Business For Superheroes

Vicky and Joe talk about Storm Arwen, being cold, and Joe’s absolute refusal to indulge Vicky’s Wispa Gold habit. Which leads into this week’s topic: writing habits! What is a habit? How do they work? Why do we have them? And how can we develop good habits that enable us to write a book? Tune in, chill out, enjoy.   Key Takeaways: [2:10] Vicky has new hair! Woohoo!  [5:30] Joe has a secret power - he can write haikus. Who knew! [7:25] Vicky introduces the topic of bad habits and why it’s important.   [8:15] What are habits? [9:40] Why do people get addicted to smoking and drugs? What does that have to do with habits?  [10:55] Can you form a habit of doing something you don’t find to be fun?  [11:10] Vicky shares how she got into the habit of running.  [12:30] Vicky shares her references from two books: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and Atomic Habits by James Clear and what she has learned from them. [13:35] People have natural gifts but habits make the difference. [14:20] Habit stacking: what is that a

Join Vicky and Joe as they talk about The Wheel of Time on Netflix, and argue about the way in which Vicky watches films and stuff. Then they get into the details of how writers read to become better writers—there's good stuff in here, so tune in, sit back, and enjoy. We promise we won't ruin reading for you.   Key Takeaways: [1:30] Joe talks about robots! [3:20] The Wheel of Time is on Netflix! Joe read all the books, and he both hated and loved it at the same time.  [9:10] Vicky hates meetings. Most meetings are a waste of time. [9:35] Vicky and Joe have ceilings at the Dingle! Yay! [13:55] You’re a writer now, what should you read?  [18:30] Keep a journal of interesting/funny things that have happened to you that day. You can use this in your writing! [22:10] You can copy other people’s work by writing down passages that you love! Vicky explains how to do this correctly.  [25:35] Books written for audio are constructed slightly differently than books written for reading. [28:25] Vicky has a writing communi

Join Vicky and Joe as they talk about their 12th wedding anniversary, treehouses, and noggins—and rave about the power of creativity in community. Yep, this week you'll hear about how C.S. Lewis and JRR Tolkein wrote such amazing books and stories, and why Vicky is so enthusiastic about putting a group of smart creative people in a room together.   Key Takeaways: [0:55] It’s Vicky and Joe’s anniversary!  [6:25] Storytelling is how we learn, and books aren’t the only medium to convey a good story. [7:25] Project dingle update! Vicky and Joe are going to put in a nice ceiling soon. [10:35] Are all writers tortured and alone?  [12:40] How do you go about writing in community?  [16:45] Vicky loves Sunday evenings because it gives her the opportunity to connect with her friends.  [22:10] Vicky has a writing power hour within her community and it’s been amazing on how much work you actually get done during that 60 minute session. [22:55] Find yourself a writing buddy to help keep you accountable! [26:00] the quicke

Ever read something about being a writer and thought, "huh, that's not me. What if I'm not a real writer?" Well, friend, listen into this episode, which is a rerun—and find out: what kind of writer are you? Because, like most things in life, there's no one right way to do or be anything. Listen, enjoy, then get in touch and let us know which kind of writer YOU are...   Key Takeaways: [6:15] Casa Dingle update!   [7:25] Vicky just got her first COVID vaccine. Yay! [8:55] What kind of writer are you? [11:45] After listening to the internet about what you ‘should be’ doing, Vicky realized it never really worked for her.  [13:45] Are you the type of writer that needs to plan everything first before you can get started?  [16:15] Not a planner? Don’t worry. You can still make it work. [17:00] Are you a bit of a rambler when it comes to your writing? [19:30] It can be easy to lose focus on what your book is about.  [22:55] What is Vicky’s writing and editing process? [26:00] Do you have more of a collaborative perso

Do you need kicking into action? So do we, friends. So do we. So when Vicky saw Seth Godin's email titled "Initiative takes effort" last summer, she filed it away as the spark of a podcast episode idea. Here is that episode! In it, Joe and Vicky have a chat about why we struggle to get started, and what can help. Plus Vicky shares another creative nonfiction writing tip with you. And Joe describes "shrimping". Enjoy!   Key Takeaways: [2:50] Storytellers are never ever going to be unwanted.  [7:10] Vicky reads an excerpt of a book and explains why she loves this passage.  [9:30] Were there any big events that happened in your lifetime? Draw up a timeline of your life. [11:05] Want to learn how to write better? This is a great activity for you to do!  [14:00] Why is play so important in our adult lives?  [18:25] Vicky needs accountability. When you have a partner to do things with, you’re much more likely to do those things.  [22:30] Joe explains what shrimping means in MMA. [24:25] You can absolutely sit down

