We recently connected with Elaine Acker and have shared our conversation below.

Elaine, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I was nine years old when I “published” my first book. I used orange cardboard and tape to create a cover and pages from my daddy’s notepad from work to showcase my poetry. I was passionate about my book collection, and obviously eager to see my own name on a cover.

By 1995, I was able to hold my very own “real” published book in my hands. It was called, Life in a Rock Shelter, and I’ve written others since. Even as my marketing business grew, I felt the tug of publishing. More important, I began to realize how many business owners and leaders wanted to publish a book but doubted their writing skills. Or didn’t know how to get started. Or didn’t understand the options available with modern publishing.

I believe your voice (yes, you!) deserves to be heard. I don’t believe your book will be like any other book on the market – even one on the same topic – because there’s no one like you. And I don’t believe you need permission from a traditional publisher to write and publish your book.

My mission is to amplify your voice, elevate your influence, and show you how to leverage your book in marketing and growing your business. You don’t have to be a New York Times best seller to 10X your business with a book.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Writing has unlocked countless opportunities for me, both personally and professionally. I’ve written books and articles and pages upon pages of marketing copy for small business clients. As an editor and publisher, I’ve worked on important conservation initiatives, life-saving disaster-response plans, heartfelt nonprofit missions, and business leadership resources.

It’s the hours and hours spent interviewing experts and writing hundreds of beginnings, middles, and endings, that make our team uniquely qualified to serve our clients.

Today, I sit at the intersection of marketing and publishing. My team and I are here to offer our clients easy pathways for turning their ideas into thought leadership.

One way is by creating a content strategy and editorial calendar that fully supports their business goals. There’s no more staring at a blank screen wondering what to say.

Another way is with an AI+Me monthly content subscription that provides core content every month and guidance on how best to leverage that content in their marketing.

Third, we provide ghostwriting services for our clients’ full-length books and ebooks. Over the course of six months, using a proven interview process, we can write and publish a full length book. Ebooks can be completed in as little as 60 days. Access to these services is extremely limited to ensure the highest quality products.

Our latest offering is the one I’m excited about. Like our clients, we’re eager to share the knowledge we’ve gained over the years with as many people as possible. With that in mind, we’re launching a new online course: Your Book, Your Rules. The seven modules guide aspiring authors as they create a project plan to complete their book, overcome writing hurdles, and launch and promote their book.

I called the course, Your Book, Your Rules, because in today’s market, you don’t need permission from a big publisher to make your voice heard.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

My friends, clients, and colleagues are used to hearing me start a sentence with, “Have you read [fill in the blank].” Whenever the conversation turns to overcoming a challenge, I naturally begin recommending my favorite books. Here are three.

How Good Humans Sell by Catherine Brown. If you’re in business, whether or not you really want to admit it, you’re in sales. But the traditional view of sales as icky or sleazy can make it hard to do what it takes to really grow your business. I’m partial to this book for two reasons: 1) Our team helped get it published; and 2) It will completely change the way you think about sales.

The One Thing by by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan. As a business owner, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the “to do” list. And sometimes, the competing priorities keep us from taking the right action. In this book, you’ll learn a surprisingly simple way of thinking that helps you say yes to the tasks that truly move the needle in your business.

10X is Easier than 2X by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. This book challenges you to think bigger. It’s easy to do more of the same thing you’ve always done. But when you think bigger (exponentially bigger), it’s a game changer. You’ll make different decisions if you’re shooting for a seemingly impossible goal than you would if you were simply trying to work harder and do more.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Leaving your steady paycheck to step onto the entrepreneurial path is a leap of faith. You’re stepping away from security and into the unknown. But you’re also betting on yourself. And you’re ready to invest your time, money, and energy in something that aligns with your long-term goals.

I was working in marketing communications for a large association, and began applying the principles of story-based marketing to their membership campaigns. I trained using a proven system and put that system to work for the association. And then realized I could do the same for clients on my own.

After a few small gigs and enthusiastic testimonials, I saved up a whopping $12,000 (three months’ living expenses at the time, which in hindsight feels like a very small safety net) and turned in my resignation. That same month, I signed my first $15,000 client, followed closely by my second contract at the same rate and those two wins gave me the confidence I needed to embrace the entrepreneurial journey and go all in.

The key to success has been flexibility and a willingness to experiment. I resisted choosing a niche, because I thought, “This process works for literally any business! I love variety!” And even though that can be true, it’s also exhausting to jump from messaging for a nonprofit to a lighting company to a retirement community to a tuxedo rental store. I had to try on a few niches before finding the people I clicked with the most.

Today, I serve B2B service professionals, and I have narrowed the focus of my services to content marketing, including book publishing. It’s all about using the power of words to influence clients and increase revenues. We also serve food brands in the same way through our sister company, The Cookbook Creative. Getting to know myself and discovering what makes me excited to get out of bed in the morning has made all the difference. My inner child just loves publishing books.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sparx360.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaineacker/
• Other: Register for our new email series, Cover to Cover Influence: https://www.sparx360.com/covertocover. It’s filled with action steps you can take today and resources that make creating content so much easier.