How Daniel Bissonnette became a world-famous speaker and wellness teacher.
Daniel Bissonnette is a world-renowned speaker, award-winning activist, and bestselling author who was featured in the World’s Top 100 Influential Vegans. He accomplished all this before age 15. Developer of “The Hybrid Book System” and host of YouTube channels “The Daniel Show” and “1 Minute Success,” this young entrepreneur is committed to helping people of all ages learn the most effective ways to increase physical and mental resilience as well as boost brain function and become a genius.
Daniel was raised on a whole-food, plant-based diet and got bullied because of the foods he ate for lunch. After his third-grade teacher suggested he give a class presentation on the importance of his diet, Daniel realized eating healthy foods fueled his body’s ability to maintain superior levels of mental and physical capabilities. That class presentation would become Daniel’s introduction to public speaking and promoting health and wellness.
During our interview, Daniel reveals why breakfast is essential to optimal health, the challenges he faced on his way to becoming a two-time bestselling author, and how he reworked his business strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tell us about your journey to become a bestselling author.
I had a desire to educate people of all ages on how they could improve their brain power and energy simply by altering their diet and lifestyle. At the age of nine, I had my first public speaking engagement at a global rally and that YouTube video went viral. The event was held in over 500 cities around the world and had more than 2 million attendees. The positive feedback I received encouraged me to develop a guide to help children and adults implement healthy eating habits daily. Later, I released Daniel’s Breakfast Burst, a cookbook consisting of my favorite breakfast meals that delivered peak nutrition for mental performance.
Overnight one’s body has been fasting for over 8 hours and at breakfast, which is traditionally in the morning, the body is ready to absorb the most nutrients from food. My goal for writing the book was to change the perception of healthy foods and to get kids excited about healthy eating. Daniel's Breakfast Burst was released when I was 10 years old and I wasn't expecting much, but it did well. Many parents sent me pictures of their kids holding my book and trying out the recipes. It was awesome to see and really encouraged me to keep going. From there, I pitched my book at speaking events, and while I made money, it wasn’t enough to cover my costs. Daniel's Breakfast Burst was promoted through many media outlets, and the book’s popularity among kids and adults led to it becoming a bestseller.
How did you become a success coach?
I wasn’t making money at rallies, so I decided to speak at success conferences. I was 13 years old at the time and didn’t know anything about the concept of coaching programs. At one event, I scheduled a meeting with the event organizer and we quickly constructed a coaching program. About a half hour later, I was on stage speaking and added the coaching program concept that was just developed and ended up making $2,000 in 15 minutes.
When I began selling success programs I thought, “I finally cracked the code.” People were inspired and I was making a difference in their lives. Then Covid-19 hit, and I didn't know how I was going to make money or teach people. The nationwide shutdown meant no success events, no speaking engagements, and no sales. I had no other choice than to adapt and sell my programs online.
In search of answers, I read No B.S. Sales Success: The Ultimate No Holds Barred, Kick Butt, Take No Prisoners, Tough and Spirited Guide by Dan Kennedy, and got the idea to write a book with a call to action via URL or QR code. A modern version of what Dan Kennedy did with his book, but my method made it easy for consumers to purchase the product.
I set out to author a chapter book but didn’t think I was a good enough writer. Then I met Greg Reid, who is an extremely accomplished author, at an expo in 2019 and he said, “People focus too much on the spelling and grammar. The value is in the ideas and the content.” Hearing his words made me realize my biggest mistake was not believing that I was good enough. I spent so much time doubting myself when all I had to do was go for it.
Using the text-to-speech feature on my phone, I discovered I could “write” my book significantly faster than traditional typing. It wasn’t easy, but I wrote The Biology of Greatness. But the morning after it launched, I was surprised that no one bought my book. So much time and money were invested into this project and once again I had failed.
I was disappointed, but I needed to figure out what went wrong. I looked at the analytics and saw that only 20 people visited the website, which meant I needed to rework my marketing strategy to generate more traffic. I started promoting my book on social media and booking podcast interviews to draw more eyes to my site. In three months, The Biology of Greatness made $10,000. Utilizing the “Hybrid Book” method and buying into social media as a marketing strategy opened many doors for me. I was featured on several podcasts, including Ben Greenfield Fitness and To Your Good Health Radio, and gained several thousand social media followers. The government shutdown and the Covid-19 pandemic forced me to change how I made money. My new business structure proved to be profitable, sustainable, and impactful.
The information you cover is universal, but it's not always easy to understand. How difficult was it to simplify your material?
There are many necessary studies and resources in The Biology of Greatness, but I didn’t want to bore people with complex information. Writing in a way that accurately explained the process, while making it easy for kids and adults to understand, was a challenge, but we made it happen. The layout is perfect, and the concepts are practical. Every chapter in The Biology of Greatness includes actionable steps that explain what readers specifically need to do to get the desired result.
Why did you start The Hybrid Book System?
I developed “The Hybrid Book System” to teach aspiring entrepreneurs how to jump start their businesses and help others. We put together a book and masterclass to help launch a business from scratch. It’s a self-paced course and I’m there to give advice and review their work. It’s been an absolute success and I’m having a blast helping people manifest their dreams.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned as an entrepreneur?
Automating business is the way of the future. It’s essential for all business owners to establish an online presence and figure out how to utilize it for their companies. Doing so increases their ability to make money 24/7, from anywhere in the world. Automation is a game changer.
What is the most satisfying moment of your career?
The success of The Biology of Greatness and my ability to reconfigure my business strategy and product sales. When Covid-19 hit, and I realized how dependent I was on someone else’s business event, change was imminent. I want to make sure that I run my business properly, so that no matter what happens, I can still help people and get my message out.
Do you have plans to return to the stage?
I love speaking at events and meeting new people. The connection you establish in person just can’t be recreated. However, with my current business model I don’t need to speak on stage as often. If events ever go back to normal, I’ll definitely continue to do it because I love the interaction.
If you want to upgrade your brain and enhance performance, then get The Biology of Greatness, and if you would like to learn how Daniel makes $5,000/month from book sales, he has put together a brand new free masterclass which you can watch here The Hybrid Book System.
Visit Daniel at www.danielbissonnette.com.