Posted in Business, Guest Post, nonfiction, Trailer on November 3, 2023

 

 

Synopsis

 

An astounding true story of a young woman driven by her desire to escape chauvinism blazes a whirlwind path full of mystical encounters and unexpected adventures. From love to lawsuits, her business and personal life intertwine, bringing her to untold heights. Uncanny predictions at a chance encounter with a Fulbright Scholar from India follow her throughout life, as if written on the wall and fated to happen.

Chauvinism from her youth make her determined to explore opportunities. She breaks through a glass ceiling of seventy men, enjoys traveling for a year, and returns to found an innovative startup in New York City. Whether skiing the powdery snow in Aspen, or waking up on a beach in Mexico to men with machine guns, each adventure brings challenges and insights to add to an ever-broadening awareness. A lucky break merges with swirling thoughts to ignite a new business. Running a successful startup attracts ADWEEK Magazine of New York. She places first on their list of “The Dynamic Dozen.” It should have been smooth sailing, but sharks were circling. A court battle followed.

Entertaining and inspirational stories are told from pivotal times in history. Readers gain skills about life and business. The narrative will make you laugh at humanity, provoke anger at infuriating situations and leave you inspired to reach goals. Stimulating questions are raised, which will generate a deeper introspection.

 

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Bookshop

 

 

Guest Post

 

Never Say Never

 

 

Have you said, “That will never happen to me” but wish it would? Although seeming impractical or impossible at the time, daydreams and wishes are goals that can make you recognize opportunities. They can lodge in the back of your mind, setting the stage for unexpected events. I’ve learned to never say never.

As a child, I wanted explanations about life, but my mother was big on platitudes. When I complained she said, ‘It’s never so bad it couldn’t be worse.” When I was sad she said, “Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry alone.” And when I contemplated life, “There will always be people better off and worse off than you, so learn to be happy with who you are.”

It was good advice, but I wanted a deeper explanation. I joked that someday I would find out more and maybe write a book about life and love. It was just an idyllic daydream that seemed impossible. I studied commercial art, that led to working in an advertising agency and running my own business. I never dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur or an author.

 

 

Many years passed. At a women’s gathering group in my middle age, one woman would tell the story of her life after a potluck dinner. I couldn’t put my complex life into a short twenty-minute talk, but it prompted me to journal. It was fascinating as I saw the picture come together. My life was a remarkable adventure that I didn’t want to forget, so I saved it for my older years.

Over ten years later, I reread the journal. For the first time, I realized my life told the story of the woman’s movement and much more. It had the makings of a book with my thoughts about life and love, but now told through the eyes of women in business and a mystical experience.

After an online course in writing, a lot of work, manuscript readers, and an editor, the book was finished. I’m happy to say it has been getting great reviews. My impossible dream has come true. Never say never. It begins with a daydream. Thoughts lead to opportunity, and you never know what may happen.

 

 

 

 

 

Watch the Trailer here if you cannot view it above

 

 

About the Author

 

Marilyn Howard broke through the glass ceiling at Grey Advertising of New York to become their first female art director while in her early twenties. In 1970, she founded an innovative startup. Creative Freelancers Inc. became the first agency to connect businesses with freelance artists and writers, and operated for over 25 years in the center of Manhattan. ADWEEK Magazine of New York featured her in “The Dynamic Dozen,” those women under forty they identified as most likely to succeed. In 1997, her company became the first agency on the Internet. The author holds a B.F.A. from Syracuse University.

 

 

Website * Facebook * Amazon Author Page

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Business, Giveaway, Guest Post, nonfiction on July 9, 2020

 

 

 

 

Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring

 

the Next Generation of Technology Innovators

 

by Susanne Tedrick

 

Category: Adult Non-Fiction, 18 yrs +, 288 pages

 

Genre: Business, Careers, Technology

 

Publisher: Wiley

 

Release date: April 2020

 

 

Synopsis

 

Tech industry jobs are growing fast, offering great pay, career growth and learning opportunities. Women of color, sadly, have not been able to fully participate in this boom. There are many misconceptions about the tech industry. Misconceptions can often discourage women of color from pursuing or remaining in technical careers. For example, misconceptions like “tech careers are all about coding ”or “there’s no diversity in tech.”

