I had to stop and think for a minute…”How DO I find my mastermind groups?”

I’ve been masterminding for 20 years (yes I really am that old.) It’s one of the driving forces behind my success and constantly challenges me to rise from mediocrity to exceptional. Before I share my secret to getting into the hottest, most powerful mastermind groups, let me first reveal that not all mastermind groups are alike. Here are three core types of mastermind groups that I’ve discovered over the years:

1. Paid Mastermind Groups

A paid mastermind is typically set up and facilitated by a coach or mentor. They have you apply to become a member and typically you will invest a significant amount of money to gain access to their wisdom, contacts and to network with the other members. Paid masterminds vary greatly – some are very content oriented, others are more organically focused on the needs of the group. Some meet in person where as others are virtually (like the New Era Entrepreneur Mastermind.) I’ve hosted many of paid masterminds over the years and it is a powerful way to bring your clients together so they can learn and grow from each other. If you pick a mentor that is in alignment with your vision for success, it will be an excellence investment in your growth.

2. Sponsored Mastermind Group

A sponsored mastermind is often hosted by a church, spiritual organization or other type of association as part of the membership. The focus will be on like-minded growth and meeting the goals that the organization has set for its members. A sponsored mastermind may or may not have a cost associated with it. For instance, when I set up the mastermind for a former church I attended; the members were able to attend for free but had to make a 6 week commitment. I’ve also participated in masterminds for a coaching association I was a member of that had a very small fee. Sponsored masterminds that have a trained facilitator can be a valuable resource as long as you can keep up with the commitments the group sets.

3. Casual or Self-Run Mastermind Group

The very first mastermind I ever joined was established by 6 women who were ready to have the life of their dreams. We met weekly at each other’s homes and focused on buying homes, manifesting husbands and babies as well as releasing destructive patterns in our lives. We didn’t charge for the group but we did have a common focus – committing to support each other in achieving our goals. This was a wonderful group however the down side was that members didn’t have a financial incentive to stick with the group and when issues arose there was not a leader to resolve them. This is often the down-side to casual mastermind groups based on common values – they don’t have much longevity and can get bogged down from a lack of leadership.

My current Rockstar Mastermind is also self-run – with a twist. Because most of us have led our own masterminds we have an extensive amount of

experience with what it takes. This mastermind enrollment was very intense – we had to apply, interview and be accepted into it. We have structure, guidelines and principles of how we show up. The players are all top-notch success stories so we must play “full out” or lose our spot in the group. Vulnerability, truth-telling and over the top support of each other is required. It’s an amazing catalyst for me to launch my big dream this year.

Now, how do you find the right mastermind for you? I’ll tackle that in the next post with “7 Defining Criteria for a RockStar Mastermind Group.”

Here is how it happens:

With all good intentions, you have a conversation with your team member. You lay out all the steps necessary to finish the tasks the way you want it done. You identify when it needs to be done by. The due date comes and goes — no completion! What happened?

As you discuss with your webmaster why it wasn’t done, he tells you he is waiting on the auto-responders for your website opt-in page. In your mind, you never heard that you were going to have to create these auto-responders. Now you have another urgent, unplanned task on your desk.

Bahm! A monkey just got planted on your back.

Then you have a meeting with your marketing consultant. You receive a list of issues that must be handled before she can move forward with your marketing plans. You truly thought that these were things she had committed to taking care of but now she says they are your responsibilities.

Wham! Another monkey landed on your back. No wonder you feel so weighted down.

If you find that tasks, projects and deliverables that you delegate to other people don’t get accomplished and somehow end up back in your lap to complete, then you have a monkey management challenge.

A monkey is any idea, opportunity or task that when you try to delegate it lands back on your plate. Typically it happens when a project gets stalled because the other person doesn’t have the authority or knowledge to solve the problem so the task isn’t done correctly. Or due to their poor time management you get frustrated with their lack of progress and step in to get it done faster.

You probably have a Monkey Management problem if you find yourself trying to delegate but saying things like:

* Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it (or I’ll handle it.)

* If you have problems, just give me a call.

