In this heartfelt conversation, Amber Fuhriman sits down with author Dawn Ramos to explore the creative process, the challenges of being an author, and the journey of stepping into your authentic self. Dawn shares her experiences writing romance novels, the labor of love that goes into each book, and how she navigates the vulnerability of putting her work into the world.

On Writing & Creativity:

• The identity shift from "writing a book" to "being an author"
• Dawn's creative process: "dating ideas" before committing to a story

On Vulnerability & Self-Worth:

• Dealing with reviews and criticism (including that dreaded one-star review)
• The struggle to separate self-worth from others' opinions
• Why accepting compliments is harder than it seems
• The importance of keeping positive reviews visible as reminders

On Authenticity:

• Showing up as yourself in networking and business situations
• The challenge of being naturally shy while needing to be social
• Toxic positivity vs. genuine authenticity
• Being present in conversations and truly meaning "How are you doing?"

On Creativity & Leadership:

• Redefining creativity beyond artistic talent
• The importance of diverse perspectives and challenging the status quo
• Why good leaders must be willing to be challenged
• The difference between debating to understand vs. debating to win

• "It's not until you start calling yourself an author that you're gonna feel like one."
• "Writing is a labor of love. You truly leave a piece of yourself with every little bit of work that you put out there."
• "I literally love my characters. That's like asking who your favorite kid is."
• "Creativity is tapping into that place in your mind where the impossible can be possible."
• "A happy ending is just knowing where to finish the story."

Dawn Ramos is an author of feel-good romance novels including "Christmas in Winchester," "Carpe Diem," and her most recent release "Emma's Gift." She's passionate about creating stories that leave readers feeling hopeful and inspired. When she's not writing, Dawn is a forever student, participating in multiple book clubs and constantly challenging herself to grow both personally and professionally.

• Books available on Amazon and her website
• Bad Owl Journal (wise owl, bad advice) available on Etsy and her website https://dawnramos.com/

If you are interested in connecting with Amber, send an email to amber@amberfuhriman.com.

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Checkout Amber's Speaker Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPj5OBvjrr0

Schedule a connection call with Amber: https://calendly.com/amberfuhriman/connection-call?month=2021-05

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