Podcasts about Patchett

In this week's episode, we take a look at five lessons for writers from Barnes & Nobles' turnaround. I also discuss indie author advertising results from February 2025. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Blade of the Elves, Book #3 in the Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills), at my Payhip store: BLADE50 The coupon code is valid through March 28, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook for spring, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates   Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 242 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is March 7, 2025, and today we are looking at writing lessons from the dramatic turnaround of Barnes and Noble. We'll also look at my ad results for February 2025 and we'll also have Coupon of the Week and an update on my current writing projects and Question of the Week.   First off, let's start with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Blade of the Elves, Book Number Three in the Dragon Skull Series (as excellent narrated by Brad Wills), at my Payhip store. That coupon code is BLADE50. We'll have the coupon code and the link in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through March 28th, 2025, so if you need a new audiobook for spring, we have got you covered. Now an update on my current writing and audiobook projects. The rough draft of Ghosts in the Assembly is done and I am 16% into the second phase of editing. If all goes well, I am planning to publish the book on March 14th, assuming there are no unanticipated interruptions, which is always risky to rely upon, but things are going well with it and I'm optimistic we can do that. I'm also 13,000 words into Shield of Battle and after Ghost in the Assembly is published, that will be my main project.   In audiobook news, Orc-Hoard, the fourth book in the Half-Elven Thief series (as narrated by Leanne Woodward), is now available and you can get it at all the usual audiobook stores. Half-Elven Thief: Omnibus One (which is a combination of Half-Elven Thief, Wizard-Thief, and Half-Orc Paladin, the first three books in the series) is also now available in audio (as excellently narrated by Leanne Woodward), and you can give that omnibus edition at Audible, Amazon, and Apple. So that is where I'm at with my current writing projects.   00:01:49 Question of the Week   Question the Week is designed to inspire enjoyable discussions of interesting topics. This week's question, when you have an unpleasant chore that must be done, do you prefer to split it up into smaller parts over a number of days or just to get it all over with at once? No wrong answers, obviously. The inspiration for this question is the fact that it's tax prep time here in the United States, and I have spent a lot of time this week working on that.   Justin says: I prefer to get it over with all at once if possible. Extending your example, I have somehow become the tax preparer for other family members, so there are a few days where that is what I do. I also set aside a few hours every month for vehicle maintenance: check fluids, tire pressure, top off everything, look at belts (replace if worn). It's amazing how more reliable cars are when you look after them a bit.   That is very true. Good car maintenance advice from Justin.   Catriona says: Procrastinate. I love to procrastinate, then the mad dash to the very last second of the deadline. Retired now, so no longer need to be efficiently organized.   Jenny says: Oh, split if I can, procrastinate if I can't. Dishes? Do some or put some away, do more later or let my laundry pile up until I have no pants.   And Juana says: Let's get this over with. (Transcriptionist's note: this was posted in the form of a GIF of Liz Lemon from 30 Rock)   For myself, I suppose the answer is that I essentially get to do both since I'm technically a small business owner as a publisher, I do some tax stuff every month and then usually have a couple of days in March that are all tax prep. Other than that, it really depends on the size of the task in question. My preferred way would be to split a task up into smaller pieces and do 'em until they're done. But if you have something like snow shoveling, for example, you really do have to kind of bite the bullet and get it over with all at once.   00:03:21 February 2025 Ad Results   Now let's see how my ads did in February 2025. February is generally a better month for advertising than November, December, and January. The reason for that is that Valentine's Day and the Super Bowl drives some consumer spending, though not nearly as much as the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays, and so therefore the cost per click is often lower and you can usually have good results with ads.   First up, Facebook ads. In February, I advertised both Cloak Games/Cloak Mage and all the Ghosts on Facebook. For Cloak Games/Cloak Mage, I got back $2.98 (USD) for every dollar spent, with 6.8% of the profit coming from the audiobooks. For the Ghosts, I got back $3.24 cents for every dollar spent, with 15.4% of the profit coming from the audiobooks. I also ran a few different Amazon ad campaigns. Remember that for an Amazon ad campaign to work, it needs to generate a sale or a complete Kindle Unlimited page readthrough for every six to eight clicks. For Half-Elven Thief, I got back $2.30 for every dollar spent, with a sale for every 0.68 clicks. In other words, we had more total sales than we had clicks. For Stealth and Spells Online: Creation, I lost $2.52 for every dollar spent, with a sale for every 8.1 clicks. For The Linux Command Line Beginner's Guide, I got back $1.86 for every dollar spent, with a sale for every one click and 32% of the month's profit coming from the audiobook. I think this shows how badly I misjudged the LitRPG market with Stealth and Spells Online. The ads for Half-Elven Thief actually get more search terms for LitRPG related searches than Stealth and Spells actually does. I ran BookBub ads for Sevenfold Sword and The Ghosts on Apple, and here's how they did. For The Ghosts, I got back $5.26 for every dollar spent. For Sevenfold Sword, I got back $4.35 for every $1 spent. Finally, for the Demonsouled series, which is currently in KU, I did a combined Facebook and Amazon campaign, and when you run multi-platform ad campaigns like that, the most valuable metric tends to be honestly money back for dollar spent. So for Demonsouled, I got back $2.58 for every dollar spent. So good results, all in all, and I didn't actually lose that much money on Stealth and Spells. So thanks for reading everyone and hopefully I'll have more good books for you to read soon.   00:05:47 Main Topic: Lessons for Writers from Barnes and Noble's Turnaround   So now onto our main topic this week, lessons for Writers from Barnes and Noble's Turnaround because it is fair to say Barnes and Noble has had a turnaround recently. For a while at the end of the 2010s and the early 2020s, people would have their self-publishing predictions for the year, and one of them was almost always that Barnes and Noble is going to finally close, which was a reversal of fortune for it because if you remember in the ‘90s and the 2000s and even the early part of the 2010s, Barnes and Noble was the juggernaut in the publishing industry. They had forced out of business a lot of smaller indie bookstores and what Barnes and Noble wanted in the publishing industry, Barnes and Noble got. Then just as Barnes and Noble disrupted all the smaller book chains and independent bookstores, Amazon came along and disrupted Barnes and Noble. And so for a while it looked like Barnes and Noble was going to go out of business, but Barnes and Noble's revenue actually grew 1.6% in fiscal year 2024, and their foot traffic is up significantly. They're planning 60 new stores after a wave of closures in previous years.   A few years ago, as I said, they seemed headed for extinction, yet a combination of unpredictable factors and good decisions helped turned around Barnes and Noble. What are some of those factors leading into it? I suspect one of them is that many people are forced to be on screens all day and can find this frustrating or stressful, especially when schooling and work were virtual. I've talked to some teachers over the past couple of years and they would tell me stories of, for example, younger children who will burst into tears at the site of a Chromebook just because the experience of remote learning via Chromebooks was so stressful and miserable in 2020 and 2021 (and places that held onto that policy for probably longer than they should have). So much socialization nowadays is conducted online too through TikToks and chats and text messages and so forth. Because of this, many now feel like print books are a break from being constantly online. Various social media people such as TikTokers and Instagrammers make Barnes and Noble trips and hauls, showing off giant stacks of the latest books, filling up feeds. Home book displays are also a trend online, as collectors show off carefully style collections of books. Owning physical books and browsing the shelves at Barnes and Noble has become cool again. Truly history is a wheel that keeps on turning.   So what lessons can you take from this turnaround as a writer (even if your physical books aren't stocked by Barnes and Noble and you don't sell that many eBooks through them)? How they approach their relationship with their readers and their customers still has a few lessons to provide writers.   #1: Focus on your primary mission and also double down on what actually works. Barnes and Noble started to devote much of their store space to a confusing, aimless mixture of toys and gifts mixed in with the books. The stores began to look cluttered and much of this merchandise did not actually sell to their customers. They also wasted a large sum of money trying to compete with Amazon, Apple, and tech companies with their Nook tablets and kept Nook ereaders as a strong store presence long after it was clear they had lost the battle for the ebook market. There was even an extremely ill-advised foray into Barnes and Noble restaurants. Customers were quick to reject $13 avocado toast and $7 oatmeal from a mall chain bookstore.   One, when the company focused on returning to selling print books and making the store a better place to browse, sales improved. Many stores moved the gifts and games away from the book areas and back into the dedicated sections, which cleaned up the layout and made it easier for customers wanting non-book items to find what they were looking for. Since most of the customers were actually there to buy books, that made it easier to buy books.   How to apply this as a writer? Your job as a writer is to create and sell books. Getting lost in side quests, like overly frequent social media posting, creating courses or webinars, and selling merchandises are only taking time away from what your readers actually want the most from you: more books. So double down on writing more books, just as Barnes Noble doubled down on selling more books.   #2: Target the right people. Barnes Noble's display spaces and tables were taken up by books that publishers paid to place there. This led to their prime store space being taken up by books that were often poor sellers or not a good fit for their local customers. It was better to turn down the short-term money but have more targeted displays, including putting similar books in “thematic nooks.”   By focusing much of their marketing on the BookTok/Bookstagram groups of heavy readers, they were able to find ways to appeal to a younger and growing customer base. Since this group loves books both as content and décor, showcasing exclusive or “aesthetic” special editions was a way to bring these customers back into the store and keep them from buying cheaper copies online. These readers were also willing to spend a few dollars extra for the experience and to ensure that the books they were buying weren't damaged, which is often a complaint when you buy books online, that they sometimes aren't packaged properly and arrive damaged in transit. Store space was also devoted to manga readers, another group that reads voraciously and enjoys the experience of reading the print version and later collecting the print version as opposed to the electronic one.   Now, how do you apply this as a writer? Appeal to your core audience. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, find your core “thematic nook” (as Barnes Noble puts it), meaning similar authors and titles. There are resources like Publisher Rocket that can help you do this. Focus your advertising on finding these readers instead of the general population.   For myself, I've experienced this lesson personally in the last four years because in the last four years I've tried three different new things: The Cormac Rogan Mysteries, the Stealth and Spells LitRPG book, and the Rivah Half-Elven series. And of the three, Rivah was by far the most successful because it was another form of epic fantasy, which I think is what my core audience really wants from me and not contemporary mysteries or LitRPG. So this is the lesson I can attest to through personal experience.   #3: Give customers a good experience. Barnes and Noble spent money on repainting, installing brighter lighting, and changing store layouts. The CEO James Daunt stated it was their aim to make the store feels like “places of discovery.” Chairs were even added back to some stores to allow readers to browse in comfort.   Now, how can you apply this to being a writer? First, you want to make sure that your readers have the easiest possible experience, the most pleasant possible experience in buying books from you. One way to do this is keep your website updated and check for broken links, which is easier said than done. I know, especially for me since Ghost in the Assembly will be my 160th novel, and that is a lot of links to check and my website had gotten complex enough that I finally hired someone to overhaul it and make sure all the links were working. But I think we've had good results since traffic is up and I get much fewer complaints now about dead links. It's often a good idea to refresh ad images to keep potential readers' attention. For Facebook ads, I think based on my experience, the best you can hope for is two to three weeks of good results with a single image. For BookBub, maybe three or four days. So it's good to have a supply of ad images you can rotate out often. Finally, incentivize readers to read your newsletter by keeping it brief and providing some kind of special reward, like a discount or bonus content, which is why I give away a lot of short stories in my email newsletter.   #4: Be willing to change it up or try new things. Barnes and Noble's leadership also ceded more control of the selection and displays to the individual stores, allowing them to better customize the stores towards the taste of the community. For most of Barnes and Noble's history, if you walked into the store and you saw the displays in the front and on the end caps where books were highlighted. Publishers paid through the nose for the privilege of having their books stocked that way. And while there is still some of that, obviously the new regime at Barnes and Noble has changed things around so that more local stores have greater control of what to put where, which means they can put out more books that their local community is more likely to buy. If you walk into a Barnes and Noble in Illinois, for example, you're much more likely to see a large display of Illinois local history than you would have otherwise.   For another example, I once visited a Barnes and Noble in a large suburb that had a very large teenage population that had the Young Adult section wedged in a single cramped back corner by the bathrooms. It was extremely unpleasant to browse, especially if one person was already in the aisle. And of course, if there was a line for the bathroom, which is often the case, teenagers typically want more physical space from strangers. This decision to put the Young Adult section in a cramped corner in the back of the store was clearly made by someone who did not a lot of experience talking to or working with teenagers. After Daunt's changes, Young Adult was moved to the center of the store. The aisles in the new section were extra wide to accommodate groups of teens browsing together, and it was now full of colorful displays, many of which were handmade by staff members. In the times I visited this Barnes and Noble since, it is always the busiest part of the store.   Another surprise area of growth was the refreshing of the stationery and planner section. The previous selection was stale and heavily reliant on older licensed properties like Disney. It wasn't reflective of the trends in the category being popularized (once again by Instagram and TikTok), such as dot grid notebooks with high quality paper and guided journals (like the influencer favorite, the Five Minute Journal, which offers a few brief prompts to reflect on the day). Barnes and Noble bought the stationery brand Paper Source, which brought in fresh designs to its cards and stationery. They also changed their selection to adapt to two of the biggest trends in stationery, bullet journaling and customizable Japanese planners. Stationery enthusiasts were willing to pay a premium to be able to see stationery items in person before buying, since that allows you to avoid counterfeit versions that are sold online and ensure that the product was in pristine condition and would not arrive through the mail damaged. Since the margins on stationery are way higher than they are in books, this was a wise decision.   Now how can we apply this lesson as a writer? One of the advantages of being self-published is the ability to change quickly based on data and reader feedback. For example, the Stealth and Spells Online series was originally called the Sevenfold Sword Online. Once I realized that readers were confusing this series with the main Sevenfold Sword series, I changed the title to help prevent confusion and emphasized that the series was in fact a separate one. I also changed the cover to reflect trends in the LitRPG series, such as characters' faces usually not being shown and a more diffused, animation-influenced color palette.   If one of your books isn't connecting with readers, it may be worth your time to update your blurb and cover trends based on your categories. Another similar experience I had was with the Silent Order covers where I went through five different iterations with that cover before I settled on the version I have now, which definitely sells the best.     #5: Do what Amazon can't. The new CEO of Barnes and Noble focused on what Amazon couldn't do: provide a physical environment for browsing.  Browsing aisles of books with a cup of coffee (from the Barnes and Noble Café) in hand is a relaxing experience for many people. Amazon famously tried to set up its own chain of physical bookstores, and it didn't work out because the experience for customers tended to be industrial and unpleasant in a way that made an airport newsstand seem downright cozy in comparison. The bookstores were stocked with just a very limited selection of popular books on plain shelves with electronic price tags. Nothing about it inspired browsing or finding new books, the most important way physical bookstores inspire readers to buy additional books.   This was an example of Amazon doing the opposite of our first lesson. Rather than doubling down on what was working, they tried something that was away from their core competency of low prices and fast delivery, which was a physical bookstore. In fact, one of these Amazon bookstores opened across the street from author Ann Patchett's Parnassus books, which is an indie bookstore in Nashville that provides lots of help from friendly, knowledgeable staff, autographed books from authors like Patchett, and a full calendar of events with local authors. Reviewers who have visited this indie bookstore rave about the friendly and helpful staff and the cozy atmosphere. Even though Parnassus offered higher prices than the Amazon bookstore across the street, the experience was so much better that it's not surprising that the Amazon bookstore did not work and that Parnassus outlasted this physical Amazon bookstore that opened across the street. As many people have found out the hard way, it is very difficult to compete with Amazon on price. Instead of constantly discounting books with buy two get one free promotions or providing steep discounts through its membership program, Barnes and Noble stopped trying to compete with Amazon on price and turned their attention to something that Amazon couldn't do, which is the physical experience of the store. Events like children's story times and special events (complete with gift bags) for popular releases like Onyx Storm brought in people who hadn't been to a physical store in a while.   Now, the point of this isn't to indulge in Amazon bashing because Amazon does get criticized a lot, sometimes fairly, sometimes not fairly. The point is that trying to compete with Amazon on its core competencies of low price and fast delivery is not a good idea. And so instead, you need to try and find a way to do something well that Amazon can't do or Amazon isn't interested in doing. Even if Amazon remains a big part of your business as an indie writer, you can diversify your profits and readership by looking beyond Amazon.   What can't Amazon do for your readers? You can engage with your readers directly through your newsletter and social media. That's why I try to post at least once a day and respond to comments when possible. You can find ways to provide special content for loyal readers, which I do personally in the form of free short stories, discounts, Coupon of the Week (which we always talk about every week). Giveaways, et cetera provide something that Amazon can't or won't. For example, direct sales platforms like my Payhip store can provide DRM free ebook files, multiple file formats with each purchase, and special bonus content for readers buying direct and so forth. If you buy a book off My Payhip store, you can download the epub file and a PDF file, which you can't do from Amazon anymore.   On a related note, give people who don't want to buy from Amazon a place to buy your books, whether that be other ebook vendors or your own direct sales page (or ideally both). I should mention that personally of my (soon to be) 160 books, only 14% of them are currently on Kindle Unlimited (which means Amazon exclusivity), which is a fortunate position I'm able to be in because Kindle Unlimited is also a big part of the market. I'm able to essentially play in both worlds where I have the majority of my series available wide (and available on my Payhip store with files and the other things we were talking about), while also providing some books for Kindle Unlimited readers, which also is a big part of the pool. I'm fortunate enough to be able to play in both worlds there and continue to do that.   To sum up, Barnes and Noble recovered by focusing on what it does best and finding the people who respond best to that. As a writer, I think your main focus should be on putting out new books and targeting your advertising is the best way to make that approach work for you. If you have a long series, it might be a good idea to make the first book free and advertise that if you want to connect more with your readers, giving away short stories is a good way to do that, especially in your newsletter. So to sum up, perhaps the best way forward for all writers is to remain flexible and to double down on your core competencies and core strengths.   So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes on https://thepulpwritershow.com, often with transcripts. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

