July 6, 2025 • 30 mins
In this episode of The Quiet Warrior Podcast, I sit down with Cathy Derksen — Founder of Inspired Tenacity, speaker, and 19-times #1 best-selling author — whose mission is to amplify women's voices through the power of collaborative books.
Cathy didn’t start out in publishing. Her career began in medical genetics, followed by a decade in financial planning, before she answered a deeper calling: to help women transform their lives through storytelling. What began as a single contribution to a multi-author book has now grown into a thriving publishing platform that gives women around the world a safe space to share their wisdom, elevate their visibility, and expand their impact.
We talk about what holds introverts back from being visible, how collaborative books open unexpected doors, and why sharing your story might be the most generous and healing act you ever do—for yourself and others.
💡 In This Episode, We Explore:
- Cathy’s journey from science to finance to soulful storytelling
- Why introverts don’t need to be flashy to be influential
- How collaborative books help you build confidence, grow your network, and attract new clients
- The mindset shifts that happen when you call yourself an “author”
- What it means to lead quietly — and courageously
- How visibility becomes meaningful when it’s rooted in purpose
Whether you’re an aspiring author, an introverted entrepreneur, or someone with a story waiting to be told, this episode will help you see new possibilities for your voice, your message, and your mission.
🔗 Connect with Cathy:
🌐 Website:inspiredtenacity.com
💼 LinkedIn:Cathy Derksen on LinkedIn
📚 Explore Cathy’s collaborative book series or get involved in an upcoming project.
📘 Bonus Resource – Download my free eBook: The Introvert Toolkit
- Learn how to support and advocate for yourself at work as an introvert.
- Understand how your introverted child or co-worker experiences the world differently - and how you can better support them.
👉 https://mailchi.mp/87cf08f92464/the-introvert-toolkit
💬 Loved this episode?
Subscribe, rate, and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It helps The Quiet Warrior Podcast reach more introverts and quiet achievers around the world—so they can rise with clarity, purpose, and power.
This episode was edited by Aura House Productions
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Serena Loh.
If you're used to hearing thatintroverts are shy, anxious,
antisocial and lack goodcommunication and leadership
skills, then this podcast is foryou.
You're about to fall in lovewith the calm, introspective and
profound person that you are.
Discover what's fun, unique andpowerful about being an
(00:21):
introvert, and how to make theelegant transition from quiet
achiever to quiet warrior inyour life and work anytime you
want, in more ways than youimagined possible.
Welcome, welcome to the QuietWarrior podcast.
My guest today is an author,speaker, disruptor and catalyst
(00:45):
dedicated to improving the livesof the women in her community
and around the world.
An international speaker and 19times number one best-selling
author, she has created aplatform for women to share
their wisdom in inspiringcollaborative books.
Her programs allow you toexpand your global network,
(01:06):
build your business, deepen yourimpact and increase your
visibility, while becoming aninternational best-selling
author.
Welcome, kathy Dirksen, to theQuiet Warrior podcast.
Well, thank you for having me,serena.
You're very welcome, kathy.
Tell us a little bit about yourstory and the journey so far,
(01:27):
and how you come to be doingwhat you do.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yes no, it's definitely been a twisted
journey, and I always like tosay that if you'd asked me five
years ago if I was going to begetting into being an author and
publishing, and I would havelaughed at you because there was
nothing in my past reality thatsuggested this is what I would
have laughed at you becausethere was nothing in my past
reality that suggested this iswhat I would be doing.
And so, really, it's been amatter of listening to my
(01:51):
intuition, following my heart,figuring out what feels like the
right answer.
Next, and my original careerwas actually in medical genetics
.
So for 25 years, I workedmainly in hospital labs and
public education, and that wasback in the days when the Human
Genome Project was going on andthere was Dolly the sheep that
(02:13):
was causing all this ethicalproblems in the cloning world
and genetics and that wholething.
And yeah, it was around 2010when I hit a time in my life
when I realized that I love thefield of genetics, but the
actual job I was doing was onethat I knew just wasn't where my
heart was.
It wasn't, you know.
(02:35):
I could feel my blood pressuregoing up just by being there,
and so I made that big decisionthat it's time to figure out
what else I'm here to do in theworld.
And at that time, really, thething that hit me was the idea
that I felt like I was here toreally help women change their
life.
And so trying to figure outwhat that meant, and I went into
(02:57):
financial planning thinking,well, this is where a lot of
women say they would like somesupport.
So I went into financialplanning with the idea that I
was going to really have a trueimpact in the lives of women say
they would like some support.
So I went into financialplanning with the idea that I
was going to really have a trueimpact in the lives of women and
but about a decade into that,realized that I was so confined
to the little box of what youcan do in that industry that I
(03:18):
thought, no, this still is notthe right answer.
And so, about four years agonow, I left all that behind to
set out on my own to figure outwhat it is that I'm here to do.
And and yeah, just sort of doorsopen in different directions
and opportunities came my wayand I realized, you know, once I
started getting involved inthese kind of books, it just hit
(03:40):
me that these, this is how Ican help women change their life
.
It just hit me that this is howI can help women change their
life, providing something thatreally creates a true impact in
their life.
And so, and here we are, likeyou said, 19 books later, and
now that's become the main thingthat I do.
So I've released seven books inthe last couple of years that
(04:01):
each have roughly 20 women fromaround the world sharing their
journey based on the theme ofthe book.
And and yeah, I love doing thisand I will I keep doing more.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Thank you for sharing that.
I think what's what Iparticularly heard and
appreciated was that you spent25 years mastering your craft in
one particular field, and thenyou pivoted and spent 10 years
in another field.
And all this was still part ofthe exploration and you hadn't
(04:35):
yet arrived at the version orthe iteration that you were
looking for, and so somethinghadn't landed.
And yet it was only four yearsago, and that would have been in
the middle of the pandemic,with the world shut down and a
very different set ofcircumstances.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yes, yes, and I think that was part of what really
kind of pushed me into that,knowing that now is the time
that I need to make this change,just the whole situation that
we were in.
And I think a lot of us did alot of kind of self-reflecting
through the months of COVID andall the changes that it brought,
and I think that was one of thethings that really kind of
(05:13):
helped me see that it's now.
