Episode 20 Published: 27 May 2016 Host: Annemarie Cross Annemarie Cross:

You're listening to Women and Leadership Podcast, episode 20.

[music] Hi I'm your host Annemarie Cross welcome to another episode of 'Women in Leadership podcast", the podcast that empowers you to reach your full potential whether you're a woman in business, or a woman in corporate. Joining me on today's show is Natasa Denmen, now Natasa is "The ultimate 48 hour Author". She's published 7 books by herself, built her business to 7 figures over the past 6 years and helped over 100 other business owners do the same through her ultimate 48 hour author retreats. Natasa is a mum of three under seven wow! And she runs her business with her husband Stuart from their home in Diamond Creek Melbourne. Her energy, her enthusiasm for her business is second to none and she speaks and runs approximately 100 events every year and she's a highly sought after expert on personal branding and product development. Now on today's show Natasa is going to share how to write a book in just 48 hours, how to create a powerful personal brand, and how to leverage your business via a book. So welcome to the show Natasa. Natasa:

Thank you so much Annemarie, it's great to be with you.

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Annemarie:

Wow! You have got three little ones under seven, you have got a very successful business, and you run approximately 100 events a year, my goodness how do you do it all?

Natasa:

You've got to love what you do, otherwise you wouldn't have the energy to do it, so I love obviously working with people one to many, and obviously through standing out and helping other people learn how can they do the same and therefore generate an amazing brand, an amazing following and an amazing personal brand.

Annemarie:

Yeah and it's so important. So tell me with your books that you've published the seven books and obviously you're really an expert at this which is why you're now supporting others to do that, when you look back to the very first time that you started to write books was it easy for you? The reason why I ask that is because many people that are listening today might be saying "Oh well she's written seven books, you know she's an expert at that, and I struggle." You know so take us back, when you first started was this easy for you, right at the beginning?

Natasa:

No it wasn't and probably seven or eight months I started and stopped on different niches and ideas and then one day when someone said you should definitely do it, after I had spoken to him after a coffee chat that I had with him, he was a printer and he said look it's going to be a business guide on steroids, and the minute he said that I said "Oh my God, I so need more business and obviously clients"

Annemarie:

Yes

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Natasa:

And I need something that's going to turn my intangible business into something more tangible, and so began the journey of setting a 90 day goal where I would aim to write seven pages a week, so that's approximately a page a day, and I was going to complete around 90 pages, and that would get me close to the size of the book that I wanted to create and, clearly breaking it right down made it more manageable and obviously back then I did it the old fashioned way, so I just kind of worked that out as I was going along, it wasn't easy, a book is always; the first book is always an awkward and unfamiliar experience to ever go through, but once you know what you have to do, you can replicate it obviously time and time again, and then it's 20 times the speed.

Annemarie:

Yeah and so with the books that you have published and you're talking about niches before, just share what some of the book titles are that you have written?

Natasa:

Okay so my first book was "The Seven Ultimate Secrets to Weight Loss", and then the next book was "Ninja Couch Marketing" how to market your business from the couch, I have written and been part of a book called "You Can live The Life of Your Dreams", then I wrote "The Ultimate 48 hour Author " as the system itself and very soon actually in the next 10 days in my hands will be my "Bums on Seats" book. Now as you can see they are not all completely aligned with one another. Because it's been almost a journey of evolution through different niches that I have worked with people under, but they naturally flow from one to the other if you have actually heard my whole story.

Annemarie:

And I think what's really interesting about that is that, you know as you've evolved, and you've taken all the information that you know, your expertise out of your mind, your thoughts and put that into paper and it really has continued to

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help you build your visibility, build audience and of course build the client base that you now have, and so thank you for sharing that kind of journey because people who may be listening today may have been thinking for some time, I really do want to write a book, I don't know how to start where you know what to do, step one kind of thing, we're certainly going to dive into that now. So how to write a book in just 48 hours? That is a really short timeframe. Natasa:

