The Author’s Mic™: Trish Springsteen on Finding Her Voice and Leaving a Legacy
Trish Springsteen didn’t believe she could write. She didn’t think she had stories to tell, and public speaking wasn’t something she imagined herself doing. When she joined me on The Author’s Mic™, we talked about how that changed—and how her work grew to include speaking, coaching, and writing, co-authoring, contributing to, or facilitating 22 books.
For authors wondering whether their experience belongs on the page, Trish’s story gets into that question through the decisions she made, the opportunities she accepted, and the personal experiences she chose to share.
Watch the full episode:
Walking Into a Room Without Knowing Where It Would Lead
Trish described herself as a shy introvert when she left high school. If somebody had told her then that she would become a speaker, coach, and author, she said she would have laughed along with everyone else.
Years later, after moving cities, she wanted to make friends. She was balancing work, study, and family when she walked into a Toastmasters club.
She hadn’t gone there looking for a speaking career. But she kept going back, made friends, and began developing confidence. Mentors helped her recognize that she had experiences worth sharing.
That part of our conversation matters because her career didn’t begin with a complete plan. She entered a room for one reason and gradually discovered something else she could do.
The First Book Was a Business Decision
Trish and her then-business partner started their business in 2006. Their first book came from being told that having a book would help establish credibility.
The experience was expensive, and she described decisions around the cover and title that left her with lessons about what she would never do again.
After that collaboration, she wanted a book under her own name. She wrote Creating Confident Communicators and thought she had done what she needed to do: she was speaking, coaching, and had written two books.
She wasn’t planning a long list of future titles. In her mind, she was a speaker and a coach. She still wasn’t thinking of herself as an author.
Saying Yes to a Chapter Changed Things
When someone invited Trish to contribute a chapter to another book, her first response was that she had already written her books.
Then she caught herself. She encouraged other people to move beyond what felt comfortable, but here she was resisting an opportunity because she had become comfortable herself.
She accepted the invitation. The book was being published in America, which initially made the experience feel a little safer and more distant.
Then people read her contribution. And they liked it.
That chapter became part of a much larger writing life. During our conversation, Trish explained that her work across 22 books included several roles: author, co-author, contributing author, and facilitator of compilations.
She also described how a contribution to another book led to an invitation to an Oscars gifting lounge. It was an opportunity she hadn’t anticipated when she first agreed to participate.
Making Room for Other People’s Stories
Two of the books we discussed were Touched By Breast Cancer and Forever Changed By Suicide.
These projects came from personal experience and created room for others to share their experiences, too. Trish spoke about her breast cancer journey and about losing her son Craig to suicide.
Forever Changed By Suicide is particularly close to her heart. Through the compilation, she brought together people whose lives had been affected by suicide, giving them space to share memories, experiences, and perspectives.
I told her how much I appreciate seeing someone take something painful and create something that may help another person. It doesn’t remove the grief. But another person’s story can help someone feel less alone.
That is a different reason for writing than the business credibility that prompted her first book. Her relationship with books had changed.
What Does a Book Leave Behind?
Trish explained that speaking reaches the people in the audience or those watching a video. A book can continue circulating after that moment has passed.
For her, that is part of its legacy.
She talked about success in very specific terms: if someone picks up a book, reads a chapter or even a few lines, and finds something they need at that moment, the work has served a purpose.
That stayed with me. We spend a lot of time talking about how many people see our work. Trish was also talking about what happens when the work reaches one particular person.
The Work She Was Still Developing
At the time of our conversation, Trish was working on a public-speaking book that considered both introvert and extrovert perspectives. She laughed about having been almost finished with it for two years while other projects kept drawing her attention.
She was also developing a compilation of people’s experiences and thoughts about artificial intelligence.
Her work extends beyond writing her own books. She discussed helping people write and become more visible, facilitating compilations, and serving as an MC for book launches online and in person.
She has experienced different publishing routes, including self-publishing, working with independent publishers, and collaborating with other writers. Those experiences inform the support she offers others.
Her closing encouragement was simple: “Just write. Don’t worry about being perfect.”
Guest Links
Website:
https://www.trishspringsteen.com/
Books—including Creating Confident Communicators, Touched By Breast Cancer, and Forever Changed By Suicide:
https://www.trishspringsteen.com/books/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Trischel?ref=hl
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishspringsteen/?originalSubdomain=au
Key Takeaways
Trish joined Toastmasters to make friends; confidence and a speaking career developed from continuing to participate.
Her first book began as a business credibility decision, while later projects grew from experiences and stories she wanted to share.
Accepting an invitation to contribute a chapter helped her reconsider the limits she had placed on her writing.
Her 22-book body of work includes authorship, co-authorship, contributions, and facilitating compilations.
She values a book’s ability to reach someone who needs its message long after the original conversation or event.
Publishing With Bright Headed Publishing
Trish’s first publishing experience is a reminder that producing a book involves decisions authors may be making for the first time.
Bright Headed Publishing provides hands-on publishing support for selected authors. That can include interior formatting, print-ready file preparation, ISBN assignment under the Bright Headed Publishing imprint, and KDP and IngramSpark distribution setup.
The work also considers what the book needs around it, including author materials, companion resources, and support beyond publication day. Each project receives attention based on the book and the author’s goals.
If you have a completed or nearly completed manuscript and are serious about publishing, contact Bright Headed Publishing to discuss your project:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com
Finley’s Journey Spotlight
A book can give readers a story and provide a way to keep exploring its subject.
Finley’s Journey by Jeff Hepner, published under the Bright Headed Publishing imprint, is part of The Classroom Creatures Chronicles™. It follows a trout from a classroom tank toward open water, connecting the story with authentic conservation experiences.
The Finley’s Journey Student Workbook extends that reading into activities about trout life cycles, watersheds, and river stewardship. Observation and reflection prompts connect the story with classroom and at-home learning.
The book and workbook show how Bright Headed Publishing’s production and resource-development work can support a project’s educational purpose.
Explore Finley’s Journey and its student workbook:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com/new-releases
The Author’s Mic™ — Be a Guest
If you are an author, editor, publishing professional, or creative doing meaningful work in the literary space, visit The Author’s Mic™ guest page to learn about participating:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com/be-a-guest
The 2026 recording calendar is closed. Scheduling will reopen in April 2027. Visit the website for guest-waitlist information.
TrustBridge™
TrustBridge™ connects indie authors with bookstores, book clubs, podcasts, and other literary platforms through curated introductions and real relationship-building. Every author package includes a professional media kit.
For authors — TrustBridge™ Author Services:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com/trustbridgetm-author-services
For bookstores, podcasts, book clubs, and other literary partners — TrustBridge™ Partner Network:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com/partner-with-us
The Indie Author Toolkit
Practical tools and strategy for making stronger decisions throughout the author journey:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com/products/digital-product-10197841
Books From Bright Headed Publishing
Discover and support books published by Bright Headed Publishing:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com/products
Indie Reader Society™
Join a reader community created to discover and discuss books by indie authors:
https://bookclubs.com/the-indie-reader-society/join/
Free Guide: So You Wanna Write a Book
If you have a book idea but need help understanding where to begin, download the free guide:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com
Watch, Comment, and Stay Connected
Watch my full conversation with Trish, then tell me in the comments: Have you ever accepted an invitation to write or speak before you felt ready? What happened?
Share this blog with an author or creative who would appreciate hearing how Trish’s writing life developed. Follow Bright Headed Publishing for more author conversations, publishing strategy, and indie-book discoveries.
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