When Antoinette and I started our publishing imprint, Gray Bear Publications, in 2023, I knew I wanted to do three things:

1. Publish my own work
2. Help other people publish their work
3. Bring more art, wisdom, and inspiration to the world

On Sunday I had one of those “oh wow I’ve done it” moments.

When I’m on the journey, it’s easy to look at the road ahead. I immediately start working on the next milestone every time I reach a goal. Although I celebrate the goal I just achieved, I often forget to look back at how far I’ve come.

A lot of high achievers do this. I’ve found that most high achievers don’t think of themselves as high achievers because they always see there is more to be done, and they always compare themselves to those ahead of them instead of where they started.

I’ve produced a lot

So on Sunday, when we set up our table at the River Road Book Fair in Eugene, Oregon, I had a chance to look at how far I’ve come in less than three years.

Three years ago, not one of the things on that table existed. At that time, only together was even in process. Today, we have four books and just as many calendars. And, while a lot of authors stick to the words, I also did all the interior and cover design as well as the publishing.

The table only tells just a tiny part of our story, though.

In addition to helping 15 people add “award winning, best selling author” to their bios over the past year, we have two new books scheduled for 2026, and I’m coaching four other people to complete their books.

And that’s just the publishing. Putting out Relit: How to Rekindle Yourself in the Darkness of Compassion Fatigue opened a whole new area of helping people learn to not just survive but thrive through and beyond major life crises.

Embracing multidimensionality

Caregiver coaching. Life coaching. Executive coaching. Business coaching. Author coaching. Teaching resilience workshops. Running publishing classes.

The popular advice out there (and, frankly, the good startup advice) is to focus on one thing, but my reality has been that my multidimensional, multidisciplinary experience and approach have proved far more valuable to my clients than hyper-focusing on any one area.

Caregivers trying to keep their lives and families together benefit not just from my personal experience in caring for others, but also from my experience as an executive, a project manager, a program manager, a storyteller, and a marketer.

Executives trying to grow while managing their teams and boards and budgets benefit not just from my executive and business experience but also from my creativity, my experience managing through personal crisis, and the lessons I’ve taken from my wealth of lived experience outside the office.

People trying to write their story benefit not just from my 30 years of professional writing and editing experience but also from the business coaching and life coaching skills and perspectives I bring to every session. A lot of people fail at writing because they don’t understand it’s a whole-body, whole-mind, whole-spirit practice.

A lot of coaches fall short of what their clients truly need because of the practical but limited business advice that tells them to focus on one area of a person’s totality. Every model is reductive. Every niche is reductive.

I will not be reduced.

I’m trying to bring more art, wisdom, and inspiration to the world. One book at a time, one blog post at a time, one workshop at a time, one client at a time. Whatever label I happen to be wearing when you meet me, there’s a whole lot more you’re getting behind this smile.

What’s coming next

At the risk of looking to the next milestone even in the middle of reflecting on how far I’ve come, we have big plans for 2026.

Our 2026 calendar is already out (get yours today!) We’re nearing completion on a third collection of photography and poetry. And we expect the follow-on book to Relit to come out later in 2026. We have a tremendous group of contributors, with room for a couple more.

And I continue to invest in my own growth as a coach, writer, publisher, instructor, caregiver, family member, and human.

I invite you to join me in stretching your limits, doing more than you think you’re capable of, and living with courage, purpose, joy, and fulfillment. I would love to help you get there.

Because isn’t that what this is all about, even when things seem their darkest?

Connect with me

Schedule a consultation session now or drop me a line.