Join me for an enlightening conversation with Alison Patchett, @the.vag.hormone.naturopath, as we uncover the often overlooked world of vaginal health during perimenopause and menopause. Have you ever wondered why there's a stigma around discussing vaginal wellness? Alison shares her transformative journey from corporate life to her true passion: empowering women to embrace and understand their bodies. Together, we break down the barriers in discussing these intimate health topics, highlighting the common changes women experience, such as dryness and irritation, and their impact on self-confidence and sexual health.Discover how natural solutions can make a significant difference in maintaining vaginal health. We delve into the benefits of naturopathic approaches and why targeted testing, although not covered by Medicare, can be a game-changer. From the soothing properties of sea buckthorn and flaxseed gel to simple lifestyle tweaks like what underwear to choose, we share practical tips that go a long way in promoting comfort and wellness. Navigating the complexities of recurrent vaginal symptoms like thrush is crucial for optimal health. With Alison's expert insights, we address the misconceptions surrounding these issues and the importance of accurate diagnosis. Understanding the vaginal microbiome and the role of hormones can lead to more effective treatment plans. Our conversation emphasizes the need for women to advocate for their health confidently and underscores the value of collaboration between medical and natural health practitioners to achieve comprehensive, personalized care. Tune in as we encourage open dialogues and empower women to take charge of their vaginal health during these transitional years.You can find Alison at thevaghormonenaturopath.com.au and if you would like her exclusive free eBook she speaks about on this episode - DM her on IG @the.vag.hormone.naturopath or email her hello@thevaghormonenaturopath.com.auSend me a text!Are you a woman feeling stressed, flat and experiencing the challenges of perimenopause? It's time to reclaim your youthful energy, radiance and self-assurance (and your ideal weight). I'm here to help with my proven method. Here's how I can support you - 1. Hit your health and wellbeing goals this year, balance your hormones and lose weight with your own personalised protocol, based on your body's biochemistry. Sounds awesome right!! Book a free 30 minute Peri Weight Loss Assessment with me so we can discuss your health and wellbeing goals and also see how I might be able to support you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book your call here. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 2. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@the.perimenopause.path

In this episode of the Plant Cunning Podcast, hosts AC Stauble and Isaac Hill interview herbalist and author Marcos Patchett. Marcos shares his journey into herbalism and medical astrology, influenced by his grandfather and a series of personal experiences. He discusses his in-depth research on cacao, chronicled in his books 'The Secret Life of Chocolate' and 'Pharmacocoa.' The conversation delves into the history, cultivation, traditional preparation, and medicinal benefits of cacao, highlighting its unique qualities and its significant cultural impact in Mesoamerica. Marcos also touches on his new medical astrology education platform, Plan*tarium, designed for herbalists and medical practitioners. 00:00 Introduction to the Plant Cunning Podcast 00:31 Meet Marcos Hatchet: Herbalist and Author 01:00 Discussing Chocolate and Astrology 02:02 Marcos' Journey into Herbalism 08:24 The Influence of Mentors and Teachers 11:34 The Obsession with Chocolate 15:05 The Holy Grail of Chocolate 23:55 Cacao Cultivation and Mythology 38:36 The Resilient Dandelion and Planetary Herbs 40:14 Cacao: The Venusian Delight 41:06 The Complex Nature of Cacao 44:27 Traditional Preparation of Cacao 45:07 Foaming Agents and Techniques 57:33 Medicinal Uses of Cacao 01:02:19 Choosing the Right Cacao 01:07:03 Books, Reviews, and Courses

Have you ever reread something you wrote years earlier and cringed? Or maybe you were surprised by the depth, heart and complexity of what your younger self put to the page. Ann Patchett had both experiences recently when she reread her award-winning 2001 book “Bel Canto.” She's now reissued the novel with her own handwritten margin notes — both complimentary and critical. We'll talk to Patchett about what she loves about the original and what she would change, and what it's like to edit your own work decades later. Patchett's new book is “Bel Canto: The Annotated Edition.” Guests: Ann Patchett, author, "Bel Canto: The Annotated Edition"

Have you ever reread something you wrote years earlier and cringed? Or maybe you were surprised by the depth, heart and complexity of what your younger self put to the page. Ann Patchett had both experiences recently when she reread her award-winning 2001 book "Bel Canto." She's now reissued the novel with her own handwritten margin notes -- both complimentary and critical. We'll talk to Patchett about what she loves about the original and what she would change, and what it's like to edit your own work decades later. Patchett's new book is "Bel Canto: The Annotated Edition." Guest: Ann Patchett, author, "Bel Canto: The Annotated Edition"

Dr. Terryl Hallquist, Thornton Wilder scholar and Ann Patchett fan, joins us to discuss Patchett's newest novel, Tom Lake. Tom Lake centers around a pivotal summer Lara spent in a summer stock theatre company where she performed her signature role of Emily in Thornton Wilder's OUR TOWN. There she meets two men who will change her life. She falls in love with the soon-to-be famous actor Peter Duke and meets the director/aspiring cherry farmer, Joe Nelson. Lara recalls the summer to her three grown daughters, home during the pandemic, who beg her to tell them about her glamorous life as a young actress, her romance with Peter Duke, and her blockbuster film. There are lots of layers to this novel and we explore many with Terryl. Linny is calling in from her American Red Cross deployment in Asheville, North Carolina and Nancy is fresh off her trip to see Linny followed by a trip to New York City to see six shows in five days. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support

Dr. Terryl Hallquist, Thornton Wilder scholar and Ann Patchett fan, joins us to discuss Patchett's newest novel, Tom Lake. Tom Lake centers around a pivotal summer Lara spent in a summer stock theatre company where she performed her signature role of Emily in Thornton Wilder's OUR TOWN. There she meets two men who will change her life. She falls in love with the soon-to-be famous actor Peter Duke and meets the director/aspiring cherry farmer, Joe Nelson. Lara recalls the summer to her three grown daughters, home during the pandemic, who beg her to tell them about her glamorous life as a young actress, her romance with Peter Duke, and her blockbuster film. There are lots of layers to this novel and we explore many with Terryl. Linny is calling in from her American Red Cross deployment in Asheville, North Carolina and Nancy is fresh off her trip to see Linny followed by a trip to New York City to see six shows in five days. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support

Summary In this episode of Writer’s Voice, celebrated novelist Ann Patchett discusses the annotated release of her beloved novel Bel Canto, exploring how themes of love, art, and humanity resonate in times of crisis. Patchett reflects on her writing process, the tenderness of her characters, and how art can provide solace in difficult times. The, … Continue reading Ann Patchett & Kathy Engel on Art, Love, and the Power of Poetry in Difficult Times →

Ann Patchett's 2001 novel Bel Canto was a huge hit. She's continued to have success with her later work, including The Dutch House, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. But she's returned to Bel Canto with a new edition annotated by Patchett herself. She and Rachel talk about why she wanted to critique her own work. They also discuss their shifting ideas of God and feeling comfortable being alone. To listen sponsor-free, access bonus episodes and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ann Patchett's 2023 novel, Tom Lake, explores the permeability between past and present. While they are picking cherries to try to save the crop since the normal large migrant laborer crew is absent due to COVID, Lara's adult daughters ask their mom to tell them the story of how she once dated the famous actor, Peter Duke. In retelling parts of her story, we learn about Lara's evolving notions of love and purpose. Once a promising ingenue, Lara was known for her role as Emily in multiple productions of OUR TOWN. Patchett's love of the Thornton Wilder play shines through her writing, giving this novel a multi-layered depth. This is the first Patchett novel Linny and Nancy have read and it's good one. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support

