The Biz Book Broadcast

What happens when millions of wasps invade your village?  Community expert Tonya Kubo is back to discuss kids’ classic, The Giant Jam Sandwich + what it teaches about solving problems you can't tackle alone. We discuss why overwhelm is really about isolation, how courage looks when you suggest a ridiculous idea + why communities need clear purpose combined with a big promise to actually work. Look for more Classics episodes where we take stories that definitely aren't business books + treat them as full-on business texts. Books discussed in this episode: The Giant Jam Sandwich - John Vernon Lord and Janet Burroway Horton Hears a Who The Tortoise and the Hare The Giving Tree Tonya's Facebook Community: The Secret to Thriving Online Communities Tonya's Podcast: Find Your Freaks  Tonya on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tonyakubo ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. 

Ever wonder why people stay with coaches long-term? Biz Book regular, Rachel Allen has been my client for eight years + she's here to explain why she keeps coming back. We discuss the difference between one-to-one coaching + masterminding, why she once thought she was "uncoachable" despite years of working with other coaches + why being seen over time matters more than you'd think. Plus, the year the internet backed the money truck up to her business. Oh yes. Also check out this earlier episode with Emily Hitchcock – https://pod.fo/e/337baf Emily's a first-time coaching client + shares how she made her decision and what it feels like to be coached for the first time. Rachel’s Website:  boltfromthebluecopywriting.com Rachel’s Instagram: instagram.com/boltfromthebluecopywriting Rachel's Substack: boltfromtheblue.substack.com Rachel’s email: hello at boltfromthebluecopywriting.com ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. 

Find yourself avidly scanning the end of year Best Books lists? I'm addicted. Publisher Todd Sattersten is back with us, today sharing his annual analysis of every major end-of-year list to reveal which books actually rose to the top. We discuss the two books that dominated 2025 in the US, why one of them is uncomfortably obsessed with death + mortality + why book nerds like us love a good list.  Plus, why year-end lists tell us more about reviewers than books + what the 2020s theme of "doing bigger things" reveals about our collective anxiety. Todd’s a regular - look for his 4-part mini-series about the business book industry + what makes books actually work. One Author, One Year, Million-Copy Results #1 Only 37 Business Books Sell 1,000+ Copies Weekly #2 This Number Determines Book Success #3  Author Interview with Todd #4 – this ones about his recent 100 Best Books for Work and Life  Books discussed in this episode: Abundance - Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson Five Types of Wealth - Sahil Bloom Slow Productivity - Cal Newport The Coming Wave - Mustafa Suleyman Stolen Focus - Johan Hari The Conversation - Robert Livingston No Rules Rules - Reid Hastings and Erin Meyer When - Dan Pink Deep Work - Cal Newport 100 Best Books for Work and Life - Todd Satterson 4000 Weeks - Oliver Berkman Die Empty - Todd Henry How Big Things Get Done - (author not mentioned) The Right Kind of Wrong - Amy Edmondson Loon Shots - Safi Bacali Uncharted - Margaret Hafferman Todd's Website: bardpress.com Todd's Blog with more commentary on the 2025 list: bardpress.com/blog ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. 

What did people think before the concept of "science discovery" existed? Ron Tester is back for our end-of-year History Pop-Up where we discuss fascinating books about science, society + some truly dark moments in history. Ron has been reading about how science as we know it didn't exist until the 1570s + why Newton spent more time studying the Bible than thinking about gravity. I discuss the less cheery matter of mass suicides in 1945 Germany + what happened in Budapest's final days under Nazi occupation. Look for more History Pop-Ups where we abandon business books entirely + indulge our other book nerd tendencies. Books discussed in this episode: The Invention of Science - David Wooten Promise Me You'll Shoot Yourself - Florian Huber Aftermath - Harald Jähner The Clockwork Universe - Edward Dolnick The Last Days of Budapest - Adam Lebor Ron's Website: rontestercoaching.com ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. 

