Book the Business

Joe's guest today is Dominic Colenso — a former Hollywood actor and RADA teacher who now helps leaders and sales teams cut through the noise and perform when it matters most. He's the bestselling author of Impact (Rethink Press, 2019) and his latest book, Cut Through — currently shortlisted for Business Book of the Year.In this episode they cover: why Dominic wrote his first book, the "six ingredients of Impact" methodology, adapting his acting skills for the camera during lockdown, the real ROI of becoming an author, why AI can't replace lived experience in writing, his "pinch me" author moments, and the wild story of playing Virgil Tracy in the Hollywood Thunderbirds movie — including the lost sequel deal and getting fired from an X Factor drama by Simon Cowell himself.Connect with Dominic: dominiccolenso.com | YouTube | LinkedInBooks: Impact (2019) & Cut Through (2025)What You'll LearnWhy visibility — not sales — was Dominic's real reason for writing his first bookHow writing *Impact* forced him to codify his "six ingredients" methodologyHow he adapted his acting/on-camera skills into a virtual training business during lockdownThe actual business ROI of becoming a published author (bigger clients, higher fees, easier trust)Why he believes AI can draft words but can't replicate the authority of lived experienceHow he uses physical copies of his books as a sales and speaking toolHis "pinch me" moments as an author, including a Business Book of the Year shortlistingThe story of playing Virgil Tracy in Hollywood's "Thunderbirds" — and why the $1M sequel deal fell apartHow he got fired from an X Factor drama by Simon Cowell, and what happened right afterHow "Impact" and "Cut Through" work together as a two-book system for communication and pitchingChapters00:00 Cold open — spaceship, $1M, fired by Simon Cowell00:51 Meet Dominic Colenso01:12 Why he wrote his first book: visibility02:41 The surprise: writing forced him to codify his "six ingredients of Impact"04:41 Adapting acting skills for the camera / lockdown pivot to virtual training07:24 The real business ROI of being a published author09:28 Why AI can't replace the "identity shift" of writing your own book12:59 How he deploys his books to land speaking gigs14:49 Books as gifts — using signed copies to build authority17:04 "Pinch me" moments: Business Book of the Year shortlist, seeing Cut Through face-out in Waterstones18:39 Being recognized by readers20:20 The spaceship: playing Virgil Tracy in Hollywood's Thunderbirds21:35 Losing the million-dollar sequel deal22:50 Why Thunderbirds flopped (release date moved into Spider-Man 2 / Shrek 2)24:38 Fired by Simon Cowell from an X Factor drama27:32 Fame vs. being a recognized author29:02 How Impact and Cut Through fit together32:24 Where to find Dominic (website, LinkedIn, YouTube)33:11 Outro

James Church built a £250M fundraising track record, wrote the Amazon bestseller The Investable Entrepreneur, and used it to become the go-to authority for founders raising early-stage capital. Then his business partnership fell apart at the end of 2025 — and the book he wrote seven years earlier became his insurance policy, helping him rebuild in months instead of years.In this episode of Book the Business, James joins host Joe Gregory to break down:• Why he wrote the book and how he structured six months of late-night writing around a newborn• The moment he found a pirated copy of his own book on Amazon• Why giving your book away beats trying to sell it• The LinkedIn outreach system (Rythm.uk) generating 30–40% reply rates from book gifting• How a book became a "personal brand insurance policy" when his business failed• Why the fundamentals of fundraising haven't changed since 2019, despite AIChapters00:00 Intro — who is James Church01:01 Why James decided to write a book02:09 The writing journey: discipline, structure, late nights04:12 Robot Mascot — pivoting from branding to fundraising06:19 The book as a "flag in the ground" for authority07:26 Landing premium clients (royal family office example)09:05 Why the fundamentals haven't changed since 201910:14 The pirated copy of his own book11:42 Turning the book into a personal-brand campaign12:22 Pre-launch buzz, speaking gigs, and giving the book away14:27 The real ROI isn't royalties — it's the business it generates16:19 Two versions of the book, business failure, and the "insurance policy"18:19 Rebuilding in 7 months what took 5 years the first time19:00 People buy from people, not logos21:00 Daniel Priestley's "Faceless" report & Key Person of Influence22:22 The book as a key that opens doors24:29 The "business development manager that never sleeps"25:04 Why a physical book beats a PDF lead magnet26:00 Giving away knowledge in the AI era28:09 Rythm.uk — systemizing the outreach29:00 30–40% LinkedIn reply rates from book gifting30:43 Why the results are so consistent31:22 Why gifting disarms cold-outreach fatigue32:30 Advice to authors: give it away, don't sell it33:19 Why traditional publishing contracts block this strategy34:09 Giving books away actually increases sales36:10 Shout-out to fellow author David Horn36:30 Final advice for anyone considering writing a book37:24 Where to find James and get a free copy