Ann Patchett's 2023 novel, Tom Lake, explores the permeability between past and present. While they are picking cherries to try to save the crop since the normal large migrant laborer crew is absent due to COVID, Lara's adult daughters ask their mom to tell them the story of how she once dated the famous actor, Peter Duke. In retelling parts of her story, we learn about Lara's evolving notions of love and purpose. Once a promising ingenue, Lara was known for her role as Emily in multiple productions of OUR TOWN. Patchett's love of the Thornton Wilder play shines through her writing, giving this novel a multi-layered depth. This is the first Patchett novel Linny and Nancy have read and it's good one. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support

Send us a textGet the 64 Cosmic Content Codes Guide here (For 10% off - Use special podcast listener coupon code POD10 at checkout)In this episode, I chat with Kylie Patchett, a brand visibility and voice coach, about finding the fun, joy and juice (or as I call it "being Lit up") in your marketing + business. Kylie is pouring all her human design nerdy-ness and 'neurosparkly-ness' on how understanding her design has hugely transformed her marketing as a 3/5 Generator, doing all the pivots (17 careers to date, wowzies) and doubting up until she finds her perfect permission slip in her DESIGN. We dive into the transits and Kylie - being BIG about content and a star storyteller - is sharing the playful twist she has recently added to her content strategy using transits with my 64 Cosmic Content Codes Guide (linked above)You would absolutely want to listen to the strategy she's come up with and it's freaking genius and fun (her line 3 style)!You'll love this conversation between two Generators and it's inspirational in more ways than one.PS, I'm sharing inside info on my latest offer (time-sensitive) "Build your HD Business" and it's for those in the Human Design mentoring, coaching or reading offers space to build an HD business from ground up.  So if you're one, hit me up in my IG DMs to get all the info and get your questions answered, just an FYI: 50% of the seats are already filled.----------------------------------Please come say hi!Leave me a reviewJoin the Human Design for Marketing FB group, here where I go behind the episode scenes and answer your questionsFollow me on IGCheckout our YouTube channelDownload your Human Design chartDownload your custom Human Design for Marketing Reading ReportBook a Human Design for Marketing reading with YvetteGet the 64 Cosmic Content Codes Guide Hop on the Frequency Project waitlist

At the end of TOM LAKE, Ann Patchett exhorts readers to return to the work of Thornton Wilder--so Kimberly did! She LOVED her deep dive into the hugely influential 1938 classic, OUR TOWN. You'll hear analysis of the novel, with a whole section devoted to how the incredibly affecting OUR TOWN inflects Patchett's novel. Lastly? You'll then be treated to some seriously inspiring quotations by Wilder himself.

Ann Patchett is best known for her award-winning novel Bel Canto, “a book that works both as a paean to art and beauty and a subtly sly comedy of manners” (New York Times). She is also the author of the novels The Patron Saint of Liars, The Dutch House, Commonwealth, and the non-fiction books Truth and Beauty and This is the Story of a Happy Marriage. Her new novel, Tom Lake, is about the lives parents lead before their children are born, the choices we make that inform who we become, and what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. Patchett lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is co-owner of Parnassus Books, a popular independent bookstore.On September 8, 2023, Ann Patchett came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to be interviewed on stage by writer and critic Steven Winn.  This program was originally broadcast on September 17, 2023. 

In this episode, Communications Coordinator Andrea Marsh talks about octopi, changes to All Booked Up, and graphic political books. Andrea's book recommendations: Drawing the Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Voting in America by Tommy Jenkins A Firehouse of Falsehood by Teri Kanefield, art by Pat Dorian Putin's Russia: The Rise of a Dictator by Darryl Cunningham

Episode Title: It's not a crisis, it's a metamorphosis!About Guest: Kylie Patchett is a wife, mother of two daughters, as well as an intuition-guided copywriter and designer, menoPAUSE Self Care Coach and podcast host of the menoPAUSE: Real, Raw Stories of Midlife & Mental Health show. Kylie's helping others understand how Midlife can be a time of transformation, of healing, and of (re)birthing ourselves into the next phase of life.Connect with Guest: Facebook: www.facebook.com/kyliepatchettonlineInstagram: Www.instagram.com/KyliepatchettWebsite: Www.kpkreative.com.auFree Resource: https://www.kpkreative.com.au/page/317893-midlife-mojoConnect with Host Brenda Staat-Tomlinson: WebsiteFacebook InstagramInsight TimerYouTube

In this episode of the Social Circus podcast, host Sarah Thomson is joined by Kylie Patchett, an expert copywriter with a distinctive flair for storytelling. With a background in forensic science and health, Kylie discusses her unconventional journey into entrepreneurship and her eventual transition into copywriting. This episode delves into her experiences, the importance of authenticity in storytelling, and how personal and professional stories can deeply connect with audiences. Throughout the episode, Sarah and Kylie explore how storytelling can transform business copy from mundane to magical. Kylie shares her insights on integrating storytelling in social media posts, particularly on Instagram, to show personal elements that resonate with clients. Highlighting the power of vulnerability and authenticity, Kylie emphasizes that being true to yourself and sharing your unique stories can attract the right clients and build stronger professional relations. They also touch on the challenges of shedding corporate personas to embrace one's true self as an entrepreneur. Key Takeaways: Authenticity in Storytelling: Sharing genuine stories helps in connecting with the audience on a personal level and attracts clients who align with your values. Power of Micro-Stories: Using platforms like Instagram stories to share small, everyday tales can effectively engage your audience without diving into heavy, vulnerable narratives immediately. Embracing Your True Self: Leaving the corporate world allows entrepreneurs to discover and express their authentic selves, making their business more relatable and human. Natural Integration of Stories: Incorporating personal anecdotes, such as daily routines or minor mishaps, can make your professional narrative more colorful and engaging. Value-Based Content: Emphasising your values through storytelling helps clients understand your business ethos and connect more deeply with your brand.

This conversation features best-selling author and book store owner Ann Patchett, interviewed by author and professor Kevin Wilson. They discuss Patchett's book “Tom Lake” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum. This conversation was recorded on February 12th, 2024 at the Kentucky Center in Louisville. ANN PATCHETT is the author of nine novels, four books of nonfiction and one children's book. Patchett has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including a National Humanities Medal, England's Women's Prize, the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Book Sense Book of the Year, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Her novel “The Dutch House” was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. In November, 2011, she opened Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee. She has since become a spokesperson for independent booksellers, championing books and bookstores. KEVIN WILSON is the author of two story collections, and four novels. His book “Nothing to See Here” was a New York Times bestseller and a “Read with Jenna” book club selection. His fiction has appeared in Ploughshares, Southern Review, One Story, A Public Space, and has appeared in Best American Short Stories 2020 and 2021, as well as The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2012. Wilson is an Associate Professor in the English Department at the University of the South.

It's time for a reading update! Get your notebook or notes app ready because you're about to have a new TBR list just in time for Spring reading.We're running through our recent reads, some we've enjoyed more than others. There's a little something for everyone from memoirs to historical fiction to comfort reads and everything in between.We hope this reading update brings some new texts your way, inspires you to take action on titles sitting on your TBR, or reinvigorates your excitement about books you've already read. Here's a pro tip - try a repeat read on audio. It will feel new again!Most of all, remember to read for what you need…not to meet some arbitrary goal.Head to the show notes to grab the list of books we mention in this episode: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode194 Download Flat Shakespeare: https://shop.bravenewteaching.com/flatshakespeareSupport the show

Going through perimenopause and menopause is such a powerful transformation. It's an initiation into another stage of your life where you get to come home to yourself and recenter and reground.  Join us for this powerful conversation with Kylie of the Wild + (finally fcking) Free podcast: Real, Raw Stories of Midlife & Metamorphosis to […]

Ann Patchett joined the National Writers Series onstage at the City Opera House on August 12, 2023 with guest host Erin Anderson Whiting. Ann Patchett is the author of nine novels: The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician's Assistant, Bel Canto, Run, State of Wonder, Commonwealth, The Dutch House and Tom Lake. She was the editor of Best American Short Stories, 2006, and has written four books of nonfiction–Truth & Beauty, about her friendship with the writer Lucy Grealy, What Now? an expansion of her graduation address at Sarah Lawrence College, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, a collection of essays examining the theme of commitment, and These Precious Days, essays on home, family, friendship, and writing. In 2019, she published her first children's book, Lambslide, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser, followed by Escape Goat in 2020. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the Iowa Writer's Workshop, Patchett has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including a National Humanities Medal, England's Women's Prize, the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Book Sense Book of the Year, a Guggenheim Fellowship, The Chicago Tribune's Heartland Prize, The Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, the American Bookseller's Association's Most Engaging Author Award, and the Women's National Book Association's Award. Her novel, The Dutch House, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her books have been both New York Times Notable Books and New York Timesbestsellers. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nationalwritersseries/message

Join host Japhet De Oliveira as he sits down with Allison Patchett, Director of Finance at Adventist Health, as they discuss her work in finance, her love for animals, her travel experiences, her fear of needles, and her faith.

In this episode of Advance with MUSC Health, Jennifer Patchett, MD, an OB/GYN at MUSC Women's Health - Florence Women's Pavilion, discusses how she uses the robotic da Vinci surgical system to provide minimally invasive gynecological surgeries to patients. Patchett calls the device a game changer for women undergoing hysterectomies and other gynecological surgeries.

Our guest is writer, bookstore owner, and literary evangelist Ann Patchett. She's the author of several novels including the best-selling Bel Canto, about a hostage situation at a lavish opera-themed birthday party. Patchett's other books include The Patron Saint of Liars, and Commonwealth; and her newest novel, Tom Lake. It's the story of three sisters in their 20s as they return home to Michigan during the pandemic, and the lives their parents lived before they were born. .On September 8th, 2023, Ann Patchett came to The Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to Steven Winn about the new book, her early experiences as a budding writer, and her book recommendations.  

Lara, the protagonist of Ann Patchett's Tom Lake, finds a silver lining during the frightening first few months of the COVID pandemic: her three adult daughters return home to the family orchard in Northern Michigan. In today's episode, Patchett tells NPR's Mary Louise Kelly how they bond while Lara tells them of a romance from her youth, and how looking back to the past brings up all kinds of questions about love and relationships for all the women in the family.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett is a rich, multidimensional story of family, love and summer stock theater. Patchett joins us to talk about the wealth of influences that inspired this novel, wanting to write a happy book, being an author and a bookseller and more.  Jimin Han's The Apology follows a surprising and funny 105-year-old woman as she fends off an intergenerational curse. Han joins us to talk about the humor in her characters, claiming space as a writer, what she's learned while teaching and more. Listen in as these authors speak separately with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. We end this episode with TBR Topoff book recommendations from Jamie and Marc.     This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.         Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).         Featured Books (Episode): Tom Lake by Ann Patchett  Our Town by Thornton Wilder  Fool for Love by Sam Shepard  The Dutch House by Ann Patchett  Commonwealth by Ann Patchett  Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver  Such Kindness by Andre Dubus III  The Color of Water by James McBride   Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead  Do Tell by Lindsay Lynch  Loot by Tania James  Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson  Temple Folk by Aaliyah Bilal  The Apology by Jimin Han  The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee  Trust by Hernan Diaz     Featured Books (TBR Topoff):  A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson   The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova 

Beloved author Ann Patchett is back with a new novel, Tom Lake, which follows a woman telling her children the story of why she gave up acting after one big movie...and the gigantic movie star she once dated. Patchett joins us to discuss.   This segment is hosted by Brigid Bergin. 

