Breakthrough Author Magazine February 2024

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Publisher’s Corner Hello Authors!

Juliet Clark is a six- time author, speaker and podcaster who has spent the last twenty years helping authors, coaches, speakers, and small businesses all over the world build expert audiences.

She started out as a mystery novelist and is best known or her books Gypsy, Granny Heist, and Dead by Dawn, and Pitchslapped. At age 46, she received a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and is an avid hiker and golfer.

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. ~Jack London

This month is chock full of good ideas!

Parchelle Tashi is using new innovation to make asaaback toass your courses again and again!

Love is in the air, but don’t forget to love your heart too! Karie Cassell shares how to embrace the symphony of life by nourishing your mind, body, and spirit.

Trust your heart, feed your soul, and flourish.

If you are having trouble organizing a content strategy, Fran Asaro is here to help.

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere these days. The question is… should you use it in your marketing? Tracy Hazzard extols the value of using your own voice instead of relying in AI. Guest contributor and magazine mogul, Kim Hayden shares how to nurture yourself and convert fear to bravery.

Hope you enjoy every minute of this month’s magazine!

Love and gratitude, Juliet Clark

The Media Enhanced Author Experience

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n 2010, my company DreamSculpt Media Inc. created a product called the M2ebook (M2=MiniMedia). The concept was to give a potential reader a condensed, mediaenhanced experience of a non-fiction book. We created over 50 M2ebooks featuring such celebrated authors as Jack Canfield and Deepak Chopra.

The M2ebook helped deliver an author’s content in a digestible format increasing the engagement factor through videos with the author and complimentary thought leaders.

What inspired me to create these giveaway digital experiences was the need to give a holistic overview of a nonfiction book in a distilled format.

The industry standard of giving away a sample chapter of a book to introduce a book title felt insufficient. I specifically reacted to the method of book promotion where you read a sample chapter only to experience an abrupt stop leading to a pay portal to continue reading and buying the title.

Imagine you go to a restaurant and they offer you a free appetizer only to show up with the menu for you to order and pay for the remaining courses.

DreamSculpt is currently in development of an evolution of the M2ebook concept in a Native App. The concept of the DreamSculpt App is more like a free five course tasting from appetizers all the way through to dessert leaving you with a full palette of flavors. Once a book cover is clicked on the App they will experience a ecosystem of content featuring a book trailer and a chapter preview in which there is a 1-2 minute video summarizing each chapter delivered by the author.

Each video is created by the author in their own personal style. Some may be shot in a studio, some may shoot it in their backyard under the trees, yet they create an intimacy with the viewer. By sharing the distilled essence of each chapter, the potential reader will have a holistic overview of the book through the author sharing salient talking points and highlights of each chapter as well brief exercises and questions for the potential reader to contemplate.

The lifecycle of a book usually diminishes within the first 6 months of its release.

The DreamSculpt App will aggregate independent publishers, hybrid publishers, and other small presses. This is a way a publisher can revitalize their list and reincarnate books that have all but disappeared by reintroducing them with a compelling presentation through the media experience. The author also has the potential to create a fresh new engagement with a potential reader as they click around the App and absorb the interactive experience of countless books.

A major advantage to having a book on the App is the author’s access to potential readers through push notifications. If someone has taken the interest to download the App it is highly likely that they will click yes for receiving notifications. When an author schedules an event, instead of sending an email that may be lost in a junk mail filter, the push notification will appear directly on their phone.

The App creates an authentic, personalized experience for a potential reader with the full intent of having them purchase the book and participate in the author community.

AUTHOR BIO Jared Rosen is the founder Of DreamSculpt. As an innovator in digital media publishing, he has published over 50 media enhanced e-books for many best-selling authors and filmmakers and has published dozens of books in print.

Jared is the author of three books including the groundbreaking book The Flip. As a thought leader he has presented in venues ranging from TED X Malibu, to McKinsey and Company, Sydney, Australia. In 2000, Jared co-created the Children’s Emotional Literacy Project endorsed by Mayor Richard Riordan and Norman Lear.

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Getting the Most Bang for Your Book With Direct Selling To benefit the most from book sales, you (as the author) will want to sell directly to your reader any chance you get. As an author, you’ll get the highest profit margin off your book when you sell it directly to your readers.

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Now why is it that selling directly is the best way to go? Because when you can purchase copies of your book from your distributor at cost versus the retail price, there’s more of a 1:1 exchange with fewer middlemen clogging up the pipeline.

Your reader gives you money, you give them your book. Your total profit is the difference between what you paid and what they paid you. However, if you had sent your reader to a bookstore or your publisher’s website to purchase your book, then the amount you make is a fraction of what remains after everyone else has been paid.

Knowing about direct selling (and the truth about how royalties work) in advance of publishing, or even writing your manuscript, helps with your long-term strategy of how you’re going to leverage your book and make back some of that investment. That said, there are several things to consider to direct-sell well.

Before I dive into it, I want to be sure I make this part clear: book sales are only one avenue to book revenue. I am not recommending you live and die by book sales alone. You want to leverage your book in a variety of ways that will hopefully grant opportunities with bigger revenue bucks involved. That said, you’ll need to get your book into the hands of those with

the power to grant those opportunities. The more hands, the more visibility, and the greater your chances of finding (or being invited to) those opportunities.

Tracking. Keep track of your direct sales so you can keep track of the book after it’s shipped but also so you know what you’ve sold and how much you’ll owe for sales and use tax.

So sell that book. Reap the rewards. And whenever possible, sell it directly.

To prepare you to do that successfully, here are things to consider.

Marketing. Be sure to identify that people can purchase your book directly from you and that this is your preferred way they purchase your book.

That means you’ll have to tell them how to do that–whether that’s giving them your Venmo name or sending them to your website is entirely up to you, but make it clear and easy for them to purchase through you.