Vicky and Joe are BAAAAAACK baby, and as is standard they’ve made a half-arsed effort for Halloween. Sorry about that. But there is a brand new feature: Vicky is doing a masters degree in creative writing, so stand by for regular creative nonfiction writing tips. In the main feature, though, the intrepid duo revisit email marketing—specifically for authors. Tune in to find out why you need an email list, plus a bunch of useful stuff like how often do you email? What do you write about? Who even cares?   Key Takeaways: [4:00] Casa dingle and chicken update!  [5:15] Vicky is going back to school and she’s specializing in creative nonfiction.  [6:30] How do you get started in nonfiction?  [10:35] Play with the pronouns in your writing work. See how it feels. Does it still make sense?  [10:55] Vicky answers a listener's question! What are Vicky’s tips on email marketing?  [13:20] Don’t base all of your marketing on a platform you don’t control.  [15:50] What should you write about in your emails?  [18:00] Vicky h

Ever wondered why you can't just sit down and write? There are many many reasons but here are the 5 most common ones. Tune in to find out why you're not alone, why you're NOT just making excuses (despite what some of the shamey messages on the internet might tell you) and what you can do to get started and keep writing. Also a joyful plug for the 4th Moxie Books FWrite Night—come and play!   Key Takeaways: [1:15] Vicky is solo this podcast episode! What’s she reading right now?  [4:40] Why do writers don’t write? The biggest excuse is they don’t have time!  [6:40] Everyone is busy but there is a deeper excuse underneath that.  [7:30] Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t know where to start? [9:15] Action causes motivation which causes inspiration and that causes more action and the cycle repeats in a good way!  [11:40] Just start by writing 200 crappy words a day! Anyone can do that!  [12:25] Vicky can’t wait to run a writing retreat...in person!  [13:15] The world needs to be open and honest. The world needs to talk m

Remember why you're doing this—that's the message from today's podcast episode with Dr Karl Walker-Finch, dentist and writer extraordinaire! This week, Vicky sits down with Karl to talk about teeth, the people who own them, and figuring out your WHY. Tune in and find out all about why Karl decided to write his book, what it's been like to create, and how it's helped him grow as a dentist and a human.   Key Takeaways: [1:15] A little bit about Dr. Karl an how he became a dentist! [4:45] Dr. Karl didn’t always love being a dentist. He had to find a new approach to enjoying his career.  [7:05] The demand for the perfect smile has greatly increased on social media. [8:55] Why did Dr. Karl decide to write a book?  [9:50] Dentists are taught to fix teeth, but everything outside of that is a bit ‘unknown’. There’s more to teeth than fixing teeth and Dr. Karl wanted to help educate others on this.  [12:30] Finding your way to being a dentist is a fundamental part of the process.  [17:55] Don’t get too caught in the w

Vicky handbrake turns into a surprise impromptu interview with Brain Coach Jocelyn Brady—because she has play on her mind! Tune in for insights into dopamine, creativity, and why we all need to be more bloody childish. Oh and also you need to sign up for her Creativity at Play workshop which I am booked onto and very excited about. Hurrah! Bonus bears: this podcast also features live renditions of the Toad Song and the Bear Song. You’re so lucky!   Key Takeaways: [3:00] When the world went into lockdown, we just did more of the extreme, which was to overwork.  [4:35] This is an exhausting time for everybody, even for people who are used to working from home.  [8:50] Adults need to play! However, there’s a stigma around it. What’s so wrong about having fun?  [12:40] What can you do right now that’s ‘silly’?  [13:10] It’s time to unlock some joy and new ideas into your life! [15:30] Feeling stuck and uncreative? Jocelyn has a fun zoom class you can attend!  [18:30] Vicky does a quick rapid fire session!  [21:20

Vicky and Misty were ranting about misplaced generosity a couple of weeks ago. But ranting privately isn't very helpful, so they decided to get on the air and yell about money to you instead. In this episode, Misty talks about how to ask for money on the phone, why it's crucial to charge for what we do, and how to make sales less icky. There's bonus Grey's Anatomy and dog anatomy, too.   Key Takeaways: [2:15] Let’s talk about money.  [3:05] It’s great to be generous. Misty doesn’t want to kill that spirit, but there is such a thing as too nice. [4:30] Money is a form of energy. You’re trading your energy for money.   [5:25] Why is it so hard to ask for money?  [7:25] It’s difficult for people to appear money-centric. People get shamed for it.  [12:10] How do you ask for money on the phone?  [17:05] If you don’t ask anyone for money, then don’t be surprised if you’re not making any money.  [23:00] Make sure you do all the necessary ‘signings and closings’ while on the phone with the client. It’s easier when yo

