The Biz Book Broadcast

You know that Henry Ford quote "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses”? It’s often used by entrepreneurs to justify iffy decisions about pushing product to an uninterested market.  Well, client researcher + marketer Kathryn McGarvey isn’t having it. And she’s in the studio to share her Unpopular Opinion on the matter. We discuss why this quote is problematic, h...

You can judge a book by its cover – we do it all do it, all the time. So, we know it’s important.  If you’ve gone to the effort of writing a book, you want it to appeal to readers from the very first glimpse of the thumbnail. So, I asked Emily Hitchcock, CEO of not one but two publishing businesses - Columbus Publishing Lab + Boyle and Dalton – to help me untangle what makes a successful cover fro...

It’s another fabulous Fiction Pop-Up with writing coach, Candice L. Davis.  We discuss books set in the American South dealing with difficult themes in richly layered prose, as well as a tale of artists who met in ‘90s London + reconnect during the COVID lockdown.  The books have it all - compelling characters, powerful storytelling and an unexpected coincidence that irked the reviewers. Most odd....

At the start of every year the internet is rife with people sharing their goal to read 50 books that year.  Nothing wrong with reading more. An admirable goal for sure. Thing is – 50 books is not the flex they think it is. In fact, it says more about their privilege than their love of reading. I feel very strongly about this – so for the first time ever instead of riling up a guest to share their...

In uncertain times we need leaders to be more flexible than ever.  Kevin Eikenberry joins me to discuss how leaders can adapt their approach to meet the needs of their team, whether it's a group of employees or a small circle of freelancers He’s the author of many books, but today, we’re discussing his latest Flexible Leadership. We discuss strategies for dealing with cultural differences, transla...

Ever been irked by someone you barely know asking for a huge favor while offering nothing back?  Michael Roderick returns to talk about how this happens - and the hidden danger lurking in one seemingly innocent phrase - "How can I help you?" As a business coach who specializes in messaging, access, and referability, Michael's seen this common opener seriously backfire. We discuss the nuances of re...

If you want to get booked on podcasts – and you do, it’s a brilliant way to promote your your business – then you need a One Sheet. It’s the single most helpful thing you can create to speed-up getting booked. Do it right + you’ll have hosts clambering to interview you. Today’s show walks you through exactly what to do - from punchy bios to intriguing questions. Plus, I explain why putting in the...

Network Marketing has a dreadful reputation - but it could be a great way to dip your toes into entrepreneurship. Jenny Bellinger joins us today to discuss a book that celebrates the industry, The Flip Flop CEO . Jenny's a leadership + sales coach who knows that those who treat this sector like a real business will find real success. Look for more show Book Huddles where we have experts share thei...

There’s a common mistake most new coaches make when trying to get clients – it’s made by many experienced coaches too for that matter.  Today, Sarah Short, founder of The Coaching Revolution is sorting us out + sharing her unpopular opinion about the whole coaching industry.  She’s the author of A Coaching Business in a Book. And has seen the same issue come up over + over again - being brilliant...

So, you’ve bagged a guest spot on a podcast – what do you do now? How exactly do you dazzle your host so you get asked back?  When the record button is pressed it can be nerve wracking enough just sounding like a normal human, let alone a suave expert. So, today, I’m going to walk you through the whole process step-by-step, with dos + don'ts for before, during + after the interview so you make the...

Once you've written your business book, you'll want to sell the book. Obv. Selling one at a time is all very well, but what you really want is to sell piles of them. Fortunately, writing coach Candice L. Davis is here to walk us through exactly how to do just that. We discuss pitching organizations, negotiating bulk sales as part of speaking contracts, + how to make all this easier by positioning...

Our first History Pop-Up was so fun – and popular! - we’re doing another.  Not least, it gives me a chance to laugh at Ron Tester’s choice of books. Because truly, that man has an unnatural love of super long books about great men of history. As well as famous dead people, we discuss the world's first seed bank + the heartbreaking choices the botanists had to make during the siege of Leningrad.  W...

Ever thought of starting a podcast? If you have – but haven’t started yet - let me stop you right there, because you can get all the benefits of your own show, just by guesting on other people’s shows.  All of the exposure, none of cost. That’s a huge benefit.  Today we kick off a mini-series on how to easily get booked on podcasts. l walk you through the many benefits of appearing on other shows,...

