I have worked with authors for more than three decades. Based on my observations, here are 7 characteristics that separate the highly successful ones from the others.

Personal growth comes from self-awareness, and the practice of journaling is a phenomenal way to start that process with regular reflection—as long as your reflection is accurate. If you’ve ever been to a playground or circus with fun mirrors, you know the slightest bend to a mirror creates a distorted image that reflects your image […]

One way you can reach a larger audience quickly is to piggyback on established email lists from bloggers and businesses with similar interests. “Third party email marketing, whether for Business to Business (B2B) or Business to Consumer (B2C) is a great way of finding new customers and can be an awesome resource for new, fresh […]

Most people recognize the value of an online platform. When you have one, you can reach more people with your message, products, or hard-won expertise. You multiply both your influence and your income. Everybody wins. The problem is that building an online following can feel daunting. I talk to people all the time who want […]

Many people fail because they are afraid to dream. Their thinking is too small. In this post I provide seven steps for becoming a big thinker.

I decided to change my email newsletter strategy last month. For years, I sent the entire blog post in the body of the email. We used a custom template that included many of the design elements from my blog. For a long time, that served us well. But we are no longer doing that. Instead, […]

I create a lot of content across my blog, podcast, online courses, books, and membership site. And sometimes readers and other content creators wonder about my strategy. The other day I heard from a reader who not only follows my blog and podcast, but is also a Platform University member and follows #VirtualMentor. When he […]

These days everyone knows that you need a platform to get published. But if you’re like a lot of people I meet, you’re overwhelmed, short on time, and not sure where to begin. It feels impossible. But what if I told you it’s easier than you think? Part of our problem is that we blow […]

We open registration for Platform University twice a year. We just completed the relaunch for the fall, and it went extremely well—in fact, we beat our goal. But not every launch works, and sometimes we’re left wondering, “Why did my product bomb?” A friend recently asked for my input on why her product launch failed. […]

[guestpost]This is a guest post by my new podcast co-host, Michele Cushatt. She is a communicator and storyteller whose speaking experiences include Women of Faith, Focus on the Family, and Compassion International. You can read her blog and follow her on Twitter. Michele will also be speaking at this year’s Platform Conference, November 9-11 in […]

When I left the corporate suite at Thomas Nelson I planned to write and speak full time. And that’s exactly what I did at first. One year in fact I gave over 40 keynotes. It felt great! It also felt totally, utterly, completely exhausting. I had come to the realization that, even as an executive […]

According to psychologists, most people have a greater fear of public speaking than of death. As someone who trains speakers professionally, I can attest this is true. It certainly was for me. Even after I had been speaking publicly for years, I still struggled with fear. Even when I was well-prepared. This happened nearly every […]

Now is a good time to review your previous year’s blogging results. Here are my top 10 posts and what I learned from evaluating them.

I thought it would be cool to create an infographic for my new book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. Thanks to Dave Whitlock of Principle Design for creating this for me. http://principledesign.com

Sure you enjoy blogging, but wouldn’t it be cool if you could make some money from all the effort. You can! Here are three methods.

Before you launch your new product, service, or cause, you need to develop an online media kit. Here are eight components you need to include if you want to create the ultimate tool for prospective partners and super fans.

Before you launch your product, service, or cause, you need “an elevator pitch.” Here are three reasons why and four components it should include.

In the last decade, we have witnessed the “free revolution.” While this might not be a viable business model, it can be a brilliant marketing strategy. Here are 10 idea-starters to make free work for you.

If you are going to succeed as a creative, you must secure third-party endorsements for you products. Here is a step-by-step plan for getting the endorsements you want.

As a creative—author, speaker, recording artist—you need a team. You can’t go it alone. You may have to start small, but you have to enroll others to help you get to your destination.

Now that public speaking has become my primary focus, I thought it was time I revamped my Speaking page. I thought I would document the process here, in the event that you are thinking about “going pro.” This is the second of two posts.

Now that public speaking has become my primary focus, I thought it was time I revamped my Speaking page. I thought I would document the process here, in the event that you are thinking about “going pro.” This is the first of two posts.

You know you need to build a platform, but the thought of self-promotion makes your toenails curl. If so, you’re not alone. In this guest post by Robin Sullivan, she shares 5 steps for getting started in social media.

The movie, Blue Like Jazz, was dead. But two fans resurrected it. All they had was a dream—and the power of social media. They have just made history.