Case Study: How A Probation Officer Used A Book To Start A Highly Profitable Coaching Business

Case Study: How A Probation Officer Used A Book To Start A Highly Profitable Coaching Business

It’s funny how big things started small.

The first time I met Daniel Munro, he wasn’t yet envisioning becoming an author and I wasn’t a publisher.

It was 2012, and Dan was working as a probation officer while using his spare time to study personal development. During his exploration, he picked up a copy of my best-selling book, “Lifestyle Entrepreneur,” and was inspired by the lessons he encountered.

Shortly after reading my book, Dan was driven to do something different — to step outside the rat race.

That “something different” was to write a book conveying many of the ideas and the methodology he’d developed through his own studies.

Dan spent two solid weeks over the Christmas holidays writing the first draft of what would eventually become “The Legendary Life: Build the Motivation and Confidence to Create an Authentic Lifestyle.”

But it wasn’t quite there yet. After sharing his manuscript with a handful of friends and family, they ripped the draft to shreds.

Based on their feedback, he tripled the word count, adding examples, stories, and layers of authenticity to his book.

The goal was to share his knowledge with a wider audience and establish himself as a “confidence coach,” helping others towards the discoveries he’d made himself.

When he finally felt he was ready, he self-published his book to Amazon Kindle. He pushed the “publish” button and the labor of love was met with… crickets.

He sold about five copies …mostly to people he knew.

Dan did some research on publishing with a traditional publisher and even wrote query letters to almost a dozen agents, hoping one would agree to represent him.

Only one responded, and they said no.

Publishing seemed like a closed system — you couldn’t get in unless you were already in. And Dan was securely on the outside — or so he thought.

Because of this, Dan resigned to himself that he’d never be an author, so to speak, but that the book he wrote would be a resource he’d give to his coaching clients.

And then Dan happened to send me a nice email, thanking me for the knowledge that set him on the path to writing his own book and establishing a new career path.

That’s how our relationship began.

I answered quickly, and a correspondence began. Within short order, it came up that Dan had written and self-published a book of his own.

A few more exchanges, and suddenly Dan had a new publisher — Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press.

Working with Dan was a no-brainer. I had a personal connection with him and our value aligned.

Dan used his book to build a business and Dan used Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press to raise his profile and reach a larger, international audience with his ideas and message.

Also, the idea of having a physical book, not just an electronic version, was alluring — and something that seemed a distant possibility after his first, failed attempts at getting traction with his self-published book.

Publishing Dan’s book was a collaborative process. I gave Dan an informed expert opinion on elements like design and marketing. But the decision was eventually up to him. I made sure Dan felt in control of the process to the extent he wanted to be.

The result in early 2015?

A polished, professional manuscript published in Kindle and paperback, which has reached #1 status in the Self-Esteem, Psychology & Counseling and Creativity categories of Amazon and continues to bring new clients to Dan month after month.

Dan says he regularly hears from readers who have devoured his book and want to work with him more deeply.

He thinks that having a book helps in several ways:

First, it’s an instant badge of authority that positions himself as a trustworthy expert.

Also, people who have taken the time to read his book and absorb his ideas have already determined whether they’re on board with his program.

The book has been so instrumental in building his coaching business that Dan’s second book, “Nothing to Lose: Using Curiosity to Destroy Hesitation, Procrastination and Limiting Beliefs,” is slated to be published by Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press this October.

It’s the first in what he plans to be a three-book trilogy, something he couldn’t have imagined a few years ago.

Another benefit of having a bestselling book is the amplification of Dan’s big ideas and messages.

While he may have originally written the book as a way to document his ideas and methodology, he did so with the intent of sharing them with a wider audience.

When asked what he’d say to other aspiring authors, Dan responds that self-publishing successfully is nearly impossible unless you have excellent writing, design and marketing skills — which is rare to find in a single person.

In contrast, the “big” publishing world is closed to anyone without a ready-made platform of tens if not hundreds of thousands.

Don’t let the fears and doubts and blocks that usually hogtie aspiring authors hold you back.

Anyone can be a published author.

If you have the ability to send me an email, you have the ability to write a book.

Pre-order a copy of Dan’s forthcoming book “Nothing to Lose: Using Curiosity to Destroy Hesitation, Procrastination and Limiting Beliefs.”

Meet Daniel Munro and many other inspiring authors at Bestseller Summit Live, October 28-30 in Los Angeles!