The Miskatonic Playhouse presents 'Flesh Wounds', by Pete Burgess With the investigation at the dorm becoming as dry as dead Patchett's brain, the investigation turns to three alternative avenues. A luminous green sample, a body at the morgue, and a suspicious young science student. --------- Keeper of Arcane Lore: T A Newman (@Newman_says) Maggie Myers: Mr Howl Jimmy Budd: Phaedra Luis Andrian: Charles Sound Editing: The Cosmic Outpost Video Editing: Pete Burgess Music and sound by Syrinscape (http://syrinscape.com) --------- Find the scenario here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/415946/Flesh-Wounds?affiliate_id=3500905&src=MP --------- Support us on KoFi: https://ko-fi.com/miskatonicplayhouse Find out more at www.miskatonicplayhouse.com

Biologist and self care coach, Kylie Patchett and Jo talk about their experiences of midlife depression in this raw and honest discussion. They touch on: Shame and guiltThe role of HormonesThe role of TraumaTrauma ResponsesDepression as an invitation to heal old woundsThe dark side of resilience, bravery and strength Redefining the roles we play in our own livesThe value of getting out of the head and into the bodySomatic practices, breath work and yogaMental Health First AidReducing stigma The Jim Carrey quote Kylie was thinking of is, I believe: “Depression is your body saying f*ck you, I don't want to be this character anymore, I don't want to hold up this avatar that you've created in the world. It's too much for me. You should think of the word ‘depressed' as ‘deep rest.' Your body needs to be depressed. It needs deep rest from the character that you've been trying to play.” Jim Carrey Books mentioned:“The Woman's Brain” by Dr Sarah Mackay: https://amzn.to/44gPE3W“The Second Spring, The Self Care Guide to Menopause” by Kate Coddrington: https://amzn.to/3PEdL7V You can find Kylie here: https://www.kyliepatchett.com.au/About this Podcast: Like all transitions, midlife can be messy and sad and glorious all at once, leaving many midlife women feeling rather alone and somewhat invisible. But what does this transition we are experiencing lead to? I'm Jo Blackwell, a photographer, author and coach for women who want more from their lives post 50 and I'm here to remind you that if we manage our health and embrace it, growing older can lead to one of the greatest periods of growth and transformation of our lives. My aim is to help women step into a starring role in their own lives - whatever that means to you. The Midlife Movement was created to change minds about midlife and growing older, one story at a time. Because we only become invisible when when we stop seeing ourselves. email jo@joblackwell.co.uk to take part in the podcast or suggest guests. See The Midlife & Beyond section of my website for more information and resources to help you navigate change with less stress and more joy! www.joblackwell.co.uk

This Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, June 14.It may not be summer, yet, but it's going to feel like it on Wednesday. According to the National Weather service it will be mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area on Wednesday with a high near 90 degrees. On Wednesday evening it will be partly cloudy, with a low of around 62 degrees.According to reporting from the Associated Press, Donald Trump became the first former president to face a judge on federal charges as he pleaded not guilty in a Miami courtroom Tuesday to dozens of felony counts that he hoarded classified documents and refused government demands to give them back.Trump approached his arraignment with characteristic bravado, posting social media broadsides against the prosecution from inside his motorcade and insisting as he has through years of legal woes that he has done nothing wrong and was being persecuted for political purposes. But despite his swagger, he still will have to answer to 37 felony counts that accuse him of willfully retaining classified records that prosecutors say could have jeopardized national security if exposed, as well as trying to hide them from investigators who demanded them back.Meanwhile, back in Iowa, drama continued for Iowa Democrats.Mike Gronstal, a Democrat from Council Bluffs and former Iowa Senate majority leader, was asked to resign from his statehouse lobbying job for the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council after the organization learned of his involvement in Senate Democrats' recent removal of Sen. Zach Wahls as their leader.The Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council is a collection of nine regional building trades councils that represents thousands of Iowa construction workers. The organization lobbies state lawmakers on proposed legislation related to the construction industry.The nature of Gronstal's involvement in Senate Democrats' leadership change was not detailed by the council or made public by Senate Democrats. But the two longtime staffers who were fired had worked for Gronstal when he was majority leader.The council asked for Gronstal's resignation the next day.The two staffers who were fired by Wahls — Erik Bakker and Deb Kattenhorn — have been rehired and are once again working for Iowa Senate Democrats, a caucus spokesman confirmed.And one staffer who Wahls had hired, Kaity Patchett, was fired by Jochum. Patchett previously worked in the office of former Central Iowa U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne.A portion of Tower Terrace Road in Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha, which has been closed for a little over a year for the construction of an interchange connecting the road to Interstate 380, is scheduled to open later this month.A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new interchange — a “diverging diamond” design — is scheduled for June 22, and the Iowa Department of Transportation is hoping to have the roadway open on or shortly after that date.This will be Iowa's third diverging diamond interchange, and the first on the east side of the state. Diverging diamond is an interchange design in which traffic switches to the left side of the roadway while crossing over the interstate, allowing those turning left onto the interstate a clean turn, rather than turning across incoming traffic.

Sam Patchett is Director at Profile, a 12-person PR agency based in London. He started his career in New Zealand, working as a political advisor and press secretary for MPs and Ministers at New Zealand's Parliament. After working for boutique Wellington PR outfit SweeneyVesty, he moved to the UK. In the UK, he has held corporate communications roles at the asset management firm Aegon and the PR agency Grayling. The PR Podcast is your view inside the public relations business. We talk with great PR people, reporters, and communicators about how they weave narratives that are informative and fun.  Host ⁠Jody Fisher⁠ has worked in New York City PR for more than 20 years, representing clients across the healthcare, higher education, financial services, real estate, entertainment, and non-profit verticals.  Join the conversation on ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, and ⁠TikTok⁠ at @ThePRPodcast. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theprpodcast/support

National's U-turn on housing density is one of many factors leading developers to put their projects on ice. The party has pulled out of its bi-partisan agreement with Labour, confirming it will allow councils to opt out of legislation allowing three-storey homes on most residential land. Subdivide Simplify Head of Strategy Troy Patchett says it will put developers off making decisions. But he told Mike Hosking it's just one of many factors creating uncertainty. "There's lending, there's immigration, there's the fact we've now ringfenced losses on development, building depreciation." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's U-turn on housing density is one of many factors leading developers to put their projects on ice. The party has pulled out of its bi-partisan agreement with Labour, confirming it will allow councils to opt out of legislation allowing three-storey homes on most residential land. Subdivide Simplify Head of Strategy Troy Patchett says it will put developers off making decisions. But he told Mike Hosking it's just one of many factors creating uncertainty. "There's lending, there's immigration, there's the fact we've now ringfenced losses on development, building depreciation." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Topics in today's episode:Physical and mental tools to give hope to others. 3:47 How she discovered boxing. 7:55 The importance of having a tool belt in your bag. 11:27The importance of walking after surgery. 18:09What type of surgeries did you have? 20:45The importance of having a support system. 26:58How the macrobiotic diet helped her. 29:27The power of diet and food. 33:50About Kelly MotelyKelly Motley is the author of The Fight for My Life: Boxing Through Chemo, which  chronicles how boxing helped her to navigate a breast cancer diagnosis and  chemotherapy. Kelly's been interviewed on TV and her guest appearance on the  biggest podcast in the boxing industry garnered more than 54K views. Ann  Patchett's Parnassus, one of the most celebrated Indie bookstores in America,  hosted an in-person conversation event with Kelly about her book along with the  Vanderbilt Bookstore and other independently owned bookstores. The Fight for My Life received praise from bestselling authors such as Rebecca  Wells the author of Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. One of the world's  biggest Christian authors Stormie Omartian said,“Kelly Motley's book is about  spiritual hope and power and courageously getting into the ring when facing your  worst enemy. In her case it is a formidable cancer opponent. This is one of the  best written books I have read and there is an important lesson for everyone who  reads it. She does not gloss over her raw feelings or her struggles as she has to  deal with each new stage, disappointment, and complication. She faced her  worst fears head on – including near death – and came out the other side  stronger than ever. Whenever I have to face my worst fear or greatest enemy, I  intend to read this book again to remind me how to do it.” Kelly has owned her own public relations and brand marketing company, working  with publicly traded companies, CEOs and entrepreneurs in Nashville's $92  billion healthcare industry. She lands stories America's top news sources. She  and her husband of almost 30 years live in Nashville and they have two sons, a  new daughter-in-law, a German Shepard named Chloe (who was written about  in The WSJ) and chickens.Buy the Book: https://thefightformylife.com/++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++About SurvivingBreastCancer.org. Survivingbreastcancer.org (SBC) was created in 2017 to help fill the gaps in breast cancer support, education, and resources. It was founded by Laura Carfang,  who was recently diagnosed at that time in her early 30's.  Since 2017, SBC has grown exponentially, serving members in the global breast cancer community.  Over these past few years the SBC website has been visited by community members (over 1,000,000 page views) across 120+ plus countries, and Laura's podcast, Breast Cancer Conversations has been listened to in over 80 countries. Leveraging technology and breaking down barriers to access and information, SBC puts the patient first, educating, encouraging and inspiring advocacy.  Community members are encouraged to participate in the various free programming, events and services and are all invited to contribute to resolving the growing needs of this population. Website:https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/Donate NowPlease consider making a donation. https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/donate-nowSupport the show

Ep. 44: If your potential and existing customers don't get a positive customer experience from your brand, business or product, then all your marketing and PR to raise awareness and attract customers can be wasted.According to Senior Customer Experience Strategist, Matthew Patchett, building a relationship and experience with consumers or customers starts as soon as they Google you. Listen to this episode for more customer experience insights.CONTACT GUESTwww.reputation.comInstagram: reputation_comFacebook: Reputation.comLinkedin: Reputation.Com or Matthew PatchettTwitter: @Reputation_Com

This week, Jacki and Lyle welcome the wonderful Sam Patchett to the podcast. Sam is one of the founders of Profile - a new London-based PR agency specialising in Executive Profiling - where he is now also the Client Director. Sam previously worked as a press secretary and political advisor in his native New Zealand, before moving into PR there with SweeneyVesty. Sam later moved to the United Kingdom, where he moved into corporate comms with Aegon and Grayling. Sam chats to Jacki and Lyle about how Profile came into existence, as well as the importance of having a solid and open relationship with your clients in any area of PR. He discusses the importance of being able to challenge your clients on certain elements of their strategy and messaging, before Jacki asks the unenviable question of how to deal with a client whose message you don't believe in! Jacki discusses the dangers of social media when building your profile, with reference to a story involving a close friend of hers, before Lyle asks Sam about his thoughts on the future of PR with direct reference to the use of AI in the industry. A brilliant episode concludes with some excellent networking skills demonstrated by Sam and Jacki as a potential partnership is floated!Artwork by Daff KjellströmMusic by Lyle FultonGet in touch via lyle@dimoso.com or info@dimoso.comMore information at www.dimoso.com and www.therestispr.comFollow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

تاریخ شکلات؛ از نوشیدنی مقدس تا هدیه‌ی ولنتاین  گردآوری و روایت: ارشیا عطاری تدوین: طنین خاکسا  موسیقی تیترا‌ژ: مودی موسوی (اینستاگرام | توییتر) طراح گرافیک: تارا نباتیان اسپانسر: قهوه‌ی دیسترو | پچ پچ   اینستاگرام چیزکست | توییتر چیزکست | تلگرام چیزکست  وبسایت چیزکست حمایت مالی از چیزکست ارتباط مستقیم: chizcast@outlook.com منابع این قسمت Patchett, M. (2020). The secret life of chocolate. Aeon Books Limited. Moss, S., & Badenoch, A. (2009). Chocolate: A global history. Reaktion Books.      

Kingdom Stories from Down UnderEpisode 112 - Murray PatchettCONNECTYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI8LeFBmbvUeb1096E0tjDg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eq.org.auLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-natanael-costea-8087a1165/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eq.org.au/Website: https://www.eq.org.au/kingdom-stories-from-down-under.htmlKingdom Stories from Down Under

On today's episode of Tend Her Wild, we are thrilled to welcome Kylie Patchett, a transformational coach, founder of Radiance Revolution, and host of the Wild and Finally Fucking Free ...

Movie Sushi - LA Confidential LA's the home of Hollywood, but beneath the surface, there's corruption. There's blackmailing Patchett & his pool of lookalike hookers, fame-hungry cop Vincennes & Hudgens framing young potheads and White & Exley joining forces to catch the captain (some archaic language) Starring Kevin Spacey. Russell Crowe. Guy Pearce. Rated 18. Dir Curtis Hanson. Released in the UK 1997. Runtime 2hrs 18mins

Mark Patchett is the Founder of Growth Shop, an agency that launches direct-to-consumer brands with $5 million to $30 million annual revenue. As an e-commerce entrepreneur, he has spent over 12 years building growth teams to scale businesses with over $1 billion in revenue. Mark has experience across more than 250 companies, from hyper-growth startups to global brands like the BBC, The Economist, and Channel 4. Before Growth Shop, he held various roles at Resident, including Growth Advisor, VP of Growth, and Head of Performance.  In this episode… Do you want to grow your business? Most companies believe that to scale rapidly, you have to expand your budget. What if you could double your revenue without spending more money? According to Mark Patchett, 80% of customers don't scroll past the top of your web page. So to maximize the path to purchase, you have to increase the conversion rate, average order value, and customer lifetime value by 26%. To take it one step further, Mark says to compile customer reviews from both your brand and your competitors to analyze common themes and pinpoint customer preferences so you can stay one step ahead of the curve.  In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz chats with Mark Patchett, Founder of Growth Shop, about strategic business growth. Mark talks about why you shouldn't neglect conversion rate optimization, the power of customer reviews, how he prepares companies for rapid growth, and much more!

