I wrote my bestselling books Mastering Your Mean Girl, Open Wide and PurposeFULL for the same reasons that most people write (or want to write) a book – I had a story to tell burning away inside me and a sneaking suspicion that other people could really benefit from the lessons I had learned along the way.

The first print for Mastering Your Mean Girl hit shelves in late 2015, and as I expected, it felt awesome! (If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing your very own book nestled in the hands of a stranger who is devouring actual sentences you actually wrote – let me tell you: it feels as mind-blowing in real life as it does in your daydreams.)

What I didn’t expect, however, was how powerful a tool the book would be for my business and brand. Not as a money spinner, as some people might expect. (Unless you’re John Grisham or J.K. Rowling, book writing ain’t exactly the easiest way to make a dollar.)

But in a myriad of other – more unexpected – ways, those 303 pages of herculean effort are shaping up to be one of the most impactful and important assets of my entire business.

Here are 4 reasons why…

Your Book Becomes A Rallying Point For Your Tribe

I thought I had an engaged community before I launched my book. (Heck, you guys are one of the most passionate and generous tribes on the interwebs.) But launching my first book took things seriously to the next level. All of a sudden, conversations were starting in online forums that I wasn’t even aware of, people were creating their very own Mastering Your Mean Girl book club, pictures of women reading their copies were lighting up social media, and readers were writing blog posts about how the book has changed their life… It was all completely ‘grassroots’ and word of mouth – the type of buzz that money simply can’t buy.

People Will Come To You For Interviews (Not The Other Way Round)

If you’ve ever tried to get interviewed on your favourite big-time podcast, radio show or behemoth blog, you’ll know: it can be tough to even get your foot in the door/inbox, let alone score an actual berth on the show. With a book, however, the tide turns – they start coming to you!

This is partly due to the fact that you’ve got something newsworthy to talk about, but a big part of it is also that people can now more easily fit you into a neat little category (something humans love to do), making it much simpler for them to mentally position you as an interviewee: Aha! She wrote a book on X so she’s an expert on Y and we can talk about Z – done!

It Opens You Up To An Audience Way Outside Your Normal Sphere

Once your book is stocked on Amazon and in bookstores, it’s literally out of your hands… and it gets into the hands of people you’d never expect. Over the past few months, I’ve had more emails (and opt-ins) from people outside of my traditional audience demographics than ever before. It’s been so humbling to connect with these new readers, and really exciting to think about ways that I can serve them moving forward.

Your Entrepreneurial Stamina Is Tested… And It Skyrockets

Most of us online business entrepreneurs spend a lot of time creating products (or working on projects) that take months (if not years) to complete. We work to a short-term rhythm: create, launch, deliver. And no sooner has one cycle finished then we’re immediately onto the next. In fact, often times, people lose interest in something before seeing it through to completion, jumping on the next shiny idea quicker than you can say ‘monkey mind’.

The process of writing, publishing and launching a book takes years. For me, from initial concept through to finishing my final book tour was about a two and a half year stretch, not to mention the years of personal development work it took to get me to the point of actually sitting my butt down to write. You go through every conceivable emotion and encounter different hurdles along the way, but you come out the other side stronger than you could ever imagine.

There is no ‘right’ time. There is no ‘perfect’ time. The time is now to share with the world.

It’s been amazing to observe how much more grit and determination I’ve developed when tackling new projects – particularly over the last 12 months – and to see how much more deftly I can sidestep resistance and procrastination. (Not always, mind you – but definitely a lot more often!)

So, yes — writing a bestselling book is one of the most challenging and rewarding creative pursuits you could ever undertake. A crazy amount of sweat, elbow grease, loads of love and sleepless nights went into all of mine but it was all totally worth it. And as you can see, it might also be one of the most influential things you can do for your business and brand — serving as a powerful platform for you to build your expertise, grow your audience, and share your message with the world.

So, my sweet friend, do you have a book bubbling away inside you? Maybe it’s time to start putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and nut it out.

We ain’t getting any younger sista and the time is now! It’s time to master your inner Mean Girl and let out the story you so desperately want to share.

Now, tell me in the comments below do you have a book that you want to birth into the world? If so you might find this post really helpful.

Before I go I want to thank you for being here, I appreciate you beyond words. Your dedication to being the best version of yourself seriously inspires the heck out of me. You’re my kinda gal!

And if you’re super serious about writing a book check out Gabby Bernstein’s Best Seller Masterclass. This is a must-do masterclass BEFORE You start writing your book.