From Lone Wolf to Pack Wolf: How Writing Great Work Taught Me the Power of Collaboration
Prefer to listen? No problem! Here’s the podcast version.
🚀 Big News! The Second Edition of Great Work is Coming June 10, 2025!
The countdown is on! We are just three months away from the second edition of Great Work landing on bookshelves on June 10, 2025. 🎉
And this isn’t just a light update. Yes, the book has been completely refreshed to reflect what I’ve learned since publishing it in the middle of the pandemic in 2022. But more importantly, this edition features something brand new—a whole chapter on collaboration.
I wish I had included it in the first edition, but honestly? I didn’t know enough yet.
Because for a long time, I was a lone wolf—thinking I had to do everything myself. And ironically, it was writing, publishing, and marketing Great Work that forced me to change my mindset.
In this post, I’ll take you behind the scenes of my book-writing journey—both the first and second editions—to show how I moved through the six levels of collaboration and went from lone wolf to pack wolf.
If you’re someone who struggles to ask for help, delegate, or collaborate, trust me—I get it. But if you want to take your Great Work to the level it truly deserves, sooner or later, you’re going to need a pack.
Let’s dive in.
Level 1- Solo: The Lone Wolf Who Got a Book Deal (And Hated It)
Let’s rewind to early 2019.
I had just landed a real book deal—not self-publishing, not a vague someday dream, but an actual contract with a publisher.
I thought this was it. The moment I had been waiting for since I was eight years old, dreaming of becoming an author.
But almost immediately, I felt trapped.
Because the book I wanted to write and the book my publisher wanted? Not the same book.
💡 Pro-tip: Do not sign a book deal unless your publisher believes in your book—not just their version of what the market needs.
I tried molding myself to fit their vision, adjusting my drafts to meet their expectations. But nothing landed.
And eventually, I had to ask myself:
👉 Am I really going to spend months—years even—writing and promoting a book I don’t believe in?
So, I walked away.
And it felt terrifying. Like I had thrown away my one shot.
But looking back? I see it clearly now.
❌ That book deal didn’t make me an author.
✅ Writing the book I actually believed in made me an author.
So I started over. And that book became Great Work.
But here’s the thing: walking away from that deal didn’t make me more open to collaboration—if anything, it made me even more of a lone wolf.
I wasn’t just doing everything alone—I was convinced I had to.
Level 2- Delegation: Making Room for Great Work
Once I committed to writing Great Work, I hit the same problem that every lone wolf faces:
📌 There wasn’t enough time.
I was still teaching, coaching, speaking, and running my business. I kept telling myself, I’ll write when I have time.
Guess how much time magically appeared?
😅 Exactly none.
So, I had two choices:
❌ Give up on writing the book.
✅ Do something that felt unnatural to me—delegate.
I hired a virtual assistant. I let go of things I didn’t need to personally do—scheduling social media, handling podcast logistics, managing online classes.
And in that newfound space?
📖 I wrote the book.
But here’s an important distinction:
👉 Delegation isn’t collaboration.
Delegation is still me in control—handing off tasks, but making all the decisions. Collaboration? That means someone else is actively shaping the work.
And I wasn’t quite ready for that yet. Baby steps, lone wolves.
Level 3- Joining Forces: Finding True Collaborators
After six months of focused writing, I had a first draft. And I loved it.
Which meant it was time for the scariest part:
Letting someone else read it.
Enter AJ Harper—a developmental editor, author, and friend. She had been there for me when my book deal fell apart, helping me navigate the decision to walk away.
So when my draft was done, I turned to her again. And boy did she deliver!
That shift was massive.
Because when you invite experts into collaboration, you don’t just learn—you grow exponentially.
Level 4- Building a Team of Experts: Scaling Beyond Myself
Once the book was done, a whole new challenge emerged:
📢 Turning this word document into an actual book.
I thought writing the book was the hard part. Turns out, there’s a whole other mountain to climb:
✅ Editing—Three rounds of it.
✅ Cover design and formatting.
✅ Publishing logistics—Uploading, distribution, professional reviews.
✅ Marketing and launching.
At this stage, I realized:
🔥 I physically could not do all of this alone.
So I hired some experts. And the areas where I collaborated with these experts—editing, cover design, layout—turned out fantastic.
But the book launch?
I did that by myself.
And…it wasn’t great.
Looking back, it’s obvious: the parts of the book where I had a team of experts? They shine.
The parts where I went solo? Not so much.
That was a hard lesson—but an important one.
Level 5- Innovation: How Readers Shaped the Second Edition
After Great Work was published, something unexpected happened.
Readers loved it. But I kept hearing the same thing:
🗣 “I wish there was more about collaboration.”
And at first, I resisted. I had no intention of writing a second edition.
But then I realized:
🤯 This book isn’t just about what I want to say—it’s about what people need to do their Great Work.
This time, I did something different. I didn’t just go inside and ask: “What do I want to share?”
I asked readers what they needed. I listened. I followed up.
In short, I let my audience shape what came next.
And, appropriately, that’s how the brand-new chapter on collaboration was born.
Final Thought: Your Great Work Deserves a Pack (and so do you!)
I started this journey as a lone wolf, convinced I had to do everything myself.
But I’ve learned—over and over—that Great Work is never truly a solo effort.
🔥 It requires mentorship.
🚀 It thrives on collaboration.
🐺 It needs a pack.
If you’ve been resisting collaboration—if you’re afraid to delegate, seek mentorship, or build a team—this is your sign.
💡 Start now. Build your pack. Watch your Great Work soar.
And if you want to see this idea in action?
📢 Pre-order the second edition of Great Work, coming June 10, 2025, featuring the all-new chapter on collaboration!
Your Great Work is waiting. And trust me—it’s even better with a pack. 🚀
