Start Being Seen with Michelle B. Griffin
Start Being Seen™ is the podcast for women experts and founders who want to become more visible, more sought-after, and the clear choice for opportunities that grow their business. (Formerly Own Your Lane.)
Join TEDx speaker, author, and personal branding & PR advisor Michelle B. Griffin for practical strategies, honest conversations, and inspiring stories that help women experts build a brand people remember, trust, and choose.
Each episode explores personal branding, visibility, thought leadership, LinkedIn, PR, and AI discoverability, so you can:
• Become known for the expertise you want to be hired for
• Communicate your value so people remember and recommend you
• Build a visible, credible brand that attracts opportunities
• Become the person organizers, media, and clients think of first
• Strengthen your digital discoverability, so you're found in an AI-driven world
ABOUT YOUR HOST
Michelle B. Griffin is a TEDx speaker, author, and PR-powered personal branding and AI visibility advisor. As the founder of the She's Visible™ movement, Michelle helps women experts and founders use strategic visibility to create more opportunities through speaking, media, relationships, and thought leadership.
With a master's degree in public relations and more than 20 years in communications, branding, and visibility strategy, Michelle's work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., SUCCESS, and Authority magazines, and she is interviewed weekly on industry podcasts. Michelle is the author of Position Yourself and The LinkedIn™ Branding Book and co-hosts The LinkedIn Branding Show podcast.
Michelle speaks at women's conferences, entrepreneurship and business events, ERGs, and associations, helping women founders and experts become visible, influential, and opportunity-ready in today's AI-driven world.
When she's not helping women get visible, you'll find her walking and working out to 80s music, exploring new places, and hunting for gluten-free treats on her travels.
CONNECT WITH MICHELLE
Website: MichelleBGriffin.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michellebgriffin
She's Visible™ Movement: ShesVisible.com
BE THE EXPERT AI RECOMMENDS
Download The Recognition Ready™ AI Visibility Guide for Women Experts
→ michellebgriffin.com/aivisibility
The Start Being Seen™ Podcast © Michelle B. Griffin + ShesVisible.com
Start Being Seen with Michelle B. Griffin
How to Become a First-Time Author and Build Authority Writing a Mini Book With Gehan "G" Haridy-Ardanowski
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Want to write a book to share your business message? But think, "Nah, not me." It's too long and too complicated. Why bother?
Good news: For those who want to share their gifts, brilliance, or message, a mini book is your ticket to sharing your work in months, NOT years.
Each episode of the Own Your Lane® Personal Branding Podcast highlights one of the four steps of the Own Your L.A.N.E. personal branding roadmap to help you gain clarity, confidence, and a clear path to growing your influence and impact.
L: Launch Your Vision – Lead with clear intention and purpose
A: Assert Your Difference – Define what uniquely sets you apart
N: Navigate Your Presence – Shape your personal brand foundation
E: Elevate Your Authority – Grow impact and influence with publicity
This week, we're focusing on "E- Elevate Your Authority" with host Michelle B Griffin and expert guest HR (human resources) consultant and public speaker Gehan "G" Haridy-Ardanowski, founder of Golden Synergy Touch Consulting. Although a book was NOT on her radar, G wrote and published an Amazon #1 bestseller in just four months.
She's here to share her best-selling mini-book for those interested but unsure how to do it. As G says, "This can work even when starting smaller than you think. And it's not as dawning as it needs to be, or they think it should be."
If a business nonfiction book is on your radar, learn how she did it so you can share your wisdom with the world in months, not years.
LINKS
Connect with Gehan on LinkedIn
Gehan's Website
Gehan's Book
START BEING SEEN™ WITH MICHELLE B. GRIFFIN
Helping women experts and founders become seen, sought after, and selected through strategic visibility.
TEDx speaker, author, PR-powered visibility strategist, and women's leadership speaker helping women turn expertise into visibility and visibility into business growth.
CONNECT WITH ME. WORK WITH ME. BOOK ME TO SPEAK.
WEBSITE: MichelleBGriffin.com https://www.michellebgriffin.com
SHE'S VISIBLE: ShesVisible.com https://www.shesvisible.com
BE THE EXPERT AI RECOMMENDS - Download The Recognition Ready™ AI Guide and Scorecard https://michellebgriffin.com/aivisibility/
GET VISIBLE ON LINKEDIN: Free Audio Masterclass https://michellebgriffin.com/linkedinvisible/
READ: My Personal Branding Books https://michellebgriffin.com/books/
LISTEN: The LinkedIn Branding Show https://michellebgriffin.com/podcast/
CONNECT: With Me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellebgriffin/
Michelle B. Griffin: Welcome back, everyone! I'm Michelle B. Griffin, and today we’re talking about mini books—how to become a first-time author or create something impactful even if you’ve already written a book. Mini books are a powerful way to build authority, and I’m thrilled to welcome Gihan Haridy Ardanoski to the show. Welcome, G!
Gihan Haridy Ardanoski: Hi, everyone! Michelle, thank you so much for having me. I’m so excited to be here and share my journey.
Michelle: G is a first-time mini book author with an inspiring story. For those who don’t know you yet, G, tell us a little about yourself, and then we’ll dive into your journey to inspire more mini book authors.
Gihan: Absolutely! I’m G, founder and creative consultant at Golden Synergy Touch. With over 20 years of HR experience, I now focus on fractional HR consulting, LinkedIn training, and CliftonStrengths to amplify value and visibility for career victories. My passion is helping HR leaders dive deeper into LinkedIn and self-discovery, which led me to write my mini book.
Michelle: G, you gave an incredible five-minute speech at a DisruptHR event. I remember watching it and immediately texting you, “This is phenomenal!” And what did I say next?
Gihan: You said, “You should write a book!” That led to our conversation about mini books, and you introduced me to Chris Stanley’s mini book format. I was blown away by how accessible it was.
Michelle: Then you joined our cohort, where we guided people to draft their nonfiction business books—specifically mini books. Tell us about that experience.
Gihan: The cohort was incredible. It gave me the structure and support to expand my five-minute talk into a mini book. I had a clear goal, and within months, I wrote, edited, and published my book. A few weeks ago, it came out and became an Amazon bestseller!
Michelle: That’s amazing! Writing a book doesn’t have to take years. A mini book—focused, digestible, and actionable—can make a huge impact. Let’s talk about your three key lessons for aspiring mini book authors.
Gihan: Absolutely. First, target your audience. Know who you’re writing for. Second, go smaller. A mini book isn’t about writing 300,000 words. It’s about creating something concise and impactful. Lastly, just start. Use your talks, LinkedIn posts, or existing frameworks to get writing. Bonus: be excited! If the process doesn’t energize you, reassess your approach.
Michelle: I love that! You also self-published through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. How was that experience?
Gihan: It was seamless. I worked with Jillian Whitney and her husband, Devin, who have a step-by-step self-publishing process. It was cost-effective, straightforward, and perfect for my goals.
Michelle: Your book isn’t just a one-and-done project—it’s part of a bigger ecosystem. Where do you see it taking you next?
Gihan: My book has opened doors for corporate training, public speaking, and more books. It’s a tool to empower others and spark meaningful conversations in HR. I’m excited to see where it leads.
Michelle: For those listening who are on the fence about writing a mini book, what’s your one key takeaway?
Gihan: Your idea matters. Share it with others, and you’ll be amazed by the support you receive. Start small, stay focused, and enjoy the process.
Michelle: So well said! Thank you, G, for sharing your journey. To everyone listening: you have a message to share, and a mini book might just be the perfect way to do it. Until next time, keep putting yourself out there—you have a brand to build, a message to share, and people to impact. See you next week!