Breaking Through to Lisa Haneberg: Behind the Scenes of the Year of the Breakthrough

I recently had the good fortune of interviewing Lisa Haneberg. Lisa is one of my all-time favorite personal empowerment authors, with Focus Like a Laser Beam and her current book Two Weeks to a Breakthrough sitting as permanent fixtures in my personal library. I thought it would be nice to give you a bit of insight into Lisa's Year of the Breakthrough Tour, because it's inspiring to think about her taking her own advice and breaking out of her usual comfort zone and going cross country on a motorcycle to spur her own breakthroughs.

Without further ado, here's the interview with Lisa.

Phil: The Year of the Breakthrough Tour is an inspiring tour. What is your desired outcome for driving around the country on a motorcycle?

Lisa: I will feel the tour has been a success if I have catalyzed lots of breakthroughs. I am jazzed about the possibilities of helping people get inspired and into focused action.

Phil: Where (other than Milwaukee) are you most looking forward to and why?

Lisa: I have three public events in Fargo and I am really looking forward to getting to know lots of people. I have never been to Fargo! I am looking forward to meeting (or seeing again) folks in Milwaukee! I have been a fan of Schwartz Business Books for decades, but this will be the first time I have been in one of their stores.

Phil: Motto Magazine is your sponsor. Tell my readers about them and why you let them sponsor your tour. (full disclosure: Motto is MY favorite magazine. I just want to know why Lisa loves them too!)

Lisa: Motto seek out stories that have the potential to change people's lives. The articles are well written and inspiring. And it's a fun magazine, not at all stuffy. the team at Motto are passionate and down to Earth.

Phil: What inspired you to do this tour?

Lisa: I had this spark of inspiration that I needed to do something that enabled me to reach people in person - something beyond my blogs, books, and articles. And I have been thinking about doing a motorcycle tour for fun. So I put the two ideas together.

Phil: What advice would you have for aspiring "breakthrough candidates" that I can't find in your book?

Lisa: Make this the year you shoot for the moon. Do something epoch. The big stretch will transform the way you see your life.

Phil: What's next for Lisa Haneberg (other than rest when you get back home to Seattle)? Another book (I hope)?

Lisa: I have a few things coming out. In a couple months, I will have a book called Undo Before You Become Undone. This is a group book that I wrote with two coauthors. In the fall, I will have a book out called 10 Steps to Better Management. And next year, I will have a book out called Hip and Sage - it's about how to tap into your "sageness" and develop a "hipness" and combine these for greater success.

Phil: Anything else you care to share?

Lisa: I would encourage anyone who is interested in reinventing an aspect of their life (business, job, community, family) to attend the chat. I promise you will leave with several ideas for improving momentum.

Phil: OK, this is really the last question: You're coming to Milwaukee. I have to ask this: Why no Harley?

Lisa: A couple reasons. I like Harleys, but for this trip, I wanted a lighter bike that would be easier for me to handle in tough situations. Also, the Honda Sabre is a highly reliable bike (a steady work horse) and although I took two maintenance courses, I don't want to have to use the training. I have given up a bit of comfort to have a lighter and simpler bike (no computers to go out on it).

For more from Lisa Haneberg, check out her Two Weeks to a Breakthrough blog, where you'll find all sorts of ways to help you make 2007 the year of YOUR breakthrough!

Comments

[Matt]

Love the new Blog Design Phil! :)

[Dan Schawbel]

Very cool tour, congrats

[Phil Gerbyshak]

Matt - thanks a lot. It's still a work in progress. So far, so good.

Dan - thanks for stopping by. this is a really cool tour, and a very interesting way to get the word out about one's book.

[Valeria Maltoni]

Phil:

Lisa will be in Philadelphia to speak at a Fast Company readers' network on Tuesday (June 12) at The Fox School of Business. I got her book ready and can't wait to meet her. Even her publicist is one of the nicest people I ever talked with. And since you've done such a good job with your interview, I will link to it in the notes of the event.

[Phil Gerbyshak]

Valeria - Lisa is one of the most amazing people I know, and Charis is awesome too! Always nice to meet with people who are giving and friendly. Enjoy the time with Lisa. It's already Tuesday? Wow!

And thank you for your feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed the interview. It's easy to do that when I get such an excellent subject as Lisa to talk about.