From a LinkedIn connection to an amazing interview with Sheryl Sandberg.

Before I published my book, I was deeply involved with several refugee organizations.

Through LinkedIn, I connected with a remarkable woman named Ivana I. who shared my passion for helping others.

She reached out to support one of my initiatives, Run for Refugees, and over time, we became friends and collaborators on multiple projects.

One day, Ivana sent me an email that I never expected:

“Hey, I want to set up an interview for you with Sheryl Sandberg for International Human Rights Day.”

That moment? A turning point.

I had the privilege of sharing my story—from refugee to author and artist—in an interview with Meta’s former COO, discussing the power of resilience and human rights.

I'm sharing this because this experience highlights the true power of sharing your work, your mission, and your story.

Learning to use the right platform for your message is key.

For the authors I work with, this is the lesson: once you build a platform, your message can reach the exact people you need to connect with—and opportunities you couldn’t have imagined will follow.

A huge thank you to Ivana I. for making this incredible moment happen.

You can watch the full interview—link in the first comment!

🎥 The video lives on Rising-Authors dot com podcast page.