Kevin: That started a long journey, you know, that I went through with getting a lot of help, a lot of support, a lot of therapy, and eventually got to a place where I was able to begin that whole process of looking at myself, processing a lot of deep thoughts, feelings and emotions and moving more into self acceptance and self love. Not an easy process. There were a lot of dark times during that period of time. And that is why the book also focuses on the mental health component. But what inspired me to write the book was a couple of things. When I went to my very first therapist when I was leaving my position at the church, he had said, after talking with me, he said, someday you’re going to write a book. And I said, I don’t know about that. And he said, no.

Kevin: He said, I really think you are. And. And then he became one of several others who shared that same sentiment. So it was interesting because I think that kind of stuck in the back of my mind. But at the same time, when I was going through this, I was desperate for help and desperate for encouragement and for resources. And so I looked everywhere I could find and looked for books, looked for podcasts, friends, connections, and I didn’t. Well, I found some. I didn’t necessarily find ones that totally resonated with me, particularly in the three areas that I’m addressing in my book.

Kevin: So that was my real inspiration, was I wanted to put this out there not only as sharing my story, but even more importantly for it to be an inspiration for others that they could find hope that, yes, I can keep going, that there are answers and there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

Stacy: Welcome. Welcome. I’m really excited this week to get to share an author conversation with you. We are going to talk about a journey from pastor to marketing executive. We’ll get to learn from this guest how he overcame a crisis of faith and found his way into self love and self acceptance. We’re going to talk about mental health, sexuality, so many things in today’s episode. And because we have an author here, we also get to learn from him about his author journey because it’s so fun to talk about and it’s such a joyful thing to get to dig into with authors.

Stacy: So let me introduce you to this week’s guest. Kevin Hutchinson is a marketing professional and former pastor whose talent and expertise have been leveraged in both profit and not for profit organizations. He has worked for national and global agencies, held tenure and communications with a Midwestern megachurch, and has served on boards such as the American Marketing association and Respect, an education and theater based anti bullying nonprofit. Kevin, welcome. I’m so excited to get to talk with you today.

Kevin: Thank you, Stacy. It is an honor to be here. I’m really excited about it.

Stacy: Your story is one of self rejection to self love and you went through a lot throughout that journey. I’d love for you to share with our listeners a little bit more. Well, give them kind of the overview of what you went through and what inspired you to share your story through your new book just came out, Alchemy from Ashes.
Kevin: Absolutely. You know, it’s been a long journey for me culminating in what’s happening right now and in the authorship of this book. But you know, 50 years or more and you know, when I look back on it, so much has happened and it has been a journey of learning, eventually getting to a place of more self love and self acceptance which, you know, I’m still working on. But, but looking back at that, it’s, you know, it’s woven all the way and into my childhood through adulthood, I think where I, it’s interesting I was always drawn to the creative arts and so being involved in theater and writing and things like that, self expression. But then also I had this desire to serve.

Kevin: And it was interesting when someone asked me when I was a child what, you know, what do you want to do when you grow up? One of the things I would say is I want to be a pastor. Well, that was because one of my neighbors, they were a pastoral family and they showed me more love and acceptance and family than I had experienced in a long time. And so I looked very positively at that experience. So, so, you know, those components, you know, were all very important as I started to move through my journey of life. But I always knew that there was something that was a little different, you know, about me. And I said I was. I was more of a creative soul as well, a little more sensitive, and. But I wasn’t quite sure what it was.

Kevin: And it wasn’t until, you know, I was in my late teens that I realized, you know, from a sexuality point that something else was going on, but, you know, didn’t really know enough to, you know, to, you know, come out at that time or embrace that. And so thought that was something, you know, that would pass. And, and that. And so I, you know, entered into a marriage, but then eventually shared my struggle with my sexuality with my. With my wife at the time. And then we became. We were a part of a more traditional conservative church and faith movement at that time, and so really embraced that and wanted to stay in my marriage and have a more traditional marriage and stay in that traditional church. But eventually, over time, that became a lot.

