In this concise "6 questions in 7 minutes" interview, Professor Pete Alexander talks with Wayne Van Der Wal, a retired school psychologist who has reinvented himself as an author, founder of Five Vines Press, life coach, and soon‑to‑be conservative news YouTuber. Wayne explains that his joy comes from people‑focused work—helping everyday individuals publish books, coaching them toward personal goals, and planning a news podcast to keep listeners informed. When asked which business chapter everyone should read, he points to a passage from his own book The Gospel of Santa Claus titled “Let the Adventures Begin,” using the metaphor of Saint Nicholas’s transition to illustrate the need for entrepreneurs to embrace risk and view business as an adventure. His core advice to leaders is to become lifelong learners, mastering everything from legal structures to publishing logistics, while maintaining patience and grace to avoid overwhelm. Wayne recommends fellow business leader and HR expert Steph Hanami as a future podcast guest, praising her international experience and engaging personality. He recounts his first job at age nine as a seasonal paperboy and yard‑work helper, highlighting early lessons about work ethic, earning money, and the satisfaction of serving others. The episode closes with Wayne’s contact information—waynevanderwall.com and thegospelofsantaclaus.com—where listeners can learn more about his books, including a new children’s title, and reach out directly.
Chapters
This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast, where business leaders share their insights. It is 6 questions in 7 minutes because successful business leaders are busy and rarely have more time to spare. So let's get to it. Question number 1: In a few sentences, please tell me who you are and what you do.
Hi, my name is Wayne Vander Wall. I'm a retired school psychologist and I'm currently an author of several books that are out on, uh, out online. And I'm also a book publisher. Since I learned how to publish books, I decided to start my own company. So I have a publishing company called Five Vines Press, and I also do life coaching. I enjoy that personal one-on-one contact with people. And I'm a soon-to-be conservative YouTuber, news conservative, conservative news YouTuber.
Well, Wayne, it's great to have you on the show, and it sounds like you are one busy person in retirement.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a whole new career. Yeah, that's good.
Question number 2: What is something that makes you smile and/or laugh about working in your industry?
I think just everything I just named are people-oriented, and it's all about helping people. Like my books, they have a teaching message to them. And I say that I love to touch, teach, and entertain people, and so, and to help people. So whether it's the books have positive messages in them, book publishing, I believe everybody has a book inside them. And, uh, but they don't know how to go about doing it. So really my publishing company is to help everyday people, uh, get published, you know, and, uh, people who'd never, never dream about it, but help them their dream come true. Of course, the life coaching, helping people achieve their goals, and then of course the, the news podcast that will be coming out soon also to inform people and help them stay up to date. So Uh, that's the biggest thing. Just, that's what I enjoy. I just enjoy helping people, uh, learn and grow.
I love it. Question number 3: I have a fictitious book with all the answers for business. What chapter would you think most companies should read?
Um, well, it makes me think of my one book, The Gospel of Santa Claus. There's a chapter in there that said— that's titled Let the Adventures Begin. It's when Saint Nicholas, when he's trans— from a child to an adult. And he's about to take— he decides to travel the world. And that's what I think of in the business world is let the adventures begin. As I mentioned, all the different things to transition from a stable job into entrepreneurship. It's all an adventure. And meeting— new people like yourself and learning new things and going different places and risking. It's a lot of it, just risk, going into the unknown. So that would be my chapter. Let the adventures begin and make life an adventure. Every day is going to be different, good, bad, but enjoy the ride.
I love it. That's very inspirational. It's so great. Question number 4, other than the generic work harder, have a great attitude, and care for customers, What advice or insight would you give to other business leaders?
The biggest thing comes to mind for me, I'm just going by my own experience after retirement, is to embrace learning, be a lifelong learner, and love learning. If you don't have a love for learning, you're going to need it because if you're starting to become an entrepreneur, whatever you're going to do, there's just so much to learn from the business aspect. You know, do I do an LLC, a C corporation, S corporation? How you're going to handle your new business, like with writing, learning how to write, you know, character development, story flow, all that stuff. Book publishing, you know, you have the traditional versus hybrid versus self-publishing, which route to go, which is best for you. And then the formatting and the uploading cover design and working with all these different people, uh, or learning how to do all that. And then the retailers— Amazon and, uh, you know, all the different, uh, Walmart, all the different retailers that you have to deal with and how to get your book out. And then the marketing. And so there's just so much to learn. It's this massive body of information out there, uh, and those are just my things. So, you know, everyone else has their own business ideas and ventures. But no matter what you do, learn, learn, learn, and then try to enjoy it and embrace it and not let yourself get overwhelmed. Give yourself some grace and patience, but enjoy the learning.
I love that. And if you continue to learn, I assume you continue to grow. Would you agree?
Oh, absolutely. Yeah, you can't help but— yeah, that's To grow, you have to learn. Yeah. Learn about yourself, learn about your venture, you know. Yep. It's all good.
Perfect. Question number 5, what other business leader like yourself would you like to acknowledge and invite to be on my podcast?
Uh, first person comes to mind is, uh, a woman named Steph Hanami. Uh, she's actually someone I just published her book, uh, just came out called The Culture Conduit. Kindness is the Right Strategy. So she's an international businesswoman, but she's a human resources expert, and she wrote this wonderful book. And it's not just about human resources, but it's about human connections and how important that is. And, and she'd be a fun guest. I mean, she, she's a world traveler, she drinks whiskey, she plays poker. She's a really neat, really fun, and a really sharp, intelligent woman. So that's who I'd recommend.
Sounds like an interesting interview. I appreciate the referral. And our final question, question number 6, please tell me about your first job.
Uh, when I think of my first job, I go back to age 9, 4th grade. We just moved to a new neighborhood in a real house. You know, we were in apartment before. And, and so, uh, it was like a whole new world for me. And so I became a paperboy, and in the spring and summer I mowed yards and pulled weeds. In the fall I raked leaves, and in the winter I shoveled sidewalks. And so, you know, I was working outside the home at age 9 making money. And what I learned from those is you work, you make money, and it's good. You know, when you're you know, 9, and then I can run up and buy, you know, chips and candy, and I got my own money to do whatever I want with. And, and so I kind of learned, you know, I was thankful I had hardworking parents to teach me a work ethic. You know, they made me work around the house or whatever. But when I learned I could go work for other people and make money and then even have more to do whatever I want with, it was all good. So, yeah, if you're willing to to learn and grow and put yourself out there and risk and work hard, you know, and people appreciate it. And again, you make them happy, you know. Shovel a lady's yard or, I mean, a sidewalk, and she'd come out and she was so excited to see this little guy, you know, working his tail off clearing her sidewalk, and she's just happy to hand me, you know, whatever amount she handed me. It was fun. Again, just going back, I like to work hard and do a good job for people and see them pleased and happy, not only with my work, but just happy in general with the product, whatever it is I gave them.
I think it's really great that even at 9 years old, as you said, depending on the season, you had a particular service that you could provide. And that, instead of saying, well, I just do lawns in the summertime and that's it, you had something going on for each season. So that's pretty amazing too. So Wayne, thank you so much for being on the show. How could people find you?
Uh, I have a website, waynevanderwall.com, and so that's probably the best way. Uh, and then I also have a thegospelofsantaclaus.com website as well. You could reach me through there and learn more about my one book there, and then also my other brand new children's book, Beware of Corky the Yorkie Is a Sock Thief. And, uh, but those are the two best ways, is waynevanderwaal.com or thegospelofsantaclaus.com.
Perfect. This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast. Thanks for listening.
