What are you grateful for?

I had an interesting experience on a personal development workshop last week.

One of questions we had to answer on the workshop was 'What is currently missing in your life?'

I put my hand up and told the facilitator that the only way I could answer that question truthfully was by saying that nothing was missing.

He looked at me with compassion and insisted that I hadn't looked hard enough and suggested that I should spend a few extra moments with the exercise.

I told him that it didn't matter how long I spent with the exercise, my answer wouldn't change. Nothing was missing.

He curiously asked me how I came up with my answer.

I replied "We all come into this world equipped with everything we need to carry out our journeys. Nothing is ever missing for me or for anyone else for that matter. The trouble is that most people have been conditioned to spend all of their time focusing on the things they believe they do not have. And because of this they are left ineffectual and powerless."

I then told him that I believed the exercise would be far more transformative for all concerned if we spent the time focusing on the things that we were incredibly grateful for instead...

He humoured me and continued the workshop as planned...

The chance to start again...

The chance to start again...

It was late on a Sunday evening in October, just over three and a half years ago. I was driving alone along the M1, a freeway heading back to London after spending a bit of time up in Manchester.

I had travelled the route many times before and relished the moments alone to reflect upon life.

To keep myself from getting hungry on my journey, I had stopped into a truck stop to pick up some supplies.

To keep myself from falling asleep, I wound down the window to let air circulate around the cabin of the car.

And to keep myself from getting bored, I cranked up the radio and did my best to sing in tune.

The journey was unfolding better than expected…

The limited amount of traffic was flowing freely and it looked like I was going to make it back to London in record time.

And then came the moment that would change my life forever…

As I drove down the freeway I hit the accelerator hard to overtake a large road truck as I had already done many times before that evening.

Just as I was about to move into the clear, I felt my car shudder. It took a split second for me to realise that I had been hit.

Before I knew it, my car was spinning uncontrollably across 6 lanes of traffic at great speed.

My entire life flashed right in front of my eyes…

In the moment of impact I saw my entire life flash right in front of my eyes. The incident unfolded in slow motion... And then everything went blank.

Seconds later I regained consciousness. I had crashed my vehicle into a dirt mound by the side of the freeway. Miraculously I hadn't connected with any of the on coming traffic. I quickly scanned my body to make sure that I was all in one piece. Much to my surprise I didn’t have so much as a scratch.

As I climbed out of the wreck I looked ahead and saw that the truck driver had pulled over to the side of the road. By the look on his face I could tell that he was almost as relieved as I was.

He spoke Portuguese without any English and I spoke English without any Portuguese. He offered me some water and I gratefully accepted. We then sat together in silence in the warmth of his truck waiting for the police to arrive.

The luckiest guy he had ever met.

A highway police officer arrived on the scene around 10 minutes later.

Together we walked the 50 metres back down the freeway to examine what was left of my car. When I talked him through what had happened he told me in no uncertain terms that I was the luckiest guy that he had ever met.

He qualified his statement by saying it was his job to go up and down the freeway picking up body parts.

When I awoke the next morning…

When I awoke the next morning, I was still in a groggy state of shock and disbelief about what had happened the night before. And to be honest, I was also feeling a little sorry for myself as well.

And then, quite magically, I had a moment of absolute clarity.

I was still alive.

I stood breathless... I was actually still alive.

In that moment I fully understood that I had an incredible opportunity to start my life over. I had an opportunity to spend the rest of my life doing the things that truly inspired me. I had an opportunity to make my life a true reflection of everything I hoped and dreamed about.

In reflection since that day...

In reflection since that day, I have come to realise that every moment holds that opportunity. All anyone ever needs to do is to step up and embrace it.

Julia McCutchen Interview

Julia McCutchen is the author of The Writer’s Journey: From Inspiration to Publication. She works as a Writers’ Coach and a Professional Publishing Consultant presenting coaching, courses and classes which open the way for people who want to write a book for publication.

Julia is passionate about offering her wealth of knowledge to inspire, inform and support writers on their paths to becoming successful published authors. Her core message can be summarised as InsideOut Success 4 Writers and she presents a new paradigm for writers which highlights the value of enjoying the journey and arriving at the destination!

