Interview With Author Shailvi Wakhlu
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Technology Leader and International Keynote Speaker. I was the former Head of Data & Analytics at Strava and Komodo Health. Every year, I speak at 25+ global conferences and Fortune 500 corporate events on Self-Advocacy and Data. My sixteen-year career has included companies such as Salesforce, Fitbit, and a software startup I co-founded. My self-advocacy expertise comes from being a practitioner at startups and large companies across three continents. I grew up in India and studied engineering at Illinois Tech, Chicago. Currently, I live in San Francisco with my husband and our sixty plants.
I have written one book.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Self-Advocacy: Your Guide to Getting What You Deserve at Work.”
The book is based on a talk I started giving 4.5 yrs ago, which was titled “How to #HumbleBrag Effectively”. I realized after that first talk how much the topic resonated and iterated on many versions over the next 4 years. I also mentored 300+ people, and their stories and what they struggled with helped me prioritize publishing my book.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I maintained a daily log of how many words I wrote every day while writing my book. Seeing my progress was motivating to me.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I loved reading ‘The 4-Hour Workweek’ as well as ‘The First 90 Days’. Most other books I enjoy are business books that are a quick read, and I followed that style when I wrote my book as well.
What are you working on now?
I was a speaker before becoming an author, and now I am ramping up my paid speaking opportunities that are connected to the topic of my book. I am working with corporations and other organizations that hire speakers to give talks or run workshops for their communities.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am just beginning to market my book, as so far my book was selling purely based on word of mouth! Through LinkedIn, I was able to drum up a decent amount of enthusiasm for my book.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Publish a book you are proud of! Don’t compromise on the quality (editing, book cover etc) as you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Time is money, but money can’t buy time.
What are you reading now?
I’ve been reading ‘The Most Good You Can Do’ by Peter Singer.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am focusing on marketing my current book for the time being. But in a few months, I will start working on my next book for which I already have a lot of written content.
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?
Assuming I already knew how to feed myself and survive on a desert island, I’d take along a copy of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ which remains a fantasy book I enjoy even as an adult.
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