Hearts, Minds and Money with Kate Toon

In today's episode, I'll be talking all about how to get your book into a bookshop, drawing on my own experiences as a self-published author.  I'll discuss the financial realities and risks, how to best prepare yourself, and give my tips on what covers work best. Useful resources:  Visit the online shop Check out our book clubs See our upcoming events   Freebies:  Get the 100 Checklist Join our Fa...

Listen in hear about Martin's journey as a book lover and social media creator, his passion for supporting Australian authors, and his thoughts on book trends and social media culture.  We talked about the challenges and best practices for bookshops on social media, the importance of authenticity, and the divisiveness in the book community around genres and formats like audiobooks.  Martin shared...

In this episode, I am chatting with author Jessica Mansour-Nahra.  We discussed Jessica's writing career, focusing on her debut novel "The Farm," a gothic thriller set on an Australian farm, and her new book "The Burn," a climate suspense novel. Jessica shared insights into her writing process, her experience with the Faber Academy, and how her personal experiences, such as pregnancy loss and her...

In today's episode, we're reviewing three classic children's books that are a little darker, richer, and more mysterious than the average cosy bedtime story. The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall  takes us into wartime Britain, where children stumble into danger after finding a German machine gun. The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively brings us a haunted house, a mischievous spirit, and a b...

Welcome to the first episode fo Tales From The Book Nook. In it I'll address the common question of how to open an independent bookshop, providing a realistic perspective on the challenges and considerations involved. I discussed key factors including:  location selection (focusing on affordable rent, high foot traffic, and good neighboring businesses), infrastructure planning, technology requirem...

Hi, I'm Kate Toon, the owner of The Book Nook in Umina, and welcome to my new podcast, Tales from The Book Nook, which will share behind-the-scenes moments from running an indie bookshop, author interviews, book reviews, and stories about the unique community interactions that happen in the store. We'll have four main episode types: Behind the Nook for sharing bookshop processes and challenges, Ch...

So you want to make money while you sleep, but what does that look like in reality? How can an everyday human go from servicing customers one-to-one to creating one-to-many automated digital passive income products? Today, we're talking to a real-life ADPIPer, Fiona Killackey, about how she created her ADPIP empire, how she used her book to boost it, the challenges, the wins, and the lessons she h...

So you want to make money while you sleep, but what does that look like in reality?  How can an everyday human go from servicing customers one-to-one to creating one-to-many automated digital passive income products? Today, we're talking to a real-life ADPIPer, Kara Lambert, about how she created her ADPIPs, the challenges, the wins and what to do when your ADPIPs no longer fit with the business a...

So you want to make money while you sleep, but what does that look like in reality?  How can an everyday human go from servicing customers one-to-one to creating one-to-many automated digital passive income products? Today, we're talking to Shan Morrison about how he supports others to help them build their ADPIP empires. We're gonna talk through the challenges, the wins, and the lessons he's lear...

Hello and welcome to the Daily Toon and today I'm going to answer a question about how I got a publisher for my book. Kate shared her experiences with self-publishing and traditional publishing, emphasizing the importance of having a marketable book idea and working with a book coach. She also discussed the challenges of promoting a book and the need for a strong marketing strategy. Lastly, Kate e...

Hello and welcome to The Daily Toon and today I'm going to be talking about what I think makes a good public speaker. Kate, a speaker and entrepreneur, shared her insights on effective public speaking techniques. She emphasized the importance of thorough preparation, audience engagement, and a balanced approach to content delivery. Her advice covered various aspects of speaking, from presentation...

Hello and welcome to the Daily Toon, and today I'm going to be telling you the story of why I bought a bookshop. Kate Toon explains why, at 50, she bought a bookshop after achieving financial security through digital products. Despite caution from advisors, she proceeded for personal joy and community engagement. Kate faced challenges but found fulfillment in running the shop, cherishing the sense...

Today I'll be answering a question from Julia West: During quieter times, what should small business owners focus on? Kate discussed strategies for small business owners to utilize during quieter times, emphasizing the importance of maintaining discipline, improving the business website, and reconnecting with existing clients. She also recommended focusing on consistent branding, choosing a single...

Welcome back to the Daily Toon, in this episode I'm going to tell you the secret of how I get it all done. Kate discussed her productivity strategies, including her work habits, project management approach, and daily and weekly planning methods. She emphasized the importance of understanding one's own work style, breaking tasks into manageable parts, and using tools like Asana to manage tasks effe...

Today we're talking about money. What to do when you've got no money, what to do when you have a cash shortfall, and what to do when tax time comes and you don't have money to pay him. Kate emphasized the importance of effective financial management for small business owners and e-commerce entrepreneurs, suggesting the use of a bucket or envelope system for allocating funds. She shared her persona...

On today's episode of the Daily Toon I want to address a simple question: Is it worth entering business awards? Kate discussed the importance of evaluating the credibility and cost of entering business awards, emphasizing that not all awards are equal in terms of impact. She also highlighted the expenses involved in attending awards and suggested that entering awards should be considered part of a...

Today's episode comes from a question Peter Masci asked about proof and showing your experience when maybe you don't have that experience just yet. Kate emphasized the importance of humility and honesty when teaching or sharing knowledge, suggesting that one doesn't need to be a complete expert but should be better than their students and willing to learn. She shared her own experiences of learnin...

Today I'm answering a question from Sarah Nickels about how to transition between having a day job and being part-time in a business to being full time in the business. Kate discusses the challenges and strategies involved in transitioning from a day job to a part-time business and eventually becoming a full-time entrepreneur. She shares her personal experience of starting her business while pregn...

Hello, it's The Daily Toon here and today's episode is a little bit apt because it's all about how to forgive yourself when things go wrong. Kate discussed the importance of self-forgiveness and not being too hard on oneself, sharing her personal experience with her podcast and the pressure to be perfect. She emphasized finding joy in one's work and mentioned launching an SEO course as a higher pr...

The Daily Toon is here to answer a question from Sarah-Jane Ross and discuss how to overcome imposter syndrome. Kate addressed the common issue of imposter syndrome, offering strategies to cope with it and sharing her personal experiences. She provided advice on setting achievable goals, celebrating successes, and maintaining a positive mindset. The discussion concluded with Kate encouraging liste...

Today we're answering a much-asked question from Serina Bird: how do you overcome procrastination? Kate Toon discussed strategies to overcome procrastination, emphasizing the importance of setting clear goals, breaking tasks into manageable steps, and creating a realistic schedule. She also highlighted the need to eliminate distractions, work at optimal times, and practice self-compassion. Kate co...

Today's question comes from Stalla Bella. And she asked, how can I break the cycle of needing to hire more staff to scale my business, but not having the funds to hire, while also not being able to generate more funds without additional staff? What strategies can I use to overcome this challenge?  Kate discussed the challenges of scaling a business without sufficient funds and emphasized the impor...