What is a Firestarter?

Shannon Watts, founder emerita of Moms Demand Action, the largest women’s volunteer organization in America, recently asked women to answer a few questions about what they thought made them what she calls “a firestarter.”

In full disclosure, I am a volunteer for our local Moms Demand Action - Pinellas - in Florida. I subscriber to Shannon’s Substack, where I also write, which is how I saw this opportunity. I looked at the questions, and figured, why not? I’ll answer. I’d just written a speech about leadership through resilience, which I gave Nov. 14 to a group of high school seniors. The topics addressed in the firestarter questionnaire were top of mind, so I decided to put myself out there and answer from the heart.

According to Shannon, a firestarter is “any woman creating a commotion by disrupting things and starting things. Women who are fearless in standing up for themselves or others. Women who are provocative and innovative. They harness their power to help others, and they seek out ways to encourage other women to stand up or speak out.”

Since writing Accidental First Lady, and surviving 22 years of political spouse life, cancer, and a few other inevitable setbacks we all experience, I’ve been called an instigator of change. To my delight, I was notified that I would be featured as a firestarter on Shannon’s Substack. To no one’s surprise, I was thrilled and honored, but instead of wondering why me, I said, “alright, why not me?”

You see, some things have changed since writing my book. Becoming a published author has opened me up to a new community of people who are receptive to hearing others’ stories, and who also share their stories through the books they write, their blogs, and spoken words. Telling our stories connects us with others, and in shared experiences, we can build community. I encourage anyone who ponders whether they should write a book to absolutely pursue this calling. Our stories have value. They deserve to be told.

I admire Shannon Watts for what she’s done advance the fight for establishing common sense gun laws. Thank you, Shannon, for featuring me as a Firestarter. I believe we all have within us the power to affect change and inspire others to action. Read my firestarter feature HERE.

If you’re an aspiring author, I encourage you to answer this call and start writing. I have some free resources that can jumpstart your journey and unlock your story. If you’ve started writing, but find yourself stuck, my proven strategies will guide you toward the finish line. For those new authors who’ve published their books, but aren’t sure how to switch gears and market their masterpieces, I have an easy-to-implement checklist. Download one or all three of these resources HERE.