The Proffitt Podcast
Are you thinking about starting a podcast? Launching a YouTube channel? Repurposing your old blog content into something fresh? Hi, I'm Krystal - host of "The Proffitt Podcast." And I'm happy to say you've come to the right place!
Business owners and content creators dream of building a platform where they can connect deeply with their audience, and marketing feels easy. But I also know what it's like to feel confused and overwhelmed.
Join us weekly as we strip down those processes and remove all the overwhelm with new tips, simple strategies, and great conversations with creators like you. Tune in to hear how I help creators start, launch, and market their content confidently. The motto here is, "We all have to start somewhere."
The Proffitt Podcast
Monetize Your Message: How Podcasters & Creators Can Publish a Profitable Book
Ready to ignite your writing journey? Five-time bestselling author and founder of the Thought Leader Academy, Sara Connell, joins us for an enlightening episode, sharing her profound insights. From the pages of her childhood journals to the grand stage of TEDx talks, Sara's story is a testament to the power of storytelling in overcoming self-doubt and setting ambitious goals. Throughout our conversation, Sara underscores the strategic role books play in building credibility and opening doors to media appearances and speaking engagements, offering a roadmap to those eager to expand their influence across various platforms.
Sara's journey isn't just about personal success—it's about how she helps others achieve their potential through the art of writing. Even amidst personal crises and professional transitions, storytelling emerges as a healing force, offering solace and courage in challenging times. This episode dives into the "SSS" (Story, Situation, Solution) framework for content creation, providing listeners with practical strategies to overcome obstacles and create impactful books. With a focus on aligning content with audience expectations, we explore how personal narratives can inspire transformation and foster deeper connections.
For those ready to take the leap into publishing, Sara lays out her seven steps to crafting a revenue-generating, bestselling book. She invites aspiring authors to trust in the uniqueness of their voices and harness modern tools to streamline the writing process. This episode is a treasure trove of actionable advice, offering insights into leveraging books to build a legacy in a digital world. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, Sara's wisdom and encouragement could be the push you need to embrace your writing journey and leave a lasting impact.
If you've wondered why nothing is working in your business in 2025, you need a clear strategy. Download our free guide, Build Your Business's Strategic Foundation, where I'm walking you through a business model canvas and a customer journey map. You'll see how we use this at Proffitt Media, plus find templates for you to create your own. Go to krystalproffitt.com/strategy to download today.
Click the "Send Krystal a Text Message" link above to send us your questions, comments, and feedback on the show! (Pssst...we'll do giveaways in upcoming episodes so make sure you leave your name & podcast title.)
What gets me really excited is having people on the show that can help you in multiple facets of your business. So not just your content or not just selling your products or helping you with your website or doing this or doing that, but someone that can bring so much value to your overall journey. Like that's when I just like really light up and today's guest is absolutely going to help you. If you have been thinking about writing a book, I feel like we've had this through line for the last few guests that we've had. You know, we had Justin Moore come on and he was talking about his book and all the things, and we actually talked a little bit about my conversation, about I just have friends writing books and I feel like that this is like a tap from the universe, like, hey, maybe it's time for you to write your next bestseller. Well, that is why I was excited to have Sarah come on the show today. So Sarah Connell is a five-time bestselling author and the founder of the Thought Leader Academy, and she helps coaches, experts and entrepreneurs scale their impact to create six and seven figures by becoming bestselling authors and in-demand TEDx speakers. She's been featured on Oprah, in New York Times, good Morning America Today, forbes, entrepreneur and TEDx, and I hope that you enjoy this conversation today because I was super inspired by the time we were done talking. I was like, oh no, I think Sarah just convinced me to write my next book. Like that's how inspiring this conversation is today. So I hope that you enjoy this chat, even if you're like I don't really know if writing a book is in my future. Please stick around and hear Sarah's story and all the powerful things that you could do with your content, because I think it can really spark some ideas for your podcast or your YouTube channel or your email list. So I hope you enjoy today's chat.
Speaker 1:Let's get right to it. Welcome to the Profit Podcast, where we teach you how to start, launch and market your content with confidence. I'm your host, crystal Profit, and I'm so excited that you're here. Thanks for hanging out with me today, because if you've been trying to figure out the world of content creation, this is the show that will help be your time-saving shortcut. So let's get right to it, shall we All right? Prophet Podcast listeners, we have a special guest on the show today. Welcome, sarah. How are you?
Speaker 2:I'm so happy to be here. Thanks, crystal. Yes, sarah, how are you? I'm so happy to be here. Thanks, crystal.
Speaker 1:Yes, it's going to be so much fun. We were chatting right before we started recording that Sarah's in Chicago, where it is like it's snowing as we're speaking and it's trying to snow here in Texas and I'm like go away, Like we don't want any of this.
Speaker 2:I've signed up for it, being from Chicago, you. That's not fair. No, not in fact.
Speaker 1:No, no, we can't. We like as, like Texans, we think that we're like, all big and strong, we can handle this, and then you put just a little bit of snow on the ground and we're like we can't deal with life at all. So that's really truly how we're built, totally. But, sarah, we are here today to talk about books, book writing, book marketing, and I am so excited about this topic. But before we dive in, can you tell us a little bit about your journey? How did you get into book writing, book selling and doing all the things you're doing today? Absolutely so.
Speaker 2:I really did. I was a kid that loved to read and I liked to write. My grandmother bought me a, a blank book like a journal, when I was quite young and I would like write really bad poetry and draw bad pictures, you know. And but I, I loved, I loved journaling, you know. So it was always definitely an interest. And then I cause I read lots of books and watch movies learned that the way you knew you were going to be a writer was that a teacher would take you aside and tell you you were special and sort of you know, knight you in some way, and that's how you knew. And when that didn't happen, I said, oh, I didn't understand any of this consciously, but really what happened is? I said, oh, I guess I'm not allowed, I'm not good enough. So I mean, it's wild to look back and think as young people we could do that to ourselves. Right, it was. I just said, oh, I guess that's not for me, I'm not allowed to do that.