What happens when book reviewers completely miss the point? Ron Tester joins me for our holiday special where we read the most baffling book reviews we could find. We discuss readers who don't understand how fiction works, demands for warning labels on perfectly normal books + one truly spectacular misunderstanding about a Holocaust book. Plus, the most audacious demand of a publisher you've ever heard. This might be the best show we've ever done - it's certainly the most ridiculous. Books discussed in this episode: The Warm Hands of Ghosts – Katherine Arden The Demon Lover - Elizabeth Bowen Dark Mage – M L Spencer Hitler's People – Richard J Evans The Gestapo - Frank McDonough Africa Is Not a Country – Dip Faloyin We Love Anderson Cooper – R L Maizes Queen of Storms - Raymond E. Feist A Town Called Discovery - R.R. Haywood Extracted series - R.R. Haywood Ron's Website: rontestercoaching.com ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. 

What if getting funded means losing yourself? Kym Medina is back to discuss the problematic colonial 'classic' Babar the Elephant + what happens when someone else's money changes everything about who you + your business. We discuss how external funding disconnects you from your roots, how authority based on dazzle rather than competence creates imposter syndrome + the ongoing issue of entrepreneurs giving it all up... just as it gets truly profitable. A working biz, shouldn't be boring. Look for more Classics episodes where we take books that definitely aren't about business + treat them as though they were biz text books. Books discussed in this episode: The Story of Barbar - Jean de Brunhoff Winnie the Pooh - A. A. Milne Matilda - Roald Dahl The Emperor's New Clothes Mr. Tickle Kym’s Website: projectpowerplayer.com ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely.

How do you know when it's time to stop figuring everything out alone? Fan fave, Ron Tester joins me to discuss the specific signs that scream you need a coach right now. We discuss why strategy matters more than just working harder, how to work out when you need a thinking partner versus a course + why hiring the wrong people repeatedly means something's wrong inside your biz. This is part 2 of our Coaching Series where real clients + coaches discuss what coaching is really like. Ron's Website: rontestercoaching.com ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. 

Random book browsing at airports makes me genuinely concerned for the nation's reading habits. Rachel Allen joins me to discuss fiction that’s so good, it’ll have you planning your reading list ahead of your vacation wardrobe. We nerd about books that make you feel complicit in the story, split timelines done right + why authors sometimes need therapy instead of publishing. For more great recommendations - look for more in this Fiction Pop-Up strand Books discussed in this episode: Plain Bad Heroines - Emily M. Danforth The Director - Daniel Kelman The Sapling Cage - Margaret Killjoy Elements series (Water, Earth, Fire, and Air) - John Boyne The Boy in Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne My Brother's Name is Jessica - John Boyne The Echo Chamber - John Boyne The Heart's Invisible Furies - John Boyne Rachel’s Website:  boltfromthebluecopywriting.com Rachel’s Instagram: instagram.com/boltfromthebluecopywriting Rachel's Substack: boltfromtheblue.substack.com Rachel’s email : hello at boltfromthebluecopywriting.com ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. Click here lizscully.com/reading to get your book list

Tired of false scarcity marketing that treats you like an idiot? There's an ancient fable that perfectly explains why this approach backfires. Tim Brownson joins me to discuss The Boy Who Cried Wolf + how it mirrors the always-on-sale mentality that's destroying marketers' credibility.  We explore why mattress stores have perpetual "biggest sales ever" + why launching back-to-back courses trains your audience to wait. And how actually the wolf is the most efficient business player in the story.  Look for more Classics episodes where we take a story that definitely isn't a business book + see what lessons we can learn anyway.  Book discussed in this episode: The Boy Who Cried Wolf - Aesop Tim's Website: thefullybookedcoach.com Tim’s Book: The Clarity Method Tim's Subreddit: reddit.com/r/TheFullyBookedCoach ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. Click here lizscully.com/reading to get your book list

What's the first thing that pops into your head when you think of Rolex? Or Volvo? Or McDonald's?  Those instant thoughts are brand associations - and today I speak to Uli Appelbaum - the man who's written the only science-based book about them. We discuss how most marketing books aren't based on actual science, how a friendly bakery counter person can boost daily sales by 50%, the 95-5 rule + how small businesses can use multi-sensory experiences. Look for more Author Interviews where we invite experts to discuss their latest books and share valuable insights to help you in your business. Books discussed in this episode: The Science of Brand Associations - Uli Appelbaum The Brand Positioning Workbook - Uli Appelbaum Uli's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uli-appelbaum/ Uli's website: https://first-the-trousers.com/ If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. Click here lizscully.com/reading to get your book list

