Podcast appearances and mentions of ben wolf

What if the real secret to a lasting writing career isn't talent or luck, but learning to thrive in the mess? Why are in-person events worthwhile even if the maths doesn't add up? How do you protect your creativity when the machines never sleep and the community is at one another's throats? With Mark Leslie Lefebvre In the intro, Has AI Already Killed Non-Fiction [Tim Ferriss]; 9 ways that AI would disrupt authors and the publishing industry over the next decade; Pivoting towards The Transformation Economy; and Who do you serve? This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the author of horror and paranormal fiction, as well as non-fiction travel and books for authors. He's also an editor, professional speaker, and the Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital. His latest book is Stark Realities: Stacked Up Lessons Every Writer Needs to Know About the Business of Writing and Publishing. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why print and in-person events are making a comeback for indie authors The case for (and against) licensing your voice clone through ElevenLabs Why we keep selling books in person when the numbers rarely add up Measuring success by creative satisfaction rather than money Being honest about author earnings and the fear of being truly seen Managing stress, divisiveness, and the noise around AI You can find Mark at MarkLeslie.ca. Transcript of the interview with Mark Leslie Lefebvre Jo: Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the author of horror and paranormal fiction, as well as non-fiction travel and books for authors. He's also an editor, professional speaker, and the Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital. His latest book is Stark Realities: Stacked Up Lessons Every Writer Needs to Know About the Business of Writing and Publishing. Welcome back to the show, Mark. Mark: Oh, hey, Jo. It's always an awesome time chatting with you. Jo: You've been on the show lots of times over the years, but the last time was in September 2024, when we talked about selling books in person. So give us a bit of an update. What does your writing and publishing business look like at the moment? How do you manage it alongside the day job and everything else you do? Mark: Oh my God. Well, sleep is—no rest for the wicked, maybe. I'll sleep when I'm dead. It's so funny, it was just this last weekend in Waterloo. I was at Waterloo Book Fest, and somebody came up to my table—another author from one of the other tables—and said, “I heard you on the The Creative Penn Podcast. And then when you mentioned something about Waterloo, I said, ‘He can't be from Waterloo.' And then when you mentioned the skeleton, I said, ‘I know where he lives.'” Jo: That's scary. Mark: So I love the fact that there are so many of your listeners all over the world, and that's usually how people know me. No matter what else I've done, it's like, “Oh, you've been on Joanna Penn's podcast.” I'll say, “Yes, I have.” You know what's really funny? The last time I was on the podcast, we were talking about A Book in Hand, which I was supposed to release that year. Jo: Yes. Mark: I just added another 5,000 words to it this morning. Jo: Wait, it's still not published? Mark: No, and it's so funny. I actually have the first 60,000 words of it with an editor right now, and I told her I'd get her the rest of it, which I thought would be another 20,000 words, by the end of June. But I think it's going to hit 100,000. Here's the weird thing that happened with this. This is trying to accumulate my life of book selling, as well as doubling down on doing in-person events in the last several years. I thought I was going to have the book done in 2024. I ran into some issues where I didn't back it up properly. It was an old version, and I accidentally overwrote the only version I had. Jo: So, for everyone listening, Mark—how many decades have you been an author and a publisher? How come you're still missing deadlines and still not backing up your work properly? Mark: Yes, this is a lesson: no matter how long you've been doing something, you can still make boneheaded errors. So if you, dear listener, have made mistakes, just know that this old guy who's been doing this since the mid-'80s still makes mistakes like that. Don't beat yourself up. I probably did something worse. Anyway, that book I thought was going to be maybe 40, 45,000 words, it's going to be bigger than Wide for the Win—close to 100,000 words. Here's a really important lesson I learned in that, Jo. I thought the book would be something. It became something else. Through my own experiences of doing more in-person events, book signings, and library event. Also in talking to awesome folks like Johnny B. Truant, Katie Cross, Todd Fahnestock, and so many other authors I know, and seeing what Ben Wolf is up to, and a whole bunch of different people who are doing in-person events. In creating case studies for how they interact specifically with a bookstore or library, or how they do in-person selling—I really think the book wasn't ready then. It's like the recipe wasn't ready. I still needed to play with some things. I do sincerely have faith, since I got it into the editorial process, that this will be the year the book actually gets released. Jo: As you said, there are some really good lessons there around sometimes the book not being quite ready. I'd bought an early version from the StoryBundle, which is how I got this book as well, actually. Mark: Yes. Jo: That's another tip for people—storybundle.com. You can go and find some great bundles there. I was also thinking, as you were talking, that maybe one of the reasons this book about in-person events has got so big is because that's a real trend in the community. It feels like indies, we've moved… Back in the day, I said, “I'm not doing print. No way.” This was the early days of digital, because print was really hard back then. So I was like, “Oh, and we've got all the advantages doing digital, so I'm just going to focus on that.” It feels like the pendulum has swung, perhaps even more with the ease of mass production of digital with AI. The focus on print and in person is getting stronger and stronger. Do you think that's happening? Mark: Oh, yes, 100%. I did print in 2004. It was really hard back then, so that's gotten easier. I think there are a few reasons. One of the reasons is, yes, digital made it so much easier for indie authors to get out there and break into the community. But the reality is that print books still outsell e-books in general—overall—despite the fact that indie authors can make six and seven figures a year from selling e-books alone on a single platform. So print has never really gone away. It was just never something indie authors attended to. They were in a different business than traditional publishers were in. And second, obviously I've got these gorgeous books that you've created on Kickstarter, because I like the beautiful books. I've never stopped buying print books. I actually buy more print books. I read more because of audiobooks and e-books, but I buy more print books, especially when I can get a nice signed copy. Then the other reason comes back, again, to your advice—something I've been following for the longest time, and you've long been saying. I do repeat this, and I try my best to offer attribution to you every time I use it: to double down on your humanity, particularly in this age of digital generation and the ability for even non-writers to leverage tools to create content. I think it's so much more important for me, as a creative who will never be able to catch up with the machines, to exploit my humanity. I mean, we both have digital voices of ourselves, right? There's a digital Mark Leslie Lefebvre voice that people can use, and I'm making money off it because people are able to license it through ElevenLabs. But when I'm there in person, so far the holograms aren't good enough to fool people. I think I'm not just selling a book to somebody; I want to create an experience where, “Oh, I'm talking to the author, and we're signing a book together, and we're taking a selfie together.” For me, there's that tactile experience that's really enriching. And it may not be something that lines my pockets as easily, because the investment is more significant. For every $10 I make, it costs me six or seven dollars, as opposed to an e-book, where the cost is amortised in the most beautiful way over millions of copies. Jo: There are a few things there. First of all, let's talk about that ElevenLabs voice licensing, because, as you say, I also have a voice clone. Bones of the Deep, the latest book, that's my voice clone. I haven't gone with the licensing, partly because you don't have control over what someone can do with it. So, for example, someone could create Nazi content, or content that I might not agree with, in my voice. So how have you got over that? Because part of me really does want to license my voice, and the other part doesn't. Mark: This is a great question, Jo, and I'm glad you asked it. It's the same reason I don't worry about people stealing my books—adding DRM onto my e-books and things like that. I may as well make some money off it, because let's be honest: you and I, our voices are out there. Thousands of hours of our voices, right? In your podcast, my podcast, in various interviews we've done over the years. The technology exists for someone to make a copy of my voice themselves anyway. The tools exist. They can do it easily, so why not do it myself and at least make money? I'm actually getting money deposited into my account. Not a lot—maybe $30, $18, something like that every week. Again, I've taken a lot of my non-fiction books that I haven't had the time to record myself, as I like to do, and I can at least load those to ElevenLabs and make my voice the default voice. But wouldn't it be great to be able to listen to my book in your voice? It would sound so much better. Because you can do that. When you listen to a book on that platform, you can choose my voice if you'd rather hear it in my voice, or you can choose Burt Reynolds' voice, or some other folks who've licensed theirs. Again, for me, the whole concept of wide publishing has always been important. It's another small revenue stream that's adding to my numerous revenue streams. So I guess that's how I've justified just licensing the voice. If someone's going to do something with my voice that I can't control, they can do it regardless of whether or not I put it out there myself. Jo: I agree with you. That could happen, and neither of us is famous enough that it's likely to happen anyway. I do quite like the idea of people using our voices, say, for other books for authors, because that would make sense—that's where we fit in the niche. I will rethink that, because I think it's interesting. I wanted to come back to print books. You said sometimes there are easier ways to line your pockets, and I think that's funny. So, getting into the book, this leapt out at me quite near the beginning: Why do we keep doing this when the maths almost never adds up? Mark: Oh, I have a perfect example of that from an event I did a couple of weekends ago in Burlington, Ontario. I think it was a $60 table fee. It was a new event. I believe I made $90 or $95 in sales. So even after the costs of printing and all that stuff, I really didn't make money. I made my table back, which is always a good thing. There were a few encounters I had with people who were really excited to find my Canadian Werewolf series of books, and just so thrilled to get started. Among the four of them, they bought one copy, but they were going to pass it amongst each other. You know what? Okay, they bought a single copy, and I was like, “Well, the e-book is permanently free online. You don't even have to buy a copy”—which is anti-selling. I just want them to read the book and enjoy it. But if they read it and pass it along and start talking about it, they could become readers for a long time. It's an eight-book series, with the ninth book coming out later this year. There was another encounter I had that day. A woman and her teenage daughter came in, and they were looking at my traditionally published books that I buy at a reduced price from a local bookstore and resell. They were looking at these true ghost story books I had, and they were pointing: “Do you have that one?” “Yes, I have this one, I have that one.” And the mother's like, “Well, she collects all your books, and she wants to make sure she has them.” We had this conversation, and she was so excited to meet me in person and to get a signed copy of the book. That experience was such a vanity moment for me as an author. We're lonely. I'm a big loser. Nobody's buying my books. We're always down on ourselves. So that investment of time and energy, in order to get that little pat on the back or that feeling of, “Wow, I really connected with someone who likes my stuff”—those moments are really precious. They're difficult to explain if you only look at the world in a financial way. I guess I'm fortunate enough that I do have enough income from numerous streams, including the consulting I do part-time, that it's okay if not every bookish endeavour leads to more money in my pocket at the end of the day. I can still have these authentic connections with people, which I think is one of the reasons I'm a storyteller. Yes, it's the stories I have to tell, but it's also putting the story into somebody else's hands and eyes and heart and mind. Jo: You're very giving like that. You have that sense about you, whereas I'm just a curmudgeon in the corner. Mark: That is not true. Jo: It is, generally. I don't do events like you do for readers. Mark: But that's because it takes a lot out of you. Jo: Yes, but that doesn't matter. Why do I write? I write for me. Mark: Ah, very good. Jo: At the end of the day—just being entirely selfish about this—when people say, “Oh, if you won the lottery, what would you do?” I'm like, “Well, I'd do pretty much what I'm doing now.” Mark: Yes, I'd just do the same. Of course, I'd write more books. Jo: I'd write more books. So this is where I'm trying to get to for people as well: measuring success in a different way. You were talking about measuring success by how that girl loved your books, and how you feel when someone says they love your books. With Bones of the Deep, this thriller I've just done, I feel like I had the benefit of that book before anyone even read it. As soon as it was finished, I made a nice proof copy from BookVault, and I held it in my hand and said, “I made this. I'm proud of the story, I wrote the story, and it's outside my head now.” I feel like I'm creatively satisfied in that moment. Then, of course, the Kickstarter was great, and I love that the books are going out around the world, but— I think the happiest I felt was that moment of finishing—that creative satisfaction of holding the book in my hand. You know what I mean? Mark: 100%, Jo. I cannot agree with you enough. I love so many aspects of writing. Yes, the connection with people is amazing. But I often say this when I'm doing my one-on-one consulting with authors: focus on the projects that mean the most to you, those passion projects. The process of writing, and the painful rewriting and editing and all the things you go through—when you finish that book, like you said, you hold it in your hands and it is a thing of beauty. It's a huge achievement. You've won. Whether or not you sell a single copy, you've won by doing it. Everything else is gravy: the sales, the money in your pocket or not, the reviews, positive or not, the people who say, “Oh my God, Bones of the Deep, thank you for writing this book. I'm so glad you introduced this into the world and into my life.” Anything beyond the creation itself, which is a pure joy—I love it so much. It's just why I get up at 5:30 every morning and write for hours before the rest of my day begins. I try to get stuff done before the rest of the world wakes up. I want to get the writing done first, when I have the most energy to give myself to the page. Then the rest of the day is kind of gravy for me too. Jo: You talk there about giving yourself to the page, but in Stark Realities— You talk about the fear of truly being seen. What do you mean by that, and how do you manage that feeling? Mark: For anyone who has written anything—fiction, non-fiction, memoir in particular, since it's a bit more closely tied to reality—it's exposing yourself to the world. I'll never forget an interview I did with Canadian science fiction author Julie E. Czerneda, who, before being a fiction writer, was writing biology textbooks, but her real passion was science fiction and fiction. When her first novel came out, she said, “It's like standing naked on the front lawn.” When you release a book, even a novel, people look at it and they're going to judge you and rate you. I remember early on, Jo—we knew each other through Twitter, I think, where we initially met, and then interacted with and finally met in person at London Book Fair. I think you and I have a very similar reaction. When people know us as positive and upbeat and out there helping authors in the community, and then they read our fiction, they go, “Well, Jo, you burned a nun alive on page one.” Or, “Mark, what kind of… they're drinking from the skulls of dead people? What the heck is going on with you two?” We are exposing parts of ourselves in our fiction and non-fiction. That's a fear I embrace, but also never get over, if that makes any sense. I write scary stories because I'm a big chicken. So maybe the entire process is just cheap therapy for me. Or not cheap, because it's an expensive pastime, isn't it? Jo: It certainly can be, but I agree. I struggle with fear of judgment still. I think it's also because we do this in public, which comes back to the financial side of things. We do a lot of this in public, and then people judge us on our author businesses too. You could look at Bones of the Deep, which was just on Kickstarter, and compare my Kickstarter to another author's Kickstarter for a fiction book, and judge one or the other person based on numbers. I feel like this is because you and I have done so much in public—for me, almost 20 years, and for you, like 40 years or whatever. Maybe 30 years. You look that old. Mark: Listen there, dearie. Get off my lawn. Jo: Yes, get off my lawn—with those skeletons you have on your lawn. Mark: Yes. They're no longer in my closet. Jo: They're not in your closet. I wonder if that also plays a part of it—the pros and cons of doing this business in public. Mark: Yes, that is a part of it. One thing I try to be very clear about, because there's so much FOMO and so much out there about people thinking that everyone else is making a million dollars from their books and “I'm the only loser who's not”—I try to be clear that I have never made more than a mid-five figures as an author from my author earnings, ever. I haven't yet hit six figures. One of the reasons I try to be transparent in sharing that is I don't want people to think that everyone else is a six- and seven-figure success story, and they're the only one who's only made $100 last year on their books. The reality is, 90 to 99% of the people who are writing and publishing are not going to earn a significant amount of money. I realise I'm also very, very lucky that I've earned this much, and it's taken a long time. I just shared this in a Substack post I posted yesterday: it was 10 years of rejections before I got $5 for my first short story that was published in '92. It wasn't until 2001 that I finally made pro rate, six cents US a word, for a short story that, ironically, Julie Czerneda bought from me back in the day. For me, I've been lucky that it's always