From Trauma to Triumph — Dr. Shanea Clancy on Redefining Recovery, Leadership, and Legacy

Summary

The Amazing Authorities Podcast

Episode: From Trauma to Triumph — Dr. Shayna Clancy on Redefining Recovery, Leadership, and Legacy

Host: Mitch Carson
Guest: Dr. Shayna Clancy
Release Date: November 4, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this insightful and energizing episode, host Mitch Carson welcomes Dr. Shayna Clancy, a powerhouse in nursing, mental health advocacy, entrepreneurship, and bestselling authorship. Dr. Clancy delves into how personal trauma propelled her journey toward becoming an authority in healthcare, leadership, and publishing. The conversation offers a roadmap for transforming adversity into impact, with candid discussions on addiction recovery, thought leadership, and strategies for becoming an influential author and consultant.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dr. Clancy’s Journey: From Adversity to Authority

• Background and Credentials

  • First-generation college graduate, PhD in Nursing, Executive MBA in Healthcare (01:19–01:59)
  • Self-described “forever student” with extensive academic achievements

• Catalyst for Writing Her Book

  • Inspired at a conference after hearing Anne Beiler’s story (founder of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels) (04:12–04:38)
  • Wrote her first book, Transforming Trauma into Triumph, amid intense personal circumstances: “I was in the middle of my executive MBA in healthcare and just gave birth to our third child, but let’s do it.” (04:12)

• Purpose Behind the Book

  • Intention to reach others in the mental health, addiction, and suicide prevention space (04:50–05:36)
  • “If I can help one person know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, even if it’s a sliver and our past doesn’t have to define us, that’s why I did it.” (05:18)

Achieving International Bestseller Status

• Bestseller Strategy
  • Leveraged CRM, coordinated global marketing, engaged in proactive media outreach (podcasts, articles, etc.) well in advance of launch (06:33–07:15)
  • “People kind of drop the ball in the marketing piece—it’s very much in advance.” (06:55)
  • Reached #1 international bestseller status across seven or eight countries, despite not being familiar with that category beforehand

Prolific Authorship and Productivity

• Writing Eight Books in Ten Months

  • Utilized time blocking, mindset, and “palette” approach—creating books in multiple areas of expertise (08:06–09:16)
  • New forthcoming book “Mountaineering Mindset” ties in her training as a mountaineer

• Balancing Achievement and Family Life

  • Manages being a mother of three young children, author, and entrepreneur
  • “Just very much into time management, time blocking, effectiveness. And I’m not someone that sticks by a schedule—I give myself grace.” (08:06)

Perspectives on Addiction and Recovery

• Multi-Faceted Understanding

  • Critiques the US system as lagging behind other countries in treatment of addiction (10:57–12:37)
  • Holds an open, personalized view: “I don’t believe there’s a one-shoe-fits-all, because we are all different…and mindset has a lot to do with it.” (11:53)

• Disease vs. Behavior Debate

  • Discusses the nuanced nature of addiction: “It’s kind of like, what came first, the chicken or the egg? At the root…there’s more than likely something that happened along the way, and it became a coping mechanism.” (14:39–15:14)
  • Stresses the interplay of DNA, environmental factors, and personal choice

• On Recovery Language

  • Challenges the identification with labels in 12-step programs: “If I keep saying to myself, I’m Shayna, I’m this…it’s not always a positive thing.” (16:32–18:11)
  • Values a recovery approach tailored to the individual (in contrast to strict adherence to one method)

Spirituality’s Role in Recovery

• Host Mitch Carson’s View

  • Shares personal sobriety (41 years) and success with 12-step programs, but acknowledges paths like SMART Recovery (12:37, 19:18)
  • Critiques the “God-component” as not mandatory—citing diverse, successful recoveries among atheists, agnostics, and various religions (19:19–20:49)

• Dr. Clancy’s Take

  • Encourages broad definitions of spirituality—nature, higher power, or even a doorknob—if it helps someone move forward (19:19–20:19)
  • “It doesn’t have to be the ‘God in the sky’—whatever is in you that’s going to help you make the next best step.” (19:19)

Reinvention, Leadership & Consulting

• Leveraging Authority Through Books

  • Considers books as both a vehicle to help others and a business card to establish authority (21:13–22:39)
  • “Much better positioned as an authority…but I wrote it to help someone see there is hope…” (21:13)

• Entrepreneurial Pursuits & Services

  • Runs Clancy Consulting Services: international speaking, executive and exit coaching, business strategy, and mental health consulting for Fortune 500 companies
  • Unique specialty in “exit coaching”—guiding professionals through transitions and job exits (23:09–24:25)

