This author platform success story didn’t begin with confidence, it began with quiet resistance, deep fear, and a story too important to stay hidden.
Every author starts somewhere. For some, it’s a love of storytelling. For others, it’s a mission to tell a personal story or educate on something important.
For Dr. Yvette Colón, that mission began quietly. As a pancreatic cancer survivor and medical professional, she lived through both the physical battle and the emotional weight of medical racism. She didn’t set out to become an advocate. She simply wanted to help others facing what she had faced.
When she first reached out, she had no website, no newsletter, and a LinkedIn profile untouched for over a decade. A powerful memoir sat in her hands, yet the idea of sharing it publicly felt overwhelming. A private person by nature, Yvette wasn’t just hesitant, she was scared. Scared of judgment. Scared of trolls. Scared of being visible in a world that hadn’t always been kind.
Today, her platform is under a year old but it’s already growing into something solid and meaningful. She’s launched a mission-aligned website, shared powerful blog posts, and reclaimed her voice on LinkedIn. Most importantly, she’s doing it on her terms, with clarity, courage, and control.
But before we could build anything, we had to face the fear that holds so many writers back, the fear of being seen. And that’s where Yvette’s journey truly began.
From Hesitation to Hope: Facing the Fear of Visibility
When Yvette first heard the phrase “author platform,” her immediate reaction was uncertainty and overwhelm.
At the time, she had no active online presence. Social media wasn’t part of her world. The idea of being visible, truly visible, felt terrifying. It wasn’t just about learning new tools or platforms. It was about confronting the fear of being seen in a way she couldn’t control.
She worried about backlash. About trolls. About being misunderstood or targeted for speaking uncomfortable truths.
Yvette wasn’t chasing attention; she was answering a deeper call. Her goal was never internet fame but meaningful impact. Using her lived experience, she set out to advocate for BIPOC patients and expose the harsh realities of medical racism in healthcare, all while doing it on her own terms.
We began where she was, not by pushing past the fear, but by honoring it.
After a video consultation, Yvette took a leap and purchased my Author Platform Jumpstart Package, not because she felt ready to be public, but because she was ready to strategize and learn who she was as an author and what she had to offer to others. A platform grounded in purpose and protection.
Finding Her Voice Through Author Branding
Before a single website page was built or a post was made, we worked on clarity: who Yvette is, who she writes for, and what she stands for. Through guided reflection, she developed an author brand that blended her professionalism with her authenticity, something she could stand behind proudly.
Defining a Brand That Balances Privacy and Purpose
Yvette’s author brand strategy became the cornerstone for everything that followed. Together we shaped her tone, color palette, and messaging to reflect calm strength and compassion; values at the heart of her advocacy.
Key steps we focused on:
- Clarifying her mission and message before designing anything
- Choosing colors and visuals that mirrored her calm confidence and advocacy mission
- Writing statements that honored her boundaries while sharing truth
By the end of this step, Yvette had a clear statement of purpose and a brand identity that matched her story, setting the stage for her website and beyond.
Through collaborative strategy sessions and guided exercises, she received two core deliverables:
- A comprehensive Author Brand Strategy document that outlined her voice, messaging, tone, and audience
- A personalized Author Brand Guideline PDF, complete with color palette, font pairings, logo variations, tagline ideas, moodboard, and content tone guidance
These resources became her creative compass, helping her show up consistently across her website, LinkedIn, speaker page, and beyond.
Her mission statement, the heartbeat of her platform, emerged with clarity:
Fierce advocate, compassionate truth-teller, and resilient voice empowering marginalized communities and exposing healthcare inequalities.
Building a Website for Authors and Advocates That Reflects Purpose
With her brand guide in hand, we moved into her website strategy. Yvette wanted a site that felt professional but human; a space where survivors, readers, and advocates could feel seen and supported.
Turning Her Message into a Digital Home
Her new site now includes:
- A welcoming Home Page introducing her mission and story
- An honest but respectful About Page that reflects her journey
- A Books Page to highlight her upcoming memoir
- A Blog to share insights on advocacy and healing
- Speaking, Resources, and Contact pages that make connecting simple and meaningful
Each section was written with clarity, intention, and accessibility, not just to look good, but to serve her audience.
Even though her website is still under a month old, it’s already opening doors. It gives her a polished, professional platform she can confidently share with agents, publishers, and event organizers. And because it’s built with searchability in mind, it’s ready to grow alongside her platform over time.
Blogging With Purpose: Writing for Connection
With her website live, the next step was choosing how to use her voice in a way that felt both empowering and sustainable.
For Yvette, that meant blogging, not as a marketing tactic, but as a form of storytelling and service.
