S2- Episode 18 - Self-Publishing Mindset

Dr. Jordan Smith, co-host of the "Teach, Lead and Expire" podcast, shares his transformative journey into self-publishing, emphasizing the power of mindset, resilience, and intentional living to build a lasting legacy.

Here's a breakdown of his insights and experiences:

I. The Power of Mindset and Early Influences

• Starting Point: Dr. Smith initially struggled with the idea of writing a book but simply started writing, focusing on his experiences at Annapolis.

• Brain Power: He highlights the brain's power, asserting that filling it with negative thoughts leads to negative realities.

• Napoleon Hill's "Law of Success": Mentions this book as influential, noting that successful individuals like Elon Musk and Donald Trump shared common traits: a definite chief aim, daily affirmations, and a strong belief in their ability to create wealth—a "wealthy mindset."

• Critique of Traditional Upbringing: Contrasts this with the common advice he received: "get a good education, get a good job," which he found led to a loss of rights (e.g., free speech in the Marines) and exposure to systemic racism.

II. Personal and Professional Transformation Through Writing

• "Annapolis Creed": Writing this book had an unexpected positive impact on his perspective and performance as a teacher, leading to his recognition as a leader.

• Involuntary Transfer and Its True Purpose:

  • He was involuntarily transferred from his math department head position at a high school to a continuation school, initially believing it was due to a principal who disliked his influence.

  • He later discovered the superintendent moved him due to his 97% math passing rate on the California High School Exit Examination, which was causing a district-wide graduation crisis under the "No Child Left Behind Act."

  • His technological proficiency and background as a disciplined Marine (with a master's and working on a doctorate) made him the ideal candidate to address the academic challenge.

• Gettysburg Leadership Program: His success led to the district sponsoring him for a $7,000, week-long leadership program in Gettysburg, where he studied Union and Confederate generals, further cementing his leadership development.

III. Venturing into Self-Publishing

• Discovery of Amazon: Realizing he couldn't open a bookstore, he discovered Amazon's self-publishing platform.

• Investment in Education: He paid $2,000 for the "Audio Income Academy" course, which taught him how to publish books on Amazon in various formats (paperback, audiobook, hardback) and market them.

• Learning Curve and Formats:

  • Initially, he self-edited and used Word, leading to frustrating formatting errors.

  • He learned to use Amazon's "Kindle Create" for easier ebook formatting and export.

  • Each format (ebook, paperback, audiobook, hardback) requires slightly different image specifications.

• Importance of Reviews: He realized the critical role of reviews for book sales, similar to how he evaluates products like blenders on Amazon (preferring items with thousands of reviews).

IV. Financial Growth and Strategic Reinvestment

• Initial Earnings: Started with small deposits ($6, $8, $35) for his first book.

• Significant Growth: After writing his second book, "11 Effective Strategies for Teaching Mathematics," and re-engaging with the course, his earnings grew to $60, $120, $235, $500, and eventually $900 per month.

• Delayed Payments: He learned that Amazon pays in arrears (e.g., July sales paid in October), meaning consistent effort builds future income.

• Reinvestment: Once earnings became substantial, he reinvested them to hire professional ghostwriters (e.g., "The Urban Writer") and editors, likening it to how established authors like James Patterson utilize ghostwriters and how doctoral candidates hire statisticians and editors for dissertations.

• Tax Advantages: Emphasizes that expenses like courses, ghostwriters, and advertising become tax deductions, benefiting his overall financial strategy.

V. Leveraging AI for Writing

• ChatGPT as an Assistant: He now uses AI tools like ChatGPT as an assistant to generate book outlines, plot ideas, and even draft chapters.

• Human Oversight is Crucial: He stresses that AI is not perfect and requires human input, editing, and critical review to ensure quality, coherence, and accuracy. An AI can provide a rough draft, but human expertise shapes it into a polished product.

VI. Current Projects and Legacy Building

• "Against the Odds Chronicles of Resilience": A four-book historical fiction series based on true stories of students overcoming obstacles at the continuation school. The series covers pre-pandemic, during-pandemic, post-pandemic, and post-election periods.

• "Shattered Chains": The fourth book in the series, it focuses on student loan debt, immigration, and teaching math through real-life examples, motivated by a viral social media post.

• Viral Student Loan Post: A personal social media post about student loans has garnered significant organic reach, with over 202,000 views, 602 shares, 226 reposts, 438 saves, and 8,200 likes, accumulating over 65 days of total watch time. This organic engagement fueled the idea for "Shattered Chains."

In conclusion, Dr. Smith's journey illustrates how embracing a growth mindset, strategic learning (even through self-publishing courses), and leveraging modern tools like AI, combined with personal experience, can lead to unexpected professional and financial success while creating a meaningful legacy.