The How to Self-Destruct brand is born

Last Tuesday, on April 1st, I told my wife that I had just given birth to a book.

She asked how I felt. I said I felt like I was still in labor.

Since the launch, I have done 11 radio interviews, a video premiere at the Apple Store, and my first talk / book signing at Barnes & Noble in Deerfield. I have scheduled 3 more signings, signed up 2 industry events, and 5 more radio interviews for next Monday (you don’t want to see my schedule for the rest of the week). I’ve “finalized” a business plan for taking the content behind How to Self-Destruct and using it as the foundation for a media company (more on this in a moment). I’ve begun a pilot program for using this client with a corporate client and put together a proposal for a two more pilots with two more clients. I’ve done client work, while still racking up a few emails/calls that still need to be returned. I’ve progressed in conversations with 2 potential sales people, not progressed a conversation with a 3rd (for no reason other than scheduling), and pulled together the first members of my operations/delivery team. I sent out the fifth installment of my newsletter (which–to my pleasure and surprise–was the 5th in a row to generate “thank you!” notes), and went through two hours of intensive media training.

I didn’t sleep much, which finally caught up with me. This afternoon, sitting on the couch, I took an involuntary nap. I woke thinking it was Monday morning; my first thought was that I was going to be late for a breakfast meeting.

When I opened my eyes and saw that I was on the couch, I was totally relieved that it was still Sunday and I had just been napping. When I checked my Blackberry and saw that it was still Saturday, I took a deep breath, laid down, and pulled a pillow over my head.

I’m up for good now, and I thought it would be a good time to take stock of what I’ve learned this week. Without further ado…

This doesn’t happen without the help and support of a whole lot of people. Everyone who buys a book, comes to a signing, listens to a show, tells a friend about my blog, or forwards a newsletter can rightfully claim ownership over the process of making this happen. To all of the people who have so generously come out to support me, especially this week, THANK YOU!
How to Self-Destruct is the first step, not the last. Trestle Publishing is way more than a book; Trestle is content from HtSD extended through multiple channels–videos, TV, radio, etc.–and through multiple voices. It’s executive-strength professional development content, tailored to the needs and ambitions of Gens X & Y, and disguised as entertainment with a wink and a nod. The time is right for this content. The content is right. It fits, it works, it sells. People need it and better yet, they want it. They’re starving for it… this is the stuff that we all wish we learned in school. I know this because I teach, and I watch my students’ reactions to it. They can’t get enough–I couldn’t stop smiling myself last week in class watching the group presentations. After 10 weeks of direct feedback, lots of stories, and stern warnings about the choices they were going to face, my students got up and showed me that they had heard and digested every word. This was the same Gen Y that everyone likes to complain about, that showed up to class late the first day with their Starbuck’s in hand, and they knocked me out. They were outstanding.
I cannot begin to tell you what a relief it is that, after eight years of delivering some of this material, those little nagging doubts have silenced. The questions of “Will they listen to me? Am I too young? Too old? Too male?” are gone. I know who I am, how I am perceived, and who I relate to. I’ve bombed countless presentations, and I’ve nailed a bunch of them, too. And I’ve debriefed them all. I’ll continue to have off days, I know that. The difference is, now I can see ‘em coming, and I can correct for them. It’s nice to know who I am.
The content is bigger than me. The content that is universal, yet my particular voice will appeal to a segment of that universe. The content needs to be delivered by others who can reach people that I can’t, through multiple channels. It’s going to take an investment of $4.5 million to make this happen (though sales will start with the first $750k) and I can’t move fast enough to get this thing going.
For the first time in a long, long time, I am totally, fully committed to what I’m doing, and it feels both exhilarating and a little scary. I have found a vehicle through which I can do the two things I have always wanted to do professionally: help people and build something. I’ve got it. It’s called Trestle Publishing, and the first product out of the gate is How to Self-Destruct. By committed, I mean not just involved, but committed. Much to the detriment of my wife’s blood pressure, and my hairline, too, I’ve even thrown away the safety net. Hence the little scary part.
If you’ve ever wondered how much time, energy, and money it takes to launch something important, the answer is: MORE. There is always one more sacrifice to make. I’m not talking about perfectionism like the website could always be a touch better; I mean that the sheer amount of force you need to apply to the wheel, so to speak, before sufficient momentum is built to reach any kind of tipping point is incredible. I thought I understood Jim Collins’ notion of the flywheel before… well, I can say now, with absolute humility, that as I stand here with my shoulder to the flywheel, now I get it.

There’s so much more, but time’s up. I have people waiting on me… for proposals, plans, content, notices… and more importantly, I have a wife I haven’t seen all week waiting for me. I need to go thank her for a level of support I’m not sure anyone deserves, least of all me.

Jason Seiden is Co-founder and CEO of Ajax Social Media, a training company that shows professionals how use social media to work more effectively.