She Made $3M in One Week With 7 Words | Ep 296 with Aurora Winter Founder of Same Page Publishing

0:04So, Aurora, I'm particularly excited to have you on. That's a hard word to say, by the way, particularly. But I'm excited to have you on because you and I, I think, both agree that stories are imperative to anyone. Telling a good story could be the differentiating factor between people remembering you and not remembering you. What was the moment for you when you realized just how important telling a story is? I had an occurrence where I had a million dollar idea for a business and we were trying to sell it and it was just not landing. But I knew it was a million dollar idea. And when I came up with seven words that totally captured the idea, they made$3 million in one week.

0:53So from going from completely stalled to 3 million in one week was seven words. So that was the moment where I'm like, holy moly, it's not enough to have just a great idea. You also have to have a great message. In that particular case, the seven words were five weeks of sun, fun, and tax shelter. And the neuroscience behind that is like, what? Those three things don't go together. Sun, fun, and tax shelter? And that was enough to be a pattern interrupt and grab people's attention. And we were selling yachts with tax shelter benefits. And what happened is, in addition to the$3 million in a week at a boat show, we also doubled our profit margins from 12 % to 24%.

1:37and we became the largest yacht dealer in Western Canada. Nobody could compete with us. Well, they could have competed with us, but they chose not to because there were barriers to entry because you had to figure out the tax shelter. So every client I've helped, every founder I've helped nail their message has come to me with zero capital raised and they've all raised seven or eight figures. And it's about distilling your message to the essence that grabs attention. I call that the movie trailer mindset, like something quick. And then you want to lean into the Netflix series mindset and continue to give them more stories, more information and engage until they say yes.

2:18So why does this land with people? Like what is the neuroscience behind it? The neuroscience behind how the brain works. You know, so many people are out there saying people have short attention spans of eight seconds less than a goldfish. That's not really accurate. it. It's more that people have gotten very efficient at distilling whether they want to listen further to your message. So yes, you have to grab attention in the first couple of seconds, but if you grab attention and if you build trust, people will hang with you for three hours if you're Joe Rogan, right? So you want to both interrupt, have a pattern interrupt or something really grabby like five weeks of sun fun and tax culture, which appeals to the crock brain.

3:01The crock brain is always looking for, is this novel? Is this new? Is this dangerous? Is this interesting? Is this something tasty, yummy to mate with or munch on? But you don't want to make people shut down with fear, but you also don't want to be just like every other message. And you want to do your message in this order. First, ancient reptilian brain, croc brain. Secondly, midbrain. So many people miss this step, midbrain. And then third, cerebral cortex, which is most people start with the cerebral cortex. This is not the place to start. So grab attention with like what category are we in?

3:33Like a book title, Turn Words Into Wealth. It's got a benefit, but the midbrain part is the awards. The brain, human beings survive for millennia, not because we're faster or stronger or have sharper teeth, but because we live in tribes. So we're hypervigilant for who else thinks this is cool. Does this messenger have status? One way to get status is to be an authority. And the root of the word authority is author. Congratulations on your new book. That's great. And so you want to hit that second stage. You can do that really quickly by just awards you've won, clients you've worked with, name drop.

4:10And then third, go on to the main core of your message. But you want to blend stories with data. And in fact, most people don't realize this, but data triggers the analyst brain and the analyst brain does not buy. whereas the story brain does. We buy with emotion, we decide emotionally, and then we rationalize with the numbers. I learned a lot. As you're saying it, I was thinking about messaging that I've been doing. Like, oh, okay, I've been doing this all wrong. I need to tweak the messaging. So would you say that I imagine when it comes to sales, this could be a major thing, but how does this tie into a book?

4:51Like you said before about the yachts, I could totally understand from a sales perspective. I'm thinking about my copy, by the way. I totally redid my whole website in that first couple of minutes that you were talking. But how do you see this translating into a book and obviously something that's much longer? It applies to every element of communication. And so I invite people to just think about your title of your book, make it really clear what problems you solve. Think about the subtitle of your book and test it. But every bit of information, like every chapter, should start with a hook. In my books, usually the chapters start with a little quote that grabs attention really quickly.