Kevin: And there was a lot that was being pushed down mentally, emotionally. And so it eventually got to a boiling point where that did come out. And that was after being a pastor while I was working, you know, in a very large church, I was involved in communications and marketing, which is part of what I have done now for many years as a part of my career. But also during that time, I was a part of leading a ministry that. That focused on individuals like myself who were intent on trying to stay in the church but not necessarily live out their. Their full sexuality at the time. And so I didn’t believe people could change, but was trying to live within those. Those constraints that we, you know, thought that God wanted us to.

Kevin: So all of that to say that eventually, as I said, you know, that became a lot to deal with from a mental health standpoint, eventually put me in a faith crisis. Standpoint of what, you know, who is God? What does he think about all of this? How do I reconcile all of this? And. And then, of course, the. The sexuality comp. So that started a long journey, you know, that I went through with getting a lot of help, a lot of support, a lot of therapy, and eventually got to a place where I was able to begin that whole process of looking at myself, processing a lot of deep thoughts, feelings and emotions and moving more into self acceptance and self love. Not an easy process. There were a lot of dark times during that period of time.

Kevin: And that is why the book also focuses on the mental health component. But what inspired me to write the book was a couple of things. When I went to my very first therapist when I was leaving my position at the church, he had said, after talking with me, he said, someday you’re going to write a book. And I said, I don’t know about that. And he said, no. He said, I really think you are. And then he became one of several others who shared that same sentiment. So it was interesting because I think that kind of stuck in the back of my mind. But at the same time, when I was going through this, I was desperate for help and desperate for encouragement and for resources. And so I looked everywhere I could find and looked for books, looked for podcasts, friends, connections.

Kevin: And while I found some, I didn’t necessarily find ones that totally resonated with me, particularly in the three areas that I’m addressing in my book. So that was my real inspiration, was I wanted to put this out there, not only as sharing my story, but even more importantly for it to be an inspiration for others that they could find hope, that, yes, I can keep going, that there are answers and there’s light at the end of the tunnel and not to give up. And so that was a very important piece for me. The other piece of it, Stacy, is my hope is that for, I believe, really strongly believe, that God puts people in our paths, things in our paths, that if we’re aware and we see them, that there’s messages for us and there’s encouragement and that there’s love.

Kevin: And so my hope is that in addition, that other people who read this book that are, maybe they’re a family member or a friend or a spouse or a partner, significant other, someone that, you know that may be wrestling in one of these areas that you can see the important role that you can play in someone’s life in giving them encouragement and hope.

Stacy: I love so much about all of what you just said. I will come back to the book journey later, but I want to go back a little bit to talk about the faith harm, because I, you know, for me, I grew up in a Protestant Christian school and community, so that was my upbringing and also had a lot of harm from my faith growing up. And. And also the area that I grew up with, grew up in was about 40% LDS. So my school was probably in that range of Mormon population. So also witnessed a lot of people who identified as gay being sent away to reform. Like this was. You know, I knew people that did that and. And also had a lot of friends that grew up to realize the amount of harm that was done to them through their Faith environments.

Stacy: And of course, you know, you. You navigate through that as you grow, and you learn what your spiritual path should look like, or at least you try to. I feel like I’m still on that journey personally to kind of understand how faith into my life. Exactly. And what I believe and what I don’t believe. But certainly that unpacking of that, the pain and the harm, is quite a journey for people. And there’s also the challenge to that layered on is that you’re often still in the fishbowl, so you don’t often even have the perspective to step back and really recognize what’s happening. And I remember years ago, somebody started a Facebook group for people from my community who had been harmed by the community, and it just, like, exploded. Like, people just joined and kept sharing all of these stories.

Stacy: And I think that really helped because other people were like, oh, you mean that happened to you too? And that wasn’t okay. You know, it was like this kind of shared awareness around it. I guess what I’m getting to with this, for anybody listening who has experienced that or is going through that or, you know, maybe even is. Has their interest piqued of, like, oh, you know, maybe I did. Maybe that’s actually playing into my life in a way I didn’t recognize. What are some of the things that I know. You mentioned therapy. What really helped you get through that and continue to unpack that?

Kevin: Yes, and that’s a good question. You know, for me, Stacy, going back, like, in my life, I always had a. You know, from the time I was a young boy, I had this, like, strong belief in God. Like, I. I just thought there is. There is something bigger than myself at work, you know, and I. And just always had that really strong underlying belief. And so that stuck with me through all of this deep inside. But while there were a lot of things that happened, like yourself, there were, like, you mentioned yourself there. You. There’s a lot of hurt, there’s a lot of pain, there’s a lot of rejection. And so many people that I know, particularly in the LGBTQ + community, when that happens, I know a lot of people who just not only recoil but.

