I just realized something.

So these past seven months I’ve been working on a new book. And it was going to be called 3-D Reputation Engine. I was pushing myself towards an end of August deadline, and now I’m glad I didn’t make it.

Because we were on a walk with the dog in the Greenbelt in Austin a few days ago, and Steve brought it up. He said, “You’re having a lot of problems getting the cover together for your new book. Maybe it’s the title. Or maybe you should stick with Wild Woman.”

Then it hit me. He’s totally RIGHT. I’m the author of the Wild Woman’s Guide to Fundraising. It’s sold all over the world. People like the book. I like the book. I like the title. I like the look. I’ve made a bunch of apps around the book and brand. I like the whole package.

And people know me as the author of this book. When I bring it to networking events, people are magnetically drawn to it. They are WAY more interested in hearing about this than Treyz Social Media or 3-D Reputation Engine. So why would I change it for my next book? Why would I build up an entirely new brand for that?

Strange as it may seem, obvious as it may seem, that just did not hit me until right now.

I guess I was afraid that men would be turned off by the title if I called my book The Wild Woman’s Guide to Social Media. I guess I was afraid it wouldn’t seem “corporate-friendly’ enough. I guess I was afraid that I couldn’t compete with the other social media for business books out there unless I left my wild self behind.

But then I realized, this is me!

I don’t want to pour myself into a corporate mold, put myself under pressure to conform for some shadowy future entity. I mean, look at Seth Godin. He gave his business books out in cereal and milk boxes! He writes books called “All Marketers Are Liars” and he is feted at many a business conference and his books are New York Times best-sellers! Who am I to try to be “normal” just to please people who probably just want me to be myself anyway?

Does this make sense to you? When I say Wild, here’s what I mean.

I mean not taking drugs or doing something equally stupid, like rattling down a giant hill face down on a skateboard with no helmet.

No, when I say wild, I mean taking a risk.

Taking a risk by standing up for yourself at work. Being emotionally honest enough in your relationships to get what you need. Taking a risk by going somewhere you’ve never been, and doing something you’ve never done, to learn, for the joy of it. That’s what Wild means to me. It means pushing your own boundaries, trying to get the most out of each day, feeling the urgency of time slipping by, and working with your life to make something happen between now and when you die.

I mean, that’s wild, to me. It doesn’t mean we have to go live in the woods. It doesn’t mean appropriating any tribal culture. It means going against the dominant paradigm. It means waking up. Creating a legacy with your life. Whatever that means for you.

So I bought Wild Social Media.com, Wild Woman Social Media.com, emailed my graphic designer and told her the new plan, and now…I can breathe a big sigh of relief. This new book is going to be packed full of the same sassy advice and same hands-on, how-to worksheets and checklists as the last book, with bonus metrics application ratings and everything, AND it’s going to be called “The Wild Woman’s Guide to Social Media.” It just makes sense! It’s more… ME!

How do you get wild?

Did you ever get really far down a path and realize that you shouldn’t have gone that way?

What did it teach you? I’d love to get your comments!