I wanted to share something a little different that I’ve been working on. I’m currently putting together my very first children’s book, and this one is extra special to me because it was inspired by my son. A few weeks ago at bedtime I randomly made up a story on the fly about “Billy the Horse.” It was one of those completely improvised parent moments where you just start talking and hope it turns into a story 😄 A few nights later my son asked me… "Billy the Horse story?" And then he kept asking for it. That’s when I realized… this might actually be a real book. So now Billy the Horse is officially becoming a children’s book. Yes, I used AI to help bring the story and illustrations together. Yes, it’s not perfect. But this one is coming straight from the heart 💖 for my four-year-old. It’s been a really fun creative process and also a great reminder that sometimes the best book ideas come from real life moments. I’m still putting the final touches on it, but I wanted to give you all a first look preview before it becomes official 👀 Attaching the cover concept ... what do you think?

A massive shoutout to @Gemma Coles for taking the top spot on the February leaderboard! 🎉 Gemma has been an incredible content contributor inside this community, consistently showing up, adding value, and leading by example. On top of that, she’s been building serious momentum in her own community Smart Skills Academy, teaching others how to become more productive using AI. 🔥 I also had the chance to connect with her inside @Steve Gast group, and I can confidently say she is a huge action-taker, FIRED UP about launching a series of books. Gemma is stepping boldly into creating a series of AI-focused books, and she is ready to rock and roll inside my upcoming cohort & VIP (VIP LAUNCHING SOON 👀). As a special reward for winning the leaderboard, I’ll be giving Gemma a $100 discount to level up into VIP. Well deserved. 💯 Also wanted to take a moment to recognize the other top 30-day leaderboard contributors. @Lara Knutzen who came in second place @Jeff Baer who came in 3rd @Sybil Hall who came in 4th @Nicole Lesley who came in 5th 👆 Huge thanks to all of you who make this community engaging by adding your valuable thoughts and contributions. Here's a little insider info on what's coming with a VIP level. 👑 What’s Coming in VIP? For anyone else interested, here’s what you can expect when VIP launches: ✔️ A complete video series showing you exactly how to successfully publish your book ✔️ Clear, step-by-step guidance to move from idea to published ✔️ Six 1:1 30-minute strategy calls with me to help you stop feeling stuck and start moving forward ✔️ DM / LOOM support to help you gain momentum and actually execute

You’re here because you want to learn how to publish a book — and that already puts you ahead of most people who think about it but never start. I’m seriously excited to help you build momentum and get your ideas moving. 👉 First stop: Head into the CLASSROOM and kick things off with my mini course: Future Author Energy. It’s designed to shift you from learning mode into creation mode by helping you brainstorm, get clear, and generate your first big book idea. 📌 What to do today: 1. Open the Classroom 2. Find Future Author Energy 3. Watch the videos + take notes I’ll personally hype you up, give feedback, or help you sharpen the concept — this is the fun part. Let’s turn that idea into something real. Your book might be closer than you think. 🚀📚 Comment below when you’ve finished — and share the book idea you’re now energizing around! 👇

If you plan to coach around your book, starting a YouTube channel is a really smart move. I want to share a real example that stuck with me. A friend I met here on Skool last year, recently pivoted and went all in on YouTube. His entire strategy is simple: he posts daily videos in his niche talking about real pain points people already have and how he helps solve them. No fluff, no viral chasing. 👉Every video points directly to a booking page. No free calls. No sales calls. People book paid 1:1 coaching straight from his funnel. He’s now consistently making over $10k 🤑 a month from coaching while still working his day job. The content does the pre-selling for him, so by the time someone books, they already know why they’re there. That’s the part I think most people miss. Almost all of us here are entrepreneurs. Many of you already have a book, a method, or lived experience people would gladly pay for help with. YouTube works so well for coaching because it builds trust before someone ever talks to you. You’re not convincing — you’re attracting. I’m still very much a student when it comes to YouTube myself, but even in my short experience, I’m already seeing why this platform matters. With a micro channel of around 1,000 subscribers, I’ve had companies reach out to pay me for software video showcases that are directly related to books and publishing. That happened way earlier than I expected, and it completely shifted how I see YouTube — not as a “social platform,” but as a long-term business asset. If you want to be more strategic about this, there are some really solid YouTube-focused Skool communities out there that teach positioning, content strategy, and monetization. I’m part of a few that are completely free and genuinely helpful. 👇I’ll drop the ones I recommend below. The YouTube Blueprint - Big group lots of great free content here. The Content Revenue Lab - More specifically, YouTube for people over 40