Authors Who Lead - Learn to write a book from bestselling authors and leaders

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Authors Who Lead, I engage in a candid conversation with Sandi Marx, a retired talent agent turned New York-based storyteller. The episode delves deep into the power of embracing mediocrity, the impact of honest storytelling, and the lessons learned from the creation of Sandi’s book, Slightly Above Average: Memoirs of a Successful Village Idiot.Timestamp:00:00 Retired town agent turned acclaimed storyteller and comedian.04:01 Enthusiastic about comedy and storytelling embraces authenticity.07:00 Captivating storytelling ability led to a partnership proposal.10:44 Realizing potential despite feeling mediocre or deceiving.14:47 1st book - childhood, heroes, soulful, life journey.16:42 Reflecting on old stories, rewriting for truth.21:12 Missed video opportunity, Jewish cheerleader for Pele.24:17 Impressed by your determination despite inconvenience.27:49 Embrace empathy and understanding for better lives.30:09 Skilled storyteller captivates audience, gains storytelling gig.34:22 Endorsements, auditions, recording, James Earl Jones, directing.37:41 Hired for a job for mail merge skills.41:00 Underestimating average people doing dumb things.43:34 She helped with the dress and felt out of place.47:58 Switch dialogue, feel important, make connections, and be engaging.49:40 Weekly writing prompts lead to unexpected inspiration.Full show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your bookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Authors Who Lead, I share valuable insights on how to overcome common challenges such as procrastination, perfectionism, and self-doubt when writing and publishing a book. I emphasize the importance of addressing the underlying factors that contribute to these obstacles and offer practical advice for aspiring authors.Timestamp:00:00 Self-doubt, perfectionism, and procrastination in writing.03:15 Defensive perfectionism shielded by fear of vulnerability.09:03 Seek community support to overcome self-doubt.09:57 Be honest, seek support, and set realistic goals.15:55 Join our small dedicated community author program.16:45 Doubtful? Your voice matters. Subscribe, share, enjoy!Full show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your bookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Authors Who Lead, Maryam Munir engages in a heartfelt and inspiring discussion about the transformative power of writing and trauma-informed parenting. She shares personal experiences, challenges, and triumphs with us, offering a glimpse into the journey of writing and the profound impact of transparent and courageous parenting.Timestamp:00:00 Authors and leaders share writing process insights.03:28 TED talk inspires development program with the story.07:16 Book aims to help parents break the cycle.09:31 Unique, honest book on parenting and relationships.12:48 Pakistani American wants to support communities worldwide.16:38 You helped me break down the book.19:15 Vulnerability makes books engaging, trustworthy, and transformative.23:13 Early feedback on writing brought overwhelming validation.27:33 Encourage action, and value group collaboration in writing.29:27 Valuing group learning for diverse insights and support.33:40 Becoming an author opens up new perspectives.36:18 Subscribe for new episodes, and visit authors who lead.Full show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your bookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Authors Who Lead, Marie-Helene shares her profound wisdom from her book The Resilience Plan, designed to empower leaders and professionals to cultivate resilience and thrive personally and professionally. Discover how Marie-Helene challenges the conventional view of resilience as a fixed trait and advocates for it as a strategic investment.Timestamp:00:00 Write for a specific audience, not everyone.04:46 Resilience and personality traits are distinct concepts.07:19 Burnout builds over time, not sudden occurrence.09:58 Self-protection, compassion fatigue, demand, and supply.13:23 Epiphany about book's impact and BEARS framework.18:56 Entrepreneurs thrive on optimism to succeed.21:05 Praise for the book and writing process.25:48 Creating new ideas and birthing something bigger.27:32 Learning from others helps in professional life.30:35 Nurturing a book creates new opportunities.33:26 Expresses gratitude and invites to connect online.Full show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your bookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Authors Who Lead, I introduce seasoned literary agent and author Lucinda Halpern. With almost two decades of experience in the publishing industry, Lucinda has facilitated numerous book deals and recently penned her book, Get Signed, following an unconventional writing process emerging from her coaching experiences during the pandemic.Timestamp:00:00 Breaking barriers, empowering writers, achieving book deals.05:04 Agent's value in shifting career landscape essential.09:29 4 types of writers, not applicable to everyone.13:13 Emphasis on video content and strategic opportunities.14:28 Psychologists use social media to spread ideas.19:06 Book success hinges on clear, simple focus.22:21 Developing exercises for simplifying big ideas.24:28 The Creative process can start as a lump.28:49 Benefits and challenges of self-publishing authorship industry.31:55 Free training and webinar available on websites.Full show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your bookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us Fan MailIn the world of writing and publishing, many