Interview

We were recently interviewed by Daniel Richard about The Essential Motivation Handbook and we thought we’d share this short Q&A  to help you get to know a bit more about the authors behind the book.

Dan: Hi Leo and Eric. Thanks for sharing with us your brand new ebook. I’ve read it and have to say that it is very inspiring!

Dan: I’ve liked the chapter 18 titled: Achieve Your Dreams Despite Pressures of Work and Family. Are there any chapters you like from the ebook?

Leo: I like all of them! But one of my favorites is How to Doggedly Pursue Your Dreams in the Face of Naysayers. We’ve all faced people who doubt us, who say negative things and and might even try to actively discourage us and stop us from achieving our goals. And this can be daunting and difficult.

Eric: Hey Dan, one of my favorite chapters is called How To Deal With Negative Feedback. One of the biggest deterrents to forward progress is friction and the better we get at dealing with this friction, the more consistent our progress will become. This chapter really picks apart this problem and helps the reader learn the skill of protecting their positive mindset and keeping their motivation strong.

Dan: Both of you are busy entrepreneurs, running business and taking care of your families (Leo has a huge family, while Eric has become a dad since May!). How did both of you squeeze out time from your daily work and family activities to completing The Essential Motivation Handbook?

Eric: Well, there’s no doubt that time has been quite elusive lately. Like you mentioned, Tyson, our new son, has been keeping us extra busy, but that’s not a bad thing. One of the big advantages of being an online entrepreneur is that you get to work from anywhere and at anytime. This allows me to make the absolute most of my time and therefore get more done in my 24hours. That, and I have a super supportive wife!

Leo: I’m lucky in that my wife, Eva, stays at home and homeschools our kids, and she’s incredibly supportive and gives me time to focus on my work. I also like to work early in the morning, before anyone else is awake, and often will go later in the day to a coffee shop so I can focus on work. As for putting together this motivation handbook, as they say, Many hands make light work. We split up the work, and had someone else help with the editing and another person do the layout and design.

Dan: I’ve got 5 of my blog readers to participate in this interview by asking both of you some questions related to the new ebook and on motivation. Care to go through the following questions?

Dan: from Wenxing — What got the both of you to write this brand new ebook?

Leo: Reader questions are my favorite! As for Wenxing’s question … I get a lot of people who ask me questions about motivation, in the comments on Zen Habits and in emails. I thought it would be useful to compile the best on motivation advice, from me and from Eric, into one handy volume as a handy reference guide for those who need motivation for their goals.

Eric: Hey Wenxing! I figure I have a blog that’s all about the subject so it was time to write a book about it. Leo mentioned the idea and I was all about it!

Dan: from Zi Ning — Why the topic on motivation?

Leo: It’s something we all face, isn’t it? I don’t think there’s a person alive, even Barack Obama, who doesn’t face the challenge of motivation, every single day. I’ve been finding things that work for me, and it’s exciting to make these discoveries — I want to share them with the world! Still, I have motivation challenges to this day, and am still learning all the time.

Eric: Well, the whole motivational blog thing had something to do with it. But Motivation has always been a passion of mine. Not only do I need a consistent stream of passion in my life to keep me pushing toward my own goals, but I love to help others find that same hot button for themselves. Learning to effectively motivate yourself is one of the essential keys to success and this book was just one more tool that Leo and I could offer our readers.

Dan: from Rome — What motivated you to become an author?

Leo: I just love writing, and have from an early age. I always wanted to be an author, though I’ve been plagued with self-doubt from my early days as a teen-age writer. I didn’t think I could make it in the world of writers — there are so many out there, including some incredible writers! But in recent years, I decided to just put myself out there, and see what happens. It turns out there is an audience for my work — and I don’t need to compete with the best writers, as there is plenty of room for everyone on the Internet.

Eric: You know, I’m more the opposite kind of author. I was never directly interested in writing for writing’s sake. I just love sharing what I learn in life and writing just happens to be a great medium for this. But don’t get me wrong, I enjoy writing and have found it to be my favorite form of expression since I started blogging.

Dan: from Jephthah — How is your book different from other self-help/motivation books?

Eric: I think every individual connects with content in different ways, so some may find this book to be perfect for them while others might connect more with a different style. But since this book has two voices there is that much more of a chance you’ll connect. Leo and I have learned a lot over the years and have gotten pretty good at living and teaching the secrets of motivation (though much of it’s not a secret, but a discipline).

Leo: I’m sure there are plenty of great motivation books out there, but this particular one is the result of what we’ve personally found to be useful, things that actually work in real life. We’ve both read countless articles and books on motivation, and personally I’m always trying new things out that I read elsewhere. This book has the things that I tried out and that have worked the best — they’re tried, tested and found to be true.

Dan: from Wei Lin — Would there be any other motivational book/author that you would recommend buying?

Leo: I find so many writers to be useful! I’m motivated by the words of Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, Thich Naht Hanh, Thoreau, Steven Covey, and so many others, including tons of great bloggers!

Eric: Well, if Leo’s going to mention Gandhi and the Dalai Lama, I’ve got to mention Jesus Christ. As a Christian, the core of my drive and passion for life come from Him and the Bible. Also, I really enjoy this blogging community. zenhabits was one of my first ‘favorites’ back when I started blogging. I also really like Gary Vaynerchuk. He’s really got a solid message when it comes to motivation and achievable success.

Dan: Lastly, from me, — Do you think PMETs (Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians) and sales superstars need The Essential Motivation Handbook? What would be 1 area that you would see them benefiting from your ebook?

Eric: Absolutely! I can’t think of any type of individual that doesn’t need a bit of ‘passion maintenance’ now and again. This book is packed with the stuff and should help keep anyone on track while they pursue their goals and dreams.

Leo: I think this ebook is useful to anyone — again, we all face motivational challenges, all the time. But yes, I think professionals and executives and sales and tech people would get a lot out of this handbook — these are typically driven people, reaching to achieve excellence, and when their drive fails a little, this book will help. When they start to face self-doubt, this book will help. This will get them to the next level of whatever they’re trying to do.

Dan: Thanks for taking valuable time to allow this interview to be conducted. I am sure readers of The Essential Motivation Handbook will be greatly inspired through the ebook.