High-Trust Business Podcast

Most people think books are just lead magnets for strangers. But there's another play: throwing a launch party for people who already know you.

Rich Bontrager runs virtual book launches, and he convinced me to do one for The Book Blueprint Framework. I'm glad he did. Instead of just using your book to collect email addresses, a launch event lets you celebrate with your existing network while building authority.

We dig into what worked about the event, what I got out of it immediately, and how the recording becomes a marketing asset you can use later. Rich walks through the mechanics of running these events and why they're worth doing even if you're not naturally a party planner.

You'll hear specific ways to make the most of your own book launch and why engaging your warm audience can be more valuable than chasing cold leads.

Show notes: https://mrstuartbell.com/podcasts/htb/124-following-up-on-the-book-launch-with-rich-bontrager/

About Rich Bontrager: Website | LinkedIn

Is Your Book Ready to Collect Leads? — Most books sit on a shelf. This scorecard shows you if yours is set up to start conversations and bring in clients. Take the Scorecard

Today on the Book More Show, we're talking with Bill Bloom, a Chicago-based financial advisor, author of several books, and genius behind 'Retire as You Desire.'

We've spoken with Bill before, so it's great to check back in and see how his world has really expanded since writing the books and what the Retire as You Desire platform has developed into.

Bill is passionate about helping people make a plan that supports the retirement they want, and he talks about the conversations his books have started, how he thought of his books in the first place, and how he views books as the world's greatest business card.

This is a great show with someone who has really run with the idea of using a book to build their business.

Bill Bloom runs a Chicago-based financial advisory practice and he's cracked the code on using books to build real business relationships.

He's written several books around retirement planning and turned them into something bigger. His 'Retire as You Desire' platform now includes a YouTube channel, podcast, and a steady stream of conversations with people who want to retire on their own terms.

This isn't Bill's first conversation with us, so you're getting the inside look at what actually happened after he published. He talks about how the books started conversations he never would've had otherwise, and how he built an entire content strategy around the core ideas.

You'll hear his take on thinking through your book concept, why he's passionate about helping people create retirement plans that actually work for their lives, and how he's used his books to expand way beyond traditional financial planning.

Show notes: https://mrstuartbell.com/podcasts/htb/123-the-worlds-greatest-business-card-with-bill-bloom/

About Bill Bloom: Website | LinkedIn

Your Book Is Closer Than You Think — You already say everything that needs to be in your book. 90-Minute Books turns it into a done-for-you lead generation tool. Get the Free Book

Today on the Book More Show, we're talking to author & owner of Virtualdoo, an Australian-based fractional COO company, Lloyd Thompson.

Lloyd recently finished a great book, ' 9-Ways to Leave Your Day-to-Day Operations', an introduction to the idea that companies of all sizes can benefit from operational improvements.

We talked about how he's using his book to start conversations, leading people toward working with you, and what he did to hit an Amazon best-seller list.

Lloyd has an enthusiastic outlook that's contagious, and his experience in writing a book is a reminder we can all share our knowledge in a way that helps others.

Lloyd Thompson runs VirtualDoo, helping Australian companies get their operations sorted without hiring full-time executives. His book '9 Ways to Leave Your Day-to-Day Operations' just hit Amazon bestseller status.

What's interesting isn't just that he wrote a book. It's how he's using it. Lloyd doesn't push his book on prospects. Instead, it becomes the natural next step after he's already started helping them see their operational gaps.

We get into his bestseller strategy, why he focused on one clear outcome instead of trying to cover everything, and how the book fits into his client conversations. Lloyd's got this infectious enthusiasm about helping business owners step back from the daily grind.

If you're thinking about writing something but wondering how it'll actually help your business, Lloyd's approach is worth studying.

