Born To Create

What if I told you there was a simple way to not only increase your writing speed but do it by 300% using technology that’s already in your pocket? On this episode, I dive into my recent experience writing a book draft with dictation. I’m amazed at this technology which allows us to write in a way that is more fun, natural, and creative than staring at a computer screen for hours.  I hope you will feel as inspired as I have when you take advantage of incredible creative tools right at your fingertips. You can find the full show notes here: https://kentsanders.net/191 Need a ghostwriter for your next project? Learn more here: https://inkwellghostwriting.com.  Subscribe and grab your free gift: https://kentsanders.net/subscribe  Follow Kent: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

I’m excited to bring you this interview with my friend Aaron Hunt, who is a personal brand photographer. He’s not only excellent at his photography craft, but an expert on personal branding.  Aaron is a genius when it comes to using social media to connect with clients and build a following. In our conversation, you’ll learn why a personal brand is important, tips on using social media, how to speak to your ideal client, and much more. You can find the full show notes here: https://kentsanders.net/sbw190 Need a ghostwriter for your next project? Learn more here: https://inkwellghostwriting.com.  Subscribe and grab your free gift: https://kentsanders.net/subscribe  Follow Kent: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

Mistakes are like gasoline. When you mishandle it, it can blow up in your face. But if you treat it correctly, it’s fuel that drives you forward. On this episode, you’ll learn 3 critical mistakes I’ve made in my writing business and how you can avoid them. You can find the full show notes here: https://kentsanders.net/189 Need a ghostwriter for your next project? Learn more here: https://inkwellghostwriting.com.  Subscribe and grab your free gift: https://kentsanders.net/subscribe  Follow Kent: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

My guest today is Matt Peet, a videographer who has traveled all over America shooting videos for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Matt’s goal is to help entrepreneurs learn how to make their own videos so they can improve their marketing, bring in more sales, and live a better life! You’ll learn why storytelling is important, a simple formula for telling stories, how to use video on social media, and some ways to feel more comfortable on camera. You can find the full show notes here: https://kentsanders.net/188 Need a ghostwriter for your next project? Learn more here: https://inkwellghostwriting.com.  Subscribe and grab your free gift: https://kentsanders.net/subscribe  Follow Kent: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

187: 5 Reasons Ghostwriting is a Great Business for Writers One of the most fascinating things about being a ghostwriter is seeing people’s responses when you tell them what you do. People will say things like, “What is ghostwriting, exactly?” “How does ghostwriting work?” or “I had no idea that was a thing.”  No matter the response, there is one thing they all have in common—curiosity. I thought it would be fun to share why I chose ghostwriting as my primary way to make income as a writer. I think these reasons will resonate with you as well. You can find the full show notes here: https://kentsanders.net/187 Need a ghostwriter for your next project? Learn more here: https://inkwellghostwriting.com.  Subscribe and grab your free gift: https://kentsanders.net/subscribe  Follow Kent: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

If you have listened to this podcast for any length of time, you know that I have a soft spot for educators. Teachers can have so much influence outside the classroom by writing a book. Today you’ll learn how one math professor took the self-publishing plunge and wrote two successful books that have helped her build a platform and business. My guest today is Allison Dillard. She is the author of two math books, Crush Math Now and Raise Your Math Grade, but designed to help students and their parents navigate the challenging waters of math. Allison holds a B.A. in Math and B.A. in English from Scripps College, as well as an M.S. in Math from Claremont Graduate University. She has also conducted research for Boeing, Los Alamos National Lab and National Science Foundation Allison is currently helping parents thrive in the chaos, stress, and uncertainty of the Fall 2020 school year through courses and her Raise a Math Person Membership. She is also the Mom of three amazing kids. In this conversation, you’ll lea

Have you ever scrolled through your podcast app and wondered what you should listen to next? There are literally hundreds of thousands of podcasts available, but it’s hard to know which shows are worth your time. If you’ve wondered what podcasts can help you become a better writer or help grow your business, I’ve got you covered. I’ve gone through my extensive lists of podcasts that I listen to and curated the 15 best shows for business writers. They are not all focused on business writing. Instead, these cover business, writing, mindset, and success. Podcasts mentioned in this episode: 48 Days to the Work You Love with Dan Miller Total Life Freedom, hosted by Vincent Pugliese  Brand You Personal Branding, hosted by Mike Kim The Creative Penn, hosted by Joanna Penn The Portfolio Life, hosted by Jeff Goins Get Paid to Write, hosted by Nick Pavlidis  Write Your Book, hosted by Jim Woods High Income Business Writing, hosted by Ed Gandia The Talent Development Hot Seat & The Andy Storch Show, hosted

Eric Elder is one of my very best friends in the world. He’s many things: a pianist, music producer, author of well over twenty books at this point, online pastor, writing coach, and so much more. One title he was able to add to his list recently is “creator of the hit musical His Name Was Nicholas.” Eric has been a guest on the show before. On episode 69, he talked about why you should write a book. On episode 80, he shared why it’s important to think like an entrepreneur and take control over your destiny. Those conversations help shape the context of this episode, which is taking those themes in a bold new direction by taking your existing book and creating a whole new creative experience from it. As you listen to this conversation, Eric is going to share why he decided to turn his book St. Nicholas: The Believer into a musical, what the process was like, all about his collaborators, and so much more.  And also, you get a special performance of one of the songs from the musical! You can check out Eric’s mu