Kevin: But have completely separated themselves or decided that. That, you know, a faith community is not for them or faith is not for them because. Because of the woundedness that happens. And I can see how that happens. And I went through a period of time where I really pulled back as well and hid, hibernated, whatever. Whatever you want to call it, and became, you know, very angry. And, you know, and almost bitter about the faith community and the way I was treated and people. Comments people would make and not being well, in some communities, you would be welcomed but not accepted. And there’s a difference between being welcomed and not accepted. So what began to change for me is I just kept. I kept thinking. Well, I knew that because of the people that were placed in my life.

Kevin: And that’s part of the things that I talk about in the book is there are. That these, there are the guides, there are angels, there are signs along the way. And I really believe that those were from a force that’s much greater than. Than myself. So really solidified that. That belief. And yet I kept thinking, somewhere there’s got to be a place, you know, that is inclusive and. And where there’s a loving faith community. Because this is the. The thing for me was separating who I saw God to be, you know, who God was in my life versus the people that are representing that deity in the universe. And that’s the hard one, because the people are the ones that hurt us because they do it in the name of a power greater than themselves. So. So what.

Kevin: So what really was a turning point for me was when went. My partner and I went to visit a faith community here in. In our city that we hadn’t been to before, and they had an interim pastor from. From the East Coast. She was very vibrant and incredible. And I talk a little bit about her in the book because of this, and she was so genuine and authentic. And after the church service, were walking out and she was at the door greeting everyone, and she said, oh, I’ve never seen you before. You must be visitors. And she said, yes, we are. She said, I’d love to have coffee with you, and took her card. And when we walked out, I said to my partner, I said, you know what? She probably says that to everybody. She doesn’t want to have coffee with us.

Kevin: You know, I was very. I had a very jaded attitude about it. But after a few weeks, I reached out to her. She responded immediately. We ended up at Starbucks on a Saturday. She spent three hours talking to us. She has a son who’s gay. She had just. It’s hard. It’s hard to put into words the love, acceptance, and deep theological understanding that she had. And so that was the beginning of a turning point for me that brought me back to a place where I wanted to be in a faith community. I didn’t really ever lose my belief that there was something at work greater than myself. But I did lose my belief in the people within the faith community.

Stacy: So I think it’s, you know, that finding a place where you feel truly welcomed and accepted is. Is so powerful. And, you know, it’s something I’ve been thinking about, too, in my own life, because as much as there was harm by the faith community that I was raised in, there was also a real sense of community. I had friends, we had a place that I would go every week. There was summer camp. You know, there were all the things that you would go every week, and you would see people that you know, and there is that sense of community. I was just thinking about that last week and how I would love to have something like that in my life. Just a place where you regularly see the same people, you catch up, your families, know what’s going on with each other.

Stacy: You have this place that is, of course, we have community here and lots of friends and things like that. But it’s very different than having a place you go where everybody gathers in community around. And I think also ideally, you have shared values, you know, you have a shared mindset, hopefully good people. And I think that’s a really powerful thing in a person’s life.

Kevin: It is. It really is. And it’s hard to articulate how meaningful it is, but. And not to jump ahead to the book launch, but in talking about the faith community, that was a really interesting and beautiful component for me, was when I was talking about where to hold my book launch, the church offered. The church that we go to is beautiful. They call it the Rotundas, their big lobby area. That’s just a beautiful event space. And they said, you should have it here. And to have that community, the pastors, everyone, embrace that, promote it, support it, and celebrate it was. It’s like. It all came full circle for me, you know, it really did.

Stacy: Can you tell me more about that moment, Kevin? Because I think, you know, there. I know there are a lot of aspiring authors listening to this podcast, maybe some that are further along in their journey, some that are just thinking about it. And I love that you had a big, huge party to celebrate. I know you had a choir there and all kinds of cool stuff. So can you tell us about that experience and what that was like for you, walking into that space, setting up, welcoming people? Tell me what that was like.

