He Skipped the New York Times List on Purpose. Here's Why He Says It Kept His Launch Authentic.

If you're thinking about writing an authority building book, and I really hope you are, and you don't want to be counting pennies or checking your book sales all the time, you actually want a book that's going to change your life, I can tell you how. Just go to sevenfigurebooks.com. I'm not trying to capture your email or anything. You can just download this PDF that's going to tell you exactly how to turn an authority building book into revenue, speaking, authority, and no exaggeration, a whole new life.  David Homan has a background so sprawling that introducing him almost broke the show: composer with seven albums, former head of a Bernie Madoff-sponsored arts foundation and now the person who quietly runs what may be the largest private network of "connectors" on the planet—2,800 of them and counting. His book, Orchestrating Connection, co-written with UC Irvine professor Noah Askin, landed at #2 on the *USA Today* bestseller list for business books the week it launched. But the real story isn't the list placement—it's the decade of networking philosophy that got him there, built in the wreckage of losing his dream job when Madoff's Ponzi scheme collapsed. What I loved most about this conversation is how unflinching David is about the parts nobody tells you about publishing: the friends who promise to show up and don't, the launch-day silence from people you'd bet on, and the eight-year-old sending WhatsApp videos threatening a family friend into buying the book. We also got into his new startup, SOAR Connect, which is trying to solve relationship intelligence without doing what every other tech company does with your data. In this episode: - David's five-principle system for "orchestrating connection"—curiosity, vulnerability and diversity as strategic tools, not soft skills, for building real relationship value - Why he built a private, no-membership network of 2,800 connectors around one hard rule: you can only stay if you ask for what you need - The book as catalyst, not finish line—how it changed his credibility and fundraising even though everything he was doing was already true three years earlier - The hard truth about launches: for every 1,000 people who actually showed up, roughly 2,000 who promised to didn't—and why that's the real lesson for authors - What SOAR Connect is building—a relationship intelligence platform based on trust scores, designed so your data stays yours instead of being harvested like everywhere else **Want to know more about my company? Legacy Launch Pad Publishing is a boutique hybrid publisher for entrepreneurs and established founders. We help clients create books that build authority, attract opportunities and grow businesses. More info** 👉 https://www.legacylaunchpadpub.com **Want to ask me how to build authority with your book to generate seven-figure returns, speaking opportunities and high-value clients?** 👉 **https://www.legacylaunchpadpub.com/pocket-anna** **Interested in working with a selective hybrid publisher that focuses on strategy, authority and long-term business growth—not just publishing a book?** 👉 https://www.legacylaunchpadpub.com/apply **And if you just want to know more about me,**  👉 **www.annadavid.com** Remember, if there's anyone in your life who you know could be considered an authority in their field if they were better known, share this show with them!