Author Success Strategies

• Best Practices for Book Marketing

  • Importance of starting marketing six months in advance (26:03)
  • Using both traditional and innovative tools: social media, community engagement, interviews, early reader incentives

• Product Formats

  • Recommends offering titles in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover; Audible versions pending (27:34–28:03)
  • Host’s perspective: “Kindle at 99 cents…that way nobody can say no. It’s part of the marketing message.” (28:43)

• Reviews Matter

  • “The biggest overlooked aspect of being successful as an author is reviews.” (30:51)
  • Preload reviews, seek honest and diverse feedback—above 4 stars means more readers

• Intentional Writing

  • “It’s not about the numbers, it’s about quality. I do it with intention. The last thing I want is to put garbage out.” (33:09–33:56)
  • Standard book length: circa 192 pages (~25–30K words) (34:12–34:19)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Mission of Her Book:

  • “As long as it helps one person, then I feel like it’s worth it.”
    — Dr. Shayna Clancy (03:35)

• On Recovery & Labels:

  • “What we call ourselves is what we live out—our thoughts become our words, our words become our actions.”
    — Dr. Shayna Clancy (18:11)

• On Writing and Productivity:

  • “I wrote eight books in ten months.”
    — Dr. Shayna Clancy (07:53)
  • “Are you a super achiever, or do you not sleep?”
    — Mitch Carson (07:56)

• On Competition and Credibility:

  • “I can’t put out something that I think is great…that’s garbage. My credibility is out the door.”
    — Dr. Shayna Clancy (25:14)

• On the Value of Time:

  • “There’s nothing more valuable than time.”
    — Mitch Carson (37:56)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:35] Dr. Clancy shares the catalyst behind her first book, Transforming Trauma into Triumph
• [06:33–07:47] Marketing strategies for bestseller status
• [08:06–09:16] Balancing motherhood and writing eight books in ten months
• [10:57–15:14] Addiction recovery: international perspectives and individual approaches
• [19:19–20:49] Discussion on spirituality and recovery
• [21:13–22:39] The power of books in building authority
• [23:09–24:25] Introducing exit coaching and consulting services
• [26:03–28:03] Book marketing timelines and formats
• [30:51–31:22] The critical role of reviews for author success
• [33:09–33:56] Intentional, quality-driven authorship
• [37:56] Final reflections on the irreplaceable value of time

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How to Connect with Dr. Shayna Clancy

• Website: shayna clancy.com (site under redevelopment)
• LinkedIn: Shayna Clancy
• Social Media: Shares both professional insights and personal relatability
  • “If you want some laughs, some real tools, you just want to hop on a zoom and shoot the breeze for coffee—you need a friend—let’s do it and we’ll talk from there.” (36:48)

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Tone & Style

• The episode is candid, energetic, and motivational, blending professional insights with personal anecdotes.
• Both host and guest employ humor and warmth, making the conversation accessible while maintaining authority.
• The spirit of the episode is one of resilience, curiosity, and practical guidance for aspiring experts.

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Conclusion

Dr. Shayna Clancy’s journey embodies the transformation of trauma into leadership, authority, and actionable influence. Her perspective invites listeners to rethink recovery, embrace multidimensional strategies, and pursue their own legacy—whether as authors, coaches, or leaders. If you’re seeking relatable, no-nonsense wisdom on overcoming adversity, building a platform, and excelling despite life’s challenges, this episode is a masterclass in both humility and strategic achievement.

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(Advertisements, intros, and outros have been omitted for brevity and focus on core content.)

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Amazing Authorities Podcast, where game changers, visionaries, and category leaders share how they built their brands, platforms, and global influence. Your host is Mitch Carson, international speaker, media strategist, and creator of the Instant Authority system. If you're ready to learn from those who've done it and want to become the go to expert in your space, you're in the right place.

[B]

We have a special guest today, Dr. Shaina Clancy. I had to get her name right at the beginning because it's S H A N E A, but I guess you drop the syllable, so it's just Shana Clancy, who's here today as an amazing authority. And this woman has more education than I've had with over 100 guests on my podcast. I'm at 100. You're my 110th guest, just so you know. Yeah. Yeah. So you are special, more than what your mother have told you. And you've earned that distinction today here. So welcome to the Amazing Authorities podcast.

[C]

Thank you so much, Mitch. I'm glad to be here and thank you for having me on.

[B]

Yeah. And you've had. I've mean, when I looked at your LinkedIn profile and I saw all of those abbreviations after your name, I said, oh, my, oh, my. So you have a PhD in nursing. Nursing, okay. And everybody loves nurses. And you also have an mba.

