Your Words Unleashed

Ep. 108 - Should Academic Authors Hire Their Own Publicist? (with publicist Sarah Russo)

26 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Russo, founder of Page One Media, to talk through how these campaigns work and how they differ ...

Ep. 107 - What Helps Grad Students Actually Succeed (with Dr. Yvette Martinez-Vu)

12 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailA lot of graduate students—especially those who are first-generation or come from underrepresented backgrounds—enter academia with...

Ep. 106 - How to Turn a Journal Article Into a Book Chapter

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailTurning a published article into a book chapter can feel daunting—but it’s also one of the smartest ways to build momentum on your...

Leaving Academia #9: Craft a Powerful Career Story (with Dr. David Mendes)

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailMany PhDs who are considering careers beyond academia struggle with a simple question: how do you explain what you do to people outsid...

Ep. 104: Why Higher Education Matters to Democracy (with Dr. Alison Gash)

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailAs political attacks on colleges and universities accelerate across the United States, what’s happening in higher education is incre...

Ep. 103 - Renew Your Purpose in Mid-Career

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textHave you achieved a lot in your academic career — but something still feels off? In this episode, I explore the identity shifts that ofte...

Ep. 102 - What Every Educator Needs to Know About ADHD (with Karen Costa)

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textMany women in academia are diagnosed with ADHD later in life, often after years of burnout, shame, and being told they’re “just anxious...

Ep. 101: Leaving Academia #8: Find Career Clarity Beyond the Tenure Track (with Dr. Jen Polk)

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textIn this episode, Leslie sits down with Jennifer Polk, PhD—career coach, educator, and founder of From PhD to Life—to talk about what it...

Ep. 100 - Make Your Writing Radically Inclusive

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this milestone 100th episode of Your Words Unleashed, I reflect on my podcasting journey and share one of the most courageous pieces ...

Ep. 99 - Book Publicity 101: What Scholarly Authors Need to Know (with editor Amanda Ice)

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMany academic authors have little sense of what happens once a book is finished, especially when it comes to publicity. In this episode...

Ep. 98 - Confidently Transform Your Dissertation Into a Publishable Book (with Dr. Allison Van Deventer)

06 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSupport the showCheck out Leslie's website at www.YourWordsUnleashed.com!The three ways Leslie can help you with coaching & dev...

Ep. 97 - Your Guide to Doing 10% Less Next Semester

29 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAs another intense year in academia comes to a close, you might be feeling equal parts relieved and completely wiped out. In this episo...

Ep. 96 - How to Write Prolifically (with Dr. Abbie Goldberg)

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, Leslie talks with Dr. Abbie E. Goldberg—Professor of Clinical Psychology at Clark University and a leading scholar on...

Ep. 95 - Caring for Aging Parents while Maintaining Your Career (with Dr. Katherine Lee)

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this deeply moving conversation, Leslie talks with Dr. Katherine In-Young Lee, a higher ed coach and former tenured professor, about ...

Ep. 94 - Leaving Academia #7: What You Only Learn AFTER You Leave

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, Leslie explore the surprising perspectives people only gain after leaving academia. After three years outside higher ed...

Ep. 93 - Targeted Online? What Every Professor Needs to Know to Protect Themselves (with Dr. Heather Steffen)

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat would you do if your inbox filled with threats, your home address was posted online, or your university launched an “investigatio...

Ep. 92 - Become Your Own Developmental Editor (with Dr. Laura Portwood-Stacer)

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, Leslie welcomes back book publishing expert Dr. Laura Portwood-Stacer, author of The Book Proposal Book and the new rel...

Ep. 91 - How to Keep Writing When You're Running on Empty

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFeeling drained, scattered, or like your brain is running on fumes? You’re not alone—and you don’t have to give up on your writing...

Ep. 90 - Teaching with Courage in Polarized Times (with Dr. Brielle Harbin)

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHow do you keep teaching with integrity when the ground beneath higher education is constantly shifting? In this episode, I talk with Dr...

Ep. 89 - My Top 5 Writing Pet Peeves

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of Your Words Unleashed, I’m getting back to basics—the kind of writing advice that makes the biggest difference for...

Ep. 88 - Leaving Academia #6: Starting a Successful Online Business (with Dr. Paulina Cossette)

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSupport the showCheck out Leslie's website at www.YourWordsUnleashed.com!The three ways Leslie can help you with coaching & dev...

Ep. 87 - How to Scale Back on Teaching (without Guilt!)

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFeeling the weight of the upcoming semester? You’re not alone. In this episode, I explore why so many academics head into fall already...

Ep. 86 - Behind the Scenes at a Top University Press (with Editor Alison Kalett)

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAcquisitions editors, developmental editors, copy editors... How many different kinds of editors are there? What do they even do? And wh...