been a long, slow slog. It's been a marathon, and I've never instantly sprinted across any dramatic finish line. I've had some really phenomenal moments—doing a book signing in a Costco, walking into Walmart and seeing my books there. Even last night at the Burlington Public Library, going, “Wow, they have eight of my books here—four of my self-published books and four of my traditionally published books, in two different sections.” I was like, “That's kind of cool.” So I've had these amazing moments as a writer, but I've never had the blockbuster—the Brandon Sanderson, or even the Dungeon Crawler Carl, Matt Dinniman, kind of moments. I still think I've had a very fortunate and lucky journey. Even if I wasn't making the money I'm making, I'd still be writing, and I'm sure you would be too. Jo: Oh, yes, for sure. I actually think the thing most of us would probably let go is the marketing. If we won the lottery, we'd carry on with all the creative stuff, the writing, the community stuff, and we'd just literally do no marketing at all. Mark: Well, yes, of course. Or potentially say, “Oh, here, ad agency, here's some money. You just run it, whatever. Let me know if it works or not. I don't care.” Jo: That's a much better idea. Mark: At least I've got the extra disposable income, so I may as well, because I'm helping the world when my books are out there. I know my books will help people. I really honestly think that as storytellers—whether it's fiction or non-fiction, we're still storytellers—what we do in writing and podcasting and all the things we do, the re-sharing on social media, is really helping connect people. I think that is one of the most profound things we can do as writers. And I mean that the writing, in and of itself, is a reward. Jo: Like you said, we met on Twitter when Twitter was what it was back in the day. I do very, very little social media now. But you just mentioned your Substack, and you also have your podcast, Stark Reflections. So how are you balancing what you put on each? I only do this podcast now. I don't even blog. I write books, obviously, and then I do the podcast. So what are you doing differently on Substack to the podcast, and what part do they play in income and marketing? Mark: Great question. I realise most people have never heard of me, or read or listened to the things I put out into the world. And I've been a longtime fan of “reduce, reuse, recycle my IP.” My podcast is not as long-running as yours, but I'm in my ninth year, and I've not missed a single Friday in the full eight years, or eight and a half by now, that I've been doing this. Every week I reflect on what I learned from an interview, or I'll reflect on something you've posted and say, “This episode is not an interview, but Jo said this last week, and I'm going to talk about it.” The podcast itself takes a lot of work. I still do all of it myself, and I know I probably shouldn't, but I like doing it, so it's one of those tasks I enjoy. I also have reflections that aren't going to come out vocally but might come out in writing. Sometimes in the morning I'm not in the mood to write the novel or the non-fiction book I'm writing, but I'm writing some tangent. I just let the creative monster go. I find that re-sharing… I might have reflected on something for a couple of minutes at the end of an interview, but I really want to expand upon it, so I write the Substack article. I try to reuse some of that content. Someone's going to enjoy seeing it on a short video clip I share on YouTube, or whatever the platform is. Someone else is going to listen to it on a podcast, wherever they listen to podcasts, and someone else is going to want to read it. It could be the same information, just shared in a slightly different way, to potentially get it out to other people. So for me, it's part of that wide publishing mentality. I'm trying not to completely duplicate the work, although I am duplicating some of it. I'll give you an example. Hey, Canadian listeners—if you have not registered for Public Lending Right in Canada, please put something in your calendar for February 2027, because the deadline's over. It was May 1st of 2026. Put it in your calendar for next year. I even had somebody at this writers' event I was at this last weekend say, “You mentioned something in a presentation you did for the Canadian Authors Association about Public Lending Right, and thank you, because now I get thousands of dollars a year from this.” So just look up Public Lending Right. I've been saying stuff about Public Lending Right for at least 10 years now. Every time I get my beautiful multi-four-figure cheque from them in February every year, I post on social media and remind authors to check it out. I know it exists in the UK, and it exists in 36 countries in the world—just not the US. Jo: Not the US. Mark: They don't have a programme like this, probably because the big publishers—and probably one of the authors' associations—think that libraries are cannibalising book sales, which is not true. It's been proven time and time again, and that lobbying has prevented it from happening. Whereas here in Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Writers' Union of Canada worked hard to make this happen. Anyway, I talk about something like Public Lending Right and I feel like I must have said this so much that people are sick of it, but every single time I mention it, someone goes, “Oh my God, thanks for saying that. I never heard it.” That's a good reminder, especially for folks like you and me. We know the basics. We know what an ISBN is. We know KDP Select means you can't put the e-book on any other retailer, or even sell it on your own website. We know all these things, but it's hard for us to remember that there are folks coming to this for the very first time who've never heard it, even though we feel like, “Oh my God, I've said this till I'm blue in the face.” I think I got that from retail. When I worked in retail, I recognised that somebody's going to come in and ask for “that blue book that Reese Witherspoon was talking about,” or Oprah was talking about, or whatever. And you do your darn best to help them figure it out rather than mock them. I try to take the same approach when people ask me those questions, because I'm trying to remember what it was like when I honestly did not know the answer, and having someone take the time to help me. I've been very, very lucky that I've had a lot of people take the time to help me. I'll never forget—God rest her soul—Nancy Kilpatrick, a horror writer here from Canada who passed away a few years ago. She gave me a blurb for my very first book in 2004 because she'd acquired one of my short stories for an anthology she'd edited. I was trying to call my short story collection an anthology, and she very kindly took me aside and said, “It's not an anthology if it's a single author. An anthology is a…” Jo: I didn't know that until, like, last year. I got that wrong as well. There are lots of words like that. I want to circle back, because you didn't really answer earlier about the time management. You just mentioned YouTube, on top of Substack and all the things you do. You also have a day job at Draft2Digital—it's part-time, right? You also do part-time at the university, teaching publishing, right? You do all kinds of things. How do you manage your time with all of that? Mark: Well, I mismanage my time more than I manage it, Jo. That's the God's honest truth. Fortunately, most of the things I have that aren't scheduled—like, scheduled to do this lecture at this time, or scheduled to have this meeting at this particular time with Draft2Digital—most of my work is very flexible. I do not work a regular 9:00 to 5:00, Monday to Friday. Well, I never did. I always worked way more. But I have a very flexible schedule. Every single day is a work day, and every single day is a play day for me. So I'm very, very lucky. I do schedule in the very important things, particularly where somebody else is reliant upon me—meetings and connections and stuff like that. Then I make the time first thing in the morning to get the writing done. Everything else is not as important, and it's part of… I guess it's part of playing. You know, like the social media sharing. I don't look at social media as marketing. I just look at it as another way to connect with people, with other creatives, and with readers potentially, all six people who read my stuff. I probably could do a better job of managing my time. I've tried several times over the years to adapt processes to make it better, but I consistently default back to what I do, and so far I guess I've been getting away with it. So I was like, “Do I want to waste more time trying to come up with a process, or do I just want to roll with it?” Because so far I haven't killed myself doing it, and I've been enjoying the journey. So, if it ain't broke… Jo: I think that's the point, if it doesn't feel like it's broken. Having known you for a long time now, and we work together—obviously we co-wrote The Relaxed Author—you do work very, very differently to me. You definitely are a little bit more chaotic. I'm chaotic in some ways too. Mark: Oh, you're very generous. “A little bit chaotic.” Thanks. That was generous, Jo. Jo: You're chaotic in your work practices and scheduling and all that, which I couldn't cope with very well. Even though I feel like a part of my brain is very chaotic—the creative side, I guess, can be quite chaotic—I think I'm actually quite controlling and very scheduled in my work practices. As you say, for someone else on the outside, it might feel to me like you have too many balls in the air. But if you don't feel that, then that's the way of working that works for you. So this is another important thing, isn't it? You can't adapt to what other people say your life should look like. It's what feels good to you. Mark: Oh, for sure. One thing I know about my procrastination tendency is that panic and fear motivate me. So, a deadline—”I have to get this into a publisher by this date, I have to get this manuscript to an editor by that date”—I'm motivated by fear. And I'm afraid of everything, so I guess I'm always motivated. Jo: But I also know that when you hear the word “deadline”—and I know a lot of people who do this—the deadline means you get it in on the deadline, or the day before the deadline. To me, a deadline means I have it ready a month earlier. Mark: I love that. I've done that a few times and shocked myself. I actually had a pre-order up—with the audiobook, the print, and the e-book—a month in advance, and I didn't know what to do with myself. I was like, “Well, what am I going to do now in the next month?” Jo: Work on the next thing. Mark: But I'm so used to working on it up to the last second that I was kind of like, “What do I do?” That actually caught me by surprise, and I honestly felt weird. I was like, “I've never felt this before.” I'm really lucky. I know you have a very supportive and amazing partner, and so do I. My partner, scarily enough, is maybe a bigger procrastinator than me, so she never gives me a hard time. She supports me, and I do the same thing with her own work. I'm up all night with her at the last minute so we can get something turned in. So, fortunately, we really understand one another, and we don't give each other a hard time. We just go, “Well, got away with it again. I guess I'm not going to change my ways.” Jo: We made it. And again, that's the point. You and I could stand up in front of people, both hold up the last book we wrote, and say, “We made this,” and our processes are completely different. Our brains are completely different. We come from different countries. There are lots of things that are different, and yet we both made a book. So hopefully that encourages people. You don't have to do anything that we're telling you, or anyone else tells you. But if you want to be an author, at some point you have to produce a book. Mark: Exactly. As Brian in the classic Monty Python film gets them to say: “Yes, we are all different.” Embrace that difference. I think that's such a powerful reminder that there is no one process for getting anything done. Jo: Given that we co-wrote The Relaxed Author back in 2021—and we did that because we had another show, and we were talking, and we said, “Oh, everyone's stressed and the anxiety levels are really high, and we think there's a better path”—we co-wrote that book, which I think is still a very good book. Definitely people should get it. Interestingly, I think the stress and anxiety might actually be higher now than it was. So what do you think the main stresses are in the community now? You also see a lot with Draft2Digital, I guess, as well. Mark: Oh, for sure. Honestly, Jo, I'm so glad we wrote that book, because I actually pick it up every once in a while to remind myself of the things we tried to help others with. Again, it's therapy for me as well, so I'm so glad we did it. I think we're 10, if not 100, times more stressed. The world events and things going on, the divisiveness—not just in the world in general, in politics and everything else, but the divisiveness in the author community. The witch-hunting that happens, people trying to tear down other authors either because they're successful, or because, “Oh my God, you dared use a new technology.” All of these things are happening, and everyone's at one another's throats. I need to pick that book up and reread it. I'm a lot more stressed than I was. I'm just getting over shingles, which is… Jo: Oh. Which is actually related to stress as well, isn't it? Mark: It is, yes. I was in LA for Writers of the Future—I'm a judge for that science fiction and fantasy conference. I went right from LA, like a week in LA, which was a phenomenal experience getting to mentor the winners. And I mean, come on, it's a free trip to Hollywood, hanging out with Kevin Anderson, having beers and stuff like that. Then I came back to the Toronto Indie Author Conference, run by Tao Wong, here in Toronto. I went right from the airport—didn't even go home—straight to the hotel, because I kicked into another conference. We did a display on how to set up an in-person booth, so I ended up having to hand-bomb boxes, blocks down the street from where I was parked. My chest was really sore when I got home on the Monday, and I thought it was because I hadn't used these muscles, because I'm not in the best shape. Then I took my shirt off and went, “Oh, there's a rash there.” Liz goes, “You have shingles.” Because the pain in my chest, which I thought was the muscle, was actually underneath. I'm one of those lucky people that it's taken the full five weeks, and I'm still in pain even afterwards. So, again, public notice: if you're an older person like me, and there's a vaccine available for shingles, you may want to consider it. Jo: Yep, get it. Mark: Oh my God, it hurts. But, yes, the stress, I think, is higher—even though I didn't know I was feeling it. It was happy stress, right? I was stressed out because I'm there in Hollywood, helping people and doing some good things, and then I'm doing the same thing, interacting with some amazing authors at the Toronto Indie Author Conference. I didn't feel anxious stress. I was happy stress. Is that a thing? Jo: I think possibly… your physical body masks stress, physical stress, because you enjoy all of that stuff. Whereas someone like me, I'll feel it quicker and withdraw. Although I say that, back probably a decade ago, Jonathan would say to me, “You're going too fast, and you're going to hit the wall. And when you hit the wall, it's not going to be fun.” And I did hit the wall. Then, probably in 2021—I mean, that was when I just started going into menopause, and obviously we had the pandemic, and I wrote Pilgrimage, and I was doing all those walks, which I think really helped me. I learned a lot about maybe stopping that before it happened. Becca Syme obviously talks a lot about this too. But I find it interesting with you, because I think you're so positively happy with these events you do that it might mask your physical symptoms in a different way. That's really hard to watch out for. I'll give a tip to you and everyone else listening: schedule the calendar, and look at your calendar and go, “I can't go back-to-back-to-back. I have to put in some rest days.” Mark: Well, thank you. You know, Jo, you and Becca Syme are two of my best unpaid therapists. I appreciate that. Jo: You just don't listen, Mark. Mark: Or sometimes I do. Jo: Just coming back to the community, and the divisiveness there is primarily over AI at the moment, I think that's one of the biggest things. And the arbitrary lines as to what you're allowed to use it for and what you're not allowed to use it for, which is just kind of crazy. Obviously, you know I've opted out of that whole discussion now. How do you think we can move through this [divisiveness over AI], move on? We remember when it was trad versus indie, and then it was wide versus KU. So this will pass—it's just hard, when you're in it, to know when it might pass. Mark: Yes. I think the more generic advice—for whatever may come, whatever has come—is: why are you doing this? Why are you a writer? Heads down, focus on what gives you pleasure, and do that, because everything else is noise. All the marketing tactics and strategies, and all the people yelling at one another. Write your books. Do the things that motivate you. Do the things that give you that intrinsic reward. It's hard to ignore. I get it, it is hard to ignore. I have difficulty ignoring the haters and the yelling and the screaming that happens, but I do my best. Like this morning, when I was in the throes of my manuscript and I looked up and went, “Oh my God, I've got to shower. I'm going to be talking to Jo soon, I should comb my hair”—which I have none of. Because I was so in my book that everything else melted away. That, for me as a storyteller, as a writer, is one of the most beautiful places to be. Jo: I think you're absolutely right. I have a little thing that pops up in my calendar sometimes which says, “If you're feeling all of these things, just go create something.” The moment you refocus on creation—whatever that means to you—things change. It changes the energy. That, or go for a walk. That's my other tip. Mark: Outside. And I have to say, Jo, Pilgrimage is still one of the most profound and powerful books you've written, and you've written a lot of amazing ones. Jo: Oh, you're very sweet. Mark: That one really resonates, not just for me, but with Liz. Because one of the things we often do when we get stressed is go for a walk, ideally in nature. The vitamin N. I think there's something really profound in that, and it really helps me a lot. And again, sometimes going for a walk listening to your podcast, or an audiobook, or sometimes just attending to the environment. A tip I picked up years ago from Brooklyn author Denis Hamill was: go for a walk with your character. Listen to what they see. What do they comment on? How do they approach this environment that you've seen a million times? How do they see it? What do they notice that you don't notice? That's such an incredible experience of creativity—when you're not writing, but writing. That really helps me a lot. Jo: Oh, nice one. Okay, so your latest book is Stark Realities, but you have so many more. Where can people find you and your books and your podcast online? Mark: Jo, you can find everything you want to know about me—and stuff you don't want to know about me—over at MarkLeslie.ca. It links to all the other places from there. Jo: Brilliant. Thanks again for your time, Mark. That was great. Mark: Thanks so much, Jo. Bye-bye. The post Creative Satisfaction, In Person Print Book Sales, And Author Mindset With Mark Leslie Lefebvre first appeared on The Creative Penn.

