Ep 129: From LinkedIn to Penguin Random House with Gigi Robinson

What started as sharing her story online about living with chronic illness turned into a book deal with Penguin Random House. In this episode, Gigi Robinson shares how she leveraged consistency, relationships, and a clear vision to go from content creator to published author.

Here’s what we get into:

• Why she chose to write A Kid’s Book About Chronic Illness (and how it ended up getting picked up by Penguin/DK).
• The ridiculously simple promo strategy Gigi swears by: bring the book everywhere and make it part of the conversation.
• Why she went the children’s book route to make a heavy topic more digestible.
• Her take on promotion as storytelling, not selling.
• How she filters advice from all the "experts” while staying aligned with her bigger vision.

👉 CLICK HERE to get the first draft of your nonfiction or memoir written in 33 days!

...even if you don't have a cabin in the wilderness, 4 uninterrupted hours a day to write, or confidence that you're a "real" writer. No overwhelm, no confusion. Just simple, actionable steps.

Awesome Email Templates for Authors

From communicating with your launch team to building relationships with readers, my customizable templates take all the guesswork out of writing emails that turn email subscribers into loyal readers. 

🎉 CLICK HERE to access to the templates

Is 2025 the year you start your own podcast? Let's make it simple!

Get 35% off the Podcast Starter Pack with code PODCAST35 at https://publishaprofitablebook.com/podcast101

"I got my podcast launched in 3 days thanks to this great mini-course!"
--Dr. Diana Naranjo, The Characterist podcast host

Chapters

• 1:17 How a Book on Chronic Illness Began
• 7:02 From Kids Co to Penguin Publishing
• 10:59 The Manifestation of a Publishing Dream
• 15:50 Simple Book Promotion Strategies
• 20:33 Brand Deals and Strategic Partnerships
• 28:50 Why a Children's Book Format Works
• 33:46 Managing Noise and Staying Focused

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:41

I am so intrigued by what you've done here, but I don't fully understand it, so I want to ask some questions. A kid's book about chronic illness was not originally with Penguin right? Can you tell that story of how this all kind of came to be? Go Yep.

Speaker 2: 0:58

So it definitely happened in a really beautiful what I like to call happenstance, and I originally had been posting online and talking about living with chronic illness online for years. At this point In 2022, I posted on LinkedIn about creating representation for women dealing with chronic illness and I wanted to be in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit search. So I submitted on LinkedIn, which had never been done before, apparently, and that was what got me into the magazine. So at that point, I had been really involved in advocacy and speaking about my story and whatnot. And then, by the end of 2022, I had seen a friend of mine write a book with a kid's co about self-love. His name is Brandon Farbstein.

Speaker 2: 1:50

He's a really amazing disability rights advocate, and so I reached out to the kids co team and was like yo, what's the deal? Would love to write a book about chronic illness. I know you've written some on disability and different kinds of conditions, but I don't really want to get super specific with what I'm dealing with. Would love to maybe work together. And they're like yeah, we love this idea, let's do it. So in 2023, or we wrote it in January 2023, it was designed and packaged and then ready to launch by March of 2023. We put together this beautiful book launch that I hosted twice, two book launches for the promotion and it was so fun. I did a private like seated dinner and I had everything down to the menu color coordinated in the flowers.

Speaker 1: 2:39

And I saw that flower bouquet, down to the menu, color coordinated and the flowers, and I saw that flower bouquet. Did you can I ask, did you fund that, or was that done by a kids co?

Speaker 1: 2:47

the funding for the book launches was me, yeah and I always ask, because I like to be transparent, like I think that so many people do think oh, if I'm with a big, even if I'm with a traditional house, which I think a kid's co would be considered that right, you're still doing a lot of your own marketing, okay, so you, you, do this launch.

Speaker 2: 3:10

And, yeah, I mean it was super successful. Right after I launched the book, I was going on the today show to talk about living with chronic illness and dealing with endometriosis, and they even highlighted my book in that, which was so cool. And then just some more organic press as I was doing speaking engagements, I'd bring the book with me and I would take pictures there, kind of like what I'm doing now. That's, that was all 2023. And even 2024. And it always was in the background of my photos and desk setup and whatnot.

