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non fiction writing

AoL 157: It’s a Book! No Nonsense Strategies for Non Fiction Writing and Publishing with Lindsay Whiting

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People get involved in non fiction writing for a number of reasons. In the thought leader space, the number one reason books are created is for their ability to be a lead generator. Many times, they’ll be at the front of a sales funnel that leads to higher and higher priced products such as courses and live events.

However, sometimes the book is the end message. And for me, before I got into the content production world, I always thought that was point of a book. The point was to actually increase the awareness of your readers. The book was the end… not the means to an end.

But, as a good authorpreneur knows, you can have the best of both if you really care to make the effort. You can create something of value while at the same time using it as a tool to grow your business.

This session’s guest, Lindsay Whiting, is all about helping writers do just that. She finds joy in helping new writers write a good book while at the same time helping them navigate the publishing waters.

If writing a valuable non fiction book is something you’ve wanted to do and your goal isn’t to just be an Amazon Best Seller, then you’ll get a lot out of this interview.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • Where’d Lindsay get her start in literary and publishing work? 6:31
  • What inspired her to start her first business? 15:14
  • How did she get the idea to become interested in the idea to help others with their book writing process? 20:30
  • What does she feel are the most common mistakes that authors make when they’re entering the publishing space? 28:30
  • What is Lindsay excited for in the not too distant future? 47:31
  • What are her top favorite books that she gifts or tells others about? 51:51
  • Is there a specific gift does she like giving others? 52:51
  • What would she like to see popular still today? 53:39
  • What’s something that every high school student must know? 53:55
  • How can someone be a difference maker in their community? 55:00

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Lindsay on Selecting a Good Book Designer:

Lindsay on Finding Book Models for Your Book

Veronica’s TEDx Talk

Stories of Elders: The Documentary

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Castbox, iTunes, Stitcher, PodBean, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

when life gives you lemons

When Life Gives You Lemons… – How Embracing Your Personal Niche Will Get You Through the Tough Times with Kim Trathen (AoL 153)

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Life has a way of making us rethink the actions we’re taking. Whether it’s in school or on the job, in life, or even while we’re working on our business. That’s where the saying “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade!” comes from. Because it’s when we have these obstacles in our life, we often wonder if we’re doing the right thing. We wonder if maybe the universe is trying to tell us something.

This is why knowing who we are, what our strengths are, and how we can help others is so vital to our success.

It’s because we know how we fit in the world, that we’re able to justify doing the work we’re meant to do – even when it gets hard and we’re given reasons to not do it.

In this conversation with today’s guest, Kim Trathen, we learn about all the things she had to go through as she was developing her business in 2018. She had plenty of reasons to put her blossoming business on the back burner. However, because she knew what she was good at and how she could help others, it gave her the strength to keep pushing forward.

So join Veronica and I was we talk with Kim about this journey of hers and how you can apply it to your own life and business.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • What was the process that Kim went through to start her business? 7:38
  • How has she been able to deal with life’s challenges as she’s been starting her business? 13:36
  • How does she address limiting beliefs with her clients? 25:35
  • In what way does passive income factor in her business? 31:08
  • How does social media come into play with her clients? 39:46
  • What is Kim looking forward to the rest of the year? 44:32
  • What is one song, one book, and one film that should be added to the national curriculum? 47:48
  • What’s the best advice that Kim has ever received? 50:58
  • Which social custom is Kim’s favorite? 51:24
  • What advice does she hear adults giving children she’d call BS on? 52:04
  • What’s the secret to achieving personal freedom? 53:08

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

How to show up when you’re busy, tired, or just don’t feel like it…

The #1 Reason You Aren’t Where You Want to be In Life

How to Really Use Social Media as a MLM’er

#GirlsTalkBusiness 25 with Kristen Lynch

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Castbox, iTunes, Stitcher, PodBean, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

the mentor

Antonio Smith Jr – The Making of the Mentor: Escaping Poverty & Building Others Up (AoL 134)

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When someone hits rock bottom, they usually have a choice to make. One, they can blame everyone but themselves for what has happened to them. Many times this prevents people from moving on from where they’re at.

