In this episode of Books4Guys, Chris sits down with award-winning author Matt Hughes to discuss an extraordinary writing career that spans more than 40 books, multiple genres, and decades of storytelling.

Before becoming a full-time novelist, Matt built a successful career as one of Canada's top corporate speechwriters. But after years of helping others tell their stories, he decided to pursue the dream he'd carried since he was a teenager: writing fiction. That decision led him on an unconventional journey that included nearly two decades of house sitting around the world, allowing him to dramatically reduce his living expenses so he could focus on writing the books he had always wanted to create. 

Chris and Matt discuss creativity, self-publishing, traditional publishing, building memorable characters, and why chasing your passion often requires making sacrifices most people aren't willing to make. Matt also shares fascinating stories from his travels through Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Greece, and beyond, explaining how those experiences shaped both his life and his fiction. 

In this episode you'll learn:

•  How Matt Hughes built a career writing more than 40 books 
•  Why he spent 18 years house sitting around the world 
•  Traditional publishing vs. self-publishing 
•  How real-life experiences influence great fiction 
•  Creating memorable characters readers never forget 
•  Why it's never too late to pursue your dream 
•  The business side of becoming an author 
•  Lessons from decades of professional writing 
•  Why curiosity makes better storytellers 

Whether you're an aspiring writer, lifelong reader, entrepreneur, or someone considering a major career change, this conversation offers practical wisdom about creativity, perseverance, and building a life around the work you love.

In this episode of Books4Guys, Chris sits down with former NFL wide receiver, entrepreneur, speaker, and author JJ Birden to discuss his new book, Beat the Coverage: Six Strategic Steps to Win in Business and Life.

Growing up in a single-parent household in Portland, Oregon, JJ refused to let his circumstances define his future. Despite being overlooked because of his size, he earned a track scholarship to Oregon, walked onto the football team, and eventually built a nine-year NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons. Along the way, he developed a mindset centered on resilience, preparation, and creating opportunities instead of waiting for them. 

Chris and JJ dive into the six principles behind Beat the Coverage, exploring how lessons from the football field apply directly to leadership, business, personal growth, and everyday life. They also discuss overcoming adversity, preparing for life after sports, mentorship, continuous improvement, and why success always comes back to putting in the reps. 

In this episode you'll learn:

•  How JJ Birden overcame the odds to play nine seasons in the NFL 
•  The six principles from Beat the Coverage
•  Why preparation creates opportunity 
•  The importance of knowing your strengths and protecting your weaknesses 
•  Why hard work still separates successful people 
•  Building resilience through adversity 
•  Leadership lessons from the NFL 
•  Planning for life after success 
•  Why mentorship and paying it forward matter 
•  Books that shaped JJ's leadership journey 

Whether you're an entrepreneur, athlete, business professional, coach, or someone working toward a big goal, this episode offers practical lessons on perseverance, discipline, and building a mindset that wins both on and off the field.

In this episode of Books4Guys, Chris sits down with entrepreneur, leadership coach, investor, and bestselling author Scott Abbott to explore why lasting success isn't built on motivation—it's built on systems.

Drawing on more than four decades of experience helping organizations build, scale, and optimize their businesses, Scott explains why the highest performers focus on consistent habits, intentional leadership, and daily execution instead of chasing shortcuts. The conversation also dives into artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, resilience, mindset, and why personal growth follows the same principles as building a great company. 

In this episode you'll learn:

•  Why systems outperform motivation 
•  How successful leaders think differently 
•  The role habits play in long-term success 
•  Building momentum one day at a time 
•  How AI should enhance—not replace—your thinking 
•  Why discomfort is necessary for growth 
•  The connection between leadership and personal development 
•  Learning from failure without losing confidence 
•  Building a business and a life with purpose 

Whether you're leading a company, growing a business, or simply trying to become a better version of yourself, this conversation is packed with practical leadership lessons you can start applying immediately.

In this episode of Books4Guys, Chris sits down with New York Times bestselling author J.D. Barker to discuss the unlikely path that led him from investment banking and corporate finance to becoming one of today's most successful thriller writers.

