Why do you write a book? 

Did you want to…

• Build an audience
• Earn money
• Share your expertise
• Attract leads
• Become famous
• Something else? 
• Experience transformation through writing a book

Whether you’re a fiction author or a business owner looking to share your message with the world…

None of these reasons end up being the most important. 

What supersedes all of that during the book-writing process is the *internal* transformation that happens to every author. Experience transformation through writing a book.

That transformation is exactly what this week’s Measure Success Podcast guest is an expert at leading people through.

Dr. Kent Gustavson is a prize-winning writer, entrepreneur, and musician, who has published hundreds of books and worked with thousands of authors on achieving their goals.

In This Episode: 

Authors — and business owners — write books for all kinds of reasons. They want to build an audience, earn money, share their expertise, attract leads, or maybe even try to become famous. But one of the most important things that happen during the book-writing process is the *internal* transformation. And that’s what our guest this week is an expert at leading people through.

Dr. Kent Gustavson is a prize-winning writer, entrepreneur, and musician, who has published hundreds of books and worked with thousands of authors on achieving their goals.

Tune into the full conversation for more about the ghostwriting process, what makes a good ghostwriter (and why they should be similar to therapists), the benefit of writing with a small audience in mind, the big mistake that many first-time authors make, and a lot more. Experience transformation through writing a book!

Here’s a Glimpse of What You’ll Learn: 

• More about Kent’s ghostwriting business, and how he and his team do it differently than the typical way
• The difference between what Kent does vs “coaching”
• Why Kent compares ghostwriters and editors to both therapists and strategists
• What “chronic curiosity” means — and why it’s important to be “savage” with ghostwriting clients
• The biggest surprises that Kent’s clients experience after working with a ghostwriter, and why transformation is such an important part of the process 
• Why all books should be written for a small audience, and why Kent cautions against authors writing their “magnum opus” 
• That 99.9% of people shouldn’t be focusing on “tribe building” when they write a book
• Why Kent’s definition of measuring success involves “taking layers of varnish off”
• The differences between perceived success and real success
• The important habits Kent has integrated into his life, including those that are possible thanks to his home in Europe
• Why Kent sees “everything as music” (and improvisation)
• Some book recommendations from Kent

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• • Dr. Kent Gustavson’s website
  • Dr. Kent Gustavson on LinkedIn
  • Thought Leader Press website
  • “Angela’s Ashes:A Memoir” by Frank McCourt
  • “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran
  • “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams
  • Buy a copy of “Lost at CEO: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Strategy” by Carl J. Cox 
  • 40 Strategy
  • Contact 40 Strategy
  • Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn