Send us a text

In the world of authorship and digital entrepreneurship, few names carry as much respect as Pat Flynn. In this episode of Authors Who Lead, I share the story of my apprenticeship under Pat—a journey rooted in service, vulnerability, and taking fast, decisive action.

Our conversation delved deep into the principles at the core of Pat’s latest book, Lean Learning: How to Achieve More by Learning Less, and unpacked how stepping forward before you feel “ready” is often the key to breakthroughs.

Timestamp:

00:00 Business breakthrough experience unprepared
03:43 From apprentice to bestseller collaborator
08:18 Adaptability in a fast-changing world
12:28 DIY book formatting journey
13:01 Collaborative learning & entrepreneurship journey
16:34 Embrace change for real growth
21:31 Rowing strategy: power 10 technique
23:40 Dedicated focus for creative success
27:36 Embrace failure for faster success
28:37 Overcoming negativity in entrepreneurship
32:01 Exploring the traditional publishing path
36:52 Writing under pressure: a 10-day challenge
40:35 Pursuing bestseller status with passion
44:06 Strategic book sale tactics
45:24 Intriguing book title strategy

Full show notes

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
📚 Write and Publish your book

CONNECT
📷 Instagram
🎬 TikTok
👫🏻 Facebook
💼 LinkedIn
🐦‍⬛ Twitter
🤝🏻 Apply to be a Guest

LEAVE A REVIEW
✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts
✍️ Review on Spotify

🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us a text

Many aspiring authors feel a pull to share their wisdom—especially about something as universal yet challenging as parenting. In this episode of Authors Who Lead, Scott Jeffrey Miller offers a refreshingly candid perspective. Miller, an eight-time Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestselling author, recently co-authored "Parenting: Wrong Turns, Right Lessons" with his teenage son, Thatcher. For Miller, writing a parenting book wasn’t just inevitable because of his professional background—it was a way to invite his children into “the family business” of authorship.

Timestamp:

00:00 Life Insights Through Reading
04:39 Author Mindset & Collab Writing
06:49 Public Life & Maturity
10:31 Teenage Son’s Raw POV
14:32 Building an Author Platform
17:23 Truth About Publishers
21:13 Self-Publishing Journey
23:21 Self-Belief vs. Self-Promo
27:28 Define Your Publishing Why
31:26 Books as Messages
32:46 Growth Reflections
37:07 Rise of Shorter Books
39:59 Career on Course Wins
43:09 Unfinished Book Ideas
46:05 Real Feedback vs. Friends
48:43 Dad Moves & Parenting
51:57 Writing & Self-Incrimination

Full show notes

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
📚 Write and Publish your book

CONNECT
📷 Instagram
🎬 TikTok
👫🏻 Facebook
💼 LinkedIn
🐦‍⬛ Twitter
🤝🏻 Apply to be a Guest

LEAVE A REVIEW
✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts
✍️ Review on Spotify

🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us a text

Anyone who’s ever thought about writing a book knows the feeling: a mix of excitement, hope, and, yes—fear. In this episode of Authors Who Lead, I dive deep into the emotional realm of writing, pulling back the curtain on the ten most common fears that keep writers from taking the next step.

Timestamp:

00:00 Overcoming book-writing challenges
04:23 Organized writing: audience & strategy
08:37 Overcoming writing fears
10:58 Kaizen: power of small steps
15:53 Exclusive podcast for aspiring writers
17:09 Join our writing community

Full show notes

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
📚 Write and Publish your book

CONNECT
📷 Instagram
🎬 TikTok
👫🏻 Facebook
💼 LinkedIn
🐦‍⬛ Twitter
🤝🏻 Apply to be a Guest

LEAVE A REVIEW
✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts
✍️ Review on Spotify

🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us a text

In this episode of Authors Who Lead, I sit down with Deborah Hammett, author of Salty at 60: Becoming Better Than Retired. Deborah’s story is the bold, honest tale of how she left her thirty-three-year career in education in pursuit of a freer, purpose-filled second act—sailing solo aboard her boat and, eventually, writing a book about her experience.

Timestamp:

00:00 Trading chalkboards for chart plotters
05:16 Sailing while teaching online
09:22 Sailing adventure in retirement
10:30 Sailing into unforeseen roles
16:29 Engine troubleshooting at sea
19:44 Fiction’s purpose and life lessons
23:51 Docking and anchoring tips tutorial
25:31 Women captains and ocean nomads
28:00 Overcoming fears in sailing life
32:07 Embracing classroom chaos for growth
35:05 Embrace continuous flexibility

Full show notes

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
📚 Write and Publish your book

CONNECT
📷 Instagram
🎬 TikTok
👫🏻 Facebook
💼 LinkedIn
🐦‍⬛ Twitter
🤝🏻 Apply to be a Guest

LEAVE A REVIEW
✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts
✍️ Review on Spotify

🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us a text

In this episode of Authors Who Lead, I sit down with Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson, the powerhouse writing duo behind the riveting thriller Dark Rising. Both veterans with storied pasts—Brian, a former submarine officer with business acumen, and Jeffrey, a trauma surgeon and Navy veteran—found common ground far from the battlefield: at a thriller writing conference.