J.D. shares how years of ghostwriting, editing, and working behind the scenes prepared him for his own breakthrough as an author. He also opens up about the difficult decision to leave a secure career, the unwavering support of his wife, and the mindset required to bet on yourself when the outcome is uncertain. Beyond writing, the conversation explores entrepreneurship, publishing, branding, marketing, artificial intelligence, and why building a long-term career requires patience, consistency, and continuous learning. 

In this episode you'll learn:

•  How J.D. Barker became a bestselling author 
•  The business side of publishing 
•  Why branding matters for authors and entrepreneurs 
•  Traditional publishing vs. self publishing 
•  Marketing books in today's world 
•  Building a long-term career instead of chasing overnight success 
•  Why persistence beats talent 
•  Lessons from working with James Patterson 
•  How great stories become movies and television series 

Whether you're an aspiring writer, entrepreneur, business owner, or simply love great books, this conversation offers practical lessons about taking risks, building a brand, and creating a career you truly enjoy.

In this episode of Books4Guys, Chris sits down with entrepreneur, executive coach, and author Bruce Eckfeldt to discuss what it really takes to build a successful company—and why the best founders begin thinking about their exit long before they're ready to sell.

After founding, scaling, and successfully exiting his own technology company, Bruce now helps entrepreneurs navigate leadership, growth, and one of the most overlooked transitions in business: preparing for life after the exit. The conversation explores the evolution from founder to CEO, overcoming imposter syndrome, building an organization that isn't dependent on you, and why purpose beyond the business ultimately leads to greater success. 

In this episode you'll learn:

•  How to build a business someone wants to buy 
•  The difference between being a founder and a CEO 
•  Why most entrepreneurs struggle to let go 
•  Preparing emotionally for selling your company 
•  Overcoming imposter syndrome as a leader 
•  Building a business that isn't dependent on you 
•  Creating a vision beyond financial success 
•  Leadership lessons from scaling companies 
•  The power of coaching and community 

Whether you're launching your first business or leading an established company, this conversation offers practical lessons for building something that creates both impact and freedom.

In this episode of Books4Guys, Chris sits down with bestselling author, speaker, and ministry leader Jeff Kinley to discuss purpose, legacy, faith, and the incredible story behind one of the most inspiring sports biographies ever written.

Jeff shares how he came to write Through the Eyes of a Champion: The Brandon Burlsworth Story, offering behind-the-scenes stories from his interviews with Brandon's family, coaches, teammates, and mentors. Beyond football, the conversation explores Brandon's relentless discipline, unwavering character, and deep faith—qualities that continue to inspire athletes, leaders, and everyday people decades later. Jeff also discusses his own writing journey, ministry, and why his life's mission is helping people discover lasting hope through Jesus Christ. 

In this episode you'll learn:

•  The untold story behind Brandon Burlsworth 
•  Why character always outlasts talent 
•  The habits that made Brandon extraordinary 
•  Lessons from one of college football's greatest stories 
•  How faith shaped Brandon's life 
•  Jeff Kinley's journey as an author 
•  Living with purpose and intentionality 
•  Why hope matters in today's world 
•  Building a life that leaves a lasting legacy 

Whether you're an athlete, coach, leader, parent, or someone simply trying to live with greater purpose, this conversation offers timeless lessons about discipline, faith, and making your life count.

https://jeffkinley.com/

In this episode of Books4Guys, Chris sits down with Dr. Ariel Robles, technology executive, pastor, and author of The Business Anointing, to discuss how faith, leadership, and purpose can work together to create lasting success in business and the workplace.

Drawing from more than 40 years as a technology executive and 30 years in ministry, Dr. Robles shares why leadership isn't simply about increasing profits or climbing the corporate ladder. Instead, he challenges leaders to build organizations rooted in integrity, character, wisdom, and purpose while demonstrating their faith through the way they lead others rather than simply through their words. 

One of the most memorable concepts from the conversation is Dr. Robles' idea of ROI versus ROP (Return on Purpose). While every successful business must generate a return on investment, truly impactful leaders also ask whether they're fulfilling a greater purpose through the work they do. Chris and Dr. Robles also discuss character versus charisma, strategic discernment, leading with integrity, making wise business decisions, and why success without purpose ultimately leaves people unfulfilled. 