A former Director and Publisher of Element Books, Julia has also worked with Penguin, as a Publishing Consultant for Random House and is currently a Trustee Director of Alternatives in London. She has 20 years’ publishing experience and a track record that includes UK no 1 and international bestsellers.

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The Interview
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Damien Senn: Hi Julia, thank you for taking the time to share some of your experience and wisdom.

My first question for you is... Do you really think that everyone has a book buried inside of them or is this really just a myth?

Julia McCutchen: Actually, no, I’m not sure that everyone does have a book buried inside of them. I know people who are far more suited to alternative forms of creative self-expression that don’t require words – written or verbal - to shine their light in the world.

Communication can happen at many different levels. One of the most powerful ways to ‘communicate’ that many of us overlook is simply by being true to who we are. Living our lives in alignment with that Truth leads us to conscious, creative and authentic expression in all that we do which communicates a subtle yet immensely powerful message out to the world.

Having said all of that, anyone who feels inspired to explore the possibility of writing a book, almost certainly has the potential to step up to the challenge of the writing journey. Wherever there is a spark of inspiration to write, there is always a way to do so. It is true that people usually need the right kind of information and support to bring their ideas to the surface and out onto the page … But a way forwards can always be found if the motivation is strong enough to dream the dream – and then take action!

Damien Senn: You have an incredible track record in the publishing arena, working with companies such as Penguin, Element Books and Random House. What was it that inspired you to turn your back on the corporate world to create your own business helping aspiring writers?

Julia McCutchen: For many years, I absolutely loved working as a director and publisher of non-fiction. It felt like a dream job for me. I was working with fascinating people from all walks of life and publishing books for a wide international audience on subjects that I felt passionate about. I truly believed that the books were making a real difference to people’s lives and was fortunate enough to have evidence of that from the endless communications from readers over the years.

However, during my tenure as MD of Element, the business began to take over the passion as the harsh realities of the commercial marketplace put the company under increasing pressure to deliver ever higher levels of sales ... The result of all this was that I ended up spending more and more time working harder and harder. My fast-paced life was only matched by the speed at which my fast car took me from place to place!

The turning point for me was in March 1999 at a Penguin Sales conference in Cyprus when I had an accident that has changed the course of my life. Sitting in the vast auditorium of the opening session, and in front of hundreds of people, I was struck on the crown of the head by a falling stage spotlight which knocked me clean out … and led me to being off work for over a year in recovery from the injury. In all it took 7 years for me to complete my healing journey in it’s entirety.

Needless to say that this experience led me to a complete reassessment of my priorities in life. The gift in the experience for me was the opportunity to reconnect with my true self and rediscover my own creativity ...

As part of the process, it became clear to me that it was time to find a new way to share the knowledge and experience I had gained from my years of working as a publisher. I realised that I could offer a bridge across the gap that writers feel between the creative joy of crafting words on the page and the ‘know how’ (and confidence) required to take that writing out to the marketplace … and my new role as independent Writers’ Coach & Publishing Consultant became a reality.

Damien Senn: I am fascinated by the creative process. What secrets can you share to help people start tapping into more of their creative potential?

Julia McCutchen: First of all I recommend that everyone should make time and space in their lives on a regular basis for stillness and silence. Why? Because this is a gateway to your true nature as well as the real source of your creativity.

Out of that true place within comes the impulse to create and this impulse can be applied to all situations in life including work and building a business, relationships or indeed any aspect of daily living. The deeper your connection to this still, timeless space within, the more powerful your creative potential becomes.

If you want to write, this is also the true source of your writer’s voice. When you combine this silent connection with developing the skills of the writing craft, ultimately with practice this leads you to develop a writing style that is recognisable as your own.

Beyond that, there is a progression through inspiration, imagination and creative expression generally that I explore with people who attend my courses and classes. In essence, the message is all about making sure that you nurture your creative spirit by feeding your imagination and prioritising activities that inspire you on a regular basis.

Damien Senn: What do you think is the biggest challenge that most new authors face and how do you help them to over come this challenge?

Julia McCutchen: There are several challenges which face most people who want to write a book for publication which I would summarise as:

1. Getting started … and then keeping the momentum going!

2. Building confidence that you can do it!

3. Finding out what you need to know in order to take your writing successfully out to the
marketplace in one way or another.

