Episode 443: My book is out today!
In this episode, we’re excited to celebrate the launch of Fiona’s second book, Business to Brand. Fiona takes us behind the scenes of her creative process, sharing the challenges, insights, and key steps that helped transform her idea into a published book. Whether you're a budding author or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode is packed with inspiration and actionable advice. Tune in now!
You'll Learn How To:
Celebration of the book launch: Business to Brand: Move from Transaction to Transformation
The emotional journey of publishing a book
Importance of taking the first step toward a goal
Overcoming fear and taking action
Encouragement to start small and build momentum
How to begin the process of writing a book
Supporting small businesses and independent bookstores
Get in touch with My Daily Business
Connect and get in touch with My Daily Business:
Welcome to episode 443 of the My Daily Business Podcast. Today is a quick tip episode and this one is huge. I can't get the excitement out of my voice because today is a very special day. Before we get stuck into that, I'm going to of course acknowledge the custodians and the traditional owners of the lands on which I am living and celebrating and doing all the things. And that is the Wurrung and Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. And I pay my respects to their elders past and present and acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded. Let's get into today's special episode.
If you're reading this in real-time, it is Tuesday the 3rd of September, when my second book, Business to Brand, moves from Transaction to Transformation and hits the shelves. I'm so excited. I'm nervous. All the emotions. And if you read my previous episode where I talked to you through the whole rollercoaster of emotions that I'm feeling, you'll be well versed in where I'm at right now. But today I wanted to put out this episode as just a reminder to anyone who's reading to just start somewhere. Just make whatever the smallest step that you need to take is just make it. I can't believe that it's out today and I'm so excited to like to go out of my house and go to a bookshop and see it because when my first book came out, Passion Purpose Profit in 2020, we were in lockdown here in Melbourne and I couldn't get out and see it.
It was heartbreaking that it was the first book I'd ever put out and I couldn't go. I couldn't go and see it. And in comparison to all the other stuff that was happening, that was not something huge to complain about. But this time I'm just so excited to walk into a shop and be like, my book is here. Hopefully bump into somebody who's picking it up to have a look and be like, that's a good book. You should buy it. But also, it's a huge reminder today that this started, this book started, it came into creation because I dared to have an idea and then put that idea out into the world. And I know that that can be incredibly scary. I want you to think about something that you are putting off, but you want to do.
Yes, there'll be things you're putting off that you don't want to do, but there will be a couple of things that I'm sure that you have either dreamt of doing or started when you think about it, you get excited. And I would ask you to think about what is just one action you can take today, ideally today in memory of this book coming out, that will help you get a little bit further along in whatever that journey looks like for you. For me, when I had my first book, the very first step that I took was to contact this guy, Michael Webster, who had worked with me. He had run the entire course for editing and publishing at RMIT, which I'd studied in 2007. It had been a long time since I had talked to him and I felt like a bit of an idiot sending him an email if I'm honest.
But I thought I kept talking and talking about like wanting to write a book. I keep mentioning it to my husband and I keep chatting with friends, but I don't do anything about it. I thought, I'm going to email him and I'm just going to say what publishing houses or which publishing houses do you think would accept a business book proposal? I emailed him and instantly he wrote back and was so incredible and then put me in touch with somebody else. And then that person and I had a discussion and then she put me in touch with somebody else. A whole series of things developed because I was willing to be super awkward and send an email even if I didn't get a response, just that I knew I had taken some action towards this goal instead of sitting there dreaming about it and not doing anything about it.
Then obviously the first book came out. But it still took incredible courage to put myself out there again and say to the book publisher, “Hey, I want to write another book and here are some ideas.” And of course, they had already published a book with me, it had done well. It was maybe a little less scary, but it's still hard to like put out your ideas to somebody because they can write back and say, this sounds absolutely crap. I probably wouldn't write that back, but it's scary. It's scary at so many different points. But if you don't start, if you don't send that initial email or text that person or go and just start researching for, in this instance like book publishers, nothing will happen. I often say to people, that nothing changes. If nothing changes, I say it to my kids, I say it to myself all the time, probably more than I say to anyone else.
Nothing changes if nothing changes. If you are sitting there thinking, I would like to write a book, or I would like to start a podcast, or I'd like to start a YouTube channel or anything else, just think about what is the one step I can take today. For example, if I want to start a YouTube channel, I'm going to go and have a look at like five YouTubers and I'm just going to subscribe to them and start watching them and start watching and seeing like, how am I interested in this? What is it that's attractive to me? What do I like about their videos? What do I not like about their videos? Or maybe the first step you take is to reach out to a videographer that you know or used to work with. We've got some great people that we can recommend if ever you need somebody.
But that is that small step and you just don't know what is going to come from that small step. I recently interviewed Becca from Mustard, she's also in the book and her interview will come out I think very soon in a couple of days. And in that interview, she talks about the idea that in small business we have no idea the doors that are going to be open to us as we keep riding this journey of business. I've gotta be prepared and embrace those. And I think part of the excitement that I have today is that I have embraced those things. I have gone, you know what, I'm going to put myself on the line. And it's scary. Yes, I'm super excited about this book coming out, but it's also scary to have your ideas, your thoughts, very, very personal stories out there about things that are, that maybe I haven't shared with a bunch of people.
It is scary, but you have to embrace that. You have to embrace that for things to happen. As I said, nothing changes if nothing changes. I don't know if this is making any sense, because I am quite excited the book is out today, and if you're listening, just use this as a sign to take action on whatever it is that you are thinking about. Because this book has been two years in the making between talking to the publisher about it and getting a contract. I think I got the contract in October 2022. It is almost two years to the day that this book is coming out. It's not like you just put that figure in action and overnight it happens. You still have to work at it, but without putting that first step in place, all of the other things that come afterwards, they're just not going to happen.
Use this today to think about something that you are putting off something that would excite you and think about what is the first step I can take. And if you need help with this always send a dm. We are @mydailybusiness_ on Instagram or @mydailybusiness on TikTok. Or you can email hello@mydailybusiness.com and we'll get back to you. It may be that you want to do some coaching around it, or it might be easy for me to just send you a text back or a voice note and help you on your way. We are here for the small business community anytime. And if you're listening to this and you are thinking, I would love to write a book, then we do have a course on How to Get Your Book Published.
In that we have my publisher come in and tell you what they're looking for in your pitch. We work through my pitch and what was good about it, what wasn't good about it, and how you can create yours. You get templates, you get so much information in there. In addition to the course, you also get the coaching component with me. And now we have an accountability group that runs for 12 months as well so that you start writing your book and figuring out how to pitch it and getting the book deals and all of that. If you're interested in that, just head on over to mydailybusiness.com/courses and you'll be able to find that there. We are kicking off a new one, I think in October. Exciting. Thank you so much for reading. As I said, I hope this makes sense.
It's a bit of a riff today with all the different emotions going on. And if you would like to buy a copy of my book, it is now available on shelves in all the bookshops, in all the online places. If you can please support another small business owner by buying it through a gift shop, a bookshop, an independent bookstore, all of that. And if you can't find somewhere to buy it, just send us a DM and we can find somewhere for you. If you're a stockist and you would like to stock the book anywhere in the world, please get in touch. Or you can contact our publisher, Hardie Grant Publishing and Chronicle Books in the US. Thank you so much for reading and I'm excited. I can't wait to hear how this book has helped you in your journey. Again, if you've got the book and you start working through it, please don't be a stranger. Get in touch and let me know what has resonated most for you. Because as I said, it's a lot of work, a lot of time, and a lot of all the emotions that go into it. But yes, thank you for reading and I'll see you next time. Bye.
