Coaching Jaz Ampaw-Farr: Turning Her Powerful Story Into a Transformational Book

When Jaz Ampaw-Farr came to me, she wasn’t short on words. She’s a celebrated keynote speaker, a TEDx alum, and a woman with a backstory so powerful it could fuel ten memoirs.

She also had a publisher.

But what she didn’t have was a book.

Not a real one. Not one a stranger could pick up in Waterstones, flip through, and instantly see themselves in. Not one that delivered what Jaz’s audiences feel when they watch her speak: galvanised, inspired, and changed.

That’s where I came in as her book coach.

Jaz had already told her story thousands of times on stages around the world. She knew which moments made people laugh, which made them cry, and which made them leap to their feet. But a book is not a keynote. It has to carry the reader’s transformation as much as the author’s. It has to deliver its message not just through moments of impact, but through sustained clarity, structure, and purpose.

So we sat down to find the spine.

Starting with the Blueprint

We used the Author Accelerator Blueprint for a Book, a structured yet flexible framework that helps mission-driven authors pull their ideas into a coherent whole. It’s particularly powerful for nonfiction books that combine personal narrative with a call to action - something Jaz does better than most.

Early on, I asked her a deceptively simple question:

“Why must you tell this story now?”

Her answer?

“Because I’ve seen what happens when people believe they don’t matter. And I’ve seen what’s possible when they realise they do.”

That was it. The heartbeat. The reason for the book.

It wasn’t just about celebrating the teachers who changed her life. It was about mobilising readers - educators, leaders, everyday people - to recognise their own impact and show up differently.

The challenge was turning that big emotional energy into a book that could scale—one that could live beyond the stage and meet people where they were: exhausted, overwhelmed, and wondering if any of it made a difference.

Finding the Reader’s Journey

Our focus was always the reader. Every time the story swelled, I’d ask,

“What’s the takeaway for the person holding the book?”

Together, we mapped the chapters to the five teachers who helped shape Jaz’s life. Their stories became more than biography—they became blueprints for leadership, empathy, resilience, and human-first connection.

This wasn’t just a memoir. It was a transformational book for leaders, told through lived experience, with reflection prompts and actionable guidance baked in.

Jaz wanted to say: “Because of you, this is me.”

She also wanted readers to close the book and say: “Because of me, someone else can become more than they ever thought possible.”

That’s the kind of book that sticks.

Ready to Write a Book That Changes Lives?

If you’ve got a story like this, one that’s been living on stages, in journals, or just inside you, and you’re ready to shape it into a book that serves your reader, learn more about my Story Development service.

Let’s build something powerful together.