Get personal. 

For some of us, that's hard to do. I've been writing my weekly newspaper column since May 2001. People who read it feel they know me. They do.

It was exactly because I dared to get personal. That doesn't mean spouting opinions or rhetoric. Getting personal means to share yourself and be vulnerable. 

One of my early columns that endeared me to readers was telling the tale of how my two sons and I, they were grade schoolers at the time, had a lovely evening of strolling to the ice cream parlor with a stop at the park. When they invited me to swing with them and take the swing between them, I was mentally logging this as a Memorable Mommy Moment. My elder BoyWonder then proclaimed the middle swing was best for me because it had the widest seat and I had the widest butt.

In writing a weekly column for over decade, some columns are surface level and some are deeply personal. The ones I hesitate sending to my editors because I think I may have revealed too much are always the ones that get the most reader response. My beloveds write in and say: "You write best when you write from the heart."

That is what I get my clients to do now. One executive business coach is surprising herself with how personal and spiritual her book is evolving, and she stops herself. I tell her the same: You write best when you write from the heart.

We can share our expertise and our message, and we do it best when we get personal.Why do you think Eat, Pray, Love became such a resonant best seller? Elizabeth Gilbert got deeply personal.

A recent blog post of mine where I wrote about how I now have "movie love" with the man I call Prince Charming crossed the line into personal and vulnerable. Another author wants to use it in ... continue reading