Registration closes this week, come join us in LA for the premiere author event of 2016 🙂

To your success,

Jesse

3 Valuable Lessons from Running a 3-Day Live Event

3 Valuable Lessons from Running a 3-Day Live Event

One week ago right now I was getting mic’ed up and preparing to hit the stage at Bestseller Summit Live, my annual event for authors and entrepreneurs.

Here are some lessons learned from running this event two years in a row:

1.) It is human nature to wait until the last minute to make a decision.

This characteristic is really on display with live events. Our attendance count more than doubled in the final 8 days before the event as people finalized their plans and definitively decided to come.

This makes planning for events difficult as there is a whirlwind of back-and-forth with the hotel to accommodate the number of guests with seating, food and materials. It can also mess with your head as an organizer as your event can look kind of empty two weeks out…and then BAM the final registration frenzy begins.

2.) There is no replacement for the connections and chemistry of live events.

As someone who has largely built my business and brand online, I can say for sure that there is nothing like being in a room of like-minded individuals to speed up the learning process and make valuable connections.

This is not a knock on virtual summits, webinars or online training programs (I love and utilize them all), but rather a reminder that at the end of the day people value connection and that is a big part of what live events are all about.

3.) Half the value exists within the audience and amongst the attendees.

I told our audience that at least 50% of the value they would get from Bestseller Summit Live would be from the audience members sitting all around them, not from me.

The connections made, collaborations being planned and even co-authoring of books that was initiated at the event proves this is true. So, as an event organizer it’s not about just having 3 days of “killer content” – It’s about fostering those connections and bringing attention to their importance.

If you are interested in publishing with Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press, please complete this short application and we’ll jump on a complimentary Publishing Consultation.

To your success,

Jesse

3 Pillars To Become A Profitable Author

3 Pillars To Become A Profitable Author

It’s all a lie.

Whoever told you that you can’t make more as an author is not giving you a complete picture.

With the right strategy, writing a book can become one of the most rewarding and profitable things you can do.

On the other hand, if you don’t apply a proven plan behind your writing career, then you’ll join the ranks of many “starting artists.”

As a published author myself, I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum and I want to shed some light on this topic.

Here are the 3 pillars to become a profitable author.

Pillar #1: Your Book

As an author, your book is the primary vehicle for your message.

This is the tool you’re going to use to transfer your knowledge and experience to the hands of your ideal audience. You can literally give someone years of wisdom in a concise and easy way through your book.

Not only that, having a book is an incredible way to prequalify your clients.

By mentioning different programs, services and other learning opportunities, a portion of your readers will want to take the next step with you.

If they connect with your message, your potential clients will self-select themselves and take the necessary action to get in touch with you.

This makes enrolling clients much easier. It becomes less about you convincing them to work with you and more about them resonating with your story.

Your book positions you as an authority and you become someone people want to do business with.

Pillar #2: Your Business

Your book sparks an idea and gives inspiration to your readers on what’s possible if they implement what they learned in your book.

While your book can definitely make you money, there are other ways to monetize your expertise.

Your readers can go deeper with the subject with an online course and private coaching with you. You can also invite them to a live event or an online summit. You can even charge a premium for a mastermind group where your readers get to learn from you and connect with other like-minded people.

Having these options in the backend make your book a much more compelling business model. The options are limitless.

Ultimately, your business should fulfill the promise you made in the book. Make it real and give your readers the A-to-Z, step-by-step process to help them achieve their ideal outcome.

Pillar #3: Your Brand

One of the best aspects about publishing a book is getting inbound media opportunities.

If you provide a way for people to contact you, you can reasonably expect to get invited in different forms of media.

People can submit a short form on your website requesting a consultation or invite you to be a guest on a podcast, expert on an online summit and even a speaker on live events.

Once you have traction in the media, you can use that as leverage to make an appearance on bigger shows.

Whether you want to be on TV, on the radio or on stage, a book is a great credibility builder. Not only will it help expand your audience, it will also allow you to inspire people around the globe.

Bestseller Summit Live

If you’re ready to finally get that book out of your head, into the world and onto the best-seller charts, then you need to come to Bestseller Summit Live, October 28-30 in Los Angeles.

Click here to learn more and register.

5 Ways Authors Profit From Their Book

5 Ways Authors Profit From Their Book

There’s no doubt about it.

Whether you’re selling a product or a service, having a book is a huge asset for your business. It’s one of the best tools that a lot of world-renowned experts have used to successfully build their brands.

Not only does your book start a conversation with your ideal customers, it also builds trust and credibility very quickly.

As an author, your prospects and peers see you in a more favourable light before they even get in touch with you.

Having a book is an incredible way to attract and persuade your ideal clients to eventually work with you.

