Thought Leader Publishing | Richard Safeer | 458

What does it take to put a great idea out into the world - and see it grow? When you have an idea that can potentially help millions, you have to be ready for the challenges that come along with trying to spread the word. Our guest today is Dr. Richard Safeer, the Chief Medical Director, Employee Health and Well-Being at Johns Hopkins Medicine. On January 19th, 2023 his first book, Cure for the Common Company: A Well-Being Prescription for a Happier, Healthier, and More Resilient Workforce hits the market, providing practical tips on creating a culture of well-being. When we think of health and well-being we rarely think of it as a team activity, but we need to have supportive people and supportive environments, including at our workplace. Richard shares how management and HR professionals can be a positive force for workers both in the office and while working remotely.    He tells us about his time working at Johns Hopkins, putting the pieces together to develop an employee health and well-being strategy known as  "Healthy at Hopkins," which would become the basis for his book. Richard discusses the challenges and growth that were required to get his work to market. He wrote the book without an agent (or contract), but after signing the contract, he realized that - while his work was extremely valuable, it wasn't entertaining! With inspiration from his favorite authors, Richard rewrote the book, seeking to bring more fun and catch the audience's attention, while still providing value and practical tips. Richard tells us how he is not a self-promoter by nature, but the need to get his ideas to the people that would benefit drove him to reach out and learn the skills necessary to market the book. Three Key Takeaways: * Ideas for a book can bubble up from decades of work and experience. * A book that is composed of dry facts probably won't make an impact. Your work has to be entertaining, in addition to providing value. * To put your ideas into a practical process, you may need to simplify and focus on the details.