Jenn Foster's Blog

Look at the experts getting the keynotes, the podcast features, the premium clients, the media calls. Look closely. They are not, as a rule, more experienced than the people watching from the sidelines. They are not more credentialed. They have not been at it longer or built bigger client lists.

What they have is something different. They have positioning. The room recognizes them in ninety seconds.

The Misdiagnosis Most Experts Make

This is the part most experts get wrong. They watch a competitor get picked for the stage they wanted and assume the answer is more. More years. More clients. More certifications. More speaking reels. More content. So they spend the next year quietly adding to a pile that was already taller than the person who got booked.

The pile was never the problem.

When event organizers, podcast bookers, journalists, and high-end buyers are choosing who to feature next, they are not running a credentials audit. They are scanning for clarity. Who is this person? What do they teach? What outcome do they create? Why them and not the other forty options on the list? If those answers take more than a few seconds to surface, the decision is already moving down the page.

This is why two experts with nearly identical backgrounds can end up in completely different careers. The one with sharper positioning is the easy yes. The one with stronger credentials but fuzzier positioning is the maybe. Maybes don’t get booked.

Positioning Is About Being Legible, Not Louder

Here is the part that surprises most experts. Positioning is not about being louder, more polished, or more produced. It is about being legible. The market needs to read you fast. A clear position says here is who I help, here is what I solve, and here is the evidence I am the person to do it. That sentence either lives at the top of your platform or it doesn’t.

A book is one of the few assets that does this work at a structural level. Inside the pages, the positioning is forced into clarity. The chapters define the framework. The case studies define the buyer. The thesis defines the angle. The cover defines the category. Once the book exists, the entire platform around you organizes itself in the same direction. The website tightens. The talks sharpen. The bio gets shorter and stronger. The discovery calls shift.

This is the quiet leverage most experts underestimate. The book is not just a credibility object. It is a positioning forcing function. The act of producing it requires you to commit to an angle, name your method, and articulate the transformation you create. That commitment is what the market has been waiting to recognize.

The Positioning Is Already There

The good news, especially for experts who have been quietly building for years, is that the positioning is already there. It lives inside your client work, your frameworks, your talks, your repeat answers. It just hasn’t been packaged. Once it is, the people who have been overlooking you start looking directly at you instead.

You don’t need to be more impressive. You need to be more legible. The book is one of the fastest, most enduring ways to make that happen.

If you want to talk through what sharper positioning could unlock for your business, you can reach out to our team here. For a deeper look at how our clients turn expertise into recognized authority, our YouTube channel breaks down the frameworks we use to make experts impossible to miss.

FAQ

If I’m already known in my industry, do I still need clearer positioning?

Internal recognition and market recognition are different. Many of our authors are well-known inside their field but invisible to the rooms outside it. The book bridges that gap.

What if my expertise crosses multiple categories?

Narrow is stronger than broad. The most effective positioning picks the category where you want to be the obvious choice and builds from there. Cross-category authority can come later, anchored to the first one.

Will a book really change how people recognize me?

Consistently, yes. The presence of a book changes how producers, bookers, journalists, and premium buyers categorize you in the first ten seconds. That first read is where most opportunities are won or lost.

The post You Don’t Need More Experience first appeared on Book Publishing.

Jenn Foster, co-owner of Elite Online Publishing, welcomes Bill Cates, bestselling author and acclaimed speaker, to discuss how writing a book can build authority, create new opportunities, and grow your business.

Listen Below:

Watch Below:

Click here to access all of Elite Expert Insider podcasts.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

Leveraging Books for Business Growth

Marketing Tactics for Authors

The Hidden Heist and Working with a Co-author

Quotes:

“But he said to me, he says, look, Bill, writing this book, even if it never gets published, will be one of the most powerful things you could ever do because it’s going to get your head around a body of knowledge.” | 00:01:55.180 – 00:02:06.980

“And my formula was and still is today, call, mail, call. Now it’s a lot of email, mail, email, because people don’t pick up their phone anymore. Yeah, I will usually alert people I’ll say, sometimes I’ll ask permission to send the book. Most time these days I say, hey, I’m sending you a copy. I’ll follow up afterwards. And so a little call. Mail call.” | 00:04:18.340 – 00:04:40.360

About Bill Cates

Bill Cates is a Hall of Fame speaker, bestselling author, and leading expert on referrals, relationship marketing, and client growth. For over 30 years, he has helped financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and professionals attract right-fit clients, generate consistent introductions, and grow their businesses through trust-based strategies.