Speaker 2: 3:45

And then at the beginning of this year I got an email from the publishing team saying hey, we're updating your contract. We're now with DK Books, and I had heard of the acquisition, but I didn't really understand how it would impact me. And so I looked over and I'm like wait a second, what does this mean? Then a couple of months went by after I signed the contract and I get another email saying hey, gigi, your book is relaunching with Penguin in a month. And I'm like whoa, what do you mean? And they're like yeah, like, your book is officially now ready to rock and roll. It has brand new packaging. It has the DK logo on it, has the Penguin logo on it as well as the Akitsuko logo, so it's almost like three separate things all in one, because the DK is an imprint of Penguin and, by proxy, now Akitsuko is, and so that is how it happened. Now a kids co is, and so that is how it happened and I've just been re doing a relaunch and enjoying everything that's coming with it and being really silly. Just yesterday I was working an event with Adobe and I can, you know, send you these links, but I decided to take my mini sticker book around the city with me and it was just so funny. So I have all these videos that I'm going to compile into like a blog of my mini book. But it's just been such a blast. And now at speaking engagements again I'm like oh well, you can buy 50 books for you know, the first 50 people that come, and it's just been really awesome to relaunch and I'm super proud that it's even gotten here.

Speaker 2: 5:23

And another thing about the whole how did it happen which again is why I led with it was a happenstance, is because back in November and anybody listening that's familiar with motivational speakers, self help, all of that I am a big fan of, like Tony Robbins and Mel Robbins and Jay Shetty and Gabby Bernstein all these like big motivational figures. So back in November I went to a Tony Robbins UPW and I went with some friends and by the end of it we're like so what are our goals for next year? Like this time next year, what will happen? And I'm like off the bat. First things first. I will have a book with a major publishing house. Like that was like. I was like I don't really care what it's gonna look like, but I know that it will happen. And then I, you know, had to come up with some other things. And then two months later, yeah, they're like, by the way. And and now it's like real, and I'm like whoa crazy.

Speaker 1: 6:23

What's really fun about your looking on Instagram and how you're promoting it is how simple book promotion can be.

Speaker 2: 6:29

So, right.

Speaker 1: 6:30

Lots of times people are so and I get it right. It can be so overwhelming to feel like I have to post this many times or I have to show my face, or there are different things that people don't want to do or aren't yet comfortable doing, and I think you have some really unique and fun ways. I mean, it's just, it's the opportunities sort of just present themselves, like you said with your sticker, and just showing that in all different places. Yeah, like you know and have. It's that simple and I'll do some of these as video clips so that people can see that, but of course, I'll put your Instagram handle in the episode so they can go look at it. But it can be that simple and it's just the repetitive. What caused you to want to do it as a children's book as opposed to, say, a memoir or a nonfiction of another sort? What?

Speaker 2: 7:21

was.

Speaker 1: 7:21

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 7:22

I love this question and just to piggyback on what you said before about the marketing of it, it's genuinely whatever feels natural to you. So I know for other book launches and usually most likely with bigger books that are getting launched, like a memoir or a full adult nonfiction book, they're going to do a mailer with a box with some customized stuff. A friend of mine actually just launched her book. Her name's Terry Kirpin and she just did the whisper group or the whisper method. I got to find it. She sent me a portable charger and it has been so awesome. Yeah, here it is. She sent me a portable charger and it has her company's logo on it, but her book was called the Whisper Method, I think, and so I've been using this since she sent it to me and I'm like that is a really smart one.

Speaker 2: 8:10

Another creator that I'm kind of friends with sent out one for her book and they included like a notebook that was on theme with the books. You know, it doesn't have to be something crazy, it doesn't have to be overly branded, as long as it fits the theme. I think that's really cool and for me right now I'm just like who can I get the book in front of and also, what are my relationships with press Talk about it. So, for example, I also recently got a breast reduction, like six months ago. I also recently got a breast reduction, like six months ago, and I know that certain publications would kind of like to talk about that, because breast reductions aren't really talked about that much. It's usually breast augmentations or plastic surgery.

