This week I’ve been slowing down and listening in now that the Winter Writing Group is closed for new members. All the members are on this journey to write and create, even if it’s a bit of a stretch!
Ever since last week, I’ve had the urge to talk about this exposed feeling that comes up when you start to share your writing–or even think about sharing.
It’s old hat to me now after publishing writing about my life for 20 years, but it doesn’t mean I don’t ever have to face it.
I’m talking about that little voice coming up when you put pen to paper:
“What if people read this, hear my voice, and they don’t like it?”
It might gnaw at you or feel a bit embarrassing…
even if it’s just a little bit, that’s enough
– to kill your inspiration,
– to block you from sharing, and
– to keep you in the shadows, covered and ‘safe’.
The Problem:
Here is the deal about writing.
When you write or share, you reveal yourself:
– Your thoughts.
– Your feelings.
– Who you are.
How terrifying!!
In fact a lot of people have what I call “sibling-syndrome.”
It’s a fear of writing anything personal down.
It comes from when a sibling could invade your privacy and read your deepest darkest secrets in your journal!
(Best not to even keep a journal in that situation–it’s a logical way to protect yourself.)
But maybe, THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE BESIDES YOUR SIBLINGS,
(Or your bullies. Or your parents.)
And they are waiting for you to connect with them.
They are your people.
Maybe your people will get you,
better than any one you ever grew up with did.
Maybe your secrets will endear you to them forever,
like a best friend.
Maybe the safest thing in the world is to let people see the real you,
and let go of holding back,
because you will magnetize your people
and they’ll become your friends, fans, followers and even clients.
Are you prepared for people to discover the REAL you?
Read your thoughts, your feelings, your secret truths?
Are you prepared for what they might think or say about it?
I’m writing to you about this because if you want to write authentically or share about what you do this is majorly important.
As a writing coach, I’ve seen clients be so reluctant to feel exposed or judged (which I know is super scary)…
that they never write anything down, and hold back from sharing anything ever!
Why fear of exposure is worth facing
– If you want to help people,
– If you have a mission worth sharing,
– If you have gifts, art, information, a service to share with other people…
People need to hear what you have to say,
So sooner or later you are going to need to
Show. Up.
The best way to reach people is to show up in general,
– consistently,
– broadly, and
– as often as is comfortable for you.
You can’t just think about writing.
You can’t just write in a journal and leave it there.
You can’t show up once, with 10% of who you are, and expect to rock people’s world.
You gotta show up more than that.
But showing up as much as it takes, or even once,
may be uncomfortable or scary,
so what should you do?
What is the solution?
Should you tear off all your metaphorical clothes and bare your soul right now in every way possible?
Should you share writing drafts you don’t think are ready?
Do you need to open your journal and share your deepest darkest secrets?
Is that what is necessary to be authentic and fully embracing your purpose?
Is this what you need to do for the shock therapy to “break the ice,”
so you don’t ever fear being vulnerable or exposed again?
Well….
Speaking as someone who HAS done this–
I’ve published a book about some of the most vulnerable things I could share. I’m talking about my memoir Freedom Year.
Yeah, I talked about my sex life, from when I was 22 (btw the sex honestly wasn’t even that great! Which is maybe worse…)
Freedom Year was a time in which I confused, trying to find who I was and using bad dates and questionable choices to find that path.
I wanted to stop being a doormat so I thought trying to be more like a dominatrix would somehow turn me into a strong woman like Beyonce.
Plot twist–It didn’t really work that way,
but those weird a$$ experiences did in a round-about way lead me to finding my spirituality and more self love.
I don’t regret writing the story, or publishing it. I got a lot out of all parts of the process.
But I can tell you there is an easier way.
In all honesty, I thought I would publish Freedom Year and then I would officially give no f&*$s about what anyone thought and be totally authentic forever.
But that’s what happened. I still have thoughts like, “Why did you do this?!”
I dismiss those thoughts since I know I did it to follow my intuition and I trust my intuition. Full stop.
But if you get nervous about sharing your writing, I don’t think publishing a tell-all memoir solves everything.
Despite ripping off a big bandaid of vulnerability, it still takes work for me to continue to be courageously myself every day.
(But embracing that courage is something I am committed to, so no biggie. Bring it on. I’m ready.)