He is the founder of The Cates Academy of Relationship Marketing and the author of eight books, including Get More Referrals Now!, Beyond Referrals, Radical Relevance, and The Hidden Heist. Known for making business growth simple and actionable, Bill teaches professionals how to communicate their value, build stronger relationships, and create systems that lead to predictable growth.

Through his speaking, coaching, and training programs, Bill helps business owners and advisors move beyond outdated sales tactics and instead grow through relevance, connection, and confidence.

Guest Book: https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Heist-R...

Guest Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

 

Leave a Rating & Review:

If you found value in this podcast, please support us by leaving a rating and review on iTunes! Each review is read personally, and we would love your feedback! Thank you in advance.

Click here to view the podcast! Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts,” then “Ratings and Reviews,” and you will see the button to “Write a review.”

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE on iTunes and YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Video URL: https://youtu.be/dc0TphlaeFo

Website: https://EliteOnlinePublishing.com

The post Books That Build Authority with Bill Cates first appeared on Book Publishing.

Jenn Foster, co-owner of Elite Online Publishing, interviews global executive and author Hans Bernard Lagerweij, whose new book The Why Whisperer offers leaders a practical path to double-digit growth and team alignment.

Listen Below:

Watch Below:

Click here to access all of Elite Expert Insider podcasts.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

Practical Models for Team Alignment and Strategy

Publishing Process and Book Writing Experience

Choosing the Book Title: “The Why Whisperer”

Quotes:

“And if your culture doesn’t allow for things like healthy conflict, et cetera, your strategy is already dead on, on arrival.”

“95% of the employees in the world, globally, have no clue what the strategy of the company is that they work for 95.”

“What a lot of leaders unfortunately do is they try to shout out their strategy, shout the plants, and they think the louder the better.”

About Hans Bernard Lagerweij

Hans Lagerweij brings over 25 years of international leadership experience to his writing. His career spans various industries, where he has consistently driven significant growth through a focus on team engagement and strategic alignment. His practical approach and real-world insights make The Why Whisperer an invaluable resource for leaders at all levels

Guest Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4NF3Q1J

Learn More Here

Leave a Rating & Review:

If you found value in this podcast, please support us by leaving a rating and review on iTunes! Each review is read personally, and we would love your feedback! Thank you in advance.

Click here to view the podcast! Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts,” then “Ratings and Reviews,” and you will see the button to “Write a review.”

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE on iTunes and YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Video URL: https://youtu.be/dc0TphlaeFo

The post How to Align Teams for Double Digit Growth With Hans Bernard Lagerweij first appeared on Book Publishing.

Half the year is gone.

Pull out the list you made in January. The goals. The new revenue lines. The brand moves. The book you said you’d finally write this year. How much of that actually happened?

If the book is still sitting there in the “someday” column, you’re in the company of about ninety percent of experts who said the same thing six months ago. The other ten percent are the ones who quietly started. By December, they’ll be the ones with the title on the cover.

Here’s what most experts get wrong about timing. They think July is too late to start a book this year. It isn’t. December authors are made in July. The publishing calendar runs backwards from launch, and there is still a clear window to be on a shelf, on a podcast, and on stages before the year closes.

The Q4 Window Most Experts Don’t See

Q4 is the highest-leverage stretch in the calendar for an authority book. Year-end lists go out. Holiday gifting picks up. Conference selection committees for next year start their reviews. Podcasts plan their guest calendars. Producers and journalists run final-quarter features. The author already on shelves walks into all of that with momentum. The expert still planning the book in January walks into it empty-handed.

This is the part nobody calculates. Every six months you postpone the book is not a six-month delay. It’s a missed Q4, missed January speaker bookings, missed first-quarter podcast appearances, and a competitor walking into all of it instead of you.