Storage. You’ll want to consider how many copies you’ll have on hand. If that’s boxes and boxes of books, where will you store them and how will you store them so they are unlikely to get damaged?

Payment. You’ll have to determine how you will take and process payment. Are you going to do cash-only? Do you have PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle already set up and linked to a bank account?

Taxes. Now that you’re selling a product or ‘good,’ have you determined what your state’s policy is on sales and use tax?

Find out if you need to get a certificate to sell and what the tax filing requirements are for claiming the revenue from sales.

And when you’re direct selling, be sure to include sales tax in your total purchase price.

Shipping. If you’re not at an event where you can just hand your book to your buyer, you’ll need to determine packaging materials and shipping costs. Be sure to include a shipping rate in addition to the price of your book and sales tax. If you’re not sure what shipping rate to use, go to your local post office and ask them about the cheapest option for mailing a book.

They’ll likely tell you about the media mail rate which tends to be a flat rate option for sending books.

Look for opportunities. If your local indie bookstores, farmers markets, artist fairs, or libraries, are offering programs and events where local authors can participate, reach out. Sign up.

Show up. Sell. If you’re on the speaking circuit, check with your conference or summit hosts (virtual or live) about whether you’re allowed to sell your book in the back of the room or at the end of your presentation by sharing a QR code.

Get creative and create opportunities. You don’t have to rely solely on other people’s programs and events to sell directly to your readers. Reach out to your library about a speaking event and bring copies of your book. Have your own office space or the ability to rent a space? Host a program that includes copies of your book. Develop bundles, boxes, or baskets that incorporate your book with other goodies as a fresh way to sell your book.

Facilitate your own book club with your book and require participants to purchase a copy.

Now, you’re ready for direct selling and to get the most bang for your book.

Alyssa Berthiaume (usually known as Ally, but published under A.Y.) is the founder of The Write Place, Right Time, her virtual boutique of book coaching and ghostwriting services. Berthiaume serves leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries across North America and Europe in writing the books that will light up their world and ours. Berthiaume is also the award-winning author of Dear Universe, I Get it Now: Letters on the Art and Journey of Being Brave and Being Me and the co-author of Do Not Write a Book...Until You Read This one.

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Mastering Your Signature Talk

Navigating the Top 3 Common Mistakes Imagine having the power to inspire, influence, and leave a lasting impact every time you speak to an audience.

As an author who wants to speak to groups, everything changes when you have a Signature Talk that you can use repeatedly...

And you can use it repeatedly for every speaking opportunity, including live events, podcasts, interviews, and summit presentations.

Plus, a powerful and purposeful Signature Talk will: • Highlight your expertise and passion for a topic • Be a cornerstone in your thought leader branding • Ensure you impact many lives • Get you a lot more clients • And get you booked to speak

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When you master your signature talk, it always leads to a bigger impact on your audience... and much higher income potential.

That is why every speaker needs a Signature Talk!

Let’s go a little deeper and look at the top three common mistakes that can hinder the impact of your Signature Talk.

I like to call the first mistake “Missing the Map.” Here is why: One of the most common missteps in developing a signature talk is not mapping out the structure before you

Avoiding these common mistakes is crucial to delivering a signature talk that truly captivates and influences your audience... create the content. Every talk should be easy to follow to ensure the audience wants to hear what you say.

Have you ever watched a speaker who sounds like their content is all over the place?

And they are really hard to follow?

This happens all the time.

Many speakers don’t realize that from the time they start their talk all the way to the final words they say, there must be a seamless flow from opening to closing.

If not, the audience can get overwhelmed and will eventually disengage.

The next mistake we need to talk about is Missing Their Pain.

Often, speakers are challenged in speaking by getting to the heart of their audience’s pain and deeply understanding what they “really” want help with.

Effective signature talks are rooted in being crystal clear on the audience’s biggest challenges and what they need help with most.

We are not talking about surfacelevel pains, such as getting rid of stress, losing weight, and overcoming procrastination. We want to take a deep dive with the audience and really hone in on how their pain shows up in their everyday life, the thoughts they think and the actions they can and cannot take.

Any presentation that doesn’t connect with your audience on a personal level and speak to their “real” pain will fall flat.

From the moment you start your talk, you want to help the audience overcome any resistance to your topic and see why your presentation is a “game changer” in their life.

With the final mistake, many speakers overlook the importance of presenting in a way that feels like a conversation.

This is why mistake # 3 is called Missing the Conversation.

Many speakers put their Signature talk together and end up “Talking At” the audience the whole time rather than “Speaking With” the audience.

An irresistible Signature Talk needs to be conversational so that every person in the audience feels like you are having a one-to-one conversation with them.

That is why it is called a “Signature TALK” and not a speech or presentation. It is a “Talk,” aka a conversation.

Avoiding these common mistakes is crucial to delivering a signature talk that truly captivates and influences your audience...

And gets your audience to implement what they just learned.

Whether you’re speaking to inspire change, educate, motivate, grow your business or all of those, addressing these signature talk mistakes will significantly improve your effectiveness as a speaker.

AmondaRose Igoe provides Speaker Coaching and Training specializing in Authors, Coaches, Consultants and Service Based Businesses. She provides high-caliber group, and private coaching services focused on Mastering Your Message, Monetizing Your Talk & Masterfully Book Speaking Engagements. AmondaRose has over twenty years of experience as a master trainer, speaker and coach.

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FIRST THINGS FIRST:

Before You Hit Record FIRST - Deliberate vs. Spontaneous: Your Choice

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f you’ve been used to creating videos based on an inspiring thought or creating a video about what’s next in line from your publication, I’d like to invite you to another approach.

Being deliberate and doing first things first can absolutely be a game-changer for your audience, your exposure and your income.

Decide whether you want to throw caution to the wind or

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be intentional in your approach to creating videos.