For you, Maybe there is another way
We all have a different path. I’m not suggesting you take my path and use it as your own.
You can do things in a softer, gentler way.
Don’t just take the plunge and expose yourself broadly without preparation.
In fact, before I published Freedom Year, I did a LOT of preparation,
and that’s what I would recommend to you
BE GENTLE. GO IN STAGES. PREPARE YO’ SELF.
FYI, this still matters even if you haven’t written something yet
just knowing your plan is to be gentle on yourself WILL make it easier for you to write authentically,
because while your writing is still an IDEA in your brain,
your subconscious is already thinking 12 steps ahead to how people react when you hit publish.
If you have a fear of exposure, it CAN and WILL completely block your writing in the first place
because if you have no writing to show anyone, then you will be ‘safe’.
“Uh uh. Not this. Shut it down,” is basically how the uncontrollable forces in your brain will react.
There goes your muse, out the window.
If you’ve been having trouble finishing a project, maybe this is happening to you.
To get over this you have the option to publicly share about evvvvvvverything right this second,
but you don’t need to.
And unless you are prepared, I don’t recommend it.
It’s not necessary to go to such great lengths of self-exposure to be authentic and serve your purpose.
Good news, right?
Well, the bad news is that at some point, you will need to explore your edges around exposure and vulnerability.
This is the way:
– to stop being “the world’s greatest secret”,
– to share your stories or your skills to people who will benefit, and
– to be seen so you reach the people you are here to serve in a bigger way.
BUT you can still push your edge around sharing your writing in a gentle way.
How to Be Gentle
Here’s what I recommend:
Share your writing in stages.
1. Find a gentle or SAFE person to share your writing with and tell them what kind of feedback you want or don’t want.
For instance, say all you want is to hear is what they like about it. Make sure they won’t judge. Maybe talk to them on the phone so you can make sure you hear their tone.
(I’ve been this gentle first person who reads and gives feedback for many clients, reply to me if you’d like me to be this person for you!)
2. Find a safe group you can share your writing with.
Same deal–let them know what you expect and hope for from them.
If you get crickets, i.e. no response, maybe go back to number #1.
Whenever I am in a course that has a group chat, a private forum, a facebook group, a voxer or telegram group,
I share ALOT of writing, voicenotes, posts, and videos about what I am working through.
It’s a great way to make friends, learn a lot, and generate ideas for things I end up sharing publicly.
3. If you aren’t confident about your writing, ask for constructive criticism.
If you feel like you want your writing to get better, you can ask a writing expert or someone else how to make it better.
You can ask the people you share with or people you share with in groups. Don’t ask a person who hates fantasy how to make your fantasy novel better. Don’t ask a person who hates yoga how to make your yoga site better–
make sure who you listen to actually has a useful opinion.
You have to take it with a grain of salt, but try not to get defensive if there is some truth in what people say.
Filter it through your intuition.
4. Edit your writing and repeat the previous stages until you are ready to share with the whole world.
Sometimes it takes a few rounds of polishing to feel ready. No shame in that.
5. Post or publish your writing publicly.
Whoo!!!! Time to post and attract those people who get you 🙂
Now you may even have the confidence to personally approach people with your public posts and ask them to like, share it, or leave a comment or review!
You can also do these stages out of order–
like maybe you post writing publicly and after that you ask for feedback about how to make that writing better.
The point of this is:
If you have fear of exposure, you may not realize there are many stages that you can put your writing through.
You may think the process looks like writing and then instantly sharing so everyone in the world can see it.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
You have to tell your brain that this is not necessarily what will happen–
you will be gentle.
Going through the process will also help you gain strength.
The big goal of taking your writing through stages is not so much about honing your writing,
although if you get help and you feel your writing gets better then you may feel comfortable sharing in a bigger way.
Mainly this is a practice of exposing yourself through sharing in safe spaces,
so that it dulls the sting of it. You get used to it.
It makes your stronger for when you go public with your writing.
I want you to be strong because these days a lot of people experience NO response to writing.
It doesn’t mean your writing sucks but it is disappointing to be ignored, or have no confirmation that someone connected with it.
There are also internet trolls. Some people really are negative, but it might just be their problem.
What you put online may be read by this person or that person you’d rather not have read it, and you may dread that.
But if this is truly something important that you need to write, to share, and get out there,
I trust you will find the courage you need to push your writing forward.