Developers are getting sick of the cost of traffic management. Some report paying 100 dollars an hour for road cones to block off parts of a cul-de-sac. Subdivide Simplified Managing Director, Troy Patchett, says many must also pay for a person to sit and watch the site. He says it feels like price gouging. Patchett says people are also billed for the hours the cone supervisor spends getting there and back. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GGACP celebrates the 40th anniversary (premiered September 30, 1982) of the iconic sitcom "Cheers" by revisiting this 2019 conversation with the show's co-creator, Emmy-winning director James Burrows. In this episode, James talks about the importance of the “straight man,” the influence of his legendary dad Abe Burrows, the societal impact of “Will & Grace” and the winning formulas behind “Taxi,” “Friends” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” Also, Andy Kaufman comes to dinner, Woody Harrelson changes the game, Norman Lear writes a fan letter and James meets John Steinbeck, Truman Capote and Groucho Marx. PLUS: Sydney Pollack! Remembering Ruth Gordon! The comedy of Patchett and Tarses! The generosity of Jay Sandrich! And James directs the “All in the Family” reboot! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From a successful coaching practice, to burning it ALL DOWN and going back to corporate - why? Because it wasn't aligning with her delicious feelings of joy. AND NOW... 6 years later, she is coming back - the time is right - she speaks so much truth. Kylie Patchett - www.linktr.ee/kyliepatchett MEMBERSHIP To join the Shine On You Crazy Daisy Membership and invest in the growth of your business, please click here to find out more. You will receive knowledge to grow your business and support to implement what you learn, putting time aside to work ON your business - and have FOCUSED-FUN whilst doing it! BOOKS To buy Shine On You Crazy Daisy – Volume 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6: Visit Amazon, iBooks or any good book retailer. YOUTUBE PODCAST EPISODES To watch our podcast episodes on Youtube - CLICK HERE.

Do you want to take away the guess work of perimenopause and menopause, save yourself time and energy and ditch the shame? Working with me you learn what's happening to you physically, mentally and emotionally, why and what you can do about it. Go to stellarwomen.com.au/stellar-circle/ to find out more.Today's episode is a juicy and very open conversation with my guest Kylie Patchett. You are going to love this chat where we dig into Kylie's own perimenopause experience and have a beautifully open and juicy conversation about body image, diet culture and Kylie's realisation that her body wasn't broken and in need of being fixed. ABOUT KYLIE: Kylie is a two time best-selling author, certified holistic health, NLP and EFT practitioner. Originally working as a Msc Forensic Biologist, Kylie has spent the past 20+ years coaching, leading and mentoring in the scientific, health and wellbeing fields. Today, working as a Transformational Life Coach, she helps her clients to embrace a midlife metamorphosis… a time of life to be savored and celebrated, a time to reflect and honour the hard-won lessons. Stuff we spoke about:Healthy With Kelsey - Instagram No More Guilt - InstagramDoc Heidi - InstagramBeauty Redefined - InstagramThe Body Keeps Score - Book Kylie is readingBlindspot - Netflix Connect with Kylie here: IG:   https://www.instagram.com/kyliepatchett/FB:  https://www.facebook.com/KyliePatchettonline Where to find Sonya:InstagramFacebookTake the Midlife QuizStellar Women WebsiteYouTubeThank you for listening to my show! Join the fun on InstagramTake the Midlife QuizStellar Women Website