Before diving in, the first step is research. You need to know what people are searching for so your content is current and desired. Utilize tools like Google search, Answerthepublic.com, or, my personal favorite, TubeBuddy’s keyword search. TubeBuddy is my trusted companion for every upload; it streamlines the research process and enhances video optimization.

You can find it here.

1.1 Google Search: Uncover the Trends Begin with a simple Google search to identify trending topics. Understand what your audience is looking for and tailor your content accordingly.

1.2 Answerthepublic.com: Unlock the Questions Answerthepublic.com provides valuable insights into questions people are asking about a specific topic. This tool

As you progress in your journey to become a better YouTuber, reflect on the valuable insights you’ve gathered and put into action. Over time, you’ll witness the cumulative impact of your efforts as results start to unfold. is instrumental in understanding your audience’s needs and preferences.

1.3 TubeBuddy’s Keyword Search: Unleash the Power TubeBuddy’s keyword search feature is a user-friendly tool.

Identify high-performing keywords to enhance your video’s discoverability and reach. You can also see Google keywords right from the TubeBuddy platform.

SECOND: Before You Hit Record - Craft Your Strategy Once you have found your topic, it is crucial to dig deeper. Look at existing videos similar to your topic. Analyze their keywords, evaluate content, and measure engagement through views and comments.

2.1 Create an Outline: Plan Your Content One way is to use ChatGPT (an A.I. program) to outline key points and structure your video.

This ensures a clear and concise presentation. You can either build on the generated outline or create your own from scratch.

BEFORE YOU HIT RECORD: Optimize for Clicks Now that your research is

complete and your strategy is in place, focus on creating an enticing title and thumbnail to grab your audience’s attention.

After all, no matter how good your video is, they will never know if you don’t get them to ‘click’ on it!

3.1 Thumbnail Mastery: Short, Sweet, and Striking Craft visually appealing thumbnails with short, compelling messages. Leverage contrasting colors and include either your image or someone else’s to create intrigue.

TubeBuddy’s A.I.-powered features for thumbnail and title creation makes it a smoother task. Maximize visual appeal and boost click-through rates.

3.2 Title Magic: Inspire Clicks Craft a title that complements your thumbnail, intriguing viewers and inspiring them to click. Let your thumbnail inspire them to want to read more with the title, then to want to click to hear more.

TIME TO HIT RECORD: More to Learn Beyond the Basics Once you’ve completed these steps, it’s time to hit record.

Use your script and start to

unfold what you discussed in the thumbnail and title. Don’t forget to tag your video with the topic and all other pertinent information that others would be searching for.

Remember, this is just the beginning. There’s more to learn on how to keep your audience engaged and staying till the end once they click, but that’s a topic for another time.

In the vast landscape of YouTube, a strategic and wellresearched approach is your key to success. Embrace the power of tools to help you meet your audience where they are.

As you progress in your journey to become a better YouTuber, reflect on the valuable insights you’ve gathered and put into action. Over time, you’ll witness the cumulative impact of your efforts as results start to unfold.

The more you invest in honing your skills and adapting to the ever-evolving landscape, the more significant and lasting your achievements will become.

To Your YouTube Success!

Fran Asaro YouTube Mentor

Fran Asaro is the founder of The Senior Tuber Community where she mentors YouTube Creators on optimizing and monetizing their YouTube Channel Schedule time with Fran to get your questions answered.

SeniorTuber.com YouTube Channel

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Want Better Business Results?

Avoid These 5 Things

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e all have the same 24 hours daily, yet some entrepreneurs achieve more and better results. If you’re stuck in a productivity rut, there’s one thing you can do: stop doing what holds you back!

Change can be challenging, especially when breaking wellestablished habits. However, it is not impossible. Author Tony Robbins suggests that when the “pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change,” transformation becomes achievable.

Here are five common productivity and result killers— and how to avoid them.

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#1: Not Having a Plan Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland, was a modern entrepreneur who wisely said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Isn’t it true? No matter the business or organization, as innovators and entrepreneurs, we can still be easily distracted and lose focus.

easily completed daily or weekly. Calendar your tasks and stick to them! By scheduling specific days and times for task implementation, you can avoid overcommitment.

The first step is using a growth plan. What do you want to achieve in the next 3-5 years of your business?

What actions are needed to achieve those goals?

#2: Doing Too Much at Once Remember when multitasking was a “thing?” Even now, some entrepreneurs believe multitasking is efficient, but it’s not. In fact, a recent study at USC highlighted the pitfalls of multitasking: reduced IQ, low information retention, more mistakes, and brain drain.

Break big goals into small, actionable steps - micromovements - that can be

Stay focused on the next 1218 months! With a narrower time frame, it’s easier to stay on track.

If you want to secure better results, stop doing the things that interrupt your performance.

Instead of trying to do ten things at once, focus on one thing at a time and give it your full attention for a designated period. You’ll be surprised at how much more productive you are. #3: Digital Distractions In our hyper-connected world, it’s easy to get distracted by technology. Resist the urge to check every notification that pings on your phone. Instead, turn off notifications, put your phone away, and focus on the task. This way, you can be more productive and avoid distractions.

Instead, give yourself a pre-set amount of time to indulge in emails, text messages, social media, or whatever you decide, then turn off notifications and close programs for a focused time (Nathaniel Kleitman recommends 90 minutes of focused time.) #4: Procrastination We all dread specific tasks, but putting them off makes them worse. Some experts suggest questioning the reasons behind procrastination, but I find it’s an endless cycle that offers no escape.

An effective approach begins with “what.” For instance, what part of this project do I want to tackle first? What makes the

#5: Perfectionism Perfectionism is a major productivity killer - not to mention a source of burnout and overwhelm.

