How one author's 40 years of experience, personal stories, and passion for transformation became a book designed to help others envision an extraordinary life.
An Author Interview with Linda Hogan
Writing a book is about more than putting words on a page. Sometimes, it's about organizing years of experience, sharing the lessons you've learned, and finding a way to help others through your story.
In this author interview, Jenny Mouse, writing coach, sits down with Linda Hogan, author of Envision Your Extraordinary Life: Living Happy, Joyous, and Free.
Linda shares how her 40 years of experience working with women, leading visionary groups, and helping people achieve their goals inspired her to write her book. We also explore the realities of publishing, the importance of having a clear purpose, and why writing can be one of the most valuable things you do for yourself.
Whether you're considering writing your first book, looking to share your professional expertise, or simply wondering what it takes to bring an idea to life, there's plenty to take away from this conversation.
The Interview
1. Linda, can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
Linda:
I've spent over 40 years working with women and leading visionary women's groups. I've also worked in corporate America, including Fortune 100 companies, and spent four years in Europe.
At one point, I was responsible for leading learning initiatives for more than 80,000 people globally.
I've also spent a lot of time researching guided imagery and goal setting to better understand how these approaches work and how I can improve the way I support people.
Outside of work, I'm a wife and mother of two grown daughters, and I love going to music festivals!
2. What inspired you to write Envision Your Extraordinary Life?
Linda:
The book really started about 40 years ago when I began working with my first group of women.
We met once a month in my living room. I'd make coffee and muffins, and about 12 women would come together for three hours.
During those meetings, we would set goals, explore guided imagery, share our dreams, and commit to the next steps we wanted to take.
Over the years, I continued following the journeys of these women. Some are still part of my groups today!
One woman, for example, couldn't initially identify a single dream she wanted to pursue. Eventually, she realized she had always wanted to become an interior designer.
She left her job in school administration, moved to New York City, enrolled in design school, and went on to spend 20 years working as an interior designer. Today, she runs a bed and breakfast in upstate New York.
Her story is just one of more than 20 stories featured in my book.
Eventually, I realized I needed to write these experiences down. I wanted to share the stories, the guided imagery exercises, the transformation process, and the research that supported the work.
The book walks readers through each phase of transformation, providing practical action steps, guidance, personal stories, and research.
3. What is it like to watch someone transform their life through your work?
Linda:
It's incredibly rewarding, exciting, and inspiring.
Watching people make changes in their lives also helps me with my own goals. It reminds me that anything is possible.
Many people reach a point in their lives where they begin questioning what they've been working toward.
They've followed the path they were told they should follow, perhaps built successful careers, and achieved many things. But eventually, they start asking themselves:
What's really important to me?
What's my purpose?
Why am I doing what I'm doing?
What's next?
I work with successful people who want to become even more successful, but success can mean something very different to each person.
4. Why did you decide to write and publish your book?
Linda:
There were a few reasons.
First, I felt these stories needed to be shared. I wanted to reach more people and help them explore what was possible in their own lives.
But there's something else I discovered through the writing process:
Writing crystallizes thought.
The more I wrote things down, the clearer my thinking became.
I had to define what the transformation process actually meant, explore why people dream, understand what prevents them from pursuing their dreams, and look at what the research tells us.
Writing forced me to organize my thinking and become more intentional about the way I approached my work.
The experience was valuable in itself, beyond simply producing a book.
5. How do you help people identify and pursue their dreams?
Linda:
I encourage people to explore possibilities.
I'm talking about dreams for the future: what you want to experience, what you want your relationships to feel like, where you want to go, and how you want to present yourself to the world.
One of the first things I encourage people to do is write their dreams down.
I've been writing my goals down since 1979!
When I travel, I'll sometimes meet people who tell me they dream of visiting the United States. I tell them to write it down.
When you write something down and turn it into a goal, you start paying attention to opportunities and events that might help you achieve it.
I also keep track of my goals. When I accomplish something, I highlight it so I can look back and see what I've achieved over the years.
It's amazing to see how many possibilities emerge when you start putting your dreams into words.
6. What happens when your dreams change? Is it okay to let go of goals you no longer want?
Linda:
Absolutely! We change throughout our lives, and our dreams change with us.
At one point, I had a red Corvette on my dream list. I don't care about having one anymore!
I also used to dream about climbing the highest peaks in the Adirondacks. Now, I would rather walk through the woods and enjoy the trails.
And that's okay.
One of the things I work on with people is building a foundation around their values.
What do you stand for? What's important to you? What do you want your life to represent?
If a dream doesn't align with your values, it doesn't necessarily need to become a goal.
For me, growing spiritually, loving my family, experiencing more joy, and building positive relationships are much more important than owning a particular car.
Your goals should reflect what matters to you.
7. How important is having a vision before setting goals?
Linda:
It's extremely important.
Part of my process involves creating a picture of what you want your life to look like in five years, 30 years, or even 50 years!
When you write down that vision and read it regularly, you begin to believe it's possible. You start looking for opportunities and become more committed to making it happen.
A vision is a picture in your mind of something you want to achieve.
This isn't just relevant to individuals, either. I also work with companies to help teams create a shared vision.
When everyone understands the vision and has goals that support it, people become more motivated and committed.
They're working toward something that has meaning to them.