* If you can’t do it I’ll figure out how to get it done.

* You don’t have time? OK, well I can knock it out pretty fast.

* I’ll find someone to do it for you.

Monkey Management is by far one of the great reasons entrepreneurs get overwhelmed! And with good reason too. Here you think that you’ve successfully delegated but somehow that monkey ends up on your back.

How do you solve the Monkey Management challenge? As a recovering Monkey Manager, I’ve got three simple solutions for you:

1. Make sure that the person you are delegating to understands how much authority and autonomy they have in completing the task. Do they need to check with you or can they use discretion to complete on their own?

2. Determine a specific date to get a check in on the status of the project. If there is no ‘deadline’ to communicate progress, other projects will somehow become more important.

3. Never hand off a task without a complete and thorough plan of how the project or task will be accomplished. Be sure to check for knowledge, resources and time availability by the person assigned to the project.

Now imagine what your life and business will be like when you hand off a project to someone and can feel confident that the monkey won’t land on your back again. Now you can really get on the fast-track!

Need help getting things done correctly and on time with your team? Get the Build Your Dream Team System and discover the 6 simple steps to delegating profitably without losing your sanity. More information can be found here.

Here is some of the must-see shows (and I’d love to know your favorite too.)

#1 Letting Go to Get the Dream

This episode got so many comments I couldn’t keep up. I reveal my really big news and people just went CRAZY! I also share how to let go of attachment and how really amazing, wonderful results can come of it.

Watch the Show Here

#2 Entrepreneur A-Ha’s From the Rock Wall

In this episode I share my a-ha’s about how we rise to the occasion, or sabotage our goal, while I was scaling a rock wall. Funny what you learn about yourself when you are hanging 20 feet off the ground.

Watch the Show Here

#3 Where Anti-Wealth Thinking Sabotages Your Finances

Some not-so-obvious habitual thinking that actually KEEPS you from achieving wealth and success are revealed in this episode. This show started some interesting calls to the office to enroll in my MoneyDNA program! As the saying goes, what you don’t know can often bite you in the butt!

Watch the Show Here

#4 My Gratitude Ritual (Introducing my Husband)

My husband and I share a simple yet highly effective daily habit to shift your mindset to magnetize more good in your life. When you want to create a positive situation or attract more of what you DO want, this episode is perfect to watch over and over again.

Watch the Show Here

#5 Don Miguel Ruiz on Goals vs. Obsession

An intriguing perspective from Don Miguel Ruiz on the difference between a goal…and obsession. After spending the morning learning from him at Association of Transformational Leaders, I was riveted by his quiet yet profoundly powerful perspectives.

Watch the Show Here

Be sure to vote for your favorite show — share a comment on the TV show comment section, share it on Google +, Tweet It, or Facebook it. They all count – then I’ll know which one is REALLY the fan favorite.

Neale Donald Walsh in his book, The Storm Before the Calm states, “Humanity appears to be stuck….one conversation from paradise. Imagine, a single conversation that could change everything. The seeds of great ideas are often generated from the most mundane conversations with the right people. ”

Not too long ago I had a little a-ha about this myself…

I’m a pretty positive person but I discovered that I was unconsciously having conversations that were draining my life force.

As good of a coach as I am I found myself “buying in” to beliefs about what was possible simply because it was the dominate conversations around me.

I started playing to the “common denominator” instead of focusing on what I do best. I found myself creating new programs at ridiculously low prices vs. staying the course. Not that any of what I created wasn’t powerful and necessary – but it was a deviation from my real genius!

If you find yourself in one of these conversations it might look like:

• Having a series  of failed enrollment conversations with prospects – and believing that what you are charging is too high
• Getting into let’s-help-others-turned-gossip conversations about “who is over-charging, not delivering, taking advantage of others, or not in integrity”
• Only spending time/talking with peers and friends who “think like you” (aka allow you to wallow in your crap)
• Hearing rumblings from your peers of how sales are down, people aren’t buying and they are rapidly running out of cash you start to panic and hoard money
• Watching a news program about one of the many world issues then spending hours proliferating THEIR opinions on Facebook, Twitter and your blog posts.

