(Listen via itunes, audioboom, stitcher, or click on the pic below.)

In 2012, I bombed big time. I sat outside a big corporate office in our minivan, dressed up in a suit and tie. I had just tried pitching my first corporate client and I had made a fool of myself.

I held a big 3 inch thick binder full of someone else’s content. I talked way too much. I listened way too less. I stumbled and bumbled along with the worst presentation known to humankind.

On the verge of tears, I told myself all kinds of lies:

“I’m not cut out for this.”
“I’ll just stay stuck in my day job the rest of my life.”
“No one will ever hire me.”

I stood at the plate, taken the biggest swing of my life, and struck out big time. I felt hot and sweaty from embarrassment and I wanted to crawl under a rock for the rest of my life.

In this raw and candid episode I tell this story for the first time.

If you want to track my progress over the past 5 years, this was one of the lowest points. But then something changed. I made one major tweak and then literally overnight my results shifted. I began to super rocket my success as an author, coach, and speaker.

I think you’ll find encouragement in this episode as you realize you can make this one tweak too.

And if you want more on this topic, after listening to this episode, check out this special webinar. It’s only a limited time replay though and it expires November 7th.

(Listen via itunes, audioboom, stitcher, or click on the pic below.)

In this candid interview with Chris O’Byrne of Jet Launch—the interior designer of ELIXIR Project—we discuss several key topics including:

• How to leverage live events for maximum impact
• The costs of getting hacked personally and professionally
• Pros and cons of self-publishing and traditional publishing
• A brave new way of publishing

And much more.

Episode 92 concludes with a sneak peek of chapter 9 from ELIXIR Project.

Sienna meets Phoebe, a woman full of fire and mystique. She seems to know quite a bit about the girls.

(Listen via itunes, audioboom, stitcher, or click on the pic below.)

Becoming Unhackable – the event

In the first part of the podcast, enjoy a play-by-play breakdown of #IgnitingSouls16 from this past weekend. You’ll experience a plethora of coaching nuggets that will help you level up own book, brand, and business.

Some important announcements:

• Igniting Souls 2017 = Don’t miss out on our super early bird rate for #IgnitingSouls17. It expires on Friday, October 28th. Click here.

• Join our Global Team = Our teams attract some of the best people in the world and we’re looking to certify a few more speakers, coaches, and trainers. Although our teams are closed most of the year, a few times per year we take new applicants. Apply to become a Your Secret Name, Deeper Path, or Dream Job speaker, coach, and trainer. Doors close on Tuesday, November 1st.

Other cool links:

• Post-workout leadership lesson with Chet Scott of Built to Lead
• Igniting Souls 2016 Photo Album

Becoming Unhackable – the book

In the second part of the podcast, experience Elixir Project, the book. In chapter 8 of Elixir Project Sienna and her friends realize a little more about why they’ve been kidnapped.

Maybe my Uncle Cai has been protecting me, even now?

“College kids.” McNultey shakes his head. “You’ll get your new names soon enough.”

“Tonight, at the Name Change ceremony,” Kiran replies. “Of course, you’re going to need some work before you make your grand entrance to the worldwide audience.”

“Excuse me?” Chloe says. “Did you say world?”

“Why, yes. London is in shambles and humans have now been hacked. ELIXIR must respond with swift action or the whole planet will be thrown into chaos,” Kiran explains. “Why else would we go through all this trouble—kidnapping as you call it?”

I still don’t understand what Kiran is saying.

“What’s ELIXIR’s strategy, McNultey?” Darren asks. “Got some kind of secret weapon you’ve been hiding here on campus?”

“Wise guy, hey?” McNultey replies. “Of course we have a secret weapon.”
“What is it? A rocket? Supercomputer? Nuclear weapon?” Nick asks.

“More powerful than all those combined,” Kiran replies.

“What could be more powerful than a nuclear weapon?” Chloe asks.

“Why, that’s simple, dearie—you. You’re the secret weapon.”

Get your chapters 1-8 absolutely FREE by clicking here.