[C]

I have an executive MBA in healthcare, so I. That's a postdoc. I went back after my doctorate.

[B]

Okay. Are you called a perennial student?

[C]

Forever student? Absolutely. Yes. I'm a first generation college student, too.

[B]

Wow. Wow. All right. I stopped at MBA, flirted with the idea of PhD, but I realized, oh, my word, that's a lot more work. And I think I'll stop there. And now I'm. I'm happy with what I did. I don't regret any of the education. You know, I had a mentor who loved to hassle me and the other person who had an MBA in the mastermind. We had a mastermind, and he used to say, oh, well, Mitch and Steve are here for more bad advice with their MBAs. I thought, okay, okay, more bad advice. Yeah, that's good.

[C]

I'm picking up what you're throwing down. Yeah.

[B]

I thought, okay, well, that's good. And, you know, he says, well, we don't have any PhDs here piled high and deep, but we'll have more bad advice from the two MBAs in the group.

[C]

You know, I've never heard that. I love it.

[B]

Well, you learn something new every day. And you had to get interviewed on My podcast, while I'm in Thailand and you're in Pittsburgh. Well, this is great. So show us your book. I want. I want to start because I love interviewing authors. Because you've gone the extra mile, not just with the designations of your respectable education. I do respect what you've done. It takes commitment, drive, and perseverance, I would say is the big P word there is perseverance to tell us about your book.

[C]

Yeah. So this. This was the first book I wrote. It's called Transforming Trauma into Triumph, and it's my testimony. It's my story. Overcoming adversity, making poor decisions. And a lot of people have said, really, it's a guide to just transformation, whatever that looks like. And I was just glad to write it and share it with the world. As long as it helps one person, then I feel like is worth it.

[B]

And what got you into writing a book? Is it because you have your PhD, so you have to publish or perish?

[C]

No, absolutely not. No. I actually was at a conference, and I heard Ann Baylor, so the founder of Annie and Pretzels. I heard her story, and it was in that moment I got this download. It was like, you need to write your book. And I was like, okay. I'm also in the middle of my. My executive MBA in healthcare and just gave birth to our third child, but let's do it. All right.

[B]

Oh, and you're a mother of three, too.

[C]

I am, yes.

[B]

Oh, my word. Wow.

[C]

Seven, five, and three.

[B]

Well, you're busy.

[C]

Little bit.

[B]

A little bit. So what was.

[C]

Yeah, so writing this book, the catalyst was just really trying to help people because I'm in the realm of, you know, addiction nursing and mental health, suicide prevention. And not that my story touches on every single aspect of that, but mental health, it touches everybody. Right. And so when I make poor decisions, which is the really foundation of this book, that came with a lot of, you know, emotional mental health, PTSD kind of things that we're talking. And I figured, hey, if I can help one person know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, even if it's like a sliver and our past doesn't have to define us. That's why I did it.

[B]

And you're an international bestseller with this book. How did you cause that?

[C]

Number one. International bestseller.

[B]

Number one. Oh, okay. Well, you're not competitive, but tell us.

[C]

I. Very much so. I am type A competitive. Let's go.

[B]

Well, how did you achieve that distinction? Which is not easy. I know that.

[C]

Yeah. So I just worked really hard with some A group of folks that knew people around the world. And so I honestly didn't know that number one international bestseller was a thing until I got it. So that's the wildest part. I thought it was, you know, either New York Times or nothing.

[B]

It was like, well, I work in the publishing industry. I'm a book. I'm an author publicist in my. Yeah. So I know in order. And I help people become international bestseller status. That means two countries.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Two different Amazon entities. So I work with India and the USA and the uk you know, okay, those are the market.

[C]

Canada, Ireland, we had a ton of. There was probably seven or eight different countries.

[B]

And how did you achieve that?

[C]

So just like you said, the strategy of, you know, using CRM connections, really marketing from the beginning, well, in advance. That's where people kind of drop the ball, is the marketing piece is very much in advance. Just getting the word out there, doing interviews, podcast interviews, newspaper articles. And it just. I said, you do any tv.

[B]

Did you do any TV interviews?

[C]

Not specific for this book, but I've done tons of them as a subject matter expert.

[B]

Okay, but not for your book. That's usually something I prescribe for my clients. I mean, podcasts are one thing. TV is. Is a big part of it. Because that's the ultimate credential to.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah. And. And to have your book publicized on television, then that opens doors and it creates that snowball effect.

[C]

Yes, I know. I just, you know, I haven't really done that yet.

[B]

And so you have. How many books have you written?