Kevin: It really was a magical day, and I wasn’t even prepared for the magnitude of how it was going to impact me emotionally or spiritually even. And so, yeah, you know, it just started with the Planning and, you know, sending out invites to people in, you know, my circle and network. And then the church really jumped on board when they. Because I had. We had talked about it so well, I wondered, you know, could you include it in the announcements? And they came back and said, well, we’re not just going to include it in the announcements, we’re going to promote it. Like it’s going to be. It’s going to be one of our events. And so they just took it and ran with it and promoted.

Stacy: Wow.

Kevin: All forms of social media. And people were teasing me because they have a big electronic billboard outside the church on the. It’s on a very. One of the main roads here. And. And they’re like, your face kept popping up on there with your. With your book title.

Stacy: Oh, my gosh. Did you get a picture of that? You know, of the billboard?

Kevin: I have to. One of my friends that. So I have to get one from.

Stacy: Oh, my. That’s so good.

Kevin: So they. They really promoted it as well and then, you know, pushed it out on social media and on my website and all of that, but, you know, really didn’t know quite what to expect. And then, you know, ended up with about 125 people is what we’re estimating came. But it. It was a beautiful mix of people from, you know, from like, where I work now, from friends, current friends, past friends, people I used to work with, even people I used to work with 10, 15, 20 years ago. There were people that I would have never anticipated would have come, and they did. And so it was a beautiful time of connecting. My only regret is that I wish I would have had more time with everyone. But walking into the space and having the.

Kevin: I have a launch team that worked with me and they are just the most incredible, beautiful group of people. And they just, like, did. They came in and took care of everything. I mean, it just, wow, looked absolutely beautiful. And a dear friend who is on the launch team, and she was also a beta reader and she works for the Community Playhouse here as well. She insisted on. She’s like, I want to do the centerpieces for the event. And I said, oh, great. And so she made 10 or 12 of these gorgeous centerpieces and they’re made out of books and flowers. I mean, they were. They were works of art. They were absolutely. Every people comment, they’re like, oh, my gosh, these are so gorgeous. Where did you get them?

Kevin: And like, they were like, handcrafted with love by this dear friend, which made it even more meaningful. So having all of that was just very special. And then the choir that came, it’s the River City Mixed Choir. It’s their ensemble group called River’s Edge, and they’re a part of the LGBTQ Pl. US Choir here in Omaha. And they. They have. It’s a. I mean, they’re nationally recognized. They’re incredible. They’re. The choir’s 200 people. And then this group was a group of about. I think they were about 12 to 15 somewhere in there. And I wanted them to come because they were a part of my journey early on when I was really struggling and not knowing how to reach out and who to reach out to. And so I went to. I decided I didn’t know anyone to ask.

Kevin: And they were having a concert at our big. At our concert venue here in town. And so I ended up buying a ticket, going alone, sneaking in the door, going up to the balcony, and they did that particular performance, it was probably close to 10 years ago now, was called Trevor’s Suite, and it was about Trevor from the Trevor Project, and it was a musical dedicated to his story. And then his mother was there and spoke, and I sat in the balcony and cried the whole time because I had never experienced. Experienced like, such the power of the music and the words and the connection and the community that I could tell everyone shared there really touched my heart. So the. So the choir was extremely meaningful to me. So having them come there and be a part was very special.

Kevin: And then they sang three songs, and one of the songs they sang is I have a Voice. And if you’ve heard that, the words of it are so powerful. I actually just have one verse I will share really quickly with you because I just.

Stacy: I’d love to hear it.

Kevin: I love it. So it is. I have a voice, simple and clear. It speaks the truth for all to hear. It gives me hope, it gives me faith. It lifts me up, it keeps me safe. And so that was the first verse. And when they sang that everyone. Just about everyone in the place was in tears. Just, they.

Stacy: Wow.

Kevin: And I. And I thought, for me, Stacy, that was one of those moments where I realized I have a voice. And. And the. The. The book is giving me a platform, and for one of the first times in my life, I feel like I’m. I’m owning it in a much bigger and more powerful way than I ever have before. And that was very scary, you know, along the way. But being in that moment at that time, it felt right and beautiful and. And so it was. Yeah, that event was just like a culmination of all of this coming together. And so it. It was a wonderful celebration. And then we did the book signing, and were actually there for an hour later than. Than the event when it was supposed to end, because people waited.

