Book Coach to Best Sellers® Kim O’Hara has been a storyteller for over thirty years with a previous career as a movie producer and screenwriter, making eleven movies. Today, she guides her clients through writing best-selling business, memoir and prescriptive memoir books. Her authors have been on the Wall Street Journal top ten business books lists, USA Today top 150 and numerous Amazon #1 best seller lists as well as #1 in all of non-fiction. She hosts a successful podcast You Should Write A Book About That® where she interviews incredible change agents such as Chicago Bulls performance Coach Wendy Borlabi and Asutra Founder Stephanie Morimoto. She hosts an eight-week class, Own Your Authorship, designed to move writers from stuck to the yes of writing a book.
Tell Us a Bit About Your Company
A Story Inside was founded seven years ago transitioning from twenty years as a movie producer and screenwriter into coaching authors through their dream to write a book. I had worked with books in the movies, and spent thousands of hours with writers, but I wanted to coach people to tell their real stories and get their expertise into books. We are a white glove boutique experience that offers clients support from the vision of the book through the decision of how to publish.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I had come out of a lot of trauma when I started my business! I was literally starting my life again. I was freshly divorced, single parenting, my career in film was over, and I was substitute teaching at my daughter’s school. I went to a women’s coaching weekend, and for the first time experienced the power of being in a room of two hundred supportive women. I had never seen that support in the movie business which was really lonely and cutthroat. The coach who held the weekend told me I could be a book coach, and I signed my first client that day.
What are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
- To be a successful entrepreneur you need to be always willing to learn new skills. I came into being an entrepreneur knowing so little and had to take a lot of seminars and classes to learn about selling, development, and building a team. Being humble and willing to learn is the key to growth.
- Be able to relate to a lot of different people’s experiences and not just have tunnel vision from your viewpoint. I have learned so much from my clients and podcast guests. I feel that it is a two-way street of awareness.
- The third skill is managing your business finances with care. You can spend a lot of money too quick on marketing bells and whistles and left without any financial wiggle room to weather transitions.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow your business?
Currently, I am in an exciting growth period with my company. I have created a cohort program called Own Your Authorship which serves people still searching for the direction and vision of their book. In the past, I have had to turn people away from the coaching because I didn’t have this class and they were not in an empowered enough place to sign on to a one-year coaching program. Now I can help people on the precipice create a foundation for who they are as an author. Books are a business, and being creative is one part but running the long game with confidence is another.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
A lot of companies offer the one-and-done experience for a lower price point and they grind out thousands of authors a year. I am leery of the quality of any service when they say they can do it all. I have a different experience with each of my clients based on their wants and needs, and we have conversations based on the whole person not just some business plan I have to grind them out.
I also am a podcaster who has a strong interview presence and enjoys the limelight, which harkens back to my filmmaking days when I was behind the camera. Now I want to be in front of the camera so I show my clients how to get out there and be visible by doing so myself.
What are some mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
Mistakes! Ahhh. Well, let’s see.
- I sold my own book to the wrong publisher which was my heart and soul on the page and it sat languishing for years before I took it back. I would NEVER let that happen to my clients now. You value what you write, and find the people who will support that value or don’t sell.
- The second mistake was I had face-to-face meetings with too many people in the discovery process and they would dump all their stories on me but had no intention of hiring me. Now I offer a short survey that determines if we are a fit to even have a 15-minute discovery call.
- The last mistake was I didn’t ask the right questions about a speaking gig in the East Coast at an Expo. I was so excited to be speaking I didn’t get clarity on the stage and when I showed up (and paid for everything out of my own pocket), the stage was in the middle of a crowded Expo and no one listened. It was horrible!
What has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
The most successful marketing for me is speaking in front of audiences and getting opportunities to lead break-out rooms at conferences. I have had a good offer at the end for a free one-hour class and that brought in some private clientele. I also consider networking events marketing to some degree and I spent a lot of time going to different events, groups and standing up and doing my 30-second pitch. I have a good pipeline now of referrals and so I don’t have to do that as much anymore, but it was the key to my business leads for the first three years.
Starting a podcast has also been a great sales tool because I literally talk to people about writing their books. Some guests become clients, and other people talk about what they want to write about.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
Believing I could have my own values in business, voice, and make decisions based on the company culture I want to grow. Many people who are visionaries have to see the vision before it is built, and that takes a lot of personal development and changing the belief system. I came into my business emotionally and financially broken, so I had to constantly do a lot of personal development to gain self-confidence. The financial piece was continually diving into my blocks and my old beliefs from my upbringing. It was painful a lot but I kept pushing through and believing one day I too could be fiscally successful!
If you started your business again, what things would you do differently?
I would lean more into my gut and operate from a more intuitive place. I know it sounds woo woo, and it’s easy to say in hindsight, but I signed up for a few branding courses and some sales training because I thought I was missing some great knowledge and education when in fact that all sat deep inside of me. I have the words to speak the passion behind what I do, and that in itself is the best branding and sales. Now, I follow that gut and when I want to jump on some program or plan to fix an issue, I go within to see if the answer is inside me first versus always looking for a solution outside me.
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you’re currently using to grow your company?
Top Three On Line Sources are LinkedIn, Podcasting on YouTube, and Club House.
- Book: The System is Unforgiving: Play By The Rules and Win by Allen Maxell (WSJ Top Ten Business Book)
- Online course – Heidi Baker Monthly Manifesting
- Podcast: Ali Brown – Glambition Radio
If I only had $1,000 to start a new business,
I would join a solid networking group, and get a basic web site with an email opt in. I would start building that list!
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
My kids. I have two daughters, and nothing makes me happier than being able to provide for them, and also have freedom of schedule to be there for their school needs and sports events.
What is your favorite quote?
“I have never lived this day before. This is going to be a good day.”
– Anonymous
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
Know what their five year goal is. Where do they want to be? Don’t just limp along every day and just flop around in the wind. Have an action plan, and do steps that get you closer to that goal. Say no to shiny objects that may get you off track.
Who should we interview next and why?
My client Andrea DeWitt.
She has an incredible coaching business and valuable insights for anyone to reclaim their life.
How can readers get in touch with you?
I would love people to DM me on Instagram @astoryinside or to email me at info@astoryinside.com. You can also sign up for my newsletter and tips on writing at astoryinside.com. Subscribe to my podcast You Should Write A Book About That on iTunes or on YouTube as we are continuing to build our audience!
Podcaster Interview: Deb Boulanger – Closing the Wage Gap With Women Entrepreneurs
