Fun fact: after I turned in the full MS of my book my editor asked me to print it out, cut it up and completely reorganize the thoughts. She said: The content is there, the story is not. Now this may seem normal to those who have been through the process but it WRECKED ME! All of a sudden I thought "well they finally figured me out. I'm not an author!" And it sparked a memory: I remember in high school, my coach would yell at me the most during practice. And one day I broke down crying. He came over and said "I'm the toughest on those who have the most potential" That sentence rewired me. You are in the game. Be coachable. Twenty years later, my editor’s request felt like that coach on the sidelines... She wasn’t exposing me as a fraud.....she was pointing at possibility. So I spent two weeks on the floor with scissors, tape, and 300 shredded pages. Chapter by chapter, the story finally clicked into place. And the voice in my head shifted from “I’m not an author” to “I’m becoming one.” Takeaways if you’re getting tough notes right now: 1️⃣ Feedback isn’t a verdict; it’s validation that someone sees your potential. 2️⃣ The first draft proves you can start. The rewrite proves you can finish. Question: What’s the toughest piece of feedback you’ve ever received that ended up being a gift? PS I'm off to NYC today to record the audio book for TOXIC GRIT! Can't believe we are just 12 weeks from release date.