In reality, tech career opportunities can be diverse, fun, and incredibly dynamic. While there are barriers to overcome, Women of Color in Tech is an indispensable resource for building a rewarding future in tech. Packed with inspiring stories and practical advice, this book shows you how to uncover the resources you need to succeed.

This practical guide will help you develop the blend of knowledge and skills needed for getting into tech—and staying there. Author Susanne Tedrick understands that, for a variety of reasons, young women of color are underrepresented in tech and may not have access to strong support networks or resources to be successful. Using her own experiences transitioning into tech, Susanne offers you real-world guidance on finding knowledgeable mentors, learning the latest industry trends, cultivating strong relationships and more.

If you’re thinking about going into tech, or you want to take your current career to the next level, Women of Color in Tech will help you build a blueprint for a successful career.

• Understand the reality of tech today, not misconceptions.
• Learn about the different tech jobs and opportunities that exist, not just coding.
• Gain an understanding of emerging technology areas that will affect jobs, like artificial intelligence, Blockchain and cloud computing.
• Discover traditional and non-traditional education option to get the skills you need.
• Find mentors, build your professional network and get the guidance you need.
• Stay motivated and deal with difficult situations.
• Recognize the importance of giving back to increase diversity and inclusion.

 

 

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Guest Post

 

My Earliest Memory As A Technologist

 

By Susanne Tedrick

 

Growing up, my dad loved consumer electronics and technology. He is the main reason how I ended up developing a passion for it. There was one particular incident that he and I had that was not only hilarious but perhaps was a solidification that I was meant to go into technology.

When my dad brought home new gadgets or electronics, I always spent as much time as I could experimenting and playing around with them. Sometimes my fascination would transcend mere curiosity, and I dissembled equipment to see the parts inside and to see how it worked (much to my parents’ chagrin).

One weekend afternoon when I was about 11, my dad’s inner “tinkerer” was awakened, and together, we decided that we would attempt to fix our floor model TV on our own. The unit would turn on and there was sound, but no picture would appear. Mind you, neither of us had any idea where to even begin, we didn’t have an instruction manual – it was like the blind leading the blind. My mother was aware of our plan and didn’t really say anything, she just looked at us with a smile that was half bemused/half knowing disaster would strike, but powerless to stop it.

We opened up the TV and had “deduced” that the unit needed a new fuse. We took the broken one that we had to the local electronics shop, where the person behind the counter seemed just as knowledgeable as we were. He took a quick glance at the broken fuse and gave us what he believed was the right replacement. He rang it up at the cash register, and we were then on our way.

We could barely contain our excitement when we got home. We enthusiastically put the fuse in, plugged the unit in and then turned it on. We saw the unit power up as it normally did, but no picture. Shortly after, we heard a loud pop…. and then next thing you know, a small fire has broken out in the back of the TV. My dad immediately unplugged the unit and got the fire extinguisher to put the fire out. My mother, watching the entire time, had a look of disbelief and amusement across her face.

Now obviously, we had no business at all doing what we did, and it is a small miracle that we didn’t burn our house down that day. But that helped spark my curiosity even more and helped deepen my technology knowledge, rather than deter or scare me off completely. Over time, I would learn that the fuse that we had was not the right one and it wasn’t even the root of the problem. It was the picture tube itself that needed to be completely replaced – we weren’t even close!

This memory is one of my favorites with my dad, but it served as an early precursor to my technology career.

 

This was such a fascinating read.  I love hearing how people find their passion and it seems like for Susanne it came at an early age with her dad.  I love how her mom knew things probably wouldn’t end well but gave them space to tinker and try and find the answer.

 

 

About the Author

 

Susanne Tedrick is a technical specialist for a Fortune 50 technology company. Fiercely committed to increasing participation of women and people of color in STEM educational and professional opportunities, she is a career mentor for the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) Initiative and a volunteer workshop technical assistant for Black Girls Code, a nonprofit that empowers girls of color to develop in-demand IT skills and prepare for careers in tech. Susanne was awarded the 2018 CompTIA AITP Rising Star of the Year Award, and nominated for the 2019 CompTIA Advancing Women in Technology Mentorship Guide Award, for her dedication to advancing her career and that of others. Views expressed are those of author Susanne Tedrick and are not endorsed by any of her current or former employers.