Speaker 2:And then I went to college and read other people's books, you know, became an English major and got a job in advertising, because that was a you know sort of adjacent to the creative stuff I wanted to do. And unfortunately, I entered that advertising agency at the height of the Me Too era Not that this is new news but it was really, unfortunately, a super abusive, toxic environment, not just for me but for many women that work there. And so I really entered a crisis. I was 23, supporting myself, 22, 23. I wasn't asking to go back and have support from my family, but I certainly felt very trapped. It was like this is what I am going to do to pay for rent and buy food, and um, and I didn't know what to do and I really spiraled into a pretty severe mental and physical health crisis at that point.
Speaker 2:And one day I was flying back from Boston to Chicago, where I had taken this job, and, um, they were calling my flight and I found a book in the airport bookstore and again, books were the like escape, solace, comfort. I didn't have time to read anything. I just randomly grabbed this book called Holy Hunger by Margaret Bullitt Jonas, and no one I've heard of, no one anyone's heard of, you know, it's just this book and I got on the plane and I read the whole book in one sitting and by the time I finished I just knew I was leaving the job, I said, like I might, if I end up on the street it is going to be better than if I keep going to this job. It's going to kill me, like I just knew it was it was. It was that bad Right and so I.
Speaker 2:Her story wasn't about working in an advertising agency and you know sexual trauma. It was about a woman who had gotten into a really serious mental and physical health crisis, like mine, with food and eating disorders and all of that and what she did to get better. And that was this incredible turning point. I truly credit that book as saving my life, not just metaphorically like literally.
Speaker 2:And I was able to leave. It was terrifying because I was like I still don't know how I'm going to support, but you know, there's all that stuff going on, but I was. I was able to to, you know, start a new life, and I remember it also taught me that that's the power of someone's story, whether we share that on a podcast, whether they share that on a stage, whether we share it on a YouTube video, whether we share it in a book. Like she wasn't Brene Brown or Mel Rod, you know someone who we know their name. It's like a woman sat down and shared. You know, this is, this is what I've been through and here's what could work for you. And and like I didn't die because of it.
Speaker 2:And so I made a vow at that moment I just said I don't know what's going to happen, I probably won't be successful at this, but I am going to pay that gift forward. I'm going to write books that could potentially help someone, if there's any way, if I get out the other side of this alive, I'm going to pay that forward. And um, and that that led to a first book, and I was very blessed to get on Oprah and the New York times. You know all this amazing things. And then I said I'm devoting the rest of my life to helping other people that have this calling. You know you have a story those of you listening you know. You know if you have a story, a methodology, a way that you see things, something that more people need to know about than probably currently know about you. And I just said that's what I'm doing the rest of my life and I have never looked back and it's been the greatest gift ever to get to do this work.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think it's so beautiful too when it comes to writing, because it's a gift that I believe that you give yourself and, like, whether it's purging thoughts and emotions or, you know, sharing your story. But you're also giving that gift to your audience in a really beautiful, special way. But I want to go back to you. Know you have this desire, you know you have this dream and you're like, okay, I'm doing this. It's kind of like you're. We have those like really proud moments where, like, I'm so happy that I took this path in my journey, I zigged this way instead of zagging that way. But I want to circle back to that moment where you're sitting down to write. You're like, okay, I'm going to write, but you did you have that thought creep back in of that little girl who was like, I don't think I'm the teacher's pick for this. Like, walk us through that.
Speaker 2:Every single day. And you know what, most of the people that I have the gift of coaching because none of the people we coach are they're not writers, right, like the people in our thought leader Academy people I've gotten to have the gift of supporting. So people in our Thought Leader Academy people I've gotten to have the gift of supporting they are called to a mission, right In some way to touch lives, change lives, and then it's like a book, is a vehicle, like a podcast, is a vehicle, like these other things are, and it's like the I call it teacher trauma, like some people have teacher trauma, and it's like a teacher you know. Or we had one of my clients, my first clients, her father at three years old, when she made him a birthday card, got out a red pen and circled all her grammatical mistakes Like it makes me cry, actually, because she was so convinced for the rest of her life that she couldn't write. Because this memory right, and sometimes it's like mine, which was an omission, it wasn't like someone said you're garbage, it's just they didn't say you're special and that's what I saw in all the stories is like you're supposed to get told by an authority figure that you're special and be given permission to do this thing, and so and so, every day I sat down that I call, the gremlins were screaming. You know you're terrible, you have no talent, you know, I mean, it was monstrous and it is for so many, which is why our all of our coaching is mindset-based, like we use neuroscience literally to to dissolve those limiting traumatic beliefs, because that's what it takes, that's what's in the way of so many of us.
Speaker 2:Whatever our gift is, our big magic, you know that we're bringing in, and so the way I mean I slogged through. You know, I don't know what really kept me going, except that book that did that for me. I kept thinking, well, what if she gave into that voice? What if Elizabeth Gilbert just didn't write Ypres? You could all insert a favorite book, right? And I've met some of these incredibly well-known authors now, and not one of them not Maya Angelou, not Brene Bratt, not one of these people has said they totally believed in themselves and other people believed in them and they had total confidence.
Speaker 2:It doesn't happen, even for true genius People that we've established in the world are like geniuses, right. And so the only thing I can say, if anyone's listening is that and has this feeling. It's not you, it's not personal. This is the inner critic. We can call it the saboteur, carl Jung, the inner critic, steven Pressfield, has a great book called the.
Speaker 2:Instead of the art of war, it's called the war of art and the whole book is basically about the minute you say yes to bringing something really real from your soul, like you're going to get hit with it, like it's coming for you to tell you you can't, you're too old, you're too young, you didn't get good grades, you didn't go to college, whatever nonsense, and none of it's true. But we believe it, and so I. I learned so many great. I mean, it took me on the personal growth path. That's what's funny about writing a book or anything right, creative endeavor. It's who you're going to become. You know, and I thank God found personal growth books and mindset books and neuroscience books and really rewired my whole brain.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, this is incredible. Well, I mean, you name dropped Elizabeth Gilbert and you said the words Big Magic, so I'm hoping that you have read the book Big Magic. That is the audio book I have listened to probably seven or eight times and I go back to it over and over again if I get into this like creative block. So, yes, love it.