5:33Then there'll be a story, and then there'll be a lesson, there'll be some action you can take. And even within the chapter, there are so many hidden story structures. Once you learn these structures, I know you're also in media, so you know most of these structures as well. Once you master these structures, which I've explained in the book Turn Words Into Wealth, then you can lay over it almost any story. So the hero's journey story structure is super effective. Most people are familiar with that from watching any movie like Star Wars. But each founder should have their own hero's journey story to share.

6:12Like why did they start the company? What was the turning point? Or how have they impacted and transformed the lives of the people who use their product or service? So you want to collect all of those stories and really leverage them. But there are shorter things. For example, I can teach really quickly, a myth bust is a great way to do a pattern interrupt that will get that crock brain. You know, so you want to consider what is it that everybody knows that is absolutely wrong. So, for example, at Same Page Publishing, which is the company that I founded most recently, I've founded a bunch of companies.

6:50You know, I think the myth is people think they need a ghostwriter. But the fact is they don't need a ghostwriter. They actually need to be launched as an author, as a thought leader. So what we do at Same Page Publishing is instead of just getting the manuscript or just getting the book, you know, we book them on podcasts. We do media training. We apply for awards. We get the book launch with reviews. We set up like a three-month pre-launch campaign. So it's interesting. Like you can always do a myth bust, see what people think in your industry, and then if it's not right, bust it, and that'll quickly grab attention.

7:25What do you think needs to change internally for people? I think I obviously know people that I can tell they really want to be famous. Like they go on TikTok and they dance and they get a lot of followers and they love the fame part. But I think there's also a lot of people that are hesitant because they don't they're afraid of of the, you know, the word fame. Right. Most likely they're not going to become famous. But still, the thought of of that makes them nervous. What do you think needs to change internally? Well, I think we all suffer from imposter syndrome from time to time. And I'm not an expert in fame.

8:03I'm not a Kardashian. But what I would offer is that when we have the spotlight focused on ourselves, that's when depression or uncertainty or imposter syndrome creeps in. When we can shift the spotlight of attention onto the people that we want to serve, like I know you're up to a mission, right, with your founder story. You're not just saying, hey, I want to be famous. You're saying, hey, I want to change lives. I want to help founders. So when you turn the spotlight onto the lives of your clients, your listeners, or your audience, then you can communicate so much more effectively. And who knows?

8:39Fame may or may not happen, but you're far more likely to enjoy the journey. I like famous in your industry versus like general faith. I'm fascinated by this, by the way. I feel like I want to take your brain and put it into like ChatGPT and just have a ChatGPT that tells me all my stories. Was there a time, though, when your story didn't land that maybe you thought it was going to, but for some reason it didn't take up the way you wanted it? so many times. What went wrong there? There's firstly, no matter how good your story is, it's not for everyone. So I think we can lean into, I think Jack Canfield was the person who said it, but maybe he wasn't the first, you know, some will, some won't.

9:23So what? Someone's waiting. Right? I really like that. But for me, the times when I have failed to connect and thought that I should have. It was because I rushed too much. And I thought, well, it was obvious to the other person why whatever I was up to was going to be like better than sliced bread. But I didn't slow down enough to check in with them. And here's a quick tip everybody can use right away. So a good way to check in with other people, you know, what the meeting is, or if you're dealing with a prospect, is have them describe in their own words what they think their hell is. Like, what are their challenges?

10:01What are their problems? What are their frustrations? What's driving them crazy? And then what would heaven look like? Like, what would it look like if they solved those problems? If they overcame that adversity, if they were a better communicator, if they got, you know, bestselling award-winning book, have them describe those two things and then sit with that and just reflect back and say, what I'm hearing you say is, and then you feedback what the hell is, you're currently having these challenges. And what I'm hearing you say is, You'd really like these challenges to be solved. And if they were solved, this would be the impact.