Ep. 85 - How Much Time Do You REALLY Need to Write?

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHave you ever asked yourself, “How much time do I actually need to write in order to make progress?”  If so, then this episode is f...

Ep. 84 - Service Shaming in Academia & How to Fix It (with Dr. Cullen Merritt)

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this powerful episode, Dr. Cullen C. Merritt, Associate Professor and Research Director at the University of Maryland, joins me to un...

Ep. 83 - The Secrets to Creating a Viral TEDx Talk (with Dr. Jennifer Reich)

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, Leslie chats with Dr. Jennifer Reich—sociologist, author, and TEDx speaker whose talk has racked up over 1 million vi...

Ep. 82 - A Better Way to Think About Summer Writing Goals

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this re-released episode, I explore a radically different way to think about time and procrastination—one that offers more freedom,...

Ep. 81 - How to Plan a Sabbatical That Revitalizes Your Life and Career (with Dr. Bethany Wilinski)

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFeeling burned out before your sabbatical even begins? Dr. Bethany Wilinski shares how to design a sabbatical that actually heals, resto...

Ep. 80 - Design Your Dream Life in Three Simple Steps

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn Episode 80 of Your Words Unleashed, Leslie Wang walks you through one of her favorite tools for getting unstuck: a simple but powerfu...

Ep. 79 - What Academia Gets Wrong About Disability—And How to Fix It (with Dr. Stephanie Cawthon)

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat if everything you thought you knew about disability… missed the point?In this deeply powerful episode, I’m joined by Dr. Stepha...

Ep. 78 - Leaving Academia #5: Using Social Media to Build a Compelling Personal Brand (with Dr. Ashley Ruba)

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you an academic thinking about leaving the ivory tower but unsure of your next step? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Ashley Ru...

Ep. 77 - Why Academics Hate Self-Promotion (But Need to Do It Anyway)

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhy do so many academics cringe at the thought of self-promotion? In this episode, I dive into why scholars struggle to share their work...

Ep. 76 - How to Succeed in Academia without Sacrificing Your Well-Being (with Dr. Roxanne Donovan)

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIs it possible for women of color and other marginalized faculty to be successful in the increasingly toxic culture of the academy? How ...

Ep. 75 - Calm Your Mind Now by Listening to the Body

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFeeling overwhelmed and mentally exhausted? In this episode, I share how tuning into your body can quiet your mind and restore balance. ...

Ep. 74 - Burnout vs. Overwhelm: How to Tell the Difference and Recover (with Dr. Brandy Simula)

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFeeling overwhelmed and stretched too thin? You’re not alone! In this episode, I chat with Dr. Brandy Simula—executive coach, leader...

Ep. 73 - Why Risk-Taking Fuels Powerful Writing

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, I open up about the power of taking risks in writing and why it’s essential for creating meaningful, lasting impact. ...

Ep. 72 - Budgeting for Success: Financial Planning for Academics (with Dr. Inga Timmerman)

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhy on earth have I invited a financial planner onto a podcast that is mostly focused on writing?It's because academics need more f...

Ep. 71 - What Went Right (and Wrong) In 2024? Your Year-End Reflection Guide

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this final episode of 2024, I pause to reflect on the past year and prepare for the next. This episode focuses on the power of reflec...

Ep. 70 - Becoming a Public Scholar: Making an Impact Beyond Academia (with Dr. Kevin R. McClure)

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textPublic scholarship is near and dear to my heart, which is why I’m super excited to welcome Dr. Kevin McClure as my guest in this episo...

Ep. 69 - The Most Important Mindset Shift Academics Can Make

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis episode dives into the single most transformative mindset shift that academics can make: moving away from a success/failure binary....

Ep. 68 - Navigating the Challenges of Mid-Career (with Dr. Cathy Mazak)

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textOn today's episode I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Cathy Mazak, founder of Scholars Voice and host of the Academic Writing Amplified ...

Ep. 67 - Three Reasons You Need to Write More Simply

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, I dive into why writing in plain language is a game-changer for academics. Instead of feeling pressured to use fancy ja...

Ep. 66 - Leaving Academia, Part 4: Grieving the Loss of Professional Identity (with Dr. Chinasa Elue)

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhen I left the academy roughly two years ago, I had many challenging emotions to navigate. I felt angry, sad, and afraid of what would ...

Ep. 65 - When (and Why) It's Okay to Quit Writing Your Book

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHave you ever wanted to quit writing your book but felt intense shame and embarrassment about it? In today's episode, I tackle this...

Ep. 64 - Publishing with a Trade Press: Is It Right for You? (with Dr. OiYan Poon)

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textOne of the biggest dilemmas academic authors face, particularly when their topic has broad appeal, is the decision of whether or not to ...