Speaker 2: 8:52

For me, I was like, let me pitch the angle. And it's all in the angle. Let me pitch this. As you know, yes, I got the surgery and I have a book coming out, and I got the surgery because of my chronic pain and fatigue and had I not done that it, you know, I could have still been dealing with all of this and go check out my book. So it's really strategic in the way that I've been talking about it online and some articles are going to be coming out soon related to that.

Speaker 2: 9:23

So I think it's going to be really fun to kind of see happen. But definitely just think about the pitch, think about the angle. I could talk about Gen Z at work, gen Z being entrepreneurial, future of work, living with chronic illness. I mean, the possibilities are honestly pretty endless when it comes to promoting this book and how I can talk to other parts of my career and say by the way, there's a book. So to anybody listening that is having trouble, you don't need to go crazy photos anywhere you go. I bring it with me in my purse, my backpack, every single place I go.

Speaker 1: 9:55

I do too, not in my purse, cause I just have this like little leather wallet because it's the bigger my purse in my backpack every single place I go. I do not in my purse because I just have this like little leather wallet because it's the bigger my purse, the more stuff I'll take with me. So I try to keep it, you know. But I I try to always have them in my car because anytime I see a free little library or I've left them in waiting rooms, I've left them in airports many times, like at the gate, I'll just leave them with a little note that says you know, if you found this, it's just. But you said something that I think is extremely important, which is a lot of people feel really uncomfortable. I don't think you do, but a lot of people do.

Speaker 1: 10:28

Talking about the book and talking about themselves like that Just feel they're not. You've been doing it for a while in other capacities. Either you've always been comfortable, which some people just are, or you've gotten comfortable. When people aren't yet there, they're like I don't, I feel it and I say you know, here's the thing. You're not probably going to get anywhere. Talking about your book, you talk about something peripheral to the book. And then it's like oh, by the way, or whoever's interviewing you will kind of do that part of the promotion for you, or whoever's interviewing you will kind of do that part of the promotion for you. So you don't even have to do it and it can feel a lot more comfortable talking about that other thing than saying hi, I, you know, I'm Gigi, and I wrote a book go buy it.

Speaker 1: 11:09

That, yeah, that's not even something that works terribly well.

Speaker 2: 11:25

A video that I have coming out soon is basically like I started my career with my phone and a story about a girl living with chronic illness, and essentially that is the truth of my career trajectory. That is how it started and it doesn't have to be crazy, crazy and I went on to talk more about. If you know something's going on with, like the public speaking circuit and nobody wants to pay, well, I have a book to rely on. If something's going on with book sales, well, I have my brand deal to rely on, and so, like everything lives within its own ecosystem and anybody that's scared to promote their book. I mean, you wrote a book like how do you want to sell books, or did you just want to write a book? To write a book Because otherwise, maybe then just become a professor.

Speaker 1: 12:05

You know teaching about certain things are not making enough money to live on on their own off book sales. That's just a fact. And so you've got these brand deals. I was loving watching some of your different perspectives because you know your generation, like you and I are of a bit of a different, different generations, right? So, like you, my oldest daughter is almost 26 and she's there, right so you guys are right there, and it's so fun to listen to her talk about the content creation world and it's something that when I was 27, 26, 27, I wasn't a thing, right, like we barely had cell phones at that point. It's crazy. So can you, are you comfortable talking a little bit about when people are wanting to go out and do sort of these brand deals in conjunction with a book or not in conjunction? How do you go about that in a way that I think a lot of people feel like, well, I can't do that, I don't have a very big platform. I mean, is there a requirement for that?