Aim to move it into the next stage.
You can do this, and if you need any help making 2023 the year you make progress on sharing your writing in a safer, gentler, more courageous way…contact me
Knowing when to take off the training wheels
Yeah, this is a lot of stages to put writing through.
Some writing may not trigger you so much and so you don’t need to do all this work on it.
Eventually, when you are more practiced in writing and sharing, you won’t need all these stages to share something that makes you nervous.
You will trust yourself.
You may even get feedback directly from people that helps you know you made the right decision to share.
Tomorrow I’m teaching how to work with the soul of your business or book and hear what it has to say.
Why? Well, because…
The writing you want to do, the business you want to create,
and the change you are here to do in the world–
it isn’t on you to figure it all out by yourself.
You actually have a supremely talented guide
the book or business itself.
Businesses, and books are like little kids:
you can raise them to be a certain way, to a point–
but they also have their own personality and ideas for what they want to do.
And yes, you can get in touch with that intelligent, supportive soul driving your book or business forward,
and get it to help you know what to do next!
This has changed everything for me and many people I have worked with to make it easier to make progress that feels good.
The soul of my books and my business has led me in the right direction many times, in surprising ways.
There is a creative soul inside of everything and anything you create that is so brilliant and wise, it would be a pity not to listen to what it has to say.
Want to get in touch with the soul of your book or business so you know what to do next?
Know what you write next, and get clarity on any big decisions you need to make.
If you are wondering if connecting to the soul of your book or business is ACTUALLY useful,
and not just something that I made up…
Here’s a story of one of my clients learning to connect to the soul of her business!
Before I worked with Sofia I was trying to create a “program” but I wasn’t totally clear on what it would look like. I was trying to force it into boxes –
Sofia helped me see that the creative energy I’m working with is not a program so much as it is my whole business, which is a creative extension of myself. What I was working with before the session was so much more rigid and limited than I really wanted it to be, and I didn’t have a good sense of its spirit because my view of it was clouded by preconceptions of what it should be.
Sofia, It felt like you made an effort to keep me feeling connected and safe throughout the session. The words you used were spot on for me. Then, at the end of the session, you gave me a sign that you had definitely connected to the creative soul of my business. The way you described the creative soul energy around me felt very accurate, and throughout the call you pointed out things to me that helped me see my situation in a more expansive way. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience that shifted my perception.
I felt excited after we worked together. I also felt reassured and comforted by what you revealed to me about the creative soul of my business. I had peace of mind at the end of the session that I just didn’t have before the session.
Now, I definitely trust that the creative soul of my business exists, and now I have images to connect to the energy of it. I also keep reminding myself of things you said, that have helped me let go of anxiety, open up to the possibilities around me more, and take more risks because I feel more safe.
I’ve allowed myself to share my business ideas with potential clients, which I might not have had the courage to do the week before. I can normally hear my intuition pretty well, but working with you helped me find the courage to act on my intuition.
Allison S, Entrepreneur.
Get this idea into you mind: It’s not all on you: your business is here to support you!
Contact me if you’d like my help to connect to your business so you always know what to do and write next.
The kick-off of the Winter Writing Group went well and now I’m coming at you with something different.
I read this Eckhart Tolle quote and it spoke to me:
“The past lives in you as memories, but memories in themselves are not a problem. In fact, it is through memory that we learned from the past and from past mistakes.
It is only when memories, that is to say, thoughts about the past, take you over completely that they turn into a burden, turn problematic and become part of your sense of self.
Your personality which is conditioned by the past then becomes your prison. Your memories are invested with a sense of self, and your story becomes who you perceive yourself to be.”
From A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose
Who do you think you are?
The stories you have about the past matter.
Have you ever had stories said about you that you know aren’t true?
But can’t seem to shake?
This quote speaks to me because I’ve changed a lot, bit by bit through my love of stories.
I’ve had a lot of misperceptions about me in my life and it took a while to let that go.
The process of changing began when I wanted to write fiction stories and I started reading creativity guide, the Artist’s Way. I began writing everyday in 2009.
It taught me to write every morning, which taught me so much about myself, and about who I wanted to be.
I began writing stories of alternate lives I could be living–putting words to intangible dreams, that surprisingly have come true since then.
Right away, I wanted to share writing with others.