[C]

I wrote eight books in 10 months.

[B]

Hello. And you have three kids. How did you do that? My word, Are you a super achiever or do you not sleep?

[C]

Oh, well, I definitely like to sleep, that's for sure. Just very much in a time management, time blocking effectiveness. And I'm not like somebody that sticks by a schedule. Like, I give myself grace. I just was in. In the mindset, and that's where I think I had to be to be able to do that. I have three. Three more coming out before the end of the year.

[B]

How did you pump out all those books in such a short period of time? I'm fascinated.

[C]

So I really. When I said I was given, like the download for this first book, there was like a. Like a slew of different types of books that I really wanted to do. I have, like you said, a wide variety, a wide palette of credentials, and that's just a fraction of them for when you talk about letters. And I was like, I want to be able to mix them all together so that if somebody wants this color out of the palette, I have a book for it. Right. I have one over here, but it's all things that I'm an expert in. And the next one is Mountaineering Mindset. I'm so excited for that one.

[B]

So you're a mountaineer also?

[C]

Yeah, I'm a trained mountaineer.

[B]

A what kind of mountaineer?

[C]

A trained mountaineer, like climbing all the mountains.

[B]

Did you have billy goats as a. As pets growing up or something?

[C]

No, I did grow up on a farm though. I raised sheep and I hated those things. I had to shear them. There's. Oh, that's awful. Let's not talk about 4H. But no.

[B]

So mountaineering, you're an expert in what else? I mean, let's get into this. All these different books.

[C]

Suicide prevention. So I train people nationally on suicide prevention, ptsd, crisis intervention. I'm also a trained mediator, so I've done federal EEOC cases as well. That's all that's coming to my mind right now. Oh, mental health, addiction business is very quickly becoming one.

[B]

So we talked about addiction before we started the show. What is your spin on addiction? How does one overcome this? Because I consider myself quite knowledgeable on the topic. I'm very open about it. I no longer hide it or ashamed of it. I'm 41 years clean and sober myself and that is my crowning achievement in life. It pales. Anything else pales to that result, that outcome, because my whole life built out of that hub has built, been built out of that hub of success. But what is your spin on it? Do you believe in the 12 step program? Is there another type of what causes people to go there?

[C]

I have a very, very wide thought process when it comes to this and I'll make it short and sweet because the United States is very far behind when it comes to different treatments for any kind of addiction or substance use. Very closed minded. And I'm saying this because I do this internationally with other countries. There almost like if there's anything involved that would help somebody, it's a waste of money kind of mindset. But if you go to like the UK and a lot of these other countries, they're very forward thinking, like safe using spaces, you know, very much ahead. When it comes to Narcan, before even we had it, just a lot of different things. So when it comes to a specific, specific program, I, I don't believe that there's a one shoe fits all because we are all different. And if one thing Works for you, something else works for me. And the third thing works for like our best friend, you know, together. Maybe we have a mutual best friend, we're going to make one up, then it is what it is. So I, I don't have a philosophy either way but I do think mindset has a lot to do with it. And being in healthcare, I do realize that there is that, you know, molecular component as well for the, you know, dopamine effects, the gaba, you know, receptors and all of that. So just all those combinations and like I said, whatever's going to work for you or me or whoever.

[B]

I have been familiar with Smart Recovery, which is another system to deal with it. The 12 steps have been my success story and I also came to realize it's not the only way to reach Oz. There are several yellow brick roads to get there to living drug and alcohol free. I don't think moderation works now some people will say and the why I'm so passionate about the topic because it's also part of my story. I gave a TEDx top talk on this and it got kicked out of TEDx because it was so controversial. It was. Is Alcoholism and Drug Addiction an Excuse for Bad Behavior? Was the title of my talk. I have thousands of views but it's all organic, has nothing to do with TedX when it was submitted. And I was spoke at the Medical University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Internet, you know, IMU is what it's called International Medical University. I spoke there. Well received. But then TedX screamed it out. It never passed. Which was interesting. Yeah. And the topic was, is it. Do you think alcoholism, drug addiction is in fact a disease?

[C]

Is that your question?

[B]

Yes, yes.

[C]

I love this question. I just got in this great debate with this fella who lives in Canada, his name's Ivan. He's come up with this completely different philosoph when it comes to recovery, both mental health and addiction. And he is anti 12 steps. Right. He's very much in what he has going on. But do I think that it is an addiction you said?

[B]

Yes. Well, is it, is it an. Is alcohol and drug use a disease or is it an excuse for bad behavior?