Jackie Nagel is the Founder of Synnovatia, a strategic business coaching and consultancy firm. She is known for her unwavering commitment to supporting small businesses and her deep interest in science-based performance strategies.

Jackie’s approach involves providing personalized strategic coaching tailored to the individual needs of her clients, both on a personal and professional level.

Instead of striving for perfection, aim for progress.

Again, think micro-movement.

What matters most is that you’re progressing toward your goal.

Her clients greatly appreciate her keen insights into what it takes to succeed in a constantly changing and increasingly demanding business environment.

Perfectionism is often about the expectations we set for ourselves and others — or the expectations we think our clients have of us. If your perfectionism stems from what you think your clients expect, ask them. Their response might surprise you.

For more information about Jackie Nagel and the services offered by Synnovatia, you can visit their website at www.synnovatia.com.

most sense to address? What would make this project more enjoyable?

Once you conquer that challenging task, you’ll feel an amazing sense of relief and accomplishment, propelling you toward achieving results!

The Last Word If you want to secure better results, stop doing the things that interrupt your performance.

These five productivity killers can hinder business growth, so find the inspiration to overcome them and achieve better results.

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From Expertise to Niche Excerpt from The Ultimate On-Camera Guidebook: Hosts*Experts*Influencers by Jacquie Jordan (@TVGuestpert) & Shannon O’Dowd (@theshannonodowd)

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rom camera roll to phone screen, Instagram is the thriving hub of sharing and viewing photos from all over the world.

A quick visit to a page will provide an inside look at a company’s brand, celebrity festivities, or just an everyday person meandering about her day. It’s true what they say: a picture really is worth a thousand words.

Where we expect storytelling to go on social media platforms and as a service we provide through TVGuestpert is the concept of sharing micro-movies instead of just moment to moment captures. This means that future branding on social media will be preconceived in advance to tell a certain story over a period of time to specifically engage the viewer, and the content is cut or edited into micro stories to hold the daily attention and engagement while rolling out a storyline.

Enhancing one of the best, or worst, guilty pleasures to exist on social media is the increase of your followers to your pages. Sure, there are people that say don’t get upset about how many followers, likes, or comments

you have. And that’s perfectly reasonable and understandable, but when you want to showcase your expertise and see that people are genuinely interested in what you have to say and offer, those things kind of do matter. They show that there’s something unique about you and that people are really looking to your page for advice on a better life. This is where the catch is. By now, you have been bombarded with tons of facts not only about social media, but also about on-camera time cues, content, body language, and much more.

There is one thing you need before you hit the ground running: your message and story.

Let’s take what we learned from the earlier articles in this magazine. We prepped you for your on-camera appearance, but why? Simply speaking, you were seen as someone who can help a producer with a segment on a certain topic—a certain expertise. You’re an individual who knows practically everything and anything about your topic. Your niche is the very same thing you will be asked to talk about on your future (and hopefully successful) television appearance. Use the social media platform to express a larger story than

just sharing a photo of a cup of coffee you are drinking that afternoon.

We can take all the terms we learned and tailor them to what it would look like in the social media world.

Your opening sound bite would very much be considered those little videos simply introducing yourself to whoever comes across your page.

A great tip would be to post these “opening sound bites” methodically, introducing a little fact about you as your presence and platform grows.

Take-home information is of you talking about any tips you have for the day, what your product is about, or anything you want your audience to know. This could be captured in a photo and further explained through your caption or for Twitter users, through your tweet and photo attached below. It is a piece of information learned through the expertise you are so willing to share.

Finally, the message behind who you are and why you’re here should be prominent throughout your portfolios on social media. Whether it be on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, visitors should easily be able to spot your message. In other words, the “who am I, why I’m here, and what I’m plugging.”

Jacquie is the founder and CEO of the 15-year-old cutting-edge, media and content development, promotions and booking platform, TVGuestpert that offers full-service promotion, marketing, business strategy and media services for her clients, partners and collaborators, TVGuestpert Publishing - a NY Times Best Selling publishing house, and The Guestpert Academy - an online program offering visibility, media training and TVGuestpert On-Camera Training. She is also a twotime Emmy nominated TV Producer, three-time author and the host of Front & Center with Jacquie Jordan, a broadcast podcast.

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Amazon’s A+ Content E

very tool to drive traffic to your book helps. This is an easy and free tool that can be utilized during and after your book launch. A+ Content allows you to visually represent your brand. All authors are content creators, so using A+ Content gives your potential readers a look into your brand and a deeper dive into your entrepreneurial bona fides.

Amazon claims that using A+ Content can increase your books sales by as much as 20%. Our test numbers were a little lower but still showed an increase.

Imagine running an ad and someone clicks on your book and there is additional content to find out more about who you are and what your area of expertise is. You are creating a customer journey inside of Amazon.

When we used A+ Content in conjunction with ads, our book sales increased. We also noticed that there were no other books of the same genre that were using A+ Content, which meant our books were an obvious choice with brand and visuals to catch the eye of any potential reader.

A+ Content is easy to use. Make sure you have access to your KDP

account. You will need to login from that platform to get to the A+ Content templates. There are several drop-in templates to help you organize and beautify your content. The downside is that there is an approval process which takes 5-7 days.

To avoid taking readers off the Amazon site, their guidelines do not allow you to use links. So, this is not the place to put lead magnets or anything else that is promotional. The site also does not allow emojis. The other downside is that when you enter new content, the old content disappears. This means that you should update the content regularly.

My company tested A+ content with our magazine articles and podcast. Both worked out well.

The content templates create more of a sound bite than posting an entire article. This means you will probably need to pull out the most important part of your articles or other content and add images. Here are some of the other benefits we found: Mobile Optimization. Amazon understands that almost three quarters of their buyers use

mobile phones on their site. For that reason, A+ Content has been optimized so that the user can see the entire description without clicking. Potential buyers stay on your product longer which means they are more likely to purchase.