Speaker 2: 13:19

Well, since I'm not on brand marketing teams, I can't exactly speak to what their strategy is, but at least my strategy. As an example, I went to a conference this past weekend called Teachable and Creator Economy, New York City Connect, and the whole point of the conference is to talk about building and scaling a business as a freelancer, which is what content creators are, and influencers are freelancers and talk about building a sustainable business. And so in my video there is a portion of the video where I say my favorite part of the day was thinking about how I do this myself with things like public speaking, writing a book or even making your dog into an influencer. And so this is actually going to be a sponsored post promoting Teachable and the conference that I went to. But, as you can see from what I'm telling you, I did hold up my book in that and I strategically brought my book with me. I also brought my dog with me so that I could use him in the video, because he does have followers and he also is making money as a content creator.

Speaker 2: 14:29

But I like to think about you know, what are the things that you need that can fuel your business or that are related peripherally to your book, right. So, for example, Carrie's book and I'm assuming this is the strategy behind it. I haven't spoken to her about it, but this is what I take away from it as a younger marketer Her book is all about helping women exit their companies that they founded. And so what does a woman founder always need? A portable charger because she's always going around the meetings and whatnot. So I don't know if she had a brand deal with this brand or if she just had them made, but if she were to have had a brand deal about it, it would have made sense Because she could have talked about how she's always on the go and doesn't want to think about getting a charger. She just sticks it to her phone and goes and handles what she needs to do best in business.

Speaker 2: 15:25

So really, anything you're using, even the podcast equipment that you're using to promote the book, the headphones you're using to record the microphones you're using, the purse you use while you're on the go I mean the possibilities are honestly super endless. It's all in how you tie it in and tell your story with it. And I would say I think people make money these days with around a thousand followers. You don't really need that much. I can't guarantee you would get a lot of money for that, but you could still get something.

Speaker 1: 15:57

Right and and not to oversimplify it, because I think one of the challenges is that sometimes people who especially who are selling a course on how to do it are like it's so simple, if I did it, you can do it, and then it's like no, it's not really that simple. So I certainly don't want to oversimplify the process. At the most basic level. Is it, as see the air quotes simple as simply reaching out to those brands that you'd like to partner with and saying this is who I am Like. Can you speak to that? Are you comfortable speaking to that?

Speaker 2: 16:31

Of course. Yeah, I think there's a lot that goes into it. Yes, it's that simple, that goes into it. Yes, it's that simple. And there's a lot of other nuanced curriculum I would say that goes into teaching people how to do this right. It's about relationship building. It's about talking with your publisher.

Speaker 2: 16:48

What people do they have relationships with right, like, for example, certain times when you're doing a book launch or book talk, they'll partner up with a team at a big social platform like Meta, for example. So Meta has a program with their threads team, which is you know, everyone knows what threads is and it's called the threads book club and they host monthly or weekly book club events where they invite creators to come in and one author and then they have a moderated panel. It's a whole book launch event or book around a book launch usually, and it's just a moment for community and connection and to get a hands on question from the author to the audience. And that is not necessarily the doing of the author. That's usually the publishing house and these big platforms.

Speaker 2: 17:39

So it can be as simple as that and then showing up and after you've written it, or you could go the route of hiring a publicist or an agency to kind of coordinate and handle, which would probably require some upfront fees, but it could result in a longer term partnership. And then, last but not least, when you do reach out, that is the first 25% of it, right, the next 50% is nurturing a relationship and talking with somebody, getting on a call pitching your idea, and then the next 5% after that would be really closing the deal. And then the last remainder 20 percent, or however much, I don't even know where I'm at with my numbers I lost count.

Speaker 2: 18:24

I lost count but I think you guys get what I'm saying. The remaining portion, which should be about 20 percent, will be in execution and also posting and getting that content up and then the wrap up of course. That content up and then the wrap up, of course. Campaign strategy is not simple and it can be simple to an extent, but even working with a publisher to get a unique idea created is a challenge because of so much going on internally and they don't always have budget and your schedule doesn't align and their schedule, I mean, you know it's.