"The mobility revolution is not just a tech story, it really is a city redesign story."Are you interested in the mobility revolution? What do you think about green field new city building? How can we leverage the 15-minute city idea for health benefits? Interview with John Rossant, Founder and CEO of CoMotion. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, mobility revolution, the role of regulation, operating system upgrades, individual responsibility, and many more. John Rossant is Founder and CEO  of CoMotion, the Los Angeles-based events and media company focused on the revolution in urban mobility. He  previously produced the World Economic Forum's flagship Annual Meeting in Davos, as well as major WEF events across China, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. He organized the 2010 e-G8 Summit at the request of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and is co-author of Hop, Skip, Go: How the Mobility Revolution is Transforming Our Lives (HarperCollins). He has worked closely with heads of state and global CEOs.Find out more about John through these links:John Rossant on LinkedIn CoMotion websiteCoMotion on LinkedIn@CoMotionYT as CoMotion on YouTube@CoMotionNEWS as CoMotion on X@comotion_global as CoMotion on InstagramFast Forward - podcast by CoMotion on SpotifyConnected episodes you might be interested in:No.353R - Urban mobility scenarios until the 2030sNo.413R - Impacts of connected and autonomous vehicles on urban transportation and environment: A comprehensive reviewNo.424 - Interview with Ben Wolf about mobility revolution in New YorkNo.439R - How autonomous vehicles can affect anomalies of urban transportationWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WTF4Cities⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wtf4cities.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website where the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shownotes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ assistance (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠affiliate link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay

Are you interested in the effects of autonomous vehicles on the urban fabric? Our debate today works with the article titled How autonomous vehicles can affect anomalies of urban transportation from 2025, by Francesco Filippi and Adriano Alessandrini, published in the MDPI Future Transportation journal. This is a great preparation to our next interview with John Rossant in episode 440 talking about the mobility revolution involving autonomous vehicles. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how autonomous vehicles – AVs can revolutionise urban transport by addressing systemic issues like congestion and safety. This article argues that achieving great urban futures depends on integrated urban planning and robust policy regulation working with technology.Find the article through this link.Connected episodes you might be interested in:No.353R - Urban mobility scenarios until the 2030sNo.413R - Impacts of connected and autonomous vehicles on urban transportation and environment: A comprehensive reviewNo.424 - Interview with Ben Wolf about mobility revolution in New YorkYou can find the transcript through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠th⁠i⁠⁠⁠s link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WTF4Cities⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wtf4cities.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website where the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠showno⁠t⁠es⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠are also availableI hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning inEpisode generated with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ assistance (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠affiliate link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay

What does it take to make a street safer for everyone? In the US, it typically requires a combination of tragedy, grassroots organizing, and political leadership. Even when these ingredients come together, success is never guaranteed, as so many projects become battles about more than just bike lanes. Changing Lanes, a new documentary from director Ben Wolf, covers the fight to make McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, safer following the tragic death of a beloved teacher at the hands of a hit-and-run driver. Featuring interviews with such notable figures as Janette Sadik-Khan and former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, Changing Lanes moves beyond bike lanes to tell a story that's very much made for this political and cultural moment. Wolf joins us along with advocates Bronwyn Breitner and Kevin LaCherra, as well as New York State Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, to talk about how they fought to make McGuinness safe and the broader lessons they learned along the way. ***Join The War on Cars on Patreon and listen to ad-free versions of regular episodes, Patreon-only bonus content,  invitations to live events, merch discounts and free stickers!*** SHOW NOTES: Stream Changing Lanes on Amazon or Kanopy. Watch the film's trailer. Learn more about the film and request a screening at ChangingLanesDoc.com. Read more about the Make McGuinness Safe campaign and learn about where the project stands today.  Catch up on the corruption that led to a powerful family's downfall and the indictment of a top aide to Mayor Eric Adams, via Streetsblog. Order our book, Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile, out now from Thesis, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Buy a certified, pre-owned e-bike from Upway and save $100 off any purchase of $800 or more with code TWOC100. Visit Upway.co to get rolling. Thanks also to Cleverhood. Listen to this episode for the latest discount code and get 15% off the best rain gear for walking and cycling. TheWarOnCars.org

"[Urban transportation] is not just a quality of life issue - it's a life and death issue."Are you interested micromobility? What do you think about induced demand? How can we effectively reduce traffic and reclaim streets for public use? Interview with Ben Wolf, producer and director of Changing Lanes. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, people-centred cities, reclaiming public space for the public, micromobility, electric bikes, and many more. Ben Wolf is a producer, director, and cinematographer known for his work on acclaimed documentaries including Note by Note, Obit, and contributions to Gary Hustwit's Helvetica, Objectified, Urbanized, and Rams. Splitting time between Brooklyn and Sicily, he is an avid cyclist. Changing Lanes, his feature directorial debut, follows a grassroots fight in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to transform a dangerous boulevard into a safer street with protected bike lanes. Featuring David Byrne and Janette Sadik-Khan, the film explores community power, urban democracy, and the battle for people-centered cities.Find out more about Ben through these links:Ben Wolf on IMDbChanging Lanes websiteChanging Lanes screening times@changinglanes_doc as Changing Lanes on InstagramChanging Lanes trailerConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.216 - Interview with Sara Stace about the needed urban paradigm shift in transport planningNo.395R - Car free citiesNo.396 - Interview with Lior Steinberg about car free citiesNo.423R - Scaling the superblock model to city level in Barcelona?What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WTF4Cities⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wtf4cities.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website where the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shownotes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ assistance (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠affiliate link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay

Are you interested micromobility? What do you think about induced demand? How can we effectively reduce traffic and reclaim streets for public use? Trailer for episode 424 - interview with Ben Wolf, producer and director of Changing Lanes. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, people-centred cities, reclaiming public space for the public, micromobility, electric bikes, and many more.Find out more in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Episode generated with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ assistance (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠affiliate link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Are you interested in how removing traffic affects urban areas? Our debate today works with the article titled Scaling the superblock model to city level in Barcelona? Learning from recent policy impact evaluations from 2022, by Jaime Benavides, Sabah Usmani, and Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, published in the Contesti journal. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Ben Wolf in episode 424 talking about one street in New York that reduced its car traffic and its effects on its environment.Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see an urban model that curtails vehicle traffic and reclaims public space for pedestrians and greenery. This article investigates Barcelona's Superblock model with its complex outcomes, suggesting that neighbourhood level policies must be paired with a holistic metropolitan mobility plan for traffic to be effectively reduced city-wide.Find the article through this link.Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.216 - Interview with Sara Stace about the needed urban paradigm shift in transport planningNo.395R - Car free citiesNo.396 - Interview with Lior Steinberg about car free citiesYou can find the transcript through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠th⁠i⁠⁠⁠s link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WTF4Cities⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wtf4cities.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website where the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠showno⁠t⁠es⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠are also availableI hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning inEpisode generated with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ assistance (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠affiliate link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠

Are you interested micromobility? What do you think about induced demand? How can we effectively reduce traffic and reclaim streets for public use? Trailer for episode 424 - interview with Ben Wolf, producer and director of Changing Lanes. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, people-centred cities, reclaiming public space for the public, micromobility, electric bikes, and many more.Find out more in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Episode generated with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ assistance (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠affiliate link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Are you interested micromobility? What do you think about induced demand? How can we effectively reduce traffic and reclaim streets for public use? Trailer for episode 424 - interview with Ben Wolf, producer and director of Changing Lanes. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, people-centred cities, reclaiming public space for the public, micromobility, electric bikes, and many more.Find out more in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Episode generated with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ assistance (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠affiliate link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Ben Wolf — cinematographer and director of the documentary Changing Lanes — is in good traffic this week for a conversation about using a Brooklyn bike lane project as a lens for understanding democracy, infrastructure, and why America feels politically stuck. As the documentary begins its theatrical release in Los Angeles and prepares to stream on major platforms, Ben reflects on what local stories can teach national audiences and why good information matters more than ever.We also touch on: How the pandemic created space to pursue creative projects. Cycling's transformation from outsider activity to mainstream. Why streets are a proxy for bigger political problems. Mayors Bloomberg, Adams, and Mamdani's approaches to bike infrastructure and street safety. Renters versus owners in infrastructure debates. Car commercials as propaganda for the status quo. Why there's no equivalent marketing for walking and biking. Film festival reception and upcoming theatrical release. Sicily hill towns where streets have stairs, and walking ten minutes to the piazza for coffee.Timeline:00:00 Ben Wolf and Changing Lanes.07:23 Three years following a street redesign story.08:15 The pandemic as catalyst for directing.09:07 Wanting to explore local transportation and politics.09:41 Streets as illustrations of democracy.10:09 The locked public meeting.11:12 Finding the spine of the story.11:45 Housing debates bleeding into street fights.13:58 Renters versus owners and credibility claims.16:54 The broader political paralysis theme.16:01 Mamdani election and optimism for change.17:55 Bloomberg and Janette Sadik-Khan's rapid change era.19:39 Mayor Eric Adams' record.21:10 Why compromise feels impossible.26:21 Corporate car propaganda versus reality.30:48 Generations of automotive marketing.36:34 The counter-narrative we don't get.42:25 Making local stories nationally relevant.43:06 The problem of bad information.44:10 Car companies as propaganda experts.44:51 Documentaries as counter to corporate messaging.45:55 Theatrical release and streaming plans.46:47 Hosting screenings in your city.47:48 LA as the most car-centric place.48:08 Using Olympics as catalyst for change.48:33 The commute question.48:53 A vacation house in Sicily.49:22 Everything within a ten-minute walk.49:38 Wrapping up.Further context:Where to view the film, upcoming.Hosting a screening.

