The Daily Writer

I’m excited today to feature a conversation with my good friend Phyllis Jenkins, who is here to help authors get a handle on how to put together a powerful live event that can impact lives. Phyllis is a Transformational Coach, business mentor, host of PowerLift Stories Podcast , and Founder of the Powerful Journey Organization where she’s on a mission to mobilize 100,000 women to ‘Tell Their Stori...

Let’s talk about one of the hardest truths to swallow. Here it is: the circle of relationships that brought you to where you are is not the circle of relationships that will take you to where you want to be. Most of us don’t like conflict. We don’t want to feel like we’re leaving others behind. This fact alone prevents a lot of people from growing because they are not willing to make tough changes...

If you really want to grow your network and reach a higher level of success in your life as a writer, you must invest in yourself. There is a lot you can learn from books, conferences, videos, and podcasts. But those can only take you so far. The true test of how badly you want success is whether you are willing to part with your hard-earned cash in order to learn more and invest in deeper relatio...

Let’s talk about one of the more uncomfortable truths of the author life. It has nothing to do with books, but it has everything to do with how others perceive you. And therefore, that means it has everything to do with your social standing and how much others want to be around you. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: people judge you by the company you keep. On this episode, you’ll be reminded that y...

Jealousy causes us to be inwardly focused. The more we fixate on what others have, the more angry, resentful, and bitter we become. You can’t be at your best as a writer when you’re angry, resentful, and bitter. Those emotions are like an empty well that is dry and lifeless. They will suck the life right out of you. On this episode, Kent shares a simple but powerful way you can replenish yourself...

As writers, sometimes we see another person’s success and believe we should have it as well. But when you stop and think about it, the logic doesn’t add up. Creativity is like a thumbprint. Everyone has creative gifts (whether they realize it or not), and everyone has something unique to offer the world. Creativity is like the thumbprint of your soul. On this episode, you’ll be encouraged to use y...

In the previous two entries in this series, we have taken a look at the destructive nature of jealousy, and why you should focus on what you can do to make yourself successful rather than spending your emotional energy being envious. Let’s dive into three questions that will help you focus on attitudes and actions that will spur your writing success. We’ll tackle the first one here today. Also, no...

I’m thrilled to feature this conversation with my good friend Ken Hannaman. Ken is a Possibility Mindset Coach who has a never-ending thirst for knowledge and personal self-discovery. Ken is an executive in the corporate space and has just written and published his first book, which is titled Ungraduated: Finding Your Why and Dropping Out of Outdated Belief Systems. Ken is also the host of the exc...

Have you ever felt like you live in a room with invisible walls that have you trapped? You’re trapped by questions like this: Why does that so-and-so writer get all the attention? Why do they have more book sales? Why is my blog traffic so stagnant? Why isn’t anyone paying attention to me? Sound familiar? On this episode, you’ll learn how you can reframe your questions, so that you can have an abu...

If you’re alive and breathing, you have struggled with jealousy. It’s part of the human condition. But for most writers, jealousy is more than an occasional struggle. It’s a daily battle that threatens our very souls. It’s nearly impossible for us to separate ourselves from our creative work. It’s part of who we are. On this episode, Kent begins a series on jealousy and kicks it off with why we sh...

In yesterday’s episode, we talked about the power of being a guest on other people’s podcasts. Today, we will turn the tables and talk about the importance of starting your own podcast. Podcasting is a powerful and inexpensive way to build an audience and share your ideas. When you are “in someone’s head” for that much time, they develop an intimate relationship with you as a listener. On today’s...

Being an author in our media age isn’t just about creating books or written content. It’s also about creating a media platform that can consist of video, podcasts, and social media. Of course, I encourage you to take advantage of all these for yourself. In addition, you can greatly increase your network if you are a guest on other people’s media platforms. On today’s episode, you’ll discover how y...

