Are You Listening?

Many people aspire to live the lives they’ve always dreamed of, but it’s rare to meet someone who actually makes those dreams a reality, which is why Lynn Sunde is such an inspiration. Downtown Anoka shoppers will likely recognize her smiling face from her work as former longtime manager of local coffee house Avant Garden. Now Lynn is realizing a lifelong dream of becoming her own boss with the publication of her debut, Are You Listening? Lynn recently joined us in the company store to sign copies and catch up with old friends.

Writing a book wasn't a lifelong goal of Lynn's.  All she knew was that she wanted to be her own boss someday, and had always loved the therapeutic process of writing.  She even wrote a gift book for her mother of life lessons, but never really thought of combining her entrepreneurial goals with the written word until she came across a letter she’d drafted to a friend and tossed aside with no intention of ever sending. The letter was a response to her friend’s comment that there was no point in talking to God because he never felt like God was listening. Her response, detailing all the ways in which one can find God’s voice in every day life, eventually became her first publication, Are You Listening?  She’d written the letter mainly for herself, to get her feelings out on paper, but it wasn’t until she showed it to someone else and was blown away by their powerful reaction, that she realized she’d written something with the potential to inspire others.

Working alongside the entrepreneurs of Anoka (including our own Cheryl Karpen) provided Lynn with the inspiration and knowledge to pursue self publishing, as did a friendship she’d struck up with graphic designer and publisher Guy Mahmarian of Vision van Gogh. To tackle the daunting task of publishing a book, Lynn began by creating a list of steps necessary for achieving her goal and set about crossing them off. After working out time frames, budgets, marketing, and a year and a half of revising and designing, she finally had the finished product in her hands. How did it feel? “It was crazy,” Lynn laughed. “I couldn’t stop smiling. It’s a book!” All the hard work she poured into Are You Listening? should pave the way for coordinating gifts (calendars, magnets, and posters) and a second book in the next year or so.  But for now, Lynn is enjoying the sense of accomplishment and relief that come with a job well done, and is looking forward to getting her message out to new audiences.

To learn more about Lynn's book, check out her website or stop by Gently Spoken's company store to read a copy.

www.anotherwordpublishing.com

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