Those gorgeous English country houses you see on Downton Abbey? Turns out they were built on the backs of enslaved people.  Aneeta Madhavan joins me to discuss The Countryside by Corrine Fowler - which takes us on walks through Britain's most "English" places + reveals where the money actually came from. Spoiler: sugar plantations, slavery + colonial exploitation. We chat about how this book made Aneeta rethink global connectedness in business, what it's like being a British Indian after Brexit + why many quintessentially British things aren't as British as you'd think. Plus, how this all connects to running modern businesses in our connected global world. Fair warning: this might change how you see those beautiful National Trust properties forever. There's lots more to explore in this Book Huddles strand – check them out. Books discussed in this episode: The Countryside - Corrine Fowler The Hungry Empire - Lizzie Collingham Aneeta’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aneeta-madhavan Aneeta’s Website: TalkingCranes.com ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. Click here lizscully.com/reading to get your book list

What if the key to surviving cutthroat office politics was mastered in 1536?  Juliet Corbett joins me to discuss Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall + Bring Up the Bodies - and the business lessons from Thomas Cromwell's rise at Henry VIII's court. We discuss how Cromwell mastered managing up to volatile leaders, why his network crossed every level of hierarchy + why mentors are meant to be outgrown. Plus, why checking your sources matters + how training people who leave still benefits you. Look for more Classics episodes where we take stories that definitely aren't business books + treat them as full-on business texts. Books discussed in this episode: Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel Bring Up the Bodies - Hilary Mantel The Mirror and the Light - Hilary Mantel Juliet's Website + Free Ebook: consultjuliet.co.uk/ebook Juliet's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julietcorbett ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. Click here lizscully.com/reading to get your book list

Why do smart leaders torpedo their own success? Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn't your competition - it's you. Tamika Stewart joins me to discuss The Mountain Is You + how internal blocks show up at work. We discuss perfectionist managers who demoralise their teams, leaders who avoid difficult conversations + why "everyone has trauma" might be oversimplifying things. Plus, why you can't just read self-help books in isolation + the difference between leadership coaching + therapy. Look for more Book Huddles where experts share the books that shaped their thinking. Book discussed in this episode: The Mountain Is You - Brianna West Tamika's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tamikahstewart Tamika's Website: tamikastewart.com ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. Click here lizscully.com/reading to get your book list

What if chasing your passion is actually keeping you stuck? Terri Trespicio's TED talk has 8 million views and her book on the same subject challenges everything you've been told about finding work you love. Terri shares why waiting to find your passion delays action, why you should expand your comfort zone rather than step out of it + why you shouldn't monetize everything you love. Plus, did you know boredom led Walt Disney to invent Disneyland. We should all embrace boredom now and then.  Look for more Author Interviews where we discuss fabulous books with the smart people who wrote them. Books discussed in this episode: Unfollow Your Passion – Terri Trespicio Originals - Adam Grant Terri's Website: territrespicio.com/trystudio ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. Click here lizscully.com/reading to get your book list

What if your local business could become the unofficial welcome guide for your neighborhood? Ron Tester joins me to answer a listener’s question – his was focused on churches – we expand it out to any local business dependent on their local community for business.  We discuss Rick Warren's 40-million-copy success that filled his church, how to use the book to build relationships, maybe even with local donors + how a beautiful neighborhood guide beats any leaflet. Look for more episodes in the Your Biz Needs a Book series where we discuss why every business should write something.  Book mentioned in this episode: The Purpose Driven Life - Rick Warren Ron's Website: rontestercoaching.com ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. Click here lizscully.com/reading to get your book list

Ever been hounded by a salesperson who just won't take no for an answer?  Oddly enough, there's a centuries-old folk tale that perfectly captures why pushy marketing makes everyone want to run away. Rachel Allen joins me to discuss the spectacularly annoying Gingerbread Man. We discuss what six inches of overconfident dough can teach us about boundaries + the difference between being present versus being pushy. Look for more Classics episodes where we take stories that definitely aren't business books + see what lessons we can learn anyway. Rachel’s Website:  boltfromthebluecopywriting.com Rachel’s Instagram: instagram.com/boltfromthebluecopywriting Rachel's Substack: boltfromtheblue.substack.com Rachel’s email : hello at boltfromthebluecopywriting.com ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. Click here lizscully.com/reading to get your book list