Now is when I need to dosomething completely different
and not just keep doing the samething and feeling frustrated
with it.
But so, yes, I guess COVIDprobably was one of the
catalysts behind it.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
A catalyst that also disrupted your way of thinking,
but perhaps also accelerated it,because you went from 25 years
to 10 years and then to fouryears finding what you currently
do.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
So that gives us hope and the more times we try,
perhaps the faster.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Yes, that's right, beautiful.
So tell me, cathy, whyparticularly collaborative books
?
Because the traditionalunderstanding is, you know that
people have this dream of beingan author, of writing a book,
and the idea is to have theirname on one book.
So how is having multipleauthors to one book better than
(06:06):
having just one author's name?
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Well, there's a few reasons that I think the
multi-author format works betterfor more people.
And, yes, that traditionalmodel where there's only the big
guys, the publishing companies,and you have to go beg your way
in to get them to accept yourbook into what they are willing
to do, and whereas now the wholeworld of publishing has changed
quite a bit in the last,especially the last 10 years,
(06:32):
where now there are options asfar as the big guys, or
completely self-published, andthen the ones in the middle.
That's we call hybrid.
So they're a combination ofyou're not doing it yourself,
you're being helped by aprofessional group of publishers
, but it's not the big guys thatyou have to beg for a spot.
There are people that you canpay for their service to get
(06:53):
this done.
And one of the things as well.
There's a few things to look atwhen you're weighing do I want
to do a whole solo book or do Iwant to get involved in a
multi-author book?
Well, one big piece is time.
For most people to write awhole solo book would take often
takes years.
And the other thing is the cost.
(07:15):
People again have this ideathat these publishers are going
to come in and they're going topay for everything and
everything will be done for you,and which is not really the
reality in most cases.
So even if a big publisher doestake you on, most of the time
what they pay you is an advanceagainst the sale of your book.
So they'll give you some moneyto help you write the book.
(07:37):
But then if your book doesn'tsell, in some cases you owe them
that money back because itreally was an advance against
the sale of your book and sothey kind of have control over
what you're doing.
But if you were to write yourown book, a solo book that
you're going to publish andagain looking at having proper
(07:57):
editing, proofreading,formatting, doing the proper
marketing to actually hit thatnumber one status, in most cases
you're looking at $20,000 to$50,000 US depending on the size
of the book and the content ofthe book and all those things.
It can get quite pricey andpeople don't realize that,
whereas being involved in amulti-author book, you're often
(08:18):
paying a piece of that, but it'sa small fraction of it, based
on how many people are in thebook and how big is the book and
all those other kinds of things.
So from a time point of view,from an expense point of view,
it's very different to do afraction of the project instead
of doing the whole thing, butone of the really big things is
(08:39):
content Content, and so for manypeople they might have an idea
what they want their book to beabout and they'll play around
with it, but they don'tnecessarily have enough really
juicy content to fill a wholebook, whereas if you're just
writing one chapter, you cantake what you've got and
(09:00):
condense it down to a way thatit really is creating a really
intriguing chapter but wouldn'tnecessarily fill up a whole book
.
So that's a big part of it.
I think that the time, themoney and the size of content
that you need to do it.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I like how you've broken it down into those
practical terms, because, yes,we do have that dream of being
that bestselling, you know,number one on the New York Times
kind of bestseller status, butthat's very unachievable for
most of us, and so this feelslike a more accessible, more
realistic way to go about it Afraction of the project at a
(09:37):
fraction of the cost, a fractionof the time as well, and you
still get to call yourself anauthor, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Exactly, and one of the other great parts of it is
that with my books I focus on 20people per book.
I've just found that's kind ofa nice sweet spot of being
manageable with numbers and allthat sort of thing.
So now you imagine you're beingintroduced to 20 people that
you probably wouldn't have evermet otherwise, and then, when we
get to the point that we'remarketing the book, now you've
(10:05):
got 20 communities comingtogether to market the same
project, so really yourinformation is being amplified
across 20 communities.
So for those of us who areentrepreneurs, it's an amazing
way to just really amplify yourvisibility and create that
impact that you're looking for.
And the way I always suggestpeople when they're writing in
(10:27):
my books is a combination oftheir personal journey, what
they've come through, whatthey've learned along the way,
but then also those tips ortools or strategies that they
would like to share with thereader, based on the theme of
the book.
So for those of us who areentrepreneurs, it really can
become a lead magnet for yourbusiness, because now that
reader has learned somethingabout you, they feel connected
(10:49):
with you, they now understandwhat you do and why you do that
and kind of that little samplerof what it is you do and how
you're helping people, and so mygoal is to have, when the
readers finish your chapter theythink I need to talk to her.
And then you've got your biopage right beside this, got your
contact information.
So it really becomes an easy,real lead magnet of here's the
(11:14):
information, here's the sampler.
Contact her here.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
I like the way you think but in practice, based on
your experience, havingpublished 19 bestselling books,
how helpful in reality has itbeen for the individual authors,
the ones who have businesses oftheir own, the ones who have a
stake in being more visible?
How successful have they beenin actually attracting the right
(11:41):
kind of people by beingpublished?
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yes, and of course, like everything in life, it is
what you make it.
And so if they just participatein the book and put it on the
shelf and don't promote it anddon't talk about it and don't
put that title of author ontheir profiles, then it might
not have much impact.
But even having the word authorin your profile attracts more.
(12:05):
For those of us that aregetting into speaking people who
are organizing summits,conferences, even podcasters
they look for authors first.
So if they've got a group ofpeople that have all applied to
speak, they will pick theauthors first and then fill in
with the ones that don't haveauthor in their profile.
So even that simple act ofputting author earning that
(12:26):
title and, of course, hittingbest-selling author is also an
extra juicy piece to put inthere.
And one of the other big ways Isee it helping is that feeling
of what can I do next?
You know, going back to whatyou're saying, so many of us
have this dream of being apublished author, but so few do,
and so most people feel it'sunattainable for them.
(12:49):
But once they've actuallycompleted that and they've got
the book in their hand, not onlyis it a feeling of success that
I'm now a published author.
