement through scripture, reflection, and prayer. The book was created from messages she had already written for the Hope for Hurting Parents email community, showing how existing content can grow into a meaningful book when it meets a real need.Dena and her husband also created a facilitator guide and parent notebook to help others start support groups. Their work has expanded from a support group in their home to groups in different parts of the country and around the world.Throughout the conversation, Dena also shares valuable writing advice. She explains why new writers should simply begin, avoid judging their early work, and find a supportive writing community that can offer encouragement and constructive feedback.Key Takeaways:💛 Personal pain can become a source of hope and support for others.🙏 Healing does not always come from having all the answers. Sometimes it begins with faith, encouragement, and taking one step at a time.📖 A book can grow from emails, blog posts, or other content that already helps people.🌱 There is no simple formula for navigating addiction, mental illness, grief, or estrangement.🤝 Support groups can help people feel less alone and provide a safe place to process difficult experiences.✍️ New writers should start writing without judging themselves too early.📝 Constructive feedback and encouragement can help writers improve and keep going.🌳 Strong roots, growth, and resilience are powerful reminders that difficult seasons do not have to define the rest of our lives.Dena’s story shows how writing can become more than a creative project. It can become a way to serve others, share hope, and create resources for people who feel alone. Her message is simple but powerful: keep learning, keep writing, and do not be afraid to ask for support along the way.Connect with Dena Yohe:Website: Hope for Hurting ParentsBooks: You Are Not Alone, Strength for the Brokenhearted, and other resources are available through her website.Writing community: Word WeaversFollow the Authority On Demand Podcast:YouTube: Authority On Demand on YouTubeFacebook: Authority On Demand on FacebookInstagram: Authority On Demand on InstagramLinkedIn: Authority On Demand on LinkedInCaptivate: Authority On Demand Podcast#AuthorityOnDemand #AuthorsOnMission #DenaYohe #HopeForHurtingParents #YouAreNotAlone #StrengthForTheBrokenhearted #FaithAndHope #WritingTips #AuthorJourney #PodcastInterview #TurningPainIntoPurpose

In this episode of the Authority On Demand Podcast, formerly Authors On Mission Podcast, hosted by Danielle Hutchinson, Constance Lewis shares the story behind her children’s books and the personal experiences that inspired her to write them.Constance explains how she never originally planned to become an author. After contributing chapters to adult books about infertility and postpartum experiences, she had a dream that inspired her to write a children’s book. The idea for Miles and the Colorful Capes of Feelings came to her during meditation, and she wrote the first version in one night.The book was inspired by her son Miles, who experienced epilepsy. Constance wanted to create a way for children to communicate their feelings when they could not find the right words. Through colorful capes and tutus, children can show how they feel without having to explain everything verbally.Constance also discusses her collaboration with her husband, Andre, who helped develop the rhyming elements of the book. Together, they worked to make sure the language was simple enough for children between the ages of four and eight, while still keeping the story engaging and meaningful.The conversation also explores why emotions such as anger and sadness should not be treated as bad. Constance explains that the emotion itself is natural. What matters is helping children find healthy ways to express and process it. Parents can use simple tools such as crayons, pencils, paper, or color charts to help children communicate what is happening inside.Constance also shares what she learned while searching for an illustrator. She reviewed many portfolios, compared styles and pricing, and made sure she would have full ownership of the characters and images in the book. She also talks about working with a publishing coach and choosing self-publishing based on her family’s needs and goals.As she continues developing more children’s books, Constance is also exploring stories about different age groups, big emotions, parenting, and the reasons behind the way parents sometimes act.Key Takeaways:🎨 Colors can help children express emotions when words are difficult to find.💛 Every emotion matters, including anger, sadness, fear, and frustration.🧠 Children need healthy ways to process emotions instead of being told to simply get over them.📚 Writing for children requires simple language that matches their age and literacy level.✍️ A book can begin with one idea, dream, or personal experience.🤝 Collaboration can help strengthen a story and bring different skills into the writing process.🖼️ Authors should carefully review an illustrator’s style, pricing, timeline, and ownership terms.📖 Publishing decisions should be based on the author’s goals, resources, and long-term plans.