074: "From 4,000 Stalled Words to Bestseller: The "Beyond Break Even" Success Story"

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Russ Gaiser and Mike Hoeflich, financial advisors and authors of the bestselling book "Beyond Break Even."

 Discover how they transformed their stalled manuscript into a #1 bestseller in five categories in just six months, and how their book has opened unexpected doors for their financial practice. 

Whether you're a financial professional considering authorship or someone who's stuck on a creative project, this conversation offers valuable insights on the power of following a proven process.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why even knowledgeable experts struggle to turn their expertise into published books
• The critical turning point that took Russ and Mike from 4,000 stalled words to bestseller status
• How publishing a book changes client perception without changing your actual expertise
• The unexpected business opportunities that emerged after publication
• Why "commitment trumps interest" in the book publishing process
• The value of following a proven system rather than trying to reinvent the wheel

KEY QUOTES

"We probably got about 4,000 words in and we just stalled, because we didn't really have a strategy." - Russ

"It's been so rewarding beyond measure." - Mike

"We've always told people if it's not broke, don't fix it in our business... And it's funny when Paul talked about one of the strategies of launching the book, I'm thinking, 'there's no way I have time to do all that.' And I said, 'no, Russ, take your own advice, do not deviate from the process.' And so we didn't. And it was completely incredible." - Russ

"I'd break it down like this, the two words interested or committed. And we've been just so committed to this, like the excellence of retirement income planning." - Russ

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• "Beyond Break Even" - Bestselling book by Russ and Mike
• "The Short Book Formula" - Paul's book on the publishing process
• "The Efficient Advisor" podcast with Libby Greiwe

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Russ Gaiser and Mike Hoeflich are financial advisors specializing in retirement income planning. With decades of combined experience helping clients secure their financial futures, they recently channeled their expertise into the bestselling book "Beyond Break Break Even," which reached #1 in five categories. 

NEXT STEPS

If you're a financial professional interested in publishing your own book, visit www.theshortbookformula.com to learn about our proven process for turning your expertise into a published book in 6-12 weeks.

Claim your free audiobook copy at: www.theshortbookformula.com

Support the show

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I am here with Russ and Mike.
You guys just published yourbook Beyond Break Even and I'd
love just to hear your thoughtsabout your experience working
with us and just to set thestage, if I can.
It's interesting.
The reason that we got to knoweach other was actually because
of books, meaning that Ipublished my book, the Short
Book Formula and, of course,I've been on about a year and a

(00:21):
half two-year virtual speakingtour where I go and I guest on
podcasts and I was on theefficient advisor with Libby and
you guys listen to her podcast.
You reached out and this isprobably maybe six months ago or
roughly and here we are, sixmonths later.
You guys published your book.
You got bestseller in fourcategories.

(00:41):
You're starting to do themarketing for it.
I'd love both of you to share,in whatever level of detail
you're comfortable with, whatthat journey has been like and
what your experience has been.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Essentially, it was our goal in 2024 to write a book
, and we already knew our topic.
It was what we do and whatwe're passionate about and what
we teach and we started our ownmanuscript, really with no
direction in knowing how toactually do it.
We just started writing andoutlining chapters and things

(01:10):
and we were each tackling acomponent of the book and I
think we probably got about4,000 words in and we just
stalled right Because we didn'treally have a strategy.
We didn't really have anything.
We had the content, we justdidn't have the time to put it
on paper and all that.
And I happened to just belistening to Libby's podcast one
day and you were on Paul, and Igo okay, so this guy actually
understands our lives and hehelps us put our ideas into

(01:31):
print and publish books.
So I said, wow, we need toexplore this.
And so I'm glad we did that,because now we are here we got
about six months later and wehave a number one bestseller and
our thoughts, our ideas in ourbook is done and it's
distributed and we have aprocess around it.
We follow that process to a Tand, paul, your process is spot

(01:53):
on and it's funny, we've alwaystold people if it's not broke,
don't fix it.
In our business, what we do, weknow works and for new people,
just don't change anything.
And it's funny when Paul talkedabout one of the strategies of
launching the book, I'm thinking, oh, just don't change anything
.
And it's funny when Paul talkedabout one of the strategies of
launching the book, I'm thinking, oh, I don't, there's no way I
have time to do all that.
And how important could thatreally be?
And I said no, russ, take yourown advice, do not deviate from

(02:16):
the process.
And so we didn't.
And it was completely incredibleI'd say even life changing to
see people read the book, giveus their feedback, to be bought
in, to create that felt need forsomeone to actually pick it up
and read it, how impactful it isand then to distribute it to
people.
It's just incredible.
It just worked perfect.
It met us right where we werewhen we wanted to write our book
, but it helped us get it outthere and I think that was huge.

(02:38):
So I was super impressed.
And, by the way, the team thatPaul and Paul you built around.
They also know our industry.
They know how to take whatwe're trying to say and put it
in layman's terms, and then toreally build story around that
to create impact.
So all that is just superimpactful and important
Ultimately getting the projectdone.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
Yeah, no, it's true.
I'm finding that more and morepeople that I'm talking to and
are coming to our services havestarted and they get stuck
somewhere, and sometimes it'swhether it's the first 5,000
words.
I have more people now thatcome to me and they've finished
the first draft even, and it'sokay, and they're exhausted.
They're like I don't know whatto do now.
For us, it's wherever you are,whether it's can I write a book?

