Many writers who want to grow their business spend their time focusing on the craft of writing. They go to conferences, read books, listen to podcasts, and take courses on how to be a better writer.

Which is all well and good … except that there’s a lot more to building a business than doing the work. The other 50% of having a successful writing-based business is the business side.

That’s why I regularly have guests on the show who have all kinds of businesses. There is much we can learn from other industries about what it takes to be successful as a business owner.

Today I’m very excited to bring you an incredible conversation with one of the most successful business leaders I personally know. Ali Hemyari is the founder and owner of Nashville K-9, which is Nashville’s premier dog training facility. He’s a serial entrepreneur who’s started various businesses, from advertising, to becoming a pet industry expert, and much more.

Ali is a multi-event triathlete, a helicopter and airplane pilot, real estate guru, certified SWAT Operator, Sniper/Firearms Instructor, and a general try-hard, servant-hearted, overachiever who wants to make a difference in today’s world.

He’s a husband and father, a God Seeker, and an inspiring leader who hopes that his story can effect a significant change in someone who wants to be better, do more, accomplish, and help. You can visit his websites, https://nashvillek9.com and https://hemyaricompanies.com to learn more and see a complete list of his companies.

I’ve asked Ali to join me for a conversation about his fantastic new book, Discipline: What It Really Takes to Build a Seven-Figure Business. This is a short book you can read in less than an hour, but it’s absolutely packed with wisdom about how you can actually build a successful business, no matter your industry.

In this conversation, we explore some of the principles in his book and how they apply to writers building their business. We talk about:

• Ali’s story of how he built his very successful dog training business.
• How writers doing client work can better market themselves.
• Sales principles and working with clients.
• The importance of giving back to your community.
• And much more!

Many thanks to my good friend, Honorée Corder, a shout-out for introducing me to Ali.

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.