There are A LOT of benefits to write a book but for the sake of brevity, we’ll stick with the main ones.

Here are 5 ways authors profit from their book.

1. Passive Income Stream

One of the best things about writing a book is that you can make money from your work in so many different way.

Once you publish your book, you can leverage existing technology and create a simple yet profitable business that will pay you for years to come.

Brands like Amazon, Apple and Google will pay you up to 70% of the sales while promoting you.

That’s pretty crazy, right?

Also, you can profit from your book by publishing it as an e-book, paperback and audiobook as well.

This is a passive income stream because you only have to create it one time and it keeps paying you over and over again.

2. Generate Qualified Leads

In case you didn’t know, Amazon is one of the BIGGEST search engines in the world. And people who visit the site usually have an intention of buying something.

When someone purchases your book, they’ve raised their hand and expressed interests in your topic by voting with their wallet.

Instead of you calling prospects, prospects call you and that’s an entirely different conversation. If they like your book, they’re going to be a lot more likely to invest in your other products or services.

Your book is a great way to build a relationship with your ideal customers before they even get a chance to talk to you. They’re going to be the ones qualifying themselves to work with you which makes the enrolment process much easier.

3. Command Premium Price

The best way to double your business is to double your prices.

If your cost-per-lead and conversation percentages stayed the same, you’ll make more money simply by charging more.

Having a  book that positions you as a trusted authority is an effective way to command premium prices.

Why?

Because people want to work with the best. Having a book makes you more reputable almost instantly.

If you want to become a sought-after expert in your field, a book can definitely do that.

4. Free Media Exposure

Writers, reporters and bloggers need good content. They’re always looking for credible sources.

Having a book can make it so much easier for you to get on podcasts, TV shows, radio and even popular blogs.

When you are perceived as an authority in your niche, people start reaching out to you.

If you don’t have a lot of money to spend on your marketing, then a book is the best bang for your buck.

5. Grow Your Network

Your net worth is directly proportional to your network.

If you want to connect with highly influential people in your industry, sending them a copy of your book is a great way to introduce yourself.

Your book becomes a glorified business card.

You’ll get instant respect. Influential people will want to do business with you because you’re a best selling author.

Having a book makes you stand out from the rest very quickly.

Bestseller Summit Live

If you’re ready to finally get that book out of your head, into the world and onto the best seller charts, then you need to come to Bestseller Summit Live, October 28-30 in Los Angeles.

Click here to learn more and register.

What’s Your Story? Make it Count!

What’s Your Story? Make it Count!

Today I want to shift gears and share an exercise to help you share your story in a new, authentic and congruent way.

Last weekend at the Legacy Leaders retreat I helped lead with Laura Gisborne at her beautiful palace in Sedona, AZ we all took 15 minutes to write “our story”. That is 15 minutes max to tell your life story, with the twist that you do so in an entirely new way.

The purpose of this is to break free from the looping and autopilot we all too easily run on and focus on telling your story the way that it is most real and true for you right now.

So, here is “My Story” told in an entirely different way than I’ve ever shared it before and I encourage you to comment and share your new story and/or how this exercise was for you!

My Story – Circa August 28 in Sedona, AZ

I fell in love with music and electric guitar from age 13. I played this forward to starting a record label at age 21 and touring America twice by age 23.

This showed me the creative side of business and I became a consultant, investment banker and eventually entrepreneur and CEO at age 27.

Simultaneously my love of traveling, learning languages & cultures and exploring relationships from many perspectives has provided myriad experiences that far exceed those which someone of a more traditional life path experiences.

By being comfortable, or willing, or thriving in uncertainty and seeming chaos, I have developed a large capacity to hold space for others and this has become huge for my work with authors.

Now, at age 34 I am confident in my career path and do work I love with people I admire. Others look to me for leadership and I always o my best to rise to the challenge.

My priorities in life have been to collect experiences and relationships, now I see the value in also accumulating assets and growing my capacity to earn as I learn, such that I may become financially free, debt free and ultimately wealthy.

Wealthy in the sense that I am secure in living the lifestyle I enjoy, able to invest in opportunities & experiences that are attractive and be able to support my family, as well as start one of my own.

Most recently I realize that my tendency in life has been to try and bend the world to my will, but that is an arrogant posture with which to approach life.

Now I see the value in releasing my attachment to the outcome, surrendering to the experience at hand, and in so doing being willing to play full out to the best of my abilities, in a spirit of self-love, gratitude, and contribution.

Now it’s your turn…What’s Your Story?