Book Journeys Author Interview – Dec. 1, 2016
Jenn McRobbie with Pleasance Silicki, author of Delight: Eight Principles for Living with Joy and Ease.
“When we connect at that level of … really authentic healing and helping and serving, … they become your biggest fans.” ~Pleasance Silicki
Jenn:
Hello, everybody! It is December first, and first, I want to apologize from me, a little late joining today. We had some technical difficulties between me and today’s author, so i am going to skip over all of the intro stuff, because I assume you’re on Book Journeys Radio because you know this is where we speak to accomplished authors about their ideas to going to a finished book, ready to make a difference in the world. So, today’s author is Pleasance Silicki, who’s a wellness coach, and the author of Delight: Eight Principles for Living with Joy and Ease. Welcome, Pleasance!
Pleasance:
Hi, Jenn! Thanks for having me!
Jenn:
Aw, thank you so much for coming back on! I’m so sorry we’re gonna have a short interview today, since we have some technical problems getting on the line.
Pleasance:
That’s okay, it’s my second time, so I have less to say, I think, yes.
Jenn:
So – that – and that is something that we’ll – we’ll let everybody know. So, this is your second time on the show, the last time you were on was in July, which was about six months ago, and I know, on that show, which you can go back into the archives and listen to, you … talked about the creation of your book, but … I’m talking to you today is, what’s happened in the last six months since then?
Pleasance:
So, over the past six months, I have really been … using the book as a tool to share messages and helpful tools and tips with more and more people, so I’ve been doing book talks at yoga studios, and then people’s back yards. I have a neighborhood – neighborhood friends who invited – who said, “Come on over and let’s talk about this book,” and it was a wonderful backyard extravaganza, but a bunch of the local yoga studios have been inviting me in to come and do workshops around the book and really go deep into the topic, with women around wellness and our habits and patterns, and it’s – it’s everything that I outlined in the book, but being able to bring it to life, live, is amazing. So –
Jenn
I can only imagine.
Pleasance:
It’s so fun, it’s so meaningful, and because I’m a thematic – … a mind-body-spirit person, that’s what I – I really love to do, is be face-to-face, cheek-to-cheek, and so, using the book as a tool to grow my community, grow my list, grow the social media, grow my business, but for me it’s intentionally. So it – it’s growing it to the – the place that feels good and spacious and … just intentional for – for me, so I have a retreat coming up next weekend, our first Delight retreat, which is also really amazing, so I’ll – I’ll know more, after next weekend, about what it feels like to spend a whole weekend diving into the principles. ‘Cause these little workshops are … little teasers, little tastes, but to spend a whole weekend on the process is gonna be really beautiful.
Jenn:
Oh, that sounds amazing. It’s – are there still any availabilities for that? ….
Pleasance:
No, we’re sold out.
Jenn:
Ah, too bad for our listeners.
Pleasance:
…. But I – my intention is to be able to offer the Delight retreat once or twice a year, in an intimate setting with … women who are really passionate about diving in, for me, this time of year is so important for planning next year, because December –
Jenn:
Yes!
Pleasance:
– … all about thinking what this past year has looked like, what worked well, what didn’t work well, in business and my life and with my goals. So, I’m really excited to lead a retreat using the principles from the book in – and then really applying them to people’s lives, to women as well.
Jenn:
I – I love that, and I love that you’re able to do that. And do you think that you would be doing the same things you’re doing now if you hadn’t written Delight?
Pleasance:
… no way. … honestly, I can’t – I – the way that 2016 mapped out, I just – I just really can’t. I – it’s unbelievable, … not even … is when I … met Angela quickly, agreed quickly to do it, didn’t know what I was gonna write about, .. my whole world was closing down, I was shutting my yoga studio down, I didn’t know what was gonna be next, and just being able to sit down, the process that she guides us through and … have – supporting everyone, being straightforward with everyone, making sure that we finish, holding us accountable, all of the dynamics of the program were exactly what I needed to … pull out these tools and techniques that I know and I live and I breathe, but now I actually have a tool that I can share with people to grow my business and to – … to help me clarify what I’m doing in the world, and without that, I think I probably would have spent most of this year … reaching – … trying to figure out what I want to do – I would have been spinning my wheels, to be honest. … –
Jenn:
I – that – that … is successful, … I would do – and I would eventually have … figured things out, I think?
Pleasance:
Right! Right. But … working with Angela is, you get to it so much faster, ….
Jenn:
She’s gonna be really happy to hear that, I’m gonna love passing that along to her, because that is definitely one of the principles that she hopes she imparts upon the authors that write with us, is … it doesn’t have to be difficult.
Pleasance:
I remember that of the training, … after – the book – book launch training, … she’s … “You can choose to work with me now, or you can spend a few years, … everything up, ….” ….
Jenn:
…. Doesn’t that sound just like her?