[C]

It's kind of like what came first, the chicken or the egg. Because most people that have any kind of addict addiction. Right. We were talking about this before the show. It doesn't have to be substance. It could be shopping like sugar, anything.

[B]

Ice cream for me. Right.

[C]

Who doesn't love that with sprinkles, caffeine, like all these things. But at the Root of that there is also more than likely something that happened along the way and it became a coping mechanism.

[B]

Oh, 100%.

[C]

Yeah. And so does that justify the. The poor choices? No, but. But getting to that root of that shows that it is a sometimes DNA aspect as well, because people have addictive personalities versus those that maybe not so much. And then on the flip side, did somebody, you know, start using because a friend introduced them and there was nothing really in that background that's traumatic. But it's that, what do they say? The first one's free and they got pay for the rest. So then that would be poor choices. They chose to engage in whatever that was and then they went down the road that way. So I think that it's a multi view.

[B]

Well, like you have this man that you mentioned that you had this debate and he is anti 12 steps. Is he pitching something else or is it just a strong conviction?

[C]

It's both. Because he actually lost his sister to suicide and she was very much involved in AA and na.

[B]

Right.

[C]

And. And his philosophy was, you know, you're in a room and you say, hi, I'm Shayna, or hi, I'm Mitch, or hi, I'm this person. I'm an alcoholic. Right?

[B]

Correct.

[C]

Or I'm an addict. Those are the phrases that take place in those rooms. And so that's where I always had a disconnect because I had gone to some AA meetings because I was in a vehicle crash, like I told you beforehand. And I remember sitting there and I was like, I can't say this. Like I feel like a fraud if I say this, because I know the first step is admitting, right, that there's you. But then it turns into how. How we identify. And if I keep saying to myself, I'm Shayna, I'm this, It's not always a positive thing because it. It relates back to all the pieces that made us to where we are today. That's. That was his kind of thought process. And I tended to sort of agree with that because like I said, the us is behind. And people can still use methadone, right? They can still need medication for mental health, just like I said. Not. It's not always a one shoe fits all. And it took me a while to get to that spot based. It wasn't that I came, you know, about just thinking that, substituting this and that, but I just think that there's a lot more that could be explored. And what we call ourselves is what we live out, like our right. Our thoughts becomes our words, our Words become our actions. So I just think that spin on that thought process was pretty interesting.

[B]

There are several and smart recovery is another. And they don't have any component of spirituality in it. Where AA, it was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Dr. Bob, where there was a big spiritual component, God component, Christian country, with that, I, however, have a different spin and understanding. And, and then when Bill Wilson, the founder of AA died, he died as an atheist. So he left the whole spiritual component personally behind. Some still embrace it and swear by it. If without God, you can't stay sober. Jordan Peterson, the Canadian intellectual, made a comment, you can't overcome addiction without having a spiritual aspect to your recovery. And I disagree and I think he's brilliant on that point. I disagree strongly because there are many people in the program that are atheists and or agnostics that are sober today and living a good life.

[C]

Let me, let me ask you this though. What if nature is the spiritual? Like, it doesn't have to be, you know what I'm saying?

[B]

Like it doesn't have to be the ten God in the sky.

[C]

There's, you know, it could be a doorknob. Like you hear people say that.

[B]

Higher power.

[C]

Exactly. So it doesn't have to be one or the other, but it's just what, what is in you that is going to help you keep making the next.

[B]

Best step and, and their perception of what that means. But some, most people refer to God as the Christian viewpoint in aaa and they also incorporate church. That isn't always true. For example, I live in Thailand and I go to meetings here. There are people of the Buddhist faith and everything is internal. They are successful. And I'm not a believer in formal religion anymore. I was, when I was younger. I don't embrace that. And I'm 10% richer than Mitch, who would have had to give, given 10% his whole life.

[C]

So you're 10% richer. Right. You're. We're going to call you Rich Mitch. There you go, Mitch.

[B]

Because I haven't given 10% to the church in a long, long time.

[C]

Whatever works for you.

[B]

Yeah. And for, and for people who choose to go church and do that, good for them. Just be a good, responsible human being and.

[C]

Absolutely.

[B]

And then overcoming that, you know, we're, I mean, I could talk endlessly about this topic, you know, and you, you wrote your first book based on something that significant. Something significant happened in your life and caused a major pivot.

[C]

Absolutely. Yep.

[B]

And where are you today as a result of writing that first book?