Better Customer and Brand Experiences. If you have a customer or brand journey attached to your book, people find out more about your expertise on a particular product. With so many amateur writers and publishers out there, the reader can see your professionalism and that your expertise in your book is the real deal. This is especially true if you are a brand or marketing expert.

Practice what you preach. If you are a fiction author, you can use snippets of your story and have images of your characters created. This is a fun way to get readers excited about your characters.

Better Ad Returns. If you are driving ad traffic to your book, the additional content can make choosing your book a nobrainer. We used A+ Content in conjunction with ads and found that our sales bumped up about 13%.

Juliet Clark is a six- time author, speaker and podcaster who has spent the last twenty years helping authors, coaches, speakers, and small businesses all over the world build expert audiences.

She started out as a mystery novelist and is best known or her books Gypsy, Granny Heist, and Dead by Dawn, and Pitchslapped. At age 46, she received a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and is an avid hiker and golfer.

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Nourishing Your Heart Health Matters: Beyond the Diet Alone As we approach February, the month of love and Valentine’s Day, it’s the perfect time to reflect on all matters of the heart and to embrace the passions and dreams that drive us. Because, in the grand symphony of life, unexpressed heartfelt matters might be a silent contributor to heart dis-ease.

In the realm of health and wellness, the heart often takes center stage, both metaphorically and literally. As a dietitian for 30 years, I have learned that heart health goes beyond just prescribing the right foods for a healthy heart. It transcends the physical aspect by delving into the interconnection of mind, body, and spirit. In essence, it’s about acknowledging that your heart matters not only in terms of what you eat but also in how you live your life.

Passion, Dreams, and Goals: The Heartbeat of Life Nourish to Flourish or Flourish to Nourish either way, a well-nourished is about the emotional and spiritual fulfillment that comes from living a life true to your heart’s desires. When you live with intention, your heart beats with purpose, and your desire to flourish can lead to the desire to nourish. Like a domino effect, putting your dreams and goals first can help the desire for healthier food fall into place.

Passion is the pulse that keeps life vibrant and meaningful that some might call the spirit of life. It’s the force that propels us towards our dreams, creating a life rich in purpose. Yet, in the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s easy to lose sight of our passions or put them on hold. This neglect can have implications for our overall well-being, potentially affecting the health of our hearts.

Take a moment to reconnect with your passions. What activities make your

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heart race with excitement? What dreams have you tucked away in the recesses of your mind? For many of you, it might be finishing that book. Setting and achieving goals, whether big or small, can reignite the flame of passion.

Expressing Your Life: A Buffer Against Heart Dis-ease An unexpressed life may contribute to a sense of dis-ease, affecting not only mental health but also having physiological implications for the heart. Stress, anxiety can result from unfulfilled desires and can manifest as tangible health issues. Therefore, it’s essential to find outlets for expression.

So how do you do that? Well, I recommend starting your day with journaling or a short meditation. I also know that having hobbies can serve as powerful tools for emotional expression and stress relief for the spirit and mind. It is easy to think you don’t have time for hobbies because there is always work to do, but you are more clear-minded and productive when you step away from your work and focus on something completely different. When you create space for these activities, you provide your heart with the freedom to beat to its own rhythm, unburdened by the weight of unspoken emotions.

But let’s not forget that we also have to eat properly. After all, I am a dietician and I do pay attention to nutrition.

I have many tips that I recommend for proper eating and lifestyle that can not only help in your journey to maintain heart health (like eating more fish, nuts, fruits and veggies) but they can also help to boost your energy levels so that you can get through your workday with more focus.

To get a downloadable tips sheet plus some of my recommended recipes for starting your day for your heart to Nourish to Flourish, go to https://www.kariecassell. com/nourish-february-2024 I also have included a short meditation to listen to that will help you start your day.

Karie Cassell Dietitian, Life Coach and Author of the #1Bestseller-The Domino Diet.

“A dietitian on a mission, bringing back heal back in health and the true meaning of the word diet.”

Embark on Your Brand-Building Journey Today!

In the ever-evolving world of entrepreneurship, the wisdom in the saying “Build your brand while you have a paycheck” is deeply insightful. Overcoming fear, a common barrier to progress is possible with a decisive commitment to nurturing courage. This courage becomes more attainable when equipped with the right tools for transitioning from employment to entrepreneurship.

Strategizing Your Consulting Expertise Unveiling Your Unique Proposition In the comfort of a steady income, pause for selfreflection. What consulting skills could you offer? Find the sweet spot where your talents, passions, and market needs intersect. This blend forms the foundation of your consulting niche, a crucial aspect of your brand identity.

Empowerment through Teaching and Speaking Consider the impact of sharing your knowledge.

In branding, teaching and speaking are powerful tools.

Engaging in workshops, online courses, mentorship programs, local speaking engagements, and podcast appearances positions you as an expert and helps craft a lasting legacy. Your educational endeavors extend your brand’s reach, making a lasting impression on your audience.

Solidifying Your Brand on LinkedIn Creating a Professional Narrative LinkedIn is an essential part of your entrepreneurial arsenal.

Start crafting your consultant/ entrepreneur brand on LinkedIn while still employed.

Build a detailed profile showcasing your career path, skills, and accomplishments.

This proactive branding lays a strong foundation for future career shifts.

Content Creation and Blogging on LinkedIn Once established on LinkedIn, use it as a springboard for content creation. Share insightful articles and industry updates reflecting your unique viewpoint.

Consider initiating a LinkedIn newsletter to explore topics related to your consulting field. Regular, insightful content demonstrates your expertise and cultivates a community around your brand. A helpful tip from content experts is to repurpose speaking engagements. Convert your spoken content into written form for compelling posts.