A school bike bus is recognized by the Burbank, California City Council for promoting safe, active Transportation. With Alfonso Directo, Jr. Advocacy Director of Act-LA and Roosevelt Elementary School parent https://www.act-la.org/ (2:53). Bike Films: “Major Taylor: Champion of the Race" Earns National News & Documentary Emmy Award Nomination-can now be streamed https://video.indianapublicmedia.org/video/major-taylor-champion-of-the-race-7pwxvd/ (9:40). “Changing Lanes,” a documentary about the conflict over a protected bike lane in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on McGuinness Boulevard. Taylor talks with the Director of Changing Lanes, Ben Wolf https://www.changinglanesdoc.com/ (10:28). Listener Email: Julian disputes Asha Weinstein's take on high powered bikes from Bike Talk's 26/12 episode https://biketalk.org/2026/03/26-12-bike-more-worry-less-e-bikes-and-avs/(15:04). Stacey's (Charlie's) News: Jersey City Approves First Protected Bike Lane in The Heights Along Franklin Street https://jerseydigs.com/protected-bike-lane-jersey-city-heights/. The City of Detroit makes bike lane data available to all riders online https://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detroit/city-of-detroit-makes-bike-lane-data-available-to-all-riders-online. Local Cyclists Fund Their Own Bike Lane Sweeper as City Fails to Maintain Infrastructure https://momentummag.com/bike-lane-sweeper-richmond-virginia/ (18:25). An urban planner running on safe streets and active transportation for the City Council of Glendale, California, Alek Bartrosouf https://www.alekforglendale.com/ (20:39). The Spring Classics 2026 with Dane Cash of the Escape Collective https://escapecollective.com/author/danecash/ (32:50). Coffee and bikes (53:32). A bill to cap NY Citibikes at the price of a bus or subway ride by NYC Councilmember Lincoln Restler https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2024/09/16/restler-bill-to-cap-e-bike-fees-sets-the-bar-high-for-citi-bikes-future (54:35)

Close your eyes and imagine 25 acres of lush tropical fruit trees. You hear the rustle of palms and the sound of water trickling into a grotto carved from natural coral limestone. You'd swear you were in the heart of Bali... but you're actually just outside of Miami. Today, we're going behind the scenes of BAYA, a brand-new landscape resort that isn't just opening doors; it's defining an entirely new category of hospitality. I'm joined by co-founder Ben Wolf to discuss the 'spark' moment on this land, the challenge of building an elite team, and how they are weaving wellness rituals directly into the earth. If you've ever wondered what it looks like to dream big and build differently in unique outdoor hospitality and luxury glamping stays, this conversation is for you.  __________________ More Information Sarah Riley - Glamping, retreats, events, and guest attraction  Courses. Guided Growth. Done-for-You Marketing. Glamping Academy & Owners Club https://inspiredcourses.com Boutique marketing studio for small businesses https://inspiredcollectiveltd.com/  __________________ Ben Wolff Websites: stayoasi.com and stayonera.com   Email: bw@stayoasi.com    

In this episode, Ben Wolf is joined by Nic Thomas, founder of Draftstack, to break down the Washington Wizards' Summer League roster. They take a closer look at some of the lesser-known names, including undrafted free agent signings, discussing each player's strengths, areas for improvement, and what they need to show in Vegas to earn a shot at the roster. If you're following the Wizards' rebuild or want to know which young players could make an impact, you won't want to miss this one. Check out more of Nic's work on YouTube at @NicThomasNBA, and follow @Draftstack across all platforms. 00:00 - Intro & Summer League Preview 2:28 - Kadary Richmond 6:17 - Zeke Mayo 8:19 - Jonathan Pierre 12:48 - Keshon Gilbert 14:53 - Leaky Black 17:10 - Dillon Jones 20:02 - Liam Robbins 22:16 - Akoldah Gak 23:38 - Wrap up & Where to Find Nic's Content

Ben Wolf is a fantasy author whose series include: Blood Mercenaries, Call of Ancient Light, Adventures of Aletia, and many others. Watch as he shares his writing journey and gives great advice for those starting their own.www.benwolf.com

Is your business stuck because you're still acting as the de facto COO? In this episode, Ben Wolf of Wolf's Edge Integrators reveals the three types of number two leaders—Operational, Conductor, and Executive—and how to choose the right one for your growth stage. Learn why the wrong hire can cost you years (and how the MOA Assessment solves this). Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: A great number two leader drives execution—both core operations and key growth initiatives—while ensuring profitability and team alignment. Entrepreneurs need to shift from being in the business to working on the business by delegating execution to a trusted second-in-command. Without a strong number two, visionary leaders stay trapped in day-to-day operations, limiting their ability to focus on high-impact growth opportunities. There are three types of number two leaders: Operational (systems and processes), Conductor (cross-functional alignment), and Executive (scaling expertise). Hiring the wrong type of number two leader can slow progress and create frustration. Companies evolve through stages—Survival, Owner-Dependent, Incremental Growth, and Scale—each requiring a different leadership approach. Fractional COOs can be a strategic bridge, providing the right expertise without the full-time cost, especially in early growth phases. Corporate-minded leaders often clash with entrepreneurial cultures—look for number twos with both big-company experience and start-up agility. Trust is the foundation for all business growth. Entrepreneurs have to learn to delegate control, while number twos must earn credibility through transparency. The MOA Assessment (Mother of All Assessments) helps entrepreneurs identify their current stage, leadership gaps, and the ideal number two profile. Resources: Wolf's Edge Integrators EOS® Unique Ability® The 4 Freedoms That Motivate Successful Entrepreneurs VisionSpark More about Ben

Ben Wolf is the Founder and CEO of Wolf's Edge Integrators, a leading fractional COO firm specializing in helping businesses scale efficiently. He began his entrepreneurial journey by building operations at a healthcare startup, transforming it into the largest organization of its kind in New York State within three years. Recognized as a pioneer in fractional executive leadership, Ben authored the bestselling book Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach and hosts the Win Win Podcast. In this episode… Many business owners struggle to step away from daily operations, making it difficult to focus on long-term growth. Fractional leadership offers executive-level support without the high cost of full-time hires. But how does a fractional integrator actually help a business scale? According to operations expert Ben Wolf, a fractional integrator ensures smooth execution across all functions, allowing the owner to focus on strategy instead of daily operations. Instead of hiring a full-time executive for $250,000 or more, businesses can bring in an experienced leader part-time to drive execution, align teams, and remove operational bottlenecks. Ben explains that many companies remain stuck in trial-and-error mode for years, testing different strategies without real traction; whereas a fractional integrator brings proven systems that accelerate growth. This approach helps businesses scale efficiently without the financial burden of a full-time hire. In this episode of Financial Clarity, Hannah Smolinski and Ben Wolf, Founder and CEO of Wolf's Edge Integrators, explore the benefits of fractional leadership, the challenges of hiring experienced executives, and how business owners can create a self-sustaining company. Ben shares actionable advice on building a strong leadership team, reducing operational bottlenecks, and using a 12-month rolling budget to improve financial decision-making.

Today I'm covering all your burning question on how to sell books at live events. Even if you've sold at live events before, this show may help if you aren't making money no matter where you go.And here are a few shows I've already done that might help too: Ben Wallace, Ben Wolf, Lydia and David.Here's a good starting place for finding conventions.Scroll to the bottom for links to my favorite products and previous shows on live events.Is AMMO Write For You?If you're an author with a handful of books published (or you've published nonfiction and have one book with a great program to help clients), AMMO is unlike any other program on the market. You're going to have to work the program to find success, and bestseller status likely won't hit in weeks of joining the program, but for many authors, AMMO is the beginning of a lucrative career that puts books first. Learn more here.THIS IS THE LINK TO MY SUBSTACK if you're listening elsewhere.Have You Been Contemplating Scrivener?I was late to take up Scrivener, but as I am digging deeper into a mystery series with each passing day, I find the need for meticulous detail keeping unavoidable.And you know what? I can't believe I didn't do this sooner. Scrivener is the most amazing detail-keeper-straighter in the world. I like it so much I'm getting a whole podcast episode together devoted to why Scrivener is the best word processor and the only one you need as a novelist. Want to give it a spin?Click here for a free 30-Day Trial.Do You Want To Have Your Self-Published Books In Bookstores?The Self-Published Author Co-Op is the home of a movement. Get a $5.00 lifetime membership to the co-op and you'll receive a road map to preparing your books for brick and mortar bookstore selling.If you ever want to see your books on shelves nationally, but you don't know how to make that a reality, join now, click here.1Products I Love For Live ShowsTablecloth, Poster Stand, Price Sheet Sleeve, Floor Cart, Table. Previous interviews With Live Event ProsBenjamin Wallace, Ben Wolf, David and Lydia, Heather Kindt.TRBM is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to TRBM at jodyjsperling.substack.com/subscribe

Join us for an illuminating interview with Ben Wolf, the trailblazing founder of Wolf's Edge Integrators – the world's premier Fractional COO firm. We will discuss how Ben tackled a common but daunting challenge faced by numerous entrepreneurs: the complexity of scaling a business without the capital for a full-time, elite Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this conversation, we'll delve into Ben's journey from being entangled in the operational intricacies of his own start-up to spearheading a movement that empowering business owners across America. Also how he facilitates businesses to operate autonomously, allowing owners to step back from day-to-day operations and strategize for the future. Ben will share insights from his best-selling book, “Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach,” providing a deep dive into the essence of fractional executive leadership, its implementation, and its myriad benefits. Join us if you are an entrepreneur, current business owner, consultant or interested in innovative models that are transforming the landscape of executive management.

Join us for an illuminating interview with Ben Wolf, the trailblazing founder of Wolf's Edge Integrators – the world's premier Fractional COO firm. We will discuss how Ben tackled a common but daunting challenge faced by numerous entrepreneurs: the complexity of scaling a business without the capital for a full-time, elite Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this conversation, we'll delve into Ben's journey from being entangled in the operational intricacies of his own start-up to spearheading a movement that empowering business owners across America. Also how he facilitates businesses to operate autonomously, allowing owners to step back from day-to-day operations and strategize for the future. Ben will share insights from his best-selling book, “Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach,” providing a deep dive into the essence of fractional executive leadership, its implementation, and its myriad benefits. Join us if you are an entrepreneur, current business owner, consultant or interested in innovative models that are transforming the landscape of executive management.