Inevitably, by being in these kind of seductive conversations you STOP believing in yourself, your dream and the direction you are headed. Influence by the negativity you find yourself focused on problems, challenges and fears. This is a dangerous and ineffective place to make decisions about the future of your business my friend.

A couple of month’s back I attended an event where I spent some quality time with some of my colleagues that I had not seen in a while…and something shifted.

The conversations were different with them.

Instead of feeling drained and discouraged I was inspired and my mind shifted gears. I had a profound epiphany – by buying into the “downslide” I was selling out on my real genius. The predominant conversations I had been having were seductive – good people with real problems with a limited ability to see the truth in the midst of uncertainty.

Listen, lots of people are making LOTS of money right now. There are thought leaders doing great work all over the world. If you are not having the experience you deeply desire then it’s time for you to engage in better conversations!

If you find yourself in a seductive down-slide conversation, you MUST take control and like changing the dial on a radio station to something you like better, change the “conver-station” quickly!

1. Take 100% responsibility for co-creating high energy frequency, positive, life-affirming conversations. Be willing to start and continue powerful conversations designed to inspire others to their greatness…not their fears.
2. Invest in and spend time at events that attract people who don’t just SAY they are about change but LIVE as a positive conversation starter in the world.
3. Steer clear of gossip disguised as “spreading the word.” You can easily shift gears by saying, “I appreciate your opinion and I think we would get better results by focusing on what we DO want to create in our lives.”
4. Get active in communities that are designed to co-create new possibilities (like New Era Success and the soon to be announced Global New Era Leaders Association.)

So which conversations do you need to stop having…and how will you actively seek out more powerful conversations that uplift and inspire you to your greatness? Let’s share some ideas in the comments below.

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Here’s another great conversation to get involved in….and its free! Marcia Wieder, Barbara Stanny, Cynthia Kersey, Drew Gerber, Robin Fisher Roffer, Arielle Ford, Adam Urbanski, Elyse Hope Killoran, Lissa Boles, Liora Mendeollf, Wendy Yellen and myself all sharing insights, resources and strategy to do what you love and profit in your business. Join us now at Answering The Call Today Virtual Summit.

(Discover more great resources to profitably thrive with your calling during Answering The Call Virtual Summit, starting February 7th)

I’m a huge fan of a kooky comic strip called Sacred Cows.  The first time I ran across it, I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants.

I love it because it blends an undervalued form of pop-art with a unique (& relationship-building) business offering with cultural/spiritual whistle-blowing to wake up (and chill out) those of us whose mind and hearts aren’t free enough to see where and how we’re locked into a way of thinking that we can’t move past.

Never mind dream, innovate or lead ‘a way’ from…

I love it because it’s whimsically audacious.

I love it because its crafty irony snuck right up on me, which made it all the more startlingly funny and powerfully effective in delivering its message.

I love it because it’s a great example of a cool product with heart, purpose and profit potential up the wazoo (think free-trade organic hemp t-shirts, screen savers, apps), as well as a great reminder (I’m a BIG fan of leveraged purposing).

The truth is that when you’re committed to being a thought leader who’s on a mission to serve in ways people have never been served before, creating value where none’s been seen to exist before – all while building a business like nobody’s business (restoring the soul of business along the way)…

You must be free.

• To be audaciously bold.
• To be craftily and creatively daring.
• To do (or be) the fresh and unexpected.
• To trust our senses and follow where and what they point to.
• To mash-up stuff that doesn’t seem (at first glance) to go together.
• To stand for what you alone are meant to stand for, in the way only you can stand for it.

Free to think, speak, act, create and see – really see – for yourself, as yourself.

Free to re-imagine business and life. Art and service. Spirituality and profitability.

And to be that kind of free, you’ve got to make a habit of serving up some Sacred Cow.

Starting with your own.

Steak anyone?

