Success Strategies
Motivate, Inspire and Help Individuals in Transition
My Writing Journey…
My writing journey began when I was 10 years old doing an important entrance exam to enter high school. I wrote a fiction story and was so engulfed that I did not realize I was doing an exam. Suffice it to say, I excelled. I went on to writing policies and procedures in the Pharmaceutical and healthcare industries in my International Human Resource Leadership Career.
Finding Meaning
My journey found meaning during my dissertation writing process as I pondered what to do for a 3-year writing project to meet the requirements for my doctoral studies. I wanted to do something that would make a difference to society. After deciding on researching the topics of Leadership and Success, my dissertation received outstanding recognition.
Challenges Along The Way
I was thrilled to have achieved my personal goal and Published my first book from my dissertation title Success Strategies of Leaders. The process was longer than