Kevin: People were so patient and waited in line for a long time to get a book. And I. And really grateful. So.

Stacy: Wow, that just sounds completely dreamy, like a dream experience. I’m so glad that you got to have that experience. And. And I think also knowing, you know, when you talk about that, finding your voice, I think that a lot of people think that having written, like, people will say, I want to have written a book, essentially, like, that’s what they want to do, just to kind of be done with it and have the book out and ready in the world. But actually, it’s that process of writing and that journey of getting it out into the world, I think that really helps you find that confidence, bring your voice fully forward, especially when you’re writing about something so vulnerable and about things that maybe you weren’t even sure if you wanted to share.

Kevin: Yes.

Stacy: Right.

Kevin: Yes. That was one of my biggest obstacles, was fear along the way, because for that very reason, I would wake up at night in a cold sweat sometimes thinking, do I really want to do this, or what am I doing? And my partner would always. He’s really wonderful. And he would always say, he’s like, you know, Kevin, if you give one person one ounce of hope to keep going, it’s worth it. Don’t stop. And then there were so many other people like that. Too often, you know, the beta readers and other people that were involved gave me the same encouragement. But it is. You do question it. And I did a lot along the way. But I’m so grateful that I kept going.

Stacy:I think that we also have a tendency in our brains to catastrophize the results of the thing that we’re afraid of. Right. So it’s normal to feel, if I share this vulnerable thing that I haven’t been like, I. Maybe it’s not necessarily a secret per se, but it’s not something I volunteer to share with everybody. Right. It’s maybe something that’s more private. And now I’m putting it in a book, it’s normal. And I think it’s also our reptilian brain that’s like, don’t put yourself in front of potent. You know, you don’t want to be in front of people. You want to be safe and keep yourself safe. And so that’s. That’s normal. And then I think that also that the rumination can take you down this road of catastrophizing what will happen when you actually share.

Stacy: I have yet to find an example of an author who was really compelled to share their story from a real place of service and regretted it. I haven’t heard that yet. I’m sure that exists somewhere out in the world, but in my world, I’ve never heard that happen.

Kevin: Yes.

Stacy: And. And I think that it’s. I believe that a lot of that is because you are now living so authentically and into the message that you feel called to share. Like, you, Kevin, have taken pain, and you have now you’re living into purpose from that. You have. You have taken what you learned, and you are now offering something that can hopefully impact somebody’s life. And that is that. I feel like that is inherently what we’re supposed to do as humans.

Kevin: Yep. No, I agree. It makes me think of Stacy. One of my counselors always said, you know, you need to get to a place where you’re living joyous, happy, and free. And. And I thought, is that really ever possible? Will I ever really feel that way? And I have to say, I. I thought about that at the event as well as I thought I experienced joy. I’ve experienced joy so many places along the way with this in the last. In the last few months, but I experienced real joy. And that I thought, okay, now I know. Now I know what she meant. Joy is happy and free.

Stacy: That’s a really good, like, life goal to be joyous, happy, and free. I love that. As anchor, I would love to hear a little bit from you about creative perseverance, because I know that this is a project that took time and it really required you to keep going and keep at it. And more often, what happens is authors that put their books down and they say, I’m going to pick it back up in three months or six months, and they never, ever pick that book up again. And it just collects digital dust, never makes it out into the world. But that did not happen with you. So I would love for you to share to the level you’re willing about your own journey of really staying with it, keeping going to complete this and publish it.

Kevin: It. For me, it was. I mean, it’s been a little over three years from, you know, from the time I started. And, you know, having. I would say, well, there’s a couple of things. One being, you know, starting the process with you, Stacy, as My coach was incredible. I mean, all the foundational elements were in place. I had, you know, I had a path, I had an outline, I had a process. I had a lot of really wonderful input it. To get me moving. So then when I got to the place of engaging with an editor, she was incredible. And that, and that’s the other place where then, you know, to your point, that’s where I think it could be. And, and I had thoughts about, you know, am I going to pause here?

