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I used to overcomplicate my sales frameworks—five steps, ten categories, a dozen mental models. But I’ve realized something: the best-performing material follows the same principle as structural engineering—the triangle is stronger than the pentagon. Simpler frameworks are easier to remember, easier to teach, and more effective in high-stakes environments like the C-suite.

In this episode, I walk through how I took a bloated five-part sales framework and collapsed it into a tight, three-part system:

1. Position yourself before you pitch
2. Target the right executives
3. Pitch like a peer, close like a pro

I also dig into how categorization systems—like the Dewey Decimal Classification or the Library of Congress system—can inspire how you structure your offers, onboarding materials, and even your internal training. When you understand how to move from macro (strategic themes) to micro (specific phrasing or tactics), your whole business becomes more searchable, teachable, and scalable.

If your sales material feels limp or indistinct, this will help you clean it up and lock in a structure that actually lands.

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In this episode of Books That Get Leads, Colin explores how to define and claim your unique positioning—without pretending you invented every idea. He breaks down the subtle difference between parroting other experts and honoring them while evolving your own framework. Whether you're building a book, brand, or business, this episode will help you anchor your credibility in real experience, not empty slogans.

Key question: How have you credited those you've learned from while establishing authority for your own model?

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This is one of those conversations that takes you from the trenches to the stratosphere.

Steven Bowman is the kind of entrepreneur who’s lived a dozen lifetimes—kitchen-trained, whip-scarred, self-made, and now building AI agents while buying an apple orchard. In this episode, we talk about the real impact of AI—not in theory, but in terms of jobs, business models, and human relevance.

We cover:

• Why most middle-skill jobs are toast (and which 20% will thrive)
• The difference between disqualification marketing and qualified trust-building
• What’s actually happening under the hood with LLMs
• How to make your content searchable, interactive, and monetizable using AI agents
• Why storytelling, meatware, and authenticity are going to matter more than ever

This is also a wake-up call. If you’re a consultant, service business owner, or someone building IP—don’t just “learn AI.” Learn how to work with it. Build assets that compound. Create stories that can't be faked.

By the end of this episode, you’ll see exactly where the edge is—and how to stay on the right side of it.

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Yesterday, I fell prey to my own small-mindedness.

I had prepared a song over the last two weeks to perform live. And it didn’t go as planned. The response wasn’t what I was anticipating, and I had a brief foray with my inner bitch—Poopy Pants made an appearance.

That voice told me:
 “No one cares.”
 “You suck.”
 “What’s the point?”

Today, I took a look at the whole thing and reminded myself: stop giving a fuck about how things are received. If you know what you’re doing is important to you, and it feels positive, and you’re in your usefulness—and you're not hurting anyone—then you have to trust that you're on the right path.

Here’s what actually happened:

I’d prepared this track for two weeks, and while I was building it, I was fantasizing—visualizing how it would land. Basically trying to control the universe.

I get to the venue. A French girl named Joe goes up before me—she’s leaving town in two weeks and brought her crew with her. Room full of hot babes. Which means room full of dudes orbiting the hot babes. Big crowd.

She crushes. Then they all go to the bar. Half the room clears.

I made the mistake of thinking the scenario was different. But most open mics aren't designed to create cohesion between artists. This crowd wasn’t there for the show—they were there for her. And when she was done, they dipped. That was the accurate read.

But instead of staying with the truth, I synched up with my victim. Went small. Instead of cultivating the positivity of the moment, I went negative. That sucked.

What’s crazy? I got a lot of love afterward. People who were there dug it. But I was irked that I even went there—to that “no one cares” mindset. I forgot the cardinal rule:

You're not entitled to anything.
Not to people's attention. Not to their adoration. Not to their money.
The only thing you can control is the quality of what you deliver.

If you’re writing a book, make sure every single paragraph is worth the money.

If you’re performing, give the people in front of you your full soul—no matter how many are left.

If you’re blessed to hit that moment where preparation meets opportunity and something takes off—great. But know this: all the complexity you feel at the small scale? It scales with you.

So don’t chase complexity. Scale simplicity.
 Stay focused on making the thing actually good.

That’s the play.

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The Idea Canvas is a Google Doc I keep bookmarked on my browser. 

Its sole purpose is to capture ideas in their raw, first form. 

I have a few rules for how I use it—for example, by the end of each session, I make sure the page is blank again. 

It’s not meant to store anything long-term; it’s just a tool to get ideas out of my head and onto the page.

Once an idea is captured, I move it to its proper place within the hierarchy of my business. That, or kill it completely. Some goblins are too ugly for the light of day.

If I do store it, each idea gets framed as its own document and filed accordingly.

For instance, I was in Jeff Faldalen’s coaching group on Wednesday, where we were using GPT prompts to produce a sales pitch for one of our services. 

I developed all that material in the Idea Canvas first. 

Then, I transferred the finalized version into the Marketing Playbook for the Books That Get Leads brand. 

Specifically, I created a section called "Core Offers" and inserted the cleaned-up material there.

Even for this podcast, I started by sitting down with the Idea Canvas and flushing things out using voice-to-text. This part is really just me having a conversation with myself. 

After that, I’ll refine the material with GPT for structure and clarity, bring it back into my Thoughts and Composition doc for typesetting, and finally file it where it belongs.

Hope that’s useful.

Hugs,

Colin

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In this episode, I’m tackling something that hits close to home—what happens when you set a big goal, miss the mark, and how to avoid falling into a slippery slope. Over the weekend, I skipped recording a podcast because I chose to hang out with my parents. That temporary “defeat” made me rethink how I structure my production systems. I realized that it’s not about recording every day—it’s about having content ready to publish consistently.