Speaker 2: 18:59

It's very elaborate to plan these things and the lack, the only I would say thing close to a brand partnership that I did is I partnered with Shopify because a kid's co is run on Shopify and so the space in New York city graciously let me have it for an afternoon and I had, I think, about 50 or 60 people come to a private book talk and it was really lovely. But they donated the space and I donated my time and my platform to add Shopify and include them and all of that. But now that it's with Penguin, I don't think they're on Shopify anymore. I'm not sure.

Speaker 1: 19:39

Well, and this is okay, this is a hypothetical question, but I think you're a great person to ask because of how you move in the space If you were an indie author, so if you were self-published or you had used a hybrid publisher or some such thing, and maybe you even felt this way I don't know, I don't want to make an assumption, but with a kids' co because they're not seen as one of the big guys, right what would your approach? Would you still have had the same approach of trying to create these partnerships and relationships, and maybe with different people, but do you think that still would have been your?

Speaker 2: 20:20

Yeah, I think so. I think the reason I would say the approach would be the same is because I know when and I know you asked me this question earlier that I did not answer yet but why it's why kids book over an adult book. It just happened that way. Answer yet, but why it's why kids book over an adult book. It just happened that way. But when I write the longer book, it would be the same, I would. I will have the book with me at all times. I will be talking about it.

Speaker 2: 20:47

You know, it's not something that I think should really be brushed off. Oh yeah, I wrote a book like. Whenever somebody writes a book it's like oh my God, tell me about me, about it. Like you never really hear authors. Kind of just be like oh yeah, I've written a book like so casually, and I think I think there's I don't know what the percentage is, but not everybody who wants to write a book does and not everybody who buys a book program to self-publish finishes. Believe me, I know. Yeah, I mean same. I bought two different self-publishing things and I just couldn't get through it because for me it just wasn't aligned.

Speaker 2: 21:32

Is what it comes down to In what way? I'm curious to be on a deadline that I do not set and it's almost like I need to be in school doing it and in a way, when you're either getting in advance or when you have big shoes to fill, it almost is like motivation to get it done and make it extraordinary and really make it a labor of love. But the reason a children's book was definitely just again, things happened to the point where I decided, okay, I feel like it's good. I spoke with them, I knew I wanted to make something happen quickly and they had the capacity at the time to take me on as a project. So we decided to do it and I've just kind of run with it and the fact that now it's out with Penguin is really, really special and, I think, also just a manifestation of them believing in their work and me also saying you know what? I have?

Speaker 2: 22:30

This book, I love this book. I'm really proud of this book and it doesn't matter if I sell 10 copies or 1000 copies or 10,000 copies, like I want people to hear the story about living with a chronic illness. And, interestingly enough, this children's book and all of their books do not have any illustrations. It's all graphic and typography based, which I think is pretty unique for children's books, and it makes them stand out because they want the book to be a conversation starter, which is also a great selling point, because it's not just for kids Now, it's for anybody who wants to really understand on a personal level what living with. I do talk about the specific conditions that I've dealt with, but it can be applied to any condition. Just kind of apply it to yourself.

Speaker 1: 23:22

I mean, think about how many people give, um, oh, the places you'll go as a graduation gift or like. I have several copies that several different people have given me of the children's book. What would you do with an idea? So I think there's something about children's books, the simplicity of them, that lots of times, if a topic and certainly chronic illness is a topic that can feel heavy, and when people are recently diagnosed or some, and they're just trying to kind of ease their way in with something that's a little more light, that's an obvious place to to, to go Right, and it makes a great gift, it makes a great starting point. You mentioned, though, doing the other version. So are you, are you doing or considering doing, a different?

Speaker 2: 24:10

Yes, I am about to start pitching out to agents with my proposal and couple early early additions of some chapters that I've written, and I think it's a great next step for me and where I'm at right now I just am focused on this book launch and as soon as we get through the summer and while we are getting through the summer, I will have my team kind of start pitching out so that hopefully by the end of the year something is signed, sealed, delivered, and if it is not by the end of the year, it will be within a year and we can record another one.

