This seems like a service that some families would pay for. I wish I could have had the story of my grandparents memorialized like this so that their stories didn't have to die with them. Why not do these video interviews as paid interviews...and create pricing so that for every one that you do, you also offer a free one to someone who can't afford it? It's kind of like Tom's Shoes, for every pair purchased, another pair is sent to a third world country. The free versions are the ones where you could furrow out the people you want to feature in your book....as well, you may also find interesting stories from the paid versions...in which case you could ask if the stories may be featured in the book. It seems like this could end up being a win-win business.

I've been in the real estate business for 14 years and own 14 real estate offices in the US. My advice is to buy real estate in areas with a high concentration of universities and hospitals. For example, Boston & New York City, are home to great medical and college facilities. Areas such as these hold their value because teachers/nurses/doctors are a higher than normal percentage of the work force and this shields unemployment numbers by a certain degree in times of recession. As well, when you are near colleges and hospitals, there always seems to be demand for real estate.

It takes many years to build a successful consulting business. I'm in my fifth year and I am now just at the point that I can cherry pick the clients I am most passionate and excited about helping. Here's how I gained traction....

1. Books - I've written three books plus numerous training manuals. A book is, in my humble opinion, the number one way for someone to get inside your head before they hire you. A book is like a brochure on steroids. In most instances my clients hired me because they read one of my books and then reached out OR I used the book to seal a deal that I was negotiating.

2. Speaking - I speak at lots of conferences and often make great connections by doing so. My team follows up to get appointments and then I use the appointments as an opportunity to see if my services are a good fit for helping them increase the productivity of their sales teams and/or for boosting office morale. I never take a client that I am not 100% sure I can help....I've turned down clients that are looking for services that I am not an expert at. Also, I often get hired to speak for large or mid-sized organizations. Keynote speeches are great for motivating a team for a week or even a month, but long-term results requires ongoing consultation and coaching so I always create a customized on-going consulting solution for any company that hires me for a keynote. Many of the firms take me up on it because they see that the keynote creates a spark in their team and they want to turn that spark into a flame.

3. Blogging - This goes hand in hand with writing books, but I give out tons of free content on my blogs. I have picked up clients from all around the world simply from the articles I've written.

4. Testimonials - How does a potential client know that you are worth your weight in gold? Testimonials from past clients. I do my best to collect those testimonials even though it's easy to forget to ask. Usually consultants are so focused on creating the results that the client needs that they forget to remember that the validation offered by past clients is often times the gas that fuels their ongoing business.

5. NSA - The National Speakers Association has been a huge asset to me in building my business. They have local chapters. I belong to their New England Chapter. Once a month the group meets to share ideas, insight, and more. The room is packed with others who have built awesome consulting businesses and from them I have learned the ropes and because of them I feel inclined to share what I have learned with others.

Good luck with your consulting business. Reach out if you need any additional advice or have more questions.

If you are doing direct mail campaigns invest in any of Dan Kennedy's marketing books. Dan Kennedy has changed the way I market and write content for all of my businesses.

I have written hundreds of blog posts by interviewing amazing people. I have interviewed best selling authors, CEOs, entrepreneurs and more. Here are my five tips for getting the interviews...

1. Ask - most people want to be heard and they will grant you an interview if you simply ask for it. Sometimes the hard part is finding their contact info but I have had great luck using the paid version of LinkedIn and theofficialboard.com.

2. Always Be Ready! Recently I was at a networking function at a bar when I had the opportunity to meet The Bachelor from the season 4 show. I googled him on my iphone...found out a little about his businesses and approached him spot on for an interview which I published a day or two later on The Huffington Post.

3. Make it worth their time. Getting author interviews is easy because they want to sell books. I usually do those interviews in a live webinar format for my coaching clients so that the author can sell books and we get a great mix of questions. I then publish the webinar/teleconference on my blogs.

4. Be Prepared - I never go into an interview asking questions I could find on google. Always find out as much as possible about the person you are interviewing by researching them first. As well, if you are interviewing an author, never interview them without reading the book first.

5. How much time do you need? I interview many people who are extremely busy and so when I ask for the interview I make it clear that I will work around their schedule and I let them know in advance how much time I am asking for.

I have never had to pay for an interview. I always share my content via my blogs. I always follow up with a thank you note and small gift.