Another option or compliment to a LinkedIn newsletter is to create a blog on Medium.com and share from Medium to LinkedIn.

it as more than just a profile.

It’s a launching pad for future ventures. When it’s time to pivot, your established history and content on LinkedIn become invaluable assets, smoothing the transition from a professional to a successful entrepreneur.

Maximizing LinkedIn for Networking Networking is crucial in entrepreneurship. LinkedIn offers a vast network ripe for exploration. Engage with industry professionals, join relevant groups, and partake in discussions.

Your expanding network becomes a treasure trove of opportunities, collaborations, and potential clients.

Monthly Newsletters for Enhanced Engagement To maintain visibility and relevance, go beyond with monthly newsletters. Invite your LinkedIn connections to subscribe for exclusive content, updates, and insights.

This consistent engagement keeps your brand prominent, fostering relationships beyond mere transactions.

Converting Fear into Strategic Bravery In entrepreneurship, fear is ever-present, but choosing courage is a strategic move.

Building your brand while employed is a wise and forwardthinking choice. It’s a step towards confidently embracing change. Identifying your consulting niche, reinforcing your brand through teaching, and utilizing LinkedIn for proactive branding are key strategies for a less intimidating entrepreneurial path.

The Entrepreneurial Shift: Embracing Opportunities Confidently Your Platform: More Than Just a Profile As you diligently develop your brand on LinkedIn, view

As you traverse the corporate world, remember: Fear is just a feeling, but choosing courage is a powerful decision. You can turn that decision into a successful entrepreneurial reality with the right tools and a meticulously crafted brand.

Kim is the Founder of Resilient New Media a branded content specialist, with a 7 figure career in Real Estate, multiple broadcast television shows and a two times best selling author, Kim is on a mission to elevate Persons of Impact voices through podcasting and post production content.

Resilient New Media, where you message matters!

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The One Thing Your Non-Fiction Book Must Deliver

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kay. Maybe you feel insecure about your writing. Maybe you can’t spell well, or maybe you struggle to make the text flow. Write it anyway because all that can be fixed in editing.

However, there is one special thing that your non-fiction expert book must deliver, that only you as the author can deliver on. It’s a very big deal and here is the key: you MUST give your readers a transformational experience that makes their lives easier or better in some way. This is the secret sauce that can catapult your book into the ranks of the bestsellers. If your book fails to give them this experience, readers will simply move on to another source.

I can hear you groaning right now.

It’s okay. Stay with me.

One reason that many authors struggle with this idea is because they are trying to stuff way too much information into one book. Does that help you see the solution? The answer is this: focus your book on one significant problem that your book can help your readers fix and go deep. Give them simple, specific action steps that they can implement right now, and that will improve their lives right now.

The reason this becomes a challenge to both new authors and sometimes even seasoned authors is because it’s too easy to fall into the trap of focusing on your own expertise rather than on the reader’s experience.

“But I have to show that I know what I’m talking about,” you think.

Yes, that’s true to a certain degree.

However, readers don’t respond to being bowled over with everything YOU know. They want to learn something that makes a difference in their own lives.

Let me give you an example: I ghosted for a teacher who was not only a special education teacher, but a trainer for special ed teachers.

She was most definitely a top

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professional in that field.

First, she had to decide on which audience she was writing her book for: parents, classroom teachers, or special ed teachers. There was a clear issue right at the beginning. If she chose special ed teachers, she could use industry jargon because that was an audience that would understand what she was talking about.

If she chose classroom teachers, she would need to approach it from the standpoint of how to work with special kids who were mainstreamed in the classroom. Yes, they would understand “teacher-speak,” but probably wouldn’t know all the nuances specific to special ed.

Luckily, once she settled on parents, that completely cleared up the issue of the language to use in her book.

No jargon. No “teacher-speak.” She needed to use language that anyone could understand, plus she needed to give parents very specific tips to help them on their journey of parenting a special child and helping with their education.

Her book was insanely popular, and parents loved that she made them feel “heard and understood.” It was a win all around.

Bottom line: your reader wants to experience a transformation. If you give them that, and help them solve one very specific problem, they will become your raving fans.

Kristy Boyd Johnson is an award-winning children’s author, and has ghostwritten over 30 books for entrepreneurs over the years. She is a sought-after developmental editor and transformational book coach. She recently launched Starseed Journey Retreats because she can’t imagine anything better than being a beautiful location with beautiful people who want to reconnect with their deepest selves through writing.

Write Once, Teach Forever

The Business Potential of Digital Workbooks for Authors & Experts

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I’ll share what a digital workbook entails, its features that cater to the learning experience we’ve been secretly yearning for, and examples of how authors, experts, and thought leaders, like you, can leverage it as an educational asset in your business.

In today’s digital era, how we learn and share knowledge has transcended traditional boundaries, leaving a substantial gap between thought leadership and tangible results.

Why Digital Workbooks Are the Real Deal Let’s be clear: A digital workbook isn’t just a digital PDF.

magine the impact of your book extending beyond sitting on a bookshelf to becoming an integrative practice your readers revisit regularly.

It’s no longer just about sharing educational content but bridging the divide between thought leadership and real outcomes for the learner. This is where education meets innovation, and in this article, I want to introduce you to the realm of digital workbooks.

Think of it as an all-in-one digital mentor and guide, encompassing multimedia elements, personalized reflection spaces, and an easily navigable platform. It’s not like your traditional LMS or online course.

Digital workbooks aren’t solely about providing information; they’re about transforming learning into an interactive journey. The operative word in workbook is “work.” What tasks does your audience need to undertake?

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Often when we consume information, it swiftly comes in and can depart just as quickly unless integrated into our lives, businesses, and organizations. We’re flooded with information, but our ability to absorb it falls short.

Digital workbooks uniquely solve this problem. They’re the secret sauce that transforms our learning from mundane to engaging interactions, providing a holistic and personalized learning experience leagues ahead of the traditional formats we’ve grown accustomed to.

