This article has answered a niggling question in my mind since the pr started for the Mel Robbins book. I kept thinking “I know I saw this a few years ago” and could not place it. Of course! Cassie’s poem and the tattoos of the movement were all over social media. Thank you for this important & brave piece of work 👏
I completely agree with you about giving credit to the original author. Also, I just lost all respect for Mel Robbins. Thanks for writing this. I was a high school teacher for almost a decade, and I fought relentlessly to get students to understand why plagiarism is wrong. It was a losing battle. :(
This is heartbreaking. As a virtually unknown author, I was handed a harsh rejection letter for my next book because I don’t have enough social media followers. It feels disingenuous to spend my time desperately trying to accumulate followers rather than work on my craft. I’m no Mel Robbins - and I never will be. I’d rather genuinely connect with likeminded folks on Substack than pimp myself on IG and TikTok for more followers. I’m not a show woman or performer. I’m a quiet, thoughtful writer. Cassie’s story just hurts my heart. A true cautionary tale.
I admire your desire to be true to yourself and your values. I have a friend who is trying to publish her first book and is experiencing similar troubles. You're fighting a good fight.
Hi Khalis, I think there’s been some confusion. I was not rejected by HayHouse. I was invited to send them a book proposal- attended a gathering- decided it was not the place for me and declined. Then this happened with Mel Robbins- confirming my impression of their “values.”
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear this! I’m actually a big fan of Mel Robbins. I discovered her about seven years ago during a really challenging time in my life, and her books, posts, and podcast had such an inspirational impact on me. I haven’t come across the "Let Them" poem, but I totally understand where you’re coming from. Interestingly, the teachings in the Let Them book reminded me so much of what’s shared in Al-Anon that I wondered if she might have drawn inspiration from that program as well (though I have no idea if she’s actually part of it). You’re so right—everything comes from somewhere, but a name, title, or phrase really is a unique work of art.
Thanks. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. If she helps you- keep the gems— I just want people to know the one who polished them deserves some attention too. As for Al-anon, yes and Buddhism too- both of which I know well. Mel is transparent that she’s a recovering alcoholic so maybe she drew experience from there. It’s the part where exact lines are used of someone else’s work that gets to me.
I am sensitive to this point. I started a podcast over a year ago, Unscripted Pivots, and the tagline is “inspiring stories from Women That Flourish (WTF). I was looking for a way to highlight how we pivot all through life from the unexpected curveballs. Not long after, I was getting encouraged by several people to trademark “WTF Women That Flourish “because it became a bit of a brand. I thought that was over the top but did so because I heard horror stories. So I did trademark it and there you have it.
Happy to have found you and look forward to reading your content.
Lawyer for creators here! You have to renew it 5-6 years in, and again in 10 years. But if you keep up with the renewals, trademarks can last forever! (Unlike copyrights - which are the authors lifetime + 70 years)
Hi Danielle, congrats on getting the trademark! How was that process (expense, time, etc.)? I appreciate your sensitivity to the topic and look forward to getting to know more about what you do; WTF sounds clever and inspiring!
I hired a trademark lawyer. It’s trademarked in several ways (print, podcast, clothing, social media) but there were more (it’s an odd business). Cost me almost $6K and I had to submit proof of the way I was using it to get that done.
Since then, I left corporate America and started executive coaching full time (I was already certified but just did it on the side). What came out of all of it was The WTF Coaching Framework so now I have over 100 WTF acronyms. Funny how things emerge out of a single idea.
Think WTF: Where To Focus, When Transition Fuels, Win Tiny First, Worth The Fear and the list goes on.
I just wrote my first book and it was to not only introduce my WTF coaching framework to the world (and explain why I go by there nickname ‘The WTF Lady’ 😆) but to pay tribute to where it all started, namely, my mission to elevate & empower women.
My platforms are no longer just women centric and I coach as many men as I do women so WTF Women That Flourish was only the beginning.
I’m not sure. When I did this over a year ago, I was not focusing on it as a business. I was still in my corporate career of 23 years.
It’s only now that I’m beginning to use it as a business tool. I get paid for coaching of course but have not made money on the branded name per se. That should change when the book comes out and the associated merchandise follows.
I am new to owning my own business and expanding it beyond the coaching and speaking, well, I’m researching all of that now.
