"Gillespie's supernatural tale mixes motivational ideas with fantasy elements … an imaginative, genre-blurring novel." — Kirkus Reviews
For more than a decade, I’ve paid close attention to what happens when someone says “yes.”
Yes to the launch. Yes to expanded scope. Yes to the next opportunity.
On paper, those moves often made sense. In reality, many were the wrong decision. And once they said yes, they were committed.
I realized I could win more by setting clear boundaries and building a deliberate assessment period before I said yes.
That discipline changed how I operated. It ultimately contributed to two successful exits—one in the millions and one at $1B.
But the lesson wasn’t only professional.
At one point, I had built a life where I was stuck in cycles of obligations and yeses that no longer fit. The same discipline that helped me win professionally became personal.
Those insights led me to write Soul Toll—a leadership parable that became a framework for making decisions that are aligned, not just impressive, and that produce the outcomes you actually want.
The underlying insight of my work is simple: ambitious people often end up in toll-heavy lives because we’re very good at saying yes. Of course we can do it. The better question is whether we should.
My work centers on that choice.
Through keynotes, writing, and conversation, I help ambitious professionals assess their commitments, create space for deliberate decision-making, and move forward with conviction. If you want to build something meaningful without losing yourself in the process, you’re in the right place.
Before you say yes, pause here.
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At its core, Soul Toll is about rediscovering what truly matters—beyond the promotions, power, and prestige—and finding the courage to reclaim your true self.
—BookLife Review
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Impressively original, deftly crafted, emotionally engaging, and a memorably riveting page-turner of a read from start to finish.
—Midwest Book Review
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In this genre were magic often overshadows meaning, Soul Toll delivers both—brilliantly. The novel blends current reality with the surreal in a way that feels revelatory.
—Andrea Hurst, Literary Agent
Anusia Gillespie is a two-time exit executive and the author of Soul Toll, a leadership parable about ambition, discernment, and the cumulative cost of unchecked “yeses.”
Drawing on her experience leading through major growth and acquisition—including one in the millions and one at $1B—Anusia helps ambitious professionals think more clearly before committing, build stronger boundaries, and move forward with conviction to create desired outcomes.
Through keynotes, workshops, and conversation, she equips audiences with a practical discipline for assessing commitments, so success doesn’t come at the expense of self.
Anusia lives north of Boston with her husband, young son, and old dog.