The Influential Advisor

074: "From 4,000 Stalled Words to Bestseller: The "Beyond Break Even" Success Story"

• Paul G. McManus

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In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Russ Gaiser and Mike Hoeflich, financial advisors and authors of the bestselling book "Beyond Break Even."

 Discover how they transformed their stalled manuscript into a #1 bestseller in five categories in just six months, and how their book has opened unexpected doors for their financial practice. 

Whether you're a financial professional considering authorship or someone who's stuck on a creative project, this conversation offers valuable insights on the power of following a proven process.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • Why even knowledgeable experts struggle to turn their expertise into published books
  • The critical turning point that took Russ and Mike from 4,000 stalled words to bestseller status
  • How publishing a book changes client perception without changing your actual expertise
  • The unexpected business opportunities that emerged after publication
  • Why "commitment trumps interest" in the book publishing process
  • The value of following a proven system rather than trying to reinvent the wheel

KEY QUOTES

"We probably got about 4,000 words in and we just stalled, because we didn't really have a strategy." - Russ

"It's been so rewarding beyond measure." - Mike

"We've always told people if it's not broke, don't fix it in our business... And it's funny when Paul talked about one of the strategies of launching the book, I'm thinking, 'there's no way I have time to do all that.' And I said, 'no, Russ, take your own advice, do not deviate from the process.' And so we didn't. And it was completely incredible." - Russ

"I'd break it down like this, the two words interested or committed. And we've been just so committed to this, like the excellence of retirement income planning." - Russ

RESOURCES MENTIONED

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Russ Gaiser and Mike Hoeflich are financial advisors specializing in retirement income planning. With decades of combined experience helping clients secure their financial futures, they recently channeled their expertise into the bestselling book "Beyond Break Break Even," which reached #1 in five categories. 

NEXT STEPS

If you're a financial professional interested in publishing your own book, visit www.theshortbookformula.com to learn about our proven process for turning your expertise into a published book in 6-12 weeks.

Claim your free audiobook copy at: www.theshortbookformula.com

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Speaker 1:

I am here with Russ and Mike. You guys just published your book Beyond Break Even and I'd love just to hear your thoughts about your experience working with us and just to set the stage, if I can. It's interesting. The reason that we got to know each other was actually because of books, meaning that I published my book, the Short Book Formula and, of course, I've been on about a year and a half two-year virtual speaking tour where I go and I guest on podcasts and I was on the efficient advisor with Libby and you guys listen to her podcast. You reached out and this is probably maybe six months ago or roughly and here we are, six months later. You guys published your book. You got bestseller in four categories. You're starting to do the marketing for it. I'd love both of you to share, in whatever level of detail you're comfortable with, what that journey has been like and what your experience has been.

Speaker 2:

Essentially, it was our goal in 2024 to write a book, and we already knew our topic. It was what we do and what we're passionate about and what we teach and we started our own manuscript, really with no direction in knowing how to actually do it. We just started writing and outlining chapters and things and we were each tackling a component of the book and I think we probably got about 4,000 words in and we just stalled right Because we didn't really have a strategy. We didn't really have anything. We had the content, we just didn't have the time to put it on paper and all that. And I happened to just be listening to Libby's podcast one day and you were on Paul, and I go okay, so this guy actually understands our lives and he helps us put our ideas into print and publish books. So I said, wow, we need to explore this. And so I'm glad we did that, because now we are here we got about six months later and we have a number one bestseller and our thoughts, our ideas in our book is done and it's distributed and we have a process around it. We follow that process to a T and, paul, your process is spot on and it's funny, we've always told people if it's not broke, don't fix it.

Speaker 2:

In our business, what we do, we know works and for new people, just don't change anything. And it's funny when Paul talked about one of the strategies of launching the book, I'm thinking, oh, just don't change anything. And it's funny when Paul talked about one of the strategies of launching the book, I'm thinking, oh, I don't, there's no way I have time to do all that. And how important could that really be? And I said no, russ, take your own advice, do not deviate from the process. And so we didn't.

Speaker 2:

And it was completely incredible I'd say even life changing to see people read the book, give us their feedback, to be bought in, to create that felt need for someone to actually pick it up and read it, how impactful it is and then to distribute it to people. It's just incredible. It just worked perfect. It met us right where we were when we wanted to write our book, but it helped us get it out there and I think that was huge. So I was super impressed. And, by the way, the team that Paul and Paul you built around. They also know our industry. They know how to take what we're trying to say and put it in layman's terms, and then to really build story around that to create impact. So all that is just super impactful and important Ultimately getting the project done.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, no, it's true. I'm finding that more and more people that I'm talking to and are coming to our services have started and they get stuck somewhere, and sometimes it's whether it's the first 5,000 words. I have more people now that come to me and they've finished the first draft even, and it's okay, and they're exhausted. They're like I don't know what to do now. For us, it's wherever you are, whether it's can I write a book? Should I write a book? To have started the book, to have finished the manuscript, to whatever stage? We help people, and so I'm glad that you listened to that Libby's podcast and reached out when you did, and, mike, I'd love to hear from you just what your experience was and what would you add to what Russ said.