I first heard “Let them “ in a promo piece on Network Television. My immediate thought was, we’ve been using that in 12 step recovery in all its iterations for decades, as in the slogan Live & Let Live (often in print as a slogan in meetings and definitely in print in the book, How Alanon Works), as pointed out, it is a common precept in many spiritual teachings. This brings me to my second thought, which was, didn’t Mother Theresa do this already in her poem “Do it Anyway”? I didn’t know then about Cassie’s work or words, and still do not know about Mel’s work or words, but agree—keep the good message, but plagiarism is taught as a no-no as early as fifth grade; certainly anyone calling themselves a writer understands this is bad. I am a writer too, and would just love to be published and then read by a wide audience. As such, I am excited to announce my debut novel: One Day at a Time by Mary Moreno, out this spring . I’ll need a few months to write it.
I hope you got that “One Day at a Time” is a wildly popular and common slogan in 12th step recovery/a mantra if you will. I was just being funny. My real book (a memoir) is taking much longer to write than I wanted.
I am/was a fan of Mel’s too. When I heard “Let them” I also thought of concepts used in Al-anon as I’ve been a member for decades. Detaching and Letting Go are similar to Let them. I had not heard of Cassie and the tattoo movement until reading this article.
She's got a timeline and proof. There is absolutely legal action she could take. She should definitely look into that. Mel Robbins needs to come clean to her millions of followers. Reminds me of Jay Shetty taking credit for others people's words.
Wow! I’m sooo returning the Mel book and getting Cassie’s! Thank you soooo much for sharing your story and going the extra miles to get this info out!!! It’s very important! ❤️🙏🏻
Thank you. Also, if you feel so compelled, please check out the five star reviews of my book as well. I’m grateful for the support. It’s about how I created a life I didn’t need a vacation from. http://tiny.cc/SageWordsFreedom
Thank you for bringing this to light. I received a copy of MR’s “Let Them” as a gift. I got 20 pages in and got an intuitive hit that screamed inauthenticity. All respect lost for MR. I will be supporting Cassie and resharing this widely.
This happened to me with my book which was published in 2009 by North Light Books. I had been doing work under the name Creative Awakenings with my business since 2006 when I got the book contract. I never thought to get a trademark, I thought I was covered by the book copyright. WRONG. One day, I was on a different computer and needed to look for my website. I Googled my company name and someone's website came up. Claiming to be pretty much everything I was, but it was not me. I sent her a thoughtfully written, non-threatening letter through her contact form. That did not go well. The next day she applied for the TM! I'm not kidding! Who does that?? I had to get an attorney to fight her. Needless to say, she kept running out the financial clock and despite the fact that she had only been in business that she could prove since 2016, 10 years after me,I could not afford to keep fighting her, so today, she has the TM. The good news is that she can't stop me from using the name. The bad news is that people are generally selfish and greedy. I'm sorry this has happened to both of you. All I can say is that it's likely going to get worse, before it gets better. Thanks for sharing this, it helps to know it's happened to others.
I knew, I knew, I KNEW she stole that saying and the entire idea from someone. It never sit well with me in my spirit, and now it has been confirmed. Hold strong!!!
Thank you for sharing. I truly appreciate the support. I’ve written a part two with an update on the trademark of the words “Let Them.” https://sagejustice.substack.com/p/can-mel-robbins-trademark-your-words
Have you contacted Hay House, Mel’s publisher?
I’ve been told they are aware of the situation and I mentioned them in one of my pieces.
Thank you for shedding light on this. Very disappointed in Mel R.
Every link I tried, in all of your articles about this, come up “sorry, we couldn’t find that page.”
I ordered Cassie’s book anyway, but wanted you to know none of the links work.
That’s because the book you ordered isn’t Cassie’s. Please see here. https://sagejustice.substack.com/p/beware
I’m waiting on Cassie’s new book link and/or website link to replace all links in articles.
Oh! Good to know. I unpurchased it. Thank you!
Sorry for the inconvenience.🥀
This article has answered a niggling question in my mind since the pr started for the Mel Robbins book. I kept thinking “I know I saw this a few years ago” and could not place it. Of course! Cassie’s poem and the tattoos of the movement were all over social media. Thank you for this important & brave piece of work 👏
Thank you for your support and sharing it.
Thank you for sharing and keeping the conversation going of how we can protect each other’s words. Here’s part two… https://open.substack.com/pub/sagejustice/p/can-mel-robbins-trademark-your-words?r=1ezxpl&utm_medium=ios
I completely agree with you about giving credit to the original author. Also, I just lost all respect for Mel Robbins. Thanks for writing this. I was a high school teacher for almost a decade, and I fought relentlessly to get students to understand why plagiarism is wrong. It was a losing battle. :(
Thank you for your service. I hold teachers and nurses as two of the most noble positions.
Thanks for saying that. We need to start valuing nursing and teaching, so comments like that are so helpful.