About the Author: Known as the Soul Mapper™, Lissa Boles is a professional optimist and CEO of SoulFullFilled Living, a group of companies dedicated to helping thought leaders and innovative entrepreneurs answer their life’s deepest callings —in business, at church, or on the yoga mat.

A seasoned serial entrepreneur, Lissa goes light years beyond inspiration and motivation to reveal each client’s intended purpose path, breathing life into the sacred desire to create a world-changing legacy, particularly in business.

To uncover more nuggets of navigating through your business and evolution, join Lissa and 11 other experts for Answering The Call Today Virtual Summit!

Guest Article By Liora Mendeloff, Founder of Women Speakers Association

(Discover more great wisdom during Answering The Call Virtual Summit, starting February 7th)

How many books do you have to read? How many tapes or cds do you have to listen to? How many seminars or workshops do you have to attend? How many $100,000 inner-circles do you have to join? How many teachers, mentors or therapists will it take until you get…there is no guru OUTSIDE of you!

You might be wondering, “how can the President of the Women Speakers Association be saying such things?” Here’s my point…I’m not dissing teachers, mentors, mastermind partners…all are essential players to have on your team. My question, however, is “when will you be enough that you don’t HAVE TO look outside yourself for validation, guidance, approval, acknowledgement?”

The truth is…you already are your own guru. All the answers, all the guidance, all the love, everything you are seeking, lies within you.

The key is to stop or slow down long enough to tap into that endless well of unlimited abundance that is the very source from which you came. It is there that you will find what you are seeking. It is there, that you will know (in your heart, in your gut) what step to take next, which move is the one to make.

When you can get that YOU are your own guru, all the gifts that come to your through your mentors, teachers, colleagues, etc, are just icing on the cake.

About the Author: Liora Mendeloffis a Speaking Industry Expert, with 20+ years of experience behind-the-scenes with some of the world’s greatest thought leaders, government officials, celebrities and entrepreneurs, in helping them fulfill their vision. Liora’s driving force is to facilitate getting women and their core message out into the world, the purpose behind her newest venture, the Women Speakers Association. Liora also created InstantMediaKit.com, the secret tool used by the Pro’s to get seen, get booked and get paid!

To uncover more nuggets of navigating through your business and evolution, join Liora and 11 other experts for Answering The Call Today Virtual Summit! 

(Discover more great wisdom on Achieving Your Dreams during Answering The Call Virtual Summit, starting February 7th)

No one, who has ever followed a dream, has taken a direct, unobstructed path and arrived at his or her destination effortlessly and on time. Following a dream is not a direct highway but a bumpy road full of twists and turns and occasional roadblocks. The journey requires modifications and adjustments in both thought and action, not just once, but over and over.

Anita Roddick, the founder of the Body Shop, used creativity to overcome challenges that would have stopped the vast majority of new business owners. She broke just about every rule in the book when she started The Body Shop and she’s still breaking the rules today. Of course, such irreverence has its consequences. In Anita’s case, the consequences read like this: The Body Shop now has more than 1,500 stores throughout the world, is worth over $500 million, and has influenced the products and marketing of all its chief competitors. And those are just the consequences in the business arena. The Body Shop is also a powerfully effective vehicle for social and environmental awareness and change; as far as Anita is concerned, that is the most important consequence of all.

From the moment in 1976 when Anita first conceived the idea of opening a shop to sell naturally based cosmetics, she was thinking in a most unbusinesslike manner. Most entrepreneurs set out to establish a company with growth potential that will make them wealthy someday. Anita was just looking for a way to feed herself and her two children, while her husband, also a maverick, was away on a two-year adventure, riding a horse from Argentina to New York.

Her first challenge was to find a cosmetics manufacturer to produce her products. No one she approached had ever heard of jojoba oil or aloe vera gel, and they all thought that cocoa butter had something to do with chocolate. Although she didn’t realize it at the time, Anita had discovered a market just about to explode: young female consumers who would prefer their cosmetics to be produced in a cruelty-free and environmentally responsible manner. When manufacturers failed to have the same foresight, Anita found a small herbalist who could do the work she required.