[C]

Well, I would say much better positioned as an authority. Right. That's really the, the purpose of a book. Your business card.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

But I would also say that not only an authority, because that's not really the reason I wrote it. Right. I had mentioned that, that I wrote it more, that if I could help somebody see that there is a hope, something down the line that is worth staying the course for, then I've, I've, I've done my due diligence in writing this book. Pretty raw. But when I wrote it, I had gone 15 years between the, the time of the crash and when I wrote this book. And since getting married in between, I came back home to the same place. Right. But people are like, you reinvented yourself. And I didn't even do it on purpose. I was just dedicated to education, trying to be a better citizen and, you know, service above self, all these kind of things. And I remember whenever a couple people had interviewed me, they were like, what made you come out with this now? Like, people had no idea. And I'm like, because we're all people and we just want to be relatable. We want to know we're not alone very much so.

[B]

And we're a series of connections, or else we would have to check and see if we're human or not. And, and I like your position. You're a giver. You're obviously in healthcare because you care about people. I mean, it's also how you make your living and there's no shame in that. We all have to eat and sleep and, and feed our, our kids. Ultimately, you could have chosen to be a lawyer or something or some other admirable profession. You chose to be a nurse and now you've.

[C]

I'm an entrepreneur, too.

[B]

Entrepreneur too. Well, tell us about that. Tell us about the entrepreneurial Dr. Shayna.

[C]

So it's, it's called Clancy Consulting Services and do a lot of, you know, international speaking like we were talking about. I also do a lot of executive coaching, some exit coaching, which a lot of people, I don't feel like that's very common, but with the way everything's going right now, exit coaching is pretty big because companies space and, and have that transition and get that person, you know, to the next position as quick as possible. But people don't know what to say because they're so upset. And the last thing you want to do right is go into a new position and badmouth the previous one because that company thinks you're going to do that if something goes wrong. So it's that exit coaching, just, you know, communication.

[B]

That's a specialty I haven't heard about. Exit coach.

[C]

I know, isn't that wild?

[B]

I like how you hang there, but it's powerful. Yeah. Exit coaching. Oh, that's special. Now I know how to refer to you other than all your titles, but you specialize in exit coaching. That's a whole niche in. Within a niche. Yeah.

[C]

And then also consulting, so business strategy, helping people come up with, you know, policy curriculums, you name it. Mental health, addiction in the workplace, as well as, like, drivers. I've worked with a bunch of 500 fortune companies, just educating them on safety and, and making good choices when they're behind the wheel. And, you know, that happens more times than not. And that's the other piece of it too.

[B]

Have you all your books become bestsellers?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

And how do you do that?

[C]

Well, because I'm competitive, first and foremost.

[B]

Okay, well, that. I love that. Oh, yeah, we're type A's admitted.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Hands up, all five fingers showing.

[C]

Yes. And so the first one, I actually kind of hired somebody because I was like, like you said, I have these credentials. I can't put out something that I think's great. Right. And it's garbage. And then my credibility's out the door. And I also wanted to be mindful of the book that I was putting out, so I really need a lot of eyes on it. And that one was a number one bestseller, and then the other ones just kind of followed suit. I used the same, same marketing strategy, continued to build upon that and just learn and invest. Right. Investment's the best thing we can do for ourselves.

[B]

Well, when you say invest, what were what. Tax tactics, for example? I know quite a bit, and a lot of the people that listen to this podcast are authors and would love to glean your tips.

[C]

So the, the initial book that I did, there was aspects that were like cookie cutter. Right? Like, so your social media post, you send out to your CRM, like the standard kind of things. And then it was like, you know what? There has, there's got to be more to this. Right. This is really low hanging fruit. We're talking and we're not talking months in advance. So if you look at the marketing aspect, you've really, really got to start that at least six months beforehand. @ least that's my philosophy, to really get that momentum and to keep people, like, on the hook, like just little snippets. But then it can also be powerful to like, lean into your community, my community, and just kind of before the book even launches. Hey, would you mind, you know, helping me? There's so many ways that you could do that, right? I'll give you copy the book like a discount on a, you know, course. There's just, you know, business, a lot of things that could go with that. And so then that increases your audience reach. And I have found that pretty successful so far. I'm sure there's more I could learn. I'm always open minded, but I think that has been the important piece. And then just keeping that momentum going, that toma top of mind awareness because you can write a book, but then what? You still got to market it.

[B]

Do you, do you believe in all formats? Kindle, paperback, hardback, Audible?

[C]

So I none of my books are audible and everybody keeps asking me for them.

[B]

Oh my gosh. Oh gosh. How use AI today? I could tell you about that. Yeah, there.

[C]

Yeah, I would love to learn.

[B]

Yeah there. I'll send you a link later about this. Something I've discovered recently. Audible has an AI component where they'll read your book for you.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

I think you started doing that on Amazon too. I just, I haven't looked. Yeah.