Georgie Dickins is a C-suite coach, confidant, and author who works behind the scenes with Fortune 50 executives and founder-CEOs building multi-billion-dollar companies. Her book, Stratospheric CEOs (Rethink Press, 2024), distills the lessons of seven elite founder-CEOs into one collection of hard-won wisdom.In this episode of Book the Business, Georgie tells Joe Gregory:- Why she left 20 years in corporate banking to become a C-suite advisor- How a single conversation with a founder became the spark for her book- Why ghostwriters and AI clip-generators couldn't capture the nuance she needed- The leadership aphorisms she's collected from stratospheric CEOs: "raise the bar, widen the gap," "if it ain't broke, break it," and "two ears, one mouth"- Why storytelling — not strategy — might be the #1 skill of top leaders today- How her book became a "living, breathing CV" that opened doors she never had to ask for- The launch of her upcoming Stratospheric Leadership Institute🔗 Find Georgie: georgiedickins.com🎧 Listen to Stratospheric Leaders on Spotify & Apple Podcasts📖 Georgie's book: Stratospheric CEOs (Rethink Press)Chapters00:00 Intro: Meet Georgie Dickins00:48 Why she wrote Stratospheric CEOs02:46 Leaving 20 years of corporate banking04:34 Choosing the niche: founder-CEOs in fintech06:01 The "pinch me moment" that got Lance Iglor on board07:24 The mission: democratizing CEO-level wisdom09:42 Why "stratospheric," not just "successful"11:07 Why ghostwriters (and AI) couldn't write the book for her12:43 Writing 50% of the book on a rainy family holiday13:39 What actually drives billionaires who "have it all"16:15 "Raise the bar, widen the gap" — Lance's leadership motto16:52 "If it ain't broke, break it" — Henry Fernandez's philosophy18:09 Curating bespoke leadership books (Raise the Bar)21:08 The 2024 NYC book launch with 120 global leaders23:14 The book as a "living, breathing CV"24:09 Writing before AI was on anyone's radar25:37 More nuggets: "wombats," "common sense isn't common practice"26:47 Why execution — not ideas — separates top CEOs27:23 "Two ears, one mouth": the listening discipline of top leaders29:24 Why storytelling is the #1 leadership skill32:05 Where AI can't go: real stories, real trust33:25 Appropriate vulnerability vs. oversharing35:01 Inside the coaching room: advisory + coaching hybrid39:18 Convening CEO circles and Women in Leadership events42:00 Shout-out: her son Arthur's Rugby Legends Podcast44:37 Where to find Georgie and Stratospheric Leaders

40% of first-time CEOs fail within their first 18 months. David Roche has spent 30+ years around books, boardrooms, and businesses — as CEO of Borders and Books Etc., product director at Waterstones and HMV, and group sales & marketing director at Harper Collins. Today he's an executive coach and mentor at Grey Area Coaching, and the author of Become a Successful First-Time CEO (Rethink Press, 2024).In this episode of Book the Business, David joins Joe Gregory to unpack why he wrote the book, how one word in the title ("Be" vs. "Become") completely changed its impact, and why he believes leadership is ultimately about relationships — not frameworks. David also breaks down how the book has tripled his coaching business, why he refuses to charge by the hour, and what actually causes new CEOs to fail once they land the job.Whether you're a first-time CEO, an executive coach, or an expert thinking about writing a book to build authority in your field, this conversation is full of practical, honest insight.🔗 David's coaching/mentoring: greyareacoaching.co.uk📖 David's book: Become a Successful First-Time CEO (Rethink Press) — available on AmazonWhat You'll LearnWhy "being a generalist" is actually a specialist skill once you reach senior leadershipThe difference between coaching and mentoring — and how to know which one someone actually needsA simple technique for helping someone unstick their own problem (the "anecdote trick")Why David built his entire book around stories instead of frameworks or adviceHow changing a single word in the book's title transformed its impactThe real reason most new CEOs struggle — and it's not what the board prepares them forWhy David refuses to price his coaching by the hour, and what he charges for insteadHow a book can pre-qualify and pre-sell clients before you ever speak to themWhat it actually costs a company when a CEO fails — and why coaching should be a given, not a luxuryChapters00:00 Intro & David Roche's background01:01 Why "generalist" is a specialist skill (the conductor analogy)04:13 What Grey Area Coaching actually does06:15 The "anecdote trick" for stuck CEOs08:16 Why the book needed to exist09:28 Wanting 3-4 high-value clients, not scale10:44 Why David avoided the typical business-book format12:42 Seeing the whole picture as a leader13:18 The best leaders are the best storytellers16:11 Why legacy matters more later in a career18:28 How the book changed David's client pipeline19:55 The one-word title change that unlocked everything21:01 The four levels of a book's promise21:29 Why new CEOs actually fail (it's not the 100-day plan)22:23 The book as a client filter (plus a readiness quiz)24:03 Why David never prices by the hour25:31 How David structures a 6-month engagement26:51 The real cost of a failed CEO hire27:55 How much the book has grown David's business29:17 What David learns from his clients30:04 David's #1 tip for aspiring author-experts32:06 The Jimmy Greaves story: "I can't write a book"33:57 Experts don't need to be great writers34:24 Where to find David + free book offer35:19 Closing story: coaching vs. mentoring, free-diving edition