What advice is breaking you?

Who’s giving you orders?
Is that advice benefitting you or breaking you?
How can you know for sure?

What advice is making you?

You must decide what advice shapes you.
You are the authority.
More on this topic in the first part of the episode.

We find Sienna taking it.

In the second part of the episode, Sienna and her friends discover they can’t run to the authorities for help. Here’s why:

“Either of you care to explain why you had to drug us?” Chloe asks. “Walking out the front entrance of the airport would have been a little less…traumatic.”

“Couldn’t,” McNultey replies. “We received confirmed reports of more SWARM agents at the airport. And the board gave us strict orders about transporting all
twelve clerics safely.”

“And we’re supposed to believe you?” Chloe asks. “I’ve already snapped photos of you with my ring. Who says we’re not going to turn both of you in to the authorities on charges of kidnapping?”

“Authorities,” McNultey laughs. “Did you hear that, Kiran? Young lady, you’re going to find out real quickly something you’d better never forget. We are the authorities. And someday you’ll look back and thank us for ‘kidnapping’ you. SWARM knows you twelve clerics are valuable, and that’s why they’re after you.”

Sienna knows the only way to discover the truth is to travel right through the fog.

Read chapter 7 now by clicking here. Each week we’re releasing another free chapter of Elixir Project, no strings attached. It’s yours for the taking and for the reading. Click on the pic below to get caught up to the most current chapter.

What’s your desire?

Ask children what they desire and they’ll tell you. It’s no secret to them or anybody else. A bigger question is, do they see their desire fulfilled?

Often times, the reality is no. They may simply move on to the next thing out of boredom or difficulty, but are you and I that different?

Desire without deadlines are simply pipe dreams. (Tweet This)

A secret of high performance are deadlines.

What’s your deadline?

Confession! In one sense I hate deadlines. I know that when I put a date out there, then I’m on the hook. If I fail to deliver, than in a way I’ve failed.

In another sense, I love deadlines. I know without them I’d never get anything done. They force me to focus my attention and amplify my energy. More on this topic in episode 89.

Fear no one, but truth.

In the second part of the episode, we find Sienna and her friends kidnapped and inside a transport vehicle. Sienna is the first to wake up. She meets ELIXIR’s spokesperson Tilda. Here’s that interaction:

But then I find them—or maybe they find me.

Should Sienna trust Tilda or should she run the other way?

Read chapter 6 now by clicking here. Each week we’re releasing another free chapter of Elixir Project, no strings attached. It’s yours for the taking and for the reading. Click on the pic below to get caught up to the most current chapter.

Ready for more neuropathways?

In the first part of this episode I discuss why live events are so powerful. Simply put, it’s because they stretch us. This phenomenon is called nerouplasticity. Experts used to believe this process ended in our childhood.

However, the latest studies reveal that we can carve new pathways into our brains well into adulthood. One of the ways we do this is by being exposed to new settings, circumstances, people, and experiences. In these situations we’re literally being stretched in ways.

Ready for more conspiracies?

In the second part of the episode, we find Sienna and her friends in a difficult situation facing a difficult decision. Here’s a sneak peek:

“Drink this,” McNultey orders. His eyebrows squish together at the top of his forehead just below his hair. Streaks of silver give away his age. He points to four vials of orange liquid on a high-top table in front of us. The clear glass cylinders rest on a simple glass tray.

“What is it?” Nick holds one vial between his right index finger and thumb. He lifts it up to the single lightbulb overhead, trying to identify the contents.

“Come on, people,” the senior officer growls, tapping his foot on the hard floor. “We have to move.” He places his hands on his hips, one hand near his stun gun.

Will Sienna and her friends follow McNultey’s orders or will they choose to disobey and suffer the consequences?

Read chapter 5 now by clicking here. Each week we’re releasing another free chapter of Elixir Project, no strings attached. It’s yours for the taking and for the reading. Click on the pic below to get caught up to the most current chapter.