They can then choose to make the other choice. They can realize that they’re actually the one in control of where they’re at and make it their mission to get out of that situation and never come back.

The term “rock bottom” is a relative term. Rock bottom for one person can be quite different than rock bottom for someone else.

For some people, a simple habit change can be enough to help them get out of their situation. But on the other hand, the person might need a complete mindset overhaul.

For today’s guest, he was more of the latter. After being homeless through the ages of 6 to 16, he thought his only way to get ahead was to excel at football. When an injury killed his chances to get a scholarship, he felt stuck. Luckily, a mentor stepped up and taught him that he had a gift of communication.

Ever since then, he’s been on a mission to develop this gift. Doing so has given him opportunities he might not have ever considered as an athlete.

Join Harrison and I as we talk with Rev. Antonio Smith Jr. about this transition and how others can make a positive impact in their community!

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • Why does Antonio still feel like an immigrant to the America even though he was born in the US? 10:34
  • How did he find his first mentor growing up and what are his thoughts on mentorship through life? 12:42
  • How does Antonio reach out and help those who are living lives of quiet desperation? 26:35
  • Is there a secret in finding opportunities to work with celebrities like Antonio has? 32:21
  • Is it possible to balance Christian values with business values? 37:29
  • How does he emotionally deal with it when he knows that only a fraction of the people who listen to him actually take his advice and act with it? 41:30
  • What’s Antonio looking forward to and excited for in the future? 46:36
  • Who are his Favorite Top 3 Influencers? 54:28
  • Who would he have dinner with, living or dead? 54:38
  • What is a habit or belief that has improved his life in the last 5 years? 54:47
  • What’s a gift he likes giving others? 55:02
  • What’s something he wants to do that no one knows about? 55:14
  • How can someone make a difference in their community? 55:33

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Why High Performers No Longer Perform Highly

Profit over Popularity

Keep the Wrong People Away

From Where You Are to $100k

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Castbox, iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

being authentic

Be Wholeheartedly Present: Why Being Authentic Is the Shortcut to Success with Tanya Conner-Green (AoL 131)

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There’s been a lot said about passion in the career of an entrepreneur. Some would argue that it’s important to bring passion to whatever kind of work you’re doing. Others would say that the work you do actually has to have part of its roots in a passion so that we have prolonged energy to do it.

I would say that today’s guest would agree with the second perspective.

Having been very successful in her past corporate life as well as landing a “dream job”, she started feeling a yearning for more. While at the time she didn’t know what that “more” was, she would later find out that it was a desire for more fulfillment.

She started to realize that she needed to start living her life with more purpose.

Eventually finding this purpose in coaching, Tanya Conner-Green is doing work that she feels specifically called for.

Can you say the same for the work you’re doing?

In today’s conversation, we find out how she got to this point in her career and more about the fulfillment she now has in the work she does.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • Where did Tanya’s nickname “little pitbull” come from? 6:00
  • How was she first inspired to start her own business? 8:42
  • When did she decide that she wanted to fully pursue her own thing? 15:41
  • What’s a few ways that she believes thought leaders can use to better connect with their audience? 21:59
  • Is there a proper mindset to have when making sales funnels and Facebook ads? 35:16
  • What are issues Tanya enjoys helping others with when it comes to limiting beliefs? 41:41
  • What are some tips for those who might be struggling with journaling? 48:24
  • Does she have any good tips for coaches when it comes to running their actual business? 50:34
  • What’s got her excited for the rest of this year? 57:07
  • What are her top 3 influential podcasts? 58:48
  • In the last 5 years what new habit has improved her life? 1:00:55
  • Is there something she thinks most people don’t realize is a huge waste of money? 1:02:36
  • What is something she believed as a 25 year old but doesn’t today? 1:04:44
  • How can someone be a difference maker in their community? 1:06:47

