Welcome to Wonderhell!
I’m so glad you’re here with me.
First, you should watch my talk on TED.com.
Have you ever accomplished something you weren’t so sure you could do? It’s exciting! It’s incredible! It’s amazing!
Success! It’s kind of wonderful, right?
The work you did opened more doors than you ever thought possible. But, it also teased the opportunity of even more doors that you’d never thought possible.
And, maybe, just maybe, as you peeked out into what could be... you admitted to yourself: “I might want more.”
Instead of success bringing you happiness, it handed you an increased hunger, a faster pace, bigger goals. And with that increased hunger, faster pace, and bigger goals also came uncertainty, self-doubt, anxiety… stress.
Success is wonderful. But it’s also kinda hell. It just might be that success is kinda wonderhell.
Then, you should think about ordering the book.
How do we thrive in Wonderhell?
I found myself in Wonderhell shortly after I published my last book Limitless. I was thrilled with the success of this thing that I worked so hard for, but I was also exhausted, stressed, anxious, and uncertain. I didn't know what to do. So I spoke to nearly one hundred glass ceiling shatterers, Olympic medalists, start-up unicorns, and every day people like you and like me in search of a solution. This is just part of what I learned:
Wonderhell compels you to expand your boundaries.
Each time we envision success, before we even achieve it, we see a version of ourselves that we never knew existed, a potential we never thought real. There is the "you" before this realization, and the "you" after this realization.
Wonderhell invites you dive into your discomfort.
Wonderhell is not a limitation but an invitation. Those who thrive in Wonderhell see the mixed emotions surrounding this realization not just as part of the process, but a sign that they are on the right track.
Wonderhell urges you to embrace your potential.
Accepting success as a finite destination means that there is a finite limit to your growth. What's on the other side of this Wonderhell is the next one, and the next one, and the next one after that... if you're lucky.
Who is with us in Wonderhell?
In researching this book, I interviewed more than 100 individuals.
You can find their interviews here.
About the Author
Laura’s secret superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back on you, so that you can get “unstuck” — and achieve extraordinary results.
A frequent contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily, Laura’s 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton’s White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, partnering with the full gamut of mission driven corporate and nonprofit executives.
Laura is turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can’t seem to shake. She’s an instigator, motivator, and provocateur, and she’s never met a revolution she didn’t like. Just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and two troublesome pups with whom she lives outside of Boston, MA.
For media inquiries, please reach out to media@limitlesspossibility.com and for speaking engagements, please contact megon@limitlesspossibility.com.
Early Praise for Wonderhell
“Lucky for you - Laura Gassner Otting is here with her highly anticipated new book. She’ll teach you to achieve your dreams and the success you deserve by navigating your Wonderhell.”
— MEL ROBBINS, New York Times bestselling author of The High 5 Habit and The 5 Second Rule
“Laura Gassner Otting incisively guides us through the emotions that all too often mire us in that queasy liminal space in between our insecurities and our unbridled potential. Packed with wide-ranging research, inspirational interviews, relatable hilarity, and just the right amount of edginess, Wonderhell is hopeful and entertaining roadmap for anyone who has ever dreamed that they could be more.”
— DR. AMY CUDDY, New York Times bestselling author of Presence
“Finally, there's a word for that scary and exciting place that takes us to the edge of our potential, filling us with a calamity of hope, possibility, dread and overwhelm, all at once. Wonderhell helps us make sense of the joy and anxiety, the promise and uncertainty, the fun and hardship that so often define moments of profound transformation.”
— JONATHAN FIELDS, Bestselling author of SPARKED, host of Good Life Project® podcast
"“A wise, loving, laugh-out-loud funny guide / kick in the pants for navigating the inevitable (but rarely discussed) fear we face on the path to success. For anyone who wants to be more and do more, Wonderhell will help you turn confusion into confidence, exhaustion into exhilaration, and worry into winning.”
— DR. TASHA EURICH, Organizational Psychologist and New York Times Bestselling Author of Bankable Leadership and Insight
“As we reach for what could be, we often experience what is: mixed emotions, tough decisions, and messy middles. With her inimitable mix of inspiration, relatability and real talk, Laura Gassner Otting guides us to meet our potential. Wonderhell is a book for anyone and everyone who chooses to grow in life.”
