Recently, I spoke with Katie Mazzocco, the founder of and entrepreneur productivity coach with Full Spectrum Productivity, about her business, her passion, and her experience with writing her book Revolutionary Productivity.
She works with entrepreneurs, mostly women coaches and consultants, to help them save two hours a day with their businesses through productivity systems and processes that she’s developed. She’s been using these systems and processes for over 16 years—since before she started her business. Her unique methods focus on embracing the feminine way of approaching work and helping these women embrace and make the most use of the way they are naturally wired. Plus, something I loved to hear, Katie is passionate about changing the world and believes that the world needs more love, which we can gain by helping entrepreneurs do what lights them up.
Revolutionary Productivity is a compact read, only 77 pages, and focuses on how to maximize your productivity, income, and impact. Katie discusses what she believes about business and productivity and her unique seven-step process that helps people save two hours a day in their businesses.
A business mentor challenged Katie to write the book. She convinced her it was a way to share what she knows and believes so she could help more people. “I always wanted to write a book,” Katie said, “but this idea shifted my lens to see how impactful it could be to write a business book.” Her goal was to write a book that a busy woman entrepreneur could read in 1.5–2 hours, sharing what she believes about how systems that increase productivity are tools for changing the world. “It’s a call to arms to liberate women from the stress that traps so many women entrepreneurs.”
The book is unique because it dives deep into the core of what Katie believes: the purpose of productivity is love. “It takes something really masculine and makes it about designing the life you ultimately want and removing the blocks in the way of that. I like to flip a lot of ideas on their head.” For example, when people try to be more productive, they usually try to do more things or look at more efficiency, but she looks at what’s already there, especially the mindset layer. Then she examines how you use your time and energy, eliminating chaos and helping you set yourself free.
Prior to writing her book, Katie’s experience with writing was mostly with blogs, social media, marketing, and other pieces for her business. The closest she had come previously was writing a chapter in an Amazon best-selling anthology and academic papers in college, which doesn’t translate to writing a heart-felt business book.
To help her with the writing process, Katie hired the editor who managed the anthology because she had been so supportive through the process. Together, they had conversations about her vision. As she wrote, Katie sent parts of the book to the editor, who gave feedback about what was missing or was overdeveloped. Then she went through the full editing process. Working with a professional helped her reflect on what was really powerful insight. “Plus, writing down what I had been teaching for seven years and just getting it out of my head helped me own it more. I realized things I hadn’t before about what I was teaching. The writing process was so powerful.”
The most challenging part of the writing process was trying to keep the book brief. “Because I was writing for busy entrepreneurs, I wanted to share enough to make an impact but not overwhelm them. It took a lot of attention and finesse.” Katie said she also suffered from self-doubt as she worked, sometimes thinking “who am I to write a book” or “everyone in the world knows this.” But having an editor on her side reassured her that she was on the right path. After writing her book, she better understood what set her apart from all the other productivity people. It gave her clarity on what she believes and lit a bigger fire in her.
Katie published Revolutionary Productivity through Create Space by herself. She said it was easy, but she had to dig to answer some of the questions on the site.
She knew that when she launched she wanted to make it an Amazon best-selling book, so she hired her friend who is an expert in the process. It wasn’t that difficult. She did a big launch with over 100 people to promote the book, and within a day, it hit #1 Amazon best-selling status in four categories. “I loved that amount of support for something so important to me.” Now her book is a tool for speaking and to help gain press attention for her business. How? Writers can check Help a Reporter Out for media opportunities, and with an Amazon best-seller under her belt, Katie gets a lot more attention when she offers her expertise. She has been quoted in Forbes, Fast Company, USA Weekly, and others as a result. Katie also references her book at speaking engagements, occasionally gives away copies, and offers the book for sale.
What is Katie’s advice for someone who wants to start writing? “Get support. You need someone on your side who can guide you through the mindset and actual process. When you hire someone, you have accountability, so you want to follow through. Also, just believe in yourself, and be willing to unlock your heart and share vulnerably because it lets your heart sing and lets the truth shine through.”
Pick up Katie’s book here.