aspiring authors find themselves grappling with a familiar obstacle: writer's block. While the urge to bring their ideas to life is strong, navigating the process of starting, completing, and releasing a book can be overwhelming. In this Authors Who Lead podcast episode, I provided invaluable insights and strategies to help writers overcome these hurdles. I share strategies and explore practical tips to help you overcome writer's block and actualize your writing goals.Timestamp:0:00 Podcast inspires writers and offers tips for starting.05:28 Seek accountability to stay motivated and finish.07:48 Get someone to hold you accountable and set a goal to complete tasks.10:59 It's important to write your book idea.13:32 Great books are often hesitantly shared with the world.Full show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your bookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us Fan MailChris McAlister was once told by a literary agent that he would never be able to write anything successful until he was over forty years old. He didn’t listen to that agent and went on to write several books—and even created coaching programs around them.In this episode of “Authors Who Lead,” I talk to Chris about his books, his journey getting them out into the world, and the impact they have on his readers.Timestamp:00:00 Book creates shifts; power in brevity.03:38 Created a coaching program and wrote a successful book. Raised funds.08:00 Unconscious living seeking validation leads to insecurity.11:49 Use mindset from the book to confront fears.13:11 Writing must serve a purpose, not insecurity-driven validation.18:03 Man shares clever book concept with colleague.22:41 Expressing myself through writing, impacting the world.23:18 James Clear's upcoming book is highly anticipated.29:26 Embrace time, team, flow, and delegation.30:54 Dramatic process in balancing art and business.33:36 Creating fiction with purpose, not for profit.37:42 Listen to kids and change education, it's awesome.39:51 Prefers speaking for impact, not for profit.42:48 The Author focuses on selling confidence, not writing techniques.Full show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your bookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us Fan MailStefan T.Wong didn’t originally come to me to work on his book, Talking to Crows. He actually came to get another project edited, but what happened was a reluctant writing project that became a profound and introspective creation.In this episode of “Authors Who Lead,” I talk to Stefan about his unexpected journey in writing this book, Talking to Crows, and the creativity and spiritual nature of writing.Timestamp:00:00 Harvard strategist, artist, history maker, honored professional.06:05 Publisher trashed work, a transformative moment remembered. The deep, intimate conversation led to the decision.06:59 Good ideas hinder great work, avoid them.12:23 Comparing the transformative book to The Alchemist.14:36 Book inspires and connects with personal stories.16:39 Childhood memories of walking to school independently.21:15 Encourage writing from a deeper place, capturing messages.24:25 Home, comfort, intensity, presence, freedom, unfamiliarity, understanding28:49 Evaluating, describing sacred space, deep conversations, lost time.32:18 Spiritual reawakening, presence in a divisive world.33:58 Book inspires creativity and curiosity in writing.Full show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your bookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us Fan MailHave you been thinking about writing a book but find yourself stalling repeatedly? Maybe it’s on your bucket list and this is finally the year you’ll write it, but you’re confused about where and how to start. On this week’s episode of “Authors Who Lead,” I talk about how authors can overcome the challenges of getting started, finding inspiration, and staying committed to writing.Timestamp:00:00 Get unstuck and start writing your book.05:07 Fear of failure and lack of accountability.08:37 Write publicly, and set a release date.12:10 Encouragement to write, don't delay your dreams.14:22 Join authors who lead for writing help.Full show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your bookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us Fan MailJustin Chen was a serial entrepreneur who ended up co-founding the company PickFu out of necessity. Justin and his partner were working on a different business rebranding and redesigning the website and realized they needed feedback from their actual target audience, not just family and friends. Over a Thanksgiving weekend, they designed something to help them, which is now PickFu.In this episode of “Authors Who Lead," I talk to Justin Chen about his entrepreneurial journey and how PickFu, a micro survey platform, is designed to help authors and businesses to make data-driven decisions.Timestamp:00:00 Started restaurant review business, struggled with redesign.04:57 Fast feedback from varied US audiences in 15:30.07:46 Test book concept with written descriptions, and ratings.12:18 Simple, pay-as-you-go model for survey responses.14:43 Book cover visual impact crucial for sales.18:33 Consumer panel data refined for quality research.22:08 Testing various product aspects before selling is crucial.23:47 Pat wrote a book to impress and lost focus.26:03 Publisher wanted seriousness, Ali pulled data, truth.Full show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS📚 Write and Publish your bookCONNECT📷 Instagram🎬 TikTok👫🏻 Facebook💼 LinkedIn🐦‍⬛ Twitter🤝🏻 Apply to be a GuestLEAVE A REVIEW✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts✍️ Review on Spotify🖱️ Episode Webpage