 

Website ~ Twitter ~ FacebookInstagram ~ Goodreads

 

 

Giveaway

 

Autographed Copy of WOMEN OF COLOR Plus $25 Amazon Gift Card (USA only) (ends July 17, 2020)

 

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Posted in Business, Giveaway, Interview, nonfiction, Writing on October 18, 2018

Book Title: Don’t Write a Crappy Book by James M. Ranson
Category: Adult Non- Fiction, 210 pages
Genre: Business, Authorpreneurship
Publisher: Master Wordsmith Media, in association with Thanet House Books
Release date: Oct 1, 2018

Synopsis

A great book can launch your business into the stratosphere. Unfortunately, most self-published business books rank somewhere between “meh” and “flaming pile of crap.” But your book doesn’t have to suck!

In “Don’t Write a Crappy Book,” editor and entrepreneur James Ranson unpacks the most common–and toxic–mistakes that first-time nonfiction authors make. Peppered with wisdom from a panel of industry experts, this book debunks the dangerous myths that can torpedo your text and offers clear, practical guidance for writing a book you’re proud of. This is the resource for the aspiring authorpreneur who wants to write and publish a book with minimum hassle and maximum results.

This book will teach you:

– How a self-published book can make or break your business (and the THREE factors that determine which it does)
– The biggest blind spots no one tells authors about (and how to look for them BEFORE it’s too late)
– How to write a first book that will get positive reviews on Amazon (and why that’s a better goal than becoming a bestseller)
– When writing a business book is the right move for you (and when you should NEVER write one)
– How to self-publish on Amazon to actually get good results for your business (a lot of it happens before you even start writing!)
– What NOT to do when you’re looking for an editor (and how to find a great one)
– Why trying to write and publish a book in 90 days or less is a recipe for disaster (and why no one tells you that!)
– How to avoid do-overs, sunk costs, and other self-publishing headaches (and how to get out of them if they sneak up on you)

Stay out of the crap pile! Discover the secrets to creating a highly valuable book that will expand your influence and grow your business for years to come.



Interview with James Ranson

You are professionally involved in writing in a number of ways. Tell me about it!

Sure! There are a number of different ways that I help authors create high quality books.

  • If an author wants to write the book themselves, but is needing some guidance and maybe some accountability and strategy help around that, then I can essentially be their book-writing sherpa and guide them through the process as a book coach or book consultant. That’s one of my favorite things to do – I love getting on the phone with a client and helping them get ready to write.
  • If they know that their business needs a book and their business is ready to support one, but they themselves don’t have the bandwidth to write it, I can be their ghostwriter; I can write the book with them or for them. We’ll have a number of calls where I interview them and get to know their content, and then I’ll write them a first draft. They’ll respond to the draft and say, “Ok, I like this and I like this, I don’t like this, we can fix this…” Then I’ll do a rewrite and it will go on to editing from there.
  • If they’ve already written the book, there’s actually a couple of things I can do. I can either work with them to edit the book – I’ll be their editor and we’ll go through rewrites and responses and so forth to get the book from rough draft to polished final draft. Or again, if they don’t have as much bandwidth, I can rewrite it for them. That’s called book doctoring, and I actually love doing that. It’s sort of a hybrid of ghostwriting and editing.
  • And of course I’m a published author now, so that’s another way! Don’t Write A Crappy Book! is technically my second book, but it’s the first one that’s really meant to raise awareness for my business. And I plan to write several more books over the next few years.

How do you balance your personal and professional life?

Better than I used to! I try to keep my mornings pretty laid back; that’s the time when I’ll go for a walk, or go to the gym, or read and kind of just enjoy whatever I’m doing. If I do any work or take any calls in the morning, it’s pretty rare, and it’s more likely to be personal work like writing than client work (unless I’m on a tight deadline). Late morning/lunchtime through late afternoon are more of my working hours, and unless I’m on deadline, I try to stop usually around 5:00 or 6:00 and just relax in the evening. And I also try to minimize work on weekends. Does that all work 100% of the time? No, but it’s what I try for, and I’m getting more consistent as I keep working at it.

Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it?

