Brand Architect

 Today I will be talking to Peter Shankman. The New York Times has called him "a public relations all-star who knows everything about new media and then some,", while Investor's Business Daily has labeled him "crazy, but effective." Peter Shankman is a spectacular example of what happens when you merge the power of pure creativity with  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a dose of adventure, and make it work to your advantage. An author, entrepreneur, speaker, and worldwide connector, Peter is recognized worldwide for radically new ways of thinking about Customer Service, Social Media, PR, marketing and advertising.

Interview Highlights

Books are great to get speaking gigs.

As you start to create value people will notice it and if it's good people tend to share it.

Having an audience is a privilege - it is not a right!

You have to figure out what your audience wants and that comes from knowing who they are.

You have to be willing to be open.

Failure is great because it teaches you how to improve.

Every day is a chance to create something better.

First of all thank you so much for the amazing feedback for the episode 100. For those who have not listened to it - the write 2b read podcast episode 100 featured interview with me, which my friend podcaster Bill Nowicki had recorded just few days after the podcast was launched. So if you wanna know more about me as a person and find out who stands behind this voice and as I’ve been told pretty thick James Bond girl accent - then head over to www.anialexander.com/100

By reaching the milestone of 100 episodes I spent some time thinking about how much I have learnt in less than a year of podcasting… And it’s not like all the things I’ve learnt are related to podcasting, not at all…

So today I would like to talk about the coincidences in life… which later, looking back are things that had to happen in order to lead you to things which you had to come across.

In order to explain what exactly I mean I’ll refer to the Write 2B Read podcast - which you are listening to right now and which has become a very crucial part of my life. So let me tell you its story.

I thought about podcasting long before I actually launched this podcast. I love to talk, I love people, I am curious and I am a story teller, so it was sort of logical that podcasting could be something that I would enjoy… BUT what happens usually when we want to do something? Yup… self-doubts and excuses attack and push back the intention to do something new. And that’s exactly what happened to me back then. I recalled the fact that I have an accent and that would not sound well… I thought that the technical part of producing a podcast was very complicated and I also thought that no one would like to be interviewed by a completely unknown Armenian podcaster…

And then the coincidences in my life came by one by one. First of all one of my good online friend and a fellow writer Rob Cubbon introduced me to my current podcasting mentor Meron Bareket. I don’t even remember how did the topic come up. It was long after the self doubt had won and I had decided that podcasting is not something I could possibly manage and had forgotten about it. So I got introduced to Meron’s free video tutorials, where he covers everything you need to know about launching a podcast  (which by the way you can get too at www.podcastincubator.com/write2bread) and after watching the first few videos I realized that technically it is not as complicated as I thought.

That sort of made me think that things were not impossible. So I drank a bottle if beer and recorded a few second audio to send out to few British friends and see if my accent would be bearable. The feedback was great and they told that I should definitely go ahead and start a podcast.

So it all led me reach the point when I though “what the hell - let’s try it”. For me it was just an experimental project. I was going to do my best, try and see what happens.

Now, when I think back … I might have never known Rob (btw I still don’t remember how we met online)  and respectfully not be introduced to Meron… Even after the launch I might not have put so much time into it… or got so many amazing guests… or might have given up at the early stage…

So I guess, things happen for a reason. When they do you don’t yet know where those things will lead you to…

Yes there is an element of luck to meet the right person at the right time, to come up with an idea at a time when there are people who are willing to help you execute it, to gain the courage when you need it most…

but if you embrace what comes and later on help the chain reaction with putting some time and effort on top of the initial coincidence amazing things may happen.

When you get an idea for a book - help it become a book - start writing it and don’t let the uncertainty about whether it will sell or not stop you.

When you meet someone online - help that person change your life - talk to him. I am connecting to 3 new people online each day. Some of them later become online friends, business partners and avid listeners.

When you think about doing something you’d like to do - don’t overthink - just do it. Don’t let the imaginary barriers stop you from starting.

When you get self-doubts - try to see how real the doubts are… maybe they are created and imagined by you and have nothing to do with the reality.

Look back at all the coincidences in your life and you will realize that they were not pure coincidences. They were chances, opportunities and the beginnings of something new. They were the turning points and the twists that you needed in your life.

They may lead you to amazing changes and make you create something amazing.

Maybe coming across the Write 2B Read podcast was not a coincidence either and the fact that you are listening to me know means something… like that you need to write that book inside you, or you need to find out how to share the book you have  already written with the world - or simply get the inspiration and the encouragement that you needed now.

Go ahead and make things happen. You can do it!

Oh and go ahead and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes to make sure that you don’t miss anything new :)

We are at episode 100 and I still can't believe it! It has been a very exciting and fruitful period.