On August 2, 2011, Thunder Dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of trust at Ground Zero was officially released. Overnight it became a bestseller book on the NY Times Bestseller list and even rose to the #1 rank. I was the principal author, but in 2010 I met Susy Flory, herself a full-time author, who helped bring the story alive.   Now, you get to meet Susy and hear her story. There is an incredible and fascinating story to Susy's life and her books. She even gets into a discussion of the need for authors to make their websites accessible for persons with disabilities during our interview. My time with Susy in this interview was fun, informative, and not boring in any way. I hope you think so as well. Some directories do not show full show notes. For the complete transcription please visit https://michaelhingson.com/podcast About Our Guest: Susy Flory is a #1 New York Times best-selling author or co-author of fourteen books, including The Sky Below, a new memoir with Hall of Fame Astronaut/Explorer Scott Parazynski, and Desired by God with Van Moody. Susy grew up on the back of a quarter horse in Northern California and took degrees from UCLA in English and psychology. She has a background in journalism, education, and communications and directs a San Francisco Bay Area writers conference. She first started writing at the Newhall Signal with the legendary Scotty Newhall, an ex-editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and a one-legged cigar-smoking curmudgeon who ruled the newsroom from behind a dented metal desk where he pounded out stories on an Underwood Typewriter. She taught high school English and journalism, then quit in 2004 to write full time for publications such as Focus on the Family, Guideposts Books, In Touch, Praise & Coffee, Today's Christian, and Today's Christian Woman. Susy's books include So Long Status Quo: What I Learned From the Women Who Changed the World, as well as the much-anticipated 2011 memoir she co-wrote with blind 9-11 survivor Michael Hingson, called Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero. Thunder Dog was a runaway bestseller and spent over a dozen weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. .http://www.susyflory.com/ https://www.facebook.com/everythingmemoir About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson  01:21 Welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. And today we have a person who I regard as a very special guest. I'm a little bit prejudiced, though. You know, my story if you've listened to these podcasts regularly, 20 years ago, I worked in the World Trade Center and escaped with my guide dog Roselle. And in I think, June, if I recall, right, maybe it was earlier than that. Maybe it was like April or May of 2010. I got a phone call on a Sunday afternoon from a woman who said that she was writing a book called Dog tails. And she said she wanted to include Roselle story. I noticed that wasn't my story. It was rosellas story in her book, and asked if I would tell her our story. And I did. There was this pause afterward. And then she said, Why aren't you writing your own book. And she offered to help. And the result of that was that Suzy Florrie introduced me to her agent, we created a proposal and thunder dog was published in August, officially released in August of 2011. And I thought it would be kind of fun to have Susie on to tell her story. And to compare notes and talk about whatever comes along. So Susie, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Susy Flory  02:38 Thank you, Mike, I'm so glad to be here with you.   Michael Hingson  02:43 I'm been looking forward to this for a while. And I think that we'll have a lot of fun. And we'll see who all we can can pick on what can I say. But here we are. So So tell me what got you into writing in the first place, what made you start to go down that that path.   Susy Flory  03:04 It was kind of a childhood dream. It's kind of one of those, you know, I want to be a lion tamer, I want to be an astronaut kind of dreams for me. Because I didn't know any writers. And I didn't, I had no idea how to go about it. But I just always loved reading. And I know you love reading too. We're very alike in that way. And so I just grew up in a book of world, a world of books and ideas and stories. And just always thought, Wow, if I could do that, but I didn't think it was a real kind of dream. And then I got to work at a newspaper. And I sort of started to see that there might be a way in. And it wasn't until my late 30s that I went to a Writers Conference. And I remember seeing a book editor walk by for a publishing house and he was wearing kind of grubby tennis shoes and jeans and a T shirt. And I thought he's just a normal guy. He's just a regular person because I think I thought you know, people who did writing and publishing were highly evolved beings that I could not be a part of. And so that was just kind of my way it was just seeing Hey, maybe I can do this.   Michael Hingson  04:23 And there you are.   Susy Flory  04:26 So you know overnight successn 20 years.   Michael Hingson  04:30 So you were working. You were working in a newspaper what were your reporter   Susy Flory  04:35 I was a features writer. Okay, I'm not really a hard news person. All they love to read the news, but I love the stories behind the news, and particularly people stories. So even though I was reading that book, dog tails, you know, I was very interested in the people's tails as well. And so I love meeting interesting, unique people who have a story to tell which is almost everyone in the world. If you sit down and talk to them   Michael Hingson  05:03 well, how did you? So how did you get into doing a book.   Susy Flory  05:09 So that's another big jump. So when you're in a newspaper, you know, you get an assignment or you get a lead, or you have an idea yourself, and you got write a little story on it. And you can do it in a few days, typically. So I kind of knew how to do that. But it wasn't enough for me, I, you know, wrote some shorter stories, got some things published. And then just found myself wanting to go deeper and do research and be people and just get bigger stories down on paper. So that was kind of a craving for me. And I think it's because I gravitated towards books, because I loved books so much. And so what my second book, one of my very early books was a memoir that I wrote for myself. It's called a stunt memoir. And it's kind of where you're set yourself some assignments, and then you live them out and write about them. So I decided to investigate women who I thought had changed the world, people like Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt, you know, Rosie the Riveter and do something that those women had done. And I just created like this little set of assignments for myself. And I was terrified because writing a book is really hard, as you know, or maybe it was easy for you. I don't know, like, maybe it was easy for you. But writing a book is hard for me. But I enjoyed it so much the challenge, and it pushed me and challenged me. So that's kind of how I shifted from writing articles, which felt doable to books, which seemed extremely hard and scary.   Michael Hingson  06:50 What was your first book published?   Susy Flory  06:53 So my first book was about the Davinci Code. Do you remember that story? Yes. It was published in the early 2000s. And it really took the writing and publishing world by storm unexpectedly. And there was a lot to talk about in the book was about Jesus, and maybe he was married. Maybe there was this whole mystery that we didn't know. And the book was fiction, it was all made up. But it really touched on some things I think people were curious about. So my first book was called fear, not the VINCI. And it kind of centered on these big questions that people had.   Michael Hingson  07:32 How did you get it published? Since you had not published a book before?   Susy Flory  07:37 Good question, because I didn't have an agent at that point. And basically, what you do is you start submitting. So without an agent, you create what's called a query letter. And it's basically a pitch a short pitch. And back in the day, you could either mail them, so you would write a letter with a self addressed stamped envelope, hoping that you would get a response. Or it was really kind of early days of email correspondence, as well. So you can do either and you would contact, you would basically be cold, calling editors, and trying to get them excited about you and your writing, and whatever your idea was. So that's what I did. And I got 13 rejections on that first book. And number 14, I found an editor who was interested, who I had met at a writers conference. So I think when they meet brand new writers at a Writers Conference, industry, people, they can see that you're not a crazy person, and they might want to work with you. So it's a good groundwork to lay. So going to a conference meeting another and then writing these query letters. That's how I got that book deal.   Michael Hingson  08:53 I was that evolves to today, is the process different now do you think,   Susy Flory  08:59 um, it's very similar. If you don't have an agent, you still have to jump through these hoops. And that's how they weed a lot of people out to, you know, are not informed to want an easy way in. And so the pitching process is similar, but right now I have an agent so that that literary agent helps with that process. But I still have to create the pitch, still create a book proposal still, you know, develop the whole thing without actually writing it yet. And then, you know, the publisher needs to see what this book is going to be. They need a very good idea of it before they invest in it. So it's a lot of work. It's kind of that pre production part.   Michael Hingson  09:49 Yeah. Which is true, whether it's in writing or in selling or anything that you do, or that anyone does. There's always going to be a process and In a sense, it's good. It hasn't changed. Because, as you said, so many people want an easy way in. And the fact is, there isn't an easy way in,   Susy Flory  10:09 right? You gotta do your homework and prepare ahead of time. And then you may or may not be lucky. Yeah. But you can't be lucky if you don't prepare. And I know that you are so good at that, Mike, you're really great. You're an inspiration to me how you do the homework and prepare for everything that you do.   Michael Hingson  10:31 Well, thank you. You mentioned about easier, harder writing what I did when we did thunder dog, I had written lots of notes, I had created a lot of thought, on paper, and wrote a lot of the history. But that wasn't a book yet. And then when you said, Well, why, why aren't you writing your own book, and we, we started working toward that, and created a proposal that that was sellable. And of course, you having an agent, that was that was valuable, too. But the the point is that then when we started working on the book, all those notes came together. And what you did was you, you used your newspaper skills, if you will, to to coalesce that. And then we work together on on creating it, I'll never forget, when we were working with the folks at Thomas Nelson, and they came back and they said, The problem with your book right now is that you don't have good transitions between being in the World Trade Center and going back to previous places in your life. And it hit me I know how to do that. And I had never really thought about it before, but over a weekend created those, those transitions. And they love that. And of course, Curtis like that when they when they did their review of the book, but we worked well as a team. And I think there's there's value in that too. Because we we had a story to tell him, You adopted our story. And we made it a collective story, which I think helped.   Susy Flory  12:03 Yeah, because you can have a wonderful story and a lot of people do. But you have to make it entertaining, and enjoyable and readable and engaging and almost like addictive. You know, it's like the kind of think of it like the first date, you have a cover and a title and maybe a first page to connect with the reader. And then after that they better work. So we're not gonna stick around for long, if he's not excited, exciting to read,   Michael Hingson  12:32 right. I remember reading the first Harry Potter book, and it took a while to catch on. But we read it after lots of others had gone. I think actually it was the third book had already come out. By the time we discovered it. And Karen and I stuck with it. We read the audio version with Jim Dale. And for a while, we kept saying what is it that excites people about this? Because it just started out so slowly, but because there was such a big furor over it. We stuck with it. And it got better as it went along. But it didn't start out grabbing us with that first page.   Susy Flory  13:14 Yeah, it felt like that, too. But I think maybe children, you know, I mean, it was kind of geared towards what 6/7 eighth graders kind of that was maybe the primary audience at first. Yeah, like that's, yeah, yeah. And like, they might stick with something longer than a grown up reader would. And so in that case, I think we kind of followed what the kids were enjoying, and then kind of figured out, oh, this is good storytelling, it did kind of build, you know, it had the build. I agree with you on that.   Michael Hingson  13:46 And we have now read them all three times. You know, they're, they're great. They're great books to read. What about self publishing? How does that fit into the scheme of just the world of writing a book? And getting a book out? But also, can that help in terms of either that book or later books getting noticed by editors?   Susy Flory  14:14 Yeah, so self publishing, there are so many options. These days. It's kind of the wild west of publishing. And, you know, you have so many ways that you can be published, it's actually kind of confusing and overwhelming for people where it used to be more kind of straightforward, I think, with self publishing, if you have some sort of platform. So if you are out there speaking teaching, you have some sort of, you know, media channel a name for yourself, I think it's a really, really great option. If you don't have that you need to be prepared to do some advertising. And people have made a way for themselves self publishing that way as well. But it also works for someone who wants to publish something for friends and family. So I think a lot of this depends on your expectations. And in a world where physical bookstores, many of them have gone away, and much book shopping has gone online, it really is a viable option. But you really need to educate yourself and, you know, be involved at every step of the process, where when you're with a traditional legacy publisher, there are times you can kind of just let them take the lead on certain things.   Michael Hingson  15:31 Do you think that the traditional publishing world is going to go away with everything being online and so on?   Susy Flory  15:38 That is such a great debate, and it's been raging for years? Yeah. Yeah, it really changes like, you know, depending on what's going on in the world, and what's going on in the culture, the type of books that sell, or don't sell change. But right now, the publishing industry is doing just fine. And so I, I think there's always the danger. But there's something about physical books that people love and have loved for 1000s of years. So I don't see it completely going away, I do see it completely, you know, continuing to change and evolve.   Michael Hingson  16:16 I hope that libraries and bookstores, and the traditional publishing world doesn't go away. I think you're right. And I, I don't know how to really describe what it is to sit down with a book. You know, for me, it's in Braille, of course, but still, reading a book in Braille is not the same as listening to a recorded book, just like reading books with an electronic device, just apparently, isn't the same as sitting there and being able to turn the printed page, time after time, I hear people say that there's just nothing like reading that printed book.   Susy Flory  16:57 And, you know, people worry about television, and the streaming services, you know, Netflix, and all those things that offer so many options for entertainment. But there are still, I think, a very loyal and solid segment of the population that are word people. We love words, and you know, words in a book are they speak to us deeply? And so I think we're safe for now, Mike?   Michael Hingson  17:25 Yeah. Well, and and if you could get some of those people who watch TV, to sit down and read an engaging book, and if they truly get engaged, I wonder if that would, would change some of their views. Because what a book brings that television doesn't is the whole issue of imagination. I have, I have listened to radio shows that really evoke imagination. And I've even watched a few television shows that compel you to imagine, they don't spell everything out. And I find those to be most engaging a ball.   Susy Flory  18:10 I love that. Yeah, I'm actually in school right now, working on a master's, and my thesis that I'm working on touches on this idea that the reader collaborates and participates in the story. And so a book is going to be different. Every time a person picks up a book, whether it's fiction or nonfiction, it's going to be a little different, it's going to hit that person differently. Because they're participating. In that experience. It's like, as a writer, you're talking inside of their head and having a conversation with them. But you're not just dictating what they're gonna think and feel and imagine. So yeah, I love that. It's the process of, of engaging the imagination.   Michael Hingson  18:53 It's interesting to think about textbooks, I am still of the opinion, having read many textbooks in my life, especially physics textbooks, and so on. I think authors of textbooks are really missing it. By just making the textbooks about fact and theory and teaching what they teach and never putting stories in. I think they could do so much more if they both personalized it, and put some stories behind the teaching in the books that would make them more compelling for people to want to read.   Susy Flory  19:35 I agree. And when I used to read, I don't read magazines too often these days, but back in the day, I used to read a lot of women's magazine, infant fashion and culture and all the stuff and I would always read the story, story part of the article and just skip over the teaching and bullet points and facts parts so I totally agree with you.   Michael Hingson  19:57 Well, even magazines like Playboy, you You know, I don't know how many people know. But one of the best science fiction stories of all the fly was originally published in Playboy, and Playboy had stories no matter what else it was doing. And, and all the other different things that went into it. The creators of that magazine recognize the value of good stories and good writing to one of my favorite stories about September 11. Is that a week or so later, after the the events of September 11. And we got very visible in the media. We got a call, I got a call from America Media and of course, are the people who publish the National Enquirer and other magazines, and, and papers which tend to be weak on accurate content and more on sensationalism. And this person wanted to do an interview and they said it was going to be serious, and we talked on the phone, and they wanted to send someone out to take pictures. And I said, okay, and I went off and I told my wife, Karen, that this was happening. And of course, she immediately hit the roof, they're going to sensationalize it. How could you even agree to that? You know who they are. They're crazy. And, in fact, the guy called the day before he was going to come out to take the picture. And he said, I want to make sure that that I'm calling the right person. This is Michael Hinkson, who was in the elevator that fell from the 100th floor to the bottom and survived and, and he's the guy right. And Karen immediately said, nobody's coming out to take pictures. Well, what we found out later was that, in fact, there had been that rumor and they were investigating it. But American media still published our story as part of a journal that they put out around the World Trade Center. And it was actually one of the most journalistically best pieces, not just my story, but the whole magazine was one of the best pieces that that I had ever encountered. And Karen acknowledged it as well. They were very accurate. They were very thorough and told a great story. So you know, they can do it, sir, like the Harlem Globetrotters. Right? They have to be great basketball players to do what they do.   Susy Flory  22:24 Yeah, I know that. Sometimes they hire really good writers for their special editions, too. And they charge more for them. Because it's, you know, they're putting out a book basically. Right?   Michael Hingson  22:36 And they did a really great job with this one. And so, you know, people can do, what do publishers look for when someone is sending them a proposal and so on? What are they looking for?   Susy Flory  22:49 They look for three things, Mike, they look for a great idea. They look for great writing superior writing with a distinctive voice to it. And then they look for a platform, that you have some kind of connection with your readers, and that there are people out there who will buy what you have to fix. A lot of people have great ideas or they can write. But you know, to get someone to actually purchase a book. Yeah, to invest in it, there has to be that connection in some some way, some fashion or another. So those are the three things they look for, they will sometimes accept two out of three. So if you have an incredible story or book idea, and incredible writing gifts that you have refined, and with a distinct voice, sometimes you can squeak by without a platform, or, you know, one of the other things. So that's, that's kind of the scoop.   Michael Hingson  23:50 Well, I noticed that when we did thunder dog, the world had already changed to the point where they weren't doing as many book tours, and the publishers weren't doing as much marketing. They were also requiring that, that we as the people who were writing the book and proposing had to demonstrate what we were going to bring to marketing the book.   Susy Flory  24:14 That's right. Yeah, we had a lot of fun coming up with ideas and, you know, having meetings and things like that.   Michael Hingson  24:22 Well, and and we did and, you know, I think it actually did help a lot in not only getting visibility for the book, because we had, of course, you and I the biggest steak of all, we were the the authors, the creators of the book, but that also it gave us an insight into the world and the things that the publishers do and wanted to do, but they did their part as well. But today it is true that an author has to be ready to be able to to help sell the book   Susy Flory  25:00 Absolutely, you kind of become almost like your own little multimedia Corporation. But you know, on a very small scale, but you have to get the word out. And that doesn't mean just going on Facebook and saying buy my book, you have to look at where people are hanging out and what they like to read and do. You need to be out there, being excited about your book, which is easy to do, if you have written something that you know, is very meaningful that you care about deep. Lee, I always had a great time talking about thunder dogs. I was out there talking about it. You were talking about it 10 times more and more effectively. But we did we just had a good time sharing the story sharing the things that you have learned and wanted to share in the book.   Michael Hingson  25:50 And still do, by the way.   Susy Flory  25:54 That's right. And it's a story that never gets old Mike.   Michael Hingson  25:58 No, it doesn't get old it is it's gonna be there. It's fun to go out on on the road still and do speeches and travel and tell my story and talk about teamwork and trust and all sorts of things. And one of the things that I love to do somewhere in the course of of every talk that I give is to to encourage people to buy the book and then I have well nowadays Alamo set up and I say look, Alamo just told me that we're running low on kibbles. And so we poor starving off and we need you guys to buy books because Elmo says he's got to be able to eat tomorrow.   Susy Flory  26:30 Which is the trip which, by the way, right? Writers work hard for their kibble.   Michael Hingson  26:36 That's right. And their dogs and their dogs expected piece of the action.   Susy Flory  26:42 Right? Yeah, that was such a fun summer Mike hanging out at your house with Roselle and Africa. And Fantasia, you had three big beautiful labs that would be kind of wrestling at our feet as we talk. Yeah, it was a wonderful summer.   Michael Hingson  26:59 Yeah, it was. And we we, we lost well, Africa, retired in 2018. And then Fantasia passed away the next year. So we are now one dog family. But we also have a cat. So we we do keep busy with all of those. So tell me what, what is the difference between a memoir and a biography or an autobiography?   Susy Flory  27:27 Yeah, I think one thing to talk about it with that question. First is to say that there are kind of two categories of memoir, there are memoirs by big celebrities. So this might be a person like Michelle Obama, or Bill Gates or something like that. They can write whatever they want to write. So they may call it a memoir, more often, it's an autobiography. And they tell you the whole story of their life. And it's like 500 pages, you know, it's like this big huge brick of a book. But they're in a different category. They're just a household name. For most of us, myself included, people don't know us, as well. And so we write, we try to write an exciting story. So a memoir is making a story of your life. It's a true story. But you're doing some storytelling, and you have a beginning, middle and an end, you have an exciting moment that you're building to, and a lot of times that focuses on a season of your life. So thunder dog, focused on your 911 story. And then, you know, brought in things from your life as part of the book. And so a memoir is, is more focused than an autobiography. It's not a history, it's not a comprehensive history of your life.   Michael Hingson  28:46 Yeah, and I've read some pretty boring autobiographies. And there again, it goes back to what I said earlier. My My theory is that, putting some stories in help, where we're preparing, as you know, and have now submitted a proposal for a book. Originally, we were talking about calling it blinded by fear. But Carrie and I are, are calling it now a guide dogs Guide to Being brave. And it's about fear, and it's about overcoming fear. And it's about how, when you're confronted with an unexpected life change, you are often so fearful that you become blinded to making good choices. You don't learn how to use that fear in a positive and strong way. But one of the things that that I believe is important in writing that book is is to include stories to illustrate points along the way, because I think that makes any book more interesting.   Susy Flory  29:47 Yeah, I find that stories stick with me. And so you know, if I go to church and the preacher is preaching this amazing 10 points sermon, I'm not going to remember the points Unless they're stories involved, so I'll walk out and remember the stories. But remember the point?   Michael Hingson  30:06 Well, and the stories may be able to take you back to the points but but still, the stories are what sticks with you, because they're personal, you can you get drawn into the stories, because you can make them personal and kind of make them your own and, and you can feel what's going on in the story.   Susy Flory  30:27 Yeah, I love that. And that's, that was so important with your story, because most people are never going to have the set of experiences that you had on 911. They just aren't, you know, that was a unique event. But by telling your stories, and opening up your life in your world, you know, your hopes, dreams, fears, all of that people can relate to that. And that's what made your story. So I think a gauge engaging makes it so engaging and relatable.   