Author Hour

S. Gale Bleth spent decades teaching personal safety to students, employees, and community members—but it wasn't until her nieces started leaving for college that she finally wrote the book she'd been putting off for years.

In this episode, Gale shares how she turned a 12-hour self-defense course into a character-driven, story-based safety playbook for young adults, what the AWARE method is and why it covers 90% of personal safety, and how her book hit #1 on Amazon within two days of launch.

She also talks about finding Scribe, working with her editor Candace to bring the book to life, and why she believes A.W.A.R.E. belongs in every college orientation program in the country.

For more information on S. Gale Bleth, visit https://scribemedia.com/authors/gale-bleth

For more information on A.W.A.R.E., visit https://scribemedia.com/published-books/aware

Rachel Williamson spent 30 years leading retail operations at some of the biggest brands in the industry — from Bath & Body Works to Ann Taylor — before launching her consulting firm and writing Running Great Stores, a 30-day implementation guide for store managers and district managers.

In this episode, Rachel talks with Eric Jorgenson about how she finally committed to the book, the creative process that got it done in two focused months, and the hands-on marketing playbook she built from scratch — custom shipping envelopes, branded ribbon, Mini Cooper keychains, and personalized book signings — that turned a first-time author into an Amazon #1 bestseller and opened doors to new clients, speaking engagements, and a chance encounter with a Fortune 500 CEO.

To listen alongside an in depth episode summary, highlights, and full transcript, visit https://scribemedia.com/author-hour/episode/rachel-a-williamson-on-turning-30-years-of-store-operations-experience-into-a-be

What happens when a book you wrote to inspire strangers ends up transforming your own life?

In this episode, Eric sits down with Candler Cook, author of From Underdog to Bulldog, to talk about the unexpected and remarkable doors his book has opened since he published it seven years ago.

Candler shares how a fraternity alumni email connected him with his now-CEO, how his personal story attracted a film production company, and why reaching the right 1,000 people matters more than chasing a bestseller list.

He also opens up about working with Scribe, what it felt like to get a 6-out-of-10 first draft across the finish line, and what he'd tell anyone sitting on a book idea right now.

To listen alongside an in depth episode summary, highlights, and full transcript, visit https://scribemedia.com/author-hour/episode/from-walk-on-to-the-big-screen-how-candler-cook-s-book-changed-his-career-and-st

For more information on Candler Cook, visit https://scribemedia.com/authors/candler-cook

For more information on From Underdog to Bulldog, visit https://scribemedia.com/published-books/from-underdog-to-bulldog

Gui Costin, founder and CEO of Dakota, joins Eric Jorgenson to talk about writing two books with Scribe—The Dakota Way and Be Kind—and why he now calls authoring “the single best thing I’ve ever done for the business and for people.”

Gui walks through the procrastination and self-doubt that nearly stalled his first Scribe book, the “world-class ghostwriter” who got him through it, and the Dakotaisms (“turn your brain off,” “throw your hat over the wall”) that finally pushed the book over the line. He explains how Dakota uses signed copies at every live event, why a book makes you a subject matter expert and an authority rather than a salesperson, and how showing up on LinkedIn pays off in unexpected ways, including a 20-years-no-contact college teammate who somehow knew his Starbucks order.

The episode closes with Gui’s blunt advice to any CEO on the fence: figure out what you’re passionate about, call Scribe, and turn your brain off.

To listen alongside an in depth episode summary, highlights, and full transcript, visit https://scribemedia.com/author-hour/episode/gui-costin-two-books-two-dakotaisms-and-the-greatest-authentic-hack-of-all-time

For more information on Gui Costin, visit https://scribemedia.com/authors/gui-costin

For more information on The Dakota Way, visit https://scribemedia.com/published-books/the-dakota-way

On this episode of Author Hour, Eric Jorgenson sits down with Deneen Allen, founder of FireCircle and creator of the 5x5 Method, to talk about her new book The FireCircle 5x5 Method.

Deneen spent 25 years building tourism and hospitality businesses across Canada before distilling that expertise into a digital program, and resisting her team's push to put it in book form for three years.

In this conversation, she shares why she finally said yes, how the book now functions as both a marketing tool and a companion guidebook to her digital program, the "secret code" funnel she built to convert readers into FireCircle members, and why she now wishes she'd written it sooner.

A candid, useful conversation for any operator weighing whether their expertise belongs in a book.

To listen alongside an in depth episode summary, highlights, and full transcript, visit https://scribemedia.com/author-hour/episode/deneen-allen-how-a-reluctant-author-turned-25-years-of-tourism-expertise-into-a-

On this episode of Author Hour, host Eric Jorgenson sits down with entrepreneur, banker, and first-time author Eddy Arriola to talk about his new book, It's All About Relationships.