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

 

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Sales Funnels for Attracting High End Clients

Using the Facebook Pixel to Get Dream Clients

Scheduling Your Day for 6 Figure Success

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Castbox, iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

best coaching

Coach Krzyzewski’s Best Coaching Practices for Sports and Business

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When many people think of coaches, they automatically think about those who coach in sports. However, those of us who are entrepreneurs know that there’s all kinds of coaches. Back when I first published this post on December 18, 2011, I had recently done a comparison of sports coaches and whether or not their practices transferred well to professional coaches. One such comparison I think transfers well was “Lombardi Time”. Today I think of it as “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late.”

So, to make sure you’re on time ALL the time when you’re trying to make a good impression – set that clock for 10 minutes ahead!

Another sports coach that we can get a lot of takeaways from is coach Mike Krzyzewski of Duke Basketball.

There’s been a number of people through the years who have studied the mindset and habits he forms with his players.

Here are a few that I think are notable.

Coach K’s Practices:

Overall Mindset:

“Why do you play a game? I play a game to see how good we can be.”

Slightly different than the mindset of coach Herm Edwards who responded to this question with the infamous quote “You play to win the game!”. One might think that these are the same thing, but they’re slightly different. Personally I would mix these two quotes into something like “I play a game to see how good we can be in winning the game!!”

Why is this first part of important? Because if your foundation isn’t strong, then winning games becomes almost luck at times. Other times you might try and win by not being completely moral about the way you got there. Many believe that as long as you’re “winning” it doesn’t matter how you get there. Heck, that might as well be a Charlie Sheen quote.

Interestingly, that’s probably why his whole situation was amusing to all of us. It showed us as a society that “winning” is almost cliche. That we all, at one time or another, don’t care how we win – just as long as we do.

On Defense:

A sign prominent in the Duke locker room: NO ONE PENETRATES OUR DEFENSE.

In the world of college basketball, defense is key to winning games. If you build your team based on playing good defense, then you won’t be scored on and you won’t give the opposing time at the line throwing free throws. Defense is more important than offense, it would seem.

“He’s coaching like he’s defending the most precious thing in the world to him, and he does everything with the passion you would as if your were defending the most precious thing in the world to you,” said Steve Wojciechowski, a former Duke player (1995-98) and now a Krzyzewski assistant.

And they are – they are defending the standards of their program. Chances are when they lose games, it’s probably that they were beat by a better team and/or they didn’t play good defense. The Blue Devils place equal stress on keeping opponents off the line. Krzyzewski considers that a “critical” aspect of playing intelligent basketball. His teams practice situations in which they have six fouls and must strive to play tough defense without incurring a seventh that would put the opposition on the line with a one-on-one opportunity.

On Offense:

Duke is known for getting to the foul line on offense, often attacking the basket with dribble penetration. For many teams that they face, this is probably a great concern. But that’s just scratching the surface. Coach K. says, “I have a plan of action, but the game is a game of adjustments. Our offense is based on thinking. If you can really think on the court, then you have as much freedom as your abilities will allow you. What you try to do is create roles for your players. Not numbered roles or titled positions, but you try to say, ‘Look, here is where you’re successful, now in this frame of reference you can do whatever the defense allows you, so read the defense.”

In true leadership, this is knowing what the strengths of your players are and putting them in the team accordingly. Put them in a position where their natural abilities let them excel. As a coach/leader, we need to recognize these natural talents early on so we don’t waste time forcing a square peg in a round hole. However, there’s nothing wrong with rounding the edges of the square peg just a bit to help them be more flexible. Just don’t expect them to be as good as a natural in that position.

On Recruiting:

That last point brings up another good one. Back in my LTD days, I remember my upline Greg and the other Diamonds on the team talking about how they got the chance to watch Duke practices on an annual basis. One thing that stuck out to me that Greg mentioned was that the best coaches aren’t necessarily the greatest at coaching. They’re just really great at recruiting. Great coaches find talent that want to get to the next level. It limits the amount of conflict that occurs between the “players” and the coach. “I don’t need to necessarily be a great coach to my players,” said Greg. “I just got really good at picking good talent that make me look good!”

Other Quotes for You to Think About:

Here’s a few handpicked quotes that I think are pertinent to building a winning mindset and positive habits.

“I don’t think we surprise people. We try to out-execute them.”
-Coach K

“Last year, I said I wonder where we’ll put the second banner. We’ve got to find out, don’t we? I’m probably stupid for saying this, but I wonder where a third one might go.”
-Coach K

“The best teams are teams in any sport that lose themselves in the team. The individuals lose their identity. And their identities come about as a result of being in the team first.”
-Coach K

“You can’t defer if you’re the person who’s in the leadership position.”
-Coach K

“I think leadership is never singular. In a good organization, it’s plural.”
-Coach K

 

Action Steps

Love him or hate him, you gotta admit that Coach K is a great coach. He’s written several books that I’m a fan of. If you want a good book of his that I read a few years back, check out Leading from the Heart. If you liked the quotes, I got them specifically from a book called Coach K’s Little Blue Book. While it’s an older one, I highly recommend checking it out if you’re a sports fan and like applying successful principles into your life.

I’m not the biggest of basketball fans, but I really respect Coach K’s philosophy. To me it seems that having the structure that he gives his teams is the number one reason they do so well. I think that any coach that takes some of his style of coaching is setting their players or clients up for success.

If you’re a coach, how could you implement this into how you interact with those you’re working with? If you’re already having success as a coach, what kind of success principles have you been using to get your people to perform as well as they have?

investing basics

Whitney Nicely – Real Estate Investing Made Simple: Learning the A, B, C’s of Investing Basics (AoL 123)

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If you’re an entrepreneur who’s making money passively or you’re simply interested to do so, there’s a good chance you’ve read a book called Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.

I remember when I read that book back in 2002 – it was an eye opener. I couldn’t put the book down. Since then, it’s one of the books I’ve bought whenever I see on sale so that I can give it to other people when I see them struggling to get ahead.

What’s cool is that this particular book isn’t the only one that Robert has written. And if you spend any time reading those other books, you realize that he made a big part of his fortune early on in Real Estate.

Today’s guest is on the same path. After starting in 2013 being paid $24k a year, she now does that in a month. In fact, she actually owns more than $2.5 MILLION in real estate assets!

Personally when I saw that she’s in the business of helping others do the same, I had to jump at the chance to get her on the show.

In our chat, we talk about getting started in real estate investing and some of the common pitfalls that newbies make when they’re getting started.

If you’re thinking about getting into the investing game and not sure where to start – real estate might be a good choice.

Listen in to find out!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • How did Whitney get started in real estate? 7:26
  • Where can people find real estate auctions to attend? 10:35
  • When did she believe that she could leave her 9 to 5 position to do real estate investing (REI) full time? 12:10
  • What’s some good advice that she’d tell someone first starting out? 14:55
  • What’s the process in finding a property to possibly buy as a someone starting out? 17:48
  • What are some mistakes that she’s see newbies make in REI? 19:31
  • How does someone scale their real estate business without getting over consumed by responsibilities? 23:20
  • How can someone find an apartment complex to buy if they have the means to? 26:35
  • What are some emotional pitfalls that can happen when you’re a landlord? 29:31
  • What’s a good strategy to use when you’re looking for places to invest in? 34:48
  • What’s she looking forward to in the near future? 37:00
  • Who are 3 influencers that have helped her get to where she’s at today? 38:42
  • Is there something that she believes is going to affect entrepreneurship or REI in the future? 41:45
  • What’s an issue that people should be talking about yet hardly anyone is? 43:17
  • Is there something that all high school students must know? 44:24
  • What’s it mean to live a life of abundance? 45:44

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

 

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Strategies to get Started:

Why Women are the Best REI’s:

Blissful Buy and Hold Houses with Moneeka Sawyer:

What’s Whitney’s Course About?