Whether you are an introverted author or not, the thought of live, in-person events can be a daunting idea. But never fear…our friend and author Ben Wolf is on the podcast this week to present tried and true strategies and actionable information to make live events successful!Ben's book: https://shorturl.at/efiJ1Learn more about Ben at www.benwolf.com30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MGR7431Our Facebook Group!     / listenersofciwp  Visit our website: https://christianindiewriters.net/Learn more about the hosts...Jamie: https://writingshorts.net/Jenifer: https://jenifercarlltong.com/Tina: https://christinacattane.com/Rhonda: http://ddbouman.com

Not seeing the results you are after? Missing the experience needed by leaders in your organization? Maybe it's time for a fractional executive, which could be a fractional chief operating officer, chief marketing officer, chief financial officer, or even a fractional content marketing leader. To discuss how an engagement with a fractional executive can work, I'm joined by Ben Wolf, a fractional COO, on Episode 643 of "The Business Storytelling Show." We discuss: How do you know you need a fractional executive? What are the advantages? What are the potential disadvantages? And more... Join us. Connect with Ben's company: https://wolfsedgeintegrators.com/ Work with me as a fractional content marketer: https://www.christophtrappe.com/hire-a-fractional-chief-content-officer-for-cutting-edge-fractional-content-marketing/

My guest on today's episode is Ben Wolf. You'll find him in person at pretty much any comic expo within a 100 mile radius of Des Moines, and often further far flung.You can find his books online through Amazon here.Is AMMO Write For You?If you're an author with a handful of books published (or you've published nonfiction and have one book with a great program to help clients), AMMO is unlike any other program on the market. You're going to have to work the program to find success, and bestseller status likely won't hit in weeks of joining the program, but for many authors, AMMO is the beginning of a lucrative career that puts books first. Learn more here.THIS IS THE LINK TO MY SUBSTACK if you're listening elsewhere.Do You Want To Have Your Self-Published Books In Bookstores?The Self-Published Author Co-Op is the home of a movement. Get a $5.00 lifetime membership to the co-op and you'll receive a road map to preparing your books for brick and mortar bookstore selling.If you ever want to see your books on shelves nationally, but you don't know how to make that a reality, join now, click here.1TRBM is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to TRBM at jodyjsperling.substack.com/subscribe

Does this sound familiar? You've been told that in order to achieve flexibility in your leadership roles, you need to hire full-time executives who may not be the right fit for your business. But instead of experiencing increased effectiveness, you find yourself struggling to adapt to changing market dynamics and feeling stuck in a rigid leadership structure. The pain of not achieving the desired results and lacking the flexibility you need is holding you back from reaching your true potential. It's time to explore the untapped potential of fractional executives and discover a new approach to leadership that brings both flexibility and success."Being too nice can rob us of our mission and dreams for ourselves, our loved ones, and our businesses. It's time to be bold and unapologetically chase our aspirations." - Ben Wolf Access all show and episode resources HEREAbout Our Guest:Ben Wolf, the founder of Wolf's Edge, is a leading expert in fractional executive leadership. With a background in corporate restructuring and bankruptcy law, Ben found himself drawn to the world of startups and the challenges they face in scaling their businesses. Through his own experiences and learning from others, Ben developed a deep understanding of the need for experienced executives to guide business owners through the complexities of growth. This led him to create Wolf's Edge, a firm specializing in providing fractional COOs to businesses across America. Ben's expertise and passion for helping entrepreneurs achieve their dreams have made him a sought-after speaker and author. His groundbreaking book, Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach, has become an Amazon bestseller, further solidifying his reputation as a thought leader in the industry. With his wealth of knowledge and practical insights, Ben is making a significant impact in the world of business, leadership, and growth.Reasons to Listen: Discover the benefits that fractional leadership can bring to your business and how it can help you achieve greater success.Unlock the flexibility and adaptability of fractional executives and learn how they can bring a unique perspective to your leadership team.Understand the importance of intentional living and how it can transform your personal and professional life.Embrace change as an opportunity for personal growth and learn strategies to navigate through times of uncertainty.Find your passion and purpose in life and discover how pursuing them can bring fulfillment and success to your business and beyond.Episode Resources & Action Steps:Visit the website of Wolf's Edge to learn more about their fractional COO services.Purchase Ben Wolf's book, Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach, on Amazon.Contact Wolf's Edge to inquire about their fractional COO services and discuss how they can support your business.Resources for Leaders from Tim Winders & SGC:

Ben Wolf speaks to entrepreneurial business owners with teams of 10-150 people. He is founder and CEO of the largest fractional (part-time) COO firm, Wolf's Edge Integrators. Some call Ben the "godfather" of Fractional Leadership because, as leaders of their clients' management teams, Ben and his team coach, manage, and hire all leadership roles, both full-time and fractional. He wrote the bestselling first book on his industry, Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach, and is host of the popular Win Win Podcast. Connect with Ben Website - https://wolfsedgeintegrators.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwolf/ Connect with David Public Website: www.davidihill.com Real Estate University: www.realestateuniversity.club  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidihill/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidihill 20-Minute call: https://www.davidihill.com/strategycall   FACEBOOK COMMUNITY Please follow and join my Group- https://www.facebook.com/groups/ptmastery/

Looking for expert advice on fractional leadership? Look no further! Join host Adam Larson and guest Ben Wolf as they dive into the world of fractional executives. Ben is the founder and CEO for Wolf's Edge Integrators, a premier fractional COO organization. From fractional CFOs and CMOs to COOs and beyond, Ben will share his insights and experiences on how to hire, manage, and maximize the impact of fractional leaders. Get ready for engaging discussions, practical tips, and real-world examples that will revolutionize how you approach leadership in your business. Don't miss out and listen today!

Your company is growing, you're getting too busy to do everything yourself, and you're wondering if it's time to hire a fractional or full-time COO. How do you determine if your company is ready? What do you need to do to get your organization prepared for this big step? What skills does the owner need to make this new arrangement work, and what skills does the COO require to succeed? What are the disadvantages of hiring a manager on a fractional basis? Is hiring a fractional COO just a way to save money, or are there some hidden organizational benefits, too?    Join Meny and Ben Wolf, the founder of Wolf's Edge Integrators - the largest Fractional COO firm in the world - as they answer these and many other questions. It's an episode that might permanently change the way you think about upper-level management and the way you integrate executives into your company.     [00:01 - 07:29] How to Prepare for a New Management Structure • Ben introduces Wolf's Edge Integrators, the largest fractional COO firm in the world Check out his book Fractional Leadership • Fractional executive leadership democratizes access to high-caliber talent for companies of all sizes • How technology and COVID have accelerated the use of fractional COOs   [07:30 - 14:27] The Challenge of Making the Mental Jump From Doer to Leader • Having a great leadership team requires having great leaders at the top of the organization • an essential skill for business owners is the readiness to let go and not need to micromanage everything • When hiring C-level executives, it is vital to have the right people in the right seats • Leaders need to make the mental jump from doer to leader to be successful.   [14:28 - 21:18] Creating Clarity for Successful Leadership • Leaders need to create a clear picture of the outcome and provide coaching, metrics, and accountability Avoid jumping in and doing tasks for people rather than coaching them • To decide which role to take, identify which activities give you energy and which ones drain it • When hiring a COO, take time to define the role and other roles in the organization clearly   [21:19 - 28:43] Understanding When to Hire a Fractional COO vs. Full-Time • Understanding the need for a COO and determining if it should be fractional or full-time is key • Fractional CMOs typically give an estimate of how much time their accountabilities will take • Working with recruiters to find the right person and elevating someone internally are other options   [28:44 - 35:50] How to Find the Right Fit for Your Fractional COO Role • CEOs should be clear about the role and measure it using behavioral-based questions The COO should not be a clone of the CEO but bring in different perspectives • Fractional roles can work if you set expectations and measurables are clear • You should avoid helicopter management as it masks people and processes issues   [35:51 - 46:06] Closing Segment • Fractional roles still provide flexibility and availability for emergencies • Ben on the rapid-fire questions     Want to connect with Ben? Follow him on LinkedIn. Head to Wold's Edge Integrators and let the business run itself!   Key Quotes:     “One key skill is the ability is the readiness to let go and not need to micromanage everything. But it's only a skill that can be implemented when you have the right people in the right seats.” - Ben Wolf   "A good manager leader is able to set up clear measurables and expectations in a meeting cadence with each person or with each team so that they can effectively manage those people or manage those teams on an episodic basis.” - Ben Wolf       Connect with Ptex Group: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn   LEAVE A REVIEW + and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to achieve in business. Listen to previous episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts!   

On this episode, Mike and Larry talk with Ben Wolf, owner of Wolf Lawn Care from Miami Valley, Ohio. Ben talks about his growing business which he started when he was 17. Ben talks about equipment, the EQUIP expo, and where he sees the business going in the future. @sidehustlesquadpodcast Save 10% on KUJO Yardwear: https://www.kujo.com/?utm_source=sidehustlesquadpodcast&promotion=10sidehustle https://www.lawntrepreneuracademy.com/ EQUIP Exposition (Save 50% with code: SIDEHUSTLE)

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks to the Founder and CEO of Wolf's Edge Integrators, Ben Wolf. Ben is a successful entrepreneur and the author of the groundbreaking book "Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach." His journey from a corporate bankruptcy attorney to a healthcare startup and eventually founding his firm is inspiring.Ben's experience scaling a business from a handful of people to over 100 employees has given him a unique perspective on entrepreneurs' challenges. His insights led him to write the first book on fractional executive leadership and start a podcast in this niche, making him a pioneer in this field.Ben shed light on the concept of fractional leadership. He described it as a solution to the "entrepreneurial catch 22" - a situation where businesses reach a point where their old strategies no longer work, but they can't afford experienced talent to help them evolve. This is where fractional executives come in. They provide businesses with access to experienced talent part-time, helping them navigate their growth challenges. Ben further explained the indicators that suggest a business might benefit from fractional leadership. Key Points from the Episode:Ben's background and experience in fractional leadershipExplanation of fractional leadership and its benefits for businessesIndicators that suggest a business could benefit from fractional leadershipExample of an HVAC company with a low-functioning leadership teamOverview of Ben's book "Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach"Mention of Ben's podcast "The Win-Win Podcast" for small and mid-sized business owners About Ben Wolf:Ben Wolf is a renowned international speaker specializing in the entrepreneurial scaling of businesses. Often referred to as the "godfather" of fractional executive leadership, he has played a pivotal role in popularizing and advancing the outsourced, part-time executive leadership industry. As the founder and CEO of Wolf's Edge Integrators, the world's largest fractional COO firm, he has provided executive talent and expertise to businesses seeking growth and operational excellence. Ben's expertise and insights have reached a broader audience through his bestselling book, "Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach." Additionally, he hosts the well-received Win Win Podcast, further contributing to disseminating valuable business knowledge and strategies. His impactful work continues to inspire and support entrepreneurs worldwide. About Wolf's Edge Integrators:Wolf's Edge Integrators is a distinctive team comprising individuals with a rare blend of skills and qualities. These exceptional individuals must have experience in running companies, embody a Founder's drive, and possess a unique ability to collaborate with visionaries while maintaining a results-oriented mindset. Thriving on orchestrating chaos, they find vigor in this process rather than exhaustion. Their commitment to iterative transformation is a defining trait.Ben Wolf, the founder, has detailed their essence in the Amazon bestseller "Fractional Leadership: Landing...

We're kicking off the second year of The Clarity Advisors Show with a three-part series looking back at highlights from our first year. In Part 2, host Ken Trupke's guests discuss managing teams, communication, and attracting and retaining talent.Timestamps(00:50): Danna Gomez(02:04): Joe Miller(03:25): Michelle Voss(05:05): Joe Pici(05:52): Krystal Parker(08:45): David Nemes(10:27): Max Friar(11:18): Joshua Washington(12:42): Randy Crawford(14:28): Kelly Plawinski(15:39): Joe Pici(16:44): Russ Climie(18:59): Kelly Plawinski(21:27): Gary VonMyhr(22:45): Ben Wolf(25:19): Max Friar(26:25): Tom Gentry(27:33): Paige Cornetet(28:25): Paige CornetetEpisode Quotes“Here's what people really want: They want to know that they're getting better. They want to know that they belong to a team, that they're part of a team. And this, I think, is the most critical piece: They want to know that people care about them and that they're doing a good job.” (Joe Miller)“You have to have milestones, or what we call benchmarks, along the way. Milestones are places in between the final goal achievement that you can measure your result and see whether you're on target.” (Joe Pici)“People have different personality types. People think differently and get a greater response if you surround yourself with people who think differently than you and you are able to work together.” (David Nemes)“Good people want to contribute, and they will contribute. And they'll work really hard, but they have to have a chance to recharge. I think you have to have a respect for how their energy ebbs and flows.” (Max Friar)“It's really just getting back to being human beings who have conversations and we rid ourselves of any assumptions, and we get down to really having those conversations around value.” (Joshua Washington)“Covid was a crash course on how to handle communication well with your team and really over-communicate – even when we didn't have all the answers and people wanted answers.” (Kelly Plawinski)“If I know my stuff so well that I'm not thinking about it, then all my focus can be on that person's communication style. If I learn how to speak their language – not to manipulate, but to communicate  – we're going to have a better meeting.” (Joe Pici)Recommended Listening and ViewingThe Clarity Advisors Show podcastThe Clarity Advisors Show on YouTube

