If you have been pouring your heart into writing a book and wondering how to actually get people to read it, this episode is for you.

I was introduced to Jenn T. Grace by one of our clients, Linda Hunt, and the moment we got on a call, I knew I needed to get her on the show. She is an award-winning author, nationally recognized speaker, and publishing strategist with more than 20 years of experience in marketing, communication, and storytelling. She is the founder of Publish Your Purpose, a certified B Corp hybrid publisher, and the creator of the Institute for Author Growth and Impact, an educational platform supporting nonfiction and memoir writers through every stage of their author journey.

And I have to be honest: after nearly 400 episodes of this podcast, I somehow never did an episode about using podcast appearances to promote a book. Jenn helped me fix that.

In this conversation, we get into why podcast guesting converts so much better than traditional media for authors, what realistic book sales numbers actually look like, and why the authors who talk about their book constantly are the ones who win long-term. Jenn also shares the sweet spot for when to start marketing your book, how to grow your email list before your book even launches, and how some of her clients have landed six-figure consulting deals simply by getting their book into the right hands.

If you are an entrepreneur, coach, or thought leader who is writing a book or thinking about writing one, this episode will show you exactly how to use podcast guesting to build momentum before, during, and long after your launch.

Connect with Jenn: publishyourpurpose.com

Ready to get booked on podcasts and promote your book? Schedule a free discovery call at interviewconnections.com/call.

John McNellis didn't set out to become one of the most respected commercial real estate developers on the West Coast. He was a journalism major turned lawyer who stumbled into real estate—and never looked back. In this episode, John shares the honest, unfiltered story of how he built a career deal by deal, including the wins, the spectacular losses, and everything in between.

John is the author of Making It in Real Estate, now in its third edition with 34 new chapters. What started as a 25,000-word insider favorite has grown into required reading at Stanford, Berkeley, Clemson, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, and universities across the country. Students and seasoned investors alike call it their real estate Bible.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why real estate is one of the only businesses you can start as a side gig—no matter what your day job is
• John's origin story: from a $25,000 duplex at age 24 to shopping center development across California
• The skills that matter most in real estate (hint: emotional intelligence and listening rank higher than you'd think)
• Why the path to success was anything but linear—and what John's worst deals taught him
• How to manage the psychological weight of big money and real risk
• The "four Ds" formula for finding your first investment property
• Why John recommends starting small, staying conservative, and building your reserves before swinging for the fences
• His take on flipping land vs. houses—and why he'd never put debt on bare land
• What actually drives him (spoiler: it was never about the money)

Resources mentioned:

Making It in Real Estate by John McNellis — available on Amazon, Audible, and as an e-book. Bulk orders of 25+ copies are available at $10/copy (vs. $20 retail) at https://www.johnmcnellis.com

Malcolm Reid Sr. is the founder of ProGlobal Business Advisors, a business-in-a-box model that has helped over 1,000 coaches worldwide build profitable, values-driven practices over the past 12 years. Malcolm provides coaches with everything they need to run a thriving business — positioning, systems, enrollment processes, delivery frameworks, software, and long-term operational support — all branded to the coach.

In this episode, Jess and Malcolm get into a conversation that's been brewing since Malcolm joined Interview Connections earlier this year. When Jess's salesperson left, it was Malcolm who had planted the seed that the best closers aren't salespeople — they're the coaches themselves. That insight changed the way Jess runs her business, and in this episode they unpack why.

What we cover:

• Why Malcolm's company doesn't have a sales team — and how the people doing the fulfillment are also the ones doing the enrollment
• The difference between a sales call and a selection process (and why it matters for client quality and retention)
• The "business in a box" model — what it means, how it works, and why it's modeled after a franchise but branded entirely to the coach
• How Malcolm helps coaches get clients through a diagnostic tool that finds six figures of hidden revenue in under 60 minutes — before asking for the business
• The power of strategic alliances and JV partnerships as a low/no-cost client generation strategy
• Malcolm's origin story: growing up in Baltimore, a conviction, and the turning point that led him to help small business owners build the lives they dreamed of
• Why both Jess and Malcolm believe that money is a result — not a motivation — and how leading with genuine care builds businesses that last

Connect with Malcolm:

Grab Malcolm's book, Massive Action, which outlines the 22 strategies he uses with his clients: 100KLeak.com