I still remember how I recorded and later re-recorded many times my very first episode. I sounded nervous and did not like the result... but it is still there the way it is. I did not record a new one to replace it, because I thought that it is fair to leave it the way it came out ...

I have enjoyed almost all the interviews done until now and I am proud that I've spoken to so many awesome people. It blows my mind to realize that every day someone I don't know listens to me somewhere on the other hand of the world. It feels weird and at the same time amazing to realizing that there are many people I have never met who hear my voice at least twice a week...

I truly appreciate every single listener. Every time I feel down I re-read your reviews and e mails and the day gets better.

I won't be mentioning names, cause you know who you are and you are so many but I  would like to thank everyone, who has encouraged and helped me make this happen.

In the episode 100 you will hear an interview with me which was recorded just few days after the launch of the Write 2B Read podcast and it will help you know me better./p>

Below are the interviews I've done in no particular order for you to listen if you have not done so yet. Just click on the image and it will play.

Here are the interviews and short solo pieces: 

When I was young we trusted the educational system and thought that it was enough to gian all the  knowledge one needs to have for the adult life. Maybe that’s because the educational system was much better back then… or maybe it’s because we were extremely naive… I don’t know.

Now, I start really disliking schools. I have a feeling that most of the important things are not taught there. Besides that in the times when the access to information and knowledge is  just few keystrokes away I don’t see the value schools bring so much…

When I talk to people and complain about the schools I am also trying to explain what I wish I was taught there and what I wish I knew back then… 

So I decided to share those with you today.

I wish that instead of teaching what one should do in life and what is wrong and right they taught us to follow our dreams… Unfortunately most of us forget about our childhood dreams by the time we grow up.  But maybe that would not happen if we were told that dreams and  adult life could co-exist and that childhood dreams are not necessarily incompatible with the real life. I meet so many people, who wish they were doing something else instead, who still recall the dreams they had in the past and regret that they never even tried to make them happen.

Schools concentrate so much on the pragmatic thinking that sometimes we end up thinking that dreaming is stupid… dreaming big becomes sign of being immature and as a result many of us end dreaming  altogether…

Well you know what? All that is a bullshit! I am more than certain that we all need to dream. Always! No matter how old we are. Dreams should be part of our life and I wish someone told that to me at school, so that is why I am telling you this now. Follow your dreams so instead of regrets or dreamless life you’ll end up being excited.

The other wrong misperception we have is that if we study well we will get a guaranteed success. But that’s not true at all. Only the academic knowledge is not enough… there is so much more you need to have. You gotta have emotional intelligence, which is not taught in any school yet. You need to have a certain unique personality and no one can teach you how.

So what do we learn at school apart from the academic stuff? Well we are told the standard life scenario… we are brought up to think that the right way is to study well. to graduate and get into university. After that we have to find a job, climb the career leather, get married, buy a house, have kids….  What they don’t tell us in school is that there is a choice - and the choice is not simply studying well and being successful and rich or study poorly and be poor and unhappy as they imply.

They should teach at schools that there is always a choice and most importantly there is a choice of NOT following the crowd.

And that leads me to the next thing I wish they taught… children at school should learn that if not awesome than at least

[spp-tweet "it is ok to be different."]

I went to school in times when the Soviet Union still existed. Back then any kind of differentiation (not only at schools, but everywhere else) was punished. We were supposed to dress, think and behave the same way… all of us. Maybe that is why I love the fact that I can no longer hide the fact that I am different and love being that way.

I also wish that children at school were told that one does not necessarily have to work for someone else and that it’s a choice too. I believe that there are people who do not need to ever create a CV and who should start their own thing straightaway. Yes, I agree that the entrepreneurship is not for everyone… but working for a company is not or everyone either, right?

I also wish that children knew that it is ok to fail and that there is no such person, who has never failed before. Children have to be taught  not to get discouraged, not to give up, stand up straight and try again when they fail.

School tests and exams are designed in such way that they make children to use their left brain and only the left part of their brain is graded as a result. That is good, left brain is very important indeed … BUT they should know that right brain also exists and it also needs to be used.

Just like they learn the basics of math they also need to learn about their creativity and intuition.

As you can see I don’t expect too much from schools and universities. On top of what we get there, I think that the life and personal experiences are the better teachers.

My today's guest is Tucker Max.