Yes and it's actually not 48, it's just seven but if I wrote seven you actually wouldn't believe me, look we don't obviously slave away at our computer it's impossible to write 40 to 45 thousand words you know in that period, unless you're like on the computer for 48 hours, so the way the books are written so rapidly is by speaking them out, so if you spoke for seven hours and recorded yourself and got someone to transcribe that you will end up with about 40 to 45 thousand word book, which is your average size about 160 to 180 page book that you will have at the end. Of course there is a system and a structure behind how you are able to successfully execute a spoken book because not everyone is a natural speaker, and of course even natural speakers need some kind of a structure and a format so that they are not talking off the top of their head. So we do have a pre retreat preparation that lasts for a couple of hours where I coach someone through how to unpack their book, I help them position it and then help them with one chapter so that they know what to do for the others and then I have a little bit of a pre work to do, so that they are palming away you know what I call cheat notes so that they are not talking off the top of their heads and there is a really nice neat structure, and then all the other people are doing the hard work of typing it and getting it in the layout and all that.

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Annemarie:

What's really interesting is that the different techniques that you use, because how many people, I don't know, you probably have heard many, many and I have heard two who find it really hard to write, yet through speaking it quite often the words tend to flow and let's face it the books that we read, that all of us read, whether they are paper books, or if they are on Kindle they weren't the first draft, so it's good to hear that there is a certain process that the book goes through that enables us to get our thoughts on paper whether it be speaking, writing, taking notes, drafting that kind of thing, and then through the process of tweaking, we really do come out at the other end with something that we can present to the world and I'm sure that for many people who end up with a finished book it really is a huge win, isn't it?

Natasa:

Absolutely, Oh Gosh it might seem awkward and hard at the time when you're going through the process to finish this project but once you are holding that book in your hand it's the best feeling in the world, and it just, you can see it on people's faces you can see how much more, self-worth, confidence and certainty they have about what they stand for and that in itself magnetizes clients towards them.

Annemarie:

Would you say that people who are in a certain type of business; what I'm getting at some people might be thinking today "Well a book is not really relevant in my business". What would you say to that, if that was a concern someone had?

Natasa:

Look there is always an angle, maybe you just haven't looked at the angle that you can approach this in and how can you turn your business into education, because now days, hardcore, old fashioned advertising is not working, we are

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more attracted to being educated first and we are calling that you know educating people through the educational spectrum type of marketing. Annemarie:

Yes

Natasa:

And that's what books do, so you just need to have another person like ourselves for example, have a look at your business and see what angle you can come from and where the book can fit in. the most unlikely person that I have helped write a book is a locksmith.

Annemarie:

Wow!

Natasa:

I mean everyone would say a locksmith does not have; shouldn't write a book or what book, right, but he did and then he doubled his business within a few short months and got on T.V and radio and it was a tiny little 10,000 word book.

Annemarie:

Incredible, there you go a locksmith. Well if a locksmith can do it, then I know a lot of service based business owners and even women in corporate, you know let's talk about the value of having a book particularly when it relates to a personal brand, let's speak a little more about that?

Natasa:

Oh wow! It's almost like people don't even really read your book, it's like you show it to people, you introduce yourself with it, and it's almost this new perception that you have put out there and people take you more seriously because if you've gone as far as writing a book on your topic and your expertise, you must be serious about what you're doing, so many people out there just talk and talk and talk, but what's so powerful Annemarie is actually I say show don't tell. So when you show people what you have and a book being a tangible item, then that's when half of them you're saying I'm an expert at this and the media

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will consider you way before they would consider someone who is not an author. Speaking opportunities, you'll be considered first over someone who just says they're an expert at it, so it almost, it elevates the opportunities that you will get, and who you get introduced to, how you get connected to people, I really have to dissect what opportunities I'm going to say "yes" to now days and which ones I won't, and what a wonderful problem to have and then in the early days you're just stuck on a "I'll take anything" Annemarie:

Hmmm, and I think for some people in business who are service based so they are doing consulting or they are doing coaching programs, some of the programs that they may offer may be a higher level and someone may not yet be at a position to be able to hire you at that level, so imagine having access to this book, continues to deepen the relationship with them, because they are really reading it from your words and already starting to see how incredibly awesome your expertise, the system, whatever it is that your book is showcasing, is this what you found with the people who have written books?