My approach to helping people overcome these challenges begins with clients understanding that I know what it feels like to be at the beginning of the writing journey. I’ve been there myself and worked with literally hundreds of authors over the years who have been there too!

Then we look at the best way for each individual to take those first tentative steps to developing their ideas and getting their writing underway … there are many different approaches to this but at the end of the day it comes down to these three words – Just Do It!

Yet, taking action is so much easier if you can build your confidence with the support of a group, course, class or coach. This is where my contribution really kicks in for people when they realise that they don’t have to undertake this journey in isolation. Of course people make more progress, faster, when they have access to the right information and the right guidance which is what I aim to make available to everyone.

Damien Senn: How important is it for writers to be 'clued in' to the whole book marketing process?

Julia McCutchen: It has become increasingly important over the last few years for writers to be not only ‘clued in’ to marketing and promotion but also proactive in these areas to support the successful publication of their book.

I guess it’s not hard to see why. Advances in technology and increasing numbers of books being published, amongst other factors, have resulted in there being fierce competition for shelf space for new books as well as even greater competition for attention from the media.

So I advise everyone who wants to write a book for publication to think creatively about what they can do to promote and market their book. This is over and above whatever a publisher may do. The most successful results come from a partnership between the publisher and an author who is actively writing articles, doing talks, workshops or readings and is generally ‘out in the world’ making sure that readers know about their books.

Publishers also now talk about the importance of authors creating a ‘platform’ which I define as all of the different ways that authors communicate directly with their readership. This includes building a profile by writing articles and so on but also relates to having other related products and services (as appropriate).

The portfolio of activities under this heading cover a wide range of options but include, for example, developing a website which offers audio clips for readers to listen to and perhaps a newsletter which stimulates interest in the subject matter of the book concerned. Alongside all of this, the opportunities for internet marketing in general are of course almost infinite!

Essentially, developing ideas and strategies for marketing and promotion will help writers to get a deal with a publisher in the first place, and then once the book is actually published, help the book to sell and hopefully continue to sell for the long term.

Damien Senn: What was your own writers journey like when you were writing your book 'The Writers Journey'?

Julia McCutchen: Interestingly, I found it quite hard to make a start with my book in just the same way that many writers do!

Even though I have extensive experience of helping writers to overcome their resistance to getting started, when it came to writing my book, my own inner critic actually crept up on me quietly without me even realising it!

The result was that the days and weeks were passing and the book just wasn’t happening. Other priorities seemed to keep getting in the way. Looking back on it now, I realise that there was definitely a part of me that lacked the confidence in making the switch from publisher to author!

Then one sunny Saturday morning, I was walking across the hall at home and caught sight of my reflection in the mirror. I just happened to have put a T shirt on that day which had the words on it ‘Just Do It’ and suddenly I realised that I was in ‘procrastination mode’. That was enough of a trigger for me to get started, and once I was underway, I really enjoyed it from that point on (well, most of it anyway!) So I do know what it feels like to ‘feel the fear and do it anyway!’

Damien Senn: If someone reading this interview was thinking about writing their first book, where do you think would be the best place for them to start?

Julia McCutchen: First of all I recommend that you get really clear within yourself as to what your motivation is and what outcomes or objectives you want to achieve from writing a book in the first place.

I call this the Writing ‘MOO’ - Motivation, Outcome and Objectives! If you know why you are writing and what you are aiming for, it will help you to assess your priorities and plan your route to success. Also, when the inevitable challenges of the writing journey come along, if you have written down your MOO, you can refer back to your notes and remind yourself of your original inspiration and intentions to help you stay on track.

The second piece of advice I have, is to find information and support that works for you. It will make all the difference to the quality of your journey – and the end result. You don’t have to walk this path alone!

Damien Senn: What techniques or strategies do you use to get the very best out of your clients?

Julia McCutchen: The main techniques and strategies I use relate to guiding people to work from the ‘inside out’.

There are two core principles of the Writer’s Journey:

1. InsideOut Success 4 Writers
2. You can enjoy the journey and arrive at the destination!

When clients follow this guidance, they inevitably end up producing their very best and most powerful work.