🌱 Writers should not wait for perfection before releasing their work.👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Children’s books can support not only young readers but also parents, teachers, and caregivers.Constance’s journey shows how a personal experience can become a creative tool that helps others. Her message is a reminder that children deserve the freedom to feel their emotions and the support to understand them. It also encourages authors to keep writing, seek help when needed, and allow their work to be imperfectly perfect.Connect with Constance Lewis:Website: Colorful Capes of FeelingsInstagram: @colorful.books_colorfulfeelingsbooksBooks: Miles and the Colorful Capes of Feelings and Mariah and the Colorful Tutus of FeelingsResources: Free teacher lesson plans, coloring pages, parent resources, and teacher resources are available on her website.Follow the Authority On Demand Podcast:YouTube: Authority On Demand on YouTubeFacebook: Authority On Demand on FacebookInstagram: Authority On Demand on InstagramLinkedIn: Authority On Demand on LinkedInCaptivate: Authority On Demand Podcast#AuthorityOnDemand #AuthorsOnMission #ConstanceLewis #ColorfulCapesOfFeelings #MilesAndTheColorfulCapesOfFeelings #MariahAndTheColorfulTutusOfFeelings #ChildrensBooks #EmotionalLearning #WritingTips #AuthorJourney #PodcastInterview

In this episode of the Authority On Demand Podcast, formerly Authors On Mission Podcast, hosted by Danielle Hutchinson, David McNally shares an inspiring conversation about purpose, aging, grief, writing, and the importance of continuing to make a difference.David is a Hall of Fame speaker and bestselling author of five books. His latest book, If You’re Alive, Your Mission on Earth Isn’t Finished, challenges the idea that our best years are behind us. Instead, he encourages people to see aging as an opportunity to continue learning, growing, creating, and contributing.David explains how the loss of both of his wives influenced his latest book. During a time of grief, he came to understand that being alive means there is still work to do. For him, that work includes learning, growing, and helping others fulfill their own purpose.He also shares how his experience in Tanzania helped him rethink the role of older people in society. Rather than viewing them only as senior citizens, David believes they can become elders who use their wisdom to guide, encourage, and support younger generations.The conversation also explores David’s writing process, including the challenges of publishing his first book, handling rejection, asking for honest feedback, and continuing to improve his work.Key Takeaways:🌱 Aging can be a new opportunity for purpose, learning, and growth.🔥 Your imagination and creative spirit can remain active at any age.💭 Grief and sadness are normal parts of life, even for positive people.📝 Writers should keep moving forward instead of judging themselves too early.📚 Honest feedback can help turn a good manuscript into a better book.✍️ Writing 300 words a day can help you make steady progress toward completing a book.🌍 Older people have valuable wisdom that can help guide and encourage younger generations.🚀 As long as you are alive, there is still more to learn, create, and contribute.David also talks about his upcoming audiobook, his YouTube channel, The Inspired Elder, and his future online course, Alive and Wise: The Joy of Being an Elder.This episode is a reminder that your mission does not end with age. Whether you are an author, speaker, professional, or simply someone looking for your next chapter, there is always room to grow and make your next years meaningful.Connect with David McNally:Website: davidmcnally.comEmail: [email protected]: If You’re Alive, Your Mission on Earth Isn’t FinishedFollow the Authority On Demand Podcast:YouTube: Authority On Demand on YouTubeFacebook: Authority On Demand on FacebookInstagram: Authority On Demand on InstagramLinkedIn: Authority On Demand on LinkedInCaptivate: Authority On Demand Podcast#AuthorityOnDemand #AuthorsOnMission #DavidMcNally #IfYoureAliveYourMissionOnEarthIsntFinished #TheInspiredElder #Purpose #AgingWithPurpose #PersonalGrowth #WritingAdvice #AuthorJourney #PodcastInterview

Watch out for a podcast episode with Bruce W. Brackett this week on the Authority On Demand Podcast (formerly Authors On Mission Podcast), hosted by Danielle Hutchinson.Bruce W. Brackett is a bestselling author, content creator, advocate, and speaker who turned his experiences with trauma, addiction, recovery, and healing into a message of positivity and empowerment. He is the author of How to Breathe While Suffocating and the upcoming book Show Up and Shimmy, which focuses on helping people recognize their worth, overcome self-sabotage, and live a more purposeful life.In this inspiring conversation, discover how to:Turn difficult life experiences into wisdom that can help others.Keep moving forward during the darkest and most challenging moments.Understand why rejection can be a redirection toward your goals.Use positivity and simple actions to get out of your own way.Recognize your worth and show up for your own potential.Learn how social media content creation influenced Bruce’s writing journey.Overcome writer’s block and keep