— DR. SUSAN DAVID, #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Emotional Agility
“High achievers understand that the first success is just the first step to what you can accomplish. Sustained performance demands that we evolve to meet our ever-increasing potential. Part cheerleader, part roadmap,
Wonderhell perfectly lights the way for those who dare to dream bigger.”
— AMY PURDY, New York Times bestselling author of On My Own Two Feet, 3x Paralympic Medalist,
Oprah 100
"Wonderhell is an essential book for those who are ready to push themselves to new heights. Full of inspiring stories of people who dared to ask more of themselves, Laura offers research, tips, and tools in an easy, fast read so that you can push forward with confidence through the messy middle."
— ERICA DHAWAN, Author of Digital Body Language
"Perfectly capturing the competing feelings that come with success or the achievement of our goals, Wonderhell packs Laura's beautiful writing, passionate stories, and seasoned wisdom into the ultimate guide to finding balance in our success. If you want to set your intentions and priorities, learn to find peace, and embrace the potential for the life you've always wanted - read this book!"
— DR. MARSHALL GOLDSMITH, Thinkers50 #1 Executive Coach and New York Times bestselling author of The Earned Life, Triggers, and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
“Laura’s decades of experience as an executive recruiter shine in Wonderhell. She offers readers practical and powerful tools to achieve consistent success that’s delivered with her trademark warmth and wit. If you're on the dangerous and exciting cusp of becoming more than you thought you could be -- or you dream of getting there -- then Laura Gassner Otting's new book is for you.”
— DORIE CLARK, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Long Game, executive education faculty,
Duke University Fuqua School of Business
"If you've ever gone further and achieved more than you thought you could … and then gone, ‘now what?!’ … this is the book for you. Wonderhell shows you not only how to make the most of your present success, but what it takes to go further still."
— MICHAEL BUNGAY STANIER, author of The Coaching Habit and How to Begin
“Laura Gassner Otting brings actionable insights and an intuitive framework that shows us that none of us are alone in the confusing, vulnerable, messy middle. Wonderhell is a bold invitation that every entrepreneur must read.”
— KARA GOLDIN, Founder of Hint Water, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Undaunted
“Wonderhell takes a deep dive into the gap between who you were and who you’ve become so you can experience your full potential without limit (and help others do the same), now! Laura Gassner Otting inspires me again and again!”
— RICHIE NORTON, award-winning author of Anti-Time Management and The Power of Starting Something Stupid
"Laura Gassner Otting reimagines the stories we tell ourselves about success and shows how mixed emotions like fear, uncertainty, and stress that accompany success are often a sign that we're on the right track. If you're ready to step into the wonder of your potential, this book is for you."
— OZAN VAROL, Bestselling Author of Think Like a Rocket Scientist
"You will realize you are not alone after reading these incredible stories of triumph and tragedy from so many different people and perspectives. Wonderhell is a masterclass filled with humor, truth and a bit of edge. If you feel lost, if you feel alone, if you feel stuck… this book is for you."
— TIFFANI BOVA, Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of GrowthIQ
“LGO's unique take on a seriously under-discussed success truth is both illuminating and incredibly timely. Her practical guidance is truly invaluable for today's high performers- especially those looking to invest their time and energy with more intentionality and clarity."
— ERIN KING, author of You’re Kind of a Big Deal
"I count myself lucky that Laura Gassner Otting responds to my texts. Sure, I'll brag that I have that kind of unbridled access to someone who has both had success and knows how to help others achieve it. Thankfully, her brainy new book, Wonderhell, is much more than a few text messages. Now, you too can benefit from her unique perspectives, powerful thoughts and actionable strategies to better manage you present and future opportunities. When doubt creeps (or when when the ego wails "you deserve this!"), Wonderhell is here to provide balance and a healthier approach to keep things going in the right direction. What a ride!"
— MITCH JOEL, founder of ThinkersOne, host of Six Pixels of Separation
"If you want to feel seen, heard, and affirmed for who you are and who you are becoming--Wonderhell is the must-have guide for a journey that can often feel lonely."
— MINDA HARTS, Bestselling author of The Memo
Wonderhell Resources
Here you’ll find our Media Guide, Chapter-by-Chapter Guide, and Book Club Discussion Guide. There is also a link to our Audio and Print E-Galleys, which are password protected.
Please reach out if you would like access.
You can download them by clicking on the pictures below.
