Hello to everyone from a member of the BookThinkers family.
I am back with another inspiring interview. Today’s interview is about a man who is on a mission to empower every reader to achieve more and live better.
Today’s guest is Nicholas Hutchison, co-founder BookThinkers LLC, one of best book blogs on Instagram.
In conversation with BookThinkers
Introduction
Arjun: First of all, I am very much thankful and grateful to Nick on agreeing for this interview.
Let me tell you all how I got to know about Nick. I am an avid reader and I usually surf and find book readers on Instagram and YouTube, and that’s how I came across BookThinkers page and I really loved the content and the value Nick provided through BookThinkers.
I then got to know more about Nick and his mission and I was really inspired by the purpose behind BookThinkers.
Who is Nicholas Hutchison
Arjun: Nick, you definitely don’t need an introduction across the bookstagram community where you have more than 80k+ follower base, but people know you as the BookThinkers guy. Tell us something about who is Nicholas Hutchison?
Nick: Thank you for the kind introduction. My name is Nick, I live in Boston, MA, USA and I am a student of the world. I love reading personal development books, sharing my favourite takeaways with the BookThinkers Family (on social media) and trying to find better ways for us to retain/implement information from the books we love.
Arjun: For people who want to know in detail on the whole story of how BookThinkers was started, click here.
Nick on finding his purpose in life
Arjun: Nick, when did you get that inner call from the heart that I want to do this thing, like what you are doing currently with BookThinkers or I ask when was the point you realized the purpose of your life?
Nick: Right now, I am 26 years old. When I was 20/21, I took an internship with a software company and a colleague of mine saw that I was not fulfilled in my university classes. He gave me a few book recommendations. The first was Rich Dad, Poor Dad. That book changed my life!
BookThinkers co-founder on Books
Most Recommended books by BookThinkers co-founder
Arjun: Nick, what are your top 3 book recommendations of all time and the reason why that book is in the top 3?
Nick:
- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. This book can change anyone’s life. It teaches the importance of financial education. Since the subject of “money management” is not taught in school and only in the home, reading books like RDPD is an important step for a poor or middle-class person to take.
- The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. This book helped me to understand that reality is negotiable, and we are all capable of designing the life that we want. After reading this book, I started working remotely and travelling the world.
- The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. This book helped me to understand the power of the compound effect. Small steps in the right direction over a long period of time is the way to success.
Arjun: Well, Nick. We both have some favourite books in common like Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Alchemist, The Compound Effect, The Go-Giver and I recently read Built to Serve which I think will also be in my list.
Books, Nick likes to gift to people.
Arjun: I have seen people who read books gift books to their dear ones as well, I know this because I also do that. Do you also gift books to your dear ones and if the answer is yes then what are some books that you have gifted people the most?
Nick: Yes I love to gift books. I gift the three books I mentioned above all the time. Some of my other favourite gifts include Built to Serve by Evan Carmichael, I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi, The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann, and Vagabonding by Rolf Potts.
Arjun: To mention something, recently BookThinkers launched Smart Retention app so that people can retain knowledge from the books they read and for that campaign BookThinkers and Evan Carmichael collaborated and planned to giveaway 100 signed copies of Built to Serve for people present in the US and Canada.
A great book to find your purpose
Arjun: I believe living a life without a purpose or a why is not worth it, you have found your purpose and I want people who read this to find theirs, suggest some great books that will help them discover their why?
Nick: Built to Serve by Evan Carmichael is absolutely the best book on this subject. For those that read the book, make sure you complete all of the exercises.
Planning to write a book
Arjun: Do you plan to someday author a book? and if yes, what topic or aspect it would revolve around?
Nick: Yes but I am unsure of what. It will have to do with my favourite lessons.
BookThinkers co-founder on podcasts and lessons learnt
Idea of podcasting
Arjun: Nick, how did you have the idea of starting podcasting and bringing authors of great books?
Nick: I received a hundred different DM’s over the last year or two requesting me to start the show and since I now have some amazing author friends, I thought it would be a fun opportunity. Evan Carmichael also dared me to do something that scared me and I knew that this was going to be a heart-beating challenge for me.
Top 5 lessons from all the podcast interviews on the BookThinkers podcast
Arjun: You really must be enjoying those podcast sessions with all great personalities like Bob Burg, Grant Cardone, Evan Carmichael, Vishen, etc. Tell me your top 5 things/tips/ideas that you have learnt from all the people you interviewed on the podcasts?
Nick:
- Greg McKeown taught me to use an “Essentialism Circle” each month to prioritize my tasks. I LOVED this and it has helped me so much.
- Grant Cardone taught me to 10X my goals. He told me that his biggest regret was not setting big enough goals.
- Jim Kwik taught me a great metaphor about why reading faster actually increases focus and comprehension.
- Howard Berg, The World’s Fastest Reader, taught me how to read books more effectively.
