From Vision Board to Published Author: Writing The Art of Pleasure and Redefining Success
For many entrepreneurs and leaders, writing a book sits quietly on a vision board for years a dream postponed by deadlines, responsibilities and self-doubt.
But sometimes life intervenes and turns “one day” into now.
This is the story behind The Art of Pleasure and how business, travel and self-care became not competing priorities, but a philosophy for sustainable success.
The Dream That Wouldn’t Go Away
The desire to write a book began at eighteen.
After a gap year filled with travel and discovery, the original idea was simple: write a travel book. Capture the lessons. Share the adventure. Inspire others to explore.
But reality intervened university, work, business, growth. And perhaps most honestly, the skillset and investment required to publish felt overwhelming at the time.
So the dream remained quietly on the vision board.
As professional credibility grew through years of building a communications and personal branding business, a new strategy emerged: write a business book first. Establish authority. Then write the travel books.
The ideas were there. They simply needed a catalyst.
The Conversation That Changed Direction
Sometimes clarity arrives over dinner.
During a conversation with a new business friend, the themes began to connect. Rebranding from a long-standing company name to working under a personal brand. Personal brand coaching. Travel. Earning money in creative ways. The constant tension between ambition and wellbeing.
“You’re kind of like a business-travel-life coach,” she joked.
It was said lightly but it revealed something deeper.
There had been a long-held belief that travel could not be profitable. Yet income had been generated repeatedly while travelling. The real pattern was clearer:
- Make money.
- Travel.
- Burn out.
- Recover.
- Repeat.
That cycle needed reframing.
Watch the complete Podcast on YouTube.
When Life Demands Urgency
In the same year, life delivered profound perspective.
A nephew diagnosed with a terminal illness. A grandmother passing away. Two close friends lost to cancer within weeks of one another.
Grief has a way of sharpening focus.
The internal message became urgent and undeniable: write the book.
Not someday. Now.
Because time is not guaranteed.
The Concept: Business, Travel and Self-Care in Harmony
Originally, the concept centred on how to run a business while travelling the world particularly with family responsibilities without sacrificing wellbeing.
But as the narrative evolved, something more foundational emerged.
One of the core skills was not simply business ownership it was the ability to generate income in multiple ways. Income was freedom. Freedom enabled travel. Travel required resilience. Resilience required self-care.
And so, pleasure was redefined.
Pleasure was not indulgence.
Pleasure became harmony:
- Business
- Travel
- Self-care
When aligned, they create sustainability rather than burnout.
That philosophy became The Art of Pleasure.
The Power of a Deadline
Dreams linger when they lack structure.
The turning point was setting a non-negotiable deadline: published by a birthday in 2024.
With a fixed date, the project moved from aspiration to execution.
And it happened.
Lessons for Aspiring Authors and Entrepreneurs
If you are considering writing a book particularly as a woman in business consider this:
- Authority grows when you share lived experience.
- Timing is rarely perfect.
- Grief and growth often sit side by side.
- Deadlines transform intention into action.
- Sustainable success requires pleasure, not perpetual pressure.
Women especially are often taught to prioritise productivity over presence. Yet leadership that endures is rooted in alignment not exhaustion.
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