Planning + pondering = progress

- Jun 20, 2025

PLANNING & PONDERING = PROGRESS

This week, I’ve been deep in the weeds of planning: working on a book proposal and Le Trente’s business plan. If you think these are two vastly different things, think again.

As I’ve recently come to understand, a book proposal is a business plan for a book. You see, writers need to do more than wow people with our prose. The challenge is to demonstrate to agents and publishers there is a market for our offering, so they can pitch and sell it themselves while the book is in development. Just like a business, I need to articulate who will want to read my upcoming book (a memoir, currently in between titles) and how and wherethey will find it, or me.

My first couple of attempts to capture the market context and offer a relevant analysis failed to move me. And duh, if it doesn’t move me, why would it grab anyone’s attention? I found that all the Google searches and the AI stayed at the surface of things, despite spitting out interesting facts. So I’m going deep, burying myself in global reports on wellness, e-learning, etc (that’s for Le Trente).

Any plan we lay out on paper tells a story, even if it’s made of graphs and figures, alongside our words. Just like with any story, there are a myriad of ways we could frame a plan or a presentation. It’s that frame that will capture a reader’s attention.

Suddenly, the weight of my words feels much more tangible than they ever have. How I weave them together will determine who will support me, join me.

Please, send me good vibes while I ponder and edit my business oeuvre.

Hats off to the wonderful writer Beth Kempton, author of several bestselling books including Wabi Sabi, for her exceptional Book Proposal course. Her thoughtful pedagogic approach is matched by her generosity of spirit, making this a compelling and transformative space. Who knows what may happen next, thanks to her guidance!

Now, a few announcements!

Out of the Clouds turns 5!

It’s baffling, yes, five years already since I launched this passion project, and I stand today a different woman than I was, thanks to each conversation I had with my guests. Thanks to every single one of you who have listened, shared, liked or even reviewed the podcast, I am deeply grateful for your support. Help me spread the word by rating and reviewing the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify! Also if you live in or near Geneva, join me for a celebration (think rosé and cake) and a conversation on voice, self-expression and podcasting. Click here to register via Partiful App.

Le Trente’s online calendar is live!

Lu.Ma event calendar

For now, you’ll see online guided meditations starting next week, but if you subscribe to it (a neat feature from Lu.ma), you’ll receive updates directly in your inbox. Expect to be invited to an experiential values workshop (both online and in person) and a goal-setting workshop this July. Ah yes, I do enjoy sitting down and reviewing my goals mid-year, before having a break. If you’ve never tried it, join me for this generative exploration of the future.

Salon announcements are only shared with my local Geneva list, so don’t expect to see those pop up on the same calendar.

Today, I’m finally back to my usual schedule, offering a short digest below of articles, books and links that I felt you needed to hear about.

How to survive a crisis. NYT’s Well newsletter asked an international disaster adviser to share her advice when navigating rough waters. Read here​

AI is going to ‘replace everybody’ - in certain fields - says Geoffrey Hinton, known as the godfather of AI. Better be ready is my pov. Read at Entrepreneur.com​

A long-time friend and collaborator of Out of the Clouds, and prior to that, at Christian Louboutin, Brooklyn-based photographer and cultural explorator Lougé Delcy returned to Kenya to immerse himself in the Maasai life for National Geographic. A beautiful and moving short film that I cannot recommend enough. Watch on YouTube.

Yancey Strickler, ex-CEO and co-founder of Kickstarter, also known for the Bento Society and Metalable, delivered a powerful TED talk on the big stage in Vancouver this past April. I wish I’d been there to see him talk about his new project, or cheval de bataille: The Artist Corporation (think not B corp, but A corp) - a new structure for creative people, to give artists the same economic advantages as everyone else. A very important move (soon to be put forward as legislation in the US). Read about it here at Metalabel, join the movement and watch the TED talk here!

As if life with the algorithms wasn’t complicated enough, from Google or Instagram, things are getting next-level interesting in the search world, as SEO (search engine optimisation) becomes Search Everywhere - yes, your favourite AI tools also search the net for you. And this can change everything about how you find what you need online, and how people can find you, or your business. My friends at Salt & Sage Storytelling break it down for you. The good news, old school SEO still matters, but there is much to learn to adapt to the new and ever-changing reality. Read about it here.

For entertainment purposes, in case you haven’t heard, T-Rex handbags are coming to a shop/mall near you. I really feel some scientists could do better things with their time. Read here.​

On my read list, this piece from the Guardian on former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, currently on what looks like a worldwide book tour.

A fascinating new study in Nature Human Behaviour reveals that US political rhetoric has shifted dramatically away from evidence-based arguments since the 1970s, reaching historic lows today. After studying eight million speeches (!), the international research team found that as politicians increasingly favour personal beliefs over facts, the US has experienced declining legislative productivity, deepening political polarisation, and growing economic inequality.

Lead researcher Garcia (who I heard speak recently in Geneva) notes that healthy democratic discourse requires both evidence-based reasoning and intuitive understanding—facts provide the foundation for debate, while personal experience adds crucial emotional context for addressing societal challenges. The concerning trend away from this balance offers important lessons for democracies worldwide about maintaining productive political dialogue. Read here.

The next frontier in scent is neuro-aromatics, or mood-altering scents, as I discovered, semi-bewildered on ShowStudios’ Instagram. I’m sort of keen to try. Read about it here.

In my latest Out of the Clouds episode, I talk with Alice Ruby Ross and Rebecca Monserat of Forivor, who are reimagining children's bedding as a gateway to nature appreciation. What began as Rebecca's half-awake vision has become an award-winning sustainable business creating magical dual-sided designs—real wildlife by day, enchanted creatures by night—through Alice's beautiful illustrations.

Beyond their products, we explore their refreshing philosophy that "the business is there for us to enjoy our life within it, not for us to serve the business." They candidly discuss the irony of wanting to save the planet while selling products, and how their professional partnership has evolved into a sisterly bond.

This conversation offers wisdom about intentional living, creative collaboration, and values-aligned business choices—perfect for anyone interested in sustainable entrepreneurship or connecting children with nature. Happy listening! (or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify)

Inc. reports that neuroscience says your office should have a dedicated daydreaming space. As I work from home, I’ll say I’ve got it - my meditation cushion serves most days as a daydreaming platform. Do you want one? Pitch your employer after you read this article.​

Watching the news (though mostly through my IG feed) has been painful for the past weeks. Wherever I look, I find reasons to worry – or occasionally, despair. Given how most of the world is currently running, this essay from Psyche on how to cultivate intellectual humility felt eminently relevant.

A major article on ADHD from The New York Times Magazine feels like something many of my friends have on their reading lists, as more and more teenagers and adults are diagnosed with the condition. What it is, really, and how it works seems increasingly difficult to agree on. Hopefully, this will shine a new light on the widely misunderstood condition. Read here (audio version available, also this article is a gift, aka not behind a paywall.)