Speaker 2:Love her and I think the reason that book resonates with so many of us is because she does like Steven Pressfield in the War of Art. She acknowledges that, like fear is going to come and try to kick your butt and talk you out of it. 200 million people in America right now say that they have a book in them. They kind of go oh, whether it's a family story, a memoir, a leadership book, a business. And even though there's lots of books, a fraction of people are going to actually do that and it's mostly because not because they're not talented, capable, worthy, have something important to share. Because those are the things we tell ourselves, the lies. It's because we believe the lies.
Speaker 2:It's not actually everything can be learned Growth mindset, it's like writing is a skill that can be learned and it's not. I'm not saying it's easy, I'm not saying that I'm starting book number seven this week, okay, so, um, it's very exciting. It's like the new, you know the new project, and it definitely gets easier. If you're listening the first one, you're going to have more of that junk because you haven't gone through to go. Yeah Well, you can say that, but I'm, but I'm holding my book here, you know, and I did it, but it's still. It's still there's that inner battle.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, oh, my gosh. I mean you're speaking to me, like you're speaking to me personally, but you're really speaking to this audience, because I think that where a lot of people see themselves as they know, they have that message like if they're listening to the show they have shown up and they're like I know I have it, I know it's there. I'm trying to figure out the medium to pull it out of me. A lot of them have already chosen podcasting. We have a lot of seasoned podcasters in our audience and they're like okay, well, I'm here, sarah, like I'm already showing up in maybe a podcast, maybe a YouTube format, like whatever that is, but a book, come on, do I really need a book? Because then then what happens, I feel like, with creators today is they get in the comparison trap of yeah, I'll do that when I have a million followers or I'll wait until I have, you know, 50,000 Instagram followers, and then and then, maybe, maybe, but I'm not there yet.
Speaker 1:I'm not big enough enough, enough enough. So I'd love for you to speak to that person that's really struggling with that today.
Speaker 2:I'm so happy you presence this because, at least for me, every time there's a new vision, a new vista, a new level, this same thing, and so I actually just did a piece of content around. Whatever you're telling yourself you're not big enough for is actually your 2025 vision, like, like, just what if? Because and the reason I say that is because I do this I watched myself, as I'm you know, it's January making my goals for the year and I would go, oh, I'm not big enough for that, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not. You know a big enough name or brand to, you know, launch this YouTube channel or whatever it was. You know like these different things over the last few years. So I love that you've pressed, because it's another one of those seductive lies of resistance I want to share.
Speaker 2:People ask me all the time and I've done YouTube videos on you know, do you do a book first or podcast first, a book first or a TEDx talk first, a book or a business? And it's like a chicken egg conversation. You know that comes up and it's a good conversation to have, and what I can say is you know, the order is is not super. Like, if you want to go big on a podcast, then you've got a built-in audience for a book, right, and that's awesome because you know otherwise, you know you want to be able to have some people to share this book with right, and you can also use a book to open doors for getting bigger guests on a podcast or growing an audience on a podcast. So here's, here's how I like to think about it. Notice, right now it's when we're recording this, right, it's early in the new year of 2025.
Speaker 2:And this month, brene Brown oh no, sorry. Martha Beck, who's like Oprah's, you know life coach from Oprah magazine. Mel Robbins Um, many of us, you know, probably have heard of Mel Robbins. And, um, gabby Bernstein you know big, you know all of them. New York times bestselling authors multiple times over. They all launched books this month and Eckhart Tolle did a relaunch with Oprah of one of his books. Okay, it's like none of these people need more visibility, none of these. You know what I mean, but they use the books.
Speaker 2:I think of the book as a flag in the ground, and the stats are that the average adult right now, the attention span is 2.9 seconds. That's what we've done because of being on these all day. Right, that's what we've done to ourselves and our brains. And then people say, why are you going to write a book if you can't read a book in 2.9 seconds or listen to an hour-long podcast in 2.9 seconds? But here's the cool thing. I was like, why are all these big-name people like, the minute they get their next big idea, they run and write the book Like that's like they immediately go and new people do the same, right? So why? And it's because and I did get research, because I am a data girl and I like I like facts and stats the brain can process in 1.8 seconds your book cover, your name and that you're an expert in that topic. It's like a level of credibility and immediate authority, whether that should be true or not, because I mean, you could write a crappy book and you know whatever. Anybody could, I guess.
Speaker 2:But not the way we'll help you do it here with Crystal and I will have you do that, but, um, but so what happens is whether you have a podcast first or don't, or you have a, you have a TEDx talk first or you don't. Whatever someone does the book. What happens is first you immediately, whether you're an unknown emerging thought leader, creator, or you're a celebrity, immediately anyone that sees that book in 1.8 seconds, so under the attention span barrier. I think of it like when people are trying to break the speed of light with aviation, right, it's like it's the attention span barrier we got to break. So in 1.8, and this is research-based someone will know who you are, what you're about, you're the expert and they will start to trust you and we're in a trust recession and they will start to see you as the go-to thought leader on that thing. So even these people that are super famous, they want to write the next book on their new. Let them like Mel Robbins, right. And so it's so cool because it works in both directions. If you're really well-known, it gives you a reason to go on all the podcasts again, the TV shows and do all your thing. And if you're emerging and you aren't known yet, it's such a phenomenal way to you're going to cut the, the trust, recession stuff, because someone's like well, you had to sit down and put all those ideas somewhere and they can safely try you out, you know, and so for, for.