ABOUT THE GUESTBen Wolf is the founder of Wolf's Edge Integrators and the author of the best-selling book "Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach." He has extensive experience in the entrepreneurial space, having built and grown multiple businesses. Ben now leads a team of fractional COOs who help businesses transition from chaos to control.SHOW SUMMARYIn this episode of The Disruptive Successor Show, Ben Wolf, founder of Wolf's Edge Integrators, discusses the role of fractional executives in helping businesses transition from chaos to control. He explains that fractional executives are not consultants or advisors, but rather leaders who sit on the organizational chart and are responsible for specific functions within the business. Ben emphasizes the importance of understanding whether a business needs a leader or a doer and highlights the value of fractional executives in providing high-level expertise at a fraction of the cost. He also introduces the concept of a "chaos to control" roadmap, which helps businesses prioritize and execute their goals.HIGHLIGHT QUOTES“We get people into good management habits so that they, you know, and obviously when there's a real emergency or something's truly temp sensitive, we'll address it right then. But a lot of times, it's not a lot of times. It's just that's what you just thought of a question. So you just ask it. But instead of addressing it, then we add it to our issues list for the weekly meeting or for the leadership team meeting, right?” - Ben Wolf“You need to be very mindful about what do you truly need. Maybe that experienced executive who's run businesses before, or that CMO that runs a marketing team of 10 or 20 people already is like shooting a rabbit with an elephant gun. Like you just don't need you. Maybe you don't need that right now.” - Ben Wolf Connect with Ben and learn more about his work:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwolf/Website: https://www.fractionalleadership.io/If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe, review, and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you're interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill's book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com

Ben Wolf: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach Ben Wolf is the founder and CEO of the world's largest fractional COO firm, Wolf's Edge Integrators (www.WolfsEdgeIntegrators.com). He wrote the bestselling first book on his industry, “Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach,” and is host of the popular Win Win Podcast. Welcome to the Conscious Millionaire Show for entrepreneurs, who want to achieve high sales and positively impact humanity! Join host, JV Crum III, as he goes inside the minds of conscious guests such as Millionaire Entrepreneurs and World-Class Business Experts. Like this Podcast? Get every episode delivered to you free!  Subscribe in iTunes Download Your Free Money-Making Gift Now... "Born to Make Millions" Hypnotic Audio - Click Here Now! Please help spread the word. Subscribing and leaving a review helps others find our podcast. Thanks so much! Inc Magazine "Top 13 Business Podcasts." Conscious Millionaire Network has over 3,800 episodes that have been heard by over 100 million in 190 countries.

Ben Wolf: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach Ben Wolf is the founder and CEO of the world's largest fractional COO firm, Wolf's Edge Integrators (www.WolfsEdgeIntegrators.com). He wrote the bestselling first book on his industry, “Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach,” and is host of the popular Win Win Podcast. Welcome to the Conscious Millionaire Show for entrepreneurs, who want to achieve high sales and positively impact humanity! Join host, JV Crum III, as he goes inside the minds of conscious guests such as Millionaire Entrepreneurs and World-Class Business Experts. Like this Podcast? Get every episode delivered to you free!  Subscribe in iTunes Download Your Free Money-Making Gift Now... "Born to Make Millions" Hypnotic Audio - Click Here Now! Please help spread the word. Subscribing and leaving a review helps others find our podcast. Thanks so much! Inc Magazine "Top 13 Business Podcasts." Conscious Millionaire Network has over 3,800 episodes that have been heard by over 100 million in 190 countries.

Ben Wolf discusses his business of being a Fractional Integrator, helps entrepreneurs better handle those difficult conversations that can sometimes hinder their growth, and how to think about introducing fractional integrators into their businesses.

The workplace is constantly evolving, and we've certainly noticed more rapid change these past few years. Fractional leaders, like my guest today, see the effect of those changes first-hand and bring solutions to a variety of organizations.Jen Hamilton is a Factional Chief Operating Officer, with Wolf's Edge Integrators. On this episode of The Clarity Advisors show, Jen and host Ken Trupke discuss the changes she's observed in the workplace and how she takes clients "from chaos and confusion to sustainable growth".Related content: Check out this previous episode with guest Ben Wolf, “How Fractional Leadership can improve your business,” on audio or video.Timestamps(01:03): Chaos and confusion to sustainable growth.(02:05): Explaining a fractional COO.(04:19): Leading multiple companies at once.(05:41): Finding companies to work with.(09:30): Jen's background in accounting.(14:46): Workplace changes over the last several years.(15:56): Attracting and retaining team members.(18:56): Job posting vs. job description.(23:01): Your team is your competitive advantage.(26:03): Jen's recommended reading.(28:03): How to connect with Jen.Episode Quotes “This fractional idea is relatively new concept in some ways, but not in others. In the accounting world, they've been doing it forever.” (Jen)“I'm constantly getting the best practices from all my clients to share with each other. They don't even know it sometimes.” (Jen)“In the past you could capitalize on the market because of maybe your access to capital or you had the latest, greatest technology. Now it's all about the workforce. How you win and how you compete is having the best team.” (Jen)“In the small business world, one bad hire has a stronger ripple effect than it does in a large company. But the same thing happens with one good hire.” (Jen)“A posting is really more of a marketing piece to attract aligned employees. And then once they are interested, send them the position description so they can see if they have the qualifications.” (Jen)“Ultimately, what we want to do is help business owners who are struggling, who are feeling that chaos or are feeling like, “Gosh, I can't, I can't control it like I used to. It's just too messy.'” (Jen)Recommended Reading and ListeningWho Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin HardyThe Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything by Steven Mark CoveySimple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!: 4 Keys to Unlock Your Business Potential by Greg Crabtree and Beverly HerzogSimple Numbers 2.0 - Rules for Smart Scaling: A Play-by-Play Analysis for Pure Growth by Greg CrabtreeProfit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz Connect with Jen HamiltonWolfsEdgeIntegrators.com/ContactJen Hamilton on LinkedIn

Has your business grown to the point where it needs high-level executive expertise, but you aren't big enough that you can afford to hire the right person full time? A “fractional leader” might be a great solution. Today's guest, Ben Wolf, has literally written the book on the concept. And on this edition of The Clarity Advisors Show, Ben and host Ken Trupke discuss the growing trend of fractional leadership and how it can help small and mid-sized businesses get to the next level.Timestamps(00:51): What is fractional leadership?(03:33): What kind of company can use a fractional leader?(06:10): Ben's background.(09:08): Creating a national community of fractional leaders.(12:57): Challenges of fractional leadership.(17:14): Benefits of an outsider's perspective.(18:51): Setting priorities.(23:48): The fractional leadership end game.(28:55): Ben's recommended reading.(31:12): Connecting with Ben.Episode Quotes“In a typical executive's role, especially at a smaller mid-size company, they're probably spending on average about 20 percent of their time on truly executive-level functions. When a fractional executive comes in, what they're doing is essentially taking that 20 percent strategic and executive part and only filling that role.” (Ben)“That's a nice solution to what I call the 'Entrepreneurial Catch-22.' You got big enough to where you need experienced talent, but you can't afford it full-time until you have had the benefit of that person's experience building the company.” (Ben)“We find ourselves focusing 80 to 90 percent on people issues.” (Ben)“When we come in as a COO, we're taking over from someone else who either was or by absence wasn't doing that job. Now we can more effectively drive both strategy and execution for the entire business and make sure everyone's rowing in the right direction.”“If we can't talk about difficult topics and say the hard things, then our clients are not going to be well-served. They're not going to be able to achieve the goals they so desperately want to achieve.”“People typically are becoming fractional executives because they love being fractional executives. It's not because they couldn't get a full-time job. They want the variety of doing multiple businesses, learning about multiple companies, learning new skills, making massive change.” Recommended Listening and ReadingWin Win Podcast hosted by Ben WolfFractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach by Ben WolfFierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time by Susan ScottWho Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy Follow/Connect with Ben WolfWolfsEdgeIntegrators.comFractionalLeadership.ioBen Wolf on LinkedIn 

Do Fractional Integrators compete with EOS Implementers®? Do they work at all? What type of business owner should use one? What's the difference between an Integrator and an Implementer? In this far-reaching conversation, our host, Ben Wolf, who is the founder of the largest Fractional COO / Integrator firm, Wolf's Edge Integrators (https://wolfsedgeintegrators.com/), *was interviewed by our guest*, Rachel Lebowitz, who is a Professional EOS Implementer (www.EOSWorldwide.com/Rachel-Lebowitz), about everything related to Integrators, both fractional and full-time, and implementers. Rachel and her husband bought a Flexible Printing Packaging company and, within three years of implementing EOS, turned it around and grew it from 30 to 100 employees and from $10 to $30 million in revenue. She then went on to become a Professional EOS Implementer herself. Check out the conversation! Listen to the show on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/win-win-an-entrepreneurial-community/id1465488607), wherever you normally get your podcasts, or listen on the web at www.FractionalLeadership.io/Podcast.

Do you need top executive-level talent in your organization but wonder if you have the budget to pull it off? Today's guest, Ben Wolf, has a very compelling alternative idea to share. Ben helps small- and mid-sized entrepreneurial business owners break through when they're hitting the ceiling. He's the host of the podcast: Win Win Podcast. He's also the author of the book, "Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach" Fractional Leadership shows you step-by-step how to land the experienced, been-there-done-that executive talent you thought was out of reach. If you're ready to step up your game in marketing, sales, or other executive positions but can't hire a top-dollar executive full-time, a fractional leader can help you bridge the gap. Today, Ben will talk with us about how to make this happen. This episode is brought to you by the Breakthrough Sales Leader's Retreat. If you are a sales leader get ready to breakthrough to the next level of success and fulfillment by creating an authentic sales culture. Get the mindset, skillset, and toolset at the Breakthrough Sales Leaders Retreat, on October 20, 2022. I and Larry Levine will be joined by Dave Sanderson and our special guest, Holly Dowling, to create a powerful event. Learn more and register at www.breakthroughsalesretreat.com.

In this episode I spoke with, Marcus Sheridan, author of They Ask, You Answer (https://www.amazon.com/They-Ask-You-Answer-Revolutionary/dp/1119610141), to talk about whether or not Fractional CMOs are a good idea for business owners. A few weeks ago, Marcus posted an "unpopular opinion" on LinkedIn, stating that while he understood why marketers want to work with clients using a "Fractional CMO model," he did not think it was a good idea for business owners, and argued that it just cheapened marketing's true, transformative role in a business (original post: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:share:6957499522235146240). Because this is the official podcast of Fractional Leadership, the professional association for Fractional Leaders of all types, including Fractional CMOs, our host, Ben Wolf, invited Marcus, in the comments to his post, to come on the show to talk over his thoughts on the subject and see if we could find any common ground. You do not want to miss this lively conversation! Listen to the show on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/win-win-an-entrepreneurial-community/id1465488607), wherever you normally get your podcasts, or listen on the web at www.FractionalLeadership.io/Podcast.

In today's episode, Jim and Tyson chat with Ben Wolf! They dive into the journey of fractional leadership. If you're interested in learning more about what a fractional integrator is and how they can help your firm, check out this week's episode. Ben Wolf, founder, and CEO created the Fractional Leadership organization because he saw the complete lack of any centralized resource for the fractional executive leadership industry, whether for fractional executives themselves or for business owners looking for information about it.Ben is also the founder and leader of the largest Fractional Integrator (COO) firm in the world, Wolf's Edge Consulting.He created Fractional Leadership to be the market leader for the Fractional Leadership industry, offering professional development, connection, peer advisory, and advocacy for solo practitioners and firms in the fractional executive industry.For business owners, Fractional Leadership is an educational resource, including the first book on the industry, Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach. Fractional Leadership provides business owners with a wealth of information on all aspects of the fractional executive world, including through its blog, the Win-Win Podcast, and social media.  Fractional Leadership also refers Fractional Leaders to businesses, whether a CMO, head of sales, COO, Integrator, CFO, or technology leader, giving them up to three vetted Fractional Leader referrals within three business days.1:02 organizational chart5:41 fractional leadership9:03 law firms have an interesting challenge13:30 hitting the ceiling17:44 EOS process21:43 that which you love doing and are great at25:58 fractional integrator29:12 the measurables, the milestones33:14 they love getting things done for other people37:16 lack of communication40:47 what is the right structure for their firmWatch the podcast here. Join the Guild: www.maxlawguild.com

Today Ben Wolf shares the key indicators it's time for your business to hire a fractional leader. Listen in as Deborah and Ben discussion the common reasons businesses avoid fractional leadership, why the traditional business model is changing, why fractional leaders get better, faster results, and how to assess and determine which fractional leader is right for your business.   Bestselling author Ben Wolf is the founder and CEO of FractionalLeadership.io, the first platform dedicated to referring vetted fractional leaders to small and midsize business owners and leaders. Ben recognized the value of fractional leadership while building operations at a healthcare startup from pre-launch into the largest organization of its type in New York State. Today, he operates Wolf's Edge Consulting, a Fractional Integrator firm for small and midsize businesses, and hosts the podcast Win Win - An Entrepreneurial Community. He lives with his wife and four children in Long Island, New York.   Connect with him online at www.FractionalLeadership.io.     Create a personal career strategy that develops the leadership and communication skills you need to assess challenges, showcase your skills, and demonstrate your ability to be a C-Suite Leader. Learn more about the C-Suite Academy here: https://bit.ly/csawaitlist22 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, I'm the Profit Answer Man Rocky Lalvani! I help small business owners simplify their financial reports so that they can make more informed business decisions with fewer hassles. We utilize the Profit First system created by Mike Michalowicz Effortless Cashflow Course: http://bit.do/effortlesscashflowcourse Schedule your free, no-obligation intro call: https://bookme.name/rockyl/lite/intro-appointment-15-minutes More about making profitability simple: http://profitcomesfirst.com/ Bio Ben Wolf is a bestselling author and founder and CEO of FractionalLeadership.io, the first platform dedicated to referring vetted fractional leaders to small and midsize business owners and leaders. Ben recognized the value of fractional leadership while building operations at a healthcare startup from pre-launch into the largest organization of its type in New York State. Today, he operates Wolf's Edge Consulting, a Fractional Integrator firm for small and midsize businesses, and hosts the podcast Win Win - An Entrepreneurial Community. He lives with his wife and four children in Long Island, New York. Connect with him online at www.FractionalLeadership.io.   Links: LinkedIn Fractional Leadership Website     Questions: questions@profitanswerman.com Email: rocky@profitcomesfirst.com Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ First 2 chapters of Profit First: https://sendfox.com/rocky Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs.