The cost compounds. The math doesn’t.

The Modern Timeline Is Shorter Than You Think

You also don’t need as much runway as you think. The eighteen-month book project is gone. With AI-assisted drafting, structured frameworks, and a real publishing partner doing the heavy lifting, the modern timeline for a professionally launched authority book is measured in a single quarter or two, not in years. The work has been compressed. The bottleneck is no longer the process. It’s the decision.

The expert who starts in July is the expert who has a book in hand when the room is making selections for next year. The expert still saying “I’ll get to it” in January is the expert watching someone else get picked.

Here is the reframe that has gotten more books finished than any motivational push: you don’t need to be ready. You need to start. The frameworks and the team carry the structure. You bring the expertise you already have.

Break the Pattern This Year

If you’ve been telling yourself the book is a “next year” project for the last three years, this is the year to break the pattern. Half the calendar is still in front of you. That is more than enough runway to be a published, recognized author before the next one starts.

The cost of waiting until January is another year of being the best-kept secret in your industry. The cost of starting now is a published book on your terms, in your name, by the time the new year arrives.

If you want to talk through what a year-end launch could realistically look like for your business, you can reach out to our team here. For a deeper look at how authors use the second half of the year to build authority that pays off through Q1, our YouTube channel walks through the full strategy our clients use.

FAQ

Is it really possible to publish a book before year-end if I start now?

Yes, depending on the package and how much of the writing you want to handle yourself. Most of our authors who start mid-year are launched and running campaigns through Q4.

What if my idea isn’t fully formed?

Most authors arrive with fragments rather than a finished thesis. Part of the early work with a publishing partner is shaping the angle and structure before any drafting begins. You don’t need a finished concept to start.

What’s the biggest risk of waiting until next year?

The compounding cost. Q4 is the highest-leverage stretch for authority books. The expert who launches in November walks into all of next year with momentum. The expert who starts in January is still mid-production while their competitor is being booked.

The post It’s July. Where’s Your Book? first appeared on Book Publishing.

Jenn Foster, co-owner of Elite Online Publishing, interviews Tom Schwab as he shares why podcast interviews are becoming one of the most powerful tools for visibility, authority, and AI indexing.

Listen Below:

Watch Below:

Click here to access all of Elite Expert Insider podcasts.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

The Changing Landscape of Podcasting and AI

How AI Indexes Podcasts and the Value of Human Content

Common Pitfalls in Podcast Guesting

Quotes:

“now people search differently. They don’t search on Google, they go to chat or they just read what Gemini puts up there after when the Google results. Right. Which is AI.”

“You’ve only spent your time once, but you have multiple pieces of content.”

“They’re listening while they’re working out or they’re running or they’re walking or they’re multitasking or they’re driving. They’re not going to write your email down and email you.”

About Tom Schwab

Tom Schwab is the Founder of Interview Valet and a pioneer of Podcast Interview Marketing. For over a decade, he has helped more than 1,500 leaders, consultants, and companies use podcast interviews to grow their influence, build authority, and create lasting marketing assets.

A Navy Veteran, engineer, and author of Podcast Guest Profits, Tom brings a systems-based approach to modern visibility. Today, he helps leaders understand how authentic long-form conversations can build human trust, strengthen authority, and improve recognition in an AI-driven world.

Guest Book: https://www.amazon.com/PODCAST-GUEST-PROFITS-business-interview-ebook/dp/B01N01ZIF7?ref_=ast_author_dp&th=1&psc=1s

Guest Podcast: https://www.podcastinterviewmarketing.com/

Learn More Here

Leave a Rating & Review:

If you found value in this podcast, please support us by leaving a rating and review on iTunes! Each review is read personally, and we would love your feedback! Thank you in advance.

Click here to view the podcast! Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts,” then “Ratings and Reviews,” and you will see the button to “Write a review.”

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE on iTunes and YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Video URL: https://youtu.be/dc0TphlaeFo

The post Why Podcast Interviews Are the New SEO with Tom Schwab first appeared on Book Publishing.