And don’t forget about this week’s FREE Igniting Souls Fellowship: How to go viral with your book, brand, and business. Register here.

Clear Coaching

Clear Content

Clear Choices

Each week we’re releasing another free chapter of Elixir Project, no strings attached. It’s yours for the taking and for the reading. Click on the pic below to get caught up to the most current chapter.

(Listen via itunes, audioboom, stitcher, or click on the pic below.)

Engage early

Without a doubt, writing a fiction book was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my entire adult life. I’m not exaggerating one bit. It tops grad school, writing a dissertation, and starting a global business and non-profit.

Part of the struggle was knowing how to start ELIXIR Project. My first few attempts were slow, boring, and too deep. With a near future thriller this was not my goal.

As a result, I shifted everything and went for a scene that sucked readers in. Here was the result (not the final edited version below):

Engage often

I’ve always enjoyed “smart movies.” A few examples are Matrix, Inception, and Equilibrium. Each of these required me to remain engaged, just to make sense of the movie.

Part philosophical, part sci-fi, with a blend of technology, these are the movies that stick with me longer after the closing scene. I like brilliant character development, cool fight scenes, inner conflict, and epic stakes involved.

It’s one thing watching this type of world unfold, it’s another thing creating a version all your own. I wanted ELIXIR Project to include believable characters, original plot lines, and near future integration.

Here’s a little more of a peek:

Engage unexpectedly

Pace is everything…in life and in literature. I like twists and turns. Give me a big dose of surprises and I’m a happy reader.

I don’t want to see it coming, even though I try with all my might AND all my mind. ELIXIR Project is chocked full of the unexpected. Here’s the first of many:

Engage now

Each week we’re releasing another free chapter, no strings attached. It’s yours for the taking and for the reading. Click on the pic below to get caught up to the most current chapter. Enjoy getting engaged in ELIXIR. Just remember:

Everything can be hacked, even the truth.

(Listen via itunes, audioboom, stitcher, or click on the pic below.)

Are you ready for viral? 

If you’ve been around the Internet for more that a few days then you know going viral is a good thing. Let me qualify that last statement. If you have a book, brand, or business, then going viral is a VERY good thing.

Virality increases your influence, impact, and income by gathering attention and engagement around your message.

While most people would love to go viral, unfortunately, these same people have no clue HOW to go viral. Although engineering a video, website, or book to go viral is nearly impossible, there are 3 ingredients that make this phenomenon much more likely.

Do you know the ingredients? 

Going viral is a result three essential ingredients:

(1) COMMUNITY

When it comes to viral, which comes first content or community? Great question. Sometimes, it’s community (like in the case of 21 Pilots). They have a cult following and so when they drop a new video it gets millions of views automatically.

(2) CONTENT

Other times it’s content (like in the case of the chewbacca mom). She was relatively a no-name before her video hit the mainstream. Her video was so unique and valuable (entertainment quality) that it went viral quickly.

(3) CONVERSATION

Virality centers around conversation. Comments, opinions, and dialogue propels books, brands, and businesses further. When apple announced it’s new products recently, conversation happened immediately. Even spoofs about the announcement went viral, fueling the conversation even further.

Going viral requires 3 essential ingredients: dynamic content, community, and conversation. (Tweet This)

In episode 85, I unpack these 3 essential ingredients. I also give you a proven example you can use to replicate for your own book, brand, or business.

(Listen via itunes, audioboom, stitcher, or click on the pic below.)

Want to Sample the Ingredients?

With my new book ELIXIR Project, I wanted to “cook up” something amazing. As a result we decided to serialize the novel up until the launch.

If you want to see these three ingredients in real time, you can check out the:

(1) Community =

It’s called ELIXIR Project VIP Launch Experience. Click here or the pic to join.

(2) Content =

We release a new chapter every week on Sneak Peek Sunday. Here’s chapter two.

(3) Conversation =

Each chapter includes a facebook thread where readers can weigh in with their thoughts, comments, and guesses (since this book is a conspiracy).

