Born To Create

Whenever you hear the term “social media,” what’s your response? Many writers reel back a little at the idea of getting more involved on social media because they don’t know how to be effective using it, or because they feel it will take away from their writing time. I understand. I’ve been there. I have struggled to know the best ways to use social media. And as an introvert, sometimes it’s hard to summon the energy to engage with more people. That’s why I’ve asked my good friend John Schuchman to help us with this important topic today. John is a successful real estate agent in Pennsylvania and has been very successful in using social media to increase his business and connect with people. He’s also a social media coach for real estate agents. John gives us some great tips on using social media as a writer and leader, which platforms to focus on, how to connect and serve, and some things to avoid.

Kent talks to author, ghostwriter, and editor AJ Harper about her new book, Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives--Including Your Own. AJ shares why a book is not just a better business card, why you need to have a “reader first” mindset as a writer, what to do when you have limited time to write, and what to do if you don’t have a platform. AJ Harper helps authors write transformational books that enable them to build their readership, grow their brand, and make a significant impact on the world. As a ghostwriter and as a developmental editor, she has worked with hundreds of authors, from newbies to New York Times bestselling authors with millions of books sold. AJ teaches her method in Top Three Book Workshop and the Must-Read Editing Workshop. She is the Head Writing Coach for Heroic Public Speaking, the premier speaker training program created by Michael and Amy Port. She is writing partner to business author, Mike Michalowicz. Together they’ve written nine books, including Profit First. Al

Kent talks to author and podcaster Jen Smith about how she has used her podcast and books to make both of them more successful, how she engages her audience with podcasting, and the secrets behind her phenomenal podcast growth. Jen Smith is the co-host of the very successful Frugal Friends Podcast, as well as the author of several books, including the No-Spend Challenge Guide, which has well over 1,000 reviews on Amazon! Jen also writes at her Modern Frugality blog.

Kent talks to author Todd Henry about the importance of daily practices, how Todd used his daily writing time to write a draft of the book in just three months, the specific morning routine he has followed for many years, and more. Todd Henry describes himself as an “arms dealer for the creative revolution.” He teaches leaders and organizations how to establish practices that lead to everyday brilliance. He is the author of six books, which include The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Louder Than Words, Herding Tigers, and The Motivation Code, and his new book Daily Creative, which is a year’s worth of short daily entries about doing your best creative work. In addition, Todd is the host of the Accidental Creative Podcast as well as the Daily Creative Podcast.

Kent talks to author Tim Schurrer about what it means to be successful in writing and creative work, and how we should become obsessed with doing the work instead of focusing just on the end result. Tim Schurrer is the author of the fantastic new book, The Secret Society of Success. Tim spent almost a decade of his career launching two brands— StoryBrand and Business Made Simple—as COO alongside New York Times bestselling author Donald Miller. Before that, Tim worked at TOMS as well as Apple. Tim is also the host of the Build a Winning Team podcast, where he offers listeners actionable advice as he interviews some of the top leaders in business. Tim lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Katie, and their two kids. Make sure to grab the first two chapters of The Secret Society of Success for free at SecretSocietyFree.com.