What if the way we approach change is broken? Would you try something new? Or stick to what you know?

In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, host Peter Winick sits down with Heather Hiscox, founder and CEO of Pause for Change and author of No More Status Quo: A Proven Framework to Change the Way We Change the World. Heather shares her journey of transforming frustration into a groundbreaking approach that’s helping changemakers address tough challenges in the nonprofit, government, and philanthropic sectors.

Heather’s insights began with a simple yet powerful question: "Why aren’t we working differently?" Years of seeing wasted efforts and weak results in the social sector pushed her to experiment. The result? The Pause framework—a tool for disrupting the status quo and creating meaningful impact. Her approach focuses on relationships, active listening, and rapid iteration, all built on a foundation of empathy and learning.

Heather discusses how entrepreneurs often miss key listening skills, and how fear of "not being ready" keeps leaders from publishing ideas and moving forward. Instead, she encourages taking risks, learning in real-time, and embracing new methods to achieve different outcomes.

Her clients—nonprofits, local governments, and philanthropic organizations—typically approach her for one of two reasons: something’s broken, or they’re unsure what’s possible next. Heather uses her framework to guide them through the uncertainties, asking the right questions and driving real change.

When it comes to marketing, Heather’s strategy is driven by relationships and word of mouth. She’s not just waiting for clients to find her—she’s actively engaging them through LinkedIn, her online show The Possibility Project, and by knowing when to walk away from those who aren’t ready to embrace her message.

Heather’s work is a call to action for leaders ready to stop settling for the status quo and start making the impact they’ve always envisioned.

Three Key Takeaways:

• Embrace new methods to create change: Heather emphasizes that traditional approaches in the social sector often fall short. To make real impact, leaders must ask different questions and take risks with new methods, like her Pause framework.

• Relationships and listening are essential: Success hinges on building strong relationships and honing active listening skills. Whether in business or social change, empathetic listening and rapid iteration are key to solving complex problems.

• Don’t fear imperfection: Many leaders hesitate to publish content or make moves because it "isn't ready." Heather advocates for moving forward despite uncertainty, learning in real-time, and refining as you go.

Heather has years of helping clients change how they think and work. If you are a thought leader, speaker, or author is your work creating sustainable change? Explore the topic more in this article by Peter Winick.

How do you turn technical expertise into a story that captures
everyone’s attention?

Today, host Bill Sherman sits down with Chantal Roberts, an insurance expert and professor at The Bureau of Manhattan Community College in New York., to discuss her unique journey as an author of two distinct books. One caters to insurance professionals, and the other takes a creative approach to educate the general public.

Chantal’s first book, The Art of Adjusting, targets mid-career
insurance adjusters, offering them insights into the unwritten rules of claims handling. With remote work reducing informal
knowledge-sharing, she aimed to bridge that gap. This book also
strengthened her credentials as an expert witness in insurance
litigation.

Her second book, Once Upon a Claim: Fairytales to Protect Your Assets, was a complete pivot. Inspired by her experience teaching, Chantal decided to use fairy tales like Rapunzel and Goldilocks to explain complex insurance concepts to consumers. The goal? To help people understand the claims process better and avoid feeling blindsided.

Chantal shares how her passion led her to write in ways that even
surprised her. She also discusses her grassroots marketing efforts,
sending postcards to agents as a way to spread the word about her second book—ensuring it doesn’t get lost in the spam folder.

If you’re wondering how to write for different audiences without
losing your authentic voice, Chantal’s journey is full of insights.

Three Key Takeaways:

• Tailor your message to the audience: Chantal’s books serve two very different audiences—insurance professionals and general consumers—requiring her to adjust both her tone and content to suit their needs.

• Passion drives engagement: If you don’t love what you’re writing, neither will your readers. Chantal’s pivot from a technical rewrite to storytelling with fairy tales made her second book more engaging and enjoyable for everyone.

• Creative marketing matters: Chantal’s approach to promoting Once Upon a Claim through physical postcards demonstrates the power of thinking outside the box to avoid digital clutter and create a personal touch.

Chantal uses a different approach to finding her audience, but are you still using mass market techniques with your niche audience? If so, this article by Thought Leadership Leverage found and CEO Peter Winick might be helpful.

What happens when your publisher holds your book hostage? In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Bill Sherman speaks with Michael Jenet, author of "Ask: The Questions to Empower Your Life" and founder of Journey Institute Press, about his grueling battle to reclaim the rights to his books after a new publisher took control. Michael’s story isn’t just one of frustration—it’s about standing on principle and creating a new path for authors.

After years of legal battles, Michael and his wife and fellow author Dafna managed to regain their rights, but the ordeal sparked a deeper question: How could they prevent this from happening to others? That’s when they decided to start their own publishing company, Journey Institute Press, with a mission to put authors first and offer a more ethical, nonprofit-driven publishing model. They learned valuable lessons about the evolving book market, and now, they’re helping first-time authors navigate the complex world of publishing with integrity and sustainability.

Michael also shares key insights about long-term book marketing. Forget the one-time launch event at your local bookstore—today, it’s about leveraging multiple formats, influencers, and long-term strategies to keep your book relevant. Whether you're launching a hardcover, paperback, ebook, or audiobook, the goal is the same: get your book into as many hands as possible and keep the conversation going for years.

For aspiring authors, Michael offers this critical advice: start building your audience before the book is even written. Marketing falls on the author, so engage your readers early, find where they are, and get them excited long before launch day.


Three Key Takeaways:

• Own Your Rights: Michael Jenet’s battle to reclaim his book rights highlights the importance of authors fully understanding and protecting their intellectual property in the publishing world. Don’t assume your publisher will always have your best interests at heart.

• Long-Term Book Strategy: Successful book launches go beyond a one-day event. Michael emphasizes the importance of thinking long-term, using multiple formats and engaging influencers to ensure your book stays relevant for years, not just during the initial release.

• Build Your Audience Early: Authors can’t rely solely on publishers for marketing. Start building a community around your book early on, even while you're still writing. This will drive excitement and help ensure a successful launch.

These insights highlight the need for authors to take charge of both their rights and their marketing strategies to succeed in today's publishing landscape. If you have a book on the horizon and are seeking a solid thought leadership approach to marketing, reach out to Leveraging Thought Leadership to discuss how we can help.