​This Book Almost Didn’t Exist & The Courage to Keep Going

​This week, Leading Through Fire became a #1 international bestseller in 10 categories on Amazon. The audiobook is now live, and the responses have been both moving and humbling. People from all walks of life—artists, teachers, nurses, founders—have reached out to say: “This book is just what I needed.”  Here’s what most people don’t know: This book almost didn’t make it into the world.

When a Platform Isn't Big Enough
Before I chose to self-publish, I did everything the traditional way. I wrote proposals. I pitched agents. I built a social media platform over many years—one rooted in integrity, service, and decades of leadership work. But again and again, I heard the same line:
“We love it. Come back when you have a million followers.”
Not, “This message is urgent.”
Not, “This could help people.”
Just, “Grow your numbers. Then maybe.”

For a moment, I questioned whether my work was enough. But I kept writing. And I remembered that courage has nothing to do with being viral. It has everything to do with being real.  

Putting your thoughts on a page requires something deep. It asks for vulnerability, honesty, and the willingness to be seen. When you write, you aren’t just sharing ideas—you’re making yourself available for misunderstanding, criticism, or indifference. You’re telling the truth in a world that often rewards silence.

Publishing this book wasn’t about my number of followers. It was about care. It was about honoring future generations, honoring the earth.  It was also about an urgent need to change systems and the severe lack of leadership that I believe we need. It was also a protest against burnout, disconnection, and the empty performance of leadership we’ve come to normalize. It's about my hope that we can reorient the western world from extraction to regeneration.

The Science of Courage and Why It Matters
In Leading Through Fire, I wrote: “Courage is not the absence of fear—it’s what happens when we feel fear and choose to act anyway.”  This is rooted in science.  Psychologist Cynthia Pury found in her research that courage isn’t about being fearless. It’s about choosing to act in the presence of fear. People are most likely to act courageously when they are connected to purpose—when something matters more than their comfort or control.  

Neuroscience supports this as well. Acts of courage activate the anterior cingulate cortex and the insula—areas of the brain associated with emotional regulation and self-awareness. Courage does not come from bravado. It comes from presence.

We see this in the people of Venice.  We saw this in the legacy of Rachel Carson. She was warned not to publish Silent Spring. She did it anyway. With facts. With grace. With love for future generations.

Three Ways to Practice Courage This Week

1. Anchor in purpose. Let your values speak louder than your fear.
2. Start where you are. One truth. One boundary. One act of clarity.
3. Breathe before you act. Regulate your body so your actions reflect your wisdom.

Three Courage Questions to Reflect On

• Where am I being called to show up more fully?
• What truth am I withholding out of fear?
• What does courageous leadership look like in my life right now?

The Audiobook of Leading Through Fire: Resilient Leadership for People, Planet and the Future Is Now Available
If you’ve been waiting to listen, the book is now available on Audible.
🎧 Listen on Audible
📘 Read the Kindle Edition

This book was written  as an act of courage.
It was written for the leaders who don’t always feel like leaders.
It is for those holding tension. Holding space. Holding hope.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for being part of this work.
And thank you for staying human.

In Gratitude,
Brenna