Earlier this year, the Book League read Launch by Jeff Walker- the holy text of product launches and “hype-based marketing” for solopreneurs. When we wrapped up our third and final happy hour discussion, I asked the group, “So… what’s your takeaway?”
Crickets.
Okay, not actual crickets. People shared lots of thoughtful reflections, but when I asked what they were going to do with the material, every single person basically said: “Maybe later.”
Look- I didn’t start the Book League to add bookshelf trophies. I started it to make an actual impact for business owners. You know, get actual shit done, actionable insight. Read/Listen → Discuss → Apply. So, when I realized no one was taking this book for a test drive, I thought- fine. I’ll go first.
The Business Experiment Setup
With fellow Book Leaguer Jeff Eddy, we tossed our Launch notes into AI (hello, Magai), and co-created an outline and a real plan. From there, I partnered with Monica Treviño of Little Pencil to bring this thing to life.
I was committed to doing this thing. Fully.
I was all-in.
It had a timeline, tasks, and a big blinking deadline.
We created:
– A two-day online workshop: Quiet Hustle, Loud Impact: Networking + REALationships That Scale (From Your Desk)
– Email campaigns (via Zoho Campaigns)
– A landing page (with two Fiverr contractors on deck)
– Social posts (shout out to Mimi, my right-hand assistant)
– Live videos via Facebook Live that I converted for YouTube and LinkedIn
I also roped in my friend and collaborator, Jason Jones of The Coaching Hour, who graciously added value with his Adaptive Conversations for Mindful Sales mini-workshop.
The Data (Spoiler: No Rainbows Here)
Let’s just get this out of the way:
– Zero registrations
– 116 landing page views / 112 sessions
– 58% engagement rate on the landing page
– An average of 1+ minute session duration
– 1333 impressions from LinkedIn videos
– 14 direct responses sharing real challenges out of 265 on the list
– 55 total clicks to the landing page from email
– ~50% average open rate per email
– Two direct inquiries
Now look, that doesn’t scream “wild success” by standard launch metrics. But remember, I was testing the book- it wasn’t personal.
Lessons From the Lab Bench
Here’s what I learned (and re-learned with deeper conviction):
– Showing up matters. I made *four* live videos. Was I polished? Nope. Did I read from a teleprompter? Also, nope. But I showed up in full color, in real time. I now have usable footage and clear learnings for future sales content- and a renewed comfort with video that I’d been avoiding.
– AI helped. A lot. The templates from the book + my AI-powered content tool (Magai) = a powerful, fast workflow. Email writing felt doable instead of dreadful.
– Follow-through is a beast. Yes, even with the meticulous outline… we missed an email. Not because we were lazy, but because we are actual, imperfect humans (shoutout to the Book League’s current read, Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman).
– Resisting the urge to oversell was hard. I *wanted* to reach out personally to people engaging with my stuff. But I stayed true to Walker’s prescribed structure. No DMs. No responding to “Sales Nibbles.” Just launch and watch.
Feedback from the Field
Insiders described it this way:
> “Even the big launch gurus are having trouble right now. Could be economy burnout.”
> “You should re-run it in January. The work is done.”
> “It’s a good offer. Maybe it’s just the wrong time.”
> “That’s a bummer.”
My response?
No consolation needed. I was able to remove myself from expectations and call it a business experiment/Book League promo. Jeff Walker should be embarrassed, though. Ha!!! I set up success metrics and am taking this into consideration for any pivots I might want to make in my businesses for next year.
So, Now What?
So, will I do it again in January? Maybe. It would entail engaging a new test audience. Monica and I are reviewing the materials and getting things set up for that possibility (like that missing email!) The videos that I did this time around could serve as b-roll for a professional sales video- in the book Jeff Walker says to NOT make one of these on your first launch. My original intention was to do this live, and then either use the video footage or the transcript (I like rev.com) to create an evergreen self-study course at a lower price point.
Come join the Book League.
It’s relaxed. It’s peer-to-peer. It’s where we unpack ideas together and then try them on in real biz life. We built it around the Project Biz Lab Manifesto:
We’re not just here to talk shop or nod along during book discussions. We’re passionate about applying what we learn, testing it in real time, and figuring out how to take our ideas- and our businesses- to the next level.
Whether it’s deepening your sales conversations with real empathy, challenging your patterns around money and self-worth, rethinking how you build habits, or peeling back perfectionism in favor of showing up fully human—this is where we take what we learn and turn it into momentum. Not overnight success. Not clean lines or guaranteed outcomes. Just committed progress, fueled by curiosity and constant improvement.
Does that sound like your kind of business book club?
Let’s do this.
#BizHacks Used for the Launch (Take These With You):
