Interview with Jonathan Mead

Jon Mead is a fascinating person. He:

• Is on the faculty of Project Mojave
• Writes compelling posts at Illuminated Mind
• Has a regular posting slot on Zen Habits
• Has released an ebook called Reclaim Your Dreams.

The Interview

1. You offer a free copy of your ebook to bloggers who are willing to review it. How has this strategy worked out for you?

Bloggers get free stuff and their readers get exposed to products they might find valuable, and I make more sales of course. So I think it works out really well.

2. You have recently been able to quite your job based on the income you make online. Will this change how you approach your blog?

I don't think it will really effect the way I blog, but it is definitely effecting the amount of time and energy I have available. I have a lot of new projects for the website that I'm currently working on. I couldn't have hoped to make any of them happen if I didn't have the ability to completely focus on my work with Illuminated Mind.

3. How did you become a regular contributer on zen habits?

Leo was looking for a regular writer and a mutual friend of ours recommended me to him. I really wasn't expecting it at the time, or even looking for a regular spot anywhere, but it definitely worked out well for both of us.

4. Your blog has over 8000 subscribers. Do you have any tips for bloggers looking to create such a strong community?

Do what you want and be remarkable about it. Then give people what they want, and be remarkable about it.

5. You have successfully launched your ebook, Reclaim Your Dreams. What tips did you learn during this process?

It pays to write about something people really want to know more about, or need help with a problem they're facing. In my case, I knew through writing on my blog and surveying my readers, that a lot of people were struggling with giving up on their dreams. I didn't try to give people what I thought they wanted. I didn't try to sell my readers something I thought would help them. I asked them what they needed help with, then I gave it to them. I think more than anything, that was my key to launching a successful product.

6. How did you become involved in Project Mojave?

Clay and I have been friends since we both started blogging around February of 2008. He wanted to bring a few people into Project Mojave as faculty members, and he asked me to join. So I did.

7. Was it hard breaking into the personal development niche?

It wasn't hard "breaking into the personal development niche." That's easy. This should be obvious seeing how many thousands of bloggers do it every day.

Standing out, is a different thing entirely. In order to do that, I had to find a way to position myself so that I wasn't trying to compete with all the other successful personal development bloggers. Instead of trying to beat them, I decided to be the alternative to them. Anyone can do this, it's just a matter of figuring out who the other people aren't speaking to, and then giving them what they want.

8. You offer a kick arse coaching program. Do you plan to explore coaching and consulting further?

Yes, I do. In fact I'll be doing a full (paid) membership course this fall called "How to Get Paid to Exist." It will be a live video course series, with personalized training and one-on-one coaching. I'm really excited to be able to offer this kind of close support and connection with individuals that can really benefit from it.