Business coach, Kym Medina's back to help me dissect another classic kid’s book for business lessons. Today, it’s the turn of Matilda, written by that angry man in a shed, Roald Dahl. Our tiny protagonist packs a wallop for anyone dealing with power-hungry Trunchbulls in the workplace. We laugh about bullying bosses, telekinetic revenge + why on earth Miss Honey didn’t just get a better lawyer. Ma...

Tamsen Webster's back with us today to discuss her second book , Say What They Can't Unhear.   It’s the follow up to the fabulous, Find Your Red Thread which was all about making complex ideas understandable. The new book is about how to make those ideas stick. We discuss why conventional sales tactics often trigger "reactance" - that feeling when you recognize someone's trying to persuade you + j...

It’s such a popular book – tens of millions of copies sold – and yet, it’s problematic in oh-so-many ways.  Biz Book regular, Ron Tester joins me to take a critical look at Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad. We explore the problematic tone, the questionable advice + the unfortunate revelation about the "rich dad" in the book. Despite its immense popularity, this book is very much not be the best...

Being featured on a podcast is marvelous for business owners looking to amplify their message. You get your message out, build following + meet potential new clients. Thing is, you can get all those benefits without starting your own show – by appearing as a guest Today’s guest is Liam Austin, founder of Talks.co and he shares insights on how to get booked on shows, the importance of finding the r...

So, you’ve finally written a business book – or you’re going to – now what? Obviously, you need some kind of launch. That’s a given for self-published, but even with traditional publishing these days they expect you to do a lot of the launch work yourself. But where do you start? And what do you need to do it well? Fear not - Candice L Davis, is here to give us an overview. She’s a writing coach +...

Podcast producer, writer + director Michi Lantz is back in the studio to discuss Stephen King's classic book On Writing + how to apply it directly to business. From sales pages to podcast titles, we explore how to craft copy that connects, not just converts. And yes, we fangirl a bit. But more than that, we talk about resilience, rejection + why King’s approach to writing is a blueprint for anyone...

Toxic positivity is a such a buzzword at the moment – but it’s not a new phenomenon. Voltaire was viciously skewering it over 300 years ago.  Join show regular, Kandas Rodarte + I as we get into what exactly it is + why you want to avoid it. We also touch on toxic forgiveness, what we can learn from the final line of the book, a quick story on the only time I’ve won a literary throwdown + possibly...

On today's show, we're doing something a bit different - a History Pop-Up with show regular Ron Tester. If you love a good delve into random bits of history - you're in for a treat. We share some of our favourite history reads, from the sweeping story of Genghis Khan to the political prowess of Teddy Roosevelt. We also touch on witches, revolutions + the fascinating Habsburg chin. Let me know if y...

What does being swallowed by a big fish have to teach us about change? More than you might imagine.  Jennifer Brown - an expert in inclusive leadership and author of "How to Be an Inclusive Leader - is back in the studio for our first foray into an Old Testament story.  The well known fish-based tale is our jumping off point to discuss resistance to change, personal growth + the importance of empa...

On today's show, we take a close look at how the conversations you have every day impact both your work + your brain with neuroscience geek + peak performance expert Eugene Choi. He shares fascinating insights from Judith Glazer's book Conversational Intelligence. We discuss the 3 levels of conversation, how to move a conversation from conflict to collaboration + the neuroscience behind it all. Yo...

How do you feel about nouns being used as verbs?  Kathryn Goldman is very much not a fan – and today we’re getting the full force of her Unpopular Opinion on verbification. Turns out it’s a hot button topic.  Kathryn is an attorney - a specialist in copyright, trademark + contracts at her Creative Law Center. Which means, she uses words like scalpels. And randomly mucking about with these precisio...

Today’s guest is Dr. Sandra Wilson, a biotechnology innovator + multidisciplinary scientist, about a book that inspired her as a child - Frederick by Leo Lionni. We discuss how this charming tale of a mouse who gathers colours instead of food for the winter resonates with Sandra's own journey. She shares insights on how Frederick's powers of observation, curiosity + ability to inspire relate to th...