Speaker 2:So for people to say, oh, I'm not big enough, like I did the book first. Why no audience? 90% of people that we work with have no social media, no email list, have maybe like one person's listening to their podcast, like I mean, I'm not. It's like. And then the book is is the door opener, because people love to have guests on the show with a new book they have in the media and podcasting and conferences keynotes, because a lot of our clients want to get paid to speak, they want to monetize their podcast. So, like the book, is that vehicle for all those. We call them the doors, like the seven doors. And so that's a long-winded answer, but I love the question because it will either get you there faster and if you're already big, then of course that's why people keep doing it, but you don't need to know anyone. No one knew who I was writing that book.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, I mean you hit on so many incredible points. I mean, first, I love that you brought up all these prolific writers that are continuously putting things out, because people are saying like well, who's reading books these days and who's doing this? And I'm like I'm reading books, I'm buying books, like I actually I even forgot I pre-ordered a book the other day. I got this package on Amazon and my husband was like what'd you order? And I was like I don't know what is it. And then I opened it. I was like it's a book that I ordered like a few months ago because I'm a pre-order gal. Like I'm that loyal person that's like you tell me about your book. I'm going to support you in this big way and pre-order your book. Like pre-orders are life for all you authors out there if you didn't know this. But the thing that I love about speaking about people in this way is like you don't have to put all of these writers on a pedestal, like it is absolutely achievable.
Speaker 1:I've published I've self-published two books on Amazon and there is something weird about it. Like I show up on podcasts and I do these. You know I speak on stages and I do this, but the book is still what impresses so many people. And it's so strange to me, like it's it's great, but it's also like. And it's so strange to me Like it's great but it's also like, really Like this is the thing. This $20 thing Cause it's not like it's $2,000 to sit down with me and do one-on-one coaching it's not this. It's this $20 packaged all of my ideas and it's all laid out in this beautiful way. So I totally agree with what you're saying, like there's just there's something magical about a book and I think it's just really cool.
Speaker 2:We have a client launching next week and so you know she's been in pre-order and you know getting on the bestseller list and all that stuff and and she messaged me today and she said, because I she's like Sarah, because I'm in your community and coaching, where there's like we're all writing books and she's like I used, I start to kind of feel like okay, everyone has a book. And she's like people are losing their mind. They're like, oh my God, you were like all these people, like all of hers, and they're like so impressed and she's like I mean, she's like I am so proud of this and so excited and it's her first one and all that. But she was also still like, but I mean, in her world she's like you had to sit there, crystal, you know I'm sure it wasn't easy to make the time and make the commitment. It's a big and Mel Robbins was. I listened to her and she's like I'm not doing a book this year. She's like I'm so glad I did it and I'm not doing another one this year.
Speaker 2:You know, I'm having a because it's a big deal, but my gosh, is it worth it? Right On the other side you get people's react. You're like okay, thank you.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, and I cannot wait for her book to come Like they'll, let them like it, just it's. It's one of those books. Like I listened to her she was on Amy Porterfield's podcast recently so we'll make sure we'll link to that Cause it was such a special interview. It was right after she had talked to Oprah and Oprah's team and everything, and it was just so cool to see the behind the scenes of her having a dream fulfilled because of a book. Like that's the thing that I see. It's like whoa, she never would have had this opportunity to sit down and have an interview and be on Oprah's podcast if it were not for this book. So I think it's one of those things that people, again, we're beating ourselves up about, saying we're not enough, we're not smart enough, we don't have enough experience, we don't have blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. We could keep going. But at the core of books, I just think about stories. Back to what you were saying earlier, it's that storytelling aspect.
Speaker 2:So it's so beautiful Having someone like whether the goal is to be on Oprah, which is, like you know, wildly exciting, and you know, also like reaching people that would never find you, I mean, that's what. So another, another client went very resistant. She was like Sarah, I just I don't think I want to do a book. She's at nutrition, functional medicine. She's like I don't like writing, it's not. But she kept like sort of being like oh, I had this kind of so she hers launched in October and um, and she's had people like she had someone this week who called and set up a discovery call and stepped into her like high ticket program and she said I know you told me this would happen, but I'm still like I can't freaking believe this woman.
Speaker 2:She's like how did you find me on social? She's like no, I was on Amazon and I saw your book and I read it and I just know I want to work with you. And she's like what Like that, can you know? Cause she's I know you say it, but you're a book girl, you know. So she's like I'm not at that much of a, but that's why we do audio. Um, and what's funny, too, is book sales are exploding right now in audio book sales because exactly what I was going to ask you about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So there is a lot of data that says, in times of economic contraction, political, you know we'll call them lots of feelings of political angst, um and um and big world events like wars and things that um, book sales really, really jump.
Speaker 2:And the reason? A reason is twofold. One is that people are being more mindful about finances and so they feel like I'm going to read this book and really see if this person has an idea, methodology, like, and then I'll know if I want to. Like what happened, you know, with this client, you know she, this woman's vetting, she's not just like getting on a discovery call. She wanted to like really see what these experts are about and is it a good fit, which is actually awesome for your sales cycle, because if someone calls up and just said, oh, I'm ready to work with you, like they, they've already read your book, they know your methodologies and they're just like, I just want to do this work now, so that's great.
Speaker 2:Um. The other, the reason is because, um, there is this trust recession, like I said, and people have gotten really burned over the last couple years because they signed up for courses and you know very just like impulse buys and they didn't again take a deeper look at like who. So the, the, what people are predicting for 25, based on the end of 24, is that people are going to be investing in experts, coaches, you know, mentors who they have a relationship feeling with, versus a transactional.
Speaker 2:So it's less like what result are you getting me? Of course, that's so important. What product do you have? It's now like who is it? And Simon Sinek wrote there's a very famous Ted talk where he talked about people don't buy what you sell, but why you sell it. Some of you might've heard that and I think in 2025, what's going to happen is they're not going to buy what you sell, they're going to buy who created it.
Speaker 2:And a book is a way for someone to be like you're not now just on a call or giving me a big slick sales page. You know I'm going to really see what what you're about, cause you're going to hear your story and I'm going to have to, you know, like really really get a sense. So it's a really interesting time. You know my like people book agents are like I know it's not good to say it's great that there's all these challenges in the world right now, but like it's great for books, you know, is if you're thinking about doing one in 25, it is a really good year.
Speaker 2:Someone like you, crystal, like republish or do if you haven't done an audio book of one of your printed books. I mean people binge audio books. I do. Yeah, I listened to him on like two point speed. If it's like a business book or so, I just want to like get it in. I mean, people are it's it's. I've made so much more even on audio book sales and royalties sometimes than the printed books of some of the books, because people we all know we can drive, work out, walk around, do the dishes while listening to something inspiring.