Almost every expert who considers writing a book says the same thing. “But I’m not a writer.” It feels honest. It feels like a reason to wait. And it is the wrong question entirely. The right question is not “Am I a writer?” The right question is “Do I have a story worth telling?” For most experts, the answer is yes. You have lived the lessons. You have solved the problems. You have the experience that others are still searching for. That is the raw material of a powerful book, and writing skill has very little to do with it.

Why “Not a Writer” Holds You Back

The belief that you have to be a gifted writer keeps brilliant experts on the sidelines for years. Meanwhile, less qualified people publish, get visible, and get recognized. Here is the truth. Authority does not come from elegant prose. It comes from valuable ideas, clearly shared. Your readers do not want literary perfection. They want your insight, your framework, and your story told in a way they can use.

How AI and a Focused Weekend Change Everything

The old way of writing a book was slow, lonely, and intimidating. Months of staring at a blank page. That is why so many books never get finished.The new way is faster than most experts believe.

With the right system, artificial intelligence becomes your writing partner. It helps you organize your thoughts, structure your chapters, and turn the way you already speak into the words on the page. You bring the expertise and the story. AI helps you shape it. A focused weekend becomes enough to move from idea to a real manuscript draft. This is not about letting a machine write your book. It is about removing the friction that has kept your book trapped in your head. You still sound like you. You still own every word. You simply get there faster. Want to see how it works? Our free Write Your Book in a Weekend guide shows you the exact process to turn your story into a manuscript quickly. Get it here: https://berecognized.us/write

You Already Have What It Takes

Stop asking whether you are a writer. Start asking whether your message deserves to be heard. If you have spent years building expertise, the answer is already clear. What you need is not more talent. You need a process that meets you where you are. To see how we help experts become published authors and recognized authorities, visit https://eliteonlinepublishing.com/ and watch our author strategies on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteOnlinePublishing1

Your book is closer than you think.

FAQ

Do I need to be a good writer to publish a book? No. Authority comes from valuable ideas shared clearly, not from literary skill. Your expertise and story matter far more than perfect prose.

Can AI really help me write my book? Yes. AI can help you organize your ideas, structure chapters, and shape your spoken expertise into written form while keeping your authentic voice.

Is it actually possible to write a book in a weekend? You can create a strong manuscript draft in a focused weekend with the right system. Our free guide walks you through the process step by step.

Will the book still sound like me if I use AI? Yes. AI is a tool to remove friction and speed up the process. You bring the story and expertise, and you own every word.

The post “I’m Not a Writer” Is the Wrong Worry first appeared on Book Publishing.

Jenn Foster, co-owner of Elite Online Publishing, interviews Will Watrous to talk about how entrepreneurs can reduce stress, create stronger teams, and build healthier businesses using EOS.

Listen Below:

Watch Below:

Click here to access all of Elite Expert Insider podcasts.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

Introduction to EOS and Traction

The Ripple Effect of Business Health

Entrepreneurial Stress and Mindset

Quotes:

“If you’re just trying to do it all yourself, which I know a lot of entrepreneurs do, then you do end up maybe in the hospital or with some type of health issue because you’re so stressed.”

“Somebody said the body keeps score. Like all of those open loops, all of the pressure, the overwhelm, it takes its toll. And. And the leadership team at the company was feeling it as well. So that was a good wake up call for me.”

“And it’s a complete system with a set of simple, practical tools that help business owners and their leadership teams do three things. I call it vision, traction and healthy vision.”

About Will Watrous

Will Watrous is an entrepreneur, EOS Implementer, and business leader passionate about helping teams achieve their biggest goals. After leading four companies ranging from 3 to 250 employees, Will understands the pressure business owners face firsthand, from making payroll to hiring the right people and scaling without burning out.

After growing one of his companies by 173% in a single year, the stress led to a serious health incident and forced him to find a better way to lead. That search brought him to EOS, the Entrepreneurial Operating System, which helped transform his business by improving team morale, simplifying operations, and increasing net profit from 6% to 34%.

Today, Will helps business owners and leadership teams gain clarity, alignment, accountability, and freedom so they can build healthier companies and get what they truly want from their business.

Learn More Here

Leave a Rating & Review:

If you found value in this podcast, please support us by leaving a rating and review on iTunes! Each review is read personally, and we would love your feedback! Thank you in advance.

