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Shelf Made Stories

Christina Nicholson

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Hear how people are turning bookish passions into thriving businesses on Shelf Made Stories. Listen each week to hear from people behind bookstores, book buses, book trucks, subscription box curators, and paid book clubs. We're talking to the trailblazers turning pages into profits and stories into thriving communities. From cozy corner shops to wheels-on-fire bookmobiles, we uncover the tales behind the shelves (and steering wheels!). Whether you're a book lover, an aspiring entrepreneur, o ...
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Become a Media Maven

Christina Nicholson

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Monthly
 
If you’re tired of seeing your competition in places you would love to be mentioned or featured, this is where you will learn to get attention in the media without spending money on ads. You don't need to hire a public relations agency to see the benefits of these marketing tactics. By listening to this podcast, you can become a Media Maven on the local and national news, in newspapers, in magazines, in online articles, in blogs, as a contributor, on podcasts, on the radio, and more. Your ho ...
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show series
 
What if you could run a bookstore without actually owning a storefront? In this episode, we chat with Alicia Boemi, the founder of Lakeside Books in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It’s a charming indie bookstore that lives inside another store and rolls around town in a tricked-out trailer. Yep, she’s running two bookstores in one… without the overhead of…
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In this episode, we’re diving into the heart of Bookstagram with Kristen Cioffi—aka Kray’s Book Club. If you've ever wondered how to grow an authentic, engaged community online without selling your soul to the algorithm, this is your episode. Kristen keeps it real about how she started posting about books during a tough time, and how that turned in…
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What happens when you mix romance novels, DIY spirit, and a full bar? You get The Plot Twist, Denton's most Instagrammable bookstore, and a total book lover's dream. In this episode, Darci Middleton shares how she went from being a middle school science teacher to opening a one-of-a-kind bookstore with her mom. We talk about: The viral book wall (a…
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Ever wonder who’s behind the voice in your favorite audiobook? Meet Marni Penning, an audiobook narrator with over 350 titles under her belt (plus a spicy secret pseudonym). In this episode, Marni shares how she went from performing Shakespeare on stage to narrating Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, and Crescent City... all from her basement studio. She shares:…
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If you're into food, books, or doing good... you’re going to love this one. Kimberly Behzadi is the founder of Read It & Eat Bookshop, Buffalo’s first culinary bookstore that mixes reading, eating, and giving back in the tastiest way possible. We talk about: How she turned her book subscription box into a brick-and-mortar store The magic of cookboo…
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What happens when a lifelong romance reader, punk rock enthusiast, and photographer turns a trailer into a moody, mobile bookstore? You get Slow Burn. Tonya Pineda, the creator behind Slow Burn, a jet-black trailer-turned-bookstore specializing in romance. shares how she and her husband (neither of them particularly handy) built the entire thing fr…
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She went from 0 to 1,000 subscribers in one year. In two years, she was bringing in one million dollars in revenue. Five years ago, Lorena Hixson launched her first subscription box. Because reading has always been a cornerstone of her personal growth, healing, and self-care journey, she wanted to create an experience that encourages more women to …
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Come inside Flame & Fable, the charming new romantasy bookstore that's quickly becoming a community hub in Lakewood, Ohio. Owner Nickie Lui opened her doors just over a month ago, but she's already outperforming her business projections and creating a space where strangers bring birthday gifts and book recommendations flow freely. But the journey w…
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What started as a spicy subscription box packed in her kitchen is now two thriving bookstores, a merch line, and a romance convention. In this episode, Melissa Saavedra, founder of Steamy Lit, shares how she turned her love of romance books into a full-on literary brand. We talk about how she built her audience, grew from popups to storefronts, and…
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Karley Schaper shares how her handcrafted bookshelf decorations accidentally launched a thriving business from her small Oklahoma town, "where there are more cows than people." In this episode, Karley shares How creating without sales intentions can lead to organic business growth The power of authentic social media sharing that grew Karley's Insta…
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This week’s guest is literally tearing books apart... and people love her for it. What started as a casual scroll through BookTok turned into a side hustle-turned-small business for Valerie Brand, all centered around rebinding books into one-of-a-kind, stunning keepsakes. She’s crafted custom covers for fantasy favorites, sentimental heirlooms, and…
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What happens when a real estate-savvy book lover stumbles upon a shuttered bookstore already zoned for hotel use? You get The Bookhouse Hotel, a boutique literary escape where guests literally sleep surrounded by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. In this episode, Stephanie Olenik, the creative force behind not one, but two magical book-themed hotels in…
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Listen in as author Lou Emerson reveals how she transformed her love of cozy crime fiction into a subscription box business. Lou shares how she delivers an immersive reading experience by pairing mystery novels with page-specific gifts, built a loyal subscriber base through a clever email challenge, and manages the chaos of "Christmas every month" …
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Four friends in their 20s realized none of them were reading books like they used to. So, Ben Bradbury hosted a casual gathering on their rooftop, invited some friends, put together a playlist, and everyone just... read books together. Then they chatted about what they were reading before calling it a night. But it caught on. Ben and three of his f…
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Jules Buonocore reaches 800,000 monthly readers and has built multiple revenue streams through her book blog, The Literary Lifestyle. In this episode, she reveals her journey from attorney to book influencer, her battle with Google's algorithm changes, and the surprising way she's monetizing trending book series like Fourth Wing and ACOTAR. She als…
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Amanda Badeau left her corporate job to pursue her childhood dream of opening a bookstore. We chat with Amanda about trading her corporate ops director role for the green-walled, castle-like atmosphere of "The Archive" – her dark academia bookstore in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Amanda gets real about the ups and downs of making this childhood …