There's that other side of itWow, if I can do that, that I
thought I would never do, whatelse can I do?
So there's that part of it aswell, and I've had quite a few
(13:10):
people that have come into thesebooks as kind of that first
step in the publishing world.
So they'll come in and theywill get their chapter done, get
the whole book published, gettheir whole visibility amplified
in the community, and thenthey'll get that amplified in
the community, and then they'llget that both, that confidence
that yes, I do have the contentto do a whole solo book, but
(13:31):
then more of that confidence andjust feeling like, hey, people
actually do want to hear what Ihave to say, because that's
another piece that really holdsa lot of people back from
publishing.
That feeling of, oh, nobodyreally wants to hear what I have
to say, or who am I to thinkthat people even care what I
have to say?
So once you've been in acollaborative book and you've
got that feedback from readersthat, wow, I loved your chapter,
(13:53):
it really, you know, helped meto, you know, see a different
path or to understand what Icould do next in my life, and
things like that, then it reallycan give that next step and
that confidence to move on.
And so I've seen a lot of shiftin those ways, both in the
creating I've worked with 12different publishers is doors
start opening that you hadn'teven seen before.
(14:14):
So those doors might havealways been there, but you had
(14:35):
not even seen that door untilyou had that experience and had
that word author in your profile.
And then these doors startopening.
Oh, would you like to speak here?
Would you like to be on thispodcast?
Would you like to do this?
Or, you know, would you like tobe in this book over here?
And that was part of what I didwhen I first got started.
I was just one of the authorsin other people's books and I
(14:59):
started getting invited intothese other projects and so,
again, every time you step intoone, you're stepping into a
whole new community of people.
So really, how I look at it,everything I'm doing right now
in my life and in my business isdirectly connected to the books
I've been in, because there'snothing in common with what I
(15:22):
did before.
It's all because of the booksI've been in and the networks
and the communities and theopportunities that have come out
of that.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
There are so many layers I want to unpack just
based on what you've said there.
First of all, I think I want toacknowledge that it's a very
smart and data-driven way thatyou've approached this
collaborative book writing, thiscollaborative book writing, and
that's because you've taken aproject that sounds very massive
(15:55):
.
You've broken it down, you'vefound a way to bridge the dream
with what's actually doabletoday.
And then there is thatamplifying effect Because that
person has said yes to thisopportunity, they are now saying
yes to bigger things becausethey are attracting bigger
opportunities.
They are attracting newcommunities, new exposure, new
(16:16):
visibility into their lives, andI can attest to that in a small
way too, because this is the10th year since I first
published my book, and that wasalso unbeknownst to me at the
time also a multi-author kind ofconcept, and I hadn't planned
for it that way, but that's theway it evolved and what I
noticed was that in the yearsafter that it has actually
(16:38):
helped open doors to otherpeople's books, and so I've
taken part in three othercollaborative book projects
since then and also have beenconstantly invited onto people's
podcasts.
So you're right when you becomeconfident and when you show up
in one area and you talk aboutit and you let people know that
I've done this thing.
It sparks something in them tothink, ah, I can ask her about
(17:02):
this or this or this and we canhave that conversation.
And so, regardless of theoutcome, it still puts you on a
different pathway than if youhad not said yes to that
original brave thing.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Exactly.
And for people that do want tofocus on selling copies of the
book, you know they're free todo that, to buy copies at a
lower cost and go sell them.
You know, sell a signed copy atyou copy at $25, $30 and that
sort of thing.
Some people like to do that.
Or if you're speaking at aconference I've heard actually a
few different conferences theyexpect you to have a book that
(17:39):
you're going to be selling orgiving away at the conference.
I was speaking to one womanlast week and she said that she
was accepted to speak at aconference and then one of the
first things they said is what'syour book about?
She didn't even have a book, soshe literally had to rush put
together a book, get itpublished, get it ready before
(18:00):
the conference so that she hadthis book they expected her to
have at the conference.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Brilliant, brilliant, and what a good way to give
away more copies of your book.
Sell more copies of your book,because that's one of the
headaches, I think, for authorsas well the self-published ones
how do I sell more copies of mybook?
How do I know how many copiesto print?
So if you have a big publisherbacking you, you don't think
about those things, but if youare an ordinary person who is
(18:29):
publishing for the first time,second time, you do have to
think of all these logisticalissues.
So thank you for sharing thosetips, because I think they are
very valuable for those of ourlisteners who are keynote
speakers or aiming to be thatkind of a speaker on a bigger
stage and, at the same time,amplifying their book as well.
That's brilliant.
(18:51):
What are some of the thingsyou've learned from compiling
and listening to other people'sstories?
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Yes, and so far, with all the books that I've been in
, I've been working withhundreds of women and and and
this kind of book really bringsout a level of their story that
quite often they haven't eventold anyone before, that that
you know it could tie into theirbusiness, just in how it shaped
them and their experience.
(19:23):
But it's quite a new thing andand so part of it has shaped
them and their experience, butit's quite a new thing.
And so part of it has beenaround hearing these other
women's stories andunderstanding the challenges
some people have come through.
And of course, you always thenput your own experience in a
different perspective whenyou're comparing and I hate to
say comparing, but you're justlooking at yourself beside these
(19:45):
other stories as well.
So that's definitely a hugepart of that, that learning part
, and I think part of it for metoo is it's really allowed me to
discover that one of my kind ofcore talents is around bringing
people together and giving themthat safe space to, to open up
(20:08):
and to step into some differentpossibilities.
And and I I would say I wasn'taware how naturally I did that
until I stepped into this spaceand I'll talk to quite a few
people, and they'll be.
You know, how do you meet allthese people all over the world
and how do you do all thesebooks and how do you like?
How do you?
And to me it's just like Idon't know, I just do.
(20:31):
This is just what I do.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
So learning that part too has definitely been an
eye-opener it sounds to me like,in the process of doing what
you do, you've also tapped intoyour own gift, or shall we call
it a natural superpower of yours, and that is creating that safe
(20:58):
space where women can cometogether and share their stories
and, like you say, some of themhave never shared that story
before.
