Podcast Summary: The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast

Episode: Building Resilience at Any Age

Host: John Jantsch
Guest: Lynn Smith, TV news anchor, keynote speaker, media consultant, author
Date: September 10, 2025

Overview

This episode features an insightful conversation between John Jantsch and Lynn Smith, author of the new children's book Just Keep Going. Drawing from her experience as a broadcaster and entrepreneur, Lynn discusses the origins of her book—which offers a blueprint for resilience, mindset, and perseverance—and expands on the universal application of these lessons for both children and adults. They explore storytelling, overcoming adversity, and the importance of instilling resilience at a young age, with practical insights for parents, teachers, and business leaders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Inspiration Behind the Book and Character Choice

• Lynn discusses the initial struggles writing the book and how its evolution mirrors its message of perseverance.
• Original main character was a child; switched to a mouse to evoke the classic "underdog" theme and ensure the message feels approachable to children through animal characters.
• Notable Quote:
  • "I chose a mouse because I feel that they have, in story time, this underdog feel to it... They're the least intimidated by animals. And so messages tend to land easier when they come from animals." (Lynn Smith, 01:35)

Notable Moments

• John references classic cartoon mice (Tom & Jerry, Mighty Mouse, Mickey Mouse) to connect the character's appeal. (02:51)

2. Central Message: The Power of "Just Keep Going"

• The book’s message was inspired by a personal low point where a friend texted Lynn those three words: "Just keep going."
• Lynn noticed adults she coaches struggle with fears rooted in childhood, prompting her to bring resilience lessons to children earlier.
• Notable Quote:
  • "It wasn’t, 'You’re going to be okay.'... But the three words of 'just keep going' was exactly what I needed to hear." (Lynn Smith, 03:24)

3. Applicability for Adults and Entrepreneurs

• John questions whether the "children's book" packaging might limit its broader message.
• Lynn affirms the book's lessons benefit anyone facing adversity, especially entrepreneurs raising future changemakers.
• Distinction between people who need direction versus those who thrive on taking risks and leading.
• Notable Quote:
  • "Can we raise those mini-entrepreneurs? I think we can." (Lynn Smith, 04:47)

4. Writing Challenges: Simplicity versus Complexity

• Lynn compares the difficulty of distilling resilience into 40 pages versus writing much longer nonfiction works.
• Writing for kids required clarity and engagement without being heavy-handed.
• Notable Quote:
  • "It took just as long to write 40 pages because there were so many different iterations. And it helped me grow as a writer." (Lynn Smith, 06:01)

5. The Role of Illustration in Storytelling

• Lynn credits illustrator Lauren Gallagher with capturing emotion visually, conveying "big feelings" and change through the mouse’s physicality.
• Collaboration required trust in the illustrator’s expertise—a valuable entrepreneurial lesson.
• Notable Quote:
  • "You find the best of the best and then you trust them because they’re the expert." (Lynn Smith, 07:20)

6. Translating Adult Concepts for Children

• Book weaves in coping strategies (breathing, moving, asking for help) as the mouse overcomes obstacles, making emotional resilience tangible for kids.
• Lynn describes testing ideas with her own children to ensure relatability and impact.
• Memorable Story:
  • Her son wanted to bring the book to class to help a new student, demonstrating the empathy and practical application inspired by reading. (09:59)

7. Personal Experience and Career Development

• Lynn reframes her own career evolution not as "reinvention," but as development—moving from news anchor to entrepreneur and consultant.
• She openly shares her learning curve in business basics and how her guiding principle was to "just keep going" through failures and setbacks.
• Notable Quote:
  • "I didn’t even know what the term scale meant. Like, what does it mean? To scale was an actual Google search." (Lynn Smith, 12:08)

