The Continuing Journey of Strong CORE

It is hard to believe that Strong CORE has been in the world for one month.

Tomorrow, August 17th, marks one month since the book became available on Amazon. When I pause long enough to think about everything that has happened in such a short period, the only thing I can think is… “WOW” … “Thank you Jesus.”

It’s not the kind of ‘WOW’ that says, ‘Look what we did.’ It is more the kind that comes from looking around and realizing that something you carried privately for a long time is now moving through the world in ways you cannot fully control or predict.

This whole process still feels very surreal.

I know I can do a better job of sharing what I am learning along the way. Releasing a book has introduced me to parts of the process that I had no idea would require so much capacity. I am learning about publishing, fulfillment, marketing, community building, asking for support, receiving support, and allowing the work to travel beyond me.

That last part may be the most important.

Now that Strong CORE is sitting on bookshelves, desks, nightstands, office tables, and in the hands of people I know and people I have never met, I feel incredibly proud.

This entire experience has been remarkable.

Of course, there are numbers connected to the first month.

Strong CORE has sold almost 500 copies on Amazon in the first month… “WOW.”

I am grateful for every one of those copies.

At the same time, the most exciting part has not simply been the number of books sold. A sales number can tell me how many books have moved. It cannot fully tell me where the words have landed.

Those have come from the text messages and DMs, the conversations and reflections, and unexpected post office connections.

People are telling me that they are reading Strong CORE and thinking differently about how they lead. Others are reflecting on who they are becoming. Some are using the book to begin conversations with their teams, colleagues, friends, and families.

The work is reaching people in different ways, and I am learning to resist the temptation to define its impact too quickly. A book can begin in one place and become something slightly different in the hands of each reader.

That is part of the wonder of releasing it…. “WOW.”

I wrote Strong CORE with particular ideas, questions, and experiences in mind. I hoped it would invite leaders into the inner work of leadership. I hoped it would create space for honest reflection about expectations, boundaries, capacity, and contribution.

And I could not decide in advance what every reader would notice or what conversation the book might start.

That part belongs to the readers, and that, by far, is the most encouraging part.

The Strong CORE Community Spotlight is now part of the journey.

Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, I highlight someone from the growing Strong CORE community. These are people holding the book, reading it, sharing it, and allowing its message to become part of their own journey.

I have appreciated seeing the different ways people show up.

Some people send a carefully posed photograph. Others send something spontaneous. Some are early in the reading process. Others have already started conversations based on a particular chapter or idea. Each picture offers a small glimpse into the life of the community.

That is what I value most about the Community Spotlight. It is not about creating a polished display of perfect readers. It is about recognizing the people who are helping the book become more than an object with my name on the cover.

If you have a copy of Strong CORE and would like to be included in a future Community Spotlight, send your Strong CORE selfie to strongcorethebook@gmail.com. I would be honored to add you to the mix.

There is something meaningful about seeing the book alongside people in different places, at different stages of life, and in different kinds of work. Strong CORE was written for leaders, but leadership takes many forms. It appears in organizations, families, classrooms, friendships, community spaces, and quiet decisions that may never be publicly recognized.

The Community Spotlight is helping me remember that.

All signed copies promised to the original Strong CORE campaign backers have now been mailed.

There was a period when I temporarily became a miniature fulfillment center. Books, envelopes, labels, signatures, inscriptions, packing materials, and trips to get everything mailed became part of the regular rhythm.

It was a very small operation, but it had a surprising number of moving parts.

The process was not nearly as painful as it could have been. I am grateful for that experience, but I am even more grateful that I had the opportunity to personally sign and send those books to the people who believed in this work before there was a finished book to hold.

Thank you to my wife, Melanie, and my daughter, Kennedy, for lending their heads, hands, and hearts to this process.

That mattered to me.

The original campaign backers supported an idea before it had a final cover, a printed page, or a place on a bookshelf. They trusted that the book would eventually become real. Signing and mailing those copies gave me a chance to acknowledge that trust in a tangible way.

It also reminded me that publishing is not only about writing. It is about the many ordinary tasks that help the work reach another person.

There is now a way for others to order signed copies as well. If you are interested in receiving one, send me a direct message or email me at strongcorethebook@gmail.com and I will provide the information you need.

I am still learning what it means to build a community around a book. I am learning how to stay present to the practical work while also paying attention to the human meaning underneath it. I am learning how to ask for support without making every interaction transactional. I am learning how to receive encouragement without rushing past it to the next task.

There are still many things I do not know.

I do not know exactly what the Strong CORE Community will become. I do not know which conversations are just beginning or which connections will continue to grow. I do not know how the book will change as more people read it, question it, discuss it, and bring their own experiences to its pages.

I am becoming more comfortable with not knowing.

And the data matters. It helps me understand reach and provide useful context. But the data is only a small part of this continuing story. The evolving story is showing up in every imaginable (and unimaginable) way.

And, this is only the beginning.

The greatest gift for me is continuing to learn, listen, and discover what this community is becoming. I will continue sharing more of the lessons, the surprises, and the people who are bringing Strong CORE to life.

Thank you to everyone who purchased the book, backed the original campaign, shared a post, sent a message, recommended the book, or placed it into someone else’s hands.

If you have read Strong CORE, please consider visiting the Amazon page and leaving an honest review. Reviews help the book reach more readers, and your words may help someone else decide whether Strong CORE is right for them.

Thank you in advance for that gift.

I am grateful that you are part of this continuing journey.

Next week, I will share more about the audiobook journey I begin in mid September

Have a great week.

-Coach Chris