Pleasance
So, … – I know. I – I really listened to everything she had to say, and … it was really hard – it was just very true. … it just really took me from a place where I was in a huge life transition, I had all this expertise, …. I had all this success, I had all this expertise, I’m in a huge life transition, and really not sure where to funnel that energy, and I put it – crossed my fingers and put it into sitting my butt down and writing this book … without really knowing the outcome, … why was I doing this? Why was I being called, … gonna do with it, but just really trusting in the process, trusting in the … in myself, trusting that I would get this done and be able to really bring it into the world, and now, from that, I see how I will continue to help, using the wisdom that’s been passed through the yoga tradition and meditation and Buddhism, but … these are not my ideas, but it – it allowed me to have a place to put – put them down and get them into women’s hands, and that’s all I really wanted, ….
Jenn:
Right. I love that, and do you think that the book has really helped you to … broaden your reach and your – … the women that you are engaging with?
Pleasance:
Yes, for sure, especially because my business, prior to that, was a local yoga studio. So, you’re talking about … hyper-local – … I’m … known in the neighborhood, but not beyond that. So, to write a book allows you to expand your reach, and … I’m – I’m a very motivated, energetic, ambitious person, and the practices are really – are – are – have really shown me how to slow way down and enjoy my actual, day-to-day life and my small children and my family, and that’s been a real gift, but the – the empowerment and the strength of writing a book and being successful at what I put my mind to and then sharing it out is a life-long skill, right? So, it’s … this happened once, but it -it – it really has created a … inner confidence, where I’m … – even if I’m not on the fast track right now, I’m slow – that’s what I mean about the intentionality of growing my business.
Jenn:
Right.
Pleasance:
… I’m doing it my way, and I’m doing it with my values, and – and with my goals, and that is a real gift, the real gift.
Jenn:
I’m – I’m covered in chill bumps, listening to you, I just – I can tell how tuned in you are to – … your message and what you’re delivering to the world, and it’s just – it’s so thrilling to speak to someone who has such clarity on their mission.
Pleasance:
It feels really good, and – and the process of, again, try something new, … going for it, with it hard, emotionally, yes, were there dark, uncomfortable days, yes. … that’s part of transformation, and we know that. So –
Jenn:
That’s part of what?
Pleasance:
That’s part of why, … of course! So, I think that … are there – and what I’m basically saying is, are there a million other ways that I could get this book into people’s hands and share it out and work, work, work and do more and more and more, yes. Is that what I am trying to do with my life’s … mission right now? No, but I’m using the book to – to share it out and grow in a way that feels super aligned with where I am, and that’s all – I think a – a – especially a small – a small business, women could not, … is that clarity, with so many people are just – they’re not clear, they don’t know what they want, so they are doing everything – and this is a big Angela thing, too, that I learned her – where … doing all the same, all the time, isn’t gonna get you anywhere. ….
Jenn:
Right.
Pleasance:
Right? You have to … hone in, and – … I just think it’s been – it’s been a gift beyond anything I can imagine, to have gone through this process and to know that I’ll do it again, to have confidence and – … that I can put things out in the world and share them and – and do it in a way that feels good, it’s just … the best feeling, ….
Jenn:
That’s so inviting. And – … think of one thing to share with an author out there, who’s written their book but really feels like they’re not getting their message in front of their ideal reader. Do you have any advice for an author like that?
Pleasance:
I think doing the best – … really pruning all the ways that you could share, pruning down to the core of – of … what the message is and who your ideal reader is, and just take it down a notch. I think … of the issue – and Angela talked about this a lot, too, is that we want all the people to come, and we don’t really need all the people to have a good life and have a good thing and make an impact. That … – what I do – … for example, I do these book talks and these workshops, and there’s probably ten people at the yoga studio who come, and we get real close, and we get real into it, and we get right to the heart of what’s happening in our lives. I’m not into small talk, I’m not into … talking about the weather or bullshitting, …. what … that’s the hardest thing you’re dealing with, and how can this wisdom – how can these wisdom traditions help us now? This is real. And when we connect at that level of authentic – of … really authentic healing and helping and serving, to a small group and a small number who are passionate and interested, they’re so loyal! … they’re … come over and over, they become your biggest fans! When you really show up for the people who show up. So, one of the things that I think we get distracted by is just wanting more, more, more, more followers, more likes, more – more people on – in our Facebook group. And they’re … never enoughness, it – it’s really harmful when you’re trying to share your book message, right? Because it – you start disconnecting to the actual people, so I get three or four of your ideal reader in your living room, or go to their living rooms and sit down with them, with your book, with your ideas, your principles, and – and – and be there for them and share your message, and I think you’ll feel good and that … to feel good is what motivates you to do it again tomorrow. … tomorrow.
Jenn:
So, we’re coming to a close already, Pleasance, but I … can’t think of a better way to end it than with your advice, to just get out there, get surrounded by your ideal reader and just do it, … you get, right? ….
Pleasance:
…. You’re welcome, so much.
Jenn:
I’m so sorry we got cut short, Pleasance, but I’m so excited to hear how – well, everything is going for you.
Pleasance:
That’s okay, Jenn, no problem, that – life happens. ….
Jenn:
Thanks. Join us next week, for another – … another interview with Book Journeys Radio.