Speaker 1:Oh, this is so like. This is such a great time for me personally to hear this message. But also it's like, sarah, I told myself I wasn't going to do a big project this year and I told you we had another interview earlier and we were talking about a book and I was like, oh, like I feel like I feel like this is the universe tapping me, like Crystal, you have a book inside of you and I'm like, oh my gosh, no, no, no. I said I wasn't going to do it, but then also it's so, it's so inspiring, like just listening to you and like have all these great examples of why it is important and I do believe that it is extremely important to have all of what you are already have in your brain right the things, the messages that you're sharing, the passion that you have for the project you're working on, or the community that you're helping and being able to share, that Our other guests that we had.
Speaker 1:He talked about legacy and it's such a beautiful thing for you to have a, because a lot of stuff I don't do is physical Like you can't hold my podcast. I mean, you can hold the device that has it. You can't hold my YouTube channel but you can hold a physical book and man. In this virtual world that we live in, it is so dang special to have that in your hand to show your kids, show your family, show your mom. I love showing my mom, like handing this very first book copy that I ever wrote and hand it like look, it's like mom, like my name it's printed, it's on this book and it looks so pretty. Like cry with me please.
Speaker 2:So it's making me cry because it's like, yeah, it's such a huge moment. There's a neuroscience technique called an anchor image and it's actually in the book that, the book I have coming out in the spring. It's called the millionaire codes. So great for a profit. You know it's like what are those things to do, that subconscious reprogramming? You know that that I was talking about, just as we just did a whole book on that with a colleague who's a neuroscientist and one of the.
Speaker 2:You pick an image like what's the moment for you? Not like just like your books, not a bestseller that could be it for someone, but like maybe for you the moment is like you being with your mom and feeling how proud she is and like having those tears of just fulfillment and your legacy and and we can pick an anchor image. So if you're listening and you're sort of like, even if it's a far off vision or it's a this year vision, like, you pick an anchor image of like what's that moment when it's going to like really hit you. Yeah, that you did this thing and what. What is cool is if you start just playing it like a little movie every day, you play that anchor image, a little movie, you'll start. Suddenly your subconscious is going to start, like you know, feeding you the ideas, the inspiration, the right people who know how to help you get it where you want to get it, and it's it's so. That's so beautiful, like you said it is. It lives beyond us, like my YouTube channel is not going to live beyond me. You know, like I love it, freaking love YouTube, you know, but it's like the books feel. You know, like the tangibleness and on a real practical level, crystal, since we're about, you know, profit and podcasts, there is a technique I've been testing with some of our clients because I got inspired by a woman I met, a technique I've been testing with some of our clients because I got inspired by a woman I met.
Speaker 2:And in 2025, if you all have a book or you're going to do one, there is going to be a huge opportunity to go back to really old school direct mail, like mailing your book out to potential clients, those of you that coach or do other things, if you have a law practice mailing that book or having strategic partners, like we have a client writing a book for people whose partners are going through cancer treatment and so she's going to have that in the therapist's office, in the doctor's offices, in the hospitals and, and it's like that is so rare now because everything's virtual, yeah, and it's like the, the like, the preciousness and uniqueness of like, and I have these fun gold bubble mailers. You know we like mail the clients. This woman generated seven figures in one year off just mailing the books to potential. I mean a million dollars a year off her book with a heartfelt note to people like who might need her services, right, and so I know it sounds so unsexy and old school but, like your point of, there's a specialness.
Speaker 1:There is yes, like, and I mean it's. It's just like holding it in your hand and having it be there. And I know that there's people that are listening and they're like y'all, this sounds great, like everything you're saying, it sounds fantastic. But I'm barely like trying to keep my podcast going or I'm on this content hamster wheel and I'm like I'm trying to fulfill the commitments that I've already made and now y'all are trying to motivate me and to do it a book too. Like what are you doing to me?
Speaker 1:So I want you to talk to those people that maybe we're not talking to beginners, right, if you're a beginner listening to this, like, come back and revisit this when you have a little bit of a back catalog. But for those of them that are listening and they've been doing a podcast maybe they've been podcasting for a year, you know 24 months and they're like well, where do I start? Because I already have this content Like it's. They're not starting with like that blank cursor that's blinking at them saying you don't have any ideas. They have ideas, so let's walk through what that could look like for them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I'm so excited to be just with you all in this audience because I have this, this cool framework for a book that could be really fast to put together. So those would be like I don't have any bandwidth to add any, like you said oh don't give me another big project this year.
Speaker 2:I couldn't believe. I was like, am I really doing another one? I was like, yes, and it's coming. The big magic has tapped. So those are the things that it's tapping us. So here's what we do.
Speaker 2:So I want to um something I teach in our, our um book bootcamps. Right, um is a three-part framework I just want to review here, because you all could use this for any kind of content, that I want to give this to you so you could use it for anything. You want to create a video, a podcast episode, even a book, and then I'm going to share the secret one that I never teach, because it's just for people that have a podcast. So that's this group. All right, so it's called SSS. So hopefully you'll remember Sarah teaching you SSS.
Speaker 2:There's three S's and this is super fast. The first S is your story. So this is where you're going to get someone out of their head which is where we have skeptic, trust, recession, fear, stuff into their heart and you just get to share like the origin story, really like a superhero. Batman's parents were killed, you know, behind the movie theater. He grows up to protect people from crime, like there's a reason we all do what we do, there is no access. If we're on purpose, if we're doing what we really feel called to do, there's a, there's a reason. It might not have been a trauma like Batman, it could have been a revelation and inspiration, it could be anything, but there's a reason and so sharing like that, even if it's a short video, this would be very quick. If it's a book, you know you could take a nice long chapter and you really share the origin of why you've come to care so much about this topic that you're going to be teaching on and sharing about and the and the cool stuff you've done about it. You know people want to know, like that you've got some expertise, whether a lived experience, or some of you are experts, you've worked in this field, you've whatever. So that's your story. Because when I get into the heart and someone wants to identify with you and say like, oh, okay, like Crystal's been here and she, she knows some things, that she's a high schooler to my middle schooler or whatever it is, and then in the second S, we zoom out and we show the situation is what I call it like the situation of what's happening in the world.