Damien Senn: What sort of results have your clients experienced?

Julia McCutchen: In the majority of cases, the results that my clients experience combine a sense of achievement in following through on ideas that sometimes people have had for years without taking action on alongside the tangible success that comes when a project comes to fruition.

That is not to say that everyone ends up being published commercially as that is simply not possible or even appropriate for everyone.

However, the journey is always extraordinarily transformative in terms of creative self-expression. Often new ideas and opportunities open up along the way that could never have been envisaged at the start. It is always exciting when that happens.

For some, deals with agents and publishers do result from the work we do together both with the large corporate publishers as well as smaller independent publishing houses. There are numerous examples on my website of testimonials from clients who explain what that has felt like in their own words. ‘Priceless’ is one of the words that Gabriella Goddard, author of Gulp!: the seven-day crash course to master fear and break through any challenge (Penguin) used to describe her experience of publishing success.

For others, self-publishing proves to be the right way forwards and I always encourage people to hold out for discovering the way forwards that is right for them and their book ideas.

Damien Senn: Do you think anyone can live an inspired life?

Julia McCutchen: A resounding YES to that question! I would love it if everyone truly believed that because then it would start to become a reality for more and more people. It is absolutely the case that we can all live inspired lives, regardless of the form that takes.

Inspiration is as much a state of mind as anything else. When you are inspired, anything seems possible because you are coming from a deeper, truer part of yourself. Once you become conscious of the enormous creative potential that lies within, there are literally no limits to the exciting possibilities for attracting and manifesting joy, freedom and abundance in all that you think say and do!

And as best-selling author Ursula Le Guin once said, ‘It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it’s the journey that matters in the end.’

Enjoy!

What gifts lie in your Challenges?

In my last edition of 'Up-Starts' I mentioned how I was riveted by a book that I had been reading called 'Every Second Counts' by Lance Armstrong. The book was so inspiring that I went out and bought another one of his books called 'It's not About the Bike'.

In 'It's not About the Bike' Lance talks about how having cancer, as hard as it was to deal with at the time, was the most extraordinary gift of his lifetime. The lessons that he learnt from that struggle gave him the internal fortitude necessary to go on and win the Tour de France 7 years in a row.

So this month I have two simple questions for you.

1. What incredible gifts lie awaiting recognition and appreciation in your present challenges in both life and business?

2. How can you transform your struggles into something quite remarkable that stands to inspire all those around you?

Brett Wood Interview - Managing Director of Your Property Club

Brett Wood is a man on a mission. His company 'Your Property Club' helps people to take full control of their financial destiny through the successful invesment in property.

Your Property Club, is different from many other property businesses primarily due to the fact that they invest so much time and effort into helping people develop the knowledge and emotional skills necessary to build a property portfolio...


The Interview

Damien Senn: What was it that first attracted you to developing a career in the property business?

Brett Wood : I had been working in corporate consulting with many of Australia's largest companies. As I earned more and more money I became worried that I still had not created any significant wealth. I turned to personal development seminars and books, thinking they could hold the answer but soon realised that positive thinking doesn't generate real wealth. I kept looking around and came to the conclusion that the only thing that seemed to guarantee wealth was property investing. I started as an estate agent and noticed that many deals would fall over due to finance problems, so I became a Mortgage Broker. That was 12 years ago now and I have never looked back.

Damien Senn: Now you've just signed a publishing contract for your first property investment book with Law Pack. Tell me more about your writing journey and how you went about getting your book published?

Brett Wood : It has been one of the most frustrating yet most rewarding experiences in my life! I’ve wanted to write a book for many years but it was never the right time, and then about 2 years ago I made a firm decision to bring together the strategies, structures, principles and practices I have used to build my portfolio. It was the culmination of a lifetime of reading and putting what I had read into action.

Optimistically, I first thought it would take around 3 months and it has turned into a journey. The more I wrote the more I had to write. In the end I had to decide to cut it back and focus on the core message.

I finished the book in December and went searching for a publisher. It started out with buying just about every book on the shelves about property. I found what was unique about my book and developed a clear picture of the market it would appeal too. I then researched each publisher and came up with a short list. After a lot of research I chose Lawpack and then put all my energy into selling them the idea. It took about 6 weeks to convince them and the book should be out in July 2007.