Writing a book is not a linear journey—and although it's amazing, it's also haaaaaard! Vicky interviews John Holcroft about the book he's writing—and he shares the most awesome advice and insights about how to talk to people (or really how to listen) and how to make people want to talk to you, instead of climbing out of bathroom windows to escape. Enjoy!   Key Takeaways: [2:15] A little bit about John and how he got into this line of work!  [2:55] Want to know if your product will work? Talk to your clients!  [3:10] People are afraid to talk to their ideal clients about their product. However, launching a product no one wants is even worse!  [7:10] How do you talk to your ideal client? John shares how he got over the anxiety of interviewing his ideal client.  [8:55] Hard pitching people doesn’t work! [14:20] We’re not taught to have the hard conversations. Practicing this skill takes time.  [15:05] Most people are just waiting for their turn to talk. [17:45] John shares a client story where things went horrib

It's extremely hot at Moxie Towers, so lower your expectations for podcast energy levels and excuse the grumpy rant at the start. Then settle back for some gold advice as Vicky and Joe talk about the second edit: what it's for, and how to do it. Enjoy!   Key Takeaways: [3:25] Vicky and Joe are enjoying a nice bat infestation at the Dingle. [5:30] Vicky is also sick of her own homegrown cucumbers. There’s just too many!  [6:10] So you have your second draft - now what? It’s time to do some line editing!  [9:20] What is your signature style? Put some of your personality into your writing so that it’s not so dry! [10:20] It’s okay to have writing ticks, but be careful not to overuse it in your book.  [13:15] Look at the structure of your paragraphs. Are they varied and interesting?  [14:35] Vicky shares the difference between showing vs. telling.  [16:55] What’s the takeaway? Don’t worry too much about spelling, grammar and typos during this stage.    Mentioned in This Episode: Website Creative Book Coaching Bo

Vicky is extremely excited this week because she invited Joanna Penn onto her podcast—and Joanna said yes! Come and join us as we wend our way through theology degrees, travelling, career-changing decisions, the joys of indie-publishing, and how writing fiction is different from non-fiction. Bonus ribbons: I asked Joanna about how to get started writing fiction and her generous and full answer knocked my socks off. Enjoy!   Key Takeaways: [3:35] A little bit about Joanna and the work that she does!  [9:55] How did Joanna transition from the corporate world to being her own boss?  [14:25] Technology is great! It’s removed barriers to creating and publishing your own art out there.  [16:45] When the Kindle came out, the whole world changed!  [17:50] Passionate about the future, Joanna shares what she’s looking forward to in the next couple of years.  [19:45] How will traditional publishing change over time?  [21:25] What inspired Joanna to write fiction?  [27:35] Joanna shares what kind of mindframe you need to

When's the last time you played? When were you last really silly? This week, Vicky and Joe are back and they're talking about nerding out with their mates: find out what they get up to every Sunday afternoon and why it's keeping them in tip top condition and ready for action. Plus get a bunch of ideas for how to incorporate play into your days (and nights).   Key Takeaways: [1:00] Joe has the flu. Oh no!  [8:00] Vicky is really enjoying the book The Elements of Eloquence right now!  [8:45] Today’s topic is about playing games! When was the last time you played a game? [11:00] How do you play Dungeons and Dragons (D&D)? [13:15] We’re taught that once we get older we have to get ‘serious’ about life. Boo! That’s not true. [15:30] You can’t bore people into learning something new. It needs to be fun!  [19:00] Vicky has created some templates so you can write your book easily, and she’s included some fun games in these templates!    Mentioned in This Episode: Website Creative Book Coaching Book a free chat w

Vicky sits down with Mike Garner, who is WRITING HIS FIRST BOOK YAY! They wander around Paris for a while, fall into a romantic tale, and then circle back to what’s the most fun and the most difficult thing about writing. Funnily enough, for Mike, they’re the same thing. Tune in and get a writer’s perspective on writing and a couple of book recommendations!   Key Takeaways: [3:00] A little bit about Mike!  [6:20[ Mike shares a romantic story of how he met his second wife.  [7:20] Mike has always wanted to write a book. He’s been a writer ‘in his head’ for a long time.  [10:30] Mike has seen a lot of people pass away in his life. He didn't want to live life unfulfilled.  [12:35] One of Mike’s friend’s inspired him to start writing. He was inspired to write 5,000 words a week.  [14:05] It’s never been easier today to tell your story. [16:55] It’s okay to be nervous. It’s okay to have self-doubts. The key is to just keep moving forward and ask yourself, ‘Am I having fun?’ [17:50] If we’re not having fun, what’s

