Backstory

I began researching and writing Indispensable in 2008 when I was only a few years into my professional life. I was in the midst of learning many of these lessons myself – some easier than others. I was lucky; my first few bosses gave me advice and guidance instead of leaving me to figure it out alone. Reflecting upon these early years, I realized that consolidating my learnings – and those of others – could help others not only survive but thrive in competitive work environments. After months of work, I finished the manuscript on the eve of beginning my MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Unfortunately, my discussions with publishers coincided with the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the start of the recession. Publishers made it clear that they weren’t interested in business books when business itself was on the rocks. And behind the scenes, the publishing industry was also in the midst of its own transformation as ebooks increasingly threatened their the business model. Without a publisher, I hit pause on my dream.

In 2016, while off on maternity leave, Indispensable began burning a hole in my back pocket. Since I put down the manuscript, I accumulated more professional experience and enjoyed a number of writing successes, including my blog, The Intentional. Those experiences, along with my discovery of Inkshares, emboldened me to pick up Indispensable, update the contents, and launch it into the world.

The publication process was long, but nearly two years later, Indispensable hit the shelves on June 26th, 2018.  I hope Indispensable is useful to you and look forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions. You can reach out to me on the Contact page here.