High Octane Leadership 193: How Writing a Spy Thriller Made Us Better Executives | “Are You a Patriot?” Authors Bob Batchelor and Donald Thompson

What happens when two storytellers — a serial entrepreneur and a cultural historian — decide to swing for the fences?

Donald Thompson and Bob Batchelor sat down with producer Jason Gillikin to go deep inside the Are You a Patriot? universe. The conversation covers the genesis of the book, the characters behind the story, what early readers are saying, and the question that ties all of it together: how do you love a country that’s never loved you back?

Inside this episode:

• The lunch conversation at Workplace Options that started it all

• Why Xander Hale is more Spider-Man than James Bond — and why that matters

• The character you won’t be able to figure out: is Swanson friend or foe?

• Why every character in the story — even the villain — believes they’re a patriot

• The feedback from early readers that Bob says is the best he’s ever received

• Don and Bob both answer: Are You a Patriot?

• Why storytelling is the business answer — and most business people haven’t figured it out yet

• What it takes to get a meeting with a Hollywood studio — and why Are You a Patriot? is already having them

Are You a Patriot? is available now at areyouapatriot.com. Join 50,000+ fans on the Facebook page at Facebook.com/AreYouAPatriot.

Resources mentioned:

• ExecBrand Authority — execbrandauthority.com

• High Octane Leadership — donaldthompson.com

• Follow Donald on LinkedIn — linkedin.com/in/donaldthompsonjr

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