Eddy shares the story of his sold-out launch event at Books and Books, the Miami independent bookstore he has loved since he was old enough to drive, and the unexpected ways readers have responded, including a Cornell donor who ordered 50 personalized copies for the lacrosse team.

He reflects on the discipline of writing alone, the choice to publish with Scribe, and the magic of putting his old high school history teacher up on stage with him at the launch.

For any leader who has ever thought about writing a book, this conversation is a master class in why the hard road is the right one.

To listen alongside an in depth episode summary, highlights, and full transcript, visit https://scribemedia.com/author-hour/episode/it-really-is-all-about-relationships-eddy-arriola

For more information on Eddy Arriola, visit https://scribemedia.com/authors/eddy-arriola

For more information on It's All About Relationships, visit https://scribemedia.com/published-books/its-all-about-relationships

Dr. Richard Harris joins Eric Jorgenson roughly six weeks after the release of White Coat, Heavy Soul, and three weeks after the audiobook went live, to walk through how the book got written, why he left the traditional hospital system for direct primary care, and the unexpected goodness already showing up.

Dr. Harris wrote the manuscript in 12-hour days for three months after his son's traumatic birth, leaning on eight years of stage-tested speaking material to sequence the story. He explains why he chose Scribe's hybrid publishing model ("the number one decision I made was I wanted full autonomy"), the moment a retired-judge family friend in small-town Indiana started handing the book to strangers, and why his real two-year hope is one full-circle moment: a kid telling him they became a doctor because of the book.

The episode closes on a now-recurring Author Hour insight: the book is a tailwind on everything else you ever do, plus a five-star Scribe review and an admission that book two is already in the works.

To listen alongside an in depth episode summary, highlights, and full transcript, visit https://scribemedia.com/author-hour/episode/there-ll-never-be-a-right-time-dr-richard-harris-on-white-coat-heavy-soul

For more information on Richard Harris, visit https://scribemedia.com/authors/richard-harris

Michael Erath joins Eric Jorgenson to walk through eight years and three Scribe-published books as the centerpiece of a 9-person coaching firm. Michael's first book, Rise, was a personal memoir about a business partner who embezzled half a million dollars and the marriage strain that followed; readers still reach out years later to share their own versions of the story. By his third book, The Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations, Michael had pivoted from a ghostwriter to writing every word himself with a Scribe coach, rerecorded his Audible himself in Scribe's studio, and built an AI clone as a funnel companion. He breaks down concrete numbers for the first time on Author Hour: 75 to 100 books mailed per month, ~$16 landed cost per book, an audiobook he calls the legacy artifact his great-grandkids will hear, and the line he gives to anyone considering authorship — "if your goal in writing a book is to retire on book sales, it's probably not going to happen." The episode closes on Eric's max for the editing phase: craftsmanship has no deadline.

To listen alongside an in depth episode summary, highlights, and full transcript, visit https://scribemedia.com/author-hour/episode/75-books-a-month-how-michael-erath-built-a-three-book-author-ecosystem-at-next-l

For more information on Michael Erath and his books, visit https://scribemedia.com/authors/michael-erath

Dr. Laura M. Brown, ND joins Eric Jorgenson to talk about Beyond Digestion: How GUT Health Connects to Your Mind, Body, and Soul, her book on the science and stories of gut health. Five years after publishing through Scribe, Dr. Brown breaks down the long-term ROI of authorship for a service business: a podcast tour she built herself across North America, new patients who arrive already pre-educated, MD referrals, public health speaking invitations, and a reader who quietly lost 40 pounds before they ever met. She also shares why she chose Scribe's editorial process over a true DIY route, how she frames the book as "$20 for 20 hours with me" to prospective patients, and what she'd tell anyone who's had a book sitting on their list for years. The episode lands on the phrase that gives this conversation its name: soul satisfaction.

To listen alongside an in depth episode summary, highlights, and full transcript, visit https://scribemedia.com/author-hour/episode/soul-satisfaction-dr-laura-brown-turned-a-book-on-gut-health-into-a-five-year-co

In this episode of Author Hour, Eric Jorgenson sits down with Dr. Tod Stillson, MD, a family physician in rural America and the author of Doctor Incorporated. Tod shares how a single book about transitioning from employed physician to independent contractor became a catalyst for the Physician Entrepreneur Academy, now nearly 6,000 members strong, a six-figure coaching business, and ChatterX, a multi-million dollar on-demand urgent care telemedicine company. Tod talks about working with the Scribe team, the perfectionism that keeps most doctors from writing, and why he sees a book less as a product and more as an igniter for everything that comes next.