Uncorking A Story

I remember being in business school and learning about successful founders who left college to start their businesses without a degree—people like Bill Gates, Michael Dell, and Steve Jobs. There’s another name to add to the list—Chandler Bolt, and I had the pleasure of interviewing him about his latest book Published: The Proven Path From Blank Page to 10,000 Copies Sold. MEET CHANDLER BOLT As a seven-time bestselling author and CEO of Self-Publishing School and selfpublishing.com, Chandler Bolt knows exactly how instrumental writing books can be in sharing your message and even growing and scaling your business. His message is that you can’t wait for the “perfect time” in life to get writing, the perfect time to get writing is now. He's an investor, the CEO of Self-Publishing School & SelfPublishing.com, made it on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and the host of the 7 Figure Principles Podcast and the Self Publishing School Podcast. Through his books, podcasts, YouTube channels, and Self-Publishing School, he’

All families have secrets. The big one in my family, at least for me anyway, was the fact that my older brother Greg was adopted. When I was in high school, I was sitting in room with extended family and my auntie Joan, who really wasn’t my aunt but rather a very close friend of my mother, said to me, “You know, you are very special Michael because you are the first-born son of the family.” This was an odd comment as I knew that A. Auntie Joan was aware of my brother Gregory who is 9 years my senior and B. that she wasn’t off her rocker. When I asked, “What about Greg?” I saw her face go pale and she pretended to have forgotten about him. Later that night, on the way to dinner, my mother and father told me that Greg was adopted as a way of explaining Auntie Joan’s comment. I turned to my twin brother Jimmy (I was older by a minute, therefore technically was the first-born son) and he said, “Mia told me years ago.” Apparently, I was the only one who didn’t know. This walk down memory lane is relevant to tod

I was able to spend some time with my parents earlier this week. A last-minute business trip brought me down to Florida and, instead of staying near my clients in Miami, I decided to take advantage of the very reasonable rates at my parent’s condo on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale. Dad even through in a free rental car and dinner at my favorite spot—Gianni’s in Pompano. As I’m writing this, Mother’s Day is just about a week away and I was happy I could spend two short days with my mom because we won’t be able to see her on Mother’s Day. She really does mean the world to me and, at 88, she’s still a very happy person, even if her memory isn’t what it used to be (an understatement). When I left, she had it in her head that it was Thanksgiving and that she had to make a Turkey which would have been interesting given their oven doesn’t work, but I digress. On today’s episode, I talk about mothers with Kim Dower, who joined me to talk about her poetry collection, “I Wore This Dress Today for You, Mom.” MEET KIM DOW

When I was in college, I studied psychology because I was fascinated by the mind-body connection. I wanted to understand what made people tick and why they do what they do. My guest today had a similar curiosity into the human condition, although went about indulging it differently—by studying anthropology. Juliette Blackwell is the New York Times bestselling author of Off the Wild Coast of Brittany and The Vineyards of Champagne. In addition to writing the beloved Witchcraft Mystery series and the Haunted Home Renovation series, she also coauthored the Agatha Award–nominated Art Lover’s Mystery series with her sister. She joined me to talk about her latest book, The Paris Showroom, which takes place during World War II. What’s the true story that sparked the idea for this book? What role does observation play in Juliet’s writing process? What is her fascination with haunted houses? Listen in to today’s episode for the answers to these questions plus learn my link to WWII era France. As a teaser, it has som

Matthew Fray is a relationship coach and writer who leans on the lessons of his failed marriage and divorce to help others avoid making the same mistakes he did. His writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Sunday Times, The Huffington Post, Babble, and many more. His blog, Must Be This Tall To Ride, has a dedicated following and has reached millions of readers. Filtered through the lens of his own surprising, life-changing experience and his years counseling couples, his book THIS IS HOW YOUR MARRIAGE ENDS: A Hopeful Approach to Saving Relationships exposes the root problem of so many relationships that go wrong: we simply haven’t been taught any of the necessary skills. Why did Matthew’s marriage go south? How did a call to a therapist motivate him to turn his experience into a blog and later a book? What’s the dating reality for people in their 40s? Matthew discusses all of this and more in this insightful episode. What you will Learn in this Episode How we accidentally damage our relationsh

