475: Chandler Bolt - The Life Changing Process Of Writing A Book... (How You Can Do It Right Now)

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Ryan Hawk and Chandler Bolt argue that writing a book is a high-leverage leadership and business asset: it clarifies thinking, builds authority, drives leads/sales/referrals, and scales a founder’s expertise beyond direct time. Bolt explains his rapid, systems-based publishing process, how Self-Publishing School helps clients, and why leaders should delegate more, invest in teams, and use books as strategic tools.

Main Topics: Why leaders should write books (Priority: 5/5): Bolt argues books force clarity, establish authority, and create enduring leverage for career growth, promotions, and business development. The practical book-writing process (Priority: 5/5): He outlines his 'more writing' method: mind map, outline, rough draft, then editing, plus a fast, focused production timeline. Books as a marketing and sales engine (Priority: 5/5): The conversation details how books function as better-than-business-cards assets that generate leads, increase sales, and encourage referrals. Hiring, delegation, and scaling a business (Priority: 4/5): Bolt explains how raising his effective hourly rate and hiring for leverage allows him to spend time in his zone of genius while scaling. Building a self-publishing business and team (Priority: 4/5): He shares the evolution from solo/partnered startup to a 35-employee company with systems, coaches, and operational processes. Personal brand versus company brand (Priority: 4/5): Bolt discusses using his personal brand early to gain traction, then shifting prominence toward the company to avoid being the only growth engine. Leadership lifestyle design and seasonality (Priority: 3/5): The episode closes on balancing ambition with intentional time off, emphasizing that leaders should design work around life goals and seasons.

Key Arguments: Writing is 'crystallization of thought' and helps leaders become clearer thinkers and better decision-makers. A book can be a short-term sacrifice that creates a long-term asset with leveraged impact across years. Books help people inside organizations become authorities, win promotions, and standardize processes. A book is more effective than a business card because it is memorable, useful, and can drive action over time. The best first step is to pick one idea, then mind map it and write to one specific person rather than a broad audience. Hiring should be measured against your hourly rate; delegate work that costs less than your time. Scaling requires systems, process, and training so the founder is not the bottleneck. Personal brand can accelerate early growth, but the company must eventually become the primary vehicle for scale. The self-publishing path no longer has to look amateur; professional cover design, editing, and formatting matter as much as content. A book can serve as onboarding material, sales collateral, and a leadership-development tool inside a company.

Data Points: Books published by Self-Publishing School: about 6,000 - Bolt said the company has published about 6,000 books in roughly seven years. Company growth ranking: Inc. 5,000 three years in a row - Self-Publishing School was described as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. for three consecutive years. Latest book production timeline: about 105 days - Bolt said his most recent book went from picking up a pen to publication in roughly 105 days. Team size: 35 employees - Bolt referenced running a business with 35 employees while writing his newest book. Business revenue last year: $9.1 million - He shared that the company did $9.1 million in revenue last year. Revenue growth goal this year: $12.6M to $14M - Bolt stated the next-year target range for revenue. Net profit margin: 25% to 33% - He said the company typically operates at healthy net margins in this range. Books published since launch: 6,000+ across 7 years - Repeated summary of Self-Publishing School's output and scale. Publishing goal by 2035: 100,000 books - Bolt said the company aims to publish 100,000 books by 2035. Books/day needed for goal: 10 to 15 books per day - He estimated this pace would be necessary to reach the 2035 publishing target. Cost to work with Self-Publishing School: $6,000 to $12,000 - Bolt gave a typical price range for clients working with the company. McKinsey-style productivity rule: take-home pay ÷ 2,080 - He offered this formula to determine an hourly rate for delegation decisions. Less than 1% completion rate: <1% - Ryan cited a stat that fewer than 1% of people who want to write a book actually do it. Interest in writing a book: 81% - Ryan cited a New York Times survey where 81% said they want to write a book. Self-publishing school's recent results: 7th book - Bolt noted the most recent title was his seventh book.

Pivotal Quotes: "Writing is the ultimate form of clarifying your thinking." — Ryan Hawk: Ryan explains why writing matters for leaders before asking Bolt to expand on it. "Writing is crystallization of thought." — Chandler Bolt: Bolt describes why writing sharpens ideas and improves decision-making. "You don't have to know everything. You just have to know a little bit more than the person that you're teaching." — Chandler Bolt: Bolt addresses imposter syndrome and the intimidation people feel about writing a book.

Implications: For leaders, authorship is no longer optional or reserved for celebrities. A book can be a practical growth engine for authority, recruiting, sales, onboarding, and legacy—if paired with strong content, professional execution, and disciplined delegation.