Out of my 6 traditionally published books, 3 ghostwritten books, and hundreds of other writing projects, ELIXIR Project seems to be the perfect mix of all 3 ingredients. (We’ll see how this all shakes out on December 6th, launch day.)

In the meantime, enjoy your FREE sample. And feel free to use this strategy for your own book, brand, or business.

(And if you missed the global livestream from Friday, here’s the limited time replay.)

Did I really say the “ONLY” THING?

As is in: One? Uno? Single? Sole? Lone?

Yep. It’s true.

There’s only one thing you need to become an author.

But that’s not what the Internet says?

The Internet says you need an agent, a proposal, and a platform. It says you need a big book advance and huge budget with a savvy publicist who’s a social media ninja master on twitter and Snapchat. It says you need a tour bus wrapped from top to bottom with a color version of your book cover (purple is best). And a plug from Oprah…and billboards too. Yeah, billboards of your face help a ton too.

WHATEVER? 

Last time I checked, to become a mom or dad you just need one thing—a kid. You can buy all the baby stuff you want: strollers, car seats, bottles, pack-and-plays, onesies, diapers, changing tables, and cribs. But none of that stuff makes you a mom or a dad.

And billions of moms and dads all over the world have NONE of that baby “stuff.” Zero! Zilch! Nada! Zip! All they have is the one thing that actually counts…the baby!

Stop arguing for what you don’t want

Most “aspiring authors” never become an author because they overthink the process. They believe the lie, the hype, and the myths. They worry, stress, and freak out about what step #5013 might look like and so they never take step #1.

“Aspiring” authors fall into a trap—arguing for what they don’t want. Of course they say they want to write a book…82% of the population does. But sadly, 99% never do  because they get caught up in all the other stuff…just like “aspiring” parents and “aspiring” homeowners. All talk…no action.

The first step is the hardest…and the easiest

I’ve written 6 traditionally published books, 1 indie book, ghostwritten 3 others, and coached/consulted hundreds of authors. Every book required only one single thing. That’s it.

Trust me. I’ve had some strikes against me. I’m bald. I have a girl’s name. I was labeled by professionals as “learning disabled” in elementary schools for a severe stuttering problem. I overcame an addiction to self-injury as a teenager and in my young adult years I finally pushed through a decade long battle with on-and-off depression. I understand Resistance.

Sure I was scared to take the first step, but I’m so glad I did. Today I get messages from all over the world. People tell me how my books changed their lives. Most of these people I’ve never even met.

As one of my mentors told me:

You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. (Tweet this)

Here’s the only thing you need

I love the movie Inception. In it the main character Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio’s character explains,

“What’s the most resilient parasite? An idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules.”

I’ve had the privilege to coach hundreds of authors, through their own Resistance and into their dreams of becoming an author. I always begin with the first step…helping them create a killer book idea.

Want me to help you create your own killer book idea?

Over the years many people have emailed, tweeted, called, and sent smoke signals asking me to help them create their killer book idea too. I hated to say no, but I had no other choice. I was busy coaching my own clients and managing my own writing career.

Saying no to all these aspiring authors was bugging me—big time! And so a few months ago, I blocked off a couple days down in West Palm Beach to shoot a FREE 7 day video course. It’s called My Book Hook.

Already thousands of aspiring authors have gone through the course and used it to begin their own writing career. In the course I teach you how to create your own killer book idea.

For a limited time, you can get the full course FREE. Just tell us where to send it by clicking here or on the pic below.

Then for the next 7 days I’ll show up in your inbox. There’s even a place where you can shoot me your questions. I’ll personally respond with my thoughts and advice on your book idea.

Nothing fires me up more than helping aspiring authors become real authors.

The only question is…when can we start? I’m ready. Are you?

———–

POST BELOW: I’d love to say hi to you. Please let me know your name where you’re from.

I believe you have what it takes. You may just not have the tools…at least not yet. Click on the pic above to get instant access to my free 7-day system for creating your killer book idea.

( And if you know someone else who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this post.)