Book Is the Hook

Connect with Your Audience & Have a Resilient Mindset | Jason Feifer

Do you have what it takes to take your career to the next level? Do you have ideas for a magazine, a book, or a podcast but aren’t sure if it’s going to be big? Anybody can create a best-selling book or a successful article but how about you? Do you have what it takes to present your vision and go against unpredictability? On keeping your connection with the audience, Jason Feifer takes us through the things that made him successful.

Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, and he fought his way up to be the person he is now. He was previously an editor for Fast Company, Men’s Health, Maxim, and Boston, and he co-wrote the novel "Mr. Nice Guy" with his wife. He is also a speaker who focuses on inspiring the crowd to embrace change and to think boldly. In my talk with Jason, we find out how your ideas and relationship building become the foundation of success

In this episode, you’ll learn…

• • • How to connect with your audience
    • How to manage book marketing
    • The importance of building relationships
    • What mindset you should have to be resilient
    • Going to the opportunity instead of waiting for the opportunity

Everyone has skills and ideas but how can we use them to make our dreams a reality? A lot of times, we are overwhelmed by unpredictability and we choose to stay in our comfort zone but that will lead us to nowhere. For us to be successful, we need to stop waiting for the opportunity and take risks.

Rejection, Commitment and Empathy | Jason Starr

Alt. Rejection, Commitment and Empathy: On Creating With Jason Starr

Is talent key for becoming a good writer, or is grit more important? Why should you understand what Hannibal Lecter was missing and what does it have to do with empathy? On creating ordinary characters in extraordinary situations and staying true to yourself while remaining open to feedback. Jason Starr takes us through his creative process by simply talking about what he already knows.

Jason Starr is New York Times bestselling crime author and a comics & graphic novelist who worked on different graphic novels and comics including Batman, The Punisher, Ant Man and Gotham. Jason excels in creating characters that are relatable, even when they have a dark side to them. In my talk with Jason, we find out what’s key to creating antiheroes and how he keeps on creating them.

In this episode you’ll learn...

• Why getting used to rejection is important for writers
• How to keep creating even when it gets tough
• Why it’s important to understand your characters
• How to avoid discouragement and stay true to yourself

Every beginning is tough and choosing a writer career path brings many challenges with it. Rejection, doubt and discouragement are all part of it. Learning how to develop a thick skin, while staying empathetic; staying true to yourself, while also acknowledging feedback is how creators thrive in their careers.

Steal Like an Artist: Austin Kleon on Originality, Output, and Creative Momentum

How do you write something original when it feels like everything’s already been done?

Austin Kleon (bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist, Show Your Work, and Keep Going) explains why originality isn’t invention, it’s selection. You take influence, you filter it through your taste, and you ship.

We cover:

• The right way to “steal” ideas, structure, and style

• Why titles can wreck your creativity, and verbs fix it

• Consistency as a volume game (not a motivation game)

• How to document your process without turning into a content robot

• The input/output ratio most writers ignore

If you’ve been stuck in perfectionism, comparison, or “this idea already exists,” this episode will get you moving again.

Creating Your Creative Journey | Daniel Handler

If you’ve sold 70 million copies of your books, is it really possible to still have “bad pages” in your writing? Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket is one of the modern masters of young readers literature. His novels have had world-wide success and continue to serve as the magnum opus of his genre. As a creator, Daniel encourages us to ask ourselves “do I enjoy spending time with pen and paper?” Through the exploration of this question and more, we take a deep dive into the beautiful chaos, wacky mind and deep loneliness of life as a writer and creator.

Daniel Handler is the author of several books and other creative works. He is a incredible writer and contributor in his own right, but also to the world of authorship and literature as a whole. More commonly known by his pen name, Lemony Snicket, Daniel is the author and unique voice behind the children’s novels A Series of Unfortunate Events. His books have sold millions of copies world-wide and are translated into more than 40 languages. He has watched his characters come to life through movie, tv show, and stage adaptations of his works in which he has had the pleasure of working with several renowned personalities, including Neil Patrick Harris and Jim Carrey.

In this episode you’ll learn...

• How to ask the right questions around your creativity
• How loneliness is an integral part of the creative tradition
• The humble beginnings of Lemony Snicket
• What it means to build your own canon as a creative
• Daniel’s unique process of going from notes and ideas to written chapters

Provide Massive Value & Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable | David Meltzer

Is there value in what I do? Where do I get my inspiration from? How do I achieve my goals? How can I inspire others? What do I really want in life? These simple self-assessment questions are often the most difficult to ponder. But your responses will determine your journey to where you truly desire. Let David Meltzer inspire you to see your value as you set your goals toward your success.

David is the Co-founder of Sports 1 Marketing. He is the host of the top entrepreneur podcast, The Playbook, and the executive producer of Entrepreneur’s #1 digital business show, Elevator Pitch. A three-time international best-selling author, his book, Game-Time Decision Making, was a #1 new release. He has been recognized by Variety Magazine as their Sports Humanitarian of the Year and awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. David is a value-based speaker that regularly talks at the world’s biggest business, sports, technology, and motivational events.

