Ellie Shefi Is Unlocking Your Superpower Through Her Books!

Ellie Shefi has overcome so much in her lifetime, that she is now ready to help others learn from her various adversities. From abuse to domestic violence to homelessness & cancer, Ellie has survived and become stronger than ever.

She has now put her experiences into a few books that include "Unlocking Your Superpower: 8 Steps to Turn Your Existing Knowledge into Income", "Sisters Rising: Stories of Remarkable Women Living Extraordinary Lives" and "The Authorities: Powerful Wisdom from Leaders in the Field".

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1. What have you found to be the key to success as an author?

For me, there have been two fundamental keys to my success as an author. First, have a very clear objective—know from the start exactly what point you want to make; what knowledge, skills, or resources you want to share; what transformation you want to evoke. Understanding exactly where you want the reader to be at the end of the book allows you to reverse-engineer the journey you want to take them on and create a clear pathway to get them there so you can guide them to your desired outcome and increase the efficacy of your message.

Second, be authentic! Writing in your real, raw, authentic voice facilitates greater connection with your readers. My audience knows that I am no fluff. They know (and expect) that I will share the good and the bad, the success and the failure, the struggle and the celebration. The more true to myself, my voice, and my experiences I am, the deeper the connection becomes with my audience, which in turn, leads to greater success.

2. You released three books in 2020. Tell us what they’re all about!

Each of my books serves a different purpose, but all of my books provide practical, easy-to-implement tools, resources, and strategies. If you are an entrepreneur or budding entrepreneur (or if COVID has forced you to change careers or find supplemental sources of income), then you’ll want to pick up a copy of Unlocking Your Superpower: 8 Steps to Turn Your Existing Knowledge Into Income. I wrote it one month into lockdown when my friends started losing their businesses due to COVID’s industry shutdown restrictions. Unlocking Your Superpower: 8 Steps to Turn Your Existing Knowledge Into Income is a powerful step-by-step playbook that teaches you how to start, pivot, diversify, or scale a knowledge- or service-based business. It’s clear, direct, and designed for you to implement what you’re learning along the way.

The Authorities: Powerful Wisdom from Leaders in the Field, which I co-authored with Les Brown, Bob Proctor, Marci Shimoff, and other industry thought leaders, discusses business, real estate, retirement, estate planning, mindset, and more, so it’s great for a broader macro view.

Sisters Rising: Stories of Remarkable Women Living Extraordinary Lives is the book series I created that is by women, for women, to celebrate and showcase women. The first volume features a diverse group of nine incredible female entrepreneurs (I’m honored to be among them). Sisters Rising is the choice if you’re looking to learn from, and be inspired by, a powerhouse group of female entrepreneurs.

3. What was the hardest part about writing these stories and feelings?

For Unlocking Your Superpower and Sisters Rising, the hardest part for me was the sense of urgency I felt to get the books out into the world. COVID hit, lockdowns ensued, and my friends began losing their jobs and losing their businesses. I knew I had to do something—fast. As I mentioned earlier, Unlocking Your Superpower was my response to COVID. In the book, I walk you step-by-step through the process of starting, pivoting, or diversifying a business. It’s designed to help you start a business and generate revenue or help you keep your existing business open through pivot and diversification plans. Similarly, the first volume of Sisters Rising showcased female entrepreneurs—it was my way of bringing attention to them and helping them gain new clients so their businesses could weather the pandemic.

Beyond my sense of urgency, the other difficulty for me was carving out the time to write as much and as fast as I wanted to. In addition to running my companies, teaching my programs, and writing my books, I am also an attorney with the US judiciary and the dean of a law school—both of which were shifting to remote working and adjusting to a “new normal”— and, consequently, needed extra time and attention from me.

Thankfully, what wasn’t difficult for me was the actual writing. Because I’ve been writing and ghostwriting for decades, because I’ve developed an efficient system for writing quickly and easily, and because I had a clear objective for each book, I was able to get all three books out into the world during the last half of the year. It’s been amazing to get these resources into the hands of people who need the tools and strategies they provide.

4. What do you hope people have learned after reading your books?

I’m a no-fluff, tactical implementation strategist at heart, so my books are designed to empower and equip people with the practical, easy-to-implement tools and strategies they need to become the architect of their life. My books are results-oriented resources that get people from where they are to where they want to be—faster and with clarity and ease.

If you’re an entrepreneur, I help you bring your businesses to life. If you want to tell your story—whether as an author or a speaker—I help you find your voice, get clear on your message, and tell your story so you can amplify your impact. If you’re a woman who is sick and tired of being defined by the labels, expectations, and demands of others, I help you break free and create life on your own terms. It’s my mission to ignite impact, empower transformation, and facilitate change. And I’m grateful that my books do just that!

5. Aside from your own, what authors and books are on your top reading list?

I gravitate to autobiographies and personal development books, so right now my list includes Believe IT, by Jaime Kern Lima; Becoming, by Michelle Obama; You Are a Badass, by Jen Sincero; The Power of Vulnerability, by Brené Brown; The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle; Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl; Untamed, by Glennon Doyle; High Performance Habits, by Brendon Burchard; and of course, Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill.

6. What quote helps motivate you on a daily basis?

I actually have three quotes that motivate me on a daily basis—one that encapsulates my philosophy and two that have been guiding forces throughout my life.

“If you ask me what I came into this world to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud,” by Émile Zola encapsulates my life philosophy. It represents my absolutely unstoppable nature and my unwavering drive to live fully and to truly change the world.

“Life happens for me, not to me” and “Change your story, change your life,” both by Tony Robbins, have been my guiding forces since I first heard them as a child. By embracing these principles, I have been able to train myself to find and choose empowering meanings in even the most trying events and circumstances, to live in gratitude, and to actively seek the good, find the solution, recognize the opportunity, and look for the lesson in all that happens in my life. This has allowed me to master my mindset, grow, make consistent progress, and ultimately become successful.

7. Will we see additional follow-up books in the future?

Absolutely! I’m contributing to at least two books this year—Women Who Shine and SuccessONomics (which I’m co-authoring with the legendary Jack Canfield)—both of which should be released in late summer or early fall 2021. I’ll continue to write books that ignite impact, empower transformation, and facilitate change!

8. You also run writers' workshops each year. How can people sign up to be notified of your next one?

Easy! Just go to www.ellieshefi.com and sign up to be notified of my next writers’ workshop. My writers’ workshops tend to sell out quickly, so be sure to add your name to the waitlist to be the first to know when spots become available.