writing, even when the words do not feel perfect.Bruce also shares how his personal memoir became a way to help readers feel seen and understood, while Show Up and Shimmy takes a more self-help approach focused on the reader and their own recovery and potential. His story is a powerful reminder to keep showing up, even after failure, rejection, or setbacks.Connect with Bruce W. Brackett:Website: Bruce W. BrackettFollow the Authority On Demand Podcast:YouTube: Authority On Demand on YouTubeFacebook: Authority On Demand on FacebookInstagram: Authority On Demand on InstagramLinkedIn: Authority On Demand on LinkedInListen to the podcast: Authority On Demand Podcast#BruceWBrackett #HowToBreatheWhileSuffocating #ShowUpAndShimmy #Positivity #Recovery #PersonalGrowth #WritingJourney #AuthorityOnDemand #Podcast #OvercomingAdversity

In this episode of the Authority On Demand Podcast, formerly Authors On Mission Podcast, hosted by Danielle Hutchinson, Sheekha Singh shares her journey as an author, podcaster, speaker, and tech leader and explains how her experiences with ambition and burnout inspired her latest book, Unburnable Ambition.Sheekha explains that she always enjoyed writing and speaking while growing up in India. After moving to the U.S. for her master’s degree, those interests took a back seat as she focused on building her career. Over time, she returned to writing and speaking, began speaking at technology conferences, started her own podcast, and eventually published her first book in 2021.Her latest book focuses on burnout among overachievers. She explains that she chose the title Unburnable Ambition because she wanted to show that being ambitious does not mean you have to give up your goals. After experiencing burnout herself while trying to manage many projects and responsibilities, she learned that it is possible to remain ambitious while also protecting your energy.Sheekha also shares some of the frameworks from the book, including the importance of protecting your energy, setting boundaries, changing your mindset around rest, and allowing yourself time away from work. She explains that rest does not need to be expensive or complicated. Even 10 to 15 minutes a day can give you time to recharge.The conversation also explores Sheekha’s writing process. She conducted extensive research before writing, created a mind map for the book, and eventually took a weekend writing retreat where she completed 10,000 words, which became about 80% of the book’s rough draft. She then dedicated time after dinner to editing and refining the manuscript.Sheekha explains how she combined personal experiences, science-backed research, and lessons from guests on her podcast to create a book that was both practical and relatable. She also wanted the book to be easy to read, so she carefully edited the content to make sure the ideas could be understood by readers from different backgrounds.The conversation also looks at her future as a writer. After focusing on technology and burnout, Sheekha is now preparing to explore fiction through a sci-fi romance novel. She shares how this new direction requires her to use more imagination and focus on feelings and emotions rather than only facts and research.For writers, Sheekha offers a simple reminder: if you have been putting off your book, it may be time to make it a priority. She encourages writers to set clear boundaries around their writing time and communicate those boundaries with the people around them.Key Takeaways:🔋 Protecting your energy is important, especially when you are passionate about what you do.🧘 Rest is necessary and does not have to involve expensive self-care activities.🚧 Setting clear boundaries can help protect your personal and professional energy.🎯 Being ambitious does not mean you have to give up your goals to avoid burnout.✍️ Writers need to make their books a priority if they want to finish them.📚 Research, personal experience, and storytelling can work together to create a stronger book.🧠 Changing your mindset around rest can help you create healthier habits.⏰ Dedicated writing and editing time can help turn an idea into a finished manuscript.🌱 Do not keep putting off the project that matters to you.🚀 Trying something new, such as moving from nonfiction into fiction, can open the door to another stage of your creative journey.Sheekha’s journey shows that ambition and well-being do not have to work against each other. By protecting your energy, setting boundaries, making time for your priorities, and allowing yourself to rest, you can continue pursuing your goals without letting burnout define your journey.Connect with Sheekha Singh:Website: SheekhaSingh.comInstagram: @sheekha_singh_writerPodcast: Rise and Tell with ShekhaBook: Unburnable AmbitionBooks and other work are available through Amazon and other book platforms.Follow the Authority On Demand Podcast:YouTube: Authority On Demand on YouTubeFacebook: Authority On Demand on FacebookInstagram: Authority On Demand on InstagramLinkedIn: Authority On Demand on LinkedInCaptivate: Authority On Demand Podcast#AuthorityOnDemand #AuthorsOnMission #SheekhaSingh #UnburnableAmbition #Burnout #WorkLifeBalance #WritingTips #AuthorJourney #PersonalGrowth #PodcastInterview