Speaker 1: 24:48

I, you know how do you tune out and maybe you don't. So how do you manage all of the noise in the space? Because I think I get really overwhelmed, even with all the you should do this and you have to do this, and I don't so much I take that back a little bit because I don't as much today, but in the, I'd say, eight to certainly 15 years ago I really battled that. And you're in this space where I think for your age group, you're almost more used to the noise than I am, so maybe that makes it easier. But I'm curious. I love your conviction of just being like. This is the next best step for me. How do you get to that place when I have to imagine that there are people around you? Or am I wrong that there are people around you saying no, here's what you should do.

Speaker 2: 26:38

I'm a very big believer in what's meant for me will find me, and also, closed mouths don't get fed. So I take every meeting that I believe will be valuable. And an example of this is a friend of mine worked at a new kind of AI tech startup and we met at a conference and we didn't get to chat at the conference. So we had a meeting and I'm like what led you to this career? And then she goes on to tell me how she was a former book agent at WMB and I'm like wait, can I ask you about book stuff? So now our relationship is predominantly me helping her find a role in social media, because she since left the company, and her helping me with all the book stuff. And she's like you literally have the best case scenario where this book is relaunching with a major, you know publishing house and you can use that as leverage for pitching out a manuscript and regardless of how many you sell, she was like I don't think it will matter, because a children's book is so different than selling an adult nonfiction book, and so I trust that because she worked there. I have other people in my orbit that are saying you know, well, I'm happy to look over your manuscript. It should be, or your book proposal, it should be like this. Then I have another person who's like a four time self published author or no, four time book deal book publishing house author, first time self published this summer or this fall and she's like, oh, you should change this, this and that. Then I'm meeting with speaking coaches and they're like you're super great, you just need a few tweaks and all you have to do is this, this and that. When you're talking about your book and your elevator pitch and then somebody else is saying, oh, you could get multi six figures for a book deal, somebody else is saying you won't get more than 20 grand. So what do I believe in? Who? I'll believe it when I see it on a contract. Really, it's that simple. It's it's working towards what I'm interested in, and I believe that if I want to get to the point where I get a multi six figure contract or a six figure contract if I believe it's possible, which I do there's things that I have to do in order to do that. That include more social content, promoting this book, more speaking engagements, more sales of this book or doing corporate speaking. There's all of these steps that go into it, that make me as a whole package more valuable to the publishing house. That's going to give me an advance.

Speaker 2: 29:08

I think of it strategically. It's not at all like, oh, I'm just going to see what happens. With the brand deal thing, I'm at the point where I charge a certain rate and so to write a whole book that I'm giving the rights away forever to, in perpetuity, for the most part, with royalties and whatnot, I believe that I should be getting paid a certain amount and I don't really feel like settling for anything less than what I believe I should or shouldn't get. So it's strategic and in terms of noise, I mean, it's it's what you choose to focus on. I choose to focus on where I want to go instead of what other people have. And I think it's really hard because, for example, there's this one content creator recently and I'm like in awe because all of a sudden, in one day, it's like a book deal announcement and a TV show announcement and I'm like, wow, this is fucking incredible, how did she do that? And instead of going, oh man, I can't believe she got this, I can't believe she got that, I'm going, damn, anything's possible, yeah, and and that is also really hard and I've been doing mindset work forever. But that's the key, it's it's all limiting beliefs.

Speaker 2: 30:25

I meet people all the time that say well, especially young people. I'm just not good at networking, you know I have a lot of social anxiety and then I'm like but do you enjoy conversations? Yes, do you enjoy learning new things? Yes, so why are you telling yourself you're bad at that? Because you're not. And I think it applies to the book stuff and also with the self-publishing thing. I'll hear self-publishing's great, you own everything, it's your own deadline, your own timeline. You have all this flexibility. Royalty is forever. And then I know people that are super successful and I look at someone like Mel Robbins who's self-published, and look at her now. Look at her now, that was her first book that she self-published and I believe the other three were not self-published. So you genuinely never know. And then I know people that have gone traditional but have also done self-published. So I don't think there's a right or wrong, it's whatever's right for you in the moment.

