Meet Marcy Mckay

We recently connected with Marcy Mckay and have shared our conversation below.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Years ago, a voice woke me from a dream and told me to write a book. It took various manuscripts that will NEVER see the light of day, but finally, the RIGHT VOICE came to me from my debut novel, PENNIES FROM BURGER HEAVEN (over 900 Amazon reviews). How WEIRD + WONDERFUL that a fictional 12-years homeless girl who “lives” at the cemetery came into my head and heart to tell her story about her missing mom?!

Since then, I’ve published other novels and my nonfiction book, TRANSFORMING YOUR STRESS, hit #1 on Amazon Hot New Releases. I’m a multi-passionate creative: author, keynote speaker, corporate workshop facilitator, and certified-mindset coach. I show people how to work and play better together in the sandbox of life.

My current JOY is my podcast, SHIT IN OUR BARN (REAL + RAW TALK) that shares lessons learned from my family’s house fire in 2017. My purpose is inspire, entertain and educate people with my stories, written and spoken.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

My three skills that were most impactful:
1. COMMITMENT – when my kids were little, I would drag my ass out of bed at 5 am every weekday, then write for 2 hours until my kids woke up and they went to school, then I went to work. There are so many days that I did not feel motivated, did not want to, but that novel was BURNING in my heart. I showed up to make my dreams come true.
2. COMMUNITY – I needed to be with like-minded weirdos who understood my passion. I find a local writing group to learn more about the craft of writing, then a weekly critique group for accountability, friendship (warning – your critique group should feel inspiring, not abusive. You can tell someone their work needs work without being a jerk).
3. DELUSIONAL – I believed in my dream long before anyone else did. Be your own cheerlead (that’s why #2 is so important). Only listen to advice from people on similar journeys to you, not your uncle who hates everything.

ADVICE:
1. TAKE SMALL, MESSY STEPS – Don’t wait for the perfect time to start. The perfect time to start is now.
2. FAILURE IS PART OF THE PROCESS – We need to stop fearing failure. You will 100% fail along the way. Expect. Get back and keep going.
3. CELEBRATE THE SMALL WINS – You wrote 5 pages three days in a row? Great. You started an Instagram page about your new biz? Wonderful. Go meet a friend for coffee (or do something inexpensive to salute your commitment to yourself and your dreams.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://marcymckay.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormarcymckay/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormarcymckay/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcy-mckay

Image Credits

Two professional photos: Katie Billstrom Photography