Ruth Hetland drew on her corporate experience for her first book, “Invisible to Invincible.” Now she’s seeking contributors for an anthology on running. (Photo/Nancy Hanson.)

Ruth Hetland’s new book, “Invisible to Invincible,” offers ideas on “how to create a work culture where everyone feels like a superhero.”

Nancy Edmonds Hanson

Ruth Hetland didn’t expect to become an author. Nor did she foresee coaching people in how to feel like superheroes. But four years after being inspired by a COVID-era online seminar, both unlikely possibilities have come true, and the Moorhead woman is well on her way to sharing those gifts with others.
Ruth is the author of the just-released self-help book, “Invisible to Invincible.” Aimed at those who test their powers in the workplace, it’s subtitled “How to create a work culture where everyone feels like a superhero.” The book is dedicated “to those who appreciate that true strength lies in listening, guiding and lifting others.”
As she tells the story, it all began back in 2021 when she signed up for an online retreat called “Rediscovering Your Spark.” Led by Dayna Del Val, a session called “Reclaim Your Purpose” opened a new door. There, Ruth met Jessica Buchanan, a published author and writing coach whose approach would open a new door.
“I had worked in technology for years, but I had been laid off,” Ruth says. “I’d written on the job as a project or product manager for large corporations, but that was technical writing. I didn’t consider myself a writer.” The 1988 MSUM graduate had majored in math. Yet when Buchanan told of an anthology she was editing – “Deserts To Mountaintops: Our Collective Journey to Reclaiming Our Voice” — she took on the challenge of writing a chapter, a very personal story of child abuse.“It was scary for me. When I got my first draft back, there was red everywhere,” the local author admits. “Jessica had me listen to some well-done memoirs, and right away, I got it. Show, don’t tell. The second draft was a lot better.” With Buchanan’s coaching, her story became one of 22 chapters written by women across the country.
Intrigued by the process and her newly discovered affinity for writing, Ruth set out on a second writing project. This one was also drawn from her own life – not childhood, but what she learned about empowering employees during her years leading corporate teams that encouraged employees to develop their “soft skills.” Dubbing those lessons as “the STRONG framework,” she crafted chapters on themes of study, trust, reinforcement, optimization, nurturing, and gamboling, or having fun with your team.
“I didn’t know how to put a book together, so I contracted with Jessica,” she explains. Buchanan would become her writing coach and editor, ultimately publishing “Invisible to Invincible” under her own Soul Speak Press. The process two two years. Begun in June 2023, the volume was ultimately published in both print and digital form last March.
Ruth wrote in her home office, a corner of the bedroom in the south Moorhead condo she shares with husband Dale. Buchanan offered suggestions along the way, from the original plan to its completion. It’s available online in digital and print versions via Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Priced at $19.95, it can also be ordered directly through Ruth by emailing her – ruth@thestrongalliance.com. She can also be reached on Instagram and Facebook.
Inspired by her mentor, her next step includes becoming a career coach herself. “Jessica told me, ‘If you want to be a coach or speaker, first you need a book,’” she says, smiling. “I have a book. Now I’m putting together a website for The Strong Alliance, through which she’ll publicize her availability to speak on her STRONG team-building method and offer individual and group coaching.
Barnes and Noble is hosting a book signing for “Invisible to Invincible” on Saturday, June 7, from 1 to 3 p.m.
Ruth is now at work on a second book. Like her previous work, it’s based on her own experience, but from a different corner of her life: Her long-time love of running. She hopes to launch the project with ten guest writers’ contributions this fall, perhaps releasing it on Global Running Day in June 2026.
The idea of collecting other runners’ advice and experiences occurred to her while training for her own first marathon. “There’s so much to know about running, and so little that explains it all. I’m hoping to gather practical knowledge and personal stories, from the right shoes and bra to planning runs and your experiences during marathons,” she reflects.
“I discovered there’s not really much available, so I decided to do the same thing Jessica Buchanan did for me with ‘Deserts to Mountaintops’ – reach out to more women who run and encourage them to share their own stories.”