Need a break from the endless parade of mediocre business content? Sarah Benvenuti joins me to discuss the fiction books that remind us what good writing looks like.  We geek out about magical realism, world-building done right + why sometimes the setting matters more than the plot. Plus what happens when authors get the balance between explanation + mystery just right. Look for more Fiction Pop-Ups - they're roughly every month. Books discussed in this episode: Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies - Heather Fawcett The Tattoo Murder - Aikei Mitsu Bunny - Mona Awad The Tainted Cup - Robin Jackson Bennett A Drop of Corruption - Robin Jackson Bennett Sarah's Website: benvenutiarts.com Sarah's Instagram: instagram.com/benvenuti_arts Sarah's Facebook: facebook.com/benvenutiarts Sarah's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/benvenutiarts Sarah's Medium: medium.com/@sarahbenvenuti ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. Click here lizscully.com/reading to get your book list

What if someone really smart read hundreds of business books + curated only the ones that actually work? Well, as it happens… Todd Sattersten returns to discuss his beautifully designed guide to the biz books worth your time. Todd discusses his three criteria for inclusion into his list of lists, why Tiny Habits beats all other habit books (you’ll be nodding too) + how the best biz books often blur work + life. This is part 4 of our mini-series with Todd: Catch up with parts 1-3 - how Bard Press works with authors + thinks about best sellers: One Author, One Year, Million-Copy Results #1 Only 37 Business Books Sell 1,000+ Copies Weekly #2 This Number Determines Book Success #3  Author Interview with Todd #4 – this episode Books discussed in this episode: 100 Best Books for Work and Life - Todd Satterson Made to Stick - Chip and Dan Heath Your Brain at Work - David Rock 100 Best Business Books of All Time - Todd Satterson Tiny Habits - B.J. Fogg Predictably Irrational - Dan Ariely The Coaching Habit - Michael Bungay-Stanier Traction - Gino Wickman The Four Disciplines of Execution - Franklin Covey The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni Good to Great - Jim Collins Todd's Website: bardpress.com ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. Click here lizscully.com/reading to get your book list

What if your customers are screaming feedback at you but you can't hear them? If we listened as carefully as Horton the Elephant we might hear more clearly. Kathryn McGarvey joins me to discuss the Dr Seuss classic, Horton Hears a Who. We discuss why being truly heard is so rare + how to listen for the small, quiet insights that matter most. Plus, why the quietest signals often tell you everything + how silos stop vital feedback reaching the people who need it. Look for more Classics episodes where we take stories that definitely aren't business books + treat them as full-on business texts. Book discussed in this episode: Horton Hears a Who - Dr. Seuss Kathryn’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kathryn-mcgarvey Kathryn’s Website: nosyhq.com ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. Click here lizscully.com/reading to get your book list

Why do some communities create genuine belonging while others feel like mandatory meetings with snacks? Jeffrey Davis joins me to discuss three books on building actual community rather than just collecting people in a room. We discuss the five types of conversations that create belonging, why isolation literally damages your genes + how starlings only sync with their seven closest neighbours. Relatable. Plus, the difference between five-sense friends and screen friends + why forcing people to be nice to each other actually works. Look for more Book Huddles where experts share the books that shaped their thinking. Books discussed in this episode: Belonging - Geoffrey L Cohen Community: The Structure of Belonging - Peter Block The Art of Gathering - Priya Parker Belong - Radha Agrawal Jeffrey’s Website:  trackingwonder.com Jeffrey’s Bonus: trackingwonder.com/podcastbonus Download the first chapter of Jeffrey’s book + find out more about his work. Jeffrey's Substack: trackingwonder.substack.com ==== If you’d like my help with your Business go to www.lizscully.com/endlessClients ==== And don’t forget to get your reading list of the 10 essential reads for every successful biz owner - these are the books Liz recommends almost on the daily to her strategy + Mastermind clients. This isn’t your usual list of biz books, these answer the challenges you’ve actually got coming up right now. Helpful, quick to read and very timely. Click here lizscully.com/reading to get your book list