Marie Antoinette's the real victim here
🤣🤣🤣
😂 😆
This is heartbreaking. As a virtually unknown author, I was handed a harsh rejection letter for my next book because I don’t have enough social media followers. It feels disingenuous to spend my time desperately trying to accumulate followers rather than work on my craft. I’m no Mel Robbins - and I never will be. I’d rather genuinely connect with likeminded folks on Substack than pimp myself on IG and TikTok for more followers. I’m not a show woman or performer. I’m a quiet, thoughtful writer. Cassie’s story just hurts my heart. A true cautionary tale.
Indeed. So much more is expected of writers today- to be, as you said, a showman. I miss the old days
I admire your desire to be true to yourself and your values. I have a friend who is trying to publish her first book and is experiencing similar troubles. You're fighting a good fight.
Thank you for this encouragement. Much needed and appreciated. 🙏❤️🩹🫶🫂
So sorry you got a rejection. It’s awful now that publishing has become all about the numbers
Hi Khalis, I think there’s been some confusion. I was not rejected by HayHouse. I was invited to send them a book proposal- attended a gathering- decided it was not the place for me and declined. Then this happened with Mel Robbins- confirming my impression of their “values.”
Thank you for sharing and keeping the conversation going of how we can protect each other’s words. Here’s part two… https://open.substack.com/pub/sagejustice/p/can-mel-robbins-trademark-your-words?r=1ezxpl&utm_medium=ios
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear this! I’m actually a big fan of Mel Robbins. I discovered her about seven years ago during a really challenging time in my life, and her books, posts, and podcast had such an inspirational impact on me. I haven’t come across the "Let Them" poem, but I totally understand where you’re coming from. Interestingly, the teachings in the Let Them book reminded me so much of what’s shared in Al-Anon that I wondered if she might have drawn inspiration from that program as well (though I have no idea if she’s actually part of it). You’re so right—everything comes from somewhere, but a name, title, or phrase really is a unique work of art.
Thanks. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. If she helps you- keep the gems— I just want people to know the one who polished them deserves some attention too. As for Al-anon, yes and Buddhism too- both of which I know well. Mel is transparent that she’s a recovering alcoholic so maybe she drew experience from there. It’s the part where exact lines are used of someone else’s work that gets to me.
I am sensitive to this point. I started a podcast over a year ago, Unscripted Pivots, and the tagline is “inspiring stories from Women That Flourish (WTF). I was looking for a way to highlight how we pivot all through life from the unexpected curveballs. Not long after, I was getting encouraged by several people to trademark “WTF Women That Flourish “because it became a bit of a brand. I thought that was over the top but did so because I heard horror stories. So I did trademark it and there you have it.
Happy to have found you and look forward to reading your content.
Fabulous! Congratulations! How long does that trademark last? May I ask, have you made over $6k back in products using that TM?
Lawyer for creators here! You have to renew it 5-6 years in, and again in 10 years. But if you keep up with the renewals, trademarks can last forever! (Unlike copyrights - which are the authors lifetime + 70 years)
Hi Danielle, congrats on getting the trademark! How was that process (expense, time, etc.)? I appreciate your sensitivity to the topic and look forward to getting to know more about what you do; WTF sounds clever and inspiring!
I hired a trademark lawyer. It’s trademarked in several ways (print, podcast, clothing, social media) but there were more (it’s an odd business). Cost me almost $6K and I had to submit proof of the way I was using it to get that done.
Since then, I left corporate America and started executive coaching full time (I was already certified but just did it on the side). What came out of all of it was The WTF Coaching Framework so now I have over 100 WTF acronyms. Funny how things emerge out of a single idea.
Think WTF: Where To Focus, When Transition Fuels, Win Tiny First, Worth The Fear and the list goes on.
I just wrote my first book and it was to not only introduce my WTF coaching framework to the world (and explain why I go by there nickname ‘The WTF Lady’ 😆) but to pay tribute to where it all started, namely, my mission to elevate & empower women.
My platforms are no longer just women centric and I coach as many men as I do women so WTF Women That Flourish was only the beginning.
I’m not sure. When I did this over a year ago, I was not focusing on it as a business. I was still in my corporate career of 23 years.
It’s only now that I’m beginning to use it as a business tool. I get paid for coaching of course but have not made money on the branded name per se. That should change when the book comes out and the associated merchandise follows.
I am new to owning my own business and expanding it beyond the coaching and speaking, well, I’m researching all of that now.
My email is danielle@UnscriptedPivots.com. If you want to chat or schedule a chat, I’d love to connect.