In this episode I interview Ben Wolf from Wolf Lawn Care. Ben shares his lawn care business journey and how he went from 0 to 40 clients in just a few months in his first year in business. Follow Wolf Lawn Care on Instagram lawncarebusinesssuccess.com Check out my new 3D printed String Trimmer Spare String Holders lawncarebusinesssuccess.com/shop Check out the Lawn Care Business Success Academy for downloadable products, courses, and one on one calls. instagram.com/lawncarebusinesssuccess follow Lawn Care Business Success on instagram YouTube.com/lawncarebusinesssuccess subscribe to Lawn Care Business Success on YouTube Check out recommended products on my Amazon affiliate store https://www.amazon.com/shop/lawncarebusinesssuccess Special thanks to the podcast sponsors below who help make this podcast possible! Check out Exmark Manufacturing, the number one brand of commercial lawn equipment! exmark.com Check out Mow and Go Systems, the premier designer and builder of adjustable and easily removable dovetail ramp systems for the lawn care industry. mowandgosystems.com Enjoy great discounts with some of our affiliate discount codes below! Use coupon code LCBS10 to get 10% off your order of Kujo Yard Wear lawncarebusinesssuccess.com/kujo Use coupon code LCBS10 to get 10% off your order of Equipment Defender lawncarebusinesssuccess.com/equipmentdefender Use coupon code LCBS10 to get $10 off your order of ISO Tunes audio bluetooth hearing protection lawncarebusinesssuccess.com/isotunes

Ben Wolf is the author of the book Fractional Leadership. He is also the CEO of Fractional Leadership LLC and Wolf's Edge Consulting who helps small and mid-sized entrepreneurial business owners breakthrough when they're hitting the ceiling. You will learn in this episode what fractional leadership is all about and how it is effective in your business.  

Our guest today explains what situations trigger the need for a Fractional Integrator for companies running on EOS® and what the engagements look like day-to-day. Jamie Munoz is the Visionary, lead Fractional Integrator, and Founder of Catalyst Integrators (www.CatalystIntegrators.com). Because she and our host Ben Wolf both have Fractional Integrator firms, many people find it surprising that they collaborate often since they are technically "competitors." That makes this the perfect episode for Ben and Jamie to talk over what being "abundance minded" means to them and how that expresses itself in the way they run their businesses and help their respective clients. Listen to the show on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/win-win-an-entrepreneurial-community/id1465488607), wherever you normally get your podcasts, or listen on the web at www.FractionalLeadership.io/Podcast.

Ben Wolf, founder and CEO of Fractional Leadership, is the author of Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach. He wrote his book and created www.FractionalLeadership.io to educate business owners and leaders on what Fractional Leadership is, how it works, and to help them find right-fit Fractional Leaders. As background, after building a tech-powered healthcare startup from zero to the largest organization of its type in New York State, he “went solo” and created a Fractional Integrator (outsourced COO) firm, Wolf's Edge Consulting. We discuss: How fractional leadership is easing the frog-kissing process [02:23] The three main factors why fractional leadership is exploding more now [07:10] The means to help you be the center of gravity [13:28] Prevalent budgeting models for fractional leaders [16:16] Who is fractional leadership for [19:55] Learn more about Ben at https://www.fractionalleadership.io/ (https://www.fractionalleadership.io/).

Do you own a small or midsize business? Wish you could find (and afford) game-changing executive talent to take your business to the next level? Now, you can. Fractional Leadership shows you step-by-step how to land the experienced, been-there-done-that executive talent you thought was out of reach. If you're ready to step up your game in marketing, sales, operations, finance, or technology but you can't justify hiring a top-dollar executive full-time, a fractional leader can help you bridge the gap.Through personal stories and real-world examples, you'll learn exactly what fractional leaders are, how business owners use them to break through the ceilings they hit in their business growth, the kinds of problems that are perfect for them, and how to find the right fractional leader for maximum impact and performance. Stop waiting until you can afford a full-time C-level suite. Engage experts who can break through those challenges and take your business to the next level today. Bestselling author Ben Wolf is the founder and CEO of FractionalLeadership.io, the first platform dedicated to referring vetted fractional leaders to small and midsize business owners and leaders.Ben recognized the value of fractional leadership while building operations at a healthcare startup from pre-launch into the largest organization of its type in New York State. Today, he operates Wolfs Edge Consulting, a Fractional Integrator firm for small and midsize businesses, and hosts the podcast Win Win - An Entrepreneurial Community.He lives with his wife and four children in Long Island, New York. Connect with him online at www.FractionalLeadership.io.

Softwaredokumentation ist bei vielen unbeliebt. In dieser Folge des SoftwareArchitekTOUR-Podcast sprechen Gernot Starke, Ben Wolf und Peter Hruschka über arc42.

Tim welcomes Ben Wolf to talk about fractional executives and how it could potentially impact your business.

In dieser Folge wollen wir ein neues Format ausprobieren: In Zukunft wollen wir Episoden zum beruflichen Werdegang von Personen im Bereich Software-Architektur produzieren. Das vertieft die Folgen, die sich bereits mit beruflichen Werdegang für Software-Architekt:innen auseinandergesetzt haben. Als Beta-Test werden Lisa und Eberhard sich die dafür geplanten Fragen gegenseitig stellen. So zeigt die Folge nicht nur den unterschiedlichen beruflichen Werdegang von Lisa und Eberhard auf, sondern gibt auch die Gelegenheit, Feedback zu den Fragen zu geben und Interview-Kandidat:innen fuer weitere Episoden vorzuschlagen. Links Informatik FAQ Whatchado - Karriereplattform fuer Berufseinsteiger IT-Energizer Podcast Folge 92 - Ben Wolf und Lisa Moritz - Einstieg in Softwarearchitektur Folge 68 - Der Schritt zur Software-Architekt:in mit Oliver Wehrens

December 9, 2021 Fractional Ben Wolf and Online Courses Martha Krejci

Author of "Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach" and Founder of Fractional Leadership LLC. Ben has been spearheading the only vetted Fractional Leader referral platform that helps you find the right Fractional Leader for marketing, sales, operations (both FCOO and Fractional Integrator), finance, and technology.  Why is this so important? Every Founder already knows how hard it is to build and grow any area of business and just how much harder finding someone to either help or successfully build it themself is 100x tougher. The greatest teams to date have all needed help getting to that billion dollar unicorn status... Lucky for us, Mr. Ben Wolf is on the podcast today. Leave Some Feedback: Who should we have on the show next? Please let us know in the comments below Did you enjoy the episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with Us: TheHowtoEntrepreneur.com Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Today's Sponsors: JavaPresse Coffee Company - #1 Rated Coffee Grinder on Amazon (Free Grinder in Link) SANESolution - Harvard Medical endorsed body & mind health framework American Dream U -  Transitioning veteran professionals 

Wir alle haben in der IT angefangen und waren nicht von Beginn an Softwarearchitekt:innen - doch wie können wir den Weg in Richtung Softwarearchitektur beschreiten? Lisa und Ben sprechen in dieser Folge über ihre Reise durch die Softwarearchitektur und verraten Tipps und Tricks, wie du deine eigene Reise starten kannst. Bücher Dragon Book zu Compiler Bau Head First Design Patterns GoF Design Patterns Buch Gernot Starke: Effektive Software-Architekturen Stefan Toth: Vorgehensmuster für die Software-Architektur Simon Brown: Software Architecture for Developers Weiterführende Episode Episode zu Dokumentation mit Ben Wolf und Gernot Starke Episode mit Simon Brown zu C4 Architecture Model and Structurizr Episode zum iSAQB Episode zu Qualitätsszenarien Weitere Links INNOQ Technology Lunch Cards42 Architecture Decision Records arc42 iSAQB iSAQB Lehrpläne auf Github

OPEN ALL NIGHT was the winner of BEST FILM at the November 2021 DOCUMENTARY Film Festival. You can watch the film & festival this Friday for FREE all day HERE: https://documentaryshortfilmfestival.com/next-festival-event/ “In a city renowned for its nocturnal energy, there are many who work at all hours of the night. In interviews with veteran Broadway star LaChanze (Tony Award winner for The Color Purple), the night supervisor at the Office of Emergency Management, a night manager at the printing plant of The New York Times, and more, Open All Night offers a glimpse of what it's like to work the “other shift.”” Conversation with directors Jim Bradley and Ben Wolf on the making of the film. Subscribe to the podcast: https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/ https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

Ben Wolf is an entrepreneur, author of the book "Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach". There was a lot that we reviewed from his book today, including what it means to be a Fractional Executive or a member of a Fractional Leadership, as well as using core values and growth strategies to filter out the best talent from certain groups of individuals. We talked about his career, his transition into the author space, the past, present and future of his company, and so much more. Enjoy!

As self-published authors around the world get ready for NaNoWriMo, sometimes we struggle with one of the basics: world building. Join us on the Christian Indie Writers Podcast when we interview Ben Wolfe, author of Power Author: A Quick Guide to Building Your Story Bible.Find more about Ben or his books at https://benwolf.com/ 30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MGR7431 Visit our website: https://christianindiewriters.net/ Learn more about the hosts... Jenifer: https://jenifercarlltong.com/ Jamie: https://writingshorts.net/Tina: https://christinacattane.com/ Rhonda: http://ddbouman.com/

Being an author can be a scary business... but don't let that frighten you! Sometimes doing the scary things as an author is the fun part. But, let us caution, fair and gentle scribe, that there are some scary things, authors should not do. Stay away from that ghoulish thing! Run far from that which lurks in the darkness! Gather around the campfire and listen in today October 6th at 9 pm Eastern time as my guest cohost and contributor Ben Wolf and I discuss scary things authors should and shouldn't do. Listen in at 646-668-8485. You can call in at 646-668-8485 and press 1 to be live on air. Download Stitcher on your mobile device. Follow us on iTunes, Edifi, and iHeartreadio. Add PJC Media to your Spotify library, or click on the link here: http://tobtr.com/s/12010965.

Do you own a small or midsize business? Wish you could find and afford game-changing executive talent to take your business to the next level? Now, you can. Fractional Leadership shows you step-by-step ... The post Fractional Leadership: Ben Wolf appeared first on Author Hour.

Sell your books and make money using live events! Listen in as Ben Wolf dishes on how to be successful hand-selling your books and your brand. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

Sell your books and make money using live events! Listen in as Ben Wolf dishes on how to be successful hand-selling your books and your brand. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

Learn from our guests today how to go from solo hustle to scalable business! Renée Rouleau is the founder and Visionary of Renée Rouleau Skin Care. She created an exclusive skin care line based on a proprietary classification of nine skin types and her products are used by celebrities like Demo Lovato. Check out more about her work at www.ReneeRouleau.com. We are also joined on this episode by Curtis Schuttinger, Renée's Integrator (COO). Our host, Ben Wolf, met Renée and Curtis at the EOS Worldwide conference last month in Houston. Enjoy this picture from the conference!

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 22:15:00 +0000 https://quatschpott.podigee.io/14-neue-episode 50d8180e0396a5d222a05bddf31706fe Host von "Thematakt" und "Talk this Way" Podcast Heute ist mein geschätzter Podcast Kollege Tobias Wilinski zu Gast in meinem Quatschpott. Wir haben ein wenig über seinen Werdegang gesprochen und natürlich auch über seine beiden Podcast "Thematakt" und "Talk this Way". Viel Spaß mit der Folge wünsche ich euch. Wenn euch mein Podcast gefällt und ihr gerne wissen wollt was ich sonst noch so mache, kommt ihr hier zu meiner Musik und meinem Twitch Profil. Ich freue mich euch auch dort zu treffen. https://linktr.ee/Muetze45 Podcast Intro / Outro: Ninja Nai https://linktr.ee/Ninjanai Tobias Wilinski https://linktr.ee/ThemaTakt Foto von Tobias Wilinski by Ben Wolf 14 full Host von "Thematakt" und "Talk this Way" Podcast no podcast,hiphop,Genuis,rap,thematakt,business Markus Herzog

Ben Wolf shares his deeply personal journey as to why he decided to leave medicine for music. Ben Wolf is a singer-songwriter from Belgium who found who he was and wanted to be through music. This is the story behind it. 