And it's actually very powerfulhaving somebody listen to you
and hold that space and notjudge, and just give you that
room to articulate somethingthat's deeply meaningful to you,
(21:20):
that's in your heart, and youcan't just share it with anybody
, because we know that it's notalways safe to do so, that other
people may not be the rightperson to do so, even if they're
very close to us.
It has to be that right personwho can hold all of that and
just still be sitting with youcompassionately, empathically,
(21:41):
sensitively, allowing you theroom to find your words and
communicate it in the best way.
You know that feels true to you, and so I think what you have
there is a very remarkable giftthe gift of listening, the gift
of helping other people to feelsafe and making room for their
stories and their voices to beheard.
(22:04):
And that sounds to me and I knowwe talked about this, about you
being an introvert as well, andI think that this is an
introverted superpower.
Actually, you don't say a lot,but when you do say something,
it's very profound, it landsdeeply, it touches people's
hearts, and perhaps the gift forthe introvert is not having to
(22:26):
say a lot to make an impact.
In fact, listening reallyintently and presently and
making the other person feelseen and heard that itself is a
gift.
So my next question to you hasto do with being an introverted
entrepreneur.
What has your experience beenlike and how do you manage your
(22:52):
introverted traits, your needs,your energy in doing what you do
?
Speaker 2 (22:59):
yes, it's definitely been a learning experience as an
entrepreneur and I know when Ifirst started, everybody tells
you you need to be flashy andloud and everywhere and all this
stuff.
And I knew that just was not meand it literally just my guts
just went oh no, no, I can't dothat.
And so to come to thatrealization that I can do this
(23:20):
without being like that, I donot need to be big and flashy
and everywhere, I just need tobe myself and be in the right
communities, and so that wasdefinitely a big part of it, and
I think, kind of to looking atmy experience, covid has
actually been a blessing in theway that it's put us all on Zoom
(23:41):
, because I can definitelyhandle a large group of people
much better on Zoom than I wouldif I was in a loud room trying
to hear people and trying tojust make my way through a group
.
So so I think that Zoom has beena great blessing for introverts
, just so we can have our ownspace, we're in our little box,
(24:01):
and so that's definitely beenhelpful as well.
And I find too, with thesebooks, that being in a group to
bring those stories out, I thinkit helps all of us who are
introverts, because it's like wewe don't have to be big and
flashy by ourselves, that we arepart of a group or part of a
(24:25):
team, that we're supporting eachother through this, and so I
I've definitely found thatthat's been beneficial that way
too thank you so much for that.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
I think think one of the challenges for introverts
who are putting themselves outthere whether they're starting a
venture or they're doingsomething like what you do in a
business for themselves it'sthat internal conflict of
wanting to be seen but also notwanting to be seen.
Yes, I call myself a quietleader ah, beautiful, quiet
(25:00):
leader so kind of like you're aquiet warrior yes, so we're
still leading, we're still doingthings, we're still showing up,
being courageous, being visible, but for a purpose, and we do
it without having to actextroverted.
So what are two key insightsfor you that you want to share
with the quiet achievers, thequiet leaders, the quiet
(25:21):
warriors who are listening?
Speaker 2 (25:24):
well, definitely a big part of that is, you know,
to just be yourself and trustthat that is what you need to do
and to not take that advicefrom others that say that you do
have to be big and flashy andeverywhere and keep up with
everything and have all theseconversations and really bring
it down more to who is youraudience, who are the people you
(25:45):
want to be talking to, and notworrying as much about everybody
else and kind of like you weresaying too that you don't have
to do it loud but with thatright message in the right
community.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
You can just be yourself, Beautiful.
So being yourself when youthink about it, isn't that the
simplest and most sensible thingfor anybody to do?
Speaker 2 (26:14):
To be themselves.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
But it means different things to different
people, and for very quietpeople, for the highly sensitive
ones, for the empaths.
Being ourselves also has tofeel safe, because I think for a
lot of our experience, beingourselves was seen as not enough
(26:43):
to live up to somebody'sexpectations of what it means to
be a successful person.
To be someone to be looked upto, to someone who makes an
impact, and so be yourself isactually almost like a
rebellious thing for anintrovert to do.
To actually go back to who weknow we are inside and be okay
with that and be proud of that.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
And allow that side of ourselves to show.
I agree that you are enough and, yes, what you have to offer is
unique and it's you, and, yes,stay focused on that so what's
next in your list ofbest-selling projects?
Speaker 1 (27:24):
what are you working on?
Speaker 2 (27:27):
well, I've got three books that should be coming out
over the summer.
We're just doing all theediting in those right now, and
right now I've started a few newbooks that I'm bringing people
into, so, if anyone's interested.
One is focused specifically onentrepreneurs and it's open to
men and women, and so that one'scalled From Inspiration to
Success the EntrepreneurialJourney.
(27:48):
So on that one, everybody willbe sharing their own journey but
also what they've learned alongthe way and how they're helping
other entrepreneurs or whattheir business is.
Another one is called Rooted inResilience, and that one will
be just women sharing theirjourney of how being resilient
has helped them become who theyare and take on life in their
(28:13):
own way.
And I always also have a seriesof books for women in science
and tech.
So the current book we'reworking on there is called women
in steam a global movement.
So that one again we've gotwomen from all over the world
who work in many differentfields of science, tech,
engineering and now with thearts in the middle there and
(28:34):
math and all the other.
There are so many differentfields in STEM and STEAM, and
add another M to the end of STEMas well, and all of those
people, so I always got newbooks coming up and always open
to when people are interested injumping in.
So definitely feel free toconnect with me and I'll have
(28:56):
options available.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Beautiful, and what's the best way for people to
connect with you, kathy?
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Yeah, my website is inspiredtenacitycom and on there
you'll find tabs with myprevious books where you can
download free copies, as well asmy current book projects that
you can check out and jump into.
And LinkedIn is my main socialmedia, so if you're looking for
me out there, definitely look meup on LinkedIn, and that's one
(29:24):
of the only places I hang out, Iguess.
Going back to the introvertthing, I just pick one that is
my favorite and that's where Ihang out.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
I find myself doing more and more of that as well.
