Season 3, Episode 73: You Need a FRESH START!

Season 3, Episode 73

Nicole:

Hey friend. So I want to have a different type of chat and I know that in the past couple weeks, we’ve been able to hear from the Puffin, and from some of my expert friends and chats with Misterfella. But I wanted to just be us this time, because what I’m going to talk to you about, it’s a little unorthodox, and I’m going to tell you about something I did recently, that just doesn’t make a lot of sense. But I know it was right and I have to be honest and tell you about it.

So if you’ve been keeping up with me on social and if you’ve been keeping up with, you know, all the happenings, then you know that I’ve got a new book coming out. And the book is called Nothing is Missing. It’s my memoir, it is the story of me growing up and having the parents that I’ve had African immigrants that wanted the best for me, and navigating through college, so much happened before we even met on social media many years ago.

And then it goes a little bit into, you know, that in-between time, building a business becoming a mom. And then it talks a lot about what it looked like to transition into different phases of life, to start over, to figure it all out and still not second guess who I am, and how I want to show up in the world. Spoiler alert, lots of second guessing happened. But I don’t want to talk to you about what’s in the book. Honestly, it’d be great if you grabbed a copy. It’s out October 10. But I want to talk to you about this book process.

So I had an episode a few back where I talked a little bit about turning down a big book deal that just wasn’t in alignment with me. But I want to talk to you about what it takes to get your book in the hands and expand your message. And frankly, for me give God the visibility he deserves. Because I wouldn’t be here without him.

So friend, I have this book and it took me four years to write it. It started off as a business book. And that business book was supposed to tell you how to get from A to B, how to build it in between, how to hit all the marks, how to check every box, and you know what? That book would have been an easy best seller because I know what I’m doing. And I got the proof to show it.

And even more, that book would have been a cakewalk to write because I know that stuff like the back of my hand. And guess what it takes no emotion for me to teach it. But if I’d written that book, it would have been a disservice to all of you. Because that business book would have been the steps to build a life and generate the revenue to support it that I didn’t even want.

With everything that I’ve been facing over the past few years, there is one thing that I’ve come to with all certainty and trust me, with divorce with moving, with reconstructing your business in a different way. You better believe there’s a lot of confusion and a lot of wondering if this is the right path. And there is one thing that remained really clear, I knew that no matter what I wanted to proceed forward with the most truth, the most clarity and in a way that is most in integrity, with how I wanted to show up and serve in the world.

And that’s why when it came time for me to pitch my book, it wasn’t about business. It was about the why, behind the what. I can teach you all day what to do but we have to be clear on why we are doing it. And that’s what the past couple of years have been. In dealing with sickness and restarting, I kept asking myself, why am I here? And I had to go back to move forward.

So when I pitched this book, when I pitched the proposal for the concept and shared some of the stories with publishers, I was terrified because I knew it wasn’t what they expected. And I also knew that I’d never shown up in the world like this before. But when I put this book out there, you could imagine my surprise when over 26 different publishers showed up and raised their hand and said oh, we want this. You could also imagine my surprise when the one that I said yes to gave me one of the biggest book deals in 2021.

Friend, it was the first time that I received affirmation that I was enough. My story, my hardships, my triumphs, the things that I’ve overcome. That was enough. They didn’t want a business book. They wanted the truth.

That first portion was the hard part, getting someone to buy in and support and to show up. But the second portion, writing it, almost broke me. Because at the same time that I’m going and unpacking the trauma, the challenges, the difficulties from childhood until now, and trying to simultaneously extract the lessons, the outcomes, the purpose behind so much pain, I had to live. I had to heal. I had to build.

I gotta tell you, it’s a miracle that I’m here. And you’ll understand more when you read the book. But that this is all just the background, I want to tell you about something that happened after the book was done. So when your book is done, you’ve got to get it into people’s hands. And it is no small feat to have big goals, like becoming a New York Times best seller. Now I want to tell you right out of the gate, the title would feel good, it’d be an affirmation that you can show up as you are, and reach the highest of heights. But I also want you to know that being a New York Times bestseller for me, isn’t just about me. It’s about us.

It’s about the world knowing that you can get places without compromising who you are. That it doesn’t take being some superstar celebrity, or sacrificing being a mom every day and throwing in your own load of laundry. And that you don’t need to be a bajillionaire, or have climbed Mt. Everest, that regular people have worthy and valuable experiences that can make an impact and change lives. And our stories deserve to be told.