10:34And the times when I failed to have my message land, I did not do that. And that's a simple thing to do. And I've had so many people, when I do take the time to do that, go, wow, that helped me so much. I just mirrored back what they said, but the penny dropped for them. And then I'm like, well, duh, I guess I definitely won a bestselling award-winning book. Can you help me with that? Be a penny dropper. I like that. I could remember the times. You're right. where I was, it was more selling. It's like, you know, you can sell the value of something or you can sell like what it is. And when you sell too much of what it is, it totally doesn't land because who cares about what it is?

11:13It's like how it's going to impact me. I've made that mistake many times, Aurora. I imagine too, your name stands out to people. I really, I think, what do you think about having like a, like something that defines you? For example, like your name. And I know, you know, a lot of actors would change their name or I know someone he every time he goes to like a speaking engagement or somewhere, he wears these wild looking pants. And I asked someone, he's like, it's just my thing. People remember. How do you feel about that? I think that can work for some people. You know, whatever feels right to you and is fun.

11:51I think if it's part of your brand, like one of my clients, she's got purple hair and that's really part of her brand and it gives her joy. So I think if it gives you joy that you're onto a correct kind of branding, but if you're forcing it, then probably not. So if it's not your thing to wear like a glittery glove like Michael Jackson, don't go there. the other time that the penny really dropped for me about the power of message I you know I host million dollar message training and I had one of my clients and it's like a couple of day event and I have them come and present at the beginning of the event and then at the end of the event and one of my clients came up and everybody in the audience was like okay I know this guy's smart I think he's got, you know, integrity, but I have no idea what he's doing.

12:37I don't understand his business because he was getting in the weeds. Like he was 14 steps down into the coding of it. And then on the last day when he came up and he was much more clear after having practiced and having all of the tools, people in the audience actually invested in his business on the spot. So again, the power of having the right words, the right words at the right time can just change your whole life. And quick example, like we all know how, what a success the Apple launches are, but Steve Jobs spent three weeks practicing what to say, where to stand, where to pause. And so if it's, if you think you're too busy to practice your message, you could be wrong.

13:20In fact, I think it's the highest payoff activity that you can do. I think a big mistake is people work so hard on their products, their services, their SOPs, their team, their culture, whatever, and then they just pay no attention to their message. And I would love people to lean into practicing your message and read the book, Turn Words Into Wealth, and give you a bunch of tips. And it's even for free. You can get it at turnwordsintowealth.com. My gift to you, you get the ebook for free with lots of things you can do. I mean, Turn Words Into Wealth. Like, Like when you first said, I'm like, I need that book right now.

13:56And I'm not as busy as Steve Jobs. So I know that there's no excuse for me. And I didn't realize that about three weeks. If I could meet someone, I would have really liked to meet Steve Jobs and have a conversation. I feel like that'd be very interesting. We had his business coach on here before some and the guy gave us some very fascinating stories about him. But I feel like that'd be an interesting person to be. Who would you want to meet? If you could sit down and have a conversation. I would love to meet Elon Musk. He's my hero in spite of all the flack he's been gotten. That guy is so intelligent.

14:32He's scary. He's scary smart. Gosh, I'd have to think what would be a good question to ask him that would be that I could understand the answer to. I would love to know more about why he wants us all to have an ability to live on Mars. I guess that kind of makes sense, but I would like to learn more about that. When you and I understand all these things that you're saying today. And I mean, this is this is really a masterclass. And I know obviously people can get the book and all the things that you offer to. What was it, though, a turning point when you said a book? Like, why is a book the shift?

15:08Because I think books used to be like I write a fiction book because I'm an author. and I think a lot of people say I don't want to write a book because I'm not an author and I know you mentioned before some tips there but why was it that a book is such an important piece that people can build wealth and do things adult fantasy magic mystery I like that it looks amazing I want to read that book it is amazing it's kind of like Harry Potter meets Doctor Who and it won the Reader's Choice Award yeah so that's pretty cool. There's a trilogy of books. And we also have a YouTube channel called Anna's S Series.

15:47So why a book, to answer your question? Amazon is the number three search engine, but YouTube is the number two search engine. So as SEO, search engine optimization, is being overtaken by AI, so AEO or generative engine optimization, whatever we're going to call it, I think it's a really wonderful chance in 2026 to jump on your branding because I think there's an opportunity right here, right now to really boost your brand. And I think if you miss this window of opportunity in 2026, maybe part of 2027, you're going to regret it. So I don't think it's only about a book. I think it's about communicating what you're up to and what you care about in a way that's useful to others.