Michael Hingson  31:01 So going back to memoirs, you created a community called educational memoir, right? It's called Everything, everything memoir, is that to teach people to write memoirs, or   Susy Flory  31:13 Yeah, and it's not it's, it was not never aimed at professional writers, although some writers are part of the community. But any ordinary person who wants to write their story, and so you probably have people ask you for advice with writing and publishing. And I've had that a lot. And at some point, you can't help everyone. You can't give every person individual person, you can't go to coffee with them, and tell them what to do, and help them and so I created this educational community. And it's on Facebook, we have a private group. And then I'm also doing a one year coaching group where people can write their memoir in a year with some coaching and help and feedback. And so, so many people want to write their stories, and they just don't know how to do it, or they write something that's difficult to read, that's not engaging. So my my mission and goal is to help people write a good, readable, interesting them more.   Michael Hingson  32:14 Well, and you said at the beginning, that most everyone has a story to tell. And I think that's absolutely true. You know, I'm working, as you know, with accessibility, so we we deal with making websites more accessible. And the whole story is about the fact that only 2% of websites today are usable, and most are not, they're not fully inclusive. And I'm looking forward to the time when someone will really write the story, it's, it's still new, because there's so much of it that's being written in history, if you will, but I'm looking forward to the time that we can write the story of accessiBe in the story of how the Internet becomes more inclusive. And there. And already, there are just so many incredible tales to tell, about website access things that that people have done. Things that people have learned along the way that have helped them create more inclusive environments in their own world and how making a website inclusive is made other parts of a company inclusive, and so on. And it'll be a fun story to tell at some point. It's kind of one of those things that's evolving today.   Susy Flory  33:30 It'll be nice when it's history, right? Rather than a current problem.   Michael Hingson  33:34 Yeah, well, and in a current event, but but it will happen and that's what's going to be a lot of fun. But but people do have stories and it would be nice if more people would learn how to articulate and tell their stories. I think that too many people are are losing the the whole idea and the whole ability of using words to create images that people can read and see. So they're, they're losing this ability to write which is extremely unfortunate.   Susy Flory  34:10 Yeah, they may feel like I did once upon a time that there are these amazing books and stories out there, but that they can't do that themselves. And I feel like with some help, and some practical, you know, solutions and templates that people can what,   Michael Hingson  34:28 what about fiction as opposed to nonfiction in terms of writing skills and so on, because people like we mentioned Harry Potter what a creative thing which is just totally out of imagination. Yeah,   Susy Flory  34:43 when one big way to learn if better, if you should aim at fiction or nonfiction if you're, you know, want to write a book is what do you enjoy reading? And for me, I enjoy reading nonfiction. I love true stories big true kind of adventure. citing stories. And so that's what I gravitate to when I go into a bookstore or library. That's where I'm heading. And I read fiction sometimes, but not not heavily. And so that's one good way to figure out what you should be writing. And fiction. People are interesting novelists, they have stories inside of their heads. And so they walk around the story. And these characters and these, you know, events, and eventually they have to write it down. It's, it's like they're always incubating these stories.   Michael Hingson  35:33 Yeah. And you and I both have our favorite authors. I'm still working on convincing you that Mark Twain is the best, but you know, we'll get there.   Susy Flory  35:43 I'm not saying I don't like   Michael Hingson  35:48 who's your favorite author?   Susy Flory  35:50 Oh, goodness. That's such a great question. We'll do fiction, fiction fiction fiction. Right now I'm enjoying reading Barbara Kingsolver. So she wrote, she's written several things. But she's a great storyteller. And Ann Patchett. I love me and Patchett, who's a southern novelist, who kind of writes his big epic novels, about families that are all interconnected and have secrets and things like that. So those are probably my two favorites.   Michael Hingson  36:22 We, we do a lot of fiction reading at home here, because we play audio books, and can listen to them while doing other things. That's really hard to do with a nonfiction book, you do have to concentrate differently and more on nonfiction.   36:39 I think so. Although memoir can read it, you know, it depends on the memoir, the famous ones, you know, the famous celebrity memoirs, no, but a really well, that memoir can almost be like a novel, it's very similar to how a novel, you know, unfolds. And so those can be super engaging, that they have to be well written.   Michael Hingson  37:02 It's, it's all about the story, right?   Susy Flory  37:06 Yeah. And engaging, the reader could have no ageing   Michael Hingson  37:09 the reader. And yeah, that's, that's, again, easier to do. Both Karen and I find sometimes that we're reading, and suddenly, we go, how did how did they get there? Because our mind went off in a different direction, you know, the book just took us somewhere. And we just leaped off into a theme, and then we come back, and they're in a different place now.   Susy Flory  37:36 Yeah, there has to be a logic, you know, there has to be planning that's happened behind the scenes that maybe you aren't aware of as a reader, but it does all have to fit together kind of like the structure of a house, the framing of the house.   Michael Hingson  37:49 Well, in the case of audio books, also, the other part of it is that the reader of the book, the person reading the book, and recording, it, has something to do with it. I've been spoiled by some really good readers of talking books over the years for blind people, and find that there are some people who professionally are recording books for everyone today who are good, but I also find that sometimes there aren't good readers, or that for some reason, we don't react well to them. And that diminishes the book a great deal. Unfortunately. They may very well be good books, but still   Susy Flory  38:29 some audio do you call them a performer or a narrator? What's an audio Column A   Michael Hingson  38:34 reader but you know, people reader former some people call them narrators.   Susy Flory  38:38 Yes. And some are like an actor's Yeah, some are like, Yeah, they just make it come alive, and some are very dead. So I totally get that.   Michael Hingson  38:47 Some are actors. I remember years ago as a child reading, kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson and Roddy McDowell read it. The actor, and there have been others. My favorite science fiction book of all times, the Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein was read by Robert Donnelly, who was primarily a radio actor, but was perfect for this book. And, and I, I've read other books by actors who've just been very good. And they put voices in the books and they they use different voices for different characters, and they pull it off really well.   Susy Flory  39:29 Yeah, I have a book coming out in February that's set in Ireland and I'm hoping for the audio book that they have somebody who can, you know, an Irish person or somebody who can have a really good Irish accent, because I just listened to have you ever listened to Angela's Ashes on audiobook?   Michael Hingson  39:47 A while ago?   Susy Flory  39:48 Yes. Yeah. Frank McCourt. He bred it. Oh, yeah. His voice. He was so alive. He did voices and he would also sing Irish songs as part of the and you wouldn't Totally missed that if you were reading it on paper.   Michael Hingson  40:03 Yeah. Yeah. Again, some people can bring, bring a book to life and sometimes the author is the best one to do that. Tell us about the book in February.   Susy Flory  40:15 Yeah, this is a book I've been working on for a couple of years. It's called sanctuary. And it's about a real life donkey whisper in Ireland. The man named Patrick Barrett and he grew up his father started Ireland's Donkey Sanctuary. So they've rescued 1000s of donkeys over the years, because the problem is donkeys can live 50 to 60 years. They're sort of like parrots, and people will grow old or their life conditions will change. And this poor donkey is just kind of left to fend for itself. And it happens all the time, they'll find donkeys by the roadside that are starving. And so he grew up in this atmosphere. And as he grew up, he ran into different kinds of troubles and struggles. And it ended up that his father's Donkey Sanctuary actually rescued him. And so it's small town Ireland, small village Ireland with the castle, you know, on the main street and donkeys and Irish family and redemption.   Michael Hingson  41:20 It was a great book to read. I remember you asked me to read it and write the foreword in the endorsement for it. And   Susy Flory  41:28 that's right. Yeah, your forum forward is right up front there.   Michael Hingson  41:32 The only thing I never did see in the book was a leprechaun. So I still teach about that.   Susy Flory  41:38 We made a rule now leprechauns in the book are on the cover.   Michael Hingson  41:41 They might get you in trouble you know, those leprechauns they know these things.   Susy Flory  41:46 There are fairies of their I don't know if they're leprechauns. But there's a strong belief in fairies and Banshee as well. So yeah, Irish about to talk about imagination. The Irish have strong literary and beautiful imagination really   Michael Hingson  42:03 don't want to run into a banshee, though.   Susy Flory  42:04 Do you don't know.   Michael Hingson  42:08 I've seen Darby. Oh, Gil, I know about these things.   Susy Flory  42:13 Apparently, they make a really strange noise at night and you want to stay inside when you hear   Michael Hingson  42:17 that? You don't, I don't really want to come out where they are. Well, so that book is coming out in February. And I'm really looking forward to to seeing it out. And do you have any say? Or do you have any ability to to provide input into who will read it? If it gets on to Audible or in a recorded form?   Susy Flory  42:38 No. So far, I have not had that. And I don't think Patrick wants to read it himself. He's super busy. It's lots of kids and a busy life. So I think they, you know, will choose the best person that they can.   Michael Hingson  42:56 I would hope they would do an interview with him though. I mean, he is very interesting person just having read the book, and I would hope that there'd be an opportunity to to hear his voice somehow.   Susy Flory  43:08 Yeah, that's a great idea. Yeah. And he can do voices himself, you know, he can. The whole one of the reasons he's called the donkey whispers he can talk to donkeys in their own language, the way that they talk. They have very extensive vocabulary. And he can also imitate people as well. So he's very good at that. He has that year for that.   Michael Hingson  43:31 That will be exciting to to have come out. Now you also have another book that has been made into a movie that's coming out next year, right?   Susy Flory  43:40 Yes. And you know, I said sanctuary was coming out in February. I was wrong. It's actually coming out St. Patrick's Day in March. Oh,   Michael Hingson  43:48 my goodness. Good day for it to come out.   Susy Flory  43:52 But that same week, it's very odd net. This was not planned, but a book that I did a few years ago called The Unbreakable boy. It's a father son story about a boy with brittle bone disease and autism. That was made into a movie recently, it's being released by Lionsgate studios. And Zachary Levi and Patricia Heaton are starring and it comes out the exact same week as sanctuary. So it's a very strange and unusual week in my world.   Michael Hingson  44:24 Well, double double opportunity.   Susy Flory  44:29 That's right, we're gonna try to do we have plans to do a movie premiere. Up in the San Francisco Bay area, we're renting out a small theater, a single screen theater, so I'm hoping that will all come to fruition and we'll have some fun with a little we're gonna have some red carpet and the whole thing. Oh, cool. Did you know about red carpets? You've been on red Park? Yes.   Michael Hingson  44:53 Yeah. Well, here's a question. How has the pandemic of affected reading and books do you think and writing for that matter?   Susy Flory  45:05 I know children's books and why a young adult books have been selling like crazy, you know, with kids at home, and homeschooling and things like that. I do know, fiction and novels. Novels are fiction, but fiction is much stronger right now. People want entertainment and escape. Escape. Yeah. So yeah, they don't necessarily want to read heavy, you know, dark, difficult, you know, material challenging material, they want to, they want to, they want to escape, they want to move to someplace like Ireland or, you know, something like that. So fiction's doing law?   Michael Hingson  45:44 Well, it's, it's, um, it's very understandable. I mean, there's so many heavy things that we're dealing with the things that have happened over the past two years. And we're just slammed with the media, or by the media with all of the stuff that you want to escape. We've stayed home. And, and not done any travel, I did my first trip to speak in well, in May of this year, and that was the first one since March of last year. And traveling has been significantly less. But you know, staying at home has been a lot more bearable when we read books together. And so it also Karen and I are sharing it, but reading and and I've met as I said before, a fair amount of fiction helps just escape and get away from all this stuff that we're sick and tired of seeing on television and hearing.   Susy Flory  46:41 Yeah, I agree. I've been reading a lot and watching a lot as well, watching things like the Great British baking show. So yes, Escape has been important. We want that to be the beautiful thing about stories. They do sweep you away.   Michael Hingson  46:57 We watched the holiday bake off this last Sunday. Learn some new recipes. I don't know whether we'll try them. But we're trying to keep the calorie count down too. That's the unfortunate thing about the Bake Off.   Susy Flory  47:14 So true. That's been a hard thing for me during the pandemic because I love chocolate. Well, yeah. So yeah, we I have a little country grocery store that I go to if you're in Volcano, and they have See's Candy, right by the cash register. It is a big, it's been a big temptation, temptation, have a box of chocolate and a good black and sit there and enjoy it.   Michael Hingson  47:40 Well, I must admit, as I've said many times over the past year Instacart and Grub Hub are our friends. And it's very convenient that we can get some things like now that Christmas is here, peppermint bark from Costco, and, and other things. So yeah, that's it's always good to have a little chocolate around. Every time we we do have to go deal with Kaiser or a doctor or anything like that. I keep saying when you're writing prescriptions, please put that 10 pound box a season. Nobody's done that yet. It's very disappointing.   Susy Flory  48:17 Yeah, they should make a deal with fees. I think that could work out.   Michael Hingson  48:21 I think so I don't quite see the problem. I don't either. Well, in another thing. I know that it's very important for authors to have websites and have things up on the internet. That's, of course, a great way not only to advertise, but to establish personal relationships with people. And of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't explore how we might help authors do a better job of making their websites accessible so that people with various disabilities who might not be able to access part of their sites, get the access that everyone else has. Probably a lot of author websites are not overly complex websites, they're, they're not. They will have pictures and so on. But they're not necessarily overly complex. But it would be great to explore ways to work with the author world, to help them make their websites more accessible.   Susy Flory  49:23 Yeah, and kind of the probably that one of the most influential organizations as the author's skill. So I think, you know, if they can jump in and cooperate and partner with you, I think it would be a huge victory.   Michael Hingson  49:41 Well, you and I have talked about that before and we never did really follow through much but there's been a lot going on. So I'd love to, to get any help you can and reaching some of the folks that are but also if any authors are listening. As we've talked about on these podcasts, accessiBe helps makes websites a lot more accessible and it's not an expensive process. And I mean, it's really not an expensive process. So people ought to go to accessiBe.com and check it out. And also they can go to our website audit tool called ACE which you can get to it accessiBe.com, or just go to ace.accessiBe.com and plug in your website address and see how accessible it is and and learn about the things that you need to do to make it more accessible and usable. Because the reality is that over 20% of people in the world have a disability. And if you make your website accessible to those people, you can get up to 20% more business. And I mean, who could argue with doing that?   Susy Flory  50:48 I love that. Yeah, as writers, we want to speak and write and communicate and tell our stories to everyone. And no one should be excluded from that.   Michael Hingson  51:01 It's not that magical or hard to do. And so, you know, I hope that that it will happen more and more. And I know authors tend to really, truly be starving, don't have a lot of income, but accessiBe and is a way to do it. But we could certainly explore working with the author skilled, and you're right, that is something that we should do. So   Susy Flory  51:25 and also as published authors who have if you're a traditionally published author, or self published, you go through publishing companies who offer those services. It's something that we can recruit request for by publishers.   Michael Hingson  51:40 Good point that, that they also deal with access and make it accessible right from the outset, we had to do some of that, as I recall, with Thomas Nelson, there were some things that weren't accessible, but they fixed it.   Susy Flory  51:53 That's right. That's right.   Michael Hingson  51:56 And it is one of the things that as we're dealing with a guide dogs Guide to Being brave, however, that goes, access has to be a part of it. We've been working toward making thunder dog, a movie, although that's moving very slowly, the pandemic hasn't helped. But again, as that happens, it will need to have an audio track and be accessible so that it'll have to be described. So blind people can have access to it, much less everything else that goes along with it. So it will be fun to see how it goes. But you know, the reality is access is just something that tends not to be included in the conversation. We need to figure out ways to to get it more visible and get more people making sure that they provide inclusion. It's just not that expensive and hard to do.   Susy Flory  52:51 Yeah, I love that you're advocating in this area mica that you're persistent and consistent with it.   Michael Hingson  52:58 We need to get some of those Irish ferries to help us.   Susy Flory  53:01 That's right.   Michael Hingson  53:02 They have influence either out of their friends to leprechauns who stay in hiding, but they have to have   Susy Flory  53:08 and some of the stubbornness of the donkeys. You know, donkeys are stubborn, because they're smart. And they are opinionated. And so they come off as stubborn.   Michael Hingson  53:19 Oh, I know that if I ever get to Ireland, I do want to go be Patrick. I look forward to that. And you know, the other thing is, if people don't deal with access, we could always point out that we we probably can find people who can help us get a deal with a banshee you know, to get them to make their sites accessible.   Susy Flory  53:39 That's right, we'll set the Banshees on Yeah,   Michael Hingson  53:41 we'll set the Banshees on works for me. I really want to thank you for for being here and being a part of unstoppable mindset. But just, we haven't had a chance to chat for a while and the pandemic has has been for me, it's actually kept me pretty busy just with with things going on. And so I can't complain about that. But I think also again, it comes back to how you approach it. And you know, so this is just another adventure in a chapter in life, too.   Susy Flory  54:18 That's right, so fun to visit with another storyteller Mike and I love that you are telling your story of this new venue now with your podcast.   Michael Hingson  54:28 It's a lot of fun. Well invite people to come and listen. And of course, we hope that people will will give us good five star ratings. And if you know of anyone else who ought to be a guest, I'd love to chat with people and and bring them on. So we really love to to deal with this unstoppable thing and I just realized there's something else that we should talk about in your life, because you've been confronted by a couple of major life changes like with The whole breast cancer concept and so on that have suddenly thrown things in your way. But you you motored through   Susy Flory  55:07 them. That's right, I had breast cancer just before you and I started working together. And so I was still recovering from it, because it takes a while, you know, with surgeries and treatment and medication and all the things. And I decided that I didn't have time to wait anymore, or to be afraid, or, you know, to let things hold me back. And so, I'm not saying I became unstoppable. But I did feel like I went into turbo, after I recovered from breast cancer, and I literally did think I was gonna die. My dad had died in his 40s of cancer. And so I thought that might be my path. And so when I survived, I decided to move forward and, you know, have courage. And I think that's probably what led to me writing you that email that one day.   Michael Hingson  56:10 Well, the the issue isn't unstoppable. But unstoppable mindset, it still is, it's all about how you choose to approach things, whoever you are. And the bottom line is that mostly, we have control over a lot of things in our lives. And there are things that we don't have control over. But if you worry about things you can't control, you'll go off on strange paths, if you focus on what you can, and let the rest take care of itself. Most always, you're better off for it.   Susy Flory  56:44 That's right. i My mindset became my unstoppable mindset became for me the thought or the idea of why not, you know, what do I have to lose? Why not try? And so I became more comfortable with the idea of having some failures, which is going to happen whenever you try something new. But, you know, just the idea of why not, why not try.   Michael Hingson  57:11 But also love the idea that the whole point behind a failure is not that it's a failure. It's a it's an opportunity to learn and move forward to.   57:21 And it's normal. It's not fun. Yeah, some amount of failure is normal in this life. And once you realize that, that that's just part of it. And maybe you had to get that out of the way before you can move forward.   Michael Hingson  57:34 Right? Which gets back to mindset, which is cool. Well, again, I want to thank you for taking the time to be here. You got lots going on and a book, I'm sure books to write what's the next project   Susy Flory  57:51 I This one's kind of funny. It's called The Ultimate Bible nerd and I bought the format's Bible Dictionary, it's in six volumes. So if you kind of picture your whole desk being taken up by these giant bar, and I'm going to read through it, it's 7 million words. I'm going to read through 7 million words the year and write about it so we will see what comes out with that. I'm not quite sure yet.   Michael Hingson  58:20 Make it a novel.   Susy Flory  58:24 It's not going to be 7 million words I'll tell you about.   Michael Hingson  58:27 That is a little bit long to deal with. But I bet that whatever comes out is going to be fascinating and worth reading. I'm gonna have to go off and look up fear not the VINCI   Susy Flory  58:44 it's out of print, but I think there's a few copies floating around   Michael Hingson  58:51 I'm assuming it wasn't an audio book.   Susy Flory  58:54 I think this was before audio books were routine. Yeah, and yeah, so it was not   Michael Hingson  59:04 have to look anyway. You never know. Well, thanks again for be here. And it was good talking with you. And I want to thank everyone for listening. And again, if you have any questions you want to reach out Susie how can people reach out and find you?   Susy Flory  59:25 My website is SusyFlory.com and my name is spelled S U S Y F L O R Y or you can find me on Facebook at everything memoir.   Michael Hingson  59:39 Cool. And as always, if you have questions, comments, thoughts, please feel free to reach out to me Michael Hinkson web address to reach out to is MichaelHi@accessiBe.com M I C H A E L H I @ A C C E S S I B E dot com. Please go to Michael hingson.com/podcast. To learn more about the podcast. If you haven't listened to us before, we hope that you'll give us a five star rating in whatever podcast host you are using. If you know anyone who might be a good guest, or if you'd like to talk about coming on the podcast and chatting with us, please reach out. We'd love to hear from you. And you can, you can rest assured that I will respond. So, thank you very much for listening to unstoppable mindset, the podcast where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. Thanks for listening.   Michael Hingson  1:00:48 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com. accessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Today's guest could be called a guru of growth. Over the past decade, he has focused on building lean growth teams to rapidly scale businesses, working obsessively to crack the blueprint of successful fast-growth companies. Along the way, he's driven over $1 Billion in revenue, worked at over 250 companies, from hyper-growth startups to global brands, spent thousands of hours studying everything from UX to market research, built training programs, and so much more. So naturally, when he launched his own business, it was christened the Growth Shop.In today's episode of Community Powered Marketing, Sue chats with Mark Patchett, founder of Growth Shop, an innovative growth marketing advisory and startup accelerator that works primarily with D2C e-commerce brands to help them create exponential and sustainable growth. They also devise, launch, scale and manage an ever-growing brand portfolio of their own, expanding it by 70x in 2020.You'll discover how Mark and the Growth Shop team developed their "secret sauce," identifying the mechanics of successful and speedy growth that can be replicated time and time again for brands.You'll hear about the "unfair advantage" Mark and his team offer to their clients, leveraging the power of technology and community.You'll learn why he believes the community is the outcome of really “getting it” and building a brand that resonates beyond the utility of the product or service you're selling. You'll explore how brands that gained during the pandemic can understand what comes next and work to retain loyalty. Join Sue and Mark as they discuss the way community-building will be a key factor in brand development now and into the future.Enjoy!What You'll Learn in this Show:Why Mark is passionate about Ukraine and the opportunities its employee base offer to fast-growth companies.The critical role of Growth Shop's Head of Happiness as a custodian of values and monitor of culture to make sure the team doesn't burn out on its rapid rise. The value of engagement and why taking a qualitative approach to understanding your consumer journey will reveal deeper and more meaningful learnings. The inspiration for “Authentic Authenticity” - his idea for a book title - and the critical importance of ensuring your brand's “why” is honest. And so much more...Resources:Growth ShopMark's LinkedInWebsiteTwitterLinkedIn --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thefutureofmktg/message