I think the biggest lesson is to write it for your audience -- not to get published. Show you're passionate about your topic and show the publisher that you are prepared to back up their efforts 100%.

Damien Senn: Your business 'Your Property Club' is growing from strength to strength. How did you start the business and what have you learnt along the way?

Brett Wood : I originally started the business to back up the “Insider’s Tips and Tricks” newsletter I wrote to my investors. At that stage I was helping to build another property club business but unfortunately they didn’t share my long term vision. So, after many sleepless nights (isn’t it funny how we still fear change, no matter what level we are at?), I decided to part ways and put all my energy into Your Property Club. Luckily, many good people came with me, and with their support we were up and running within a few weeks. This gave me what I had been searching for: total freedom to grow the business.

The biggest lesson I have learnt so far is to hire passionate people and reward them well. My team has been with me now for 2-3 years with not a single person leaving. It makes for a really strong foundation for the business and means the clients have multiple relationships within the business. Apart from team, I think cashflow is the biggest consideration for starting the business, I was lucky to have my property portfolio to back me up.

Damien Senn: A lot of people in the property arena try and encourage investors to speculate using strategies designed to return quick profits (often with disasterous consequences). How does this vary from your set and forget property investment strategy?

Brett Wood: It is possible to make quick profits, but the reality is that most people in the UK are largely uneducated about the intricacies of property investing and unfortunately for them, the level of salesmanship is quite advanced. This can leave a massive gap between what you think you are being sold and what you are actually likely to achieve.

I always work on realistic worse case for clients. This way I know they are likely to achieve exactly what I have sold them. I also teach them my “set and forget” strategy, which allows them to “set” up the portfolio and then 'forget' about it until you need to do something. Things like using direct debits, accurately providing for cash flows, using lettings agents.

Now don't get me wrong; you never really forget your portfolio -- you simply do the things that allow you to forget it for longer periods of time and get on with the more important things in life.

Damien Senn: Many would be investors often worry about the right time to buy property and often this holds them back from every getting started. When do you believe is the right time to buy?

Brett Wood: “Now”. “Now” is always the answer to that question. The real problem is that most people are so frustrated that they didn't get involved 5 years ago and so fearful that it won't keep going the same direction that they procrastinate. I always say education sets you free. The more quality education you get the more you'll realise that property and property cycles act in very predictable ways. As long as you understand these ways or cycles you can take advantage of them.

The fact is that when the property market is galloping upwards you get great capital growth, but only small discounts or deals. But when the market is stagnant, what you lose in capital growth you gain in the bigger discounts and deals. The trick is to have a proven set of strategies for any market. This way you can buy and make money in any property market.

Damien Senn: You had an interesting experience recently where you played the new version of Monopoly (the one with the credit card machine instead of the cash). How did your experience of playing the game differ from playing the original version?

Brett Wood: A frustrating experience! Not only did I get beaten, but I almost lost my temper at the fact I had no idea how much money I had. The problem with the new monopoly, (the one with the credit card machine instead of the cash) is that you constantly have to go to the “cash machine” to find your balance. It just doesn't feel like your money and you certainly don't treat it the same as cash I found. When I used to play the game years ago, I would have piles of money allocated for difference purposes. A cash card doesn't allow you to do this. It's a stark reflection of the way our lives and finances have turned as the credit card has become more and more in use. My advice is buy the old monopoly if you want to teach your kids about money. Let them feel real cash between their fingers, not a figure on a computer screen.

Damien Senn: On your website you have an incredible amount of great free information to help educate investors. How important is the right education in the likelyhood of investment success?

Brett Wood: Absolutely critical. The most troubling thing about the UK property market now is that there are so many people with equity in their homes yet so little financial or emotional intelligence. The information on my website is free because it’s vital that it gets out to people before they make the many common mistakes that new investors make.

Let's face it - financial competence is never taught as school and you cannot go to university and learn it. Most people have to learn from the school of hard knocks and that hurts. I have structured my website in small bites of easily digested bits of information rather than as a dry workshop or technical seminar that goes in one ear and out the other.

Damien Senn: What kind of results have your clients achieved by working in collaboration with 'Your Property Club'?