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When everyone said bookstores couldn't survive, Jenny Kelley did the impossible - opening Bookish Boutique in just 25 days! With pink couches, a wine bar, and custom "Smut University" merch, this Panama City store is defying the odds. How is she thriving where major chains have failed? Tune in to discover the secrets behind her success and why read…
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When publishers wouldn't pay for her bookish content on Instagram (free books don't pay bills!), Hayley Solano got creative and built a literary empire that goes far beyond monthly discussions. After growing her #bookstagram to 40,000 followers, Hayley launched The Enchanted Book Club. She took her love of books and turned it into this vibe where c…
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Have you ever dreamed of opening your own bookstore? Pull up a chair as Amy Hall takes us behind the shelves of Hudson Valley Books for Humanity. She's getting real about the ups, downs, and creative hustle it takes to make an indie bookstore work today. From turning her book-loving dream into a thriving community hub to finding smart ways to keep …
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Want to turn your overflowing bookshelves into a business? Join us for a chat with Renee Powers, Director of Partnerships and Publicity at PangoBooks, where book lovers are becoming entrepreneurs from their living rooms. She's spilling the details on how readers are transforming their personal libraries into profitable ventures, building community …
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Today, I will let you know what I highlighted and why in part four of this Atomic Habits series. If you’re not familiar with Atomic Habits, here’s a crash course: James Clear wrote this book and introduces “The Four Laws of Behavior Change”. The four laws are: Make it Obvious Make it Attractive Make it Easy Make it Satisfying Those four things to r…
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Today, I will let you know what I highlighted and why in part three of this Atomic Habits series. If you’re not familiar with Atomic Habits, here’s a crash course: James Clear wrote this book and introduces “The Four Laws of Behavior Change”. The four laws are: Make it Obvious Make it Attractive Make it Easy Make it Satisfying Those four things to …
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This is the first book I’ve read twice. The first time I listened to it. This last time, I read it with a highlighter. Today, I will let you know what I highlighted and why in part one of this series. I’m doing this selfishly because I think this is a great way for me to retain what I read. I’ve read so many great non-fiction books, but when I try …
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This is the first book I’ve read twice. The first time I listened to it. This last time, I read it with a highlighter. Today, I will let you know what I highlighted and why in part one of this series. I’m doing this selfishly because I think this is a great way for me to retain what I read. I’ve read so many great non-fiction books, but when I try …
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When I published my book, Become a Media Maven, my friend and past podcast guest Jessica Terzakis invited me to co-host a LinkedIn Live event with her. She asked me a bunch of questions about the most overlooked and free way to find more clients. Unfortunately, LinkedIn Live audio events don’t automatically save on the platform, so I recorded it an…
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Today, we’re walking and talking about my book launch. I’ll tell you about how I came up with the idea to write this book, why the focus changed, when it was hard for me to sit down and write the book, and every little thing I did to market the book when it went live. If you’ve thought of writing a book to traditionally publish or self-publish, thi…
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I am thrilled to announce that my new book, Become a Media Maven, will be published next week. After exploring the options of traditional publishing versus self-publishing, I have decided to take the self-publishing route. In this episode, I share the 5 reasons behind my decision. Join Christina's newsletter for insider tips on growing your busines…
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Yong-Soo Chung from FirstClassFounders.com and the host of the First Class Founders podcast. Yong-Soo is a serial entrepreneur bootstrapping his business from nothing to $20m over eight years. Now, he's on a mission to help founders and creators build an audience, create irresistible product offers, and grow their businesses. In this episode, he sh…
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Before recording this episode, I was one of those people who did not have a crisis communications plan. Now I do… and you should too. Linda Zebian, the leader of communications and community at Muck Rack, shares five ways we can prepare for a crisis. Then, when one hits, the five things to do to handle the crisis. In a world of social media and can…
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So many people want to know how to do their own public relations… when they’re ready. It’s shocking how many excuses I hear from people on why they’re not ready. Not big enough. Not well known yet. Not making enough money. Don’t have a team. Still have a full-time job. The beauty is, PR is what makes you all of these things. Here’s how. 1. Not big …
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I’m going to break down the who, what, when, where, why, and how in this episode. If you haven’t jumped in my bootcamp yet, you can see how this played out for a solopreneur I worked with in my Media Mentoring Program. We worked on her very first pitch together which turned into a live 5-minute TV segment. To see that pitch, just visit TheExactPitc…
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My 40th episode on this podcast was 35 Things to Do AFTER You Earn Media Coverage. I share this all the time with people. It’s been nearly five years since I recorded it and because it’s how you turn publicity into profit, it’s time for an update. But instead of rehashing 35, I’m going to share the top 10 things to do. If you’re subscribed to my ne…
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In this episode, we're diving deep into the concept of contributed articles. I'll unravel what they are, why they matter, and how you can make the most of them in your content strategy. What exactly is a contributed article? Why should you care? I'll explain all of this and more as we explore the benefits of becoming a contributor to online publica…
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Last week, I walked you through my brand-new flywheel. It was all about content, so this week, I’m going to explain where I get the ideas for the content I create and how I create it. Some things mentioned in this episode include: LinkedIn Post Castmagic Agorapulse Join Christina's newsletter for insider tips on growing your business without ads he…
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I consider a flywheel a system. It’s an order of doing things that once started, should keep going. One thing leads to the next. You can have a sales flywheel, a marketing flywheel, an operations flywheel, and more. I decided to create a content flywheel on paper. It was always in my head, but making a design in Canva to actually see makes a big di…
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