16:29A book is a legacy piece. You kind of really only need one amazing book. Like James Clear has done just fine with just Atomic Habits. I think it took him 10 years to published the workbook to Atomic Habits. But that book, he promoted it for a whole year before it came out. And then he's been speaking about it for a decade after. It was five years on the New York Times bestseller list. So a legacy piece of intellectual property like a book opens doors that you didn't even know were closed to you. It's like having an MD or a PhD or an MBA. He didn't even know that you couldn't get in that door without it.

17:04And then, well, all of a sudden, You can speak on larger stages, get on media, get on TV. But I also really would love the listeners to pay more attention to YouTube. So in October of 2025, so just two months ago, OpenAI dropped Sora 2. And as a result, it's now possible at a small business budget to do amazing videos. You can see some examples at Anna's Zest series. We had a video go viral. It's got 250 ,000 views. and it's just shocking, amazing what you can do now. My background's in film and TV, but you couldn't do that on a reasonable budget to have a character and have motion and have music and have dialogue and having, you know, just emotion.

17:49And now you can do it. So whether another example is at Strategic Basics, it's me talking to camera, but then a lot of B-roll. So that's the in-between step, if you want to go with an animated avatar or not. I think there's a huge opportunity to step up your branding in 2026. In fact, I have a new book coming out in 2026 called Brand Strategy in the Age of AI. Catch the wave, own the future. It's great. Like you said, you can do things you couldn't do before at a very low budget. Yeah. At the same time, everyone can do things at a low budget. So I almost feel like you now have millions more people who could potentially be competing with you in your same space.

18:37So what's going to really make you stand out? And, you know, I didn't I never even thought about the atomic habits of just you. If you have one book, it's like having that one TED talk. Yes. Like if you have that one thing, that one thing, you're only one step away. we had a guest on all this like nobody was watching his stuff but one person watched it and it changed his whole life so it's only that one thing you only need one fan that's right one you can be one video away one book away one podcast appearance away from 10xing or more your business and your income and your influence so it's pretty exciting time to be alive yeah and I really love it.

19:20Like we, you know, our two minute videos have the same amount of structure behind them as a 90 minute feature film. So that's kind of, you know, our edge is as an award-winning screenwriter, I know the story structure behind successful feature films and I can write a draft of a video that's two minutes long, but that is structured like a feature film. So it hooks attention. And I'm finding that a really fun challenge. That's amazing. I just find myself making videos, and stuff that are useless. I have nothing to do with my business. It's like a hobby. And I saw Disney will start allowing, I don't know if they already did, or they're about to start allowing people on Sora to be able to use Disney characters and such.

20:04But can you tell your website again, how they can get the book and all that? Sure. So my website is samepagepublishing.com because I come on the same page as my clients. and if people would like help being launched as a thought leader, they can sign up for a business breakthrough call for free at bookcall.biz. Bookcall.biz. And if they would like to get Turn Words Into Wealth absolutely for free, they can go to, guess it, turnwordsintowealth.com, making it really simple for you, and you'll get the e-book for free or the physical book is available wherever books are sold. And many people like the physical book.

20:42I really like that. I can see now. It's like we don't always think about the name of something. It's like we come up with a name. We come up with things. But I don't think we always put a lot of thought into like what that will represent and what that means. But I can tell you are you do everything you do is strategic. And that is amazing. Aurora Winter. How can you forget that name? That's like I'll never forget your name. But thank you so much for giving all this information today. I think I might have learned the most in 22 minutes. I'm glad to finish out the year with this episode because I think this might be the most I've ever learned.

21:22Wow, what a nice compliment. Almost six years of doing this. I saw that. We covered a lot very quickly. A lot. This is really a lot. This is amazing. But thank you so much. End the year and thanks so much. Exactly. Exactly. I think we're going to have a huge 2026 just off this information today. So thank you for joining us. Thank you.