This One Big Idea reached Esther Perel

Today’s newsletter is a really weird, full-circle moment for me, and for Donatella, who you’ll meet in a moment.

But first, in case you’re unfamiliar, Esther Perel is a psychotherapist, bestselling author, and one of the most widely followed Authorities on relationships worldwide.

Here’s how Esther fits into this story….

In 2024, I decided to double down and focus on helping clients to build their Authority. Before, I was a business coach but doing a range of things.

I was referring to a very specific type of Authority, which I explained in a long-form article in January 2024: The Authority Economy: Master the business lessons from 7-figure entrepreneurs like Esther Perel, James Clear and Ramit Sethi.

This article revealed my new direction and set the scene to launch coaching programmes related to Authority building that same month and in the months since.

Esther’s own story, going from psychologist to world-renowned expert, helped me explain what I meant by Authority building. And, in turn, build my own. Meta? You bet.

In 2025, I developed the programme Authority Letters, which helps its members write the very essay that will showcase their depth of expertise to the world. Their Hero Piece. Donatella Caggiano joined the November 2025 cohort and wrote her Hero Piece inside.

Because I’m running Authority Letters again next week (it’s not too late for you to join), I decided to share Esther’s story again in a marketing email, which said:

“Did you know just one essay - aka Hero Piece of her own - is what shot Esther Perel into the spotlight? For years, she was doing the work behind closed doors with clients. Gathering insights and spotting patterns. But her expertise lived inside those conversations. Not many knew her name. That was, until she wrote one essay. “In Search of Erotic Intelligence.” That one piece turned a private insight into a public idea and idea that spread.

Donatella replied to my email;

I’m very familiar with Donatella’s work on belonging, and am in no way surprised she’s caught Esther’s attention, and she’s subscribed for more!

Donatella’s Hero Piece, Change doesn’t have to break us apart, it can be what binds us, is a beautifully written piece on belonging design, revealing her depth of expertise in guiding organisations through challenging, relational periods.

If you go and subscribe to her newsletter belonging in between then know that you’ll be amongst very good company. I’ve shared this story with her permission, and she’s excited to connect with anyone who also cares about transforming transitions into belonging.

Do you see the theme?

• Writing about her work took Esther Perel from obscurity into the limelight.

• Writing about my take on Authority - using Esther as an example - led to my ability to become known for that, and run multiple scalable coaching programmes, and meet amazing clients like Donatella.

• Donatella, writing her Hero Piece inside my programme Authority Letters, caught the attention of an absolute icon in the field of relationships, Esther Perel, someone with millions of followers, a TED talk with 30 million views, and a waiting list most therapists would retire for.

All of our ideas, once put into writing, were able to travel far enough to land in front of the people who could make a true difference to our businesses.

All without us in the room, explaining.

Cohesion is the first thing you need to grow your Authority. Cohesion comes from the clarity about what all your work ladders up to, and I've been building a diagnostic to help you figure out exactly where you stand on growing yours. 

It places you in one of four stages on the path to becoming what I call an Authority Entrepreneur. You can take it here: www.the-ask.uk/quiz

It only takes a few minutes, and you'll get a personalised email with a deeper read on your specific stage, what's likely holding you back, and what to focus on next.

And, if you came out with one of the first two results, then joining Authority Letters next week would be wise. Your investment is just $300, and we’ll be getting the work done together in one day! Secure a remaining place here.

I know you too are experienced and credible, but without a clear, repeatable idea anchoring everything, there’s some work to do. If you've been in business for a while, have real depth and expertise, but still feel like things aren't quite clicking the way they should, then there's a good chance you're in what I think of as the messy middle. I want to help you out of it.

Until next time,

Ellen

Ellen from The Ask is brought to you by Ellen Donnelly, Founder of The Ask, offering strategic business coaching & mentorship to Authority Entrepreneurs ready to grow a profitable business in a way that feels true to them.