Thought Leader Author Interview: Lianne Kim
Lianne Kim: Founder and CEO of Mamas & Co.
Thought Leader Interview: Lianne Kim on Writing a Book and Building a Coaching Business
About Lianne
Lianne Kim is a business coach and bestselling author. She specializes in helping moms in business grow and scale. She is the founder and CEO of Mamas and Co, a Toronto-based business group designed to support moms in all stages of business.
Building a Joyful Business
Lianne's best selling book, "Building a Joyful Business", is an uplifting guide to business. It walks the reader through concepts like building a business around the things that bring them joy and includes practical training such as sales skills and how to find the right clients to serve. Lianne has also co-authored 3 best selling books.
In our interview, Lianne gets real. She talks about what her book has done for her business, and where expectations haven't quite matched the results. She gives her perspective from the point of view of a seasoned business coach and digs into who should write a book, and who might want to consider focusing on other business elements first.
Lianne’s Q&A
Why did you write and publish your book?
Building a Joyful Business was really about getting my mission out to more people as quickly as possible. I knew this was a great resource that could help people who couldn't afford coaching or couldn't afford membership. I poured my heart and soul into it, but I did want to get it out quickly.
What expectations did you have for publishing?
I wanted to be able to say, "I did it". I wanted a handful of copies that I could sell to my audience, but primarily it was about the credibility piece. It's not about the money for me, it's about knowing that I'm a coach who has their own book. It makes me stand out from the coaches who aren't doing those sorts of things.
Did your book do what you expected it to do in your business?
Yes, absolutely. I think it's still doing that today, 5 years later. I have a lot of credibility because of it.
It also opened up another revenue stream that I didn't foresee through our co-author projects. The co-author books were a way for us to help 50 other women who wanted to become published authors within a year. I didn't even see that as something that would come from me writing my first book it was the catalyst for that.
How has your book fit into your business model?
My book is a great resource for anyone who is beginning their journey with me, whether they are ready to hire me as a coach, or whether they are thinking about hiring me as a coach. It's a great first step. It helps give them some tools and resources and helps get people started. It's an entry-level offer. It's designed for people who don't really know me, to help them realize that they want to hire me as their coach.
Full transparency, that is not what is happening, more often I'm using the books as a thank you gift for people joining one of my programs.
Would you recommend publishing to someone else in your field?
I would absolutely recommend publishing to someone in my field, however I think it's a long game. It would be great for people who have a little bit extra time, have a little bit extra money, and they're ready to level up in their business. They're already making good money and are known in their field. Publishing is just going to elevate them even more.
For someone who is just starting a coaching business and isn't making any money, frankly there are more important things for them to focus on first, which is to build a solid business. A lot of my beginner clients are focusing on the wrong things. That's maybe my bias because I've worked with women for so long on sales and marketing that I want them to learn those skills first, and then write a book once they've gotten some more clarity.
What should a thought leader consider before publishing a book?
They should consider their cover. What is it that you want the world to see when they see your work of art on a shelf or online?
What is it that you want the book to do? How does it connect to your greater mission? Is it in line with what you think you are put on the planet to do? Because that is what I think your book should do. As a thought leader it should really help you spread the mission even more, because books are such a low cost option. It's a great way to reach people who can't afford your coaching services and it's a great way to set yourself apart from other people in your field.
