Friends, have you ever met someone who just oozes presence? Bona fide Grace? That’s what I feel when I chat with my friend Catia Holm. She’s a mom, wife and fellow writer. Her first book The Courage to Become: Stories of Hope for Navigating Love, Marriage and Motherhood out NOW.

She’s funny, insightful and encourages women to lead vibrant and happy lives. You will love her. Catia is an enthusiast, an advocate of women, and dreamer with direction(aren’t those the best kind?) I spoke with her about her writing process. Where she summoned all this courage? And how she managed to spark a confidence revolution? It’s a year-long YouTube series that will make you laugh and definitely say “Aha.” Subscribe to her page for weekly musings. Catia Holm

“It didn’t feel courageous as I was doing it. However, now it feels courageous,” Holm said about the launch of her first book. (We spent a week timing our phone convo around nap schedules.)

 

Holm practically wrote her book around naptime, too. She started writing when her daughter Alexandra was just a few months old. Instead of getting overwhelmed by the idea of writing a book—she committed herself to write an hour a day. The Texas native used a timer and wrote with pen and paper (literally crossing each successful day off on a calendar.)

“I knew that I couldn’t make up more than 30 or 40 minutes. I was pretty diligent about it.” She said. “I always gave myself credit for something.”

Self-compassion is certainly a hallmark of her work. She quelled self-doubt (while pitching the manuscript to publishers) by staying true to herself and by owning her unique talent.

“I’m terrible at punctuation. I knew my gift was not technique. I knew going into it, my gift was my story and my gift was the inclusion of women and encouraging others. So, I have never felt less than because somebody has an award or a masters degree in English Lit. There are plenty of times I’ve been out-ranked or out educated but I always make people laugh. Somehow, I always make people comfortable and those are things are important to me.” Catia said.

Author Catia Holm

Much of her inner work has been about getting comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. She’s battled body insecurities and spent a decade healing through regular practices of gratitude and kindness. She inspires thousands of Facebook followers to tackle their own uncomfortable feelings and lack of self-worth.

“Cam, I don’t think a lot of people want to dig that deep because it’s so much work and it’s so scary. It takes real effort but it’s so worth it. I tell them— I’m living proof that it’s worth it. I had a life that looked really good on the outside but I was shallow and hollow on the inside. I just had to fall on my face a few times and I had to work.” she said.

Catia married her husband three years ago in Austin, TX. She lovingly refers to him as Guapo on social media. The couple welcomed their daughter, Alexandra in 2014. The second little Holm will make her debut in January 2017 (more careful planning) right after mom’s new book release.

“I don’t want this story to sound like I am because he is. [But when I met my husband] He was so calm in who he was. He was so not threatened by anyone and so straight—he walks such a straight line. I think that’s when I saw grace up close for the first time.” Catia gushed.

Her husband actually convinced her to write the book after a jog one day. She wished other women would have told her the truth about motherhood. “He said ‘write a book.’ I said ‘that’s ridiculous.’ He said ‘no… do it.’ So, I did.”