8. What does it mean to embrace the journey?
Linda:
I like to use the example of meeting an old friend at an airport.
Imagine you're carrying two suitcases, one in each hand.
The suitcase in your left hand represents your past. It contains resentments, anger, grudges, and all the things you've been carrying around.
The suitcase in your right hand represents your future. It contains fears, expectations, and the stories you keep replaying in your mind, such as telling yourself you're not good enough.
To greet your friend, you need to put those suitcases down and be present in the moment.
Embracing the journey involves looking at the beliefs that hold us back, identifying our obstacles, and developing new beliefs that help us become the people capable of achieving our dreams.
9. What was the process of actually writing and publishing your book like?
Linda:
I had been telling myself for about 20 years that I was going to write this book.
Eventually, the urge became too strong to ignore, and I decided it was time.
I gave myself a one-year deadline. At the time, I was working full-time, so I reduced my working hours and created a schedule that allowed me to write for an hour or two each day.
I created an outline, mapped out what each chapter would look like, and stuck to my writing schedule.
My husband also helped with photography and editing, and I found someone to handle the graphics and design.
One of the things I learned was how important feedback is, even when it's difficult to hear.
My husband would regularly encourage me to use more active sentences, shorten my writing, be more specific, and describe things in greater detail.
At first, I found the criticism frustrating. Nobody particularly enjoys having their work criticized!
But eventually, something funny happened.
One day, I proudly showed him something I'd written that morning. He read it and asked if I'd written it that day.
I said yes, feeling quite pleased with myself.
He told me I should stop writing for the day!
We both laughed, and after that, I became much better at accepting his feedback.
I learned that constructive criticism can make your writing stronger, even when it's uncomfortable at first.
10. Did publishing your book meet your original expectations?
Linda:
Not entirely!
To be honest, the book has cost me more to write than I've earned from it.
I initially hoped it would sell a lot of copies, make money, and help many people.
While the financial results haven't been what I expected, I consider the book a personal success. I'm proud of it, and it's become a valuable tool in my work.
I use it in my visionary women's groups, corporate high-performance team workshops, and individual coaching.
It gives people a structured process they can follow, supported by research, stories, and practical exercises.
Sometimes success isn't measured by book sales alone. It's also about what the book allows you to do and who it helps you reach.
11. What advice would you give someone considering writing their own book?
Linda:
Definitely do it!
If you have something on your heart that you want to write about, I encourage you to pursue it.
Start by creating an outline. Be clear about why you're writing the book and what you want to communicate.
However, there are a few things I wish I had done differently.
First, I would have spent more time researching competing books and understanding what made mine different.
My book is different from many other self-help books because it combines a structured transformation process, personal stories, research, and practical exercises. I didn't communicate those differences clearly enough when I started.
I also began the editing and graphic design process before the manuscript was finished. That created additional costs and unnecessary rework.
I had never written a book before, so there were plenty of lessons along the way!
I've since written a second book, Your Extraordinary Life Workbook: Living Happy, Joyous, and Free.
The workbook complements the original book with worksheets, activities, and space for readers to work through their goals. It also includes links to my YouTube channel where readers can listen to guided imagery exercises.
It's designed to help people put the ideas into practice.
12. How can a book become part of your business?
Linda:
I've found my book to be a really useful addition to my business.
I use it in my women's groups, corporate workshops, and individual coaching sessions.
It provides a framework for the work I do and gives people something they can continue using beyond our time together.
A Few Final Thoughts: Your Book Can Open Doors
Before wrapping up the interview, Jenny shared an important perspective about the relationship between writing a book and building a business.
A book doesn't necessarily have to make you rich or sell a million copies to be successful.
Sometimes, its greatest value is in the opportunities it creates.
As Jenny explained, books can be powerful door openers. They can lead to:
Speaking opportunities.
New clients and professional connections.
New workshops, programs, and services.
Opportunities to expand your existing business.
A way to share your expertise with a much wider audience.
The important thing is understanding what you want your book to accomplish before you begin writing.
Linda agreed that the writing process itself is incredibly valuable, helping authors clarify their ideas, organize their knowledge, and communicate their message.
And sometimes, that's reason enough to write.
Connect with Linda Hogan
Linda M. Hogan
Author of Envision Your Extraordinary Life: Living Happy, Joyous, and Free.
Speaker, visionary coach, and organizational transformation leader.
If you'd like to learn more about Linda's work, explore her book, or connect with her about coaching and workshops, here are some ways to get in touch.
Website: envisionyourlife.coach
YouTube: Envision Your Life
Linda also offers a free 20-minute consultation for people interested in learning more about her work.
A Note from Jenny Mouse
If you've been thinking about writing a book, I hope Linda's story encourages you to take that first step.
You don't need to have everything figured out before you begin. You don't need to know exactly how publishing works, how to market your book, or even how every chapter will come together.
What you do need is a reason to write, a willingness to learn, and a plan to keep moving forward.
Your first book might not follow the most efficient path. You might rewrite chapters, change your direction, or discover that your original idea has evolved into something entirely different.
That's part of the journey.
As Linda reminded us, writing crystallizes thought. And sometimes, the process of writing your book helps you discover just how much you have to say.
So, what's the book you've been carrying around in your head? Maybe it's time to get it onto the page.
If you're ready to explore your book idea, let's talk about getting your book done.