Show notes: https://mrstuartbell.com/podcasts/htb/122-sharing-your-message-with-lloyd-thompson/

About Lloyd Thompson: Website | LinkedIn

Your Book Is Closer Than You Think — You already say everything that needs to be in your book. 90-Minute Books turns it into a done-for-you lead generation tool. Get the Free Book

Today on the Book More Show, I'm talking with Rich Bontrager, media and TV coach and owner of Rock the Stage Media, about the benefits of a book launch party!

Pre-pandemic, Rich spent a lot of time working with authors to better prepare for book launch events and traditional TV coverage. Of course, during the various lockdowns, these in-person events were few and far between, but he saw a huge increase in people's online opportunities.

We usually focus on the direct response opportunities of having a book, but the chance to create excitement and engagement around your book launch (or re-launch) has great potential to start conversations.

This is a great interview about how you can use a book launch party to amplify your message and create assets that reinforce your authority.

We're also going to use the Book Blueprint Scorecard book as an example over the next few weeks, so follow me on Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/mrstuartbell to see how a launch can work for you.

Most people think book launches are just vanity events. Rich Bontrager proves that's backwards thinking.

Rich runs Rock the Stage Media and coaches authors on creating launch events that actually work. He's helped hundreds of authors turn their book releases into conversation starters and authority builders.

You'll hear why launch parties work better than traditional marketing for most business owners. Rich breaks down the exact elements that make an event memorable and how to create video content from your launch that reinforces your expertise.

This isn't about throwing a fancy party. It's about using your book as the centerpiece for building deeper relationships with the people who matter most to your business.

Show notes: https://mrstuartbell.com/podcasts/htb/121-planning-a-book-launch-party-with-rich-bontrager/

About Rich Bontrager: Website | LinkedIn

30 Strategies to Build Your Business with a Book — The playbook behind 1,200+ books that start conversations and bring in clients. Yours free. Get a Free Copy

Welcome to the Book More Show, I'm Stuart Bell & today Dean & I got to catch up at the studio to talk about why you need a conversation starting book.

There are some great insights in this one.

Over the last week I saw 3 people talk at conferences about using a book to build your business, but they were all talking about traditional publishing.

We know the cost & overhead of going that route is unnecessary for 98% of business owners.

It's expensive and takes far too long, when the benefit for most of us, the job of work of a book is to start a conversation with people most likely to become client in the future.

This is a great episode looking at the real benefits of a book without getting caught up in the waste of traditional publishing.

Dean Jackson stops by to talk about the real job of work your book should be doing. Spoiler: it's not winning literary awards.

I'd just seen three speakers at different conferences talking about using books to build businesses. All three were pushing the traditional publishing route. Expensive, slow, and completely missing the point for most business owners.

Dean and I dig into why conversation-starting books beat bestseller dreams every time. Your book doesn't need a fancy publisher or a spot at Barnes & Noble. It needs to connect you with the right people at the right time.

You'll walk away knowing exactly what your book should accomplish and why the traditional publishing industrial complex is probably wrong for your business goals.

Show notes: https://mrstuartbell.com/podcasts/htb/120-why-you-need-a-conversation-starting-book-with-dean-jackson/

About Dean Jackson: Website | LinkedIn

Your Book Is Closer Than You Think — You already say everything that needs to be in your book. 90-Minute Books turns it into a done-for-you lead generation tool. Get the Free Book

Today on the Book More Show we're talking with author and financial advisor, Jonathan Schultheiss, about the success he's had using his book.

Jonathon has a really interesting back story to the way he created his book and how he's usingi it.

The book is based on the way he helps employees maximize their 401k, but his clients, the people who pay him are the company HR and Financial Managers. So rather than lead generation in the traditional sense, he uses his book as a differentiator when talking to these executives. Many people are pitching 401k management, but others can't demonstrate the value they add to the employees.

His framework is core to his whole approach and it's developed to be more than just the book. It's a simple framework to help people become the 401k superhero to their families.

Jonathon's a great guy & his passion for helping people really comes across. He has some great advice for creating something you can refine and develop over time.