Welcome! I'm pleased to share with you all my recent interview with Jeremy Bhandari, author of Trust the Grind: How World Class Athletes Got To The Top.
Jeremy, we recently met via email and had the pleasure to chat via phone. I appreciate the new connection we have made and I look forward to staying in touch. Now on to our interview…
DMc: Do you hold a day job while continuing to follow your writing muse? If yes, what is your career beyond authorship? If not, how do you keep your day structured so you are productive?
JB: At the moment, I’m currently seeking new employment opportunities. While marketing Trust The Grind, I was able to set aside time and work on a fictional literary project. The draft of the manuscript is complete, and I believe it has potential to turn into a motion picture film. My goal is to move into the entertainment industry, and serve either as a screenwriter or an actor. I would also love to use my knowledge in the psychological field and assist those who struggle with mental health.
In terms of living a productive lifestyle, I don’t have all the answers, but I am a strong believer that if you eat the right foods, exercise on the regular, absorb beneficial content, keep a daily journal, take action towards your aspirations, and focus on spreading love to family and friends, you can’t lose.
DMc: Your recently published book, Trust the Grind: How World-Class Athletes Got To The Top immediately captured my attention. Please share with our readers, what inspired you to write this particular book and synopsis.
JB: Following my graduation from UMass Amherst in 2018, I was blessed by receiving a job offer from ESPN as a Sports Researcher. In this role, I formulated and distributed information to a variety of areas within ESPN, such as Studio Production, Event Production, and ESPN.com.
Anyways, while creating content that was heavily based around statistics and accolades, I realized that there is so much more to these world-class athletes than numbers. Being a premier competitor means you must possess an abundance of productive tendencies. You can’t be born into being the shortstop of the New York Yankees, or use someone in your network to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. In order to get in those said positions, you have to work your tail off. With that notion in mind, I began to ask professional athletes about success habits that helped them reach the pinnacle. I always wanted to do something to inspire the youth, and I figured taking on a project like this would be perfect for any kids out there who might need a push in the right direction.
Following my chats with the superstars, I constructed a written blueprint, and broke down the conversations into 13 separate concepts. Each section represents a habit that I discussed with these men and women (Setting Goals, Practicing Positive Thinking, Developing Self-Confidence, Obsessing Over Your Craft, etc.)
DMc: What was your process in securing the athlete interviews and how were the interviews conducted?
JB: In all honesty, I simply reached out to the athletes that I enjoyed watching when I was a kid. Of course, there was some science to it. I would study these individuals and pick out a particular habit that I believe helped them excel. For example, Jason Kidd, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, not only dominated the sport during his younger years, but also helped the Dallas Mavericks win the Championship when he was at the tail end of his career. During their run, Kidd led the Mavs in assists and steals at 37 years-old! With that said, I knew I wanted to center my self-discipline chapter around him.
Another good example is Georges St-Pierre, who is arguably the best UFC fighter in the history of the sport. When I watched him compete, I had never seen an athlete more focused on achieving greatness in my life. I took that idea and built our entire conversation on the importance of obsessing over your desired field, which is something, like developing self-discipline, that I believe is pivotal if you want to accomplish your goals.
The bulk of the interviews were done over the phone, but a few of the participants emailed me back lengthy answers to questions that I sent them, which made my job really easy. Luckily, I was able to connect with some pretty incredible stars. I can’t thank them enough for their kindness and incredible insight.
DMc: What was and continues to be your experience with your publisher, Mango Publishing? Did the publisher assist in the editing and marketing process or did you hire independent experts?
JB: It's no shocker that Mango Publishing has been listed as Publisher’s Weekly fastest growing independent publisher for the last two years. Mango has built a terrific team of hard-working individuals, who are all simultaneously focused on helping the company reach its full potential. Because of their knowledge and skills, I did not need to hire any independent experts. Each member of the literary team, whether it was someone from editing, or graphic design, treated me with such respect, and I am forever thankful that they took a chance on someone with a vision.
DMc: Please share with our readers your background and your passion for sports?
JB: I grew up in Massachusetts, and, when I was nine-years-old, I went to my first Boston Celtics game. They were facing the Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by Allen Iverson. He is on the shorter end (6 feet if we are being generous), and couldn’t have weighed more than 160 lbs. at the time, but DOMINATED the game. “The Answer” scored nearly 40 points and pioneered the Sixers to victory. Despite participating in a field where an individual is at a great disadvantage if he/she is undersized, Iverson showed me firsthand that anything is possible if you work hard and possess an unwavering belief in your abilities. After watching him compete, I was hooked! Witnessing greatness like that inspires me to dig deep and work towards becoming the best version of myself.
DMc: Please share with our readers your current work-in-progress, your marketing strategy and how to reach you.
JB: I am on Twitter and Instagram @JeremyTheGrind. As far as marketing, I am always open to doing more interviews to help spread the good word! Thanks to Jason Kidd and Paige VanZant, who both endorsed the project via social media, we were able to reach #1 on Amazon’s Teen/Young Adult Personal Fitness & Exercise Bestseller list. Let’s continue to grow and keep the momentum going in the right direction!
Learn more about me at my Amazon Author Central page.
Jeremy, it’s been an honor to interview and profile you at Write What Inspires You! Wishing you all the very best personally and professionally. I look forward to reading an excerpt of your book at a future Facebook Live Story Time on Saturday’s at 9 am EST
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Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Multi Award-winning Children's Author
Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!
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The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist
Congratulations, Jeremy. I enjoyed reading your interview.
ReplyDeleteWhat a rich life he's led so far. I second what he's a big believer in.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words!
DeleteInteresting interview. Congrats, Jeremy. Thanks for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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