[B]

Oh, you'll sell. You'll. You'll double your book sales.

[C]

I know everybody's into that. I haven't, I haven't done it yet. So yes, I believe in the Kindle. I believe in the hardback, the paperback. People like options. Am I of the believer that if you sell a million kindle books at 99 cents, is that really credible?

[B]

100%.

[C]

You think?

[B]

100%.

[C]

I mean, yes, but if I sold them at 25 bucks a book and people were willing to invest in that, doesn't that hold a little bit more weight? I've done it both ways.

[B]

Kindle is a bestseller campaign at 99 cents. I use that for my authors to we that way nobody can say no. It's an afford. Everybody's got a buck, it's less than a buck. That's part of the marketing message, the hook. Then what happens if you've got an ebook at 99 cents, you've got an audible book at $10 and a paperback at 14.97 or whatever price it is in competitive in your category. Many people want to consume all of Dr. Shana. I personally like to read a physical book. I'll buy an E book just to see if I like it. Then if I like the initial content, then I'll invest and buy the physical book. That's the strategy with that so that it's it's like a try before you buy. 99 cents is nothing. And I'm also a member of Kindle Unlimited. So I have a certain amount of books that I can look at for free or as part of my membership. And then I'll probably buy. I have a. I have a whole bookshelf of paperbacks. I rarely buy hardcover that I associate more with textbooks. And I don't need a textbook. I like a soft cover book. That's what I prefer to read. So I can highlight and do things if it's in the nonfiction category, most of which I read. So I'm a big fan of 99 cents as a strategy. Some don't use it, but they're really, really big level authors. For example, James Clear, who's written I sold over 20 million copies of his books. He doesn't need to go at 99 cents. Mel Robbins doesn't need to go at 99 cents. These are authors with 20 million plus multiple New York Times bestsellers. They're at a totally different level. But for those of us that are independent, like myself, possibly you and some other people, the most of my clients, we go in with that because then you'll end up selling more. And the biggest overlooked aspect of being successful as a, as a, as an author is reviews.

[C]

Absolutely.

[B]

Getting reviews for reviews. Well, but you also need to preload them. There are services out there that'll get reviews on your book. Some of it can be brutal, but at least you'll have them people buy. If you're above four stars, your book is going to get consumed. If you all. If you have 100 reviews at five stars, something's off. You got to have. Because there are cynics out there no matter what.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

And you just accept it. But reviews matter.

[C]

Absolutely. So I, it's more of a challenge for me because I did the Kindle aspect and then that was number one bestseller and when I hit number one international bestseller, it was not Kindle. It was a physical paperback book in all of these countries.

[B]

That's awesome. That's huge.

[C]

Because it's different, you know, for each person. I just wanted a different challenge.

[B]

No, I like it. And when you, your, your argument was valid about does is it the same if you sell at a 99 cent price for a million books? I say yes. What? I don't count when people claim bestseller when they give their book away for free?

[C]

Oh my gosh.

[B]

I know that I think is totally false and it doesn't count. I don't believe in free Book promotions for any of my clients. And it weakens your case. I mean, there are people that sell. I can create a bestseller campaign. If your book is free, what. Where's the value in that? There isn't any.

[C]

I've never even heard that. Like, it's free.

[B]

Yeah, well, they do that just to get the book out there. Because maybe there's a back end or a lead magnet inside the book. So they're accessing Amazon to get it out there for free and then they have a lead magnet which then draws them in to sell. Coaching, consulting, what have you. Workbook. You know, the workbook is also a good companion piece to up the cart value when someone comes and buys and something. But I could talk about publishing all day and.

[C]

But we can talk about all these things all day.

[B]

Yeah. And it's been. I mean, to write all those books, what was your strategy to pump out such volume in a short period of time?

[C]

Well, when I worked with that first person, that is when I really learned the art of writing a book. Right. Everybody gets nervous because it's like this huge mountain.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But when you learn the basic strategies, it's like, oh, your confidence goes through the roof. And if you just follow those very similar formats and you have that kind of concept and you just keep going. Time block. Right. It's pretty easy, I think. But I don't, I don't do it just to do it. I do it with intention. Because the last thing I want is to put garbage out. Right. And so it's really very strict on that. It's not about the numbers, it's about quality.

[B]

Okay. And you pump out. You were able to pump. How many words were these?

[C]

What you get. Why did you ask? Word count. I don't know. I don't remember.

[B]

Sorry.

[C]

So, like I know this topic. Hold on a second.

[B]

Well, you could show how many pages. You could give me that idea.

