Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My first book ‘Your Professionalism Is Killing You (How to Be a Better Communicator)’, was published in 2008. ‘Swayed’ is my second attempt to put my weird influence/behavior ideas in writing. My behavior change philosophy is the product of my many eclectic life experiences. I’ve co-authored software, built a company that hit national revenue success, practiced acrobatic swing dancing, been a NASA test subject, and welded large public art sculptures. I’ve also spent a lot of time with my team helping individuals and companies uncover the underlying behaviors around communication that impacts overall performance and happiness.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book, ‘Swayed: The Power of Context to Increase Influence,’ was published earlier this summer. Based on decades of research with my company Allegory, ‘Swayed’ provides a framework and deliberate practices to improve the key elements of influence: communicating to be heard and remembered. Allegory provides group training, one-on-one coaching, behavior change, and company culture services and have worked with many people to develop the theories and practices outlined in ‘Swayed’.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write best when I block out two days and write in one giant run-on sentence. I write without editing or thinking. I just let it flow. Then, I spend a day trying to make sense of it all.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Storytellers – anyone who can describe things in a way that the words have a smell to them, like Cormac McCarthy, Charles Maturin.
“Me Toos” – authors who talk about everyday life in a way that I can find myself in (and laugh at myself with), like David Sedaris, and Anne Lamott.
What are you working on now?
My next book in the series is about the human operating system. How what we think in our head shows up in our behavior. For most people I meet, being fake just isn’t a good strategy, thus a good hack for someone who wants to influence others is shifting what is going on in their head.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
We’ve had the best luck reaching out to our tribe of current and past clients – and have been experimenting with different marketing strategies on social media. So far, the best results have come from those who are already familiar with me and my work.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Perfect isn’t. Just write. Put it out there.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My dad taped Rudyard Kipling’s “If” poem [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/46473] to my wall when I was a kid. The basic advice of the poem is that every moment in life is FOR you–not to you– and to live your own values when facing challenges.
What are you reading now?
‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’ by Rebecca Skloot.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting a writing coach to help me better understand how to produce books that are readable. I do not think I naturally write in a readable style. I use editors to fix what I write, but I’d rather learn how to do it on my own.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Eek.
1) ‘How to Get Off a Desert Island’ (assuming that book exists)
2) ‘Melmoth the Wanderer’ by Charles Maturin
3) ‘War and Peace’ by Leo Tolstoy (because it is so long)
4) ‘Gooberz’ by Linda Goodman (because a friend gave it to me years ago and I still haven’t read it)
Author Websites and Profiles
Christina Harbridge Website
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