If you're thinking about writing an authority building book, and I really hope you are, and you don't want to be counting pennies or checking your book sales all the time, you actually want a book that's going to change your life, I can tell you how. Just go to sevenfigurebooks.com. I'm not trying to capture your email or anything. You can just download this PDF that's going to tell you exactly how to turn an authority building book into revenue, speaking, authority, and no exaggeration, a whole new life.
After 23 years at IBM, Lyndsay Dowd left for another corporate job, ready for a new challenge. Six months later, she was fired.
For someone who had spent her entire career being the person companies called when things needed fixing, it was devastating. She was embarrassed, convinced she'd never work again and had no idea what to do next. What she couldn't have known was that getting fired would turn out to be the shove she needed to build a business, write a book, launch a podcast and become a recognized authority on leadership.
Today, Dowd is the founder of Heartbeat for Hire, a leadership coaching and consulting business, the author of Top Down Culture and the host of a podcast that's featured everyone from CEOs to Olympians and Grammy winners. Her work has led to speaking engagements, corporate clients and opportunities she never would have imagined during her IBM days.
We talk about how she built her reputation from scratch, why she considers LinkedIn one of her most important authority-building tools and how her book and podcast work together to keep her visible to potential clients. She also shares why she stopped making polished promotional videos in favor of simply talking to the camera, how she uses her book to turn speaking engagements into future opportunities and why the people who never engage with your content may be the ones most likely to hire you.
And there's a pretty remarkable example of that last point: A former IBM colleague who'd been quietly following Dowd's work reached out to invite her to keynote a virtual event expected to attract 50,000 people.
In this episode:
- How getting fired after 23 years at IBM led Dowd to reinvent her career
- Why she started a podcast despite not being a podcast listener herself
- How her book, podcast and LinkedIn presence work together to attract speaking engagements and clients
- Why casual, imperfect videos outperform the polished promotional content she used to post
- How she builds book giveaways into her speaking contracts so audiences remember her long after the event
- Why the people silently following your work may be your most valuable future clients
- What she recommends to corporate professionals who want to start building authority before leaving their jobs
Links & Resources:
Want to know more about my company? Legacy Launch Pad Publishing is a boutique hybrid publisher for entrepreneurs and established founders. We help clients create books that build authority, attract opportunities and grow businesses. More info 👉
https://www.legacylaunchpadpub.com Interested in working with a selective hybrid publisher that focuses on strategy, authority and long-term business growth—not just publishing a book? 👉
https://www.legacylaunchpadpub.com/apply
And if you just want to know more about me, 👉
www.annadavid.com
Remember, if there's anyone in your life who you know could be considered an authority in their field if they were better known, share this show with them!
What is Behind the Book Cover?
A book can do more than sell copies. It can build your authority, strengthen your personal brand and create entirely new opportunities for your business.
Hosted by New York Times bestselling author Anna David, Behind the Book Cover explores how successful entrepreneurs, authors and thought leaders use books, media and marketing to become better known, reach more people and grow their businesses.
Through candid conversations with traditionally published authors and independently published entrepreneurs—including business owners whose books have added seven figures to their bottom lines—Anna reveals what really happens behind the cover. The show goes beyond book publishing to explore marketing for entrepreneurs, CEO personal branding, thought leadership strategy and how turning your expertise into a book can help make you an authority in your industry.
Anna’s books have been published by HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, and she is the founder of Legacy Launch Pad Publishing, a leading hybrid publisher for entrepreneurs. In other words, she knows both sides of the publishing industry—and isn’t afraid to share what traditional publishers don’t want you to know.
Behind the Book Cover is brought to you by Authority Network.
Find out whether a book could help grow your business:
https://www.legacylaunchpadpub.com/book-score-card