Brian Levenson is the founder of Strong Skills, which provides executive coaching and mental performance coaching, speaking and consulting to elite organizations, performers and leaders. He has been fortunate to work with CEO’s, professional athletes and with teams in the NBA, NHL, and MLS, Division 1 athletic departments, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Homeland Security, Hilton, Disney, Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and many other organizations.
Brian has a weekly podcast, Intentional Performers, where he interviews a diverse group of elite high performers. Brian has a weekly newsletter called Brian’s Message of the Week, which shares articles, videos, podcasts, and information to subscribers. Brian also created an assessment tool called the Self Belief Inventory which is used by elite athletes, executives, and organizations. His book, Shift Your Mind, was released in October of 2020.
Brian currently lives in Bethesda, MD, with his wife and two kids.
Elite performers don’t rely on talent alone. Rather, they harness the power of shifting between complementary mindsets – one for preparing effectively and one for delivering when it counts. In Shift Your Mind, you’ll learn nine key mental shifts to elevate your preparation and your performance like an elite performer. You’ll understand the importance of each of these shifts and when to make them:
- Humble and arrogant
- Work and play
- Perfectionistic and adaptable
- Analysis and instinct
- Experimenting and trusting process
- Uncomfortable and comfortable
- Future and present
- Fear and fearlessness
- Selfish and selfless
With these shifts the hope is that the reader understands that greatness is not just about what you do but when you do it.
What must happen for you to consider your book(s) a success? and when do you predict it will happen?
I determine the book to be a success if it has made a positive impact on people. It lights me up when I get emails, texts, Tweets, etc. from people who have benefited from the book. While of course I follow the book sales numbers, I try not to focus too much on those.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before publishing your first book?
Nobody gets there alone. There are so many people that helped with the book. I wish I had known that beforehand so that I could empower others to help me. Writing is certainly a lonely endeavor, but there were so many partnerships that helped me get to the finish line, some which were formal and others were informal.
I don’t think I am great at marketing. However, I made a video about the book which definitely helped spread the word about it. I also went on a lot of podcasts and created a social media plan once we were 60 days out from the publish date. Like anything, I think the more places people hear about the book the better, so I thought it was important to be active on as many platforms as possible.
If you only had $100 dollars to write, publish then promote a new book, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
I would take that money and purchase copies for my closest friends/fans. There is no better marketing than word of mouth and those people did so much to help me get to the finish line. And after all, what’s the point of writing a book if you don’t get to celebrate with those in your circle?
How can we get in touch with you?
- Brian Levenson Strong Skills: https://www.strongskills.co/
- Twitter: @brianlevenson
- Linkedin: @BrianLevenson
- brian@strongskills.co
Brian Levenson Book – Shift Your Mind
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