I’m thrilled to share with you that my brand-new book, 18 Words to Live By: A Father’s Wisdom on What Matters Most , is available today! 18 Words is a compass, a sort of a collection of essential values to carry with you on life’s journey. These are values that help you become a person of character. In the book, I talk about values such as empathy, responsibility, integrity, freedom, forgiveness,...

In the musical “Hamilton,” Aaron Burr sings a number called “The Room Where It Happens.” He is upset that his rival, Hamilton, has been invited into the inner circle of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson to help make decisions that will impact the future of the country. All the while, Burr is left out in the cold. We all want to be around influencers and decision-makers. However, you don’t have to...

As writers, we spend a lot of time focusing on helping other people tell their stories. Maybe you do client work, coaching, run a writing community as I do, or interview others for a podcast, as I do as well. Even if you only write for yourself, much of your time is spent thinking about how you can help other people live a better story. It is important, however, that we don’t forget about our own...

There are few things in life as powerful as a handwritten note sent through the mail. Why? Because we all want to feel noticed. We want to feel special. We love the feeling that someone took the time to hand-write a note, put it in an envelope, and mail it. As a writer, you interact with a lot of people: readers, other writers, clients if you have them, people who have helped you with publishing,...

One of the most critical truths of living in the modern world is that we are all connected. As the poet John Donne wrote, “No man is an island.” (And neither is any woman, of course.) And because you are the type of writer who wants to be generous, the kind of writer who gives more than you take, you will want to discover ways to support the important work of other writers. On this episode, Kent s...

All of us deal with a certain amount of friction as writers. Even under the best of circumstances, there are obstacles and problems that threaten our productivity and success. When you are under a deadline or experiencing a high amount of stress, it’s time to reduce the friction. The easiest way to do this is by prioritizing your commitments. On this episode, you’ll be reminded that even though yo...

One of the reasons that writing feels so hard to many people is because their expectation doesn’t match the reality of how a clean draft actually gets written. Many people have an ideal of sitting down at a computer and just letting the words flow out perfectly. The heavens open up, birds sing outside, and a ray of light descends from above as they post their work, email it, or send it off to the...

If someone gave you the assignment to write a sentence without the letter E, how would you respond? Would you think it’s too difficult, or that it can’t be done? What about a whole paragraph, a scene, or even a whole chapter? And ultimately, an entire book? How could you possibly write a book without the letter E? It simply can’t be done. At least, that’s what people kept telling a writer named Er...

Have you ever thought about why do so many writing projects get started, but never get finished? Lots of people want to write a book, start a podcast, create a blog, or build a writing business. But why do so many people stop short of following through? The answer is simple: it gets hard and people give up. You have probably fallen victim to giving up as well. You have started something, it got ha...

We all know that Amazon and other print-on-demand companies give authors an amazing opportunity to get our books out into the world without having to stock and ship our own books. But you may not have known about the opportunities that exist for custom-printing your own books. This is an area I’m exploring myself with at least one current project and possibly future ones for both me and my clients...

One of my very best friends is a guy named Eric Elder. He is a musician, author, and creative genius who runs TheRanch.org . A few years ago, we were on a call and he showed me how he stays motivated to finish the books he starts writing. You can find out more about Eric Elder and his books, music, and more by visiting TheRanch.org . On this episode, Kent shares one of his friends’ tips for how yo...

Some 4,500 years ago, tens of thousands of Egyptian workers descended upon the Giza Plateau to begin a massive construction project like the world had never seen. Over a period of twenty years, workers placed 2.3 million blocks of stone with such accuracy that it still confounds scientists today. Known as the Great Pyramid of Giza, it is the only wonder of the ancient world that survives today. On...

One of Aesop’s best-known fables is “The Tortoise and the Hare.” You’ve probably heard the story before. The hare challenges the tortoise to a race, confident he will win by a long shot. The race begins and the hare gets so far ahead of the tortoise that he takes a nap. When the hare wakes up, he finds that the tortoise kept moving and won the race! We can learn a lot from the tortoise. It may tak...