You’ve heard it a million times: writing a book can help your business. But doesn’t that mean you have to spend years writing a massive book that contains all your wisdom and knowledge?  Not according to my guests, Honoree Corder and Alice Sullivan. Honoree is THE self-publishing expert, and she’s the author of dozens of book, including: You Must Write a Book, The Prosperous Writers book series, Vision to Reality, Business Dating, The Successful Single Mom book series, and many more. Honoree is also Hal Elrod’s business partner. He is the author of The Miracle Morning, which is a fantastic book, and together they have published over a dozen titles in the Miracle Morning series.  Honoree coaches business professionals, writers, and aspiring non-fiction authors who want to publish their books to bestseller status, create a platform, and develop multiple streams of income.  Alice is a successful ghostwriter with multiple books that have landed on the New York Times bestseller list (among many other places). Of c

“It was a dark and stormy night …” or so the story goes. As a kid I read the Peanuts comic strip. Once in a while, Snoopy would use those words to begin a story he was banging out on a typewriter. It was sort of a meta-joke since the Peanuts comic strip was in itself a story.  Just like Snoopy, we are all crafting stories. If there is one skill in writing that trumps them all, it’s storytelling. I’m excited to share this interview where we have a true storytelling expert who can help us use the magic of storytelling even better. My guest is Alice Sullivan, a successful ghostwriter with multiple books that have landed on the New York Times bestseller list (among many other places). Of course, you’ll never know which books she wrote because that would break the sacred code of ghostwriting … but just take my word for it, she’s a pro at the top of her field. In addition to being a ghostwriter, Alice is also a developmental book editor and author coach. I got to know Alice a few months ago when I was going through

What would it take to change your life? Something radical? Something crazy? Something prohibitively expensive? As it turns out, there’s a very simple habit you can do every day that can change radically change your life. My guest today is Chad Jeffers. Even if you haven’t heard his name before, there is an excellent chance you’ve heard his music. Chad is a guitar player who has toured with country superstar Carrie Underwood since 2007. He’s also played with Kenny Loggins, Keith Urban (two of my favorites), and many others. Chad has also written a book called 25 Notes for the Successful Musician: The Ultimate Guide to MAKING IT in the Music Industry. In addition, Chad is the host of The Chad Jeffers Show, a podcast that helps entrepreneurs and creatives become performance-ready. You might be surprised to learn that Chad is an avid journaler, which is what we’re here to talk about today. Journaling has played a huge role in helping Chad be creative and focused, and I’m excited that he’s here to share the spec

If you read articles about personal growth, success, business, money, the arts … or pretty much any other topic, there is a great chance you’ve read some of them on Medium, a popular writing platform. But instead of just reading articles there, what if you could become a top writer there?  My guest today is Anthony Moore, one of the top writers on Medium. He spent years as a writer without having much to show for it … then he discovered the power of Medium. Today, Anthony has over 75,000 email subscribers, over 3 million views on Medium, and a 6-figure writing business where he helps other writers. Anthony has been featured in CNBC, Business Insider, Fast Company, Yahoo! Finance, and other notable magazines. He’s also the author of the book What Extraordinary People Know.  In this conversation, Anthony shares secrets of writing great non-fiction articles (worth the price of admission all by itself!), his 5 main income streams, how to use the “hero’s journey” writing voice, and how to develop relationships wit

If I said, “Name the best quote from Jerry Maguire,” what would you say? If you said, “You complete me,” you’re close … but no cigar. The best quote is, of course, “Show me the money!”  Today we’re going to be tackling the always-popular topic of MONEY … specifically, how to build passive income streams so you have the option of retiring and pursuing the things that matter to you most. My guest today is Rachel Richards, who is a former financial advisor who is now a real estate investor, business owner, and professional speaker. At 27 years old, Rachel quit her job and retired, living off $10,000+ per month in passive income.  Rachel is also the bestselling author of two amazing books: Money Honey and Passive Income, Aggressive Retirement. When I say “bestselling,” I mean it. Rachel’s books have hundreds of reviews on Amazon, and she’s done a great job of not only writing books but also getting her message out there with creative marketing. I make it my goal to have interesting guests on this podcast, and Rac

Have you ever wondered where you could find an expert who could answer all your burning questions about writing, editing, books, productivity, and related topics? Look no further! This is the first installment of a periodic series called “Ask an Expert.” Today we’re tackling questions related to editing. I’m excited to bring you this first episode in an ongoing series. Today’s guest is my good friend Jennifer Harshman, owner of HarshmanServices.com. Jennifer is a successful and well-known editor, author, ghostwriter, and business owner. She’s also the editor of the book Find a Real Editor: Avoiding the Posers and Scammers, which is a helpful guide to evaluating editors for your writing. As I described to a mutual friend of ours recently, you’d better have a pen and paper ready when you talk to Jennifer because she has lots of creative ideas! You’ll get to hear a bit of her wisdom today in this conversation. Here’s a taste of what you’ll learn: the different types of editing and why you need each one; how to b