Click here to view the podcast! Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts,” then “Ratings and Reviews,” and you will see the button to “Write a review.”

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE on iTunes and YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Video URL: https://youtu.be/dc0TphlaeFo

The post Build a Business That Runs Better with Will Watrous first appeared on Book Publishing.

Podcast hosts are not looking for the most famous guest. They are looking for the most interesting one. That is good news for you. The story you have already lived, the lessons you have already learned, and the expertise you have already built are exactly what a host needs to fill a great episode. The problem is not that you lack a story. The problem is that most experts do not know how to translate their story into a pitch that gets a yes.

How to Turn Your Story Into a Pitch

A strong podcast pitch is not “I would love to be on your show.” It is a clear promise of value to the host’s audience. Start with the listener. What will they walk away with? Frame your story around the transformation, not the timeline. Lead with a hook. One sentence that makes the host curious. Think about the surprising moment, the hard-won lesson, or the counterintuitive truth in your journey. Connect your story to a topic the host already covers. Make it easy for them to picture the episode. Offer two or three specific talking points. Hosts love guests who hand them a ready-made outline. Include proof. This is where your book does the work. An author pitch carries more weight than an expert pitch, because the book signals that you have already organized your thinking and earned your authority.

The Numbers Behind a Story-Driven Book

Here is what most experts underestimate. A single story-driven book does not just generate book sales. It generates clients, speaking fees, and media that can far outweigh the cost of publishing. We have watched authors use one book to land recurring podcast bookings, paid keynote spots, and high-value clients who arrived already convinced. The book did the selling before the conversation started. That is the real return on investment. Not royalties. Opportunities. Curious what your book could actually generate? Our free ROI Calculator helps you estimate the business value of a book based on your own numbers. Try it here: https://eliteonlinepublishing.com/roi-calculator/

Stop Waiting to Be Discovered

The experts who get booked are not always the most qualified. They are the most visible. Visibility is a skill, and it starts with knowing how to package your story so the right people say yes.

If you want to see how we help authors turn their books into podcast and media opportunities, explore our work at https://eliteonlinepublishing.com/ and watch our strategy breakdowns on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteOnlinePublishing1

You do not need to be famous. You need to be findable, credible, and clear.

FAQ

Do I need a book to get booked on podcasts? No, but a book makes a powerful difference. It signals authority and gives hosts confidence that you can deliver a valuable conversation.

What makes a podcast pitch stand out? A clear hook, a focus on value to the audience, ready-made talking points, and proof of your credibility. Make it easy for the host to say yes.

How does a book create return on investment beyond sales? A book attracts clients, speaking fees, media features, and partnerships. The value comes from the opportunities it opens, not just copies sold.

How can I estimate the value of writing a book? Our free ROI Calculator lets you plug in your own numbers to see the potential business impact of a story-driven book.

 

The post Your Story Is a Podcast Pitch Waiting to Happen first appeared on Book Publishing.

Jenn Foster, co-owner of Elite Online Publishing, interviews Doug Knoll—lawyer turned mediator, peacemaker, and author of the upcoming book Empathy Leadership.

Listen Below:

Watch Below:

Click here to access all of Elite Expert Insider podcasts.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

The Technique of Affect Labeling for Conflict Resolution

Demonstration and Mechanics of Affect Labeling

Self-Labeling and Dyadic Labeling

Quotes:

“When you name what someone’s feeling, it inhibits the centers of the brain associated with negative emotion and activates a prefrontal region of the brain in charge of emotional self regulation.”

“We learn how to put on a good front, but we’re never authentic, because to be authentic is to lose connection, because we’re going to get chastised or crumpled by an adult.”

“We, my colleague Laurel Coffer and I co founded Prison of Peace. And we started training women in the largest, most violent women’s prison in the world, which was here in California back in 2010.”

About Doug Noll

Doug Noll is a lawyer-turned-peacemaker who helps leaders, executives, and organizations defuse high-stakes conflict before it costs trust, talent, or deals. After 22 years as a trial lawyer, Doug shifted from winning arguments to stopping them, becoming an expert in emotional de-escalation, empathy, and conflict resolution.

