About Podcast
Every entrepreneur has a turning point where disruption either ends their career or opens a new door. For Michele DeFilippo, that moment came when desktop publishing wiped out her thriving typesetting business. Instead of giving up, she leveraged decades of experience in publishing to found 1106 Design, a company that has since helped more than 4,000 authors self-publish their books and grown to nearly $1M in revenue. Her journey shows how resilience, adaptability, and transparency can transform setbacks into long-term success.
In this episode, Michele takes us inside the evolution of self-publishing from the early days of Amazon and IngramSpark to today’s challenges with AI and ghostwriting. She shares how her business scaled through word-of-mouth referrals, the Arizona Book Publishing Association, and a transparent business model that earned deep trust with clients. Michele also outlines the meticulous process behind professional book production, reminding leaders that publishing is more than pushing a button; it’s project management, creative collaboration, and strategic promotion. Her candid insights extend beyond books, offering timeless lessons for scaling any business in a changing industry.
Key Takeaways:
- Why resilience and adaptability are the real differentiators between entrepreneurs who fail and those who thrive.
- The critical role of transparency in building customer trust and generating long-term referrals.
- How to embrace technology shifts, whether disruptive like desktop publishing or emerging like AI, as opportunities instead of threats.
- A behind-the-scenes look at the true process of self-publishing and how it parallels managing complex business projects.
- Why promotion is non-negotiable: your ideas, products, or services won’t succeed unless you actively market them.
Join us with Michele DeFilippo as she reveals how to turn disruption into opportunity, scale with integrity, and use books as a powerful vehicle for amplifying your business and your message.
- Self-Publishing Revolution: Authors can now publish independently via platforms like Amazon.
- Business Growth: Michele grew 1106 Design through persistence and adapting to challenges.
- Author Empowerment: Self-publishing lets authors control revenue and distribution.
- Book Production: Book creation involves editing, typesetting, and cover design.
- Marketing: Active marketing is crucial for sales; publishing alone isn’t enough.
Special Guest: Michele DeFilippo, Founder of 1106 Design
Location: Phoenix, AZ USA
Air Date: November 24, 2024
Websites:
- 1106 Design: the website home to Michele’s author services company.
- IngramSpark: a print on demand company for self-publishers.
- Amazon KDP: (Kindle Direct Publishing); Amazon’s digital and print on demand company for self-publishers.
Software:
- Nifty: a project management tool.
- Wrike: a workflow management tool that integrates with your technology stack with effortless connection to drive business results without having to pull data from multiple systems.
Books:
- Publish Like the Pros: A Brief Guide to Quality Self-Publishing: Michele’s book.
- Behind the Façade: How to Structure Company Operations for Sustainable Success: a book by Alicia Butler Pierre. Learn and apply a proven framework to prepare for or recover from fast growth by building business infrastructure.
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Related Business Infrastructure Podcast Episodes:
Producer & Host: Alicia Butler Pierre
Audio Editor: Olanrewaju Adeyemo
Sound Design: Sabor! Music Enterprises
Video Editor: Gladys Jimenez
Show notes: Erika Ve Revilla
Sponsor: Equilibria, Inc.More About Guest, Michele DeFilippo:
Michele DeFilippo has more than 50 years of experience in book publishing. Her company, 1106 Design, makes it easy for authors to release a topquality book, keep control of it, and earn more money every time they sell a copy.Michele is on a mission to help authors ask the right questions, avoid scams, and make informed decisions when they search for publishing service providers.
More About Host, Alicia Butler Pierre:
Alicia Butler Pierre is the Founder & CEO of Equilibria, Inc.. Her career in operations began over 25 years ago while working in various chemical plants and oil refineries. She invented the Kasennu™ framework for business infrastructure and authored, Behind the Façade: How to Structure Company Operations for Sustainable Success. She is the producer of the weekly top 2% Business Infrastructure podcast with a global audience across 70+ countries.Alicia is also an adjunct instructor of Lean Principles at Purdue University and serves as the USA Chair of the G100’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. The Process Excellence Network recognized her as a Top 50 Thought Leader in Operational Excellence. A chemical engineer turned entrepreneur, she’s designed and optimized processes for small businesses, large enterprises, non-profits, and government organizations alike.
More About Sponsor, Equilibria:
Equilibria, Inc. is an 19-year-old boutique operations management firm. We build the business infrastructure necessary for fast-growing businesses to scale with less pain. With a range of services and products, entrepreneurs can get the operational support and resources they need on demand. 