Their partnership, as Jeffrey jokes, was born of “stalking” at the International Thriller Writers’ ThrillerFest, where their shared backgrounds and values—family, faith, and service—formed a natural foundation for creative collaboration. But it wasn’t instant coauthoring. As Jeffrey explains, “Once we decided that we were gonna do this thing, we went into it knowing we're either gonna become better friends or destroy this friendship forever. Let's see." Thankfully, the outcome was a deeper bond and a writing team that has delivered years of explosive storytelling.

Timestamp:

00:00 Teamwork in writing: military ethos
05:05 Balancing writing with distractions
09:39 Inspiration cycles for writers
13:14 Embracing pantser writing surprises
14:23 Characters’ voices shape the story
17:11 Curiosity and predictability in writing
21:46 Teaching writing to nonfiction leaders
26:19 Embrace imperfection in writing
27:52 Antagonist’s two-week mission
33:01 Balancing passion and obligations
36:33 Supporting veterans in new ventures
38:49 Principled characters in chaotic times
40:43 Honoring unsung heroes through fiction

Full show notes

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
📚 Write and Publish your book

CONNECT
📷 Instagram
🎬 TikTok
👫🏻 Facebook
💼 LinkedIn
🐦‍⬛ Twitter
🤝🏻 Apply to be a Guest

LEAVE A REVIEW
✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts
✍️ Review on Spotify

🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us a text

In this episode of Authors Who Lead, I explore a critical and sometimes overlooked question for aspiring writers: Why write a book? While the dream of bestseller status or financial gain is tempting, I challenge listeners to think deeper. Through personal stories, hard truths about book sales, and my journey, I reveal that the value of authoring a book goes far beyond money or external validation.

Timestamp:

00:00 Is authorship worth it?
05:41 Sharing knowledge beyond search
09:52 Gifts require effort to excel
13:27 Join the author workshops for $90
14:13 Inspiring author stories podcast

Full show notes

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
📚 Write and Publish your book

CONNECT
📷 Instagram
🎬 TikTok
👫🏻 Facebook
💼 LinkedIn
🐦‍⬛ Twitter
🤝🏻 Apply to be a Guest

LEAVE A REVIEW
✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts
✍️ Review on Spotify

🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us a text

What does it mean to live an impactful life? Is it measured solely by the actions we take, or should we also be paying close attention to the opportunities we let pass by? In this episode of Authors Who Lead, I sit down with Nick Cooney—venture capitalist, founder of Lever VC and the Lever Foundation, and author of What We Don’t Do: Inaction in the Face of Suffering and the Drive to Do More.

Through our conversation, we tackle one of the thorniest philosophical questions for anyone aspiring to do good in the world: How might the things we neglect or fail to do shape our ethical legacy as much as our overt actions?

Timestamp:

00:00 Slow start to book writing
06:29 Conscious investing in the FIRE movement
07:31 Ethical investment for positive impact
11:43 The ethics of everyday choices
15:54 Sacrificing for non-family members
18:16 Empowerment through individual impact
22:26 Individual choices and their impact
24:47 What we don’t do insights
29:17 Thought-provoking leadership book

Full show notes

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
📚 Write and Publish your book

CONNECT
📷 Instagram
🎬 TikTok
👫🏻 Facebook
💼 LinkedIn
🐦‍⬛ Twitter
🤝🏻 Apply to be a Guest

LEAVE A REVIEW
✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts
✍️ Review on Spotify

🖱️ Episode Webpage

Send us a text

Aspiring authors often find themselves at a crossroads, deciding whether to follow their passion for writing or stay in a secure career. In this episode of Authors Who Lead, Azul sits down with Aime Austin, a successful author of legal thrillers, to discuss her unique journey from the courtroom to the writing desk. This insightful conversation uncovers Aime’s path, creative processes, and advice for emerging writers.

Timestamp:

00:00 Rushed graduate school decision
05:38 Endless ideas, choosing the right one
08:01 Creating vivid, relatable characters
10:45 Writing coach insights on the process
13:17 The challenges of authorship
18:46 Small publisher’s author marketing advice
22:18 Separating from fictional characters
23:19 Immersed in writing characters
28:12 Unique fan-author relationships
29:58 Building writing Communities essential
33:53 Marketing insights and writing advice
35:59 Writing on social issues
40:01 Art’s noble purpose celebrated

Full show notes

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
📚 Write and Publish your book

CONNECT
📷 Instagram
🎬 TikTok
👫🏻 Facebook
💼 LinkedIn
🐦‍⬛ Twitter
🤝🏻 Apply to be a Guest

LEAVE A REVIEW
✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts
✍️ Review on Spotify

🖱️ Episode Webpage