Natasa:

Absolutely, it's the biggest intimacy builder that exists and this is where I just said the perception when they look at you is different, but having, like a lot of people come to my introductory events that I run all over the country and they don't realize they are going to get a copy of the book they are going to get, when I walk in I personally sign it for them and then I give it to them and they are like "Oh! Wow, I get the book now, I get to take you home with me"

Annemarie:

Yeah

Natasa:

And it does matter what happens after that because our program is very high end and this is how some relationships have ventured into high end sales, not

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immediately, but down the track, once perhaps they have sat with the idea and gotten used to where it's at and whether or not they really want to work with you? And then there are those other people who instant credibility, instant attraction, and it just happens all straight away and part of it is because they can see everything is set up, the structure is there, the book is there, the program is there, so they know you've been around, the proof in the pudding which is me having my authors books displayed there, it's like I keep showing and showing them I don't even need to say too much, so this is I guess to convince them to do, and join our program. Annemarie:

Yeah absolutely and I think with so many people now who are opening their own businesses, running their own businesses and of course when we think of the use of the technology such as podcasting and video's and all of these incredible things, it means that people who are you know in our target market so, in other words our competitors, to really separate yourself from everybody else a book with your expertise within it can really differentiate you from a lot of other people who are in the market offering similar services, I'd imagine that, that's another benefit too, yes?

Natasa:

Oh! Totally, and if you think so many people now days are speaking about writing a book or they are doing it, it's not true.It's just that a lot of people like to feel significant by saying yes I'm writing a book, but usually it's something they've had on the back burner for 5 to 10 years, so please if you listen and you think a lot of people are writing books, it's not true, you're still going to be unique, different and one in thousands perhaps in the industry that would have like a book, so I would say go for it and don't underestimate the power of what it can do for you.

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Annemarie:

So let's talk about then how people can start to leverage their business by a book? I know that we've already spoken, spent a little bit of time, but I'm sure on benefits and outcomes, what are some other results that you have seen happen?

Natasa:

Okay so using the content of the book then can be exploded into so many other products and services, so we generally recommend you write a 12 chapter book, that's how our system is set up,

it's not set in stone, but that's the

recommendation, simply because we are thinking long term, in terms of those 12 chapters becoming a 12 week program, a 12 month program,12 webinar's, 12 video's, 12 workshops, keynotes, all that content can then be neatly organized into other products and services that you would be delivering, so we're thinking about the bigger picture, because as you said the book will be the door opener for what's further down that sounds fun, where people really want to work with you on a deeper level and obviously that will be at a higher price point, which means focussing on a $30 book sale is not your best area to focus on. Focus on your $5000 to $10,000 programs which is really where the true transformation of occurs for people, it doesn't occur just from reading a book, the real results come from people really doing the proper work for you. Annemarie:

And I love that you've said that, because so many people that I've spoken to or they've mentioned "I'm going to write a book and then I'm going to sit back and then I'm just going to have money coming in" yet they are not really leveraging; I mean we'd all love to be the next you know Harry Potter author, or someone who has just done incredible things, but what you've just said here and I want to stress that again, it is really the door opener and it is the other things that you offer within your business because now you've grown that credibility and that trust with the person whose read it. You can then guide them into some of the other

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programs that you're offering. So it's very; you need to think very carefully around how you structure your book and how you present it, so that it does naturally flow into some of the other programs and offerings that you have, yes? Natasa:

Yes absolutely! And I've noticed in my journey that it's so hard, it's almost harder to sell a $30 product than to sell the high end. It's as if, I don't know what it is, but you have got to work harder to sell the lower priced stuff than you do the higher priced stuff ultimately, so don't focus on that because you know very soon you'd probably have to go back to a job, rather than building the value for the lower end stuff and sometimes just bundling it in different things that you're giving people and then moving onto really helping at a really higher level, where people, you know you're doing stuff with them and for them.

Annemarie:

Yeah and you've just modelled that so beautifully, you said you run workshops all over the country and as part of that they get gifted a copy of your book, a signed copy, you've had clients that have attended that and who have said "Wow! Really" and that is the incredible value where you can start to leverage it across other areas. You know I've even heard of keynote speakers that have somehow negotiated with the event organisers to get a copy of the book into, you know everybody who was attending's hand, and there are just so many different ways that you can leverage it and it really is up to your imagination and thinking of the best strategy to support people. What would you say to someone who said "hmm, this is really interesting" yet there is still some block that they think "oh I can't do it" what would be one last word of encouragement that you want to leave with people to get them into action.