I’m also drawing parallels between this and my recovery journey in Alcoholics Anonymous. Relapse taught me that a slip doesn’t erase the progress I’ve made, just like missing one recording doesn’t erase the momentum I’ve built. Whether you’re writing a book, building a content system, or learning a new skill, the key is focusing on small wins, improving infrastructure, and staying locked into the long-term vision.

If you’ve ever struggled with consistency or felt like a setback might derail your progress, this one’s for you. Let’s talk about how to set yourself up for success—whether it’s a book, a podcast, or any other goal.

Hope this helps you stay in the game. Let’s dive in.

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In this episode, I’m talking about strategic marketing and building relationships with people who have pull, influence, and the ability to put you in front of an audience you can’t reach on your own. But here’s the twist—it’s not about chasing connections or pushing offers. It’s about aligning with people whose work you genuinely admire and finding ways to create a 1+1=11 dynamic where both sides win.

I’ll walk you through:
 ✅ How I approached @forbidden.toys on Instagram to collaborate on adding audio to their satirical posts.
 ✅ Why my first connection with Joel Bauer opened doors I never saw coming.
 ✅ The mindset shift that took me from chasing clients to building real value-based partnerships.

This isn’t just about Instagram or social media. It’s a playbook for books, partnerships, and growing your influence by leading with value. Whether you’re thinking about writing a book or building your audience, this episode lays out how to skip the maze and find the leverage points that matter.

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Hey, this is Colin Campbell, and I want to share something simple but powerful: you can take all the negativity—sadness, shame, guilt, fear, anger—and transform it into something meaningful. I’ve been working on a song called Make It Beautiful, and the first lines hit hard:
“I can't escape this pain I feel. So make it beautiful. The meaninglessness is so real. So make it beautiful.”

The Truth About Emotions and Creation

It’s easy to feel disconnected when life throws curveballs. But instead of letting that darkness consume you, pour it into your work. Whether you’re writing a book, crafting music, or building something from scratch, that pain can be the raw material that transforms your work into something extraordinary.

Nonfiction writers often assume that emotions don’t play a role in their work—but that’s a mistake. Even when you're producing a business book, those moments of doubt, fear, and frustration can sharpen your voice and give your words more authenticity.

The Editing Safety Net

Here’s a key reminder: write to get things out—edit before you distribute. On bad days, when you're feeling inadequate or comparing yourself to others, don't let that stop you. The beauty of the creative process is that what you write in that raw, unfiltered state doesn’t have to see the light of day. But if you don’t create, there’s nothing to review, refine, or elevate later.

When you sit down to create, you're not committing to share every thought or emotion. You’re creating a foundation that you can revisit and mold into something valuable. And if you're worried that writing from anger or sadness will expose too much, remember that the work evolves. The raw version is just the starting point.

Why You’re More Capable Than You Think

Think of emotional pain as a storm. After the rain, the ground breathes new life. The same happens in your creative process. You might have a terrible week, but that doesn’t define your entire month—or your ability to produce impactful work.

As humans, we’re far more resilient than we give ourselves credit for. Great intellects and spiritual teachers throughout history remind us of that. You can absorb the pain of reality and transform it into something that inspires others.

Love Yourself Through It All

If there’s something weighing on your heart, ask your version of a higher power to help you release it. You deserve happiness. Give yourself a hug and know that you're capable of turning that pain into something beautiful.

That’s it for today. I’m getting back to my song and editing my book. Whatever you're working on, trust the process. The best work often comes from the hardest moments.

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Let’s talk about one of the biggest trust-killers in business writing: the passive voice.

You’ve seen it. You’ve probably used it. Heck, we all have.

When you say things like “A decision was made” or “The project was delayed,” you’re leaving the reader wondering: By who? Why? What happened? It’s like watching a movie with invisible characters. You lose the thread. You lose the punch. And most importantly—you lose authority.

In this episode, I share why passive voice is such a silent killer in thought leadership and sales writing, especially when you’re trying to position yourself as the go-to expert. I also walk through real examples from service businesses and show you how to flip them into high-trust, action-driven statements.

Here’s a quick taste:

• Passive: “Campaign assets were created to support the launch.”
   ✅ Active: “We created the campaign assets that drove a high-impact launch.”
• Passive: “Operational bottlenecks were identified and removed.”
   ✅ Active: “I mapped the workflow, found the bottlenecks, and cleared them.”

See the difference? One hides the action. The other builds trust.

If you’re writing a book, crafting a sales page, or just want your words to hit harder—this episode is for you.

And if you want more tools, swipe files, and behind-the-scenes breakdowns to help you turn your ideas into a book that brings in clients, check out BooksThatGetLeads.com. There’s a ton of free stuff waiting for you.

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In this episode, I talk about one of the most powerful tools you can use to improve your writing—and it's sitting right on your keyboard: the delete key.

I walk you through my own process of trimming back a story about Robert Rodriguez, wrestling with a weird red hat analogy, and working live with a client to cut entire paragraphs—all in service of making the message cleaner, stronger, and more focused.

If you're writing a book to generate leads or grow your authority, learning to delete what's not serving your reader is crucial. I’ve seen how hard it is to let go of material you’ve poured time and energy into—but it’s often the boldest cuts that make the biggest impact.

This episode is all about simplifying, tightening, and trusting that less really can be more.

🔗 You can get more free resources at BooksThatGetLeads.com
🎧 Tune in and let’s sharpen your message—one deleted paragraph at a time.