Just focus on the one platform,because we have limited energy
and we want to give our best.
That's right, exactly, yes.
So we have all Kathy's links inthe show notes.
Make sure you check them out soyou can connect with her, learn
more about her book projectsand maybe that will inspire you
(29:52):
to tick off another bucket listitem this year.
So if you enjoyed today'sepisode with Kathy Dirksen, make
sure to leave a review andsubscribe to the Quiet Warrior
podcast for new episodes everyfortnight.
Together, let's reach moreintroverts around the world.
Thanks for listening and seeyou on the next episode.
I'm so grateful that you'rehere today.
(30:13):
If you found this contentvaluable, please share it on
your social media channels andsubscribe to the show on your
favorite listening platform.
Together, we can help moreintroverts thrive.
To receive more upliftingcontent like this, connect with
me on Instagram at Serena LoQuiet Warrior Coach.
Thank you for sharing your timeand your energy with me.
(30:35):
See you on the next episode.
Hi, I'm Serena Loh.
If you're used to hearing thatintroverts are shy, anxious,
antisocial and lack goodcommunication and leadership
skills, then this podcast is foryou.
You're about to fall in lovewith the calm, introspective and
profound person that you are.
Discover what's fun, unique andpowerful about being an
(00:21):
introvert, and how to make theelegant transition from quiet
achiever to quiet warrior inyour life and work anytime you
want, in more ways than youimagined possible.
Welcome, welcome to the QuietWarrior podcast.
My guest today is an author,speaker, disruptor and catalyst
(00:45):
dedicated to improving the livesof the women in her community
and around the world.
An international speaker and 19times number one best-selling
author, she has created aplatform for women to share
their wisdom in inspiringcollaborative books.
Her programs allow you toexpand your global network,
(01:06):
build your business, deepen yourimpact and increase your
visibility, while becoming aninternational best-selling
author.
Welcome, kathy Dirksen, to theQuiet Warrior podcast.
Well, thank you for having me,serena.
You're very welcome, kathy.
Tell us a little bit about yourstory and the journey so far,
(01:27):
and how you come to be doingwhat you do.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yes no, it's definitely been a twisted
journey, and I always like tosay that if you'd asked me five
years ago if I was going to begetting into being an author and
publishing, and I would havelaughed at you because there was
nothing in my past reality thatsuggested this is what I would
have laughed at you becausethere was nothing in my past
reality that suggested this iswhat I would be doing.
And so, really, it's been amatter of listening to my
(01:51):
intuition, following my heart,figuring out what feels like the
right answer.
Next, and my original careerwas actually in medical genetics
.
So for 25 years, I workedmainly in hospital labs and
public education, and that wasback in the days when the Human
Genome Project was going on andthere was Dolly the sheep that
(02:13):
was causing all this ethicalproblems in the cloning world
and genetics and that wholething.
And yeah, it was around 2010when I hit a time in my life
when I realized that I love thefield of genetics, but the
actual job I was doing was onethat I knew just wasn't where my
heart was.
It wasn't, you know.
(02:35):
I could feel my blood pressuregoing up just by being there,
and so I made that big decisionthat it's time to figure out
what else I'm here to do in theworld.
And at that time, really, thething that hit me was the idea
that I felt like I was here toreally help women change their
life.
And so trying to figure outwhat that meant, and I went into
(02:57):
financial planning thinking,well, this is where a lot of
women say they would like somesupport.
So I went into financialplanning with the idea that I
was going to really have a trueimpact in the lives of women say
they would like some support.
So I went into financialplanning with the idea that I
was going to really have a trueimpact in the lives of women and
but about a decade into that,realized that I was so confined
to the little box of what youcan do in that industry that I
(03:18):
thought, no, this still is notthe right answer.
And so, about four years agonow, I left all that behind to
set out on my own to figure outwhat it is that I'm here to do.
And and yeah, just sort of doorsopen in different directions
and opportunities came my wayand I realized, you know, once I
started getting involved inthese kind of books, it just hit
(03:40):
me that these, this is how Ican help women change their life
.
It just hit me that this is howI can help women change their
life, providing something thatreally creates a true impact in
their life.
And so, and here we are, likeyou said, 19 books later, and
now that's become the main thingthat I do.
So I've released seven books inthe last couple of years that
(04:01):
each have roughly 20 women fromaround the world sharing their
journey based on the theme ofthe book.
And and yeah, I love doing thisand I will I keep doing more.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Thank you for sharing that.
I think what's what Iparticularly heard and
appreciated was that you spent25 years mastering your craft in
one particular field, and thenyou pivoted and spent 10 years
in another field.
And all this was still part ofthe exploration and you hadn't
(04:35):
yet arrived at the version orthe iteration that you were
looking for, and so somethinghadn't landed.
And yet it was only four yearsago, and that would have been in
the middle of the pandemic,with the world shut down and a
very different set ofcircumstances.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yes, yes, and I think that was part of what really
kind of pushed me into that,knowing that now is the time
that I need to make this change,just the whole situation that
we were in.
And I think a lot of us did alot of kind of self-reflecting
through the months of COVID andall the changes that it brought,
and I think that was one of thethings that really kind of
(05:13):
helped me see that it's now.
Now is when I need to dosomething completely different
and not just keep doing the samething and feeling frustrated
with it.
But so, yes, I guess COVIDprobably was one of the
catalysts behind it.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
A catalyst that also disrupted your way of thinking,
but perhaps also accelerated it,because you went from 25 years
to 10 years and then to fouryears finding what you currently
do.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
So that gives us hope and the more times we try,
perhaps the faster.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Yes, that's right, beautiful.
So tell me, cathy, whyparticularly collaborative books
?
Because the traditionalunderstanding is, you know that
people have this dream of beingan author, of writing a book,
and the idea is to have theirname on one book.
So how is having multipleauthors to one book better than
(06:06):
having just one author's name?
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Well, there's a few reasons that I think the
multi-author format works betterfor more people.
