This past week, I spent two days in a studio with one of my business partners, Mary Valloni.
We were reshooting a course on fundraising –– content we’ve been creating and teaching together for going on eight years now.
Oddly, I had not seen Mary in-person for almost the last four of those eight years!
We made a deliberate decision to film together in person because there’s a level of synergy you can’t replicate in a virtual space.
The rapport, energy, and the way you feed off each other communicates to an audience in ways that Zoom squares never will.
Once we finished our work, I sat Mary down to record an episode for a yet-to-be-named podcast I’ve been kicking around ideas for. I really have no idea what I’m doing with it, but generally it’s about asking friends what is meaningful in their lives.
I’m feeling a real pull lately to document that kind of stuff.
I also consider it a divine calling to introduce all people to the wonders of Korean BBQ and go to the restaurant in a self-driving car. Yet again, I have dutifully answered the call:
I’m fortunate that I really enjoy my work. Better yet, I enjoy the people I work with, and many have become real lifers. I know this is rare.
Even having one of these kinds of friendships and connections can be so fulfilling and meaningful, but I get to have several.
I believe this is due in large part to making a commitment to be together, especially in person.
This week, I’m off to LA for my in-person mastermind.
I host live meetups for my crew twice a year, and this one’s in LA because a lot of my members couldn’t make it on other dates so I’m splitting time between the two coasts. Again, commitment.
We’ll inevitably be diving into writing books, learning AI, and business strategies. Most of all, it will be a lot of fun.
All of us are finite. We don’t have boundless energy or social capital (at least not me).
But it’s really important to have these in-person experiences, especially when your work overlaps a lot with your life.
I’ll be back next week with a few shares / takeaways from the mastermind. For now, feel free to catch the training I hosted last week:
I cleaned up the recording and shaved about 20 minutes off it to make it easier to digest. While writing a book has always been a good idea for experts, I believe it’s a non-negotiable in today’s world.
This is a long presentation but I believe there’s a lot you can learn from it. Check out the timestamps below for the different sections.
If you’re interested in working with me in Q4 2025 or Q1 2026, go to mikekim.com/writeyourbook.
(Note: the VIP day is taken and 3 of 4 seats have already been taken for the 2-Day intensive, so move fast if that interests you.)
- 02:44 – The Role of a Book in Your Business
- 08:15 – AI Has Shifted How Experts are Perceived
- 18:54 – Crafting a Strong Book Proposal
- 24:26 – Platform Audit and Marketing Strategy
- 30:05 – Comparable Titles and Differentiation
- 35:35 – Leveraging AI for Writing and Proofreading
- 39:36 – Building Demand While Writing Your Book
- 49:21 – Ways to Work Together and Final Q&A
Have a great rest of your week – and let at least one person you see in-person they are meaningful to you.
Mike Kim