Writer’s block is really interesting, because I don’t tend to struggle with it that much. But I think that the main reason for that is every time I sit down, I know what I want to write, because I’ve outlined it thoroughly beforehand. One of the things that I write about in Don’t Write A Crappy Book is that the #1 mistake everyone I talked to said that authors make without realizing it, is that they don’t make and work with an outline when they write. That was a little bit surprising to me–I knew it was probably going to be top 5, but I didn’t think it would be #1. If you have an outline, and that outline is really detailed and straightforward, defeating or navigating writer’s block becomes a lot easier. Because then you have clear ideas about what you can say next. Or if you get stuck on one chapter you can just jump to the next chapter and say, “Alright, I need to let this one percolate for a little while, but I can start on the next one because I know what I’m going to say there.” And it may not work 100% of the time, but it probably works 90% of the time! If you have a clear idea of who you’re talking to, what they need, and how what you’re saying can help them, and you’ve taken that knowledge and put it into an outline, writer’s block honestly becomes a very easy thing to overcome. The main reason most people run into writer’s block is because they haven’t done any kind of preparation. They just sit down and think the ideas are going to flow. And maybe that can work if you’re writing fiction (I doubt it, but that’s outside of my knowledge base), but if you’re writing a business book, you’ll need to have an outline.

What are you most proud of, professionally speaking?

Well for starters, I am so proud of this book! It’s the culmination of everything I’ve done in my business so far, and I’m super proud of it. But aside from the book, I would say that it’s how well the clients I’ve worked with are doing now, because of the books that we’ve worked on. One of my clients got a legit book deal for his second book, because of the first book that we worked on together. And getting to see all these clients have great launches, with books that they‘re going to use to represent their businesses for years that they’re so super proud of – I love that. It makes what I do worth doing.

Why 17? How did you determine the mistakes you say will kill a business book?

That does sound like an arbitrary number, doesn’t it? But it actually came from talking to 26 other book professionals and then adding my own experience and expertise, and then categorizing all that insight and figuring out how it all fit together. That was a process! The initial outline and table of contents probably changed form at least a dozen times, if not a couple dozen. What ultimately fell together were these sets of three main categories and the most prominent mistakes within each category, which just happened to add up to 17. There wasn’t a plan that it would be that number, but that’s the number that it worked out to be when all of the value was put together in the best way.

What do you like to do when you’re not reading or writing, or working with people who read or write?

Sleep! (Just kidding, but not really…getting enough sleep is super important for me.) But when I’m awake and not working, lots of different things. I love to go for walks and go hiking out in nature. I love animals; my fiancé and I volunteer at a no-kill animal shelter here in Atlanta, which is a lot of fun. We also like to go to shows – plays and musicals and stuff like that. There are a lot of great restaurants in Atlanta, and we like to go and explore those with friends. And I’m always reading anyway, so my fun time tends to involve books as much as my work time–just fantasy and sci-fi instead of entrepreneurship.

What’s one of your favorite book-related memories?

What a great question! There was this one Saturday morning, I was probably eight years old, where I decided to sit down and read Treasure Island in one sitting, to see if I could (it worked, too!). I did something very similar with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. When it came out, I got off work at like noon, I got to Barnes & Noble at 1:00, sat down with the book at 1:30 and just sat there in the café and read the entire book. I finished at like 5:30. And then I went home and started reading it again! I’ve got plenty of those memories, of reading books with amazing stories that I just can’t put down and want to read in one sitting. Another favorite memory is of the first book I ever edited professionally. It was called Profit Hacking, by my friend Steve Daar. That was really the first time where I was like, “This is something that I can do, and it’s something I feel really amazing doing.” And again, Steve was very happy with it; it became a cornerstone of his business for the next couple of years. Any time I help an author have a book experience like that is always a great book memory for me.