(03:19):
Should I write a book?
To have started the book, tohave finished the manuscript, to
whatever stage?
We help people, and so I'm gladthat you listened to that
Libby's podcast and reached outwhen you did, and, mike, I'd
love to hear from you just whatyour experience was and what
would you add to what Russ said.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
Many of the things Russ said and I can tell you on
my phone.
I have, from six to seven yearsago, notes that were ideas for
a book and lots of the conceptsand lots of the scenarios and
things that I felt people neededto know.
But it was always this I don'thave the capacity, I don't know,
I can't take steps forward.

(03:54):
I could write enough, but notenough to make it comprehensible
or have any structure, and so,of course, you put it aside and
then all the other things inlife take over.
Right?
This has been and I'm not evenexaggerating it's like beyond my
wildest expectations.
This whole experience in somany ways.
When we first made thecommitment to have someone like

(04:15):
Russ be a partner in this and beso highly committed to
following our timeline andmaking sure we're on deadlines,
we're up at 1130 midnight tryingto just rip out all the content
that we needed for Nancy right,Our book coach, and then it
hasn't ended.
The excitement I thought onceit's over, Then what?
Then what is?

(04:35):
Every single day there's moreexcitement about this because
there's still more to do.
It's now getting it intopeople's hands, getting it on
their laptops, getting it ontheir yeah, getting testimonials
from people who are advancedreaders of the book for us.
I can't even tell you how muchexcitement it's brought, how
much fulfillment it's broughtand it's just getting started

(04:56):
now that the book is finished.
So, again, thanks to you andyour team.
Honestly, this would not havehappened were it not for, again,
a tight process that Russ and Ialways adhere to on the
financial advisory side.
You have such a tight processthat we stayed with, we stuck to
it and we just can't thank youenough.
It's been so rewarding beyondmeasure.

Speaker 1 (05:16):
What has you most excited going forward?

Speaker 2 (05:18):
I think it's the opportunities that we never even
considered when we were writingthe book, and that's interest
in being invited as guestspeakers to insurance
organizations.
We already had one right.
They were promoting our bookand our process and it leads to
conversations of how can we helppartner with them and help them
grow their business.
And there's that it's gettinginvited onto other podcasts,

(05:38):
like the one we just talked toyou about, joe for Texas podcast
.
We were on where he's in thespace of trying to figure out
how to make it, to fix it right.
What are the solutions?
And we're being invited todiscuss why it's so important
and the impact it has onpeople's lives.
It's life-changing because,again, a lot of times,
retirement for Americans it'splanning strategy.
It's not necessarily did theysave enough and so we can get

(06:01):
that in front of more and morepeople.
It impacts almost everyAmerican.
But it's not life-changing justfor us, but it's life changing
for people and getting themessage out that they can do it
and they can live a life that'sa well-lived life in their
golden years.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
Have you seen or felt the difference in the way that
people look at you or engagewith you?
Not everybody, of course, butyou should start seeing that
certain people that read yourbook and have that as an anchor
in the relationship, suddenlyyour status gets elevated and
you can feel it, you can see ithappen in real time.
Has that happened to you guysyet?

Speaker 2 (06:31):
People in our office.
They call us can you sign myclient's book?
And then I had a guy yesterday.
He sat down and he had met me.
He came to some workshops andthings not even that I taught,
and he, we were sitting togetherbecause he wanted to figure out
his income plan.
Very smart guy, he's a computerprogrammer, he's a computer
engineer, a software engineer.
He basically just said it's soimpressive that the knowledge

(06:54):
that you have right and becauseI gave him the book, he said you
wrote a book, a book he's likeabout this.
He's that's incredible and I'mnot someone that I don't really
like to talk about myself and sojust hearing that from people
it's I don't know, it's cool,it's.
I think it shows them thededication that we have to what
we do.

Speaker 1 (07:10):
And you just nailed it because, arguably, you're not
more knowledgeable now than youwere six months ago.
Maybe your ideas are a littlebit clarified.
Maybe you know storytelling isa little bit more on point.
But at the end of the dayyou're not more knowledgeable.
You didn't go out and do a bunchof research for the book.
We helped you take what wasalready in your head, the
knowledge you already had, andput it on paper.
But what I find is sofascinating is that the market

(07:32):
you're the same person, but themarket starts to perceive you
differently.

Speaker 3 (07:35):
Yeah, that's the whole idea, no doubt, no doubt,
I break it down.

Speaker 2 (07:38):
Handing it out at workshops now.

Speaker 3 (07:40):
Exactly, yeah, and I break it down like this the two
words interested or committed.
And we've been just socommitted to this, like the
excellence of retirement incomeplanning, and I think that's
what really allowed us to musterup all the strength and the
many hours and the commitmentlevel to get a book done.
We're highly passionate aboutthis.
We're not just interested inthis scenario or that scenario

(08:02):
and how it might play out, we'rehighly committed to helping
people.
It just seems to resonate withpeople and now, hopefully, the
book is an extension of that.