'I have learned to have a different relationship with resistance... when we're actually really on track with things, resistance comes up.' Sarah Rozenthuler is no stranger to the art of conversation at work. With over two decades of experience as a business psychologist, she's seen both how energizing high-quality conversation can be, and also how most people, most of the time, would do almost anything to avoid difficult topics (or difficult people).  Her latest book, Now We're Talking, addresses the deep-rooted reasons for this - the fear of our own and the other person's emotions, the challenge to our fragile self-image, the risk of the bad outcome, and more - and also the transformative power of leaning into the resistance and engaging with each other more effectively. And we discover along the way that sitting down to write a book involves much of the same fear and resistance. Sarah's own journey as a writer, the false starts and the slow burn, is as relatable as it is inspiring. So here's a nudge to lean into the discomfort - in writing, in conversation and in life - because it's a sign that we're doing the work that matters. 

'How do you make a strategy a story? The best leaders and the best communicators do that. They turn something that's functional and rational into something that's a story.' John Dore, head of London Business School's Senior Executive Program and founder of Wave Your Arms, wants you to reimagine your idea of 'glue': as the magic ingredient that holds organizations together. Creating glue, he argues, is a core leadership capability: building real connection, delivering not just strategies but stories that resonate, that are galvanizing and engaging.  Storytelling is a key ingredient in glue, and as you might expect from someone with a side hustle in screenwriting, John is a genius at telling stories. You can see it in his book, Glue: Transforming leadership in a hybrid world, which was the winner of the 2024 Business Books Award Leadership Category.  In this week's conversation, we get stuck in to the idea of glue in organizations, and also how as a writer you can create a different kind of glue, the kind that keeps a reader engaged with your book, and makes your ideas stick in their minds. 

Claire Pedrick, a Master certified coach and co-author of 'The Human Behind the Coach,' discusses the evolution of coaching beyond asking questions. She emphasizes the importance of human connection in coaching conversations and how being curious and iterative can enhance both coaching and writing. Claire shares insights about the challenges of crafting their award-winning book and highlights the need for meaningful communication. Listeners will appreciate her thoughts on maintaining authenticity in an increasingly automated world.

Explore the transformative power of writing as a tool for self-discovery and clarity. Dive into the art of merging personal experiences with business insights. Discover how vulnerability in writing can lead to personal growth and understanding. Hear from various authors about the joy and challenges of the writing process. Gain practical tips for enhancing your own writing journey. Plus, discover new impactful reads for business professionals that can boost personal and financial growth.

 'That's my goal here is to hopefully provide an inspirational story that can be a catalyst for the reader to go out and do amazing things.' Per Wimmer has spent his life soaring to new heights, metaphorically in global finance and quite literally as an astronaut. It's a fascinating mix, but the two spheres have more in common than you might think.  When you've lived a life so full of variety and adventure, it's a double bind: this is exactly the kind of life worth writing about, and yet how do you choose what to include, and how do you link it all together? We talk about the challenge of making sense of one's own life in order to create sense for others.  And how do you give people a reason to read, beyond the mere act of goggling? Per's solution: catalyse inspiration and action in everyone. Winning Business Journey Book of the Year at the Business Book Awards 2024 meant everything to him, as it was a sign he'd achieved just that.  (He's not one for being constrained by limits, and he's not done yet; this is just Volume One.)

In this engaging conversation, award-winning entrepreneur Kate Toon, a digital marketing guru and bestselling author, debunks the myths surrounding passive income. She reveals that all income streams require initial effort and ongoing maintenance, challenging the notion of earning money effortlessly. Kate emphasizes the importance of marketing and community-building in achieving sustainable success, urging listeners to value patience and relationships over quick sales. Get ready to rethink your approach to financial freedom!

Explore the idea of designing your life instead of making fleeting resolutions as we enter the new year. Emphasize your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions while using AI as a supportive tool, not a dictator. Discover the power of exploratory writing to deepen personal growth and maintain human connections. Consider how current global events shape our aspirations and the importance of intention in enhancing well-being. Let's make intentional choices that lead us to become slightly better humans in 2025!

Join Jenny Proctor, an experienced marketing consultant and author of the award-winning book *Marketing for Introverts*, as she shares her journey from introversion to marketing success. She discusses the challenges introverts face in a noisy business world and reveals strategies for leveraging their unique traits. Jenny emphasizes the power of quality content in influencing purchasing decisions and how introverts can thrive with authenticity in marketing. Listen in for a blend of practical tips, personal anecdotes, and holiday reflections!

'[And this is} the rationale and the motivation for the book. It's about, well, how do we spread this? How do we do some good with it? How do we improve the economy? How do we make businesses more effective?' David Falzani has spent decades building and growing businesses, and now, as a  Professor of Practice, helping others to do the same. And throughout that time he's watched entrepreneurs grapple with one constant, intractable, mysterious issue: pricing.  It's not just about numbers. (In fact it's not really about numbers at all.) The price we put on something, the price we're prepared to pay for anything, is wrapped up in emotion and our deepest most irrational cognitive processes. Understanding that and getting your pricing right is all too often the difference between thriving and failing as a business, which is why David wrote his Business Book Award winner, 'Double Your Price'.  If better pricing leads to better business, David is equally clear that smarter writing leads to more satisfied readers. (Or at the very least, fewer rewrites.) And he has some good tips to help you with that, too.

'The writing is joyful, more or less. It's painful, but it's also joyful. The marketing of it is much harder.' Dr Lucy Ryan's book Revolting Women touched a nerve worldwide: many women can relate all too well to the perfect storm of challenges facing midlife women at work, and everyone has an opinion on it. Which took a bit of getting used to. In this week's conversation, part of my series talking to this year's Business Book Awards winners, Lucy talks frankly about the learning curve when a doctoral research project becomes an award-winning, conversation-sparking business book, and how she learned to love (or at least manage) the work of promoting it. From being squeezed down to seconds in her first radio interview to talking sex, drugs and rock and roll with Mariella Frostrup, her experience and hard-won lessons are pure gold to anyone setting out to write - and promote - a business book that makes an impact.