My younger daughter who had just given birth to her first child in March 2020 asked if I thought her son would have to protest in his lifetime as well. I started writing the book in response to that question.

Anita D. Russell – 19 April 2021

The Back Flap

Race as a social construct is based on the thoughts, ideas and beliefs that lie within the hearts and minds of people. For this reason, overcoming systemic racism and miseducation requires systemic and institutional change, as well as self-reflection and individual transformation.

In her self-help guide to dismantling racism, author and life coach Anita D. Russell shares her approach to true change from the inside out using personal development, sustainable relationships, and transformational living. Through personal stories and milestones from her own transformational journey, Russell explains how to define core values, how to be an inclusive leader, and ultimately how cultivating change through daily development can unleash human potential.

Faced with white fragility and racism, society shies away from conversations about transformative strategies at the personal level. In Cultivating Change from the Inside Out, Russell shows you how to move with vision, purpose, and action, and asks—should we continue to advance a system that encourages racism and division? Or should we seek unity and change through personal transformation?

About the book

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing in March 2020.

How long did it take you  write it?

One year – the book release date is March 23, 2021

Where did you get the idea from?

I started writing the book in response to a question my daughter asked me shortly after the murder of George Floyd. As my daughters prepared for a protest march in Pittsburgh, PA, we had a family discussion about the three generations of protesting our family represented. My mother protested, I protested, and now my daughters were protesting, all for the same thing—our right to freely exist in the melanized skin in which we were born. My younger daughter who had just given birth to her first child in March 2020 asked if I thought her son would have to protest in his lifetime as well. I started writing the book in response to that question. I use my coaching platform as a means to impact social change through personal transformation at the individual level. The book lays out the strategy for personal transformation on a journey towards antiracism.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

There were not. My personal experiences dealing with racism in my own life became my starting point. The strategy laid out in the book is based on the principles I apply in my coaching practice.

What came easily?

The thing that came most easily was writing from my own personal experiences. The ability to pull from personal experiences lies in deep self-knowledge, one of the components of my coaching practice.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

My book is nonfiction.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Michelle Obama and her book Becoming had influential impact on my approach to writing. The idea of becoming is embedded in my coaching as I work with clients in the growth space between where they are in their life and where they desire to be—that is their “becoming” space, the space where growth happens as they deepen their knowledge of self.

Do you have a target reader?

My work in general, coaching and writing, targets those who are feeling stuck in their lives. I work with individuals 1:1 or in groups to move them out of analysis paralysis, and forward into (re)designing their lives. It’s primarily (though, not exclusively) women solopreneurs, business owners, and career professionals.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

My writing process involves an initial idea, then conceptualization and filling in the details using lots of post-it-notes on my wall.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

Conceptualization usually begins with the chapter headings, some initial ideas, and relevant scripture that defines the overall tone of that particular chapter.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

Lots of editing along the way, then line-by-line editing to finalize the manuscript.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes, I work with a company that provide professional publishing services – editing, cover design, marketing, and formatting.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I listen to music sometimes, but with no lyrics, like jazz, or classical. Most times, I have nothing in the background when on a writing roll.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No, I’ve never worked with an agent.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher?

The idea of being 100% self-publishing was not a consideration because I sorely lacked the knowledge. Working with an indie publisher means I don’t have to know the technical stuff but can rely on the professionals

Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

It was very much a gradual process. I started off with knowing next to nothing. Gradually I identified experts that I feel comfortable working with. My desire was to identify an indie publisher that I could work with for future projects as well.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

Professionally designed

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I do have a marketing plan but I’m still learning at this point. I know a lot more now than when I published my first independent project. So, for example, I have a book launch team this time around.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Always be open to learning and continuously improving as you get deeper in the world of indie authorship. I am so much more knowledgeable now than when I started but I still have gaps in my knowledge base. I’ve learned not to try to do it all myself, but rather take a team approach.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I was born, raised, and educated in Pittsburgh PA. However, I left the city in 1988 to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry. I lived in central New Jersey for the next three decades.

Where do you live now?

In 2018 I relocated back to my home city of Pittsburgh where I currently reside.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m very passionate about cultivating change for social transformation. I enjoy doing BIG things – building community, inspiring change, and giving back.

What are you working on now?

Based on this book, I developed Social Impact Mastermind: A Transformational Journey Toward Antiracism. It’s an 8-week mastermind with ten people on a journey towards developing a personal strategy for moving towards antiracism in a racialized society.

End of Interview:

For more from Anita D Russell, visit her life coaching website, her author website, and follow her on Twitter.

Get your copy of Cultivating Change from the Inside Out from Amazon US or Amazon UK.