Speaker 2:So maybe there's a book called Profit First by Mike Michalowicz, who basically he told his story of starting these businesses, making all this money on paper, keeping nothing. His marriage is in crisis, he's never seen his kids, his health is suffering, and so he tells us, like story, right. And then you know that, you know he's obviously figured out, you know a different plan. But then he zooms out and he and he shares hey, by the way, I'm not some like loser that just couldn't get it together Like a high percentage, like the majority of entrepreneurs have the same problem. They make money, they keep none, they have to reinvest in team and systems and tech and your podcast, and you know the book and all the. So that's the zoom out to say, hey, look, this is, this is a thing for a lot of people. You're not alone. And so you help someone feel like I'm not alone and also you show them the stakes of if I don't do something. So he's basically, if you don't change the way you do, money you're never going to, it's not going to, just fix itself.
Speaker 2:You know and, and, and this can apply to anything that we all offer.
Speaker 2:You know you, I'm Crystal, I'm sure you podcast things. It's like, look, you've got to do some things to to get this up and running Right. And then in the rest of your piece of content your video, your talk, your podcast episode or the book is the third S, which is the solution, and that could be a bunch of chapters. It could be a five minute rest of your video, it could be you know the rest of your podcast episode and you could do many versions. Like in a book. It might be like a big picture of what you do in the world but, like I'm sure we all have cool solutions to all kinds of you know, little micro solutions and this framework it just makes content creation so joyful. Like, if I get asked to do a talk today at six, I will do an SSL because you'll always know you'll give value, you'll connect through a story, you'll show people the situation and the stakes of, like what's going on and then you give them a nugget you know, a win.
Speaker 2:And so this is why it took me. So I didn't make this up out of nowhere. I reverse engineered 100 New York times bestsellers 100 because I couldn't write. So I was in my stuff Like I can't write, I'm not good enough. So I productively procrastinated is what I call it and I said, well, what are all these books that I love? What did they? What did these books do? And every single one of them did some version in some order of SSS. And so I made up that framework and it used to take me three years to write a book. It was so and it was so envious.
Speaker 2:I saw people putting on a book a year and I felt like how, if it's heavy research like the one I'm starting now is going to be a more heavily researched book. So it will take me a good bit of this year, but all the ones I've written recently I've been able to do with a child, running two businesses in a 23 year marriage with parents and a dog and like clients. And you know I mean there's no time, there's no time ever to write a book. It's ridiculous, none of us have time. But because of having a framework, it just was like oh, now, here's the secret. I promised a podcast version. If you want an even easier one, you still use SSS. Think of, like the theme that you're obsessed with in your podcast, share a story, what are the situation, and then you could take your best episodes around that theme where you gave solutions. If they're not already transcribed, you know, use there's lots of free AI software and everything. You transcribe them and polish them up and those are your solution chapters. So we've had people write a book in you know a couple of weeks because they had a great podcast and there was.
Speaker 2:You want to pick a through line. You know you could do a best of. You could certainly do that, but it's kind of cool to you know. Pick like you probably have a best of. You could certainly do that, but it's kind of cool to you know. Pick like you probably have a podcast on lots of different topics. You know even it's in your niche but there's a lot of different things. So what's kind of the journey, you know? Or transformation, you want to take someone on and that's where you get like a real win for having put in all the time you've put in on your podcast. You turn that sucker into a book.
Speaker 1:Sarah, I am both so like my mind's blown, first, and I'm also. I'm mad at you and also like dang it. I have to do this like you because you did. You just reminded me. You're like, oh, I have so much good content, like I'm so like you do. The only and of course, you know the argument that I can make and everyone that's listening is like yeah, but time, but time but time. It's like no, no, no. If you have been doing this, like we live in a time when we've never had more accessible tools at our fingertips than we do today, and it's kind of like all your excuses are gone, like they are gone.
Speaker 2:It's and I love Christian, you're bringing it because the time it's such a, it's such a torturous like feeling of I I'm excited, but you look at your and again I have I have coached women, are single moms with three kids it's like, and it's like we're going to get this book done now. Another little hack just for you and anybody, um, because again we have all these great tools. Now I wrote my last book. I did a whole. The whole first draft of the book was while I was working out or or I'm driving to pick up my son from school and I would plant my phone with the dictation app open and I would dictate the. For now, that's not the final book obviously but not starting with a blank.
Speaker 2:It took it took months of time off that that I don't use AI to write the content. I write my own content because I want it to be my stories, my voice. I love AI for research and also AI can transcribe and it can do those situation points I used to. People used to have to go hire research assistants. No, it's free and it'll be done in two minutes on chat, gpt or perplexity. It's like tell me the stats on, fill in your topic best most. I like the prompt, give me the astonishing statistics and most inspiring facts on and you pick the problem you solve or the thing you're teaching, and I mean it's nuts, like in in seconds you have everything you need for that part of your done, done, footnoted, credited scores, like it's just crazy. So you really I mean if there was ever a year when it was more doable than ever, it's now.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, sarah, like I said, I'm like I'm loving you and hating you all at the same time because you're taking away all of my excuses and I'm like, okay, like this might be the year, I hadn't planned on it, but this I mean because it is, it's so doable in a way, because at the core of you know and this is just my own personal journey at this moment is like oh, the message that I have is so special and I know that there's someone that needs it and I just, I don't know, let's, let's talk about audiences for a second because I think that that's a piece that we can really kind of round out everything that we've already talked about here today and really ground the message in thinking about your audience first, or when does the audience come into play?
Speaker 1:Because I know that, as creators, so much of us are selfish. We're like, well, I want to talk about this or I want to do this. Do you do a bunch of research in the topic you're going to do? Do you create the book for the audience or do you just create and then find the audience? What does that look like?