It helped me heal and change. It gave me the freedom to escape that prison I had been trapped in. I was so excited to share that.
But I had to change my story first to do that.
To help others, I had to change how I saw myself, and my identity.
For instance, it took me years to fully OWN the identity of being a “writer,” and it didn’t need to. I could have made that shift decades ago.
I don’t believe this is something unique to me. It is available to you, as well, which is why I’m passionate about helping others to find their inner pro-writer.
Don’t let your memories or your stories hold you back.
You, too, have the power to be free just by deciding you want to.
Right. Now.
I’m reminding you of your power
& Reminding you that other people don’t have the final say over your story.
Whether you have a spouse, a family member, a boss, or someone from your past telling you that
you are not good enough in some area you want to master…
not capable…
not that special…
I call bullsh&%.
Yeah, you are.
All that matters is that you believe it.
When you believe that you ARE who you aspire to be, then you’ll successfully learn any additional skills necessary to take it to the next level.
What if you wrote a story of the truth of you?
That you are:
the sparkly, shiny, mermaid, out-of-this-world version of you?
I want to know who she is.
(I’m still curious even if you aren’t a woman, it just feels good to say “she” right now.)
Feel free to leave a comment, or contact me and tell me!
Do you suspect your writing couldconnect to more people, but something is missing?
First off–Remember to let loose and be yourself.
Good writing doesn’t mean PERFECT. And it doesn’t mean ULTRA PROFESSIONAL. It certainly doesn’t mean “CORRECT” according to an English teacher!
First, you have to write something. You need to let it come out.
I don’t want you to overthink things so much you don’t write at all.
I’m not about hard rules or perfectionism and I love it when people just show up with confidence…
But if you really want to know,
the editor in me notices when you need just a few tweaks in order to make your writing or marketing really good.
A few shifts can go a long way to help you get that writing done in a way that people just love.
“I am a client (slayingthegiants) of Sofia’s and want to let you know that I have had Sofia write copy for me on a couple of campaigns now and I highly recommend her to anyone wanting to take there campaigns to the next level of success. She is a wonderful woman with a great spirit and very awesome at what she does.”
Tom Ramsey, Entrepreneur & Best-selling author
I highly recommend this talented woman. This is a quote I texted Sofia the other day “Your work is amazing. I love what you’ve done for me and the book!”
Melissa Feick, Spiritual Teacher & International Bestseller
Let’s break down the fundamentals.
What makes writing good? It may be different than you think!
Here are a few things that are essential to good writing:
-Good writing helps people understand the value of what you do or what you have to say.
(You’ve got to make people understand your message and why it matters so much–and this is hard because you can’t just be yourself, you have to start thinking like the person you are here to serve.)
-Good writing means you successfully made the key choices that allow your writing to connect with your people.
(Every word you put down is a choice! But some of those choices matter more than others. If you miss what is really important, it just doesn’t land the same way.)
-Good writing helps you be of deeper service by being yourself!
(When you master all of the above and share from your best, sparkly mermaid-self, you’ll draw in the friends, clients, and followers that are the soulmates for you. But this takes practice!)
If you want to make progress on your book, website, blogs, emails, or posts,
Join us:
-work with a writing coach, copywriter, and editor to improve your writing,
-have a group of supportive, fun people around you to inspire you to write,
-get prompts, exercises, and individual feedback so you always know what to do and write next.
If you have ideas or amazing skills to help people,
but you would love more clients and followers to boost your cash flow and the impact you are here to do…
You’d be amazed what even a few tweaks to your writing, communication, and marketing can do!
Get into the flow so you can make your writing better than ever, & draw in those people you are here to serve.
I definitely am so so happy that I reached out to you. Since we’ve talked, I’ve literally built an Instagram network, built a Tiktok network. I’ve been more comfortable with posting my things on LinkedIn, and Facebook. Oh and my website, you’ve helped with that. Just from April, when we started talking, I’ve literally built an entire website and I have over 1000 followers on social media, which I like never thought that would happen.”
Kristina, Entrepreneur and Creator of SEL Corner
Still on the fence? Hey, no worries.
If you have a question or concern and want to talk to me about it, contact me and let me know.
It’s a problematic holiday but the one thing I think most of us can agree on is that being grateful is a positive emotion.
I’m so grateful for you!!! Thanks for reading this email!