He has mediated more than 1,500 disputes, teaches Decision Making Under Uncertainty and Conflict at Pepperdine’s Straus Institute, and co-founded the Prison of Peace Project, where he trained maximum-security inmates to reduce violence using empathy-based skills.

Doug teaches what he calls emotional precision under pressure. Instead of explaining, fixing, or forcing rational conversation when emotions run high, he shows people how to name what others are feeling so their nervous system calms down and real problem-solving can begin.

His real-world impact spans from prisons to boardrooms, with those he trained inside correctional facilities now mentoring others as mediators and peacemakers. Doug is also the author of De-Escalate, which has sold more than 40,000 copies in five languages, and his upcoming book Empathy Leadership shows leaders how to defuse conflict quickly without losing authority, trust, or connection.

Book: De-Escalate and Empathy Leadership

Podcast: Listening with Leaders

Learn More Here

Leave a Rating & Review:

If you found value in this podcast, please support us by leaving a rating and review on iTunes! Each review is read personally, and we would love your feedback! Thank you in advance.

Click here to view the podcast! Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts,” then “Ratings and Reviews,” and you will see the button to “Write a review.”

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE on iTunes and YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Video URL: https://youtu.be/dc0TphlaeFo

The post How to Calm Anyone in 90 Seconds with Doug Noll first appeared on Book Publishing.

Most experts treat their story like a keepsake. Something to share at a dinner party or tuck into the “About” page of a website. It feels personal, so it stays private. But there is a difference between telling your story and using your story. Telling your story informs people. Using your story positions you. One is a nice moment. The other is a business asset that keeps working for you long after the conversation ends.

Telling vs. Using

When you tell your story, you describe what happened. When you use your story, you connect what happened to the problem you solve and the people you serve. The facts are the same. The framing is different. And that framing is what turns a personal narrative into proof of authority.

Your story is the reason a prospect trusts you before the first call. It is the reason a podcast host says yes. It is the reason a stage organizer remembers your name. Used well, it does the heavy lifting of credibility so you do not have to keep explaining why you belong in the room.

Why a Book Is the Starting Line, Not the Finish Line

Here is where many authors get stuck. They publish, celebrate, and then wait for something to happen. A published book is not the finish line. It is the starting line. The book is the asset. What you do with it is the strategy. At Elite Online Publishing, we walk authors through a simple four-phase roadmap so the book keeps working long after launch.

Phase 1: Foundation. Your book becomes your credibility anchor. It is your business card, your proof, and your positioning all in one.

Phase 2: Visibility. The book opens doors to podcasts, stages, and media features that put you in front of new audiences.

Phase 3: Authority. Each appearance compounds. You move from “expert who wrote a book” to “the recognized voice” in your space.

Phase 4: Growth. Authority attracts better clients, larger speaking fees, and partnership opportunities you did not have to chase.

Most people stop at Phase 1. The authors who grow their business keep moving.

Start Treating Your Story Like an Asset

You already have the experience. You already have the story. What you may be missing is the positioning that lets the right people recognize it. A book gives your story structure. A strategy gives it reach. If you want to see exactly how to move your message from invisible to recognized, our free Author Visibility Roadmap shows you the path step by step. Get it here: https://berecognized.us/roadmap

You can also learn more about how we help experts build authority at https://eliteonlinepublishing.com/ and watch real strategies in action on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteOnlinePublishing1

Your story already happened. Now let’s put it to work.

FAQ

What is the difference between telling my story and using my story? Telling your story shares what happened. Using your story connects that experience to the value you offer, which builds credibility and attracts opportunities.

Do I need a book to use my story as a business asset? A book is the strongest format because it gives your story structure and lasting credibility, but the principle applies to your speaking, content, and pitches too.

What is the four-phase roadmap? It is a simple framework for using your book after launch: Foundation, Visibility, Authority, and Growth. Each phase builds on the last.

How long does it take to see results from a published book? Many authors begin seeing visibility opportunities within the first few months when they actively use the book rather than waiting on sales alone.

 

The post Your Story Is Not a Memoir. It Is a Business Asset. first appeared on Book Publishing.