This is a repod, and we hope you enjoy it. It’s eternally relevant. Do you need kicking into action? So do we, friend. So do we. So when I saw Seth Godin's email titled "Initiative takes effort" last summer, I filed it away as the spark of a podcast episode idea. Here is that episode! In it, Joe and I have a chat about why we struggle to get started, and what can help. Plus Vicky shares another creative non-fiction writing tip with you. Enjoy!
Key Takeaways:
[2:50] Storytellers are never ever going to be unwanted.
[7:10] Vicky reads an excerpt of a book and explains why she loves this passage.
[9:30] Were there any big events that happened in your lifetime? Draw up a timeline of your life.
[11:05] Want to learn how to write better? This is a great activity for you to do!
[14:00] Why is play so important in our adult lives?
[18:25] Vicky needs accountability. When you have a partner to do things with, you’re much more likely to do those things.
[22:30] Joe explains what shrimping means in MMA.
[24:25] You can absolutely sit down and write a book on your own, but most people don’t.
[27:00] Want to write a book? Don’t do it alone.
[27:35] Want to learn something? Find someone to help you.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast
Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: vicky@moxiebooks.co.uk
Lord of the Silver Bow, by David Gemmell
Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown
Join Vicky and Joe as they talk about the wonders of short stories, the importance of pronouns (because they ARE important—tune if you’re in a frothing rage about how “woke” I am and find out why), and the fantastic hot seat book coaching event Vicky ran last week. They run through the 5 questions she chose, and show you how you can get past similar challenges. Happy listening!
Key Takeaways:
[2:25] Elephants are Vicky’s favorite animals.
[7:00] Exploring a genderless species, and why language is important.
[11:50] Imagine not being able to recognize faces because of a brain injury.
[16:00] Vicky received some great questions lately!
[16:55] How do you know which non-fiction book to write?
[19:20] How do I get the right tone down for my readers?
[20:15] This is your first draft! Your tone of voice isn’t going to match 100% on its first go.
[22:00] How do you know when you’re finished?
[25:20] Why am I stuck?
[29:00] Currently stuck on a writing problem? Don’t worry, they’re common and Vicky is always here to help!
Mentioned in This Episode:
Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast
Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: vicky@moxiebooks.co.uk
The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks
Vicky is back with John Holcroft to talk about the book writing process! How did John get started? What challenges did he face, and how did he overcome them? And what does he have on his bedside table? Discover all this and more in this week’s action-packed episode. Enjoy!
Key Takeaways:
[3:15] There is a high failure rate with building software because it’s often not useful for prospects to use.
[8:10] How long does it take to write a book?
[10:15] John started recruiting people for his book early on in the process.
[14:00] John learned in school that he hates writing.
[20:05] Want to know what John’s book’s about? He’s got a TL;DR version!
[24:55] John shares some storytelling lessons he learned from Pixar.
[31:25] Some of John’s best feedback were the shortest.
[33:05] John had his daughter read his book, and even though it wasn’t his target audience, she had a lot of very useful feedback from home about readability.
[37:45] John recognizes that there were so many people who helped his book come into existence.
[40:45] John thought he was writing ‘not a real’ book because it was too short.
[50:05[ What is John thankful for right now?
[51:50] Interested in John’s book? It’s on Amazon!
Mentioned in This Episode:
Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast
Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: vicky@moxiebooks.co.uk
Be A Client Whisperer: A short guide on getting clients to tell you what matters
This week, Vicky is talking to Team Moxie Member John Holcroft about his new book, Be a Client Whisperer. It’s been a long time coming and it’s worth the wait—join Vicky and John as they dig into why he wrote his book, why everyone needs to read it, and how YOU can become a client whisperer. Part 2 follows next week!
Key Takeaways:
[2:07] John describes how he became an entrepreneur that made a great product nobody wanted.
[7:53] A sparks card is not a reward card.
[10:59] Another project John worked on that didn’t really go anywhere.
[15:15] John started writing a different book called Don’t Start Coding.
[16:55] In Chapter Seven of Be a Client Whisperer, John describes the perfect example of people not listening to each other.
[20:06] No one notices good marketing. It is when someone just tries to sell, sell, sell that people notice how yucky bad marketing is.
[23:35] There are worksheets in John’s book to help business owners change their habits.
[26:32] John struggled to interview people for his project.
[30:29] What to expect from Part 2 and how to get a copy of Be A Client Whisperer.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast
Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: vicky@moxiebooks.co.uk
Be A Client Whisperer: A short guide on getting clients to tell you what matters