Hi Reader,

After nearly four years in the making, today, my second book, AQ, is out everywhere.

For anyone reading this who has ever embarked on a long-term project, I'd be remiss not to share some of the bumps in the road I've encountered while writing this book.

This is a peek behind the curtain, which I think is important, because it normalizes the highs and lows of long-term creative work.

The Bumps 🚧

1. Bad Brainstorms 🤦‍♀️

I first had the idea for AQ while writing my first book in 2022. I knew I wanted a chapter on navigating change—but it quickly became clear it was actually a whole book. I still had my first book to finish, so I did what I had space for: I brainstormed titles. Over a year, I came up with 42 of them. None were good. (Special embarrassing shoutout to "The Handbook of Change" and "Change Yourself Now" 😵‍💫)

2. No’s and Not Yets ❌

The breakthrough came on a flight to Paris in 2023. I suddenly knew the title and the concept would be AQ. I was filled with energy and excitement. The response? Less enthusiastic. My publisher passed. My agent wasn’t convinced. I felt deeply alone in believing this book needed to exist.

3. Pausing for Perspective ⏸️

By the end of 2023, I was exhausted from promoting my first book, and I didn't have the energy to try to find a home for AQ—especially with my first child due soon. So, I paused, even though I quietly feared that pausing might mean that someone else would have the same idea and do it better and faster.

4. Rewrites and Relentless Hounding 📤🐕

When my daughter was three months old, I tried again—this time with an entirely new proposal I wrote in the evenings and weekends. Then came months of unanswered emails while my agent juggled other commitments. I'd reach out, then reach out again, and when I still didn't hear back, I'd follow up with a text. This went on until she finally read my new proposal several weeks after I initially sent it.

Breakthroughs 🔨💥

Looking back, the only explanation for why I kept going is self-trust. Something in me compelled me to keep working on the book and to do it quickly.

And I’m glad I listened. When the proposal finally went out (now 2 years after I first had the original idea ), I received four offers to acquire the book—all from dream editors who were passionate and excited about AQ.

That was before the chaos of the 2024 U.S. election cycle. Since then, interest in AQ has only grown. The book sold foreign rights in multiple territories, and I've already brought this material to a dozen corporate partners —far beyond what I experienced at the beginning of my first book.

I look back at all the bumps, and they actually bring a smile to my face. Those detours and obstacles make me even more proud to be launching my book today. After all, as I write in AQ:

LEARN MORE

They say you write the book you need for yourself, and this is absolutely true for me. Amid the exponential change we're all experiencing, combined with the confusion of being a new parent, I desperately desired a playbook for how to work with change rather than be paralyzed by it. I wanted this for my clients, readers, and myself.

Through my work with over 200 founders, executives, and dozens of teams, I’ve seen what actually helps people adapt rather than shut down. This book shares those tools—so you can embrace the unknown- not fear it.
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The Bright Spots 🚀

Let's learn how to move through it together, with AQ as the new superpower for our unstable world.

​If you live in New York, San Francisco, or Miami...I'd love to see you this week as I celebrate this significant moment.

Thank you for being here on this journey with me,

Liz