I thought this would be timely for those of you having a holiday…
Are you spending more time on your phone or social media? Does it leave you feeling bored or off?
You might want to try this trick I used to make sure I am really filling my tank with what I really need, not just consuming crap that does not really fulfill me. In the journey to find balance in my life, my relationship to social media has been something I’ve given a lot of thought to. On the one hand, it helps me connect to worldwide friends, both people I’ve known for twenty years, and friends I never knew that I had.
I noticed after I lost my father in 2021 that I was scrolling through social media and just feeling bad. I had to ask myself, “Is this helping me or hurting me?” I decided to institute a new practice for a while called “microjournaling” which I heard about from a youtube video by Struthless talking about quitting social media in this video. I did not want to quit social media or using my phone completely but definitely use it less and be happier, more present or more grounded.
What I did:
For a month, every time I picked up my phone to scroll, instead I wrote a sentence about how I felt in a notes application called Keep.
If you want to try it, you could do this anywhere you can keep a written or digital note.
What I learned:
I discovered often I felt sad and just wanted a distraction. If I went on social media while sad, I could easily see something that would make me feel worse, or at the very least, it wasn’t really going to make me feel better. In this period of my life, distraction from my feelings isn’t going to help me process them.
So I decided that when I feel sad, I will refrain from going on social media. I decided to take a break for about a month and removed pressure to post for my business. I just let people know I needed a break for a while.
I kept up the practice of journaling when I wanted to go on social media.
And then something changed!! After a while, in my microjournaling I noticed I suddenly wanted to go on social media for the purpose of creating and sharing. That was new, and it seemed fun and creative, which was positive for me, rather than a negative thing. So I started experimenting with making videos and pictures to share my life in an authentic way just to connect with my people. That has felt really good.
That was a good lead in to the new personal vlog I created about the lessons from grieving my dad for a year. I’m so glad I created that, it was really meaningful.
Current Practices:
When I don’t have something to promote, I usually don’t post every day like I used to. Even then–I’m constantly releasing the pressure to use social media, and being more reflective and focused on my body and how I feel.
(Feel free to connect with me–I definitely try to make what I share positive and worthwhile to help you write, value your ideas, share your gifts or be yourself first.)
I’m all over social media.
As long as it is making me HAPPY, it can stay.
Conclusion:
These days I am not as rigid about microjournaling and sometimes I find myself scrolling for 20 minutes and still feeling bored—but I will notice and be like, ok what’s going on here? What am I really wanting?
I don’t always know but stopping the scroll and doing something else usually helps me figure it out. I’m figuring out how to balance everything along side you, but I thought I would share in case it helps you!
Next time you feel bored or off, try writing a sentence about how you feel, or asking yourself, “What am I really wanting or needing right now?”
It is okay to be with those feelings even if you don’t have all the answers quite yet. I trust you will get closer to those answers in the end by being more connected to yourself.
Enjoy your holiday if you have one!!
P.S. Let’swrite for your blog, emails, posts, website, or book so you can serve more people in a bigger way–as of writing this on November 23rd we have only 3 spots left. WHEW!
The Winter Writing Group is a magical place for the mermaids-at-heart who want to write as a way to share their message and skills so they can magnetize soulmate followers and clients. It starts December 1st! Click below for details (FYI, this page reads best on a computer):
A coaching group for free spirits and entrepreneurs who want to write for a book, website, emails, posts, blogs, video scripts, and more.
– Know what to write next because you have clear vision and inspiration at every step – Get more done because you can make important decisions to guide your writing and your business – Share your book or business with effective writing so you attract soulmate clients, followers and friends
(it looks best on a computer, sorry if you are on a cellphone!)
Additional FAQS
Question 1: Are there still spots open in the group?
Answer: No
As of December 15th, the group has closed for the season!
The next group will open in May 2023 🙂
Question 2: Can you offer me an extended plan for smaller monthly payments?
Answer: Yes!
As a Black Friday special, you can now get full & instant access to everything included in the Winter Writing Group for $50/month (9 payments)
This payment plan is available until Monday December 5th at 9 am eastern!
The Black Friday $50/month special has ended…
BUT you can still get a monthly payment of only $74/month for 6 months.
All enrollment ends December 10th end of day, midnight EST.
Question 3: What is included?