In this episode, you’ll learn…

• • How you can love the pain you love, pleasure in loving the journey, and creating value as you go
  • How to be a Master learner
  • How you can build a community
  • Finding the tribe that will follow you on your mission

Understanding value is so important. Taking inventory of values is essential. Seeking, finding the light, the love, and the lessons are finding the value in anything. Right suffering is a process to find the light, the love, and lessons of value.

Clarity, Procrastination, Resiliency, Passion & Authenticity | Mario Armstrong

Do you sometimes have trouble seeing that different angle or perspective to see the bigger picture? Do you find yourself often procrastinating ? What makes you authentic? Mario Armstrong is with us today to dispense wisdom and secrets to overcome these challenges you face in your creative process.

Mario Armstrong is from Baltimore and attended the University of Maryland then went to DC to carve out his name for himself as a digital guru. With his struggles and experience he is the perfect person to get advice about being productive and discovering your passion.

In this episode you will learn.

• • Having the clarity to get your bigger picture.
  • Key to overcoming procrastination and working towards resiliency.
  • Using your passion to find out what makes you authentic.

Think Like a Designer & Creator in Your Writing Process | Debbie Millman

Let’s talk about tapping into your creative side to write. It’s tough. It’s overwhelming. There are many emotional roller-coasters. Finishing a book (more so than publishing it) is worth the exhilaration.
Named “one of the most influential designers working today” by Graphic Design USA, Debbie Millman is an author, educator, brand strategist and host of the podcast “Design Matters.” In the 11 years since the show’s inception, it has garnered over a million downloads per year, has interviewed more than 250 design luminaries and cultural commentators, a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, and designated as one of the best podcasts in 2015 by iTunes. Debbie is the author of six books, including two collections of interviews that have extended the ethos and editorial vision of Design Matters to the printed page: How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer and Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits. In my conversation with Debbie, she walks with us through her own process of writing.
In this episode you will learn…

• • Moving past that first step.
  • Designing a book and creation experience.
  • Moving past the initial hurt of criticism and consider that feedback is meant to be constructive to improve your work

Stop Writing Tired: Arianna Huffington on Burnout, Focus, and Creativity

Arianna Huffington has lived the high-achievement treadmill, and she crashed hard. Now she’s built Thrive Global to help people stop treating burnout like a status symbol.

We talk about what that looks like for writers, especially when writing has to happen alongside a job, school, family, and nonstop news cycles.

Arianna shares:

• Why she doesn’t believe in “balance,” and what she believes in instead

• How she creates first drafts, including why she started dictating books

• The focus habits she uses (music, candles, and zero notifications)

• The one thing writers can’t afford in the pandemic era, constant interruption

• Why raw vulnerability matters if your book includes your own story

If you’re writing a book while managing life, this episode is a reset.

Defeat the 4 Digital Villains: Jim Kwik’s Playbook for Focus and Memory

Jim Kwik didn’t grow up “gifted.” He grew up labeled.

After multiple childhood brain injuries, he struggled to read, got bullied, and was literally called “the boy with the broken brain.” Comic books became his escape, and eventually his training ground. That path turned into a 30-year career teaching memory, focus, and accelerated learning to high performers.

In this episode, Jim frames writers as superheroes, and the obstacles we face as villains, especially the modern ones powered by technology.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to beat imposter syndrome by changing the label, not “finding confidence”

• Why loneliness affects your brain, and how community becomes a performance advantage

• The 4 digital villains hurting your focus (and what to do about them)

• Why multitasking is really task-switching, and how it quietly destroys output

• The “dominant question” that’s running your attention, mood, and identity

• Simple habits that restore energy, attention, and consistency, without becoming a monk

If you’re writing a book while fighting distractions, doubt, and burnout, this conversation gives you a clean mental operating system.

Learning To Make Your Arguments With Integrity | Ross Baird

It's easy to put your ideas out there -- we're one click away from posting a tweet, sharing a video or publishing a blog post.  But in a world where it's so easy to create content, how do you create the depth to make your voice count. On this episode we go inside Ross Baird's journey to make 'Arguments with Integrity.'  As he shared, good ideas don't always win; but shared ideas will.  Hear how he intentionally used his venture firm and his book to build a community behind some powerful shared ideas he's convinced will change the world.

Ross developed the Village Capital concept in 2009, and has led the development of programs worldwide.  He's the author of The Innovation Blind Spot: Why We Back the Wrong Ideas—and What to Do About It (includes forward by Steve Case).

Before launching Village Capital, he worked with First Light Ventures, a seed fund focused on impact investments. Prior to First Light, Ross worked on the development of four education-related start-up ventures: the Indian School Finance Company in Hyderabad, India, the National College Advising Corps in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and two ventures using technology to promote civic participation. He has a MPhil from the University of Oxford, where he was a Marshall Scholar, and a BA from the University of Virginia, where he was a Truman Scholar and a Jefferson Scholar.