His first book, I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell, is a #1 New York Times Best Seller, spent five years on the list, and has over 2 million copies in print. His second book, Assholes Finish First, and his third book, Hilarity Ensues, are also NY Times Best Sellers. He co-wrote and produced the movie based on his life/book, also titled “I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell.” He has also been credited with being the originator and leader of a new literary genre, “fratire,” is only the third writer (after Malcolm Gladwell and Michael Lewis) to ever have three books on the NY Times Nonfiction Best Seller List at one time, and was nominated to the Time Magazine 100 Most Influential List in 2009. He currently lives in Austin, Texas.

Interview Highlights

There is 1 way to know if your writing us good and that's if people who don't know you and don't care about you read it and recommend it to their friends.

Quality is not measured by how beautiful your sentence is. The quality of your writing is measured by how may people take value from it.

There is no such thing as a strategy that works all the time.

If you're an author and you think that selling a lot of books will change your life and will solve all your problems and make everything better and complete you as a person - it won't.

All that money does is make you a bigger version of whatever you were before.

Useful links

Book in a Box

Book in a Box book (coming soon)

Many authors think that writing a book is very hard and that once you finish your book, the rest is a piece of cake.

Well I would argue about that. For example personally for me the writing process is more enjoyable and much easier than everything else that needs to be done after that.

Once you have completed your manuscript there are so many things that you need to do after. It may even make some writers feel overwhelmed and confused.

So let’s understand what should you do once you finish writing your book? What are the things that you will have to deal with.

Well many rush to their friends and family but I personally think that it is not a good thing. First of all – they are people who might not be able to be objective. Second, they may feel bad about hurting your feeling and may not provide any negative feedback. And the third thing is that they may not be your audience. For example I write women’s fiction and it is logical that my husband is not the most suitable person to approach for feedback. So try to find readers, who enjoy reading books similar to the one you’ve written.

Your manuscript has to be self edited. In fact maybe you will need few rounds of self-edit. One before you send out the text             for feedback and one after you have made the final changes to the manuscript.

          Ideally you should get professional help; but if you can’t afford it, have at least 4 to 5 different people go through your manuscript. That way you will minimize the remaining errors.

As you can see I did not cover the marketing side, neither I spoke about the book launch strategies.

What I covered were the obligatory things that you will need to do with your manuscript in order to make sure that it becomes a book ready to be published.

So please don’t think that if you have finished writing your book, you’re done. As you already saw – there is a lot more to do than the writing.

Meanwhile.. before you get there, make sure you do complete writing the book you have started!

Oh and in case you don't wanna deal with all that and need affordable but good quality solution check out our new service!

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My today's guest is Chris Marr. Chris Marr is a content marketer, blogger and podcaster. He helps businesses in and around Fife to embrace content marketing strategies and improve their communication.

He is content marketer, blogger, Director of Learning Everyday Ltd, Founder of The Content Marketing Academy and Host of The Marketing Academy Podcast.

Content Marketing: the ability to communicate with people without selling to them.

Go with the platform your audience resonates most and you feel comfortable with.

The best thing is to stick to one main platform in the beginning.

You can create community around your content.

It is very important to connect on a personal level with your audience.

Building audience takes time.

[spp-tweet "Build your audience piece by piece, one person at a time."]

You don't need to create more content. You can engage with other people's content that is already there.

[spp-tweet "There are thousand and one ways to get your message out there."]

The mistake that people often do is they try to do too much. They get overwhelmed and spread themselves too thin. Because of that they do the next mistake and become inconsistent with their content.

The best way for anyone to differentiate is by being as personable as possible.

[spp-tweet "One of the best ways to connect with your audience is being yourself."]

People remember the lessons through stories.

We all have given up at some point. All of us at a certain point have stopped believing that we’ll be able to make it. Some of us have done it often, some just very few times, but all of us know how it feels.

The  sad fact is that most of us give up far too soon.

I was thinking the other day - why do we actually give up? What are the most common reasons and are there any ways to get around those?

Let’s get to the first reason - discouragement. No matter what you have decided to do, as soon as you share it with people there will be at least few who will tell you that YOU Can’t Do it and come up with different reasons about why it can’t be done. At that point you may decide to give up the idea even before giving it a try.  Instead of thinking about giving up think about how are you going to prove all those people wrong. Get inspired by the biographies of Michael Jordan, Steve Jobs and Ray Charles and all others who proved that discouraging words have no power.

In fact proving those who doubt me wrong has been pretty good motivation for me so far!

The second reason why people give up is lack of self-confidence. If you don’t believe in yourself you will always be tempted to give up because you won’t believe in your success. The self-doubt will be keeping you from pushing forward.

I was there too.

I somehow thought that I was not strong enough to make my dreams come true… but then there was a shift in mindset which sort of set me free. And it was one simple realization. The realization that none of the people who have succeeded are better than me. They worked harder, they were persistent and they believed in their dreams - but they were not better… and you are as good as them.