Good to meet you, Danielle - I've sent you a connection request on LinkedIn! I'd love to hear more about your journey - let's chat :)
I first heard “Let them “ in a promo piece on Network Television. My immediate thought was, we’ve been using that in 12 step recovery in all its iterations for decades, as in the slogan Live & Let Live (often in print as a slogan in meetings and definitely in print in the book, How Alanon Works), as pointed out, it is a common precept in many spiritual teachings. This brings me to my second thought, which was, didn’t Mother Theresa do this already in her poem “Do it Anyway”? I didn’t know then about Cassie’s work or words, and still do not know about Mel’s work or words, but agree—keep the good message, but plagiarism is taught as a no-no as early as fifth grade; certainly anyone calling themselves a writer understands this is bad. I am a writer too, and would just love to be published and then read by a wide audience. As such, I am excited to announce my debut novel: One Day at a Time by Mary Moreno, out this spring . I’ll need a few months to write it.
Congrats on your book!
I hope you got that “One Day at a Time” is a wildly popular and common slogan in 12th step recovery/a mantra if you will. I was just being funny. My real book (a memoir) is taking much longer to write than I wanted.
It is reminiscent of Al Anon , I’ve been part of that group myself.
I am/was a fan of Mel’s too. When I heard “Let them” I also thought of concepts used in Al-anon as I’ve been a member for decades. Detaching and Letting Go are similar to Let them. I had not heard of Cassie and the tattoo movement until reading this article.
thank you for sharing.
She's got a timeline and proof. There is absolutely legal action she could take. She should definitely look into that. Mel Robbins needs to come clean to her millions of followers. Reminds me of Jay Shetty taking credit for others people's words.
She could use help if you know a probono attorney willing to take this on. Thanks.
Wow! I’m sooo returning the Mel book and getting Cassie’s! Thank you soooo much for sharing your story and going the extra miles to get this info out!!! It’s very important! ❤️🙏🏻
Thank you. Also, if you feel so compelled, please check out the five star reviews of my book as well. I’m grateful for the support. It’s about how I created a life I didn’t need a vacation from. http://tiny.cc/SageWordsFreedom
I will and thank you!
I may have a surprise book offer for subscribers… coming soon in March. 😉
Thank you for bringing this to light. I received a copy of MR’s “Let Them” as a gift. I got 20 pages in and got an intuitive hit that screamed inauthenticity. All respect lost for MR. I will be supporting Cassie and resharing this widely.
Thank you for supporting Cassie and sharing my posts.
This happened to me with my book which was published in 2009 by North Light Books. I had been doing work under the name Creative Awakenings with my business since 2006 when I got the book contract. I never thought to get a trademark, I thought I was covered by the book copyright. WRONG. One day, I was on a different computer and needed to look for my website. I Googled my company name and someone's website came up. Claiming to be pretty much everything I was, but it was not me. I sent her a thoughtfully written, non-threatening letter through her contact form. That did not go well. The next day she applied for the TM! I'm not kidding! Who does that?? I had to get an attorney to fight her. Needless to say, she kept running out the financial clock and despite the fact that she had only been in business that she could prove since 2016, 10 years after me,I could not afford to keep fighting her, so today, she has the TM. The good news is that she can't stop me from using the name. The bad news is that people are generally selfish and greedy. I'm sorry this has happened to both of you. All I can say is that it's likely going to get worse, before it gets better. Thanks for sharing this, it helps to know it's happened to others.
Hi Sheri, I’m sorry that happened to you. Yes, as far as I know, titles can’t be copyrighted— but content can. Unfortunately, I think you’re right, that it will get worse before it gets better. As silly as it’s going to look, I think we have to start using the© symbol for everything we write, even posts if we think they are quotable. The best thing we can do is rise together, stand up for each other.❤️🩹
Yes you can use the ©️ anytime you’d like (you don’t need to register anything) BUT registering what I call your “bread and butter” pieces of content with the US copyright office is really the only want to protect your creative work. When it comes to names, titles, taglines - then we’re talking trademarks. You can use the ™️ symbol for those without registration, but it doesn’t offer you as much protection as registering with the USPTO (when you can use the ®️!)
Please forgive me if this posts twice- having some technical difficulties…
Thank you for sharing and keeping the conversation going of how we can protect each other’s words. Here’s part two… https://open.substack.com/pub/sagejustice/p/can-mel-robbins-trademark-your-words?r=1ezxpl&utm_medium=ios
I knew, I knew, I KNEW she stole that saying and the entire idea from someone. It never sit well with me in my spirit, and now it has been confirmed. Hold strong!!!
Thank you for sharing and passing on the message.
Wow! Thank you for sharing. Even seen videos where Mel uses the same lines given in the poem. She’s saying it As an example from her book. Damn.