What BookThinkers Live 2026 Taught Me (That Had Nothing to Do with Selling Books)
Sometimes the most valuable takeaway from a conference isn't a strategy or a sales tactic—it's a reminder of why you started in the first place.
Just before Living Your Best Audacious Life Ever: How UnleashingYour Inner Greatness Can Change the World became available for pre-order, I attended BookThinkers Live 2026.
Looking back, I don't think the timing could have been any better.
Over the course of the next two days, I found myself being reminded again and again which is why I wrote this book in the first place.
As I listened to authors share their journeys, I wasn't simply hearing their stories.
I was beginning to visualize my own.
I could see Living Your Best Audacious Life finding its way into someone's hands. I imagined someone highlighting a passage that spoke directly to where they were in life. I pictured a reader recommending it to a friend because the message resonated deeply enough that they wanted someone else to experience it too.
The speakers gave me fresh ideas for sharing my message, practical insights into the journey ahead, and renewed excitement for everything that comes with launching a book. But perhaps the greatest gift they gave me was something even more valuable.
They helped me see what was possible.
I've always believed visualization is an important first step toward making something real. Before we build something, we first have to be able to see it.
Sitting in that room, listening to authors describe the impact their books had made, I could finally picture what this book might become, not because of sales or recognition, but because of the people it might reach.
Beyond the presentations themselves, the entire experience reflected that same philosophy.
As each speaker walked onto the stage, a drone flew overhead capturing cinematic footage that made every entrance feel significant. It wasn't simply about creating impressive visuals. It communicated something deeper—that every person stepping onto that stage had a message worth hearing.
The atmosphere matched the mission.
And then there were the unexpected moments.
During his presentation, Kevin Davis paused, looked in my direction, and commented that I had a nice smile.
It was completely unexpected.
Books Change Lives
Although every speaker shared a different story, they all pointed back to the same simple truth.
Books change lives.
Not because they're printed.
Not because they become bestsellers.
But because the right message can reach the right person at exactly the right moment.
The Book Is a Vehicle for Something Bigger
Jim Kwik captured that idea perfectly.
"The goal is not the book. The goal is the movement that happens to have a book."
That quote completely reframed how I think about publishing.
After years of writing, editing, revising, and preparing a manuscript, it's easy to see the finished book as the destination.
Jim reminded me that it's not.
The book is simply the vehicle.
The destination is the conversation it starts.
The lives it influences.
The movement it creates.
That resonated deeply because Living Your Best Audacious Life Ever was never intended to sit quietly on a bookshelf.
It was written to encourage people to recognize the greatness already within themselves and use it to positively impact the people around them.
Write Something Worth Sharing
Eric Jorgenson offered another perspective that has stayed with me.
"I don't really know how to market a book. I only know how to write a book that people sell to each other."
That statement cut through so much of the noise surrounding book launches.
Yes, marketing matters.
Promotion matters.
Social media matters.
But nothing compares to a reader finishing your book and saying,
"You have to read this."
That kind of recommendation can't be manufactured.
It has to be earned.
Eric reminded me that the best marketing strategy is creating something people genuinely want to share.
Joy Can't Wait Until the Finish Line
Amberly Lago reminded us of something equally important.
"Joy is not the destination. Joy is the fuel for the journey."
That couldn't have come at a better time.
It's easy to postpone joy until after the launch.
After the reviews.
After the bestseller list.
After the next milestone.
But if joy is always waiting somewhere in the future, we'll miss the privilege of the journey itself.
Writing this book has already been a gift.
Meeting incredible people has been a gift.
Sharing this message has been a gift.
Amberly reminded me to enjoy those moments instead of rushing past them.
Your Story Matters
Rory Vaden added another piece to the puzzle.
His message reminded me that there are people who need to hear your story.
Not because it's completely different from everyone else's.
But because it's yours.
No one has lived my experiences.
No one has had the conversations I've been fortunate enough to have through hundreds of episodes of The Audacious Living Podcast.
No one can tell those stories from my perspective.
That realization removed a tremendous amount of pressure.
I don't have to write the perfect book.
I simply have to faithfully write the one I was meant to write.
The Experience Between the Speakers
One of the reasons these messages landed so well was because of how the event was put together.
Christian Johnson did an outstanding job as emcee.
He kept the room energized, connected each speaker seamlessly, and created an atmosphere that felt welcoming from beginning to end.
Christian helped make that happen.
Reconnecting with Familiar Faces
Another highlight of the weekend had nothing to do with the stage.
It was reconnecting with so many incredible people I've had the privilege of interviewing on The Audacious Living Podcast.
Over the years, the podcast has introduced me to remarkable authors, speakers, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. Seeing many of them again at BookThinkers Live 2026 felt less like attending a conference and more like reconnecting with old friends.
There were hugs, laughs, stories, and plenty of conversations that picked up right where they had left off.
Just as exciting were the new introductions.
I had the opportunity to meet authors and speakers whose stories I know would resonate with my audience, and I left with a growing list of potential future guests for the podcast.
For me, that was one of the greatest reminders of what happens when you consistently invest in meaningful conversations.
A podcast episode doesn't have to end when the recording stops.
Sometimes it becomes the beginning of a relationship that continues for years.
Walking through the conference, I realized The Audacious Living Podcast wasn't just something I produce each week—it has become a community of people committed to sharing ideas, encouraging others, and helping people grow.
That may have been one of the most rewarding parts of the entire weekend.
The Culture Nick Hutchison Built
Looking back, I realized this wasn't simply a conference about writing books.
Nick Hutchison has created something much bigger.
He has built a community.
Throughout the weekend there was a genuine sense that authors wanted one another to succeed. Conversations didn't feel transactional. People shared ideas freely, celebrated one another's wins, and encouraged each other without hesitation.
That culture doesn't happen by accident.
It's built intentionally.
And it reflected the message that echoed throughout the conference:
Books change lives because people are willing to share what they've learned with others.
A Different Flight Home
As I boarded my flight home, I found myself thinking less about marketing plans and more about people.
I pictured someone opening Living Your Best Audacious Life during a difficult season.
I pictured someone underlining a sentence because it spoke directly to what they needed to hear.
I pictured a reader buying a second copy because they knew someone else who needed the message.
I pictured conversations beginning.
Confidence growing.
Greatness being awakened.
That's what BookThinkers Live gave me.
Not simply ideas for launching a book.
A vision for what that book might mean in someone else's life.
Of course I'd love to see Living Your Best Audacious Life become a bestseller.
But after spending two days surrounded by people who genuinely believe in the power of books, I came home with a different definition of success.
If this book helps even one person discover the greatness that's already inside them—and inspires them to use it to change someone else's life—then it will have accomplished exactly what I hoped it would.
Because that's what BookThinkers Live reminded me.
Books really do change lives.