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Castbox, iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

self fulfillment

Self Fulfillment: The Secret to True Success

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In our world today, we’re often seen as doing the right thing when we’re seeking success. I mean, why not? On the surface, success seems like the perfect way to measure someone’s value to society. The more success someone has had at doing a particular thing, the more likely they’ll be able to teach someone else to do the same thing.

Right?

Well, perhaps.

See when I think of the word success, I think of it more as a label coming from external sources. Someone else has told me I’m successful. Whether by a simple compliment or by getting my degrees in college, it’s been someone else telling me that I’m a success.

On that same note, I’d really only say I’m successful when I achieve goals that I set for myself.

However, as much of a good feeling I had when I got my Masters, it was short lived.

The hard reality set in that I hadn’t been really setting my own goals. Others had put emphasize on what I should be pursuing. When I achieved that, I asked “What now?”.

It took me a good several years to truly figure out the answer to that.

Here’s what I’ve realized.

 

Modern Success is Superficial

Since our success is usually measured by other people, it’s probably not the best measurement for ourselves and navigating our own personal journey.

Take, for example, your typical “successful” professional athlete. On the outside, they seem to have it all. Many have a job that pays super well (the low end is $100k/yr for NFL players), and because of that, they should have a cushy lifestyle compared with the rest of us.

They should be set for life.

As we know, this isn’t always the case. For some people who go the professional athlete route, their money goes as quick as it comes in. Or they get injured on the job and are unable to perform at the same level. For those folks, they’re not considered any more a success in life when they end their career vs when they got started.

So maybe there’s another way to measure success?

Well, in professional sports, we can say that a player has had a successful career if they have had great stats over a certain amount of time.

But, from their perspective, good players tend to not really care about padding stats. They simply want to be considered great at what they do. It just so happens that good stats in professional sports usually means someone’s really at their craft – playing their sport.

Thing is, not all professions have these measurements of greatness built in. In fact, most don’t.

So, the question is, how do we measure our greatness?

 

Greatness comes through Mastery

Those professional athletes could not have the stats that they had without seeking mastery in their craft. If you have two people with the same level of talent, who will come out ahead? The one who works on their craft day in and day out? Or the one who just tries to wing it?

In sports, we see this time and again. The players who study film and go through the reps in practice are going to be more successful than those who don’t.

Same is true about the rest of us.

Those of us who improve in our craft a little more each day are going to eventually get better than those who just do the same thing as a hobby.

As we work towards this mastery, the better we get at something, the more we’ll be fulfilled.

So, if that’s the case, the more fulfillment we get from doing something, the more potential we have to be great at something. If we don’t get fulfillment from doing something, then there’s most certainly going to be a cap in how great we’ll be able to make ourselves at it.

 

Action Steps

So as you’re thinking about this new definition of “success” and how importance true fulfillment is, perhaps we can think of it in simple terms. Here are a few questions to ask yourself.

How many things are you currently doing or have done because you wanted the reward at the end? Compare that to the activities you do because you truly want to get better at that particular craft or process. Which percentage is higher?

If money or stuff wasn’t a measurement of true success (because it isn’t), what would you be doing as a career? Are you currently at your job because it pays the bills? If so, it might be time to consider a change.

And finally, since we measure true success by the fulfillment we get out of what we put our effort into (and not through the view of others), are there any specific ways you can measure your current fulfillment – whether it’s in your work or through making yourself a better person?

Personally, knowing how many people I’ve helped live a better life helps gives me fulfillment.

Perhaps you can measure your success through that scale?

Or maybe, you can track your success based on something completely different – such as how well you can play an instrument or how much you’ve improved your health over time. Heck, maybe it’s something like how well you can speak a language.