In this episode you'll learn:

•  How to integrate faith into leadership without being preachy 
•  Why character always outlasts charisma 
•  The difference between ROI and Return on Purpose (ROP) 
•  Leading with integrity in business and corporate America 
•  How strategic pauses lead to better business decisions 
•  Why success without purpose feels empty 
•  Christian leadership principles for entrepreneurs and executives 
•  Building businesses that create both profit and lasting impact 
•  How to become a leader people naturally want to follow 

Whether you're a business owner, entrepreneur, executive, manager, or aspiring leader, this conversation offers practical leadership principles that can help you build a successful career while remaining true to your values.

In this episode of Books4Guys, Chris sits down with career coach, executive coach, and author Christine Fruehwirth to discuss how people can navigate life's biggest transitions with resilience, purpose, and hope.

Drawing from decades of experience helping professionals, working parents, college students, and career changers, Christine shares the inspiration behind the second edition of The Four Stages of Living. Together, they explore why setbacks don't have to define us, how major life changes can become opportunities for growth, and what it truly means to move from surviving to thriving. 

During the conversation they discuss:

•  The four stages of surviving, stabilizing, emerging, and thriving 
•  Navigating career transitions and layoffs 
•  Why networking matters more than ever 
•  Helping working parents and career changers 
•  Finding purpose in your work 
•  Recovering from divorce, grief, and major life changes 
•  Why resilience is a skill anyone can build 
•  The importance of healing before moving forward 
•  How setbacks often lead to life's greatest opportunities 
•  Books that inspire personal growth 

Whether you're facing a career change, relationship transition, health challenge, or simply wondering what's next in life, this conversation offers practical guidance and encouragement for moving forward with confidence.

FlexCareers Consulting

flexcareersconsulting.com

In this episode of Books4Guys, Chris sits down with high school football coach Justin Lovell to discuss leadership, mentorship, reading, and why coaching is about far more than wins and losses.

As Justin prepares for his first season as a head coach, he shares how his perspective on success has changed over the years. While championships are still a goal, his greatest passion has become helping young men develop discipline, accountability, character, and confidence that will serve them long after football ends. Together, Chris and Justin also discuss the importance of reading, the impact one book can have on a young person's life, and why coaches have a unique opportunity to shape future fathers, husbands, leaders, and citizens. 

In this episode you'll learn:

•  Why coaching is about more than football 
•  Building discipline and accountability 
•  Helping young men become leaders 
•  The importance of reading for student athletes 
•  Why education creates opportunity 
•  Lessons from Tony Dungy's Quiet Strength
•  Creating winning cultures 
•  Leading through service instead of ego 
•  Why the journey matters more than the scoreboard 

Whether you're a coach, parent, athlete, teacher, or mentor, this conversation offers practical wisdom for helping young people reach their full potential both on and off the field.

In this episode of Books4Guys, Chris sits down with bestselling author Eric Jorgenson, the creator of The Almanack of Naval Ravikant and The Book of Elon, to discuss the ideas that have influenced millions of readers around the world.

Eric shares the unlikely story behind turning a side project into one of the most successful business books of the past decade, with The Almanack of Naval Ravikant approaching two million copies sold worldwide. Together, they explore why people are drawn to timeless ideas about wealth, happiness, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning, and how reading the right books can completely change the trajectory of your life. 

During the conversation they discuss:

•  The story behind The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
•  Why The Book of Elon took years to create 
•  Lessons from Elon Musk and Naval Ravikant 
•  Why curiosity often leads to unexpected success 
•  Building wealth without sacrificing happiness 
•  Why reading changes the way we think 
•  The value of following your interests instead of chasing trends 
•  How books create credibility and lasting influence 
•  Learning through biographies and great thinkers 
•  Eric's favorite books and recommendations 

Whether you're an entrepreneur, leader, investor, or someone looking to think more clearly about business and life, this episode is packed with timeless ideas you'll revisit for years.

Books4Guys.com