Can one book really open doors to Cartier, Forbes, and a sold-out ballroom in Egypt? Andy Fieldhouse says yes — and he's got the story to prove it.In this episode of Book The Business, host Joe Gregory sits down with Andy Fieldhouse, a team relationship coach who's spent 30+ years working with teams across the UK and Middle East. Andy is an ORSC-certified ICF coach whose first book, Getting Teamwork Right, hit #1 on Amazon in 2020 — the same year he launched his coaching business, right into the teeth of COVID.Andy pulls back the curtain on exactly how he used his book as a business asset from day one: turning it into a feature slot at the Emirates Literature Festival, a TV interview, paid keynotes for brands like Papa John's and a pharmaceutical company in Egypt, and a sales cycle shortcut he calls "weighted touchpoints." He also shares the moment a stranger's phone call — inspired by one of his live exercises — reminded him why he does this work at all.Whether you're an author, coach, consultant, or founder thinking about writing a book to build your business, this episode is a masterclass in turning a manuscript into momentum.What You'll Learn:Why Andy wrote his book as a "manifesto" rather than a how-to manual — and how that decision shaped its impactHow to turn "I wrote a book" into real opportunities: literary festivals, TV spots, and paid keynotesThe "12 touchpoints" rule — and how a book can compress months of trust-building into one phone callHow to get published in outlets like Forbes simply by identifying as an authorWhy status and credibility matter even more when you're building authority from scratchThe "Third Entity" exercise Andy uses on stage — and the phone call it inspiredWhy Andy sees this work as a calling, not a job — and what that means for staying the course when times are toughThe one thing every new author should film before it's too lateConnect with Andy Fieldhouse:Website: theteamspace.comLinkedIn: Search "Andy Fieldhouse"Book: Getting Teamwork Right — available on Amazon#BookTheBusiness #AuthorMarketing #TeamCoaching #PersonalBranding #WriteABookTimestamps:0:00 Intro – Meet Andy Fieldhouse, Team Relationship Coach1:06 Why Andy Wrote His Book (and Who It's Really For)2:30 Inside Andy's Work: Coaching the Team, Not the Individual4:11 The Clients: From Dulsco to Cartier to a 200,000-Employee Brand7:04 Manifesto vs. Method: How the Book Fits His Coaching Work9:47 Life Before the Book — and Surviving COVID as a Brand-New Business11:59 The Book Strategy: Amazon #1, a Literary Festival & Almost a Prison Talk14:02 Turning "Author" into Paid Keynotes (Egypt, Papa John's & More)16:03 The Book as Identity: Reciprocity, LinkedIn & Persona17:20 "Instant Authority" — Becoming an Expert Overnight18:14 Standing Out in an Unregulated Coaching Market20:20 The 12-Touchpoints Rule: How a Book Shortens the Sales Cycle22:13 Getting Published in Forbes (and Why It's Easier Than You'd Think)22:48 You Have to Claim the Identity — Being an Author Isn't Enough23:34 The "Third Entity" Exercise That Changed a Man's Life25:42 "I Made a Phone Call I Should Have Made 20 Years Ago"26:21 Why Andy Calls This Work a Calling, Not a Job28:11 The Iconic Unboxing Photo & the #1 Tip for New Authors29:18 Where to Find Andy Fieldhouse & Get the Book29:57 Outro