Why Digital Workbooks are What We’ve Been Waiting For Here are the features of digital workbooks that enrich the learning experience.

Personalized Areas for Reflection and Note-Taking Imagine customizing sections for reflection and note-taking within your digital workbook. This isn’t merely about jotting down thoughts; it’s about active engagement. Your audience immerses themselves in your teachings, internalizes lessons, and embeds your expertise into their knowledge bank.

It encourages them to engage, internalize, and apply your teachings.

Moreover, it prompts them to relate your insights to their lives, fostering a profound understanding of your expertise.

Exclusive Multimedia Messages from You Imagine infusing your workbook with exclusive video and audio messages directly from you, the expert. It’s akin to having personal conversations with each of your audience members, forging a connection beyond the lessons.

Your audience not only feels valued and connected receiving these insights directly from you but also experiences a personal touch that makes the entire experience more relatable and engaging. Your words serve as guidance, motivation, and inspiration throughout their learning journey.

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Access to Additional Supplementary Resources You can go the extra mile for your readers with a robust resource section in your workbook, including a digital portal to an array of linkable resources. Providing these supplementary materials adds depth and value to your program, showcasing your consideration for your audience.

These resources can be links to articles, videos, or external readings that open doors to deeper understanding.

A Dedicated Learning and Actionable Platform Your workbook isn’t just content; it’s an experience.

Imagine a platform accessible across devices, userfriendly, and seamlessly engaging. At the Author’s Leverage, we create digital workbooks on Notion, an open-source platform that’s intuitive and user-friendly.

It facilitates pure learning and application effortlessly within a digital workbook.

Real-World Scenarios: Where Digital Workbooks Shine Here are examples of how authors, experts, and thought leaders, like you, could leverage a digital workbook as an educational asset in their business.

DEI Consultant: As a DEI consultant, creating a digital workbook could revolutionize the way diversity, equity, and inclusion principles are disseminated within organizations.

Imagine developing a digital workbook that offers interactive case studies, self-assessment quizzes, and guided exercises aimed at cultivating an inclusive workplace culture.

This resource could include scenarios highlighting workplace biases, strategies for addressing them, and actionable steps for fostering a more inclusive environment. The digital workbook could also feature reflection spaces for employees to document their insights, encouraging active engagement and implementation of DEI practices in their professional settings.

Spiritual Business Coach: For a spiritual business coach, a digital workbook could serve as an invaluable resource for guiding clients through introspective journeys and aligning spiritual principles with business strategies.

Their workbook might incorporate guided meditations, journaling prompts, vision boards, and practical action plans for entrepreneurs seeking to infuse spirituality into their business practices. It could delve into topics such as mindfulness in decision-making, aligning business goals with personal values, and fostering a

A credit repair professional could utilize a digital workbook to assist clients in understanding credit management, rebuilding credit scores, and navigating financial decisions effectively. purpose-driven approach to entrepreneurship.

Interactive exercises within the digital workbook could facilitate self-reflection and help clients align their spiritual beliefs with their business objectives.

Nurse Specializing in PostSurgery Care: In the field of post-surgery care, a nurse specializing in this area could develop a digital workbook aimed at guiding patients through their recovery journey.

This digital resource might include recovery timelines, personalized care plans, medication trackers, and educational modules covering post-operative procedures and self-care tips.

credit score trackers, dispute letter templates, and educational modules on credit repair strategies.

Interactive components could allow clients to simulate financial scenarios, develop personalized action plans, and track their credit improvement journey.

This digital resource could empower individuals to take control of their finances, educate themselves on credit-related matters, and ultimately work towards achieving financial stability.

Write Once, Teach Forever.

Now that you’ve glimpsed into the world of digital workbooks, it’s time to explore how this innovative tool can transform your approach in 2024.

Additionally, it could incorporate interactive tools for patients to log their progress, monitor symptoms, and communicate effectively with healthcare providers.

The workbook could serve as a comprehensive guide, empowering patients to take an active role in their recovery process and ensuring continuity of care beyond hospital settings.

At the Author’s Leverage, we are the strategic partner for authors, experts, and thought leaders who want to amplify their message in their industry. Ready to make your expertise shine brighter?

Credit Repair Professional:

Curious to see an example of a digital workbook? Click here to explore a digital workbook and witness the potential for yourself!

A credit repair professional could utilize a digital workbook to assist clients in understanding credit management, rebuilding credit scores, and navigating financial decisions effectively.

This workbook might feature budgeting templates,

Schedule a call today to explore how digital workbooks can transform your approach in 2024!

Parchelle Tashi Executive Producer + Founder, The Author’s Leverage

Parchelle Tashi is an award winning creative entrepreneur, popular podcast host, and creator of The Author's Leverage. A former high school math teacher turned techpreneur, she's an education design architect and video producer with a Master's in Curriculum & Instruction from Virginia Tech.

Parchelle lives and works in Las Vegas where she spends her time brainstorming ways to help other creatives get more bang for their books. She and her team specialize in creating high-end, memorable, impactful online courses for authors and creators who want to establish automated and residual revenue streams.

Her combined expertise in production, education, and business growth come together to help authors create online courses based on their bestselling book, saving them time and creating a revenue stream in their business.

A teacher at heart, Parchelle's personal mission is to create noteworthy learning experiences that inspire action and change.

www.theauthorsleverage.com

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keep track of every day and each one is designed to address a different area of success. I tried it every day for 60 days. At the end, I had tripled my income, was attracting my ideal clients, was being offered speaking events and so much more. I raised the money I needed to publish the book and I felt validated that these practices truly worked.

Marriage between Story and Information

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ears ago, I published a book about the practices of confident entrepreneurs. It was truly a struggle to get that book published. I had a decent premise, but I couldn’t tell the whole story by myself.