Since Anita was not the typical entrepreneur, she saw no drawbacks in starting her company with almost no capital. To save money, she bottled her cosmetics in the same inexpensive plastic containers hospitals use for urine samples, encouraging her customers to bring the containers back for refills. Because Anita couldn’t afford to have labels printed, she and some friends hand printed every one. Her packaging couldn’t have turned out better if she’d planned it that way. With the improvised packaging, her product now had the same natural, earthy image as the cosmetics themselves.

Anita opened the first branch of The Body Shop in her hometown of Brighton, England. When she first opened, neighboring proprietors made bets on how long the store would last. Less amused were the owners of local funeral parlors who insisted she change the shop’s name. No one, they complained, would hire a funeral director located near a place called “The Body Shop.” She stuck to her guns and the name stayed.

The first store was only minimally successful. Nevertheless, Anita decided to move ahead with a second one. The bank questioned the wisdom of her plan and refused a loan. So she found a friend of a friend who was willing to lend her the equivalent of $6,400 in exchange for 50 percent ownership of The Body Shop. Today that person is worth $140 million. Signing over half of her business was the only real mistake Anita ever made. But it wasn’t the only decision that looked like a mistake. Here are three more:

• She has never advertised even when she opened shops in the United States. People told her it was suicide to enter a new market without massive advertising support.

• She doesn’t sell in any outlet other than The Body Shop stores. (Some of her Asian stores are the only exception and are located within department stores.)

• She resolved early on that her shops would be a catalyst for change, not just in the business world, but in the world at large.

These decisions turned out to be some of the most inspired “mistakes” in the history of retailing. Even though Anita has never paid for advertising, her unconventional ideas have inspired hundreds of articles and interviews generating tremendous publicity.

Her first shop in New York was packed with customers from the day it opened. At one point, a thirty-five-year-old woman on roller skates threw up her arms and shouted, “Hallelujah! You’re here at last.” So much for advertising.

A new branch of The Body Shop opens somewhere in the world every two and a half days. Occasionally, Anita has had trouble opening stores in shopping malls. But having a past that was filled with challenges, Anita is accustomed to coming up with creative solutions. For instance, when one mall refused to lease her space, she organized every mail-order customer within a 110-mile radius to write letters to the management of that mall. Within a few months, a branch of The Body Shop was open.

Anita also had this nonconformist idea of putting ideals ahead of profit. From the start, Anita wanted not just to change the faces of her customers but to change the entire face of business. She envisioned a company that was socially responsible and compassionate. “I see the human spirit playing a big role in business. The work does not have to be drudgery, and the sole focus does not have to be on making money. It can be a human enterprise that people feel genuinely good about.”

Some of the raw materials for her products are harvested by groups of people in underdeveloped regions, thus generating an income for them. The Body Shop has launched campaigns to save the whales, ban animal testing in the cosmetics industry, help the homeless, and protect the rain forests. All of these campaigns have been eagerly supported by loyal customers.

Employees of The Body Shop are actively involved in these efforts. Each month, employees receive a half day off with pay to volunteer in the community. Some employees, for example, went to Romania to help rebuild orphanages. In the stores, customers are encouraged to register to vote, recycle their plastic cosmetics containers, and bring their own shopping bags to save paper and plastic. Because of all these activities, people have suggested Anita’s company should really be called “The Body and Soul Shop.” Customers emerge not only looking good but also feeling good.

“Business as usual” isn’t part of Anita Roddick’s make up. But as far as she’s concerned, doing what is not usual has made all the difference.

Action:

Anita said that what saved The Body Shop over and over was their willingness to recognize what wasn’t working and quickly identify a new way to approach a problem. This is a crucial strategy because everyone who starts a business is going to face challenges. Things never work out exactly as intended and creativity will play a key role in enabling a new business owner to conquer daily battles. If you don’t come up with alternative solutions, your dreams will die.

The first step to expanding your creativity is to clearly identify the problem you’re experiencing. Maybe you’re struggling in sponsoring people who are interested in working the business and not simply purchasing the product. Or maybe you’re having a hard time finding new prospects period. Write the numbers 1 through 10 vertically down the left side of the sheet of paper. Finally, write ten possible solutions to your problem. Make sure they are viable options, but stretch your imagination.