The third reason for giving up may be the lack of focus. These days there are so many distractions… Social media, TV series, and different smart phone notifications not letting you focus on the important things. If you don’t keep focus on your goal you will end up with insufficient results and that will discourage you.

That reminds me of yet another reason. We give up when we don’t see immediate results. We all want things to happen fast and it is hard to realize that it takes time. There is no such thing as overnight success so we have to keep in mind that it takes time and be prepared not to give up at least for that certain period of time.

The other reason you give up may be that you lack motivation, enthusiasm and inspiration.

When I am starting something new I am on fire. I am full of enthusiasm and I am motivated. But with the time things may start cooling off and at some point the self-motivation may not be enough to keep me moving. That is when I may think about giving up… that is when I need to go back to beginning and try to recall the big why. Why did I start that project on first place and what was initially motivating me? that brings me back on track most of the time/

People also give up because they miss their comfort zone. No matter what kind of life you had - you were used to it and that brought comfort. Now when you have initiated changes you entered the stage of uncertainty and struggle, which by no means is comfortable. What makes me not giving up in those cases is the thought that once I get where I wanna be my new comfort zone will be a much better one.

We also often give up because we initially thought that things would be easier. But then I’d say that anything worth achieving is hard. Yes the easiest option is to just give up… but then, will it be easy living with the regret that you gave up midway?

On the other hand I would not say that giving up is something terrible and wrong. Sometimes you may end up having too many things on your plate and that may make you overwhelmed. Sometimes you may need to give up certain things because they may not be a priority at that point.

What is important that you don’t give up your dreams and the things you want really bad. Don’t give up your passion and never give up writing!

Get a free audiobook from 150,000 available fiction and non-fiction titles for your iPhone, Android, Kindle or mp3 player here.

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My today's guest is Mark Dawson - the author of John Milton series. Until recently, Mark worked in the London film industry. He now writes full-time and is working on three series.

I found out about Mark Dawson few weeks ago, when I read the article about him in Forbes. Last year Amazon paid Mark $450k. I tried to find out how did he make it and which were the main components of his success.

In this interview we you will find out

Useful Links

Self Publishing Formula (Mark's free videos)

Mark Dawson's website

The Self Publishing Podcast

Rocking Self Publishing podcast

The Creative Penn podcast

You can get free audiobook here

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I am not sure you know this, but a while ago I was a self-development blogger. My blog was called Life Probabilities and although I am no longer the owner and the author of the blog it still exists.  Now Vinod is the owner of the Life Probabilities and he is covering self development related topics there so you can check out the blog if you like similar topics.

So today I will present you with one of the blog posts I wrote at Life Probabilities about success. Since the thoughts I had are still valid I decided that I could share them with you here too.

Who doesn’t want to be successful?

Yup, that’s what I thought. No one.

These days there are many talks about becoming successful, not giving up after failure, getting there, striving for perfection and such. All that is supposed to motivate and encourage…

But sometimes, just the opposite happens.

Sometimes reading all those articles and coming back to where you are at that moment may make you even more depressed.

Why is that?

I think it is because many self-development authors contribute to the stereotyping of the meaning of success. The same thing does the TV, the media and the society.

If you ask around about who is successful many will somehow come up with the names of celebrities, rich businessmen, top managers or well-known people.

No one will think of a single mother who raised a creative and happy child. No one will come up with the name of a person, who left everything behind in order to follow his dream. No one will recall the young guy, who spent days and nights outside with his camera in order to finally make that perfect shot he had in mind.

What we need to understand is that success is not a fixed term. Success is different for everyone. For one being successful may mean climbing up the career ladder. For someone else it may mean not working for a corporation. For someone success may be being rich and famous. For someone else it is about a happy family and genuine friends. For some writing and completing a full length novel is already a success, but for someone else the success is becoming a bestselling author.

Besides that your vision of success may be evaluated periodically. At different stages of your life you may have different understandings of success. Life does not stand still and you have the right to change your mind and follow different goals.

Success is a complex term. It is not always obvious and visible. Being true to your values may be a success itself. Reaching inner peace and harmony, may also mean that you are successful.

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey he has one exercise. You have to imagine your funeral. Think about who will be there and what will they say about you and your life. Surpassingly what you would like them to say is what you are supposed to achieve during your life.

For me success is living so that the words I would like to be told at my funeral are told when the time comes.

By the way for you, the listeners of the Write 2B Read podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook download with a free 30-day trial to give you the opportunity to check out their service.

So you can get the number one international bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People mentioned in this episode or any other audiobook of your choice for free at www.audibletrial.com/write2bread