Ep. 63 - The Magic of Writing Retreats (with Dr. Michelle Boyd)

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you an academic struggling with writing or feeling isolated in your scholarly journey?In this episode I welcome my friend and writin...

Ep. 62 - How to Keep Writing During the Semester

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you scared to death about how you're going to be able to get any writing done this fall? If so, join the club!In this episode I...

Ep. 61 - Empowering Women of Color in Academia (with Dr. Katherine Lee)

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you a woman of color in academia searching for strategies to help you thrive?  What is some practical advice on handling department...

Ep. 60 - Turn Your Perfectionism Into a Superpower

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDo you feel like perfectionism gets in the way of your happiness or achieving your goals? Perfectionism is usually seen as a big problem...

Ep. 59 - What Acquisitions Editors Truly Want (with Jenny Gavacs)

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat do acquisitions editors do at scholarly presses? What things make a book project stand out? When is the best time to contact presse...

Ep. 58: The REAL problem with imposter syndrome (with Dr. Angélica Gutiérrez)

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this exciting episode of Your Words Unleashed, Leslie sits down with Dr. Angélica  Gutiérrez, esteemed scholar and one of the worl...

Ep. 57: Four Mindset Shifts to Break Through Writer's Block

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWriting a book is a daunting task, often exacerbated by our own negative thoughts and beliefs. But what if changing the way you think ab...

Ep. 56: Essential Tips for Making Academia Easier (with Dr. Loleen Berdahl)

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFinding the right balance between work and life in academia can be a never-ending struggle. That's why in this episode I'm cha...

Ep. 55: Three Steps to Heal from Burnout (Listener's Choice Episode)

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you feeling completely exhausted and depleted at the end of this long school year? Join the club! If you're like most academics...

Ep. 54: Mastering the Art of Writing a Crossover Book (with Dr. CJ Pascoe)

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAcademia can sometimes feel like a world locked away in an ivory tower, but what happens when scholarly research breaks free and speaks ...

Ep. 53: Five Ways to Avoid Taking Negative Feedback Personally

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhen you get negative feedback on your work, do you feel disappointed, hurt, and personally attacked?What if there was a way to avoid ta...

Ep. 52: The Trick to Finding the Right Publisher (with Dr. Laura Portwood-Stacer)

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDo you ever wish someone could just tell you exactly how to find the right publisher for your book? As academic writers, we sometimes te...

Ep. 51: Leaving Academia, Part 3: What Keeps People Stuck

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis is the third installment of my series on leaving academia. I’m going to share five  powerful, commonly accepted beliefs or assum...

Ep. 50 - Leaving Academia, Part 2: Question Your Beliefs

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIf you’re struggling in your daily life, as many academics are, it’s imperative to take a deeper look at what you believe to be true...

Ep. 49: Writing for Your Ideal Reader 101

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWho is your ideal reader? It’s a tricky question for academics. Now that I’ve been a book coach for some time, I can tell you that t...

Ep. 48: Four Ways to Stop Dreading Writing

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDoes it feel like pulling teeth to get yourself to work on your book or an important article? Do you find yourself doing just about anyt...

Ep. 47 - Unlock the Wisdom of Your Future Self

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this first episode of the new year, I help you connect with a version of your own future self who you can use as a source of wisdom a...

Ep. 46 - 5 Prompts to Reignite Your Writing

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMany of the writers I work with started off with a bang in September and then their writing slowed down to a mere trickle or stopped alt...

Ep. 45 - Leaving Academia, Part 1: Assess Your Situation

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHi writers! I've been putting off talking about leaving academia for a long time now, but it can no longer wait. My clients are con...

Ep. 44 - Tips for Overcoming Perfectionism

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday's episode is inspired by a recent breakthrough I had with one of my writing coaching clients. Incidentally, she’s an articl...

Ep. 43: Harness the Power of Storytelling

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday I’m going to talk about something that I believe is a really important part of good scholarly writing.And that is the power of s...

Ep. 42: Moving Forward In Bleak Times

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textI don’t need to tell you how heavy things are feeling across the globe right now.Like most of you, I've been watching disaster un...

Ep. 41: The Top 5 Book Proposal Mistakes to Avoid

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe scholarly book proposal is truly an art form that is very difficult to master. It's THE most important part of getting a book c...

Ep. 40: What Podcasting Has Taught Me About Writing

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textI've made it to my 40th episode! In fact, podcasting is not something I ever seriously considered before I created my coaching busi...

Ep 39: How to Run a Book Manuscript Workshop

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday I’m going to go in-depth about one of the very best and most important things you can possibly do to improve your book. And this...

Ep. 38: What Kind of Procrastinator are You?

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis episode is focused on something that plagues many of us: procrastination! A lot of the guidance out there on dealing with procrasti...