Remember, the solution to every problem lies within you. You may need a few minutes of quiet time to complete the exercise effectively, or you may need to brainstorm possible solutions with a friend. Feel free to do whatever you think is necessary to connect with your inner knowing. When you’ve completed the exercise, you should find that the solutions you have found will renew your sense of possibility and your commitment to your goal.
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Cynthia Kersey, best-selling author of two books, speaker, entrepreneur, and Chief Humanitarian Officer of the Unstoppable Foundation knows first hand that giving is not only good for business, it’s good for the soul.

Let Cynthia and 11 other leading success and life purpose experts pull you out of your rut and give you their blueprints for waking up and answering the ‘CALL’ to your big adventure in life in the Answering The Call Virtual Summit.

As I read this book I thought, wow, this is good information. I immediately picked up the phone and invited her to be one of the experts in the Answering The Call Virtual Summit.

Why?

Because if your money-stuff isn’t healed you won’t feel confident about saying yes to your calling.

Here are ten insights from the book that will get you to start thinking about where you may be sabotaging your success:

1. Giving away your services, bartering, bad-talking people who have money and blaming others for your bad money situation are all key indicators of being a pattern under-earner. (Her quiz for identifying if you are an under-earner was really powerful.)

2. All under-earners share a common trait of a high tolerance for low-pay. You can earn six figures but still under-earn because you don’t pay YOURSELF.

3. Under earners CRAVE comfort and rarely do what makes them uncomfortable.

4. Under-earners use the same methods to manage their money as they do to make most decisions: avoidance and delusion.

5. Bottom Line: UnderEarning is a condition of low self-esteem. Inside every under-earner lies some degree of hopelessness or helplessness.

6. What you have in your life now is a reflection of what you intrinsically believe you deserve.

7. The most efficient way for entrepreneurs to overcome under-earning is to raise their prices. If you resist this then you are going to continue to under-earn.

8. Create the habit of respecting money by having a good money practice — save, know what your money situation is weekly and read on money savviness every day. A lack of good money habits will be counter-productive to ALL great business growth strategies.

9. Create community with others who are creating healthy wealth systems. Those that “go it alone” will fall prey to their old beliefs, habits and practices faster than those who surround themselves with a healthy money game in life.

10. When you shift out of being an under-earner and make a stand for financial success in your life, you will find that every goal, dream and calling you have will be more “do-able.”

Where have YOU been a pattern underearner? We’d love to hear your journey in the comments below.

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Barbara Stanny is one of 12 of the world’s leading experts on achieving success by following your passion in the  Answering The Call Virtual Summit!  Join us free today!

Being financially successful wasn’t really liberating – it was actually making me feel massively trapped inside my business.

I knew that following “the system” meant creating “the money machine” to do what worked at the expense of what felt right.

Having a big team meant having a big responsibility – I had to do what would make money over what would bring me more joy and align with my truth.

I could finally admit that striving for a million dollar business was actually making me lose what was unique about me (and putting me massively in debt in the process.)

I also started to understand that using my logical, rational brain to make decisions was shutting off my most important leadership asset – my intuition.

A rebellion began to brew inside my soul – and I had absolutely NO idea what would happen next. I felt “the call” to make a huge shift in how I was running my business.

Looking back at this fork in my journey I now realize that this was the moment I began to define the new rules of success – a set of guidelines that would allow me to thrive in this new era of entrepreneurship.

The rules are simple – and yet many entrepreneurs struggle to live by them. With a world full of smoke and mirrors and our human “wiring” for a magic pill, these rules seem too obvious.  The new rules have actually been around for lifetimes – but we forgot them. They were banished by clever marketers who needed psychological hooks to get us to buy more stuff, pursue unlimited wealth, and an instantiated drive for more accolades.

The new rules of success generate a different kind of result than most of us are currently experiencing – authentic alignment with our true calling. When applied, the new rules dissolve struggle and discontent and generate fulfillment and sustainable wealth.