What do you do when you’ve emptied your brain onto paper and you’re wading around in 50,000 words and you have to make them GOOD words? Walk away, that’s what. Then come back and get to work. BUT WHERE DO YOU START? In this episode, Joe and I talk about developmental or structural editing: what it is, why we do it, and how to get started. This is your tiny crash course in taking your weird word mush and making it magnificent.   Key Takeaways: [5:15] Project Dingle update!  [7:50] Never written a book before? Here’s how a professional can help.  [11:15] What is developmental editing?  [18:45] A proof reader is different from a developmental editor.  [20:25] Want to work with Vicky? She has an opening in September and October! [20:50] Let’s talk about why beta readers are so important.  [24:25] Tip: Revisit your outline and see how it’s changed. [26:55] Got any questions? Let Vicky know!    Mentioned in This Episode: Website Creative Book Coaching Book a free chat with Vicky! Join Vicky’s Power Hour Join Vicky

This week, Vicky and Joe abandon the planned podcast and talk about something else instead: the stories we tell ourselves. Why we think and believe what we do, why we make snap judgements that we’re not proud of, how to stay up to date with what’s going on in the world, and how we try to be better people than we were yesterday. There’s a little bit of talk-therapy going on, and a special appearance by Whiskey the little grey cat. Enjoy!   Key Takeaways: [3:00] Vicky and Joe talk about their impression of Nassim Necolas Taleb, the author of the book Antifragile.      [5:15] Vicky sees her parents getting older and having difficulty moving, which makes her strive to get a healthy body. [7:00] Small businesses individually are fragile, because most of them fail. However, the whole small business community is very antifragile because they learn from each other's mistakes. [9:15] Joe talks about her parents being left behind by technology and wonders how difficult it would be for him and his wife Vicky after 40 ye

Vicky sits down with coach Christine Meyer and talks about how writing books is a MESSY process. Tune in and listen up as they natter about book covers, breaking rules, embracing emotions, and why our stories matter.   Key Takeaways: [3:15] A little bit about Christine and what she does.  [5:35] It’s so important to embrace and use your emotions as a tool. [7:20] So many people ‘don’t’ do something or don’t feel something. We are told we should only embrace the positive emotions, but that’s denying a large portion of life. [9:55] Why did Christine decide to write her book? [14:15] What was Christine’s book writing process?  [16:10] Once Christine got all the elements needed together, writing the book became easy!  [16:25] What were some of the challenges Christine faced when writing her book?  [19:00] Don’t write your book on your own! It’s way more fun when you bring in outside help. [20:55] What’s Christine’s book about, and how did she come up with the title?  [23:45] Christine is so glad she’s written a b

In this week’s episode, Vicky and Joe ruin stories for you forever. Just kidding. But they do utterly spoil The Martian, so if you haven’t read or seen it yet, go and do that now, and then come back. Okay. Are you back? GREAT. Now listen in and find out what’s the difference between a story and an anecdote, why boring stories are boring, and how you can make all the stories you tell great. Oh, and why you don’t have to be a great writer to be a great storyteller. There’s gold in this one. GOLD.   Key Takeaways: [0:45] Vicky made a cake! It was so good!  [4:55] Lots of fun updates about what’s happening at the Dingle!  [7:00] What makes a good story? [8:15] How the story is written doesn’t matter as much as the structure does!  [11:40] Story is also not the same as the plot.  [13:50] Vicky shares what a good story structure looks like.  [15:15] Let’s deconstruct the book ‘The Martian’ and how the story is structured.  [21:00] Vicky is always working on her storytelling skills!    Mentioned in This Episode: Web

Okay everyone—huge treat for you this week because Vicky is talking to her beautiful assistant Harriet! And it’s about time too. Tune in to hear them go on a podcast safari from why VAs are awesome, through to creativity, support and loneliness, burlesque and boobs, smashing the patriarchy, and finishing on body image. There’s something for everyone here. Enjoy!   Key Takeaways: [1:55] A little bit about Harriet!  [5:40] Vicky couldn’t do what she does without Harriet. She is the backbone of everything!  [7:20] What was it like getting started as a VA? [10:30] Vicky and Harriet knew each other as friends first before working together!  [12:45] It can be really lonely running a business and it’s just nice to get a second brain.  [14:45] Do you need a Facebook ad done? Get in touch with Harriet!  [16:35] Harriet decided to open a burlesque school...and then the world ended.  [22:20] Women want to dance as a form of expression!  [27:00] Harriet loves watching a variety of different women be able to do the same d