Lauren Eckhardt is the Burning Soul Press founder and CEO. She also serves as a ghostwriter and book coach at the company.
At Burning Soul Press, Lauren Eckhardt advocates for “determined and passionate writers who listen to their soul’s calling,” and she is also “the number one cheerleader” for the authors on their roster. She is also active in “helping writers launch their author careers,” as well as “reading, writing, and trying her hand at various creative outlets.”
After just a few months, Lauren Eckhardt grew Burning Soul Press to a “six-figure company with a fantastic team that supports all our global clients in helping them reach their author goals.” In 2021, the company is on track to reach seven-figures.
Before Burning Soul Press, Lauren Eckhardt worked for 12 years in human resources. She spent her career there “chasing degrees, certifications, and promotions, always successful but never fulfilled.” She says she “kept going for what I was supposed to have to elevate myself versus what felt purposeful and spending my time helping the world be a better place.”
It was when her two boys arrived that Lauren Eckhardt decided to split off on her own. That was the beginning of Burning Soul Press.
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We value vulnerability, acceptance, empowerment, and reform. Lauren Eckhardt, Burning Soul Press
Jerome Knyszewski: What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Lauren Eckhardt: We dive in deep. The clients we work with have a message they want to share and are on a mission to make a difference. We believe we aren’t meant to hide our life journeys, but instead, we need to embrace them — the peaks and the valleys, the light and the darkness — to fully understand how all aspects have shaped our character into who we are today and to provide hope to those who need to hear our truth the most. We help our authors see that too. We value vulnerability, acceptance, empowerment, and reform. We focus on the authentic hearts and souls of everyone we work with — no fluff allowed.
Jerome Knyszewski: Often leaders are asked to share the best advice they received. But let’s reverse the question. Can you share a story about advice you’ve received that you now wish you never followed?
Lauren Eckhardt: “Take this course because it transformed my business!” I’m a huge personal development nerd so probably an easy fish to catch on this one. But there’s a very real danger that’s not talked about enough in the entrepreneur space. Many of us can reflect back on our corporate lives and think that we felt the pressure to be a certain way or to fit a certain expectation.
When you think about being an entrepreneur, you think about finally doing what you want to do. But when you’re starting out, it’s hard. An equal part con and pro of social media is seeing all the training options that are out there that provide you with guidance and tools to be successful as an entrepreneur.
But most trainings are teaching you their framework for how to do things. Then when people failing using this supposed “fail-proof” technique, they think they’re not meant to do what they set out to do. Personal Development training can be dangerous because some of it is still corralling you into a box that just doesn’t fit YOU.
You have to focus on your passion and your purpose behind your original vision and stay true to it. You have to own what makes you unique and confidently choose how to run your business while weaving that in. That’s how you’ll attract your target audience and not that of someone else.
My entire life has been about listening to other people’s stories.
Jerome Knyszewski: You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Lauren Eckhardt: Number one, being a good listener. My entire life has been about listening to other people’s stories. Even from the time I was a little girl, total strangers would open up to me and share their life stories.
Everyone wants to be seen and heard for who they truly are, and I’ve always been willing to listen. It’s why helping them bring their stories to the pages is such a perfect calling for me.
Number two, I’m intuitive. I’m not super woo-woo or anything, but I’ve always been intuitive. I drifted away from that for many years, but ever since stepping into my fullest purpose, I’ve been connected with it again on high. It stems from just listening to people — what they’re actually saying and not just the words they’re selecting.
Since I’m so visual, I get these natural “downloads” as they’re talking that help shape their ideas for their book or businesses. It makes it super fun and helps our clients get the perspective and guidance they’re searching for when taking steps toward their dreams.
Number three, my passion for more diverse and honest stories to be shared. Because of this, I’m always choosing the best interest for our clients — period. I want people to listen to the nudge they’re getting to write and publish their book and then do it with confidence and ease, so that’s what we help them with.
Even though we have publishing services, for example, I don’t push those if that’s not in alignment with a client’s values and goals. Instead, we listen to what they need to succeed, and that’s what we help them with no matter what. It’s not about us- it’s about the readers who need to hear the stories the most, and we just help deliver the stories to them.
Jerome Knyszewski: Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Lauren Eckhardt: Find a team of people you can trust who can take the load off. It can be scary hiring someone when you’re starting out, but when hire your first person, you realize how liberating it is and how much it frees you to create and innovate more to continue driving your business forward.
You also have to make sure you’re having fun. Get on the phone with a fun client and let yourself laugh freely without focusing on work. Have a dance party with your kids. Go for a swim or hike in the middle of the day. When I’m too focused on the grind, my business plunges. It’s only when I stop and have fun (which then sparks my gratitude) that my business soars. I’ve learned there’s definitely a strong correlation — and having fun is more fun anyway.
It takes time to attract and build your target audience.
Jerome Knyszewski: What are the most common mistakes you have seen CEOs & founders make when they start a business? What can be done to avoid those errors?
Lauren Eckhardt: Pivoting too soon and focusing on the outcome verses the quality transaction. It takes time to attract and build your target audience. Many CEOs and founders will put out their first service offer or product with high expectations, and when those aren’t met, they think they have to pivot instead of throwing the line out again.
They also become so driven about the sales (because let’s face it, the financial portion is necessary), that they stop appreciating the value behind every transaction or relationship that takes place. It isn’t always about the outcome only.
I can’t stress the power of the ripple effects enough from every single thing you put out and do. For the first ten months of business, my company was driven solely by word-of-mouth, and most clients were being referred from people I had only done networking calls with.
Taking the time to network and connect with other people with no expectations of the outcome can produce long-term profits for your company. Also, remember that taking action produces clarity- not being stuck in the planning mode time and again.
Jerome Knyszewski: In your experience, which aspect of running a company tends to be most underestimated? Can you explain or give an example?
Lauren Eckhardt: Stepping into being a CEO is the most underestimated aspect. So much of entrepreneur-related trainings is all about the things you have to do instead of who you need to be. Not enough people focus on who you should be. Who you are as a CEO and what you project influences the culture of your company and the clients you attract. If you want long-term success AND fulfillment, it comes down to who you are and then the things that you must do will be shaped and flow out of that.
You also have to make sure you’re having fun. Lauren Eckhardt
Jerome Knyszewski: You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Lauren Eckhardt: To openly share our life journeys without shame or embarrassment or guilt. That’s what I’m striving for in everything I do with my personal life and Burning Soul Press. To influence everyone in today’s world now by giving them that platform and safe space to openly talk about the things that matter the most, to build deeper connections with people, and to transform the way we step into this world by owning all parts of our life that have contributed to who we are.
Jerome Knyszewski: How can our readers further follow you online?
Lauren Eckhardt: Follow Burning Soul Press on Facebook and Instagram using @BurningSoulPress and our website. We also have a weekly Clubhouse chat called The Soul Journey: From the Pen to the Stage every Thursday at 3:00 pm EST and you can find me on clubhouse @BurningSoul.
Jerome Knyszewski: This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this!
Lauren Eckhardt: Thank you for the amazing interview and helping us get our story out into the world!
