Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Tell us about your influences, and how you came to be a writer.

It was when I lost a job and the way it went down with a few of us executives at this company. We had put our heart and soul into this company and were just gone. This set me off to develop my first book, but I am not a true writer, when I was offered a new position I focused on this business and placed the book writing aside. Therefore, it took 15 years to publish my first book.

But I guess the inspiration to be a writer came from my love of learning about business and to see here so many people with fancy degrees had no clue about managing a business. From the time I was a small boy, I was always asking questions about everything! This is where I develop my management skills to ask a question then to listen and then listen even more.

I will say I was never a huge reader as a child but when I started to travel and on a plane 48 weeks a year, I would pick up a business book and read them. I even developed a training PowerPoint from these books.

The biggest author who influenced me was Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles. My first book is Raving Fans. I love this book so much over the years when I take a sales team on I make each one read this book. Over the years I have read and studied Ken Blanchard’s business books and I love to share them with sales team members and company executives.

What is your process for writing a book? Where do you get your inspiration?

Let us tackle the inspiration question first. Simple answer: I get it anywhere and everywhere. I might be working with a business or have a conversation with an employee of a business that wants me to learn more about what they do, so I dig into the issues. then keep asking questions pop into my mind. Before I know it, I might have an idea for a chapter in my book.

As for my process, I will take that idea, wherever it came from, and let it roll around in my mind for a while. As you can see 15 years in the first book. Then, when I feel I am ready, I’ll sit down and start writing. Often, I’ll jot a few notes down first, or work on story points, but I’m not an outliner. This is just not me. I enjoy the surprises I come across as I write and how the ideas might change as I am developing the story. Once I’m done with a draft, I will go back to each page and review the story. Then the rewriting starts I have some amazing friends that are true writers to read what I have and see their reactions.

How do you create the characters in your stories?

Most of the time when I am in bed sleeping, I do not sleep well maybe four hours a night so I might wake up with an idea or a part of the page and go write it down. I am different than most writers as not a writer but an idea person that likes to put ideas down them make them a story.

Any advice for book writers just starting out?

Most important to me is, WRITE: Writers write. Simple as that. Write a little every day if that is all you can manage. It may be bad, but so what? Athletes practice all the time, improving with each drill. It is the same thing with writing. You cannot get better unless you write. If you want anything bad enough you will succeed. Passion is what drives me.  I have always succeeded in anything that I am passionate about, that is what I bring to the game each day. The drive is another one, no one will tell you to make one more sale call at 4:35 when you were off at 4:30. It is up to you to push yourself every day, and never take no for an answer. Relationships are the number one focus in business, you need to strive every day on building new relationships. I focus on this every day, I track how many new relationships I make in a day.