Imagine that one simple, humbling question could change the trajectory of your career forever. By simply asking his clients, “What would you do if you were me?” today’s guest, John Saunders, uncorked the guidance he needed to excel in his role as a Wall Street SVP and sales team leader. He joined me to talk about parlaying his wisdom into a book and his career as a coach. MEET JOHN SAUNDERS John Saunders spent many years as a Wall Street Senior Vice President, sales team leader, and award-winning sales executive. He followed his passion for helping others grow and founded coaching and consulting company, Forward Advisory Solutions. He’s also the author of The Optimizer: Building and Leading a Team of Serial Innovators. KEY TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE: John’s career in sales and how he took it into overdrive How John pivoted to becoming and author How a pitch meeting led to John’s new career as an author coach Why we sometimes need to look inside, rather than outside, to overcome limitations KEY TAKEAWAYS

One of the biggest challenges for a new author is to find their voice while writing something that will make a difference in the world. That's why Linda Griffin decided to become a book coach and help new authors find their path through the publishing process. Linda shares her story of how she became a book coach and why she’s motivated to help new authors tell their story. She explains the importance of following the right process and providing guidance along the way.   MEET LINDA GRIFFIN Linda Griffin who a published author and book coach. Her mentoring program is designed to give busy professionals, coaches, consultants, CEO’s and business owners a step-by-step process to write and publish a non-fiction book based on their knowledge and expertise. KEY TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE Why she pivoted from her desire to work in travel and hospitality to a career as an author coach. What she learned about writing and publishing the hard way. Her role as an author coach and why it is important for authors to con

Every now and then I get a reminder that I’m only human, and that reminder came in the introduction to this episode where I mispronounce the title of my guest’s book. Thankfully, Beth Anstandig had a sense of humor about it, and we had a good laugh. It is someone apropos, as laughing is a part of the human experience and that was a big topic of conversation today! MEET BETH ANSTANDIG As a self-described life-long cowgirl, licensed psychotherapist, and professor Beth Anstandig has 25 years of experience developing, implementing and training people in Natural Leadership, a model she pioneered. She’s trained thousands of leaders and teams from some of the most renowned corporations, universities, and nonprofits, helping them awaken their innate power and awareness to live, lead, and work with more authentic relationships and connection. Her book, The Human Herd: Awakening our Natural Leadership is available wherever books are sold. KEY TOPICS IN THIS PODCAST: How observing animals impacted her life at a ver

Over the years on Uncorking a Story, I’ve interviewed many lawyers who have tapped into their creative side and written a debut novel and I can now add Matthew Necci’s name to that list. Who is the inspiration behind the story? What motivates him to write? How important was his wife’s support in moving him from aspiring to published author? Listen in to hear the answers to these questions and hear his perspective on my beloved UConn Huskies. MEET MATTHEW NECCI Matthew Necci is the author of The Road Will Someday Bend. He is a practicing attorney by trade, with a penchant for social media and community building. Matt's daily musings about the UConn Huskies, the New York Mets, Greater Hartford, and the Adirondacks can be found on Twitter: @UConnNetch KEY TOPICS IN THIS PODCAST: How he identified a love of writing early in his life. Why he approaches legal briefs as exercises in persuasive storytelling. The importance of encouragement in the writing process. Why he started writing his debut novel The Roa

The stories my father has told me about his childhood are ones that have stayed with me. There are stories about the ice cream shop he worked in, the pranks he played on his bus driver, and the trouble he used to get into with his partner-in-crime Bobby MacGyver, but the one that always stuck with me was one he’d tell about his mother. My grandfather was a police officer in New Rochelle and my dad would tell me my grandmother would ask him to bring home a pint of ice cream and she’d eat it while waiting for him to walk through the door after his shift had ended. I can vividly picture her waiting in a chair by the door eating coffee ice cream while anxiously waiting for my grandpa to come home. I share this because today’s guest, Karen White, was also impacted by some of the stories her father would tell her as well and elements of those stories are featured in her bestselling novels. MEET KAREN WHITE Karen White is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 31 books, including the Tradd Street s