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Natasa:

Well one of the biggest reasons why people don't write a book is the fear of success, and the fear of standing out, so it doesn't really have to do with time or money but it's actually " oh my God if I bring this book out I'll be open to criticism, or I might get too successful and then I'll get too busy and then I won't have a life anymore", and these are just made up things in our minds, so if you're having hesitations, really check into yourself, where they're coming from and it's not because you don't have the time or the money to do this, it's because there is some kind of a fear of, you know standing out, literally you know here in Australia unfortunately we all know the "Tall puppy syndrome" and part of that would mean that you will be a 'tall puppy' guaranteed, if you become an author, so if you're not comfortable with that, you won't be able to follow through and take the leap of faith that this kind of a decision takes.

Annemarie:

And you know what I think, I love that, thank you for sharing that, and I think you know you've got a message that you want to share with people, and this is even for any visibility isn't it Natasa?

Natasa:

Yes

Annemarie:

If you've got some message and expertise, and you know that's going to support your ideal client in a transformation that's going to help them, whatever it is that they are dreaming about, by you or by our listener not sharing that message, not writing that book, means that your ideal client is going to remain stuck because of people who might now say "you don't worry about everybody else, you get your message out there for your ideal client, so that you can support them in achieving whatever success". How can people get in contact with you?

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Natasa:

Well certainly we've got the website, ultimate 48 hour author.com.au and what I'd like to do is gift your listeners a copy of my book in e-book version, so they'll get the whole 160 pages to follow the system if that's what they want to do and write their books because as I say to people I'm not a fluffy person where I tell you why you should do it and what you should do, I really give you the nuts and bolts. Which means the how, how to get it done. So this book has the Unpack System the chapter on unpack all that stuff. So just head to the website and then put a /gift, they will be able to download the whole full book and explore the idea of how they can have it done so ultimate48hour.com.au/gift

Annemarie:

Fantastic, thank you so very muchand of course we'll put all of those details there on the show notes, annemariecross.com/podcast20. Thank you so much for coming on the show today Natasa, it really has been a pleasure speaking with you and what I do with every single show is to ask a question, so let me think to join in the conversation go to the link so annemariecross.com/podcast20 leave your comment below the show notes, what is the biggest 'Aha' that you have taken away today, that is going to catapult you to say 'yes' and take action to get that book out of your head and onto paper, so what is the biggest 'aha' that you've had? Comment below on that link and we cannot wait to read your comments and of course please reach out get a copy, that generous offer that Natasa has given, get a copy of her e-book so that you can tart to get your thoughts on paper as well. So before we go we have an inspiring tip from our sponsor "Communicate Your Brand get noticed, hired and paid what you're worth" and this is a quote by Philip Kotler "the key to creating a strong brand especially for smaller businesses, is to

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focus on a limited number of issue areas, and develop superb expertise in those areas" Now are you a service based business woman who is passionate about your business, but you're just not getting clients who pay you what you're worth because you realise that you're focussing on too many areas, too many areas in your business so you're really weakening your message, and what this is doing is, it's stopping you from capturing and communicating what makes you unique and why clients should hire you, this is an area that I specialize in and I'd love to invite you register for one of my complimentary business breakthrough sessions, so that we can pinpoint where the gaps are and the steps you need to move forward to communicate your brand in a concise and focussed powerful way." Start attracting client who pay you what you're worth and to register for a breakthrough session just go to annemariecross.com/breakthroughsession that's annemariecross.com/breakthroughsession. Now this brings us to the end of another episode and I do hope that you will join me again next week, remember to subscribe to our iTunes channel and the link is annemariecross.com/podcastiTunes, by subscribing that means that you are going to be the very first person to learn about the new episodes and be inspired and empowered each week like I know you were today listening to Natasa. That link again annemariecross.com/podcastiTunes, while you're over there if you've got a couple of free minutes leave a comment and a rating that will be awesome, that gets our message out to many other women leaders, so see you next week make it a great one. Thanks again Natasa . Natasa:

Thank you.

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