Here’s my invitation to you – if you have felt called to shift your life, your business and your approach to creating success, join myself and 11 of my colleagues for free as we reveal these new rules of success in Answering The Call Today.

If the idea of collaborating and setting new standards for success is inspiring to you, share with us in the comments below and share this post through Google Plus (at the top of the page) or one of the share links below. Let’s co-create this shift together!

Guest Article By Drew Gerber, co-founder Wasabi Publicity and PitchRate

(Discover more great wisdom on Achieving Your Dreams during Answering The Call Virtual Summit, starting February 7th)

Why bother?

Why would I?

Why me?

Why not?

The perennial whys. Truth is, we have reasons for just about everything thing we do, from why we chose vanilla over chocolate to why we decide to run our first marathon. Depending on the choice in question, our reasons for various things have different “weights,” don’t they? You may not need a huge, emotionally-charged, majorly significant reason for choosing vanilla. But to run your first marathon? Personally, I’d need a big, fat, loud, massive reason to get through all those muscle-aching, lung-gasping hours of training! “Because it sounds good” just wouldn’t cut it.

Fortunately for you, the weight of your reason for writing your first book is somewhere between choosing vanilla and running a marathon. You need a little more than “because my colleague wrote one” and quite a bit less than “because the future of the human race depends on it” — though if the future of the human race does depend on your book, let me know and I’ll help you get it done!

Writing a book can be simple and is relatively easy compared to all you’ve done thus far to build your career. But it can get “hard” and there are definitely times during the process where we all need a strong reason to keep keeping on. So for me, the first step of any project is clearly analyzing and defining why the heck I’m doing it in the first place.

There are a zillion compelling reasons for writing a book: To tell a story that needs telling. To preserve a bit of cultural or personal history. To get all those crazy thoughts out of my head and on to the page! For many of us non-writers, the urge to write a book has something to do with our career or our passion – which, if we are fortunate, are one and the same!

So why would you, a non-writer who has probably never attempted writing a book before, write a book related to your career or your passion? Your reason will be unique to you, and you need to find a reason that is particularly compelling to you. But here are five possibilities to consider:

Credibility: Even in today’s world, where half of your neighbors are YouTube stars and the other half have enough friends on Facebook to populate a small country, being a published author is still rare and respected. Your book gives you particular credibility, an aura of authority that’s hard to create in other ways.  And having credibility helps you with your…

Public Relations: The media (TV, radio, magazines and newspaper) are always looking for new stories or for experts to fill out their stories with commentary and data. To create a good platform to promote your career or work, you definitely want to be one of the media’s go-to experts. And nothing screams “knowledgeable expert” to the media like the fact that you have written a book.

Teach a Topic: Think of the classroom: What’s the main resource teachers have? Books! Information from the internet is great. But to really study a topic, to learn something in depth, many of us still prefer a clearly-written, well-organized book that we can mark up, throw on the bookshelf, and refer to later.

Spread a Message: By authoring a book, we can increase our sphere of influence exponentially because our books end up in the hands of people that we would not otherwise meet or touch. And often a passionately-written book can inspire others to action, adding their support to the cause or objective we care deeply about.

Make Money: Every year, a few non-fiction titles become blockbusters and rake in millions of dollars. Could yours be one of those? Maybe. But even authors whose books don’t hit the New York Times best sellers list have found ways to generate income from their books. From eBooks to audio downloads, books can be sold in a number of formats to a wide variety of audiences through a myriad of venues.

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About the Author: For 30 years, Drew Gerber has been inspiring those who want to change the world. As the CEO of Wasabi Publicity, lauded by the likes of PR Week and Good Morning America, he sparks “ah-ha” conversations that lead to personal and business success. His PR firm is known for landing clients on Dr. Phil, Oprah, Anderson Cooper, The Wall Street Journal, Inc., Entrepreneur, and other top media outlets.

To discover how to write the book the media loves that skyrockets your credibility, join Drew and 11 other experts for Answering The Call Today Virtual Summit!