Speaker 2:I love this question. So the very first thing I do if I'm coaching anyone or we're doing one of our bootcamps, is we do an exercise around what are your ideal book outcomes? And this is going to answer your question. I'm just going to speak to it for like 30 seconds, because this is what's crucial.
Speaker 2:So many people and I was one of them get to the end of writing a book and you realize you wrote the wrong book. And when I say the wrong book, there's no wrongs, but I didn't write the book for what I was hoping it would do. And then there's this awful disappointment at either it didn't get read by a lot of people or it didn't generate clients. So what we sort of look at what are the things you would love? So the the way everyone listening can say, if I wasn't going to magic wand, I was going to do a book and I'm going to weigh the magic wand, what happens? And then, if your answer is, for example oh, I would just love to know I've educated and inspired people around my topic, you know then that's going to give you information about how big a role audience plays in this. If it's like I just want to tell my story. I've just had this inside me for 20 years. I just needed to, and then you're not going to think as much about audience, because you just need to get something out of you, right, if you like a lot of our people that we work with our members in Thought Leader Academy. They want to. They want to absolutely educate and inspire, they want to share what's inside them and they really, really want to reach exponentially more people than they've been able to reach through social media algorithms and their you know world of people who know them Right, and they want it to be revenue generating and they want it to be client attracting. And so that is where I just pray anyone listening if you're going to do a book and you care about those things, make sure you work with someone who's going to give you the strategies to put in the book, because I did books that didn't do any of those things and I've had so many people come and say, like it didn't, dah, dah, dah, and it's because we really get to reverse engineer.
Speaker 2:So it's part first, it's outcomes and then again, thanks to AI, researching your ideal person has never been easier, I mean, and I've got all kinds of cool little prompts and tricks for that, but I do think audience is crucial. If what your big outcome goal is is attracting people to work further with you, it's crucially important that that book becomes a love letter to that person, that it gives them a transformation, that it lets them know what you do, right, like if you write a whole book and no one even knows if you coach and your whole goal is like wanting to attract people to your coaching. Like, not in a gross, I've read those books, those informationally I won't name names because it's like, yeah, I'm never going to throw a writer under the bus, but we know those books, but through story, through authenticity, through true value, and so there's absolutely easy strategies to get the outcomes we want. It's just I didn't know them and then you know that. So just make sure that you, you know that, you, that you find those out.
Speaker 2:And, like I said, audience research is so fun because you just go on AI and say you know that I, I serve men who stay at home with their kids and homeschool whatever you know, and what are their psychographics and demographics and you know what? Where are they hanging out? What podcasts are they mostly watching? I mean, it will generate everything for you Done that's incredible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's incredible, and I just I think that audience is so important and it's the piece that I'm glad that you laid it out.
Speaker 1:It important and it's the piece that I'm glad that you laid it out. It's like it depends on the path that you want to take, because, at the end of the day, I think that for a while, there was a big message out there of like well, you just got to write a book and it needs to either be for yourself or for your audience. But it wasn't like this, like no, what is your actual goal? Like what's your intention behind it? Because when you know that and you think about it when you're writing or when you're doing your podcast or when you're doing whatever it is that you're doing in your content creation journey, like it makes it so much bigger than yourself, right, it makes it bigger than what you just what you want to accomplish. And for me personally, that goal is what helps me keep showing up on those days when I really don't want to write, I really don't want to look at the next edits or I don't want to do. You know the next thing that I need to do?
Speaker 2:Yes, oh my God, it's like we need that, that vision of that person we're going to. You know support and those and those whys, you know those outcomes and and then making it fun, you know if, if anyone like is sort of don't write alone, we think of writing as this cabin in the woods, monastic kind of experience which, of course, is just us, you know.
Speaker 2:But we we have writing parties, write-ins, writing retreat like you, you know find some community and make it fun for you so that you get a feel motivated and inspired because you're kind of running with a pack, and also just making it more fun, like I would have so much more fun getting on zoom, even though we're just going to be quiet, push, mute and write, but like to be able to say hi to people and, you know, like a little toast with our water bottles and you know, and then at the end saying dang, like I'm going to give myself a pat on the back, like I wrote for an hour, like that's awesome.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, oh, my gosh. Community and accountability I feel like those are going to be the words of 2025, because it's what I'm leaning into so much. So I totally agree finding that accountability and you know leaning, totally agree Finding that accountability. And you know, leaning into someone like Sarah, like, like your expertise and learning from you. Going to your YouTube channel and actually we were talking earlier about um you have a bootcamp that actually just happened when this episode goes live, but you have another one coming up, but you have something that people can take action on today. So can you tell us a little bit about it's your seven steps to write a revenue generating book? Like, let's hear about that.
Speaker 2:Yes, so, just like I said, you, you want to write the book that's aligned with your outcomes. So this guide is like my one I give all our you know members in Thought Leader Academy. It's seven steps to writing a revenue generating, bestselling book. Right now, 100% of our authors and I'm committed to this not only finish their books, they publish and they hit the bestseller list. If they do, you know each step in our process and I am so committed to that because you want that credential too.
Speaker 2:Right, it's like just, you know we're here with bestselling author Crystal, right, you know it's like you want to have that, right, and so and so this guide is going to help you all. Like use what we talked about today. If you feel kind of excited, inspired, like I might think about this, it'll give you the prompts Like what are the book outcomes, like what is that SSS again, so you don't have to like remember it and haven't taken notes all there for you, almost like in a workbook form, and so, yes, that's there for everyone and any of you that use that, we will also gift you a ticket to our next bootcamp.
Speaker 1:Like, as our, you know, get more support. If this is something that's exciting, you Okay Awesome, I mean, and that's so generous. Thank you so much, sarah Cause. I know, like I have spoken to many of you I'm not going to call you out by names, but I know many of you have said I want to write a book and so if this is like the universe, the big magic tapping on you saying, hey, here's your sign that this is doable and this is achievable for you, go check this out, go get Sarah's freebie and then join one of her bootcamps, because I think it could be so much fun. But, sarah, we're going to switch gears for a second. And I warned her. I was like, okay, I'm going to warn you, because I don't always warn my guests, but we have some rapid fire questions that are always super fun. So are you up for those?
