He was one of the greatest writers of all time, so don't mistake accessibility and simplicity of language for sophistication. And there's a program, a free program called the Hemingway app. I dropped the one thing into that same thing. It's written at a fifth grade level. I remember I had a writing professor in NYU, a guy named EL Doctor. It was like a National Book Award finalist or winner, and he said, Jay, what's a Kleenex? I was like, you blow your nose in it, I guess, but what is it? I said, it's a tissue. Then why didn't you write that? In a hundred years, do you think people will know what a Kleenex is? If you want to be known as a great writer, don't think about what's timely and now, think about what's timeless. That was the first time I heard that message, like 1994.

I would always rather be in the business of selling aspirin than vitamins.

That was Jay Papazan, co-author of the book The One Thing. It sold over 4 million copies,

44 different languages. See, that book changed the trajectory of my life, and it led me to my company that I have today. And it started with one sleepless night in a cabin. Today, we're talking about

publishing principles that made the one thing spread worldwide and why best writing is simpler

than you think. Let's go. Mr. Jay, thank you so much for joining. I'm so happy to be here.

We were just talking off camera that the book that you co-wrote, the one thing, had a very important

impact on my life. And I was sharing how in 2013, Amy and I were at a summer camp for families.

And at the time, we just had our daughter, Marla. We're lying in this cabin, and it's pitch black and it's raining outside. And it's like one in the morning. I can't sleep. And I woke up and... I'm imagining like a metal roof. Yeah, totally. It's rain's coming down. And all I had was your book swirling around in my head.

I just finished reading it.

And it just shifted my thinking.

And then Amy woke up and she's like, are you okay?

And I said, yeah, but I'm gonna sell the company.

And she's like, what?

Like tell me more.

And you know, I love her to bits because she's so open

and to just listening. And I just, I brain dumped, like all the things that were going on

in my head and how your book was influencing so much of that and talking about the one thing

and I was doing too many things. The decision became really clear. And it set off, it was like

the lead domino that set off a whole bunch of

events that ultimately ended with me selling the company and moving on to this this next chapter

and so you know publicly thank you so much and the world's a better place for having you've gone there

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