Imagine walking into a newspaper editor’s office, interviewing for a job as a sportswriter having never written a sports related article before, getting the gig and totally rocking it. That’s just what Carol Finizza did and I’m very excited to share her story with you today. MEET CAROL FINIZZA Carol has had a passion for storytelling since crafting articles for her college newspaper. She was a former sportswriter for the Orange County Register and a regular contributor to Orange Coast Magazine. She is the author of The Surf-Vival Handbook for Land and Sea, a girl’s guide to life at the beach. Murder on Hollywood Beach is her debut novel in The Messy Girl Murder Series. KEY TOPICS IN THIS PODCAST When she discovered her talent for writing and storytelling How writing can be a form of therapy The true story that inspired Murder on Hollywood Beach Why aspiring writers should be fearless and to follow their passion. KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM MY TALK WITH CAROL Writing is therapy. Writing can be a form of the

I have a confession to make–I always wanted to be a gameshow host; unfortunately, I have a face for radio. That said, a guy can dream and I always saw myself hosting Jeopardy and if there was a clue about today’s guest it would be, A Pulitzer Prize winning author who does not identify as a writer. The answer, of course, would be ‘Who is Debby Applegate?’ MEET DEBBY APPLEGATE Debby Applegate is an American historian and biographer. She is the author of The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher, for which she won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography. Her latest book is Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age.  KEY TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE How Debby transitioned from a career in academia to a career as a writer. What she found most curious about the life of Henry Ward Beecher. The inspiration behind her latest biography about a Madam during the Jazz Age. The noteworthy people, including a US President, who were known to visit Polly Adler’s bro

I’ve been following Cindy Gallop for some time on LinkedIn—she’s one of those LinkedIn influencers who certainly takes the boring out of the platform. If there is one word that I would use to describe her, it’s provocative, and I know that I’m not alone in feeling that way—she caught the attention of my moderator friend and colleague Laura Nozicka too. So, when Cindy said yes to an interview request, I just had to bring Laura along for the ride, and I am so glad that I did. MEET CINDY GALLOP Cindy has been called the Michael Bay of Business because, well ,she likes to blow things up. Her background includes over 30 years in brand-building, marketing and advertising. She started up the US office of ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) in New York in 1998 and in 2003 was named Advertising Woman of the Year. She didn’t come onto the show to talk about that, though—she was eager to promote her new venture MakeLoveNotPorn and we had a blast—and learned a lot—but speaking with her. KEY TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE H

I’ve always been fascinated by tales of demonic possession. I fully realize that is an odd thing to admit, but it’s true. I’ve seen The Exorcist more times than I can count and include similar movies such as The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Rite, and anything from the Conjuring series as classics. Maybe it’s my Catholic upbringing, but if we believe that goodness exists and came to Earth in the form of a God, then the opposite must be true, right? If God and the Angels can do it, why not the devil and his demons? When I was given the opportunity to interview Lynn Hightower about her latest book, The Enlightenment Project, in which an exorcism features prominently, I simply couldn’t pass it up.   MEET LYNN HIGHTOWER Lynn Hightower the author of numerous thrillers, including the Sonora Blair and Lena Padget detective series. Her internationally-bestselling novels have been included in the New York Times List of Notable Books, the London Times bestseller lists, the WH Smith Fresh Talent Awards, and the Shamus a

