Think Like A SEAL, Write Like A Bestseller with John David Mann

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A little while back on Hardcore MBA, I talked with Brandon Webb, the former Navy SEAL who wrote The Red Circle. That was a very entertaining episode for me to record, and I’m now happy to hear about the SEALs from a slightly different perspective, because on this week’s Hardcore MBA we have Brandon’s co-writer and ongoing collaborator John David Mann on the show. John and Brandon have just released their latest book, Among Heroes, so the timing couldn’t be better.

In this week’s podcast, John and I discuss:

• The story of how John got involved with Brandon and the details of their latest collaboration.
• The particular mindset that Navy SEALs bring to every act, and whether true entrepreneurs have a similar approach to life.
• And the possibilities for breaking into the traditional publishing world by starting out on self-publishing platforms like Kindle and CreateSpace.

“To be a better writer, you need to hone your craft all the time,” John tells me. “And there’s three ways to do this. First, reading good books. I write non-fiction, but I actually read a lot of fiction as well, because that’s where a lot of the best writing is. Second, practice writing, a lot. Every opportunity you have to practice writing, you should take it. Third, you need to have smart people who will give you an honest critique of your work, and you need to be willing to act on those criticisms.”

John is a goldmine of great stories and anecdotes, as you’d expect from someone whose job is to craft spellbinding stories out of the sometimes boring or difficult material of real life. I encourage you to give this week’s podcast a listen, and think about two things: how can you become a better writer? And what mindset are you bringing to the table when you work on your business? Tomorrow, make sure it’s a SEAL mindset, and start to see the changes you really want in your life. If you enjoyed the podcast, consider checking out Among Heroes.