About the Author

James Ranson, The Master Wordsmith(TM), is a Wall-Street-Journal-bestselling editor, ghostwriter and book coach who has helped over 200 consultants, coaches, speakers and other thought leaders create high-quality books. Clients of his have gone on to sell thousands of books, receive book deals from publishing houses, and be featured in regional and national media outlets. In addition to his own clients, James is a writer and book doctor for Thanet House Books, and is on recommended professional lists for Scribe Media(formerly Book in a Box), My Word Publishing, BrightFlame Books and Authors Unite. His second book, Don’t Write A Crappy Book!, will be published on October 1, 2018. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, James lives in Atlanta, GA, with his fiancée and a very needy cat.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Giveaway

Prizes: 5 winners will get an ebook copy of Don’t Write a Crappy Book, 1 winner will get a $20 Amazon GC and 3 winners will get a $10 Amazon GC (open to USA and Canada / 9 winners total)

(ends Nov 7, 2018)

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Posted in Book Blast, Business, contest, Giveaway, nonfiction on December 13, 2013

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The Next America

Title: The Next America: Moving Beyond a Fragile Economy
Author: Don A. Holbrook
Publisher: Don A. Holbrook
Pages: 304
Language: English
Genre: Nonfiction/Business & Economics
Format: Paperback, eBook & Audio Book

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Synopsis

The economic chaos of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis that has created so much destruction of wealth for regular Americans is far from over. This book examines problems and possible solutions within national, international, and local realms that will help us navigate these times and set a course toward calmer waters. While some clamor for more taxes to cover our government’s programs, The Next America shows how we can restructure our tax code so it positively affects all aspects of our communities: education, businesses, innovation, political transparency, environmental issues, investments, and more. Concerned citizens and economic players alike will be inspired and motivated to act to reestablish the American Dream during this transitional time. The Next America believes an informed citizenry can create a solution to hold our elected officials accountable for real change that will be robust and beneficial to all American’s not just the elite few at the top, without moving away from our free market and capitalism based economy.

Excerpt

From reading the newspaper, watching television, or listening to the radio, it should be clear that the unsettling situation America finds itself in today has presented us with several conundrums. We are concerned about where our nation is headed, how to make a living, how to prepare for retirement, how to create a better life for our families today, and how to leave our posterity with an inheritance of economic opportunities.

The global economy has created more chaos and hardships than most of us have previously experienced. Not since the Great Depression have folks been so beleaguered by so many tumultuous problems. Even more devastating is the degradation of our main pillar of humanity, our core: the family unit. With the massive amount of unemployment and underemployment that has arisen in this perfect economic storm, many of us have burned through our benefit claims, extensions, and options. We face loss of income and also hope and self-dignity. These immense problems have made many of us rethink our values and dreams. In the worst of cases, we have given up the ideal of aspiring for a better life—not only for ourselves, but also for our children. The economic pressures are not the only problems in this perfect storm. We face burgeoning pressure from religious zealots who are not tolerant of religious differences. We face environmental calamities,

both natural and man-made. In addition, the resources that we depend on to fuel our global economy, such as energy, are peaking in costs and diminishing in availability.

To further frustrate and annoy our already overloaded psyches, we have a complete lack of trust in our governmental systems. People are weary of the either/or partisan politics and government’s failure to look out for our best interests.

Watch Don Discuss Moving Beyond a Fragile Economy

About the Author

Don HolbrookDon Holbrook is a private economist consultant involved in economic development public policy, site location decisions for private sector investments of new facilities, strategic destination tourism development feasibility and public-private partnership conceptualization, including public sector incentives to entice business investment into local economies. His non-fiction books on local economic development efforts to rebuild, renew and sustainably balance economic development public policy to create world-class communities have been groundbreaking successes within economic development.  His first book, the “Little Black Book of Economic Development” has spawned a series of follow-up books on how communities, companies, individuals and families can navigate these treacherous economic times.

Holbrook is one of the worlds foremost thought leaders and public speakers on the subject of how communities can build smart and sustainable local grassroots driven economic development strategies to achieve maximum success in what he refers to as “The Art of the Deal Today.”

Holbrook was formally indoctrinated as a Fellow Member of the International Economic Development Council, for his lifetime achievements by his peers in 2008.

He lives with wife and two sons in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In 2010, Holbrook was formally Knighted at West Point USMA as a member of the modern day Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, a modern day Knights Templar Order.

His latest book is the nonfiction/business/economics, The Next America: Moving Beyond a Fragile Economy.

Connect & Socialize with Don!

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

Pump Up Your Book and Don Holbrook are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Certificate or Paypal Cash.
  • This giveaway begins December 2 and ends December 27.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on Monday, December 30, 2013.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

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