[C]

This one's 192.

[B]

Okay. So that's probably 30,000 words.

[C]

See? Okay, you're a step ahead of me. I would, I wouldn't know that number off the top of my head.

[B]

Normal. If it's all text and a lot of. A lot of pictures.

[C]

If it's text based, there's no picture.

[B]

Yeah, it's probably, probably about 25 to 30. That seems to be the range for paperbacks today. When I published my first book and I was published by John Wiley and Sons, I had to write 50 to 75,000 words. So it was a different constraint than today.

[C]

I want to learn about your Book too.

[B]

Yeah, I. And people are. Well, it's in a different topic. It was very specialized and I went with a major publisher at that time and I've subsequently written many other books and ghost written other books. But I love to hear from people who are prolific and that is prolific because there are many. One book wonders when many one hit wonders who are musicians. But someone who's got a gold album, who's written many, many or has a series of books, that's a different kind of a person. And I'm not surprised one with all these designations. You're not. You're a super achiever.

[C]

Maybe. Maybe that's. That's my addiction.

[B]

Is your husband a doctor?

[C]

No, he's a Navy veteran.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[C]

Yeah, so I mean, he's got more mindset, you know, positivity than I do. I mean they have to make it through hell week and you know, get out of these situations where, you know, he could carry my three kids like this for, for like. Miles doesn't even think a second of it because he just goes in that mindset of like, this is the mission before me and I need to complete it. Wow.

[B]

Yeah, I admire that. I interviewed in this last week two different Navy SEALs. One was a commander, you know, a master chief or something like. Yeah, master chief, a Navy seal.

[C]

And I'll have to check that one out. That would be good.

[B]

Yeah. And you know, everybody's got something to contribute. Well, how do people get in touch with you in order to embrace your methodologies, your coaching, your entrepreneurship, your books?

[C]

My website, Shana Clancy dot com. Follow me on my socials. You might get some laughs too. I put some up of my kids doing crazy stuff because I believe in just being transparent, like relatable.

[B]

The only way to be.

[C]

Yeah. If you want, if you want some laughs, some real tools, you just want to, you know, hop on a zoom and shoot the breeze for coffee. You need a friend. Like, let's do it and we'll talk from there.

[B]

Okay. Well, you've been a great guest, a lot of fun. You've made me smile throughout most of this interview today and impressed because I know what work volume, I mean what commitment and time blocking it takes to pump out all those books. That is serious commitment. So if you've got clients who have you as their mentor, have you as their guide or their coach, they're in for it because I would imagine you help them install those types of winning behaviors, those winning systems in order to get more. Because the most valuable asset we have most what's the right word. I heard this when I was young, but now as a man who's about to turn 65 in a couple of weeks, there's nothing more valuable than time.

[C]

Time.

[B]

That's number one at this point. You don't think about it when you're under 30, but when you start getting when you push over 60, oh my gosh, my time is almost up. If you look at the stats, I better get busy. I better accomplish X, Y and Z. So you've done a lot for being young. I'm not going to ask your age.

[C]

I'm not even 40.

[B]

Yes, well, you've done a lot for being less than 40 and you've done it because you've managed your time well. I think that's probably one of the key elements. And a mother of three and you're a wife. Oh my gosh. I guess Netflix isn't part of your three hour daily routine.

[C]

Oh no, it's usually Bluey or Mickey Mouse or you know, Ninja Turtle.

[B]

Kids related. That's the mom side.

[C]

All the old school shows are coming back. I'm like, yes.

[B]

Oh cool, cool, cool. So. So they go to shayna clancy.com.

[C]

Yes, Shayna. My website's in the process of being redone so.

[B]

So is mine. I had had had some issues with my last web designer. Left me midstream so it looks a little jangled but oh boy. Happens.

[C]

We as long as they can get in touch, we're good, right? It doesn't have to be fancy.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

We want it fancy.

[B]

But yeah, I connected with you on LinkedIn and they can find you there as well.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Okay. Well you've been a great guest and I look forward to having you back when you have a new book out because then I get to interview you again.

[C]

Yes, I want to spend more time and hopefully your audience and community has found value in something. That's what my oh, I would say.

[B]

Quite a few gems we can extract from today's conversation. Thank you so much for your time and we look forward to having you back again in the near future.

[C]

Thanks Mitch.

[A]

Thanks for tuning in to the Amazing Authorities podcast. If today's episode inspired you, take a moment to subscribe rate and leave a review. It helps more experts like you rise to the top for behind the scenes access and free resources to boost your authority. Head to MitchCarson.com until next time, stay amazing.