8. Root Causes and Adult Resilience

• John and Lynn discuss how many adult struggles originate from childhood patterns and fears.
• Lynn notes her executive clients’ biggest obstacles in communication stem from early life experiences, reinforcing the value of teaching emotional tools early.
• Memorable Moment:
  • "So much of this book I wrote for the parent reading it to their child as much as I wrote for the child." (Lynn Smith, 13:46)

9. Modeling Resilience as a Parent/Educator

• Lynn emphasizes honesty and inclusion—sharing rejections and disappointments with her children to model perseverance and emotional openness.
• Letting kids see "what do you do about it?" in the face of setbacks prepares them for real-world resilience.
• Notable Quote:
  • "I've welcomed them into my failures. So I shared with them throughout the book process... You know what? Someone rejected the book again. Ugh, I'm disappointed. But you know what I'm going to do?" (Lynn Smith, 15:12)

10. Practical Tools and Extensions

• An educator and parent guide (available online) accompanies the book, containing prompts, definitions, and a "worry journal" for children.
• These tools are designed to prompt deeper conversations and reflection about bravery, courage, and managing big feelings.
• Notable Quote:
  • "We actually have an educator and a parent guide that we have on the website for the book... And then at the end of the guide, it’s a worry journal." (Lynn Smith, 17:24)

11. Potential for a Series and Ongoing Work

• Lynn hints at an adult nonfiction version and hopes for a series depending on reader response, aiming to embed emotional intelligence into future content.
• Notable Quote:
  • "That's the dream for every author. That your message resonates and that it develops and it continues." (Lynn Smith, 19:20)

12. Personal Story: Living the Message

• Lynn shares an anecdote about her disastrous first live report as a fledgling news on-air talent—emphasizing the importance of pushing through public failure.
• Notable Quote:
  • "It was humiliating. It was on live television. It wasn't the last time something embarrassing on TV happened. But I continuously choose throughout my career and in my life to just keep going and not have those failures stop me..." (Lynn Smith, 20:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the book’s universal utility:
  "The lessons in this book…really do. I mean, a lot of my listeners are entrepreneurs and, you know, resilience is probably one of the core characteristics of a successful entrepreneur." (John Jantsch, 04:24)

• On distilling complex topics:
  "How do you take something that is really hard for, you know, full adults, grown adults, to understand and make it something that a seven-year-old…understands?" (John Jantsch, 08:48)

• On parenting and failure:
  "If I'm doing it 70% of the time, then we're good. They'll forget the other 30." (Lynn Smith, 15:12)

• On entrepreneurial learning:
  "We know as entrepreneurs, how many vendors did we hire? And we just, it's like, okay, there's another 10 grand out the window." (Lynn Smith, 07:20)

Key Timestamps

• 01:35 - Lynn on choosing a mouse as the protagonist and the evolution of her book
• 03:24 - The personal story behind the phrase “just keep going”
• 04:47 - Applicability of the book’s message for entrepreneurs and parenting future leaders
• 06:01 - The challenge of writing simplicity for children
• 07:20 - Trusting creative collaborators and entrepreneurial lessons
• 09:59 - Real-world feedback from Lynn’s own children on the book’s impact
• 12:08 - Career shifts and applying resilience to starting over as an entrepreneur
• 13:46 - The roots of adult fears and communication issues in early childhood
• 15:12 - Modeling resilience and honesty with children
• 17:24 - Educational tools, journaling, and practical activities as book extensions
• 19:20 - Discussion of future books and expanding the message
• 20:05 - Personal example: overcoming public failure in television

Conclusion

Lynn Smith’s journey with Just Keep Going is a practical lesson in resilience for audiences of all ages. The episode emphasizes translating big concepts into accessible lessons, modeling perseverance as adults, and providing tangible strategies for handling adversity. Both personal anecdotes and professional insights deliver actionable takeaways for parents, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to foster resilience—one step, and one story, at a time.

More on Lynn Smith:

• Executive coaching: LynnSmith.com
• Book info: justkeepgoingbook.com
• Book release: September 30, 2025 (available for pre-order)