We designed a blog strategy rooted in three goals:
- Educate and empower readers, especially BIPOC patients and healthcare advocates
- Build credibility and search visibility through intentional, SEO-informed content
- Honor her energy by avoiding pressure to “post just to post”
She didn’t want to blog weekly, and she didn’t want to create content that felt performative. What she did want was a space where her words could matter, where her lived experience could open doors for others navigating similar journeys.
So, we built a light, purposeful content plan focused on depth over frequency.
Today, her blog features posts like:
- “What It’s Like to Navigate Cancer Care as a BIPOC Woman”
- “When the Doctor Doesn’t Believe You: A Personal Story of Medical Dismissal”
- “5 Things I Learned After My Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis”
These pieces are raw, honest, and deeply informative. They don’t just share her story, they invite others to feel seen, validated, and equipped.
A blog isn’t just a box to check. When done with intention, it becomes a space where your voice builds bridges, just like Yvette’s is doing now.
Reclaiming LinkedIn as a Platform for Writers and Advocates
Social media didn’t appeal to Yvette at first. She wanted to stay professional and avoid the chaos of fast-moving platforms. LinkedIn turned out to be the perfect space for her, a platform built around purpose, not popularity.
Finding Connection Without Losing Authenticity
Her LinkedIn strategy for authors focuses on connection, not constant posting. Instead of trying to keep up with trends, Yvette shares genuine insights from her experiences in medicine and survivorship.
Her approach includes:
- Sharing her reflections and lessons from her advocacy work
- Using LinkedIn to network with professionals and media contacts
- Highlights from her blog posts and public speaking
· Sharing posts and articles from other voices in her field of work and advocacy as a way to network and further relevant stories
Now, her LinkedIn presence reflects her professionalism, her purpose, and her personal power. It’s a platform she can return to on her terms, without the pressure to post constantly or follow trends.
Using Her Voice: Building a Speaking & Media Strategy Without the Spotlight Pressure
Yvette wasn’t looking to become a social media personality. From the beginning, she was clear: she felt most confident speaking in person, not posting online. That’s where she felt grounded. That’s where she felt heard.
Her Speaking Page and Media Kit now give event organizers and podcast hosts a clear, professional snapshot of who she is, what she speaks about, and how to reach her.
Creating Tools That Open Doors
We developed assets that position Yvette for long-term visibility:
- A downloadable media kit for press and event organizers
- A curated list of signature speaking topics for advocacy audiences
- A streamlined contact form for inquiries and collaboration
Creating a media kit is an essential step for any author hoping to expand beyond the page. It allows others to see your value instantly and increases your chances of landing meaningful opportunities.
From Invisible to Empowered: Laying the Groundwork for Ongoing Success
When Yvette first started this journey, she felt invisible. Her voice, shaped by survivorship, advocacy, and deep personal truth, had nowhere to live online. She wanted to speak up, but didn’t know how to begin.
Now, she has an author platform that reflects her voice, her values, and her mission and it’s only just beginning.
In less than a year, she’s gone from no digital presence to:
- Launching a professional, advocacy-focused author website
- Publishing powerful, mission-aligned blog posts
- Relaunching her LinkedIn with a clear message and purpose
- Building a speaker platform with a media kit and signature topics
- Creating a foundation for future growth: newsletter, outreach, and beyond
Her website is just a month old. Her platform is still under a year. And yet, the transformation is already clear.
She’s not only visible, she’s empowered.
She’s not only prepared, she’s purpose-driven.
And most importantly: she’s building her platform on her terms.
That’s what this work is about. Not followers, algorithms or chasing trends.
It’s about being able to say, with clarity and confidence:
This is who I am. This is what I stand for. And here’s where you can find me.
Three Lessons from Yvette’s Author Platform Journey
Yvette’s experience shows that courage and clarity grow through action, not perfection.
Key lessons for aspiring authors:
- Start with your story, forget about chasing an algorithm and truly understand what your message is.
- Build a platform that stands for who you truly are and let your message shape every decision
- You don’t have to do this alone. Choose support that understands your story
Yvette began her journey feeling unsure and private. Today, she stands as a thoughtful advocate with a professional author platform that amplifies her story without compromising who she is.
Want to Build a Purpose-Driven Author Platform of Your Own?
If you’re holding onto a powerful story but aren’t sure how to share it, or where to even begin, you’re not alone.
That’s exactly where Yvette started. She was thoughtful, private, and had no desire to “market herself.” But she knew her story deserved to be heard.
Through my Author Platform Jumpstart Package, we worked together to build clarity, structure, and confidence around her message and I can do the same for you.
Whether you’re a memoirist, nonfiction writer, or advocate, your story has impact. You just need the right framework to share it.
Leave a Reply