Kevin: Because she was pressing me in some areas to go further and to go deeper and to share some things. Not, not that she didn’t want me to be uncomfortable or share things I didn’t want to, but she just had an intuitive sense that she’s like, there’s more you. I know you have more. And, and so that while that was challenging at times, it was also good and it was a growth moment for me as, you know, as a person and as an author. And so that really helped as well. So, you know, and that helped me push through there. I think the other piece of that is really the conversations that then I would have with people regarding what the book was about.

Kevin: And then eventually when I got to the beta reader phase and had people, which I was looking at, that’s been almost a year ago that I had went through that part of the process, but getting the feedback from people about, because I was so close to it, this made you think, oh, is this really going to make a difference? Is it really going to. To matter or is it too much? All of those questions. But going through that with that group, really, it reignited my fire to keep going. So I think that, you know, through all of those different phases, there’s opportunities to pause and put things on the shelf, like you said. But there I feel like having the right people in the right place, the right team just kept me going through the process.

Kevin: And then of course, having, you know, the publishing coach that then once you’re on that track, you know, you’re on a project management system of getting things. So there’s not going to be any pausing. So the other thing I was just going to say real quickly was that every time there was a pause, Stacey, the good thing about it was it made that made the book better because being to go back and be reflective on it or look at feedback that someone might have given or even some thoughts I had myself, now I’m grateful I had that period of time and that I didn’t push it out sooner because I made significant changes to it that I think made it better and I think will create a deeper connection with the reader.

Kevin: I’m grateful I didn’t pause any longer than that, but I totally had those moments where I thought about it. I really did. But, you know, thank you for the people in the community and the author community as well that I’ve been a part of because there are individuals in the community that I’ve talked to that, you know, that accountability and connection. I feel like it’s just like, you know, going to a workout class. It’s like if you don’t have like minded people around you, cheering you on, pushing you on, that you’re accountable to, it’s hard to finish. So you’ve created something really beautiful with the author community and also the network of resources that we have and to have the opportunity to work with a global community of people. I just feel like I am so blessed.

Kevin: I mean, my world is better than it was three years ago. That’s for sure.

Stacy: I love that. Yeah, it is really. It’s so cool also to get to celebrate with people who are on the journey too. You know, obviously it’s so meaningful to celebrate with your normal community, but with people that are doing the same thing on the same path. I find that to be so cool and exciting and joyful. One of the things that I just want to pull out for listeners and highlight that I think that you did really well is that when you got toward the end or to the end of one stage, you organize the next stage. And so that really kept you moving. Where I see people fall apart or not reach their goal is because they don’t get themselves set up for the next thing. And you did a really good job with that.

Stacy: And you also brought a lot of meaning to each stage. So I remember when you did your beta reader party. Never heard of anybody doing that before. Love that so much. The, you know, the photos that I saw from that, the intention, the heart you put behind that really bringing your full self, being really present in each stage. Three years is a reasonable amount of time to finish a book and get it to market. And you took the time that you needed to do it well and to feel really good about it and to not rush it. And I hope that you feel so proud of all that you’ve accomplished. It’s. It’s really amazing. Kevin.

Kevin: Oh, thank you. Thank you. I do. And I. My. The publishing coach, Katya, she had mentioned, she said you have the team that you Assembled all around the way, all along the way are, you know, they’re a. A plus people. And she said, you know, that’s what it takes in order to get it done and to do it right. And so I’m, you know, I’m grateful to you, Stacy, for that because we, you know, during the course of our times together, you’ve shared a lot of those resources, and that’s where those connections have come from. So I feel like my book today is. Is. Is it where it is because of that? And, and the other thing I want to say about that is all of these people, I feel like they were so invested in it with me. It wasn’t just that.

Kevin: It wasn’t just people doing their job, somebody being an editor or someone being a proofreader or they. That was the beautiful and magical thing about it. As, you know, as I interviewed different people, connected with different people, the right people came across my path that there was a chemistry with, there was a connection with. I felt like they understood the message and the book and they were bought into it. I mean, I have, I save some of the emails that I have gotten from some of the people I worked with. They, like, make me cry. They’re just so beautiful. And, and so I’m. That makes it even more meaningful.
Kevin: I feel like, you know, when I was at the launch holding the book up, I thought, you know, I feel like this book is a treasure because it’s not just a book that’s been produced and written and printed and designed by anyone. It’s like everyone that has touched it. There’s, like, deep meaning behind it. So it’s. It’s like my baby.

