Today I’m interviewing Michael Luchies, an entrepreneur, writer and public speaker, who recently gave an interesting Tedx talk called “The Importance of Being an Unselfish Storyteller”.

As an entrepreneur and writer, what do you do exactly?

Michael Luchies: I call myself an entrepreneurial writer, but it’s much more than that, and much more enjoyable and fulfilling than it sounds.

What lead you to become an entrepreneurial writer?

Michael Luchies: My background is in entrepreneurship, and like many entrepreneurs, I’ve held many different jobs before finding my true calling.

I was a pizza maker, camp counselor, bank teller, debt collector, salesman, Radio Shack employee, clerk at a thrift store, front desk attendant at a hotel, interview editor for an online media publication, manager at a nonprofit and much more.

When did you discover your talent?

Michael Luchies: I first found my interest in writing when trying to market my first business in 2007.

What was your initial goal?

Michael Luchies: I knew I needed to market the business, but I didn’t have a budget for paid advertising.

I did have time, so I started to write on blogs and through freelance writing websites.

Because of my writing, I reached customers, publications, and was even invited to speak at a national convention in Las Vegas.

I was hooked on the value that writing had provided me with.

When did you begin seriously pursuing your dream?

Michael Luchies: While working for a nonprofit that worked with young entrepreneurs, I started writing for small businesses and founders who were looking to market their businesses through writing just as I had years before.

And now?

Michael Luchies: Today, I help companies create a content strategy, manage a blog, write case studies and whitepapers, and even ghostwrite to help them get published in publications like Entrepreneur Magazine and the Huffington Post.

I work with companies from social media networks to marine refrigeration manufacturers.

What aspect of your art do you enjoy most?

Michael Luchies: It’s rewarding being able to put my business experience and knowledge to work by using my skill as a writer.

The Importance of Being an Unselfish Storyteller | Michael Luchies | TEDxNormal – YouTube

How did you get to be a speaker on TEDx?

Michael Luchies: I’m a collaborative person and networking and helping others pays off. I’ve worked very hard to help others within the field of entrepreneurship and created an extensive network.

What made you change the theme of your TEDx talk?

Michael Luchies: Just a few weeks before I was to be on stage, I decided to talk with the speech coach that the event secured to provide help to speakers if they needed it.

I thought I was prepared and ready to give a strong talk, but I decided to talk to the coach because I was urged by another speaker who talked up how good he was.

I spoke with Brad Boyer, the speech coach, and everything changed.

I realized that my topic at the time was lacking depth and there was this other story deep inside me that desperately wanted to get out.

Until that day, I didn’t even realize that the reason I shared personal details with other people and went out of my way to be vulnerable and selfless was because I was ashamed and embarrassed about a previous opportunity I missed to help someone else.

The story just came together after my talk with Brad, and I’m very thankful I made the call.

If I would’ve made the other speech, it might have been okay and would’ve probably been better for my business, but who cares?

It would’ve been a selfish message that was intended to help me more than help others.

Fighting selfishness is an everyday struggle, but the more I give and help others, the easier it becomes to not think of my benefit, but the benefit of others, even within business and entrepreneurship.

Do you think that there may be a spiritual, non-religious awakening taking place at this time?

Michael Luchies: Honestly, I think we have a long way to go, but there is certainly more awareness of positive movements happening throughout the world.

Can we be sure there is actually an ‘awakening’ rather than just more awareness and coverage of positive movements?

No, but I do think we are trending towards positive social change.

But, there is so much pain, violence, and the unnecessary spreading of fear in the media that it’s hard to stay positive sometimes.

These are the times when we need to come together as people, regardless of any characteristic or demographic, and work together.

How do you imagine the world changing if more people share their stories as a means to help others?

Michael Luchies: This is a fantastic question.

Communication significantly improves the world. I’m going to steal a thought from my friend and colleague, Mike Veny, a mental health speaker and owner of Transforming Stigma who also spoke at TEDxNormal.

He talks about mental illness and the importance of getting people to feel comfortable with talking about it.

He uses gay marriage to illustrate his point. Regardless of your personal views on the matter, the conversation about it and coverage helped changed laws and make an actual difference in the world.

If we open up, become vulnerable and start sharing our hard times and terrible experiences, we will bring comfort and strength to others.

