The Extraordinary Business Book Club

'Failure can be quite a deceptive word... misadventures feels like a much more forgiving word that allows you to go off and try stuff.' Gayle Mann and Lucy-Rose Walker have supported thousands of entrepreneurs in their work with Entrepreneurial Spark and beyond, and if there's one thing they've learned it's that the reality of being an entrepreneur is very different from the version portrayed on social media. By encouraging entrepreneurs to share their misadventures and how they coped, they hope to end the conspiracy of silence: you're not alone, and you will get through this. They also learned a huge amount about writing a book and hosting a podcast along the way, which they share with hilarious frankness here!

"Being open to the journey of innovation of your own book is really important..." Someone told Elvin Turner as he prepared to write his first book to expect two things: first, that he would have a ton of new ideas, and second, that as he forced those ideas onto the page, they would simplify, and simplify, and simplify. Turns out they were right, and Elvin revelled in the 'IP generator' that his book Be Less Zombie turned out to be. In this fascinating conversation we talk about zombie companies and the importance of embedding innovation, but also about how that process plays out in writing. And we also muse on just how late a manuscript has to be before it's REALLY late...

Imposter syndrome gets a bad rap, but it can be rocket fuel, says Rita Clifton. 'It's a drive, you know, go with it and use it.... you worry that you're not going to be good enough, and you stretch yourself. That's when you grow most.' As well as talking about her own extraordinary career, from a working-class family to Cambridge and then on to top roles at Saatchi & Saatchi, Interbrand and more, plus a portfolio of non-executive directorships for businesses and environmental groups, she talks about how writing has become a passion and how she goes about it. A deeply satisfying conversation, full of inspiration and also practical tips for working and writing better.

Q: What do you get when you throw together a bunch of people all working on different business writing projects into a 2-week virtual retreat? A: Lots, it turns out. If you're listening to this podcast you already know how valuable writing is for your business, but that doesn't mean it's easy. In this special episode, eight participants in the most recent Practical Inspiration Virtual Writing Retreat share what they learned over the two weeks. Discover why writing doesn't always look like writing, simple tools to get you unstuck and clarify your thinking, the power of focus and the pull of distraction, and why precommitment works.

'Writing is a way of doing something physically while thinking deeply, it's a container for deep thought in your life. If you think about it that way, it's a really wonderful thing to make time for in your life.' Anne Janzer's mission is to 'help people spread important ideas by writing'. In this conversation we talk about why that matters and what it looks like in practice. What IS the process of writing? Spoiler alert: it starts long before the actual writing. Inspiring, energising and relentlessly practical.

Yes it's a cliché that writing is a journey, but that's because it's TRUE. In this week's Best Bits episode I look back over the last few conversations in The Extraordinary Business Book Club and highlight the ways in which my guests have been shaped and changed, and moved forwards in their lives, by the experience of writing their books. Do you recognise any of these? Tom Cheesewright on how working with an editor turned his whole message on its head Rob Law on how an editor spotted the pivotal moment that made sense of his story Katy Granville-Chapman and Emmie Bidston on the importance of psychological safety and the value of supportive criticism Richard Fox on making connections through writing Gemma Milne on the transcendent joy of research and the dull slog of actual writing Marianne Page on trying out new ways to write and the importance of deadlines Tony Crabbe on what you discover about yourself when you write a book in 16 days Rachel Bridge on what happens when the book spills off the page and into your life Sasha Frieze on the speaking journey - how authors can pitch to event organisers.

How are events changing in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, and what does that mean for you if you're an author? Award-winning events producer Sasha Frieze talks about how digital events are evolving, what the hybrid event of the future might look like, and the opportunities and challenges for speakers and authors in this new world. From how (and when) to pitch for a speaking gig to smart tips for selling your book when you can't sit and sign it at the back of the room, this is every author's survival guide to the new normal of speaking and events.

In a pandemic, we discover that we can do things we'd never imaged we could. Companies that have told staff for years that they can't work at home have discovered that in fact they can, Tony Crabbe discovered that he could write a whole book in 16 days, and Hachette discovered that they could publish a book three weeks after it was delivered. In this week's conversation Tony reflects on what he (and his family) discovered about working at that intensity, and shares some of the insights from the book about how to live and work more productively and with less stress in these extraordinary times. We also talk about what really restores us, and how we can navigate our way out of crisis and into a new, better normal.

'Systems transform lives.' After discovering the power of systems and processes in her career with McDonalds, Marianne Page now spends her time teaching small business owners that life-changing systems and processes aren't just for big companies. We also talk about the joy of management, the power of the deadline, and the smart way to write a book...

'It's part of building a physical legacy. The work that I do now, working with people all the time, you are aware of the changes that people make in their lives, but I've also been rather envious of this friend of mine who's an architect and he was showing the portfolio of all the buildings that he's been designing; you know, to write a book is, is part of a legacy, not only for your children, but for people over the next 10, 15 years. And of course I'll be adding to that legacy with all the stuff that I want to produce in the future.' Richard Fox has been helping people make relationships work at work for many years now, but the process of writing his book revealed new insights and connections (as it always does...) and also became an exercise in collaboration that reflected the very principles he was writing about. A fascinating insight into some of the key issues that underpin our relationships (and therefore our ability to Get Stuff Done) as well as the process of turning deep work done face to face into material for a book.