Stacy: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, and it’s beautiful for anybody on YouTube that can see this. It’s just so well done. So just beautifully produced from COVID through the pages to every little detail. So let me ask you one final question, and then I’ll ask you the question I ask all of our listeners that’s more podcast specific. But because you’re a new author, you’ve just released your book, and we have a lot of aspiring authors that listen to this podcast. What advice would you offer somebody who is just starting this journey that’s maybe they’re in a similar position as you, where they have a personal story that is new for sharing? Like, they haven’t maybe shared this side of themselves before, but they feel very called.

Stacy: They feel like this is their next goodness that they’re going to do in their life, like, is sharing this story, but they feel, it feels very vulnerable and they feel very uncertain. What would you offer them?

Kevin: First, I would say don’t be afraid because fear can kick in really early in the process. But the other big piece of that is not to minimize your story because I think we all have a tendency to do that as we think, oh, there’s a million books or 10 million books out there, however many there are, and someone’s surely written about this or had a story similar to mine, but reality is they don’t. Every one of us, our journeys are so unique and so different and so special. And so I would, that’s what I would say to them as well. Your journey is very unique, very special. And to work with the right team of people to pull those particular elements out is, it’s fun and it’s a, and it’s a wonderful hard process at the all at the same time.

Kevin: And so I would definitely encourage them in that. I would also encourage them to get in community, whether it’s locally, there’s groups within communities they can get together with through meetup or different things. But talking to other like minded people and then just starting to kind of bounce your story idea off of someone and get some feedback and get some encouragement to get the momentum going and then of course, get a coach that’s, you know, that is, that’s number one. Seriously, that. Yeah, that’s number one.

Stacy: That’s really great advice, Kevin. Thank you so much. I hope that really helps a listener today. Okay, here’s our standard guest question. If you could recommend one book to listeners, a book that has really profoundly impacted your life. Life, what would it be?

Kevin: And that is such a good question. And there are so many. And my first reaction when I read that was something from Brene Brown because she’s had such a profound impact on me, especially when you’re dealing with shame and some of those elements. But as I think about it even more, the one that I would write that profoundly impacted me on my journey of writing, particularly when I was facing those moments of doubt and fear, was Matthew McConaughey’s Green Lights.

Stacy: I love that book. That’s a good one. Did you listen or read?

Kevin: You know, I listened to some. I read it, but then I did. Okay, some of it too.

Stacy: I listened to it. I listened to it.

Kevin: It was so good on audio. It really. Because it’s his voice and he.

Stacy: Yeah, he’s an actor. Yeah.

Kevin: Yes. So I just think for me, what it was, you know, here’s this, you know, Academy Award winning man who’s built this, you know, incredible reputation and he writes this very candid, raw memoir, a very meaningful story about, you know, green lights, looking for those, you know, in your life and how to change yellow and red lights to green lights. I mean, there’s just so, there’s so much good content in that book. But what it did for me was it helped me see that, like, okay, I can share some of these things, like there is a way to do that and have impact and have meaning. And so it really encouraged me in my journey, especially in the latter part of this. So I would highly recommend it if.

Stacy: You haven’t read it, great recommendation. I love that. I know that listeners can find out about your book. Order your book at alchemyfromashes.com we will be sure to drop that in the show notes of this episode and as well as your LinkedIn profile so that readers, listeners and future readers can follow you there. Kevin, it has been such a delight talking with you and I just have to offer my hugest congratulations on this incredible milestone, this beautiful book that you’ve written. Thank you so much for joining me today.

Kevin: Thank you, Stacy. Thank you for celebrating with me. I appreciate it and thank you to.
Stacy: You, our listener, for being with us. If you have a moment right now to rate and review the podcast, I would be very grateful. It helps me reach more listeners with the message of living a life that is not just better, but beyond better. And I have to always say thank you to Rita Dominguez for her production of this podcast. She is the reason that you are watching or listening to it right now. I just had the opportunity to co work with her in person here in the Elgar and I got to see her working on the podcast and she was laser focused, so focused on delivering quality. So huge thank you to her. And I will be back with you before you know it.