Navigating the Unexpected: An Interview with Caron Grossman

Life has a way of throwing the unexpected at us, often in ways we’re not prepared for. It’s in these moments that we discover the power of listening to our instincts and advocating for ourselves. Caron Grossman, author of Listen to Your Heart Song: Navigating the Unexpected, uses her voice to shed light on topics often overlooked—how heart disease uniquely affects women and how self-awareness is crucial in the face of a health crisis. In simple terms, Listen to Your Heart Song is about “navigating the unexpected, listening to your instincts, and advocating for yourself.”

Inspiration for the story came from Caron’s personal journey with heart disease. Both her and her mother experienced heart attacks, which deeply affected her, both mentally and physically. What made their experiences particularly unusual was that neither of their symptoms were standard to those of a typical heart attack. That is when Caron learned that many women present differently than men when having a heart attack. Realizing that many healthcare workers are not educated on women’s heart health prompted Caron to ask this question: If even healthcare professionals aren’t aware, how many other people out there are also not educated on women’s heart diseases? Caron wrote Listen to Your Heart Song in order to share her own personal stories about heart health and to raise awareness on the hidden dangers in women’s heart diseases. 

If there’s one piece of advice Caron has for others embarking on the published author journey, it’s to keep the process simple and take your time. Specifically, she emphasizes the need to simply “write the book and let it be messy.” It’s important not to get caught up in editing and perfecting the book too early on, as doing so may distract you from thoroughly expressing your thoughts in your writing. According to Caron, the writing process should be open, organic, and free from the pressures of editing and revising. For her, it wasn’t until the book was fully written that she could finally focus on finding an editor and publisher. As Caron puts it, “Take it one step at a time. Do your research and be open to learning, as publishing is a whole other world.” 

One of the biggest surprises Caron faced while publishing her book is how much she still has to learn about technology and collaboration. When beginning the hybrid publishing process, she believed she had a fairly good grip on how to navigate and use technology to the best of her ability, but soon found herself struggling with many technology related tasks. Something that might take her friend a few minutes would take her a few hours. Along with that, learning how to collaborate and work on other people’s time was crucial for Caron during her publishing process. To that point, she added, “I don't usually collaborate. I usually work on my own, and so relying on other people for their part has been a really important quality for me to learn.” 

Caron shared that the only content she has put out there before was an article about heart health and her TEDx talk about grief, both of which she completed prior to her memoir Listen to Your Heart Song: Navigating the Unexpected. Though she used to write many poems and short stories, most of her early work was burned when she was 21, which discouraged her from writing for many years. It wasn't until after her mother passed away that Caron began writing again, as she used it as a way to process her overwhelming emotions. She credits writing as a place where she could fully express her truth and feel safe. Today, she’s writing again, including an article for a friend’s magazine, Dynamic Aging for Life, where she shares her experience of being a published author at the age of 61.

For Caron, the decision wasn’t to go fully self-published, but rather use hybrid publishing. She emphasizes the importance of finding the right team to work with, and in her case, that meant connecting with professionals who understood her vision. In regards to her experience with Wildebeest, Caron adds, “They get me. They get my idea. I love that they [Laura and Jess] are two very different individuals and bring two very different qualities to the table, each incredibly necessary.” Caron expressed that, beyond simply wanting the best for their own business, Laura and Jess genuinely care about her success, which makes her feel greatly supported in her publishing journey. 

Explore more of Caron’s empowering journey at www.carongrossman.com

 Lia is a lifelong reader and writer who is currently a student at Siena College pursuing a degree in English. Her passion for English merges with her commitment to supporting and educating others, which is why one day she hopes to find her place either in the world of publishing or in early childhood education.