What happens when your PhD and seven-year work gap get you automatically rejected from every job you apply to? If you're
, you build a thriving ghostwriting business that launches bestselling books and transforms experts into authors.In this week's Sacred Business Stories conversation, Cindy shares how she went from zero publishing experience to writing three books in her first year - with two becoming Amazon bestsellers. Her secret? Embracing failure as data and understanding that mistakes are just invitations to serve your clients better.
The most powerful moment came when Cindy revealed a story she'd never shared publicly before. During her second client interview, she thought she was recording on Zoom but wasn't. No notes. No recording. Just a blank page where chapter two should be. "I sent it to her and she was like, this is horrible," Cindy recalls. "And I said, yes, it is." That moment of radical honesty transformed their relationship and taught her the principle that guides her business today: people want you to fix mistakes, not hide them.
Show Notes
[00:00] - The Unexpected Path to Ghostwriting
Started with a PhD in English and creative writing background
Lived overseas for 7 years, creating a work gap that blocked traditional employment
Stripped her resume from PhD to Master's to Bachelor's - nothing worked
Pivoted to personal training where she discovered her gift for sales (85% conversion rate)
[00:04:26] - The Business Birth Story
Crying to her husband about feeling stifled led to "Why don't you start a business?"
Bought her first domain that same night
Completed three books in first year (2017) with two becoming bestsellers
Learned that clients care more about your thinking than your portfolio
[00:07:01] - The Recording Disaster That Changed Everything
Failed to record crucial second chapter interview
Had no notes and no way to recreate the content
Chose radical honesty: "Yes, this is horrible"
Discovered that owning mistakes builds more trust than perfection
[00:15:00] - Breaking the Expert Trap
New writers often try to prove themselves by dumping information
Stories are the vehicle for knowledge, not the other way around
You can share experiences without claiming false expertise
"I helped a person with this problem" vs. "My client..."
[00:18:37] - When Is It Time to Write Your Book?
You're saying the same thing over and over again
People ask "Have you written a book about this?"
The idea of going all-in for 2-3 years feels expansive, not constraining
You want to do it, not just think it's a good business move
[00:22:00] - The Evolution from Ghostwriter to Guide
Started documenting processes to find her unique IP
Realized she had enough material to teach others
Chose to work with authors over managing ghostwriters
Created "Crank Out Your Book in Eight Weeks" during pandemic
[00:26:45] - Being Too Precious Can Paralyze
Yesterday spent 2 hours accomplishing nothing on celebrity swipe copy
Recognized she was being "precious" - expecting perfection
Solution: Own it with the client and get over herself
No single paragraph will make or break a project
Key Quotes
"When we mess up, the people that we're serving just want us to fix it. They don't want us to bandaid over it and pretend like we didn't make a mistake." - Cindy Childress
"I think a lot of people create mistakes that aren't real, thinking that they must have this giant portfolio. Like in my experience, it's not looked at." - Cindy Childress
"Everything is in a book and that's okay too." - Cindy Childress
"We don't have to solve all the problems. We just need to pick one and solve it really, really well." - Cindy Childress
"The level of vulnerability that I demand from my clients in order to do a great job for them, I have to give it to them if I want to have it back." - Cindy Childress
Where to Find Cindy
Website: cindychildress.com
Quiz: cindychildress.com/quiz - Discover Your Number One Best Selling Author Personality Quiz
Facebook: Cindy Childress PhD
Ready to Transform Your Business Story?
Cindy's story shows us something important: the patterns that make us feel like failures are often our greatest teachers. Just like she transformed a recording disaster into a trust-building principle, your business challenges are invitations to become who you're meant to be.
Thank You
Deep gratitude to everyone who joined us live and to those catching the replay. Your questions and engagement make these conversations richer for everyone. Thank you
Special thanks to Cindy for her radical vulnerability in sharing her "failure" story for the first time publicly. This is exactly the kind of honest conversation that helps us all grow.
P.S.
Got a burning question for Cindy's workshop that we’ll be offering in September? Drop it in the comments or send it our way. She's committed to addressing what you most want to know about writing your first book.
What's Next
Next week we're exploring another Sacred Business Story with enterpreneur
. Until then, remember: everything is connected. Your personal evolution and your business evolution are the same path.Missed previous episodes? Find all our Sacred Business Stories conversations in the archive.
Not yet subscribed? Join our community of heart-centered entrepreneurs here.
Thank you
, , , and many others for tuning into and many others for tuning into Episode 21 of Sacred Business Stories with and your hosts, Phil Powis ❤️⚡️and Carolina Wilke.Go Deeper
Carolina and I are ready to support you in creating a business that aligns with your heart's calling. Here's how we can help:
Discover Your Sacred Business Alignment (Free): Take the Harmony Map Assessment and read our Sacred Business Manifesto to understand where you are on your path and how to move forward with clarity and confidence. Perfect for entrepreneurs wanting to understand how everything in their business connects.
Read the Sacred Business Manifesto (Free): Learn the core principles of building a Sacred Business through our founding story and framework. See how we transformed our approach to business by understanding that everything is connected.
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