I want us to get up there. Because I know that God is no respecter of persons and if he can do it for me, he can do it for you. But what’s become very clear for me is that writing the book wasn’t the challenge that God wanted me to face. The challenge, the lesson that I have got to learn, the attribute that I’ve got to gain, is I need to learn how to ask for help.

And I know that doing this boldly and publicly, and to the community and friends that I love is also going to be a lesson for you. Because when we cross that threshold, and we share in that title, we know that it was us that got us there. Friend, and there’s only a couple more weeks until this book comes out. It comes out on October 10. I have until October 15 to sell 20,000 books and have made great progress and it wasn’t by myself. I’ve asked you to pre-order. I’ve said hey, if there’s any way you can donate or share or support and you’ve shown up.

But it was the other day when I realized here I am asking boldly but how can I give greatly? Now, if you have followed me for a while, you know that I teach business and I do it well and you also know probably about my hugely popular signature program 1K1Day Academy. Now this program is in its 21st cycle of students. Also this program has been around for almost 10 years. It is transformative. It typically costs $1,000 to be part of it and you get to work with me live side by side for six to eight weeks. And I’m really there, you can ask anyone, this program is legendary.

But I’ve also heard over the years that so many of you haven’t been able to participate because it was just a little too much. And if there’s anyone who understands how deserving we are of a fresh start, have a chance to commit to our dreams without sacrificing all we have, of a chance to start over after feeling like we’re losing ourselves. Of a chance to just show up in the way that we want to, without feeling that we’ve given the last that we’ve got. I get it. I know, I’m not the only one who’s been beat up over the past few years. I know I’m not the only one with a dream, a belief, a knowingness, a calling that’s nagging at you.

Friend, I know that there’s something on your heart that you want to build. And I want to be there to build it with you. And so where I am asking greatly is friend, I want you to have this book in your hands. And I want you to learn why what we build matters. But where I’m asking you to give greatly is to show up in 1k1day Academy. If you haven’t heard, if you go to 1k1day.com, I am now giving away my signature $1,000 program for the purchase of one book. Not $1 of that book goes in my pocket. If you go into your local bookstore and you purchase that book and send me a picture of the receipt, that is your admission ticket. That is your ticket and your price for a fresh start. $30 gets you in. I will work with you side by side for the next two months. And we will start over 2024 with the start that we all deserve. Fresh.

Friend, I want you to know that one of the lessons here is what it takes to ask. This past week I had an ask session, if you will, where I invited a lot of you from social media and from just the years that we’ve been hanging out together to meet and chat online. And it was in that session that I told you about what I was doing here with 1K1Day and I have to let you know, I came to the idea to do this a few weeks ago. And I had to get it approved. I had to talk to my team, I had to talk to my accountant because I mean, this is absurd. I’m literally making $0 and asking you to just get a book, right? Like I’m literally saying none of this matters. I know you have someplace you want to start, I know this book will help you. Please get the book and help yourself.

And when this came to me, I can tell you, it’s that same feeling of having a great idea that you aren’t quite sure how it’s going to materialize or manifest into realness. But you know, it’s the right thing to do. When I had my ask session, my webinar this past week, I had my whole formal Fancy Pants deck that I was going to present. It had all the details, I was going to walk you through my story and I was going to explain the course. And then I was going to tell you about this incredible and rare opportunity. But I got on there and I started chatting with all of you. I mean, we had like 1,000 of you just hanging out with me. And I think we had another 1,000 that didn’t get in; it was just wild how you guys showed up.

And when I tell you it was the best time. I mean, the community we were loving, we were supportive. We were laughing. I mean, if you’re not coming to the nothing is missing tour which by the way, the tickets are available now at NothingisMissingBook.com I can’t imagine the energy that I felt on that webinar in person. So I can’t wait to see you and I hope we get to have a hug. But on that night we were there chatting and I have to tell you and this is what I was hinting at at the top of this chat. I knew I was supposed to follow the rules. I knew that there was a formula that was in place. I knew that my team was watching and I also knew that I have a responsibility to be great example to all of you when I’m trying to build my business and serve big.

But I also knew that I was amongst friends. I also knew that these were the internet aunties that supported me, and sent me DMs while I was going through the hardest of times with messages like, Nicole, I don’t know what you’re going through, but I’m praying for you. Nicole, I don’t know what’s happened but I see your heart and I see your soul and I’m excited for your turnaround. Stay in it.