Brett Wood: My business model is 'Building your portfolio from 0-10 properties'. That’s our focus and I have already had a number of clients who have achieved this. But more important than achieving the 10 properties in a short space of time is integrating lifestyle enhancements along the journey.

The mission isn’t to get to 10 properties and then start living. Building a portfolio is about creating a life now and in the future. It’s great for me when clients get to the point they can start to think about extra holidays, hiring babysitters, dining out, catching taxis rather than the tube. These are real results that our clients achieve day in and day out.

The flipside is the emotional side. I always say my job is 90% emotions and 10% houses. Putting people in control of their financial future is an amazing accomplishment but often times it’s an emotional and educational shift rather than a financial one.

Damien Senn: What personal attributes do you believe make a good property investor?

Brett Wood: Discipline. Most people think it’s about how much money you have or make but in fact I meet plenty of people earning over £100,000 that are no better off than people on £20,000. At the end of the day if you are disciplined and get the right education and support you will succeed.

Damien Senn: What memorable mistakes, if any, have you made in business? What did you learn from them and how can they be avoided?

Brett Wood: Trusting people and not getting it in writing. I’ve made this mistake four times now if you can believe that. A recent experience involved building someone else’s business with the promise of a share. I kept my side of the bargain to any measure, but of course, the deal changed when it came time to pay up. Luckily, I had my property portfolio to support me while I did what I needed to do.

Damien Senn: What are the best and worst things about being an entrepreneur?

Brett Wood: I think it’s very easy to call yourself an entrepreneur when really you’ve just created yourself a job with obscene hours and low pay. I think a real entrepreneur is someone who can rise above the business and create something that gives them more life.

As for best and worst? The best has to be the freedom it allows me to travel, fly helicopters and the thought that I have helped many people change their financial future. The worse parts are all the red tape and compliance that you have to do. The financial and governmental requirements on small-medium business can be stifling but it’s always worth it. I am a big believer in getting to the point where you can hire people to do this for you.

But the best and worst thing about being an entrepreneur is that the buck starts and stops with you. No-one else!

A business success secret...

A business success secret...

After I finished school back in Melbourne, one of ways that I kept in touch with all my mates was by playing football down at our Old Boys Football Club (that's Australian Rules Football for the uninitiated!).

One of the great things about playing at my football club was the fact that we often had interesting people come down and share some of their life's wisdom at our after training team dinners on a Thursday night.

The speakers that graced the stage came from all walks of life. Some were successful in sport, others business, but most importantly, each had incredible stories to share about their lives.

One speaker that really left an impression upon me.

Over the 5 or so years that I played at the club, there was one speaker in particular that really left an impression upon me.

He was an entrepreneur by the name of Edward Beale. Edward happened to be and still is, one of Australia's most successful hairdressers.

Now you are probably thinking (as I was at the time) 'what on earth could a hairdresser say that would inspire and entertain an audience of tired, hungry and rowdy Aussie footballers?'

Little did I know...

Beginning his career!

Edward told us how his career began at the age of 14 when he went home to tell his working class father that he was going to quit trade school to become a hairdresser. He said that his father was so distraught that he didn't go down to the pub for two whole weeks!

Not to be discouraged, Edward followed his heart and began his hairdressing training in earnest. By the age of 15 he successfully qualified as a hairdresser and two years later he became Australia’s youngest salon manager.

By the age of 25, Edward had set up his first salon and within five years he was a millionaire after establishing a chain of Edward Beale salons across Australia.

His path to the top was not always a smooth one.

Now despite all his successes, Edward was very quick to point out that his path to the top was not a smooth one.

At the lowest points of his career he had found himself on the brink of bankruptcy on a number of occasions. But in the true spirit of the entrepreneur he had managed to escape disaster when others would have simply given up hope.

Edward shared his secret for business success.

Towards the end of the speech, Edward shared his secret for business success...

He remarked that "Every time life kicked me to the ground, I merely paused for a moment, got slowly back onto my feet, dusted myself off, took a long deep breathe and then took a step forward".

That little secret has helped me tremendously over the years in both life and business and I hope that it inspires you to continue to keep taking those small steps forward as you reach towards the stars.