Chicken Soup for the Soul Co-Creator: From 144 Rejections to 500M+ Books Sold Worldwide

Mark Victor Hansen got rejected 144 times before Chicken Soup for the Soul became one of the bestselling book series in history. In this episode, Howie Chan sits down with the legendary author, publisher, and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul franchise to unpack the psychology behind persistence, goal-setting, destiny, and influence.

Hansen breaks down why most people never figure out what they actually want, and shares the mental technique he and Jack Canfield used to program their subconscious mind while they slept, the same process that produced the Chicken Soup for the Soul title itself. He explains why storytelling is the real engine behind influence and sales, and walks through the traps that kill most first-time authors before they ever finish a book.

You'll learn why writing down your goals every day changes how your brain processes opportunity, how to identify a niche worth owning, and how the biggest rejections often turn into the biggest wins.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Ask Yourself, Ask Others, Ask God: Finding Your Destiny

00:04:35 Program Your Subconscious Before You Sleep

00:12:06 Storytelling: The Core of Influence

00:22:24 Four Paths to Publishing

00:25:02 The Traps That Kill Most Books

00:26:53 Own Your Niche: How to Choose What to Write First

00:32:07 Top Tips to Write Your Book

00:35:12 Writing Emotion Into a Nonfiction Business Book