Answer: This 6 month group coaching program includes
-10 LIVE BI-WEEKLY ZOOM CALLS -6 MONTHS GROUP VOXER COACHING -6 MONTHS ACCESS TO ONLINE VIDEO VAULT -DIGITAL ORGANIZATION TEMPLATE SET
Question 4: When do the live classes start? I’m busy during the holidays.
Answer: The first live meeting is December 1st at 2 PM EST. We skip the rest of December and resume in January. The full list of live sessions includes:
December 1 January 5 + 19 February 2 + 16 March 2, 16 + 30 April 13 + 27
Question 5: What if I can’t make the live classes and meetings?
You will get the replays and transcripts. PLUS you’ll have access to me with voxer coaching for 6 months! Voxer is a free app where you can reach me with text and audio messages. You’ll have access to a group to reach me through the week–
so you can watch the replay and share your responses or questions in the group when it is convenient to you. Voxer coaching is available immediately!
If you want hands-on help to write for your book, business, emails, posts, blogs, video scripts, copy for your website and more (at an awesome price) then you must check out…
Today marks the beginning of the enrollment period for the 6-month Winter Writing Group Program.
Only 8 Spots 1 spot available!
Sign up now for the Black Friday Prep Bonus
For free-spirits & entrepreneurs who want to write for their book, business, website, blogs, emails, or posts.
– Know what to write next because you have clear vision and inspiration at every step
– Make important decisions so you write the right thing for you and your business
– Share your book or business with effective writing so the right people get drawn to your work
Here what past participants have to say about my writing group for mermaids-at-heart:
“I have accomplished so much this summer, and I’ve been writing a lot of different things and having a lot of breakthroughs in the area of ease and flow. I’ve been putting a lot less pressure on myself around what I need to get done. It doesn’t need to be difficult. Thank you for this beautiful space.”
-Kate Burkett, Inner Beauty and Founder of Kate in Paradise
“Sofia Wren is awesome! She had an amazing writing course that I got to take and it was OUTSTANDING. I learned a lot, and (I’ve been writing since I was 12) and she gave so many helpful tips.
I really enjoyed so much of my time with her, she is an incredible person, it was a no judgement zone, and I write novels on the more… interesting side. So to see this kind of thing, it was amazing.
I don’t have enough words to describe this incredible human being!”
-Lisa van der Wilt, Author, VA, and Multi-passionate Biz Owner
I could not figure out what was missing in my business. I knew I had all the information. I knew I had the skills. I really pressured myself forward. And that put me into full stop mode and nothing worked anymore. There was procrastination. I wasn’t fired up. There’s so much to do and it’s just frustrating. You have to do it, you should do it, but you just can’t seem to get yourself to do it.
Since joining the mermaid group, I’ve started to realize that you cannot force it, it’s not one straight line. It all comes together, it all flows together. I’m in the flow. It’s working.
-Uli Dieter, Health & Wellness Coach
If you sign up now, your writing program will include $3464 worth of support at 84% off, plus
THE BLACK FRIDAY PREP BONUS:
For: Everyone who signs up for the Winter Writing Group during November 17th-20th 2022
Receive Black Friday Prep coaching from me to help you
-decide what to offer for Black Friday,
-decide how + when to promote it and
-write some quick emails or posts so you are ready to share it.
How it Works:
1. Sign up to Winter Writing Group Nov 17-20th.
Deadline to get the bonus is Sunday 20th, Midnight EST.
(I’ll be resting over the weekend and not coaching on Nov 19 or 20, but you can still sign up to get the bonus.)
2. Get Black Friday Prep Coaching through Nov 23rd.
Once you sign up, you’ll get instructions to join a private voxer group (voxer is a free app for us to send texts and voice notes to each other).
November 17th-19th I’ll be checking the group multiple times a day for unlimited coaching on preparing for Black Friday.
If you sign up over the weekend, you’ll be added to the coaching group on Monday the 21st to get prepping.
Black Friday Prep coaching ends: Wednesday Nov 23rd, at 11:00 AM EST.
Imagine having your Black Friday offer figured out and written down, so you are totally prepared to enjoy sharing what you offer next week!
The sooner you sign up, the sooner you get help with your preparations.
(Just FYI this course and bonus is only available to8 people 1 person and there are that many people on the waitlist.)
