Keegan Luiters thinks it’s time for teams to take centre stage. He knows that if the organisations of today want to succeed, they must take a deliberate approach to harnessing the power of every individual, every team, and figuring out how to bring the network of teams together. 

Keegan has spent his career developing and applying team performance principles in every company he has worked, yielding phenomenal results. Fueled by his success, Keegan started his own consulting business and set about putting his philosophy to paper.

Keegan wanted to write a book to anchor his authority and differentiate himself in a saturated industry.

Keegan wanted to write a book that would provide leaders with both a call to action and an action plan to see the tangible value in placing the highest value on developing high performing teams.

But knowing you want to write a book and knowing how to write one are two entirely different things, something Keegan came to realise after sitting on the idea for some time.

“I spent two years thinking about writing a book. I needed to get clear on my niche, feel that I have something to contribute, and that it has commercial viability.”

He soon realised that writing a book is a team sport.

At first, Keegan was excited to start work on his book. But it wasn’t long before doubt set in: what was the best way to serve his audience, and could he really translate his principles to the page? His book had to be relatable and applicable, not just an ego boost. He didn’t know where to start.

Taking a page from his own lessons about the importance of teamwork, Keegan joined Expert Author Academy where he found book coaching, a community and a framework.

The author journey: self-doubt, vulnerability and clarity over message

Early on, Keegan encountered a problem nearly every author will at some point face: he wasn’t sure what to include and what to leave out.

Initially I thought “I’ll tell everyone everything I know.” Going through this process causes you to review how you’ll present and engage. It shifted to: How could I serve? How can my experiences help other people? How might someone use this information? The core of my message is far more nuanced with more substance and structure now.”

But even with a clearer sense of how he could serve, rather than just inform,  crippling feelings of self-doubt and personal incompetence confront almost every writer. For all his experience and accomplishments, Keegan was no different.

‍Saying to the world “here’s what I do and what I think” is scary. Vulnerability is taking a position and having your position questioned. But when you stand clearer in your message it makes it easier for people to engage with you. I’m just trying to shift the conversation. I don’t have to be right but my ideas and views are still worth talking about. My message to market is much clearer. I can differentiate myself ‘if you like this approach, you gotta come to me.’ My message isn’t hidden or buried; it’s obvious. That’s because of the structure piece. It forced clarity on my message and that’s so useful to my clients”

Feelings of self-doubt are normal, especially when venturing into unknown and challenging territory. Keegan was encouraged to name imposter syndrome, feel it, reframe his thinking, and push forward.

“You run into Imposter syndrome at various points. For me, a really important part was normalisation. That Kelly had seen it all before, everything I was feeling was normal, and I could interact with others who were going through it at the same time.”

With his message clear and his confidence boosted, Keegan published Team Up in September 2020. From there, he didn’t waste any time. His first step was to use the book to open doors for conversations. He sent copies to clients, prospects, and then invited people at conferences to go deeper into his work by reading his book.

His book has helped him scale his business, land better engagements and triple his revenue (in under 12 months).

Keegan had hoped his book would establish him as a thought leader and lay the foundation for multiple business opportunities. And by every measure, that’s exactly what happened. The exposure Keegan gained from writing Team Up has skyrocketed his business in profound ways. 

First, he saw a spike in attention. Then, he noticed that sales conversations were much easier. And then, all the extra attention translated into real business.

“I have opportunities to work on a bigger scale – the engagements are longer and the teams are more senior. Some people seek me out already pre-sold on working with me, and for others, sending a copy of my book with proposals helps the approval and sign-off process. My revenue has tripled – a lot of that can be attributed to having a clearer position.”

He has clarity over his business model and tightened his offerings.

The book is like the spine of my practice. It frames all the work that I currently do. It has become a filter. That’s liberating. I get to do lots more of the work I love to do now. Writing a book helped me get clear on a few things I was fuzzy on, it made me structure my model. I wouldn’t have gotten to that point without it.”

And best of all, people are engaging with his ideas and seeking his support to implement the principles he outlines in his book.

For Keegan, the personal feedback he receives and the interest he has seen in his work, confirms that he’s succeeding at exactly what he set out to do: help organisations appreciate the competitive advantage of building teams that are flexible, adaptable and resilient.

“Before working with Kelly, I had grounded optimism that my book would be something of value. Now, I know it to be true. I have confidence and clarity. It’s important to enough people for them to do this work and engage with my take on the work. My book has been a catalyst for personal and professional growth.”

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