Reading Polish Nobel Prize winning author Olga Tokarczuk's The Books of Jacob and Marisa Fazio's novella Piazza Garibaldi with writers Amanda Lohrey and Bram Presser; and novelist and essayist Ann Patchett on These Precious Days and the bookshelf that shaped her

In todays podcast I am talking with Marcos Patchett about his new book published by Aeon books "The secret life of chocolate." About: Marcos Patchett BSc (Hons.) Herbal Medicine, MAMH MNIMH  http://nocturnalherbalist.com/ author of The Secret Life of Chocolate:  For those in the US: https://bit.ly/3dVRX1d For rest of world: https://www.aeonbooks.co.uk Hardback RRP £75 (708 pages) Discount code CHOC20 gives 20% off when applied at checkout  Valid until 31.10.20 www.trossachswildapothecary.com  Please Like, subscribe and share the podcast.  Thank you!

2:30 The Real Bros on Big Bros (Big Brother)- We talk about the first two episodes of Big Brother All Stars, touching on who we hope and who we think wins the season and what we think might happen the rest of the week. 19:15 Interview- Mrs. Patchett. We talk all things HSHS Chorus, including how exactly you teach chorus via distance learning, the Colla Voce trip to London, Rhodes' brief high school choir career, how there is no such thing as someone who can't sing, and a little UNC basketball. 41:40 Over/Under- Mrs. Patchett and The Bros play a little over/under about a variety of topics including the ideal room temperature, the best planning period, how long it takes to learn students' names, and how many Kesha songs Patchett knows. We also ask a few more Chorus questions and get to the bottom of how Patchett knows if kids are just lip synching and what her favorite musical is. 1:02:00 Draft- Best TV Theme Songs. In a draft with a lot of great possible options, see what Will and Rhodes choose as their favorite tv theme songs of all time.