Send Bri to Tribe Conference

Awesome Friend,

Can I tell you a cool thing that happened to me this year?

There's this guy, Jeff Goins , who has a blog about writing. It's pretty cool. You should check it out. He's been on my radar for a while now but something wild happened to me back in March that changed my life forever.


Mike and I were going through a crazy challenging time and life seemed harder than it should be. It's hard to be transparent about how difficult life can be. Bu that is just the truth of where I was. My grandma used to say, "It's always darkest just before the dawn." She was right. I asked myself repeatedly, “Does it get any darker than this?”.

The next day, I got an email from Jeff telling me about this book he wrote called The Art of Work. For some reason it just connected with me right away. I bought it, downloaded it, read it and had my mind blown.

More importantly, my heart was excited. Someone was writing a book that spoke *directly* to my struggles. This book gave me more confidence than I can explain. It changed my perspective on my struggles (they do have meaning even though they are gut wrenching), it made be believe that my purpose is definitely embedded within me (it cannot be taken away), and it gave me hope that I could and would make a difference in this world through my writing (I am not alone in my hard times).

More than all of this, reading the book marked a turning point in my life. If everything up until that moment had been darkness, then reading that damn book was the dawn. It’s not that Jeff is magical or anything, it’s just that the timing couldn't have been better...

This is where the unexpected thing happened.

I got a wild hair to tell Jeff what his book meant to me on Instagram. Then…Jeff became my friend.

This dude Skyped with Mike and I about stuff, invited us to Franklin to hang out and connect with people, and even gave us a seat in one of his courses. I could give you more specifics about how much Jeff has given, but the point is he went above and beyond what is normal. His behavior is not usual. His style of giving is not common. I actually think he’s all right.


I'm not getting anything to say this. I just needed you to know. This is a part of my story. I need you to know that there are still people in this world who do show up. I can show up. You can show up.

I know you doubt it sometimes and wonder where and if these givers exist. So I had to tell you.


This experience and reading all the stories of the people in the book started to do it's work in me. Slowly, I began to step out from behind the people in my life I was hiding. Instead of giving friends, strangers and family the advice, "You should become a writer", I started to give myself that advice. Something inside kept calling and eventually I started to listen. The #1 best concept from the book is this: listen to your life.

So if I was supposed to listen to life, then what would it be telling me based on this unexpected shift in the norm? Should I call it what it is? After all this hustle and trial? Yes.

I am a writer.

Now, 6 months later I am here - still fighting for my life. That darkness that my grandma spoke about only got darker. But the basalt in the storm was remembering the real stories of the people I read about in the book and the people I met in Franklin. If they could find their calling in the midst of the darkest battles then so could I. And I am.

Writing has become the friend that I always wanted. It's become the beacon calling me ashore. These words and letters are a stable and unchanging fortress for me. Jeff didn't give that to me. But he did call it out. He put that under my nose and I was willing to scout it out.

In about a week Jeff will be hosting the very first run of, what I'm sure will become, a "must attend" yearly conference. It's called Tribe Conference. I want be there. I want to listen to my life, be balls out, and say 'yes'. So here's where I need your help.

The expense to get to Franklin is not huge or anything, it's just out of my budget right now.

As some of you know, Mike and I recently had both of our cars smashed at the same time by a hit-and-run. Huge bummer. This crazy unexpected inconvenience just blew us out of the water. So some things needed to be put on the back burner.

Sometimes saying 'yes' to your life doesn't come in a package with a big bow on top. Sometimes saying 'yes' looks like not taking 'no' for an answer. I thought of all the amazing people in my life and wondered what they would do. So I started a crowd funding page. I need your help to say 'yes'.

While I was in Franklin in March, Jeff gave me some copies of his book to give away. All the closest people in my life got a copy. I still have 5 left. I’ve been holding on to them for Lord knows why.

But in the style of perfect timing, I think this is why I’ve been holding on to them: I want to be the generosity that I felt. I want to not forget what that felt like to be given to. It’s powerful. And I can count on one hand how many times I’ve actually felt generosity.

So I’m going to be that.

In the spirit of giving and receiving, I want to give you a copy of Jeff’s book, The Art of Work.

If you’re like me, struggling to find your purpose in this one wild and precious life and feel like this book could be just the spark that you need, then I want you to have a copy. Share your story with me the way I shared mine with Jeff and I’ll give 5 copies away to the 5 stories that strike me most.


Here’s the extra cool thing. I’ll also give you what Jeff gave me. The most valuable gift anyone can ever give: time.

I want to talk with you about where you feel most stuck. How can I help you get unstuck even a little? Write your story in the comments. Get a book and have a conversation with me. If you feel moved to donate to my cause then do it!

I need your help. Of course I only have 5 books to give away. But I have so much gratitude for you in my heart already.


Bri