Ep. 37: 4 Strategies for Saying No

19 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIf you want to keep your own mental, physical, and emotional health and well-being at the forefront this semester, this means SAYING NO ...

Ep. 36: Use Teaching to Help Your Research

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday’s episode will be focused on how you can consciously design your courses to help you attain your own goals. I’ll talk about wh...

Ep. 35: Writing that Gets Straight to the Point

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, I talk about why academics have such a hard time getting straight to the point in their writing and offer suggestions o...

Ep. 34: What Successful Authors Do

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLearn what my most successful clients do to make sure they make progress on their writing. No. Matter. What.For step-by-step support for...

Ep. 33: Reflect on the School Year

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis past academic year has been a beast! Since summer’s just beginning, here’s your chance to take stock of the past school year. T...

Ep. 32: Three Steps to Heal from Burnout

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSummer is around the corner and you know you need to do something major to reclaim the parts of yourself you have lost this past academi...

Ep. 31: How to Know if You're Burnt Out

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHow do you know if you're truly burnt out? In this episode (and the next), I delve into this topic and what you can do about it. Al...

Ep. 30: Shifting from Article Writer to Book Author

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textA lot of the authors I work with are junior scholars very early on in their careers, and their book will be the primary stepping stone t...

Ep. 29: A Better Way to Manage Your Time

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIf you’re like me, you’re constantly try to find ways to get more efficient at things so you can cram more into your day and feel so...

Ep. 28: 6 Ways to Promote Your Book

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis episode talks about something that strikes fear into the heart of many introvert academics: promoting your own book!Although your p...

Ep. 27: Prime Your Mind for Writing

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode I talk about something that can have a major positive impact on your work, your writing process. and the amount of writi...

Ep. 26: The Elements of a Strong Book Proposal

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWell, the time has come for me to talk about one of the—if not THE—most important part of getting a scholarly book contract.  And ...

Ep. 25: How Book Writing is Like Teaching

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textOne of the biggest challenges my clients face is figuring out how to write during semesters when they are also teaching.It’s not just ...

Ep. 24: Should You Submit to More Than One Press at the Same Time?

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn today's episode I clear up the question: should you submit your materials for review to more than one press at the same time?I t...

Ep. 23: Re-release of "Create Bulletproof Semester Boundaries"

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday I’m going to be re-releasing one of my favorite podcast episodes, which helps you set clear and sustainable boundaries with your...

Ep. 22: Re-release of "Write Faster with These 3 Thoughts!"

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textRight now, I’m visiting my family in California, so I’ve decided to re-release the very first episode of my podcast. It also happen...

Ep. 21: Do a Year-End Reflection

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis episode will give you some questions that will help you process the roller-coaster of 2022 in all its glory and reflect on everythi...

Ep. 20: How Writing Coaches Get Unstuck

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday’s episode is inspired by a lively webinar I participated in recently called “How Writing Coaches Get Unstuck” that helped ki...

Ep. 19: The Challenges of Writing a Second Book

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday’s podcast episode is inspired by a workshop I recently ran for mid-career faculty at Rutgers University. The topic was the chall...

Ep. 18: Understanding Advance Contracts

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday I am going to try to clear up some misconceptions about book contracts and clarify whether or not it’s in your best interests to...

Ep. 17: How to Pay for a Writing Coach

11 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textOn today’s episode we are going to talk about a topic that is somewhat taboo in academia, and that’s money.Specifically, I’m going...

Ep. 15: How to Juggle Multiple Writing Projects

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHi writers! I bet that things are really starting to ramp up in your work weeks. Now that the semester’s up and running again, you ne...

Ep. 14: Four Ways to Manage Fear of Writing

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday I’m going to be talking about something that comes up a lot with my coaching clients, and that is ways to manage fears around wr...

Ep. 13: When to Say No This Semester

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday’s episode is meant to help you figure out what to prioritize in your work this semester. I want you to keep your own mental, ph...

Ep. 12: All About Writing Groups

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textOn today’s episode I’m going to be talking about how important it is to be part of writing groups and how to run them. This is alway...

Ep. 11: Create Calm Through Meditation

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textOn today's podcast episode I thought I would do something a little bit different. Rather than giving tips or advice about writing, ...

Ep. 10: Befriend Your Inner Critic

25 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday's episode talks about ways to befriend your inner critic and treat yourself with more compassion.For step-by-step support for...

Ep. 9: Tips to Revise Your Dissertation into a Book

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSo in the last episode I talked about some of the reasons why transforming your dissertation into a book is an emotionally complex proce...

Ep. 8: Why Transforming Your Dissertation into a Book is So Hard

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textRecently I was asked by a large research university to put together a workshop for junior faculty about transforming your dissertation i...