I told my brother that I wanted to repurpose content from the first book I wrote about building confidence, but for entrepreneurs. He flat out told me I couldn’t write that book because I wasn’t successful enough. Stung by his words, when I rebounded, I realized he was right. I couldn’t tell the story of successful entrepreneurship because I hadn’t quite achieved that yet. I was determined to write the book and figured there had to be a different way.

the daily practices for creating their success. I compiled the data and wrote the book. Mission accomplished, right?

Wrong! Publishing costs money and I didn’t have any to spend. I didn’t want to crowdsource, and I didn’t want to take out a loan. I felt like I hit a brick wall until I deduced that I just asked twelve people – some that were uber successful like Jeff Hoffman of Priceline fame – how they became successful. If I engaged in all of those practices, I should be successful too. I did a social experiment to see if what they did would work for anybody and if it did, it would be proof that the practices of confident entrepreneurs mattered.

Of course there was! I interviewed twelve entrepreneurs of different success levels and asked them for

I compiled the practices into what I eventually called, The Daily Magnet.

There are about ten or so activities to

I didn’t add The Daily Magnet to the book, but I did share a few lines in the conclusion that I practiced what the twelve entrepreneurs did and raised the money to publish the book.

The fact that they held the book in their hands was proof that confident entrepreneurship mattered to their success. I neglected to outline the practices, thinking that the reader could extract those from the reading on their own.

After the book was published, I kept getting asked what specifically I did.

I created The Daily Magnet without the context of the story of how it originated. I shared a description of each activity but neglected to share the story of how it originated or what my results were or why they should try it. After a while I stopped offering it. It did not make me the next Hal Elrod of The Miracle Morning, that’s for sure.

It wasn’t until much later that I realized how effective it is when I marry the story with the why, with the results and also the how of the practices. I shared the story in one place and the process or information in another. It was difficult to understand because the whole package was never together in the same place. I failed to see that context matters – it is usually what allows us to connect to the information and make it applicable to our lives. The moral of this story is the marriage of story and information produces the best results!

Sheila Kennedy is a champion for storytellers, writers, authors and speakers. Zebra Ink Magazine is currently the home where storytellers can share their stories. Sheila celebrates courage, moxie, confidence and empowerment that is a by-product of trust and making choices. Every choice you make is another story to tell and a point of connection to another person. There are so many stories to unravel and people to influence when you find the courage to share. A two-time solo author, co-author of bestselling memoir of Justice Joseph D. Valentino (RET), and numerous anthologies, Sheila has been a part of the publishing industry as an author or publisher since 2013. She not only understands the technical parts of the industry, but also provides mentorship and coaching to aspiring authors and storytellers all over the globe.

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Why Using Your Own Voice Is More Powerful Than AI-Generated Content There are lots of people who say the future of everything is AI.

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like to look at everything with this slightly skeptical view. It helps me be more objective about figuring out the best way to use something without sticking my head in the sand and saying, “AI is never going to happen.”

AI is not capable of original thought.

It’s only capable of providing you things that it knows of and that exist. It might be original to you. It might be something that’s outside your perspective or something you don’t have the resources to see, but it is still group thinking at the end of the day.

Another big danger of AI is that everything sounds the same. The more you use it, the more you realize they’re giving you the exact same answer every single time. The headline is exactly the same with a couple of words shifted. The format for the descriptions is exactly the same every single time.

That is 90% of TikTok and Instagram out there. They find a tip somewhere and then they reiterate it in their own way.

They might be doing it in a creative and fun way, and they’ve got their followers, but they aren’t the thought leaders.

They didn’t originate those ideas. That is the opposite of thought leadership. It sounds more like thought followership.

Thought leaders are very rare because they require a different mode of thinking, which is something that cannot happen in AI. Bringing originality into the world is necessary. Your original voice needs to shine through the digital layer supported by the tools.

True thought leaders are going to become the future of value for AI to tap into to find out what’s new, what’s happening, and what the thoughts are on this process, and then start to group those

thought leaders together and say, “Is this a trend or a new direction? Does this make sense? Is this likely to happen?”

Your thought leadership and the fact that you’re putting it out in podcasts and videocasts consistently and constantly is the way to play with AI in a great way by making sure that you are a relevant part of that future conversation. The power of your original voice becomes a part of the digital landscape.

When you’re showing up on camera, and it is truly your voice and your face, that in and of itself is where more reward is going to happen with an audience than using AI-generated stuff.

To be clear, we’re not negative or down on AI or ChatGPT at all. We’re just saying, “Podcasters, you have something special with the message you’re bringing to the world that is going to be recognized and even more valuable because it is unique.”

Influence is only going to happen faster in this AI-driven world when the bots find someone with original thoughts, voices, and ideas. Only humans make those connections.

Tracy Hazzard is a seasoned media expert with over 2600 interviews from articles in Authority Magazine, BuzzFeed, and her Inc. Magazine column; and from her multiple top-ranked videocasts and podcasts like The Binge Factor and Feed Your Brand – one of CIO’s Top 26 Entrepreneur Podcasts.

Tracy brings diverse views from what works and what doesn’t work in marketing, branding and media from thought leaders and industry icons redefining success around the globe.

Tracy’s unique gift to the podcasting, marketing, and branding world is being able to identify that unique binge-able factor – the thing that makes people come back again and again, listen actively, share as raving fans, and buy everything you have to sell.

My excitement about the AI market is that it can take away the mundane stuff that I don’t want to do. How can I harness AI to make everyone’s lives better? How can we train it? How do we make sure that your original voice and your uniqueness shine through in that process?

We’re taking all these pieces of information, synthesizing them, and coming up with an original view of the world on what you should do in your business and how you can help people. This is how you will sell your books and courses and your original perspective in an AI world.

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