It’s the most wonderful time of the year… Notre Dame football is BACK this weekend! So to celebrate this lovely occasion, we’re going to talk about the similarities between Notre Dame football and a book.
Is it a stretch? Maybe. But these two passions of mine have more in common than you might think.
Sports and business are often mirrors of each other, and books are part of our businesses. They help us build our brand, generate leads, increase speaking opportunities and fees, and more. So it makes sense that we treat them in a similar way that we treat sport!
Curiosity piqued? Read on!
A Long Season
Football season is a long season (although not long enough if you ask me). Before the expanded College Football Playoff, one loss could mean the end of your season. Now that 12 teams get a chance to compete, college football is back on par with other sports.
That means that one loss doesn’t necessarily mean the end of playoff hopes for a team. A season is long. There will be some setbacks, and those can’t deter a team from keeping their eyes and beliefs on their goals for the season.
The same is true when writing, publishing, and marketing a book. The road is long. Although it won’t always be sunshine and rainbows, it will still bring you joy and fulfillment. Therefore, we can’t let a setback stop us from staying the course.
You may have heard of the “messy middle”. That can happen at various points in a book project as well. It’s natural. A book is an intensely personal, yet subjective, project. It’s not a task list to get through. Pushing through these phases and staying focused on the ultimate goal is worth the effort and energy.
Stay on Brand
Notre Dame is an iconic brand. That fact remains whether you love the brand or hate the brand. They do a fantastic job of staying on brand while also evolving to stay relevant.
I’ll admit that some changes do seem monumental at the time. When I was finishing my undergraduate program, the university began a massive upgrade to the stadium. I was one of the traditionalists up in arms.
Then, the first time I visited it when it was completed, I had totally changed my tune. The core of the stadium remained intact as they built up around it, and the new buildings that had been added on were consistent with the architecture, style, values, and vibe of the university. The project helped us stay relevant while staying true to tradition.
This concept applies when you write your book. It’s important for you to stay true to yourself, or on brand. When people read your book, they want to get to know you, not some version of you that you think they may want to hear.
You might be thinking, “Well, many of my readers won’t know me personally, so what’s the difference?”
When you write a book, you want your reader to become part of your ecosystem. That could mean following you on socials, subscribing to your newsletter, signing up for one of your programs, and more. You want them to get to know the real you through your book because they will ultimately see that through how you operate in your business.
Staying on brand helps you to leverage your book in a more effective way.
An Evergreen Asset
In sports, you’ll often see teams celebrate a big win for the day and then be focused on getting back to work the next day. This could happen after beating a major rival, winning a playoff game, or knocking off a highly ranked team.
This is even true after a team wins a championship. Of course, there’s more time to celebrate if it’s the national championship. However, soon enough, the team is back at their training after time to rest and recover.
There are several major milestones throughout a book project. You can and should celebrate achieving those milestones. Then it’s time to recognize that the work isn’t done. It might be time to move on to the next draft or a new phase of publishing.
A book launch might feel like your National Championship. And it certainly is a big deal that should be celebrated! The book journey doesn’t end there, though. After a launch, you can’t just set it and forget it. Then it’s time to leverage it and market it through your branding, business, and speaking activities.
If you’re a sports nut like me, want to write a book, and don’t have time for the heavy lifting, we could be great collaborators. You can request a book consult using the button below to learn more!
Disclaimer: This blog should not be construed as providing, or intending to provide professional financial, legal, psychological, or other professional advice. It is simply meant to share my experiences with those who may find them relatable and helpful.