WMM 18 LL: How crucial have your books been to establishing your authority? Should every business owner write a book? SC: Writing books has without a doubt been a huge career-builder for me. It wasn’t something I even expected when I wrote my first book (The Business Startup Checklist and Planning Guide). As soon as that came out I started getting invitations to speak and consult. It launched a whole new career for me that I wasn’t expecting. Own Your Niche is my eighth book and with each book new opportunities have shown up. My books have generated a tremendous amount of revenues from the services I’ve sold as a result of the books. A book is the ultimate business card and I definitely believe that every business owner can benefit
Establishing a niche has been essential in helping us connect with prospective customers. LL: In what I do, finding a niche is easy. I can do fitness for celebrities, back pain, joint replacements, etc.; Rehab-oriented or bootcamp; home or studio. What is the first step in finding a niche for folks just getting into products or information marketing? SC: It’s also important to make sure you don’t cast the net too broad, but instead narrow it down to a niche that’s small enough so that you can stand out and large enough that you can earn a living. You can study keyword search demand with Google’s free keyword tool for starters. You can also evaluate potential industries to see what kind of competition is out there. Also look to your existing client list. What trends do you see?
For Authority Publishing, we specialize in custom publishing for non-fiction books. Most publishers will produce anything in exchange for a check, but not us—we’re selective! We want our authors to know they are in good company, which differentiates us from competitors and creates demand with professionals who want to get their books done right the first time. Establishing a niche has been essential in helping us connect with prospective customers. LL: Finally, how do you keep the balance of business and personal life? Favorite exercise? Massage? Reiki? Meditation? Girl's nights? Do tell! SC: Oh goodness, I think when I realized that balance is something that shifts and changes, that was the first step in taking some of the pressure off! I’m a mom to a 5-year-old boy, which completely rocked my world. If it wasn’t for him I’d be a total workaholic. But because I don’t want to miss anything, I set boundaries for myself. Most days I work from 9am to 4pm. I used to sit at my desk until midnight, even on the weekends, so this has been a dramatic shift for me! But I also try to incorporate activities that I enjoy as much as possible: long walks (while listening to audio books—always non-fiction!), meditation, monthly massages, date nights with my hubby, voracious reading on my Kindle, a girl’s night out at least once each month, visits with family, and lots and lots of laughter. I lead an incredibly busy life, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.