Welcome to the newest addition to the Compliance Podcast Network, Compliance and Coronavirus. As the Voice of Compliance, I wanted to start a podcast which will help to bring both clarity and sanity to the compliance practitioner and compliance profession during this worldwide health and healthcare crisis. In this episode, I am joined by Ben Wolf, Founder of Wolf’s Edge Consulting. We discuss how companies and compliance professionals need to think about the manner in which they will do business in the new 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and thereafter. What will be your new normal?

This week’s guest on the Innovation In Compliance podcast is Ben Wolf, founder and CEO of Wolf’s Edge Consulting. He chats with Tom Fox about how his company helps entrepreneurs systematize their business operations to achieve their goals. From Lawyer To Consultant Ben describes his career path from corporate attorney to founding his own company as a “twisting and turning journey.” He relates how he was introduced to the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) framework, and the success the company enjoyed as a result of implementing it. After three years, he realized that he wanted to help other organizations grow in the same way. “So I went out on my own,” he says. Today, his consulting company helps other entrepreneurs implement EOS.  The EOS Process Tom asks Ben to describe the EOS process and how he helps entrepreneurs use EOS to grow their business. Ben responds that a business must be able to carry out its goals in order to be successful. “It’s just critical for any business to be able to have a good structure for how to set goals and then create discipline and accountability for getting those done,” he points out. The EOS is a framework for running all aspects of a business. In particular, it aims to help strengthen the six key areas of the business: vision, people, data, process, issue solving and traction. It helps companies achieve:  Vision -  getting everybody in the organization on the same page. Traction - getting people executing on the vision with discipline and accountability.  Healthy - having a professional, functional, cohesive and functional leadership team. Ben relates how companies can contract an EOS implementer like Wolf’s Edge, if they think it would be a good fit. Ben’s Podcast Tom says he was honored to be a guest on Ben’s podcast, Win Win - An Entrepreneurial Community. Ben shares two reasons why he started the podcast and why he chose its name.  Resources Wolf’s Edge Consulting bwolf@wolfsedgeconsulting.com EOSWorldwide.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

davidgarner@wvik.org (davidgarner)

Ben Wolf is not your typical 'Wolf of Wall Street'... In a previous life, Ben practiced a combination of litigation, bankruptcy, and corporate law as a restructuring and bankruptcy attorney in New York City. Today through his company, Wolf's Edge Consulting, he serve clients anywhere in the U.S. who need to get traction, focus, and achieve their goals using the EOS® system. He's also the super host of the podcast: Win Win - An Entrepreneurial Community, available through the usual means or at http://winwin.cast.rocks/ On this podcast we discuss his ADHD, his career journey and how life reveals itself - yep "man plans, God laughs" comes to mind! Tune in to hear Ben answer the five questions from the Cards for Uniqueness on this episode. Find out more about Ben and his work here.

A strange mark on her neck… …a mysterious connection to fire... …an ancient secret soon to be revealed. Aeron failed to stop the cult of the Crimson Flame from kidnapping his sister. But as a former wyvern knight, he’s determined to find and rescue her—and to lay waste to the cult in the process. When the trail grows cold, Aeron and his mage companion join forces with a half-troll mercenary and an assassin. Together, they embark on a job for a dark lord that will put them squarely in the Crimson Flame’s line of fire. And that’s exactly where Aeron wants to be. The more cultists he can find, the closer he gets to locating his stolen sister... …and the more of them he can kill. Though the job seems like the perfect gig, the cult thwarts Aeron’s efforts at every turn. And all the while, Aeron and his comrades gradually unravel the ancient secret of the Crimson Flame. Faced with a series of deadly choices, Aeron must confront his fate and risk everything to rescue his sister—even if it costs him and his fellow mercenaries their lives. Join me at a special time -- 10 pm Eastern time -- as I chat with author Ben Wolf and his newest release. You can call in at 646-668-8485 and press 1 to be live on air. Download Stitcher on your mobile device. Follow us on iTunes. Or, click on the link here: http://tobtr.com/s/11567147.

Episode 32: Interview with writer, editor, and publisher Ben Wolf, Part 2   Prologue: First Person Point of View The Art and Craft of Storytelling, A Comprehensive Guide to Classic Writing Techniques by Nancy Lamb (Amazon) The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (Amazon) Moby Dick by Herman Melville (Amazon) Main Story: Interview with writer, editor, and publisher Ben Wolf, Part 2 Ben Wolf: http://benwolf.com/ I’d Punch A Lion in His Eye for You by Ben Wolf (Amazon) The Crimson Flame: A Sword and Sorcery Dark Fantasy Novel (Blood Mercenaries Book 1) by Ben Wolf: (Amazon) New in July 2019 Epilogue: Things Every Indie Authors Needs to Know—Part 4 Google Docs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Docs Grammarly: https://app.grammarly.com/ Hemingway: http://www.hemingwayapp.com/ Microsoft Word: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Word PerfectIt: https://intelligentediting.com/ Scrivener: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview Music "Never Surrender" by Chasing Noise, off their album, Everything http://chasingnoise.wixsite.com/chasingnoise  

Episode 31: Interview with writer, editor, and publisher Ben Wolf, Part 1   Prologue: Choose your POV Character Wisely Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice (Amazon) Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling (Amazon) The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (Amazon) Main Story: Interview with writer, editor, and publisher Ben Wolf, Part 1 Frank Peretti: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_E._Peretti This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti (Amazon) Ben Wolf: http://benwolf.com/ I’d Punch A Lion in His Eye for You by Ben Wolf (Amazon) The Crimson Flame: A Sword and Sorcery Dark Fantasy Novel (Blood Mercenaries Book 1) by Ben Wolf: (Amazon) New in July 2019 Epilogue: Things Every Indie Authors Needs to Know—Part 3 Apple Macintosh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacOS IDrive: https://www.idrive.com/ External Hard drives: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk_drive#EXTERNAL Microsoft Windows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10 Music "Never Surrender" by Chasing Noise, off their album, Everything http://chasingnoise.wixsite.com/chasingnoise

We had a great interview with Ben Wolf, author of The Crimson Flame that's out today!Did you know that dragons are different than wyverns and that cats are quotable? Well, that's a little bit of what we talked about in this episode of the Epic Fantasy Podcast!Hope you enjoy!Mentioned on the ShowThe Crimson Flame by Ben Wolf: https://amzn.to/2WLktKsBen Wolf's Newsletter and Free Stories:http://benwolf.com/Author Links:RG Long Author Website https://rglongauthor.weebly.com/RG Long Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/RG-Long/e/B079...Email: epicfantasypodcast@gmail.comFacebook https://www.facebook.com/rglongauthor/Twitter https://twitter.com/rglongauthorInstagram http://instagram.com/rglongauthorSword of Ruyn: https://amzn.to/2W5nCIwSignup to my Author Email List: https://rglongauthor.weebly.com/subscribe.html

Ben Wolf grew up as a Reform Jewish home in Nashville. He became religiously observant while attending Father Ryan High School and went on to study at Yeshiva University and Hofstra University School of Law. He created and ran a college outreach program while he was a member of the Community Kollel of Des Moines, Iowa, served as a corporate bankruptcy and restructuring attorney at a NYC law firm, and was Chief Development Officer and General Counsel at a successful healthcare startup. Ben is now a consultant helping leadership teams at entrepreneurial businesses get traction and reach their goals.

Fatal glitches. A corporate cover-up. And something haunting the depths… Three years ago, a horrific accident closed ACM-1134, the energy mine on Ketarus-4. Now the mine has reopened, and Justin Barclay has joined the first new batch of miners hired to begin harvesting the energy stored below the planet's surface. But as he settles into his new job and home, Justin quickly discovers that the mine's polished exterior is masking a host of hidden dangers—some of them fatal. When the mine's technology begins malfunctioning, Justin's coworkers mysteriously disappear, get injured, and some even die. Justin knows something else is going on—and he's the only one willing to do something to stop it. With his job and his life on the line, Justin works to uncover the mine's darkest secrets to save himself and his fellow workers. But the company doesn't like Justin digging where he shouldn't be, and they're determined to put a stop to his inquest once and for all—at any cost. As Justin begins to unearth the mine's darkest secrets, he starts to realize that sometimes it's better to let the past stay buried. The Ghost Mine is a gripping sci-fi/horror novel sure to thrill you and chill you late into the night. If you're a fan of Ridley Scott's Aliens, you'll love this book. Join me as I chat with my returning guest co-host and contributor Ben Wolf about his newest release. You can listen in at 646-668-8485, press 1 to be live on air. Or, download Stitcher on your mobile device. Follow us on iTunes. Or, click on the link here: http://tobtr.com/11028231.  

We have Andrew Winch on this week, who is the executive editor with Splickety Publishing group where he's worked with a whole host of authors including Jerry B. Jenkins, Tosca Lee, and Robert Liparulo. He's a full time physical therapist when he's not running around with Ben Wolf. In this episode: Google is a wonderful thing. ;) Who is Ben Wolflichman? Wrangling flaming pigs Gothic horror / steampunk Weird stuff submitted to Splickety (hint: did you guess frog erotica?) Andrew's love of creepy stuff Don't edit your voice out of your story!!! Is writing flash fiction a perfectionist's game? What 3 tips would Andrew give to improve your writing? Why you should read women's fiction. You have to write a great story. Supporting characters Andrew wants to know more about! For additional show notes, visit LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com

In this episode, we sit down with E. Stephen Burnett, who, along with Ben Wolf (see episodes 10 & 11), is the co-founder of the forthcoming e-magazine, Lorehaven. Stephen is a former print journalist who now helps run SpeculativeFaith.com and other faith-based websites that focus on fiction--including Lorehaven. He hails from Texas. In this episode: What Lorehaven is--and what it won't be. What is a flash review? Stephen's favorite version of Star Trek. Lorehaven's goal to create book clubs. The broader content goals of Lorehaven. Who should everyone be reading? What is Stephen watching? Wonder Woman? Anime?  Find all our show notes, links to previous episodes, and links to books discussed on our website: LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com

Our guest this week was the Most Interesting Accountant in the World! He also goes by Chris Morris. Chris is a CPA who caters to artists and authors, using easy to understand terms. In Episode 53: Chris Morris, CPA Laughter immediately ensues when we get into a discussion about colors. Authors and other artists all need help with accounting and tax services. Chris' goal is to build his business to serve the author-entrepreneur community. Discussion on the special challenges that authors face. Rabbit trails on the most expensive pens! How to determine if expenses are business-related. How to treat your writing like a business. ID 10T errors Deductions that people miss Crazy things people have asked if they can deduct. Ben Wolf's marketing practices (Ep. 10 & Ep. 11) We get into a lot of the nitty-gritty of setting up businesses and funding your business when you're not making money yet. Should you hire a bookkeeper? Google & Taxes are not a good combination. ;) Oh $@!*# I'm Making Money, Now What?   Links: Chris Morris Chris's book (as above)Cam Scanner app Lindsay Franklin & Wombatman Failbook

This week we interview Ben Wolf (who is, sadly, not an actual wolf). Ben doesn't know what he wants to be when he grows up, as he has authored vampire novels, children's novels, and, of course, westerns. He's also a flash-fiction magazine publisher, and a freelance editor. We got off on a rabbit trail faster then ever before (but hey, you interview a Wolf, you gotta expect them to chase rabbits.) After that, we did eventually get around to discussing I'd Punch a Lion in His Eye for You (or, for short, IPAL (not to be confused with an Apple product.)) We also discuss his Christian Horror book, Blood for Blood. This naturally lead to a discussion of the differences between writing children books and novels. We also learn that Ben is terrified of sharks (makes sense, Wolves are land animals, and sharks live in the water...) and how that ties into IPAL (see pages 17 and 18.) At some point here, Ben calls Aaron fabulously immature. (What? So I like kids books...) ... and then you'll never guess who Ben's favorite superhero is... Speaking of immature, who might wear a tutu??   Things we talked about: Ben Wolf I'd Punch a Lion In the Eye For You Blood For Blood ACFW Conferences Ben Powell (author and illustrator for Ben's children's book) Frank Peretti (The Oath) Robert Liparulo Tosca Lee Ted Dekker Randy Ingermanson (Writing Fiction for Dummies) Chris Morris, CPA.

    Jeff has a conversation with Ben Wolf about game design, getting the word out, tools you might want to avoid, and Kickstarter. Ben hopes to successfully fund his large game project, Factions, on on Kickstarter through August 11, 2014 (early morning, so check it out by August 10th)!… Read the rest