- Vishen Lakhiani taught me the importance of meditation and mindfulness in business.
A favourite quote of the BookThinkers co-founder
Arjun: Nick, I know you must be a fan of quotes, tell me some of your favourite quotes
Nick:
Reality is negotiable.
– Tim Ferriss (the best quote ever)
Questions about life with BookThinkers co-founder
Nick on the power of social media
Arjun: Nick, you are aware of the power of social media, as you yourself have experienced that. How do you see, social media as a resource for you and some tips you would like to give to the readers to implement to build their presence online as you did?
Nick: Social media is amazing. I am a big fan of Instagram specifically. My biggest pieces of advice are to post consistently and get behind the camera. Videos are scary but they help your audience connect with you.
What does success mean to Nicholas Hutchison
Arjun: Success has a different meaning for everyone. How does Nicholas Hutchison define success for himself?
Nick: Location independence, financial independence, security for my family and positive contribution to the world.
What different profession will you choose?
Arjun: Hahaha, that was short, crisp and clear. Nick, if you wouldn’t have had the option to choose the profession you currently have, what different profession would you choose?
Nick: I would love to be a professional athlete. I love (American) football. I played growing up and I am a big fan of watching NFL games on TV.
A most important routine thing
Arjun: Nick, what is that one habit or routine thing, which is so important to you that you can’t ignore no matter what?
Nick: Sleep. Sleep is my superpower. I think having a good nighttime routine, sleeping environment, sleep tracker…etc. is extremely important.
BookThinkers cofounder on challenges in life
Arjun: No person can be successful without challenges in life. What are the challenges you faced in your journey to where you and BookThinkers are today?
Nick: BookThinkers almost failed a few times. We tried to build an app that didn’t end up working and it crushed us. I am happy that we fought through the challenges and built a new one.
On monetizing your passion
Arjun: Nick, can you tell some great monetization tips for people who are passionate about inspiring people to read books, telling them the benefits of reading as you do. Please share some ideas where people can monetize the value they provide.
Nick: Authors are willing to pay the right reviewers to talk about their books. Video reviews are key to earning money here.
BookThinkers co-founder viewpoint on the education system and self-education
Arjun: Nick, what’s your take on the current education system as you are a believer in self-education and I am also a believer of it as I have learned a lot of things myself. In my viewpoint, I think the education systems suck somewhere and it has flaws where the institutions are not focusing and teachings on aspects like mindset, personal finance, etc, which I think is very important today. What’s your take on this?
Nick: I believe self-education is key. With books, we are taught to read them one time and implement what we learn but no one teaches us HOW to do that. I believe that organization and space repetition are the keys to making that happen.
Check out the BookThinkers: Smart Retention Mobile App.
Best investment by the BookThinkers co-founder
Arjun: Nick, what do you think has been your best investment till date not necessarily in terms of money, but maybe in terms of time and energy which you think have yielded something which you love or admire or be proud of?
Nick: Other than BookThinkers, I am a real estate investor. Creating passive income is important to me and multi-family real estate is a great way to make that happen. I am also a big fan of long-term index fund investing.
Most Important core value
Arjun: Nick, this is my favourite question which I ask everyone I interview. What do you think is one core value or personality trait in you that has brought you to where you are today?
Nick: Progress. If I make progress in my health, progress in my wealth and progress in my communication with friends, family or my girlfriend on a daily basis, I feel fulfilled when I go to sleep.
Biggest life lessons learnt in the journey
Arjun: Nick, what were some of the biggest lessons that have impacted you or changed the way that you work? What was the lesson that you learned and how well you applied it?
Nick: Reading! Reading can change your life. These authors condense decades of amazing information into days. What beats that?
Reading schedule of the BookThinkers co-founder
Arjun: As an avid reader do you allot a minimum time for reading like I will read 1 hour daily no matter what or the reading is flexible for you?
Nick: I read for about 15 hours per week. On weekdays, 1-2 hours. On weekends, usually much more.
Some unknown facts
Arjun: Nick, what’s something you are really good at, that very few people know about or that you are not known for?
Nick: I am an athlete! I love all types of sports, working out and athletic competitions. I love exercising my brain, but I also love exercising my body.
Some guilty pleasures of Nicholas Hutchison
Arjun: No matter what, everyone has his/her share of guilty pleasures. What are some of your guilty pleasures?
Nick: Travel. I love to spend a lot of my money on travelling internationally! Food, drinks and fun experiences while overseas.
Some tips for teenagers from the BookThinkers co-founder
Arjun: Nick, some tips from your side for the current teen generation to get a career in something they love to do?
Nick: Start reading books about the people you idolize!
Arjun: Well, thank you, Nick, for interviewing on The Improvement Terminal, I am again very grateful to you and I am damn sure this interview will give a lot of value to the people and inspire them to do what they love.
If you liked the interview and want to read more such inspiring interviews, then check out my Interview Series.
Cheers!