Have you ever had a chance encounter with someone who changed your life forever? Nita Prose did and wrote a bestseller about it. Allowing herself to follow her curiosity was key and it paid off—The Maid is a #1 New York Times Bestseller and is deserving of every accolade it has received. MEET NITA PROSE Nita Prose is a longtime editor, serving many bestselling authors and their books. What drew her from a job as a special needs teacher to a career as an editor? What motivates her most when working on an author’s manuscript? How did she make the leap from being an editor to having a smash-hit debut novel? Listen in to uncover the answers to these questions as well as learn the newfound appreciation Nita Prose has for authors after walking in their shoes. KEY TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE: Why Nita made the leap from special education teacher to editor. Nita’s perspective on a successful editor/author relationship. How she taps into empathy while editing an author’s work and how she tapped into empathy while wr

Imagine having a tool at your disposal that could help spark innovation and that this magical tool didn’t require capital investment. Now imagine that we are all capable of possessing this tool, if only we were able to open ourselves up to the vulnerability that makes it possible. What am I talking about? I’m glad you asked. I’m talking about empathy. Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. This deep understanding of how other people feel can be honed to fuel both new product ideas as well as innovations to make existing products more useful. April Bell, today’s guest, knows this well and describes how we can further develop our own empathy so that it fuels inspiration, and I couldn’t have been more excited to speak with her about that. MEET APRIL BELL April loves to solve problems. She has conducted more than 11,000 hours of empathy research through her boutique research agency, April Bell Research Group, working with many of the world’s giant brands such as Pepsi

Welcome to the first ever best of episode of Uncorking a Story. Today, we revisit our first ever episode with Fr. Dave Dwyer, who talks about how he pivoted from working in comedy to becoming a Catholic priest after hearing a calling at a World Youth Day. I hope you find this story as inspiring as I did. Check out Fr. Dave on Instagram @fatherdavedwyer and at BustedHalo.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

William Sullivan, known as Sully to his friends, is a former Division 1 basketball coach who discovered a love of Shakespeare later in life. He penned his first novel back in 2001 and kept his fans waiting for two decades before publishing his second—Tilting with Lips, a comedic mystery to setting four friends on an adventure to uncover who William Shakespeare really was. How did he become a D1 basketball coach? What key lessons did he learn after penning his first novel that he applied to his second? Why is it so important to research your subjects and experience their environment firsthand? Listen in to learn the answers to these questions as well as Sully’s take on the greatest hockey movie of all time (hint, it’s not Youngblood). MEET SULLY William “Sully” Sullivan is a 1995 graduate of The University of Connecticut. He is a retired D1 college basketball coach living in Connecticut with his wife, Jennifer and their children Holden and Conor. As the world’s greatest collector of friends, he can also be

Growing up without a father figure can be difficult for someone who has no other male role models in their lives. Author Kendall Smith, son of a single mother, joins me to share the wisdom he has gathered from his own experience as a father, from observing other dads, and from interviewing various generations of men.  How did being raised by a single mother lead to his desire to write this book? What has he learned by interviewing various generations of men about their perspectives on fatherhood? What is the most important thing you can do as a father? Listen in to uncover the answers to these questions and be inspired by his story. Meet Kendall Smith Kendall Smith is the author of Rookie Father: A Playbook for Men Experiencing Fatherhood for the First time. His work includes self-help, fiction, and satire, and he’s a dedicated father and husband living in New Jersey. His core focus is fatherhood and providing relevant, pragmatic advice to new dads. Key Topics in this podcast: His motivation for writing n

An editor should be an author’s best friend, but oftentimes authors view editors as taskmasters. Editor and author coach Claudia Volkman wants to smash this notion! Editors not only help correct errors in grammar and spelling but can also provide valuable insights to make a story stronger and polished to perfection Claudia joins me today and we explore how she helps authors journey through the writing and publishing process with an eye towards making it more marketable. Her tips will be applicable for every writer who is in the process of writing a book. What drew Claudia into this field? What are the qualities of an effective editor that every author should know? How can an author coach help make a writer’s work more marketable? Listen in to uncover the answers to these questions as well as her take on what aspiring authors need to know to be successful. CLAUDIA VOLKMAN Claudia has spent her entire career in the publishing industry, from her early days on the staff of a bi-monthly magazine and over eight