Speaker 2:I'm excited because I don't know what they are, and this is going to make me like be on my toes, but I love, so let's do it.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we just have three of them and they're super easy, and the first one is what piece of advice would you give to a brand new podcaster or someone that's a content creator?
Speaker 2:Yes, so trust that what you have to share is unique and needed right now, truly like speaking into every time you go, turn that microphone on and hit that record button that you are really pouring into that person that needs, whether it's like you 10 years ago or you have someone in mind and really trust we talked about today, you could change someone's life on that episode.
Speaker 1:I love it. I love it. This is so good. Okay, the next one is what is the dream podcast? So it's a two-part question the dream podcast you would love to be on and who is a dream podcast guest you would love to interview.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, I love okay. So I'm just going to go and say I'd love to be on Mel Robbins because I'm just like loving her new stuff and just so happy for her with what's happening with Oprah and all of that. So I would say that would be the one I would like to be on and then to have. Well then, I'm just going to let it be Mel both ways, then she can come on mine. You know, I'm just like. I mean just cause I could give you like an 800 person list. But, um, yeah, I admire when someone shares the journey and not just the summit. And I feel like you know, a lot of times we get to see someone's like I was living on the street and now I have an Island and I'm a billionaire and it's like it's, it's cool and we're so happy for them. But like she shows the in-between and the steps and the and the stuff and the inner and the outer. So I'll just just to keep succinct I will say we'll go. We'll go two ways.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love that. Mel is incredible too, so I love that, okay. The last one is do you consider yourself a perfectionist?
Speaker 2:Yes, and I don't even try to protect you know what I mean, like if my husband was here, we've been married like 24 years and I just you know, and whether it's we call it type A or perfectionism or anything, I will say, though I am, I am a seasoned, like surrendered perfectionist, and what I mean by that is I can see the tendency and what I love about it, the gift of perfectionism tendencies, is that you, you really care and you want to make something world-class in the details, where, of course, it's a, you know, a detriment is when we beat ourselves up and always feel like a failure and we never measure up and we're never so I do a thing called a win streak, because the research shows great leaders, you know, build on wins.
Speaker 2:Dan Sullivan's work right, and you just, every day, you just say, like, what are the three wins? Like things I'm really proud of myself. So I think there is ways to to, to combat the hard edges of perfectionism while still keeping the, the big vision which I'm all. I'm just like I I'm going to just keep going for it.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love that you said a surrendered perfectionist. I've never heard that before. We've we've had so many like I'm a recovering perfectionist or I'm this. I love the surrenderedness of it, though, because it's so beautiful and it makes it like that much more profound, so all of this was so incredible. Sarah, I know that you're going to continue to do amazing things. Do you know the title of your book that you have coming out this year?
Speaker 2:Yes, so this 2025 spring is called the Millionaire Codes, and as soon as that's ready, I will. I will send over links, I will. It's such a fun one because it's really got these sequences that have been really only known by super clinical nerdy neuroscientists and I thought like I just want I trained in it and I was like I want everybody to have access to these. So we'll have a lot of free demos, so you don't have to like read them and do them. It's going to be really fun.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, sarah, this I just. You have so many fun things in like 2025 just started and I feel like you have all of these fun things happening. So if people are listening and watching, where can they come hang out with you, learn more about you? What should they do now?
Speaker 2:Yes, come over If you. I I'm really into YouTube. I just love it. It's where I like to go listen to podcasts like yours and and take in content and do things. So our YouTube channel it's at Sarah canal. Author and um and S A R a C O N N E L L. I know there's no H on the Sarah Um, so come hang out on YouTube. If you DM me or send a comment there, then we always have all the you know, fun updates and previews and free stuff going on. So we'll, we'll, we'll, hook everybody up.
Speaker 1:Okay, Awesome, Y'all go check out what Sarah is doing. Thank you so much for coming on the show and sharing your wisdom, and I mean this is to be honest just having a really fun conversation, like nerding out about book like this was so much fun today. So thank you for coming on the show.
Speaker 2:I've loved every minute. Thanks, Crystal.
Speaker 1:I told you by the end of our chat. Sarah motivated me to be so curious about writing another book, like what could this look like? And I had, whenever I finished my chat with Justin and we were done recording. We were just catching up as friends and we were talking about like oh my gosh, like I have this book, and he was like, what's your book about? And I was like, oh no, I don't want to say it Because then it's it's real right. It's one of those things like I'm going to speak it into the universe that it's actually going to happen. But it was so great to have had that conversation with him and then immediately talk to Sarah Like I think it was within a few days that we were having these conversations and it was just so profound to talk to someone else who is just as passionate about writing and creating and sharing their message.
Speaker 1:And I hope that you enjoyed everything that Sarah had to share today. But I wanna make sure that you go check out all the incredible things that she is doing. There are just so many resources. She has her blueprint, like the seven steps to write a revenue generating bestselling book. We're gonna have that linked in the show notes, but she also has the Game Changer Best-Selling Book Boot Camp. So these are happening throughout the year, so we're going to link to those in the show notes. So, whether you're listening to this the day that it comes out live or months later and there's a different boot camp going on, please go check these out and get on Sarah's email list, because it will help you.
Speaker 1:If maybe you're like I don't think that right now is the moment for me to write my book, but maybe it is in the next quarter, maybe it is in the next six months, but I hope that this episode inspired you to step out of your comfort zone, because writing isn't always easy.
Speaker 1:But as someone who's published two books and I think I have at least three more ideas in me like it's hard but worth it. It's that rewarding, just like exhale, whenever you have finished publishing a book and you have the physical copy in your hands, like there's just nothing like it. To see an actual idea go from just an idea in your head to a physical format is just so freaking special. So go check out Sarah. Again, we're going to have everything linked in the show notes. I want you to check out all of her fantastic resources and sign up for one of her bootcamps, because I think that you're going to learn a lot from her, but that is all I have for you today. So make sure you hit the follow or subscribe button wherever you are listening and watching today and, as always, remember, keep it up. We all have to start somewhere.
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