Speaker 1: 31:23

Well, and it's really knowing. Like you said earlier, you need deadlines, you need that accountability. That is a question that I think authors, among others, need to consider when they're trying to decide which way do I want to go? Because when they're thinking like well, I want to go traditional, because I want the big advance and I want the marketing tour, I'm immediately like, well, you might not get the big advance and you're almost surely not getting the big marketing tour. So if that is the only reason to go with traditional, let's have a chat On the flip side. Again to your point with self-publishing, because it all does fall on you. Yes, you keep all the royalties, but if you're not willing to talk about your book, whether you're traditionally or self-public, there aren't going to be any royalties.

Speaker 1: 32:12

So, it's kind of just learning. It's not even well. It's learning and accepting who you are and where you're willing to grow.

Speaker 2: 32:21

Yeah, yeah, definitely, and it's very it's. It's just very challenging to bet on yourself like that. Like really it's about betting on yourself. It's about saying, can I and do I want to do it this way or that way and regardless, you're still going to be writing anywhere between 40 and 70,000 words on average for a book, and that's a lot to write. And so, regardless of which way you get to it, that's going to be challenging and even when you, like you said, do traditional like for all of the marketing for this, I mean, it's all me. So doing all of this marketing and constantly pushing out new content and seeing what I can do is definitely it's. It's fun because I have flexibility and also I'm like, guys, be really nice, we did something. It would be really nice, we did something. It would be really nice if I could come into the office, make some content. But at the end of the day, I'm just grateful to have you know my name next to the imprint. I think that's really cool.

Speaker 1: 33:26

No, absolutely. The last question I always ask is what are you reading right now, or listening, because that counts.

Speaker 2: 33:35

Yeah, right now, or listening, because that counts. Yeah, I honestly pick books up all the time and set them down so genuinely, I don't have anything specific. I read a lot of news articles on the creator economy like almost every day. I'm reading a lot in like Digi Day and Adweek, the information Forbes. I'm in there quite a bit and that's taking up a lot of my reading time. But I definitely love a lot of self-help books.

Speaker 2: 34:10

I got about 75% through the Let them book so I loved reading it for what it's worth. And something that genuinely stuck out to me was this concept about friendship and I know Mel talks so much specifically about let them do whatever they're going to do. But for me the part about friendship was so applicable because I recently have moved to New Jersey from the city and not like Jersey City, like the suburbs, and I love it, don't get me wrong but for a while I was like I just I'm not making any friends. It's such a bummer. I'm so like lonely.

Speaker 2: 34:44

And in this book Mel talks about like the great scattering that happens when you're in college and when you're in high school and when you're doing your work and all your friends are everywhere, all over the country now and she had told this anecdotal story about how she said to one of her daughters who is hating where she went to school she wasn't making friends. She was like you have to try it for a year. You have to just go up to people and try saying hello, seeing what's up and seeing what's going to happen. So I pushed myself to go on bubble BFF post on LinkedIn that I'm open to meeting new people, message people on Instagram, and so I did that and I made like a handful of really amazing new friends In just a few months of trying.

Speaker 2: 35:31

I was like I can try for a year before I cross my arms and have a sourpuss face that you know I'm not making friends or that I'm lonely and really it. What that taught me is that it's, it's just up, it's up to your action, right, it's up to what you want to do. So I've been really loving that and, as I mentioned, my friend Carrie's book is recently out as well, so I've been getting a little bit into that. I got my mom a cookbook from Magnolia Bakery.

Speaker 1: 36:00

They released their icebox dessert cookbook, so getting into that, that would be a whole bunch of interest fails for me, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 36:07

So definitely a wide variety.

Speaker 1: 36:10

Yeah, oh, I love that. Well, thank you so much.

Speaker 2: 36:14

Thank you, I'll put all the links in the show notes Amazing Well, thanks for having me. This was so fun and I love chatting about this.