Rules are for lemmings. Just kidding. They’re for factory settings people. Ahhh, kidding again.
I’ve never been one to stick to the rules. I’m not saying I’m a radical nuisance doing whatever I want. What I mean is—I question the status quo. If someone tells me, “this is how it’s done,” the next word out of my mouth is usually, “why?”
I’ve always been like this. Inquisitive. Contrarian. Curious.
It’s not a great trait if you’re trying to avoid detention or HR write-ups, but when it comes to creating something original? It’s your best weapon.
I spent 22 years in advertising, creating ads for Fortune 500 companies. I loved it—until I didn’t. Once I got pushed into more managerial roles, I started burning out. The job became less about creating and more about corralling. Ugh. Boring. So I quit and became a self-published author.
Yeah. Just like that.
You can call it stupid. A lot of people did.
I had no clue how hard it would be to make a living writing books. But I went in with the mindset: How hard can it be?
Sometimes, not knowing is a blessing.
I approached writing the same way I approached creating an ad. It had to be interesting. It had to be human. It had to connect. If I could do that, I figured I’d land in a pretty good place.
It took two years to fully bail on advertising. I think I had four books out when I finally said adios to that world.
My first move? Travel and write.
I wanted to spend six months in every major city around the world and write a book in each. That was the goal. It took me two months to sell everything I owned and hit the road.
For the next 12 years, I lived in hotels and Airbnbs, staying in each place as long as it held my interest. I stopped recognizing weekends. There were just days—days where I’d write, explore, meet people, try new foods, experience new cultures. I did whatever piqued my interest.
And because I’ve always pulled from life and infused it into my work, those new experiences became my seasoning. Not my inspiration—my texture. They made my thrillers pop.
I think that’s part of why my books found an audience.
They felt different. Real. Refreshing, from what I kept hearing. The total popcorn thriller.
And because I was working in a vacuum—ignoring the rules of publishing and how to “be” an author—I think that only helped. I wasn’t trying to fit in. I was just doing the work.
Eventually, yeah, I had to start treating this like a business—the business of being an indie author publishing wide. You can only “write from the hip” for so long before systems matter.
So, I started paying attention—not to follow the rules, but to make sure I wasn’t missing anything useful.
To some people, it might look like dumb luck. Maybe part of it is. Luck always plays a role. But what really made the difference?
Conviction.
Most people half-ass it. They don’t commit.
They stick a toe in to see what’ll happen. Here’s what’ll happen when you do that: you fail.
And for most, that’s enough for people to back off.
But if you want to succeed? You have to jump in with both feet. And if it doesn’t work—big deal. Go jump into the water somewhere else.