Speaker 3:

Many of the things Russ said and I can tell you on my phone. I have, from six to seven years ago, notes that were ideas for a book and lots of the concepts and lots of the scenarios and things that I felt people needed to know. But it was always this I don't have the capacity, I don't know, I can't take steps forward. I could write enough, but not enough to make it comprehensible or have any structure, and so, of course, you put it aside and then all the other things in life take over. Right? This has been and I'm not even exaggerating it's like beyond my wildest expectations. This whole experience in so many ways. When we first made the commitment to have someone like Russ be a partner in this and be so highly committed to following our timeline and making sure we're on deadlines, we're up at 1130 midnight trying to just rip out all the content that we needed for Nancy right, Our book coach, and then it hasn't ended.

Speaker 3:

The excitement I thought once it's over, Then what? Then what is? Every single day there's more excitement about this because there's still more to do. It's now getting it into people's hands, getting it on their laptops, getting it on their yeah, getting testimonials from people who are advanced readers of the book for us. I can't even tell you how much excitement it's brought, how much fulfillment it's brought and it's just getting started now that the book is finished. So, again, thanks to you and your team. Honestly, this would not have happened were it not for, again, a tight process that Russ and I always adhere to on the financial advisory side. You have such a tight process that we stayed with, we stuck to it and we just can't thank you enough. It's been so rewarding beyond measure.

Speaker 1:

What has you most excited going forward?

Speaker 2:

I think it's the opportunities that we never even considered when we were writing the book, and that's interest in being invited as guest speakers to insurance organizations. We already had one right. They were promoting our book and our process and it leads to conversations of how can we help partner with them and help them grow their business. And there's that it's getting invited onto other podcasts, like the one we just talked to you about, joe for Texas podcast. We were on where he's in the space of trying to figure out how to make it, to fix it right. What are the solutions?

Speaker 2:

And we're being invited to discuss why it's so important and the impact it has on people's lives. It's life-changing because, again, a lot of times, retirement for Americans it's planning strategy. It's not necessarily did they save enough and so we can get that in front of more and more people. It impacts almost every American. But it's not life-changing just for us, but it's life changing for people and getting the message out that they can do it and they can live a life that's a well-lived life in their golden years.

Speaker 1:

Have you seen or felt the difference in the way that people look at you or engage with you? Not everybody, of course, but you should start seeing that certain people that read your book and have that as an anchor in the relationship, suddenly your status gets elevated and you can feel it, you can see it happen in real time. Has that happened to you guys yet?

Speaker 2:

People in our office. They call us can you sign my client's book? And then I had a guy yesterday. He sat down and he had met me. He came to some workshops and things not even that I taught, and he, we were sitting together because he wanted to figure out his income plan. Very smart guy, he's a computer programmer, he's a computer engineer, a software engineer. He basically just said it's so impressive that the knowledge that you have right and because I gave him the book, he said you wrote a book, a book he's like about this. He's that's incredible and I'm not someone that I don't really like to talk about myself and so just hearing that from people it's I don't know, it's cool, it's. I think it shows them the dedication that we have to what we do.

Speaker 1:

And you just nailed it because, arguably, you're not more knowledgeable now than you were six months ago. Maybe your ideas are a little bit clarified. Maybe you know storytelling is a little bit more on point. But at the end of the day you're not more knowledgeable.

Speaker 1:

You didn't go out and do a bunch of research for the book. We helped you take what was already in your head, the knowledge you already had, and put it on paper. But what I find is so fascinating is that the market you're the same person, but the market starts to perceive you differently.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, that's the whole idea, no doubt, no doubt, I break it down.

Speaker 2:

Handing it out at workshops now.

Speaker 3:

Exactly, yeah, and I break it down like this the two words interested or committed. And we've been just so committed to this, like the excellence of retirement income planning, and I think that's what really allowed us to muster up all the strength and the many hours and the commitment level to get a book done. We're highly passionate about this. We're not just interested in this scenario or that scenario and how it might play out, we're highly committed to helping people. It just seems to resonate with people and now, hopefully, the book is an extension of that.