It might not seem like a big deal to some, but it can save lives, motivate people to act, and change the course of the world forever.

Just think of the seemingly insignificant things that have happened in your life that ended up making a significant difference. One night, I was with a group of friends, and I convinced them to go bowling. I decided to make a phone call to a new girl that I had met the week before to see if she wanted to meet us at the bowling alley. She brought several friends, and one of them was interested in one of my friends. A couple years later they were married and had a child.

How crazy is it to think that one phone call led to two people’s lives completely changing and the creation of another life?

I’m not taking credit for that of course, but it’s amazing the impact we can have from even small actions.

Why do you think that it’s important to make a difference?

Michael Luchies: Outside of my religious beliefs, which have a significant impact on how I try to live, it’s simple. I live in this world, but I’m not the only person living in this word. It’s my responsibility to positively contribute to the world I and the people I love. I’m only here because of the actions of others. I have a debt to pay, and kindness and selfless giving to others is a great way to pay it off.

How important is feedback to you?

Michael Luchies: Feedback from people I know and respect is extremely important. It is equally important to carefully choose the people you hope to receive accurate feedback from.

For example, not everyone understands what it’s like to run your own business.

If you want to start a business, don’t ask a relative who has worked in the corporate world their whole life if it’s a good idea or not.

Consult with people who have been where you want to be.

Have you had times where you thought that your goal is impossible?

Michael Luchies: All the time! Doubt and fear is part of all of our lives.

How do you manage to overcome your fears and doubts?

Michael Luchies: The best way I’ve learned to overcome these fears is by determining whether my desire to do something is greater than the fear I feel.

If the desire is greater, I do it and the fear disappears.

For example, I was terrified to give my talk at TEDx. Then I spoke to Michael Port (author), who asked me if my desire to share my message was greater than my fear. The answer was a resounding yes, and the fear, at least partially, went away.

Is there something you’d like to share so as to encourage people to pursue their dreams?

Michael Luchies: Dreams can trick us.

Have you ever woken up from a dream and swore it was real?

Sometimes, dreams aren’t what we actually want in life. I used to dream about being rich and successful, but when presented with opportunities to pursue that path instead of doing rewarding work I was passionate about for little money, I took the path of doing intrinsically rewarding work instead of the financially rewarding work.

What caused you to change your perspective?

Michael Luchies: It all clicked when I thought about my inevitable death.

Bleak, right? I thought about what I would want my wife or business partner to say about me at my funeral.

You know what I didn’t imagine them saying?

“Michael was a very rich man who accomplished a lot.”

I realized I didn’t care about that at all. What I cared about was helping others, and specifically, within business. I wanted to help business owners provide amazing products and services to their customers and provide a comfortable living for their families.

What was the result of your newly gained insight?

Michael Luchies: I’m now doing the kind of work I truly believe in, and my dreams have changed.

What is the lesson to be learned in this instance?

Michael Luchies: Before you chase your dreams, make sure you actually want to achieve those dreams.

What has been the most successful venue of promotion of your work?

Michael Luchies: After publishing over 1,000 articles, you’d think that I had some magic formula for what I preferred and the perfect way to promote an article, but I don’t.

I consistently use different platforms and channels depending on the content and the audience I’m trying to reach.

I have more experience with LinkedIn than any other platform because my business relies on working with other businesses. I published unique articles every day for over 180 straight days to start the year, and all were published online. I learned a lot during this time, but I didn’t come away relying on LinkedIn as my primary tool for promoting my work.

Based on your vast experience, what would you recommend?

Michael Luchies: I recommend testing and then honing in on what works. If you think you’ve found the right channel for promoting your business or work, invest money and time to perfect it. The worst that can happen (as long as you spend responsibly) is that you learn a lot about it and realize there are better methods to promote your work or business, as I did with LinkedIn.

For my TEDx talk, I’ve experimented with YouTube playlists, blogging, tweeting, using paid advertising on Facebook and using SEO experts to promote the video. Surprisingly, the most effective method by far has simply been emailing people I know and kindly asking that they watch my talk and provide me with feedback. Even with so many tools available, sometimes our best bet is right in front of our nose!

Learn more about Michael Luchies on his website and on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin

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