I knew that these were the internet aunties that helped me raise my babies and cover us in prayer. And even in knowing all of that I was terrified, terrified to throw the plan out of the window and tell you what my intention was. Now I know that the idea of getting into 1k1day at no cost, just the cost of a book that you get to keep is outrageous. Who does that? It does not make sense, mathematically, timewise, I mean, I’m working on a TV show. But when I tell you, it’s the right thing to do. And I know this, without a shadow of a doubt, this is what I’m supposed to do. And that was all I had to fuel my big ask.

I want to pause here. Because I know so many of you can relate to this emotion. How many of you can take in just this moment, whether you’re in the car, or in the grocery store, on a walk, or just listening in the background, and say to yourself, I know that there’s something even if I can’t put my finger on it, that without a shadow of a doubt, I am supposed to do. And I know that I need to take the next step to get closer to that thing. But I’m scared. And I’m unsure of the outcome. But I still know that this feeling is not going to get quiet if I don’t do it. And it’s the right thing to do.

Friend, that emotion you’re in right now, that was me. I was standing in a room, a virtual room, of my very best that it’s seen me at some of my very worst. And yet, I was terrified to articulate the one thing I knew I needed. I am not going to sell 20,000 copies of this book. I’m not going to put it in 20,000 people’s hands if I don’t ask my friends to help. If I can have them say are you willing to grab this as a gift? Do you know a local church or woman’s group that would like a few copies of this? Is there a way that we can sponsor a local adoption agency or foster network? Or do you just want to grab one for yourself? And in exchange, I want to teach you how to build that thing. I want to give you the tools. I want to answer your questions and get you a little closer to the thing that’s pulling at you.

Friend, all I had to do was ask. Have you ever heard the saying closed mouths don’t get fed? Yeah. Nicole, big old mouth Walters was terrified. But you know what I did? I did something I haven’t done in a very long time. It was the beginning of my fresh start. I thought my fresh start started with writing this book but in reality, it started with me being willing to put this book in the people’s hands by asking big.

And friend I have to tell you, when I look back on it, I don’t know a single fresh start that didn’t happen that way, with me asking big, getting into the room, jumping into something new when it didn’t all the way seemed clear. But I knew it was right. Every time it’s worked out. It’s because I’ve boldly gone into a new frontier that I didn’t think would pan out but I knew it was exactly where I was supposed to be. And coupled with that, it’s always worked because I had you with me. My community, my people, I’ve never had to do it alone. Thank you.

So friend, this is it. I’m gonna give you this very same ask that I gave to everyone who showed up for this chat. I want to ask you to do this with me together to let me pour into you to help you build that thing to trust me with your fresh start. But it does not come without a commitment fee. I want you to get this book and I want you to actually read it, I want you to highlight and take notes. I want us to work this thing together. And I want us to build it right. And of course, I’m going to show up for you. We’re going to work side by side together. Go to 1K1Day.com. You can grab a copy of this book, keep in mind you were trying to do this with local bookstores because they need it. Bookstores deserve the support because they’re local businesses just like us, they’re regular people.

And we have the opportunity now to put every dollar into their family’s bank account. You grab a copy of Nothing is Missing by Nicole Walters, at a local bookstore online. I love Kindred Stories out of Houston, Texas, and East City Bookshop out of Washington DC or Anderson’s Bookstore in Chicago or Romans Bookstore in Pasadena, California, or 44th and Third in Atlanta, Georgia. All of these bookstores are local, they’re small, and they have an online presence. And every single dollar supports them and the community.

When you grab a copy of this book, head over to 1K1Day.com, click submit your validation. And tell me a little bit about yourself, your name, your email address, and give me a copy of that confirmation. Why? So I can put it on my wall and believe this thing is real, because I can’t even believe it’s happening now. And that’s it.

You got the tool to understand why all this matters but you have the community and the friend who’s going to help make it real. I gotta tell you, it’s taken a lot for me to boldly ask like this. But I also know I can’t do it alone. And I know that to be true because I’ve never had to. And for that I’m so deeply grateful. This relationship is so meaningful and we get to take it one step further with this book. When you discover that nothing is missing, it’ll change your life. I gotta tell you, now that we’re in community together, everything is better.