One of the most important concepts in writing, creativity, and business today is “authenticity.” We all want to be our authentic selves, and we want to feel that we’re seeing other people as they truly are. But what does “authenticity” mean, and how do you display it as an artist, writer, or creative? I’m excited to bring you this conversation with Jeff Goins, who is the author of fantastic books such as Real Artist’s Don’t Starve, The Art of Work, and many others. Jeff also ran the Tribe Conference for several years in Franklin, TN, and I attended a couple of these. I enjoyed them thoroughly! For many years, I have appreciated Jeff’s thoughtful approach to his creative work. In this conversation, we dig into the concept of authenticity and how we should think about this as creatives, business owners, and writers. I also dig into Jeff’s new venture as a ghostwriter, which I find fascinating since that’s what I’m doing as well. You can connect with Jeff and discover his books and other works at his website, ht

You’re active on Facebook. You play around on Instagram. You’ve probably dabbled with Twitter. But one of the great mysteries of life is, “What in the world should I do with LinkedIn, and how do I use it to grow my business?” You’re in luck, because today we pull back the curtain and reveal some of the secrets for getting more business leads on LinkedIn. I’m excited to bring you this conversation with my friend, BJ Viken. BJ is a marketing and sales expert who helps professionals get more leads from LinkedIn and teaches how to close them. I first got to know BJ a few months ago when I joined a ghostwriting mastermind on LinkedIn. BJ shared some amazing business strategies and I was impressed with his generosity and strategies. In this conversation, BJ breaks down his process for getting leads on LinkedIn. He goes into detail about why LinkedIn is so valuable, why it’s important to treat your writing like a business, and one of the most important things, which is what you should include in your LinkedIn profil

Did you know you have a serious program? Every day, your mind is being programmed by the people you talk to, the news you watch, the books you read, and everything else you consume. It’s all giving your mind a blueprint for what and how to think. But I have some great news: you can change the programming so you can think more clearly and have more success in your life. Today’s interview is a fun conversation with my new friend, Valerie Pugsley. I have to give a shout-out to my friend Michael Daehn for introducing me to Valerie, who is a possibility mindset coach. And man, is that a valuable niche! We all need to be constantly working on our mindset.  Valerie is here to help us re-program and improve our mindset by getting a proper perspective on failure, comparison, and so much more. She also has some great insights about how we use our words as writers. Words are very powerful, and it’s critical that we use them correctly. This conversation was a blast, and I hope it impacts you as much as it did me. Be sure

What if you could make six figures with your online business? How would that impact your life? How would that impact your family? The good news is that it’s possible … and my guest today is here to reveal the secrets of how to do it. I’m thrilled today to bring you this conversation with Alex Nerney, who is an entrepreneur and adventure junkie. It all started when Alex and his business partner quit their jobs, sold almost everything they owned and went all-in blogging, thus Create and Go was born, an online blog that teaches others how to start a blog and eventually make money blogging. Within their first year, they made $103,000 blogging. By year four, they are now making over $100,000 per month online! And the best thing is Alex now lives his life completely on his own terms!  Alex shares how he got started in online business, why he started with blogging, and how podcasts, video, and blogging can work together. You’ll also learn some next steps you need to take in order begin the journey toward six figures

How do you maintain a full-time job, lead your family, yet also find time to write a couple dozen books, produce three podcasts, and lead a growing online community?  I’m thrilled to bring you this interview with my friend John Stange, who is here to help give us some answers. John is an author, pastor, podcaster, husband, and father. He’s going to share his journey of being a pastor while also building a successful side business as an author and entrepreneur. John is the Lead Pastor of Core Creek Community Church in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. He hosts three podcasts: "The Chapter-A-Day Audio Bible," Daily Devotions with Pastor John," and "Sermons, Bible Studies, and Training.” John has written over twenty books, all of which are focused on spiritual growth, leadership, marriage, and practical aspects of following Jesus. John also recently started The Healthy Discipleship Community, which has been a great success. His next book, Dwell on These Things, will be published by Penguin/Random House next Spring. I met

If you’re a business leader, wouldn’t you like to have a secret weapon that can help grow your business? And if you’re a writer, wouldn’t you like to BE the secret weapon that helps a company grow?  What is this secret weapon? Ghostwriting! I’m excited to bring an interview with Derek Little, who is a business-to-business (B2B) copywriter and ghostwriter. He specializes in writing about enterprise software and emerging technology such as blockchain. Derek calls himself "The Results Driven Copywriter" because he believes writing should help fill the gaps in your sales process.  Derek is also the host of the B2B Marketing Trends Podcast, and author of the book The B2B Marketer's Journey. Derek is going to address copywriting for businesses from two standpoints. He’ll talk about some of the ways he helps companies succeed with ghostwriting through his company, Trailblazer Writing. But he’ll also address it from the writer’s angle. Derek also shares how he became a writer and some things he’s learned along the wa