He imagined it would be large and spacious, wide enough to house the many animals and food products that would signify his wealth. Without much planning, he set out to work.

Day in and day out, he toiled at the foundation of the farm. But there was one small problem: He had not considered the cost it would take to complete such a task. He failed to properly prepare his plans, and as a result, his work was incomplete.

For many months, people mocked him, jeering at his lack of accomplishments. Many folks tried to warn him that planning ahead of time would save him money and time; but he didn’t listen. As a result of his lackadaisical behavior towards the beginning process, his mission failed.

​It is one of those malignant characteristics that has a way of backfiring on us and our works.

It suggests we are deserving of something, even when we have not truly worked for it.

Surprisingly, I felt myself walking in this very attitude when I first began working on my online venture. I made assumptions and mistakes that prevented me from truly experiencing authentic growth and success.

This mindset is often found among thousands of new leaders, especially those who call themselves Christians.

​In truth, many successful leaders achieve their dreams, even when they have a small following. In other words, you don’t have to be famous to build a thriving leadership platform.

All you need is the right audience.

And this lesson will show you why. So, let’s begin.

You can have the perfect product that solves your audience’s problems. But unless you know how to reach people and persuade them to purchase, your book remains obsolete.

Marketing is best understood as proper positioning in a targeted market. Once positioned, you use different communication strategies that highlight the value your product brings to a community, tribe, or audience.

During The CCM Leadership Convention, I spend a great deal of time teaching the science behind this skill set. Most leaders have elementary knowledge about this marketing field; and too often, they position their product (book) in a market that isn’t interested in their works.

Consider my leadership platform and its products or services. I do not promote my works to just everyone. I am positioned strategically in the conservative political market and the thought leadership industry. Therefore, the content, books, and services I deliver are easily received by those who are interested in both topics.

Essentially, that is how effective marketing works; and when you’re just beginning your leadership journey, it’s difficult to cultivate a space for yourself in such a competing market. For this reason, brands have leveraged the influence and power of famous people to help promote their products or services.

This is the basic premise of influencer marketing, and this strategy proves most effective for leaders who are too often apprehensive about promoting their own works.

Let’s begin this lesson with a foundation for effective marketing.

​I don’t want you thinking about book promotion as a tedious task. Instead, I want you to see how the right marketing can actually be enjoyable, rewarding, and profitable. To accomplish this, however, you must engage in what the online business space calls “content marketing.”

Simply put, content marketing is the creation of digital marketing materials that help sell a paid product or service.

There are numerous types of content marketing strategies such as video marketing, blogging, podcasting, and interviews. You can create webinars, virtual summits, online Bible studies, and more.

Using these media, you deliver engaging, entertaining, and enlightening materials to a specific audience. And through that delivery, you seamlessly interject your paid product or service.

As you will come to learn throughout my leadership training, everything you create — from your platform to your book to your various products — will be the result of what you think. In addition, your success is predicated on your leadership abilities and how you use your genius to bless others.

Below, I have compiled a list of 20 empowering books to add to your training collection. While my coaching and consultation services focus on you, the Leader, these resources will provide a broader understanding of basic spiritual laws, Kingdom principles, and core teachings that help you develop a focused and resolute mind.

The first collection contains empowering books from Napoleon Hill, a 20th century author who was commissioned to record the principles that led to success for hundreds of millionaires. His core teachings focus on the power of the mind.

In the second collection, I include Dr. Myles Munroe’s teachings, which focus on spiritual laws and Kingdom principles. While there are numerous leadership authors out there, I purpose to bring you the insight from the leaders who helped shaped my core philosophies and practical applications.

​I have been on this entrepreneurial journey for several years now. My political work now spans 7+ years.

It certainly wasn’t something I wanted to do. Growing up, we were a traditional, middle-class Black family who relied on our education to help us secure solid work.

Middle-class upbringing was the norm; and as such, it seemed only fitting that I carry on this economic tradition that has worked for so many decades.

After enduring my long battle with the courts, I found myself trapped between my love for teaching and my fear of re-entering the public school system. I needed work, though, especially because I had a daughter to raise on my own after my failed marriage. But the publicity surrounding my case made it difficult for me to acquire or maintain even the simplest teaching positions.

My family and friends “encouraged” me to continue putting myself out there to find “real work.” Some family members repeatedly told me, “All you need is one yes.” But with each rejection, I grew frustrated while my resources depleted. I realized in that moment I had spent so much energy trying to ask other people for permission to be great when all I needed to do was give myself that permission.