And, yes, that traditionalmodel where there's only the big
guys, the publishing companies,and you have to go beg your way
in to get them to accept yourbook into what they are willing
to do, and whereas now the wholeworld of publishing has changed
quite a bit in the last,especially the last 10 years,
(06:32):
where now there are options asfar as the big guys, or
completely self-published, andthen the ones in the middle.
That's we call hybrid.
So they're a combination ofyou're not doing it yourself,
you're being helped by aprofessional group of publishers
, but it's not the big guys thatyou have to beg for a spot.
There are people that you canpay for their service to get
(06:53):
this done.
And one of the things as well.
There's a few things to look atwhen you're weighing do I want
to do a whole solo book or do Iwant to get involved in a
multi-author book?
Well, one big piece is time.
For most people to write awhole solo book would take often
takes years.
And the other thing is the cost.
(07:15):
People again have this ideathat these publishers are going
to come in and they're going topay for everything and
everything will be done for you,and which is not really the
reality in most cases.
So even if a big publisher doestake you on, most of the time
what they pay you is an advanceagainst the sale of your book.
So they'll give you some moneyto help you write the book.
(07:37):
But then if your book doesn'tsell, in some cases you owe them
that money back because itreally was an advance against
the sale of your book and sothey kind of have control over
what you're doing.
But if you were to write yourown book, a solo book that
you're going to publish andagain looking at having proper
(07:57):
editing, proofreading,formatting, doing the proper
marketing to actually hit thatnumber one status, in most cases
you're looking at $20,000 to$50,000 US depending on the size
of the book and the content ofthe book and all those things.
It can get quite pricey andpeople don't realize that,
whereas being involved in amulti-author book, you're often
(08:18):
paying a piece of that, but it'sa small fraction of it, based
on how many people are in thebook and how big is the book and
all those other kinds of things.
So from a time point of view,from an expense point of view,
it's very different to do afraction of the project instead
of doing the whole thing, butone of the really big things is
(08:39):
content Content, and so for manypeople they might have an idea
what they want their book to beabout and they'll play around
with it, but they don'tnecessarily have enough really
juicy content to fill a wholebook, whereas if you're just
writing one chapter, you cantake what you've got and
(09:00):
condense it down to a way thatit really is creating a really
intriguing chapter but wouldn'tnecessarily fill up a whole book
.
So that's a big part of it.
I think that the time, themoney and the size of content
that you need to do it.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I like how you've broken it down into those
practical terms, because, yes,we do have that dream of being
that bestselling, you know,number one on the New York Times
kind of bestseller status, butthat's very unachievable for
most of us, and so this feelslike a more accessible, more
realistic way to go about it Afraction of the project at a
(09:37):
fraction of the cost, a fractionof the time as well, and you
still get to call yourself anauthor, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Exactly, and one of the other great parts of it is
that with my books I focus on 20people per book.
I've just found that's kind ofa nice sweet spot of being
manageable with numbers and allthat sort of thing.
So now you imagine you're beingintroduced to 20 people that
you probably wouldn't have evermet otherwise, and then, when we
get to the point that we'remarketing the book, now you've
(10:05):
got 20 communities comingtogether to market the same
project, so really yourinformation is being amplified
across 20 communities.
So for those of us who areentrepreneurs, it's an amazing
way to just really amplify yourvisibility and create that
impact that you're looking for.
And the way I always suggestpeople when they're writing in
(10:27):
my books is a combination oftheir personal journey, what
they've come through, whatthey've learned along the way,
but then also those tips ortools or strategies that they
would like to share with thereader, based on the theme of
the book.
So for those of us who areentrepreneurs, it really can
become a lead magnet for yourbusiness, because now that
reader has learned somethingabout you, they feel connected
(10:49):
with you, they now understandwhat you do and why you do that
and kind of that little samplerof what it is you do and how
you're helping people, and so mygoal is to have, when the
readers finish your chapter theythink I need to talk to her.
And then you've got your biopage right beside this, got your
contact information.
So it really becomes an easy,real lead magnet of here's the
(11:14):
information, here's the sampler.
Contact her here.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
I like the way you think but in practice, based on
your experience, havingpublished 19 bestselling books,
how helpful in reality has itbeen for the individual authors,
the ones who have businesses oftheir own, the ones who have a
stake in being more visible?
How successful have they beenin actually attracting the right
(11:41):
kind of people by beingpublished?
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yes, and of course, like everything in life, it is
what you make it.
And so if they just participatein the book and put it on the
shelf and don't promote it anddon't talk about it and don't
put that title of author ontheir profiles, then it might
not have much impact.
But even having the word authorin your profile attracts more.
(12:05):
For those of us that aregetting into speaking people who
are organizing summits,conferences, even podcasters
they look for authors first.
So if they've got a group ofpeople that have all applied to
speak, they will pick theauthors first and then fill in
with the ones that don't haveauthor in their profile.
So even that simple act ofputting author earning that
(12:26):
title and, of course, hittingbest-selling author is also an
extra juicy piece to put inthere.
And one of the other big ways Isee it helping is that feeling
of what can I do next?
You know, going back to whatyou're saying, so many of us
have this dream of being apublished author, but so few do,
and so most people feel it'sunattainable for them.
(12:49):
But once they've actuallycompleted that and they've got
the book in their hand, not onlyis it a feeling of success that
I'm now a published author.
There's that other side of itWow, if I can do that, that I
thought I would never do, whatelse can I do?
So there's that part of it aswell, and I've had quite a few
(13:10):
people that have come into thesebooks as kind of that first
step in the publishing world.
So they'll come in and theywill get their chapter done, get
the whole book published, gettheir whole visibility amplified
in the community, and thenthey'll get that amplified in
the community, and then they'llget that both, that confidence
that yes, I do have the contentto do a whole solo book, but
(13:31):
then more of that confidence andjust feeling like, hey, people
actually do want to hear what Ihave to say, because that's
another piece that really holdsa lot of people back from
publishing.
That feeling of, oh, nobodyreally wants to hear what I have
to say, or who am I to thinkthat people even care what I
have to say?
So once you've been in acollaborative book and you've
got that feedback from readersthat, wow, I loved your chapter,
(13:53):
it really, you know, helped meto, you know, see a different
path or to understand what Icould do next in my life, and
things like that, then it reallycan give that next step and
that confidence to move on.
