Session Synopsis

Deepa Purushothoman has become a bestselling author, a TED and SXSW speaker, and has been featured across multiple publications, including TIME, PBS, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Financial Times, and Harvard Business Review. Her TED Talks have over 1 million views.

But not too long ago, she was a corporate olympian, sick from the weight of her job and had a curious feeling that she was meant for more.

She had an idea for a book that was in danger of colliding with her NDA, and she was so blocked she almost hired a ghostwriter.

And then she found her voice in a very special way that propelled her onto the world stage.

In a sale that included one of the biggest agents in New York and her dream publisher, her first book, The First, the Few, the Only: How Women of Color Are Redefining Power in Corporate America, changed the global conversation.

Now, you get to find out how she quit her day job and the mistakes you can avoid along the way: 

  • Should you hire a ghostwriter?
  • What to do if you’ve signed an NDA and want to write about work.
  • When to know if you are definitely ready to quit your day job.
  • How to cold call famous people and get them to appear in your book.  
  • What’s it like when Kamala and Oprah come calling.
  • Why the right writing community can be the difference between never publishing and publishing like a pro. 
  • Launching your bestseller.
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