August 4. Which means it has been nearly two months since I published the book. A fantastic seven weeks it has been. I have sold 71 copies of the book across all platforms, with an additional ten copies having been given to people to read and promote. About eighty-one people so far have had the opportunity to read my book.

I want more people to have the opportunity to read the book. NOT because I want more sales, but because I believe what I have to say is essential. We live in a society which is fascinated with the flow of capital.

Ask a banker which they would rather have: flowing capital or water. Capital, I would put money on, being the response.

It’s not only bankers. Ever since I published the book, I have had a queue of beggars wanting to promote my book. Do you want to understand the term street furniture? Publish a book, and you’ll quickly understand the terminology. Have you ever walked around Glasgow and asked yourself why there are random plants everywhere? That is what I have been doing with my emails and socials for the last seven weeks.

Yes, the last seven weeks have been insane with businesses and so-called businesses trying to sell me fame. The other side of the coin is that I have had so many lovely people across my socials providing so many heart-warming messages. That’s why I wrote the book. To empower myself to empower others, not to make money. Not to see a flow of capital on a spreadsheet.

Why do I tell you this? For several reasons. Firstly, the personal brand I aim to build must be grounded in my values, vision, and principles. Secondly, it is a jungle out there. Your principles must be your map. When you lose your map, you can lose yourself. Finally, I share this with you about the vultures that will want a piece of you when you publish a book, because I want to be as authentic as possible. The authenticity I applied when writing the book was to establish legitimacy. There is nothing legitimate about chasing large book sales. That is not me. I almost forgot that.

Now I know who I am again, and readers have a better understanding of who I am. What is next? First of all, I have agreed with two local Glasgow bookstores to stock my books. More details to follow. Secondly, I will be cycling from Glasgow to Loch Lomond to raise funds for Men Matter Scotland, a mental health charity, in Drumchapel. For every copy of my book that I sell in August, I shall donate £1 to the charity Men Matter Scotland.

If you want to purchase the book from Amazon, click the link > Lost Identity.