148. Best-Selling Author Joanna Penn on Setting Intentions, Direction and Ensuring Career Longevity

Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers under J.F.Penn and also writes non-fiction for authors. She has written over 30 books published in 149 countries and 6 languages. Her award-nominated podcast, The Creative Penn Podcast, has been downloaded over 4 million times in 220 countries and is one of the longest-running and most popular podcasts for writers. Joanna has been named as one of the Top 100 most influential people in publishing & writing by The Guardian.While all these achievements are impressive, what I really admire about Joanna is the way she’s been able to reinvent herself and build a successful writing career. For me, she demonstrates intention and focus. She knows where she wants to go and then steadfastly moves in that direction.She sets challenging goals – I know because she shares those goals with her listeners and readers – and then, she actually takes action on those goals such that by the end of each year, we can see her progression. Frankly, if there’s one person I’d like to model for focus, drive, grit, and courage, it’s Joanna.There’s something she said to me about longevity being a key factor to success in any field. I think what you’ll hear throughout this interview is just how Joanna works — the processes and habits she follows — to create that longevity in her career.For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast Get full access to Shaping Life at loublaser.substack.com/subscribe