Influence: Building a Platform that Elevates Jesus (Not Me)
Authors Kate Motaung and Shannon Popkin know what it’s like to wrestle with these questions. In Influence: Building a Platform that Elevates Jesus (Not Me), you’re invited to a platform-building coaching session with the carpenter from Nazareth. Join Shannon and Kate in this challenge to acknowledge the tension, set aside fears, examine hidden motives, and embrace the high calling of serving Christ. By utilizing the practical tools, exercises, and discussion questions provided, you’ll emerge with new confidence, awareness, and decision-making clarity--ready to step out and shine the light of Jesus from the platform God has strategically placed beneath your feet.
Reviews (64)
If you struggle with the Build your Platform mentality, this book is for you.
True to the quality of the writing in their other books, this book had the same easy reading style with memorable and valuable content. The chapters followed through with guidance for developing your writing, seeking an audience, and reaching your potential as an author while honoring God as the platform for your work. With chapters focused on words such as Tension, Fear, Calling, Strategy, Pride, Compare, Serve, Network and others, you will be coached through the many aspects of the writing life. Because 'Platform' is necessary and many writers struggle with the significance of building one, this book offers a section for "Around-the-circle" discussion questions for your writers group, or just to direct your own concentration on what you're learning. This book lives up to its intent: Building a platform that elevates Jesus Not Me.
It’s not about me... it’s about washing their feet!
This book was amazing! As I was reading it, all I could think about was Jesus with the towel over His arm ready to wash the feet of His disciples. This book explains in detail the importance of lifting up and promoting others, while not promoting yourself. I received SO MANY great revelations from this book and had no idea there was so much scripture backing up this very topic. By page 8, I felt like Kate and Shannon were my own personal cheerleaders and encouragers. This book also has many hands-on activities that will help you gain clarity of your own motives. My favorite chapter was chapter 9 entitled Serve. I recommend this book to anyone who has a message to get out OR feels like they have an addiction to their “platform” that’s already been created. Who says you can’t make small tweaks to recalibrate? It’s never too late to start today! Thank you Shannon and Kate. I loved it!
Invaluable! Grounding and motivating! For believer and non-believer alike!
I was referred to this gem through a podcast that I listen to frequently. As I listened to Shannon speak about the book, I knew I had to read it. I have heard versions of the content but never any that spoke to me on such a personal level and never as actionable as this. If you are weary of how the world says we should serve others in the online market, then you must read this! And you must read this soon!
A must-read for every Christian influencer
I absolutely needed this book to push me in the right direction as a Christian wife, mother, and writer. We need mentoring in this concepts of platform-building in a world that can be too self-focused for its own good. These ladies teamed up to communicate this necessary message and I am so grateful! Every writer, speaker, blogger needs to read this and keep it on the shelf as reference whenever they feel discouraged or too big for their britches.
“Influence” was an amazing book.
Wow!! This book was great and truly eye-opening. One of my favorite parts was on the comparison trap, chapter 7. Satan loves us to compare ourselves with others because it puts us in bondage. How true. This book is a great resource for a Christian writers, speakers and business owners and anyone who wants to put God first in their lives and not themselves. This book was enjoyable, challenging and encouraged me to use my talents and gifts to elevate Jesus, not self. As a brand new author myself, “Influence” was enlightening to me. I would highly recommend it. Thank you Shannon & Kate.
Authentic and hopeful
This book is a breath of fresh air, of biblical truth for Christian writers, speakers, and leaders who want to share God’s message but don’t feel comfortable in the fast-paced marketing platform. It encourages writers to follow Christ first. What I love best about this book is the heart of the authors, who are both successful writers. They give hope to the aspiring writer and speaker who wants to walk in their calling.
EXCELLENT tool to help Christians leaders/speakers/writers
I first heard about this book after hearing one of the authors (Shannon Popkin) speak at a Writer's Conference. As a ministry leader, writer and speaker I've often struggled with the idea of "promoting myself" and building a "platform" so this book was SO HELPFUL at helping me understand and navigate that world in a way that honors God's calling for my life-- not my perceived calling following my own plans and goals. Both authors share their experiences at doing so with stories and advice-- excellent. I saw a few reviews expressing disappointment that there weren't clear steps to building a platform, I respectfully disagree with those posts because God has a different path and calling for each of us in our journeys, it isn't one size fits all-- just as Kate & Shannon's journeys were different, ours will be too. This book will help you navigate your own Calling & journey. I'll be reading it again soon, slowly and with a high lighter and I'm sure I'll be keeping this one within arms reach to reference whenever I'm doing ministry planning. Thank you Shannon and Kate for writing this.
I'm going to read this again each year!
The book, Influence gave me insight and encouragement for using my influence for God's purposes and never for my own. I purchased the book at last year's Speak Up Conference for Christian speakers and writers after speaking to the author Shannon Popkin. She kindly discussed the purpose of the book with me and her and co-author Kate Motaung's intent for writing that Jesus always be the one that is elevated. I plan to use this book to refer back to in regularity so that I can remember my purpose in ministry is to influence others for Jesus. It is never about me. If we are ever elevated in our ministry, it is only so that the Christian speaker or writer can see the needs. The analogy of a lifeguard at the beach was used to demonstrate the need for a lifeguard to sit in an elevated chair to see the swimmers in the water and intervene and give guidance and help to those that are "spotted". I actually read this book within 2 days of buying it, underlining and marking numerous passages throughout. I want to continually remember my proper place in ministry and Jesus' place and not confuse it at any time. This book will help me to point people to Jesus and never to myself. I immediately bought this book for another friend in ministry and feel it would be a great gift for any Christian leader to constantly remember the reason for our influence and the proper way to view any platform we might have.
Just what I needed!
“Influence: Building a Platform That Elevates Jesus (Not Me)” by Kate Motaung and Shannon Popkin is nothing like I expected. I was ready to dive into a plan to expand my platform as an author. However, it was an excellent book on how whatever we are doing for the Lord it must elevate Him and not ourselves. This is hard to do but it reminds me of why I do what I do for the Lord. No matter how many social media posts, blogs written, advertisement paid for, speeches made, interviews done or whatever is used to market what He has me to write, it all depends on Him not me. In His timing and in His way the work I do for Him will reach those who need it. Any Christian in business or ministry must read this book. Anyone who is walking with the Lord must read this book. Everything we do in this world must be all for God’s glory as we live His schedule and pray Big! Let us “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6.
The best book I've read on platform-building to date!
This book was like drinking 10 Red Bull's for me. The jolt of energy it gave me was exactly what I needed to push forward in my platform building. I love to write. I have a book and want a book deal, but hate, let me repeat - HATE! - platform building! I just can't get past the feelings of self-promotion and egocentricism so I stop after the writing process and secretly hope some publishing fairy or computer hacker will stumble upon my private works of art and publish them FOR me!!!. That is, until I read "Influence." I suddenly realized I had it all wrong. Through memorable and applicable analogies, both Kate and Shannon posit very convincingly that it is actually God's desire for Christian writer's to put forth their best effort in platform building in order to best serve our readers. I have devoured so many books on HOW to build a platform, that I had completely missed the WHY. This book is an absolute necessity for every Christian writer who wants to maintain humility in an indurstry that insists on building bigger and better platforms. It changed my views on the matter entirely. I am SO glad I read this when I did! Thank you Kate and Shannon!
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