 
This is one of the stacks of books on my desk. More are sitting on the shelves behind my desk. Then, there are the digital libraries on Kindle, Apple, and Scribd. I even dug into some boxes that were never unpacked from our move in 2020. These books and new media, like email subscriptions, have been pulled into a rough list I’ll share later. A case study in business transitionThis season, we will reference many books and discuss how and when they came into my life. You’ll learn I don’t have any original ideas; my superpower is that I see new and interesting ways to apply these ideas. The reading list is not exhaustive but includes the books referenced the most often. I plan to structure the content around the themes of change and transition, marketing, sales, experience, promotion, business practices, and mindset. The progression will be influenced by what I’m currently facing in the work I am doing. I’m writing this content in November 2023. I mention this to provide context for the planning and execution involved. If you are planning to attend Author Nation in November 2024, this will be a special treat as you’ll get behind-the-scenes access. I use the show as an example of how I work on a business. In this case, it’s a new business tied to an older one. You may have heard about the new author event I’m organizing called Author Nation. It’s a new venture, but it’s based on me taking on the financial responsibility for the contracts that Craig Martelle signed to run the Vegas show until 2026. A new company, new responsibilities, and a new team. WWJD: What would Joe do? I thought it would be fun to show you how I work on a business this season. Following along, you can draw on some of the ideas and apply them to your own business. I’ll show why and what I expect to happen, and then we will see the results in real-time. Will all the grand plans go as expected? No, they won’t, but then you’ll see how I adjust. There are other questions you’ll get answers to as well. Why would I take on that financial risk? How will I work to tilt the probabilities of the risk/reward further and further towards reward and away from risk? How do I bring vision into reality? How do I build a team that strengthens my weaknesses? How do I deal with the expectations of an existing audience and the criticisms of the past event? We will also deal with the big topic of change and what the future will bring. I don’t know. No one does. I sense that the industry is again at an important inflection point. I also sense these inflections are increasing in frequency and magnitude. Last spring, I caught up with my business partner, Lisa. We had a coffee, and she asked where I thought I would be in five years. I laughed out loud and replied, how should I know? Look what we are doing now. Would you think we would be doing what we are doing now? Five years ago, we had started our business supporting authors, and five years before that, she and I were working together at an Oilfield Service business. Change. In the case of these latest changes, I’m going to be running the biggest conference that exists for a group that didn’t exist twenty years ago. So what… The story lies in the transition, the aftermath, and successfully navigating unfamiliar territory. You will have the opportunity to join me on this journey. When I say “we,” I mean you and me. I will be sharing how I navigate through transition. Also, when I say “we,” I acknowledge that I am not alone. Author Nation consists of its management team, volunteers, sponsors, and attendees. All who have a stake in the final outcome.
 What’s in it for you? How about looking over my shoulder and seeing the various processes I use to create? I’m a creator as well. I use business practices to create value, so join me as I do this work. You then get to check my work in real-time by looking at the outcome of Author Nation. One good way to get the most out of this season may be to take on your own project. You rehab something to get it to be bigger and better. One final thing you may wonder is what this has to do with you selling books. Your book-selling business and Author Nation are both experiences. People pay for the intangible benefits that result from various processes—ones that they may not enjoy doing or excel at. So how do we build something that doesn’t suck the life out of us and continues to deliver that experience that delights customers for the experience? This conundrum exists in all businesses and needs to be embraced and resolved. The next article will discuss the first book and the differences between Change and Transition. One more thing….I will also discuss two tools I use, Notion and SmartSuite. I use Notion as a Knowledge Management System and SmartSuite for project planning and execution. This may be relevant to those of you who will be building out a team to scale your business. Read: Embracing Change—How Authors Can Thrive in Uncertain Times |