And so I've seen a lot of shiftin those ways, both in the
creating I've worked with 12different publishers is doors
start opening that you hadn'teven seen before.
(14:14):
So those doors might havealways been there, but you had
(14:35):
not even seen that door untilyou had that experience and had
that word author in your profile.
And then these doors startopening.
Oh, would you like to speak here?
Would you like to be on thispodcast?
Would you like to do this?
Or, you know, would you like tobe in this book over here?
And that was part of what I didwhen I first got started.
I was just one of the authorsin other people's books and I
(14:59):
started getting invited intothese other projects and so,
again, every time you step intoone, you're stepping into a
whole new community of people.
So really, how I look at it,everything I'm doing right now
in my life and in my business isdirectly connected to the books
I've been in, because there'snothing in common with what I
(15:22):
did before.
It's all because of the booksI've been in and the networks
and the communities and theopportunities that have come out
of that.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
There are so many layers I want to unpack just
based on what you've said there.
First of all, I think I want toacknowledge that it's a very
smart and data-driven way thatyou've approached this
collaborative book writing, thiscollaborative book writing, and
that's because you've taken aproject that sounds very massive
(15:55):
.
You've broken it down, you'vefound a way to bridge the dream
with what's actually doabletoday.
And then there is thatamplifying effect Because that
person has said yes to thisopportunity, they are now saying
yes to bigger things becausethey are attracting bigger
opportunities.
They are attracting newcommunities, new exposure, new
(16:16):
visibility into their lives, andI can attest to that in a small
way too, because this is the10th year since I first
published my book, and that wasalso unbeknownst to me at the
time also a multi-author kind ofconcept, and I hadn't planned
for it that way, but that's theway it evolved and what I
noticed was that in the yearsafter that it has actually
(16:38):
helped open doors to otherpeople's books, and so I've
taken part in three othercollaborative book projects
since then and also have beenconstantly invited onto people's
podcasts.
So you're right when you becomeconfident and when you show up
in one area and you talk aboutit and you let people know that
I've done this thing.
It sparks something in them tothink, ah, I can ask her about
(17:02):
this or this or this and we canhave that conversation.
And so, regardless of theoutcome, it still puts you on a
different pathway than if youhad not said yes to that
original brave thing.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Exactly.
And for people that do want tofocus on selling copies of the
book, you know they're free todo that, to buy copies at a
lower cost and go sell them.
You know, sell a signed copy atyou copy at $25, $30 and that
sort of thing.
Some people like to do that.
Or if you're speaking at aconference I've heard actually a
few different conferences theyexpect you to have a book that
(17:39):
you're going to be selling orgiving away at the conference.
I was speaking to one womanlast week and she said that she
was accepted to speak at aconference and then one of the
first things they said is what'syour book about?
She didn't even have a book, soshe literally had to rush put
together a book, get itpublished, get it ready before
(18:00):
the conference so that she hadthis book they expected her to
have at the conference.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Brilliant, brilliant, and what a good way to give
away more copies of your book.
Sell more copies of your book,because that's one of the
headaches, I think, for authorsas well the self-published ones
how do I sell more copies of mybook?
How do I know how many copiesto print?
So if you have a big publisherbacking you, you don't think
about those things, but if youare an ordinary person who is
(18:29):
publishing for the first time,second time, you do have to
think of all these logisticalissues.
So thank you for sharing thosetips, because I think they are
very valuable for those of ourlisteners who are keynote
speakers or aiming to be thatkind of a speaker on a bigger
stage and, at the same time,amplifying their book as well.
That's brilliant.
(18:51):
What are some of the thingsyou've learned from compiling
and listening to other people'sstories?
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Yes, and so far, with all the books that I've been in
, I've been working withhundreds of women and and and
this kind of book really bringsout a level of their story that
quite often they haven't eventold anyone before, that that
you know it could tie into theirbusiness, just in how it shaped
them and their experience.
(19:23):
But it's quite a new thing andand so part of it has shaped
them and their experience, butit's quite a new thing.
And so part of it has beenaround hearing these other
women's stories andunderstanding the challenges
some people have come through.
And of course, you always thenput your own experience in a
different perspective whenyou're comparing and I hate to
say comparing, but you're justlooking at yourself beside these
(19:45):
other stories as well.
So that's definitely a hugepart of that, that learning part
, and I think part of it for metoo is it's really allowed me to
discover that one of my kind ofcore talents is around bringing
people together and giving themthat safe space to, to open up
(20:08):
and to step into some differentpossibilities.
And and I I would say I wasn'taware how naturally I did that
until I stepped into this spaceand I'll talk to quite a few
people, and they'll be.
You know, how do you meet allthese people all over the world
and how do you do all thesebooks and how do you like?
How do you?
And to me it's just like Idon't know, I just do.
(20:31):
This is just what I do.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
So learning that part too has definitely been an
eye-opener it sounds to me like,in the process of doing what
you do, you've also tapped intoyour own gift, or shall we call
it a natural superpower of yours, and that is creating that safe
(20:58):
space where women can cometogether and share their stories
and, like you say, some of themhave never shared that story
before.
And it's actually very powerfulhaving somebody listen to you
and hold that space and notjudge, and just give you that
room to articulate somethingthat's deeply meaningful to you,
(21:20):
that's in your heart, and youcan't just share it with anybody
, because we know that it's notalways safe to do so, that other
people may not be the rightperson to do so, even if they're
very close to us.
It has to be that right personwho can hold all of that and
just still be sitting with youcompassionately, empathically,
(21:41):
sensitively, allowing you theroom to find your words and
communicate it in the best way.
You know that feels true to you, and so I think what you have
there is a very remarkable giftthe gift of listening, the gift
of helping other people to feelsafe and making room for their
stories and their voices to beheard.
(22:04):
And that sounds to me and I knowwe talked about this, about you
being an introvert as well, andI think that this is an
introverted superpower.
Actually, you don't say a lot,but when you do say something,
it's very profound, it landsdeeply, it touches people's
hearts, and perhaps the gift forthe introvert is not having to
(22:26):
say a lot to make an impact.
In fact, listening reallyintently and presently and
making the other person feelseen and heard that itself is a
gift.
So my next question to you hasto do with being an introverted
entrepreneur.
What has your experience beenlike and how do you manage your
(22:52):
introverted traits, your needs,your energy in doing what you do
?
Speaker 2 (22:59):
yes, it's definitely been a learning experience as an
entrepreneur and I know when Ifirst started, everybody tells
you you need to be flashy andloud and everywhere and all this
stuff.
And I knew that just was not meand it literally just my guts
just went oh no, no, I can't dothat.
And so to come to thatrealization that I can do this
(23:20):
without being like that, I donot need to be big and flashy
and everywhere, I just need tobe myself and be in the right
communities, and so that wasdefinitely a big part of it, and
I think, kind of to looking atmy experience, covid has
actually been a blessing in theway that it's put us all on Zoom
(23:41):
, because I can definitelyhandle a large group of people
much better on Zoom than I wouldif I was in a loud room trying
to hear people and trying tojust make my way through a group
.
So so I think that Zoom has beena great blessing for introverts
, just so we can have our ownspace, we're in our little box,
(24:01):
and so that's definitely beenhelpful as well.
And I find too, with thesebooks, that being in a group to
bring those stories out, I thinkit helps all of us who are
introverts, because it's like wewe don't have to be big and
flashy by ourselves, that we arepart of a group or part of a
(24:25):
team, that we're supporting eachother through this, and so I
I've definitely found thatthat's been beneficial that way
too thank you so much for that.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
I think think one of the challenges for introverts
who are putting themselves outthere whether they're starting a
venture or they're doingsomething like what you do in a
business for themselves it'sthat internal conflict of
wanting to be seen but also notwanting to be seen.
Yes, I call myself a quietleader ah, beautiful, quiet
(25:00):
leader so kind of like you're aquiet warrior yes, so we're
still leading, we're still doingthings, we're still showing up,
being courageous, being visible, but for a purpose, and we do
it without having to actextroverted.
So what are two key insightsfor you that you want to share
with the quiet achievers, thequiet leaders, the quiet
(25:21):
warriors who are listening?
Speaker 2 (25:24):
well, definitely a big part of that is, you know,
to just be yourself and trustthat that is what you need to do
and to not take that advicefrom others that say that you do
have to be big and flashy andeverywhere and keep up with
everything and have all theseconversations and really bring
it down more to who is youraudience, who are the people you
(25:45):
want to be talking to, and notworrying as much about everybody
else and kind of like you weresaying too that you don't have
to do it loud but with thatright message in the right
community.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
You can just be yourself, Beautiful.
So being yourself when youthink about it, isn't that the
simplest and most sensible thingfor anybody to do?
Speaker 2 (26:14):
To be themselves.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
But it means different things to different
people, and for very quietpeople, for the highly sensitive
ones, for the empaths.
Being ourselves also has tofeel safe, because I think for a
lot of our experience, beingourselves was seen as not enough
(26:43):
to live up to somebody'sexpectations of what it means to
be a successful person.
To be someone to be looked upto, to someone who makes an
impact, and so be yourself isactually almost like a
rebellious thing for anintrovert to do.
To actually go back to who weknow we are inside and be okay
with that and be proud of that.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
And allow that side of ourselves to show.
I agree that you are enough and, yes, what you have to offer is
unique and it's you, and, yes,stay focused on that so what's
next in your list ofbest-selling projects?
Speaker 1 (27:24):
what are you working on?
Speaker 2 (27:27):
well, I've got three books that should be coming out
over the summer.
We're just doing all theediting in those right now, and
right now I've started a few newbooks that I'm bringing people
into, so, if anyone's interested.
One is focused specifically onentrepreneurs and it's open to
men and women, and so that one'scalled From Inspiration to
Success the EntrepreneurialJourney.
(27:48):
So on that one, everybody willbe sharing their own journey but
also what they've learned alongthe way and how they're helping
other entrepreneurs or whattheir business is.
Another one is called Rooted inResilience, and that one will
be just women sharing theirjourney of how being resilient
has helped them become who theyare and take on life in their
(28:13):
own way.
And I always also have a seriesof books for women in science
and tech.
So the current book we'reworking on there is called women
in steam a global movement.
So that one again we've gotwomen from all over the world
who work in many differentfields of science, tech,
engineering and now with thearts in the middle there and
(28:34):
math and all the other.
There are so many differentfields in STEM and STEAM, and
add another M to the end of STEMas well, and all of those
people, so I always got newbooks coming up and always open
to when people are interested injumping in.
So definitely feel free toconnect with me and I'll have
(28:56):
options available.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Beautiful, and what's the best way for people to
connect with you, kathy?
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Yeah, my website is inspiredtenacitycom and on there
you'll find tabs with myprevious books where you can
download free copies, as well asmy current book projects that
you can check out and jump into.
And LinkedIn is my main socialmedia, so if you're looking for
me out there, definitely look meup on LinkedIn, and that's one
(29:24):
of the only places I hang out, Iguess.
Going back to the introvertthing, I just pick one that is
my favorite and that's where Ihang out.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
I find myself doing more and more of that as well.
Just focus on the one platform,because we have limited energy
and we want to give our best.
That's right, exactly, yes.
So we have all Kathy's links inthe show notes.
Make sure you check them out soyou can connect with her, learn
more about her book projectsand maybe that will inspire you
(29:52):
to tick off another bucket listitem this year.
So if you enjoyed today'sepisode with Kathy Dirksen, make
sure to leave a review andsubscribe to the Quiet Warrior
podcast for new episodes everyfortnight.
Together, let's reach moreintroverts around the world.
Thanks for listening and seeyou on the next episode.
I'm so grateful that you'rehere today.
(30:13):
If you found this contentvaluable, please share it on
your social media channels andsubscribe to the show on your
favorite listening platform.
Together, we can help moreintroverts thrive.
To receive more upliftingcontent like this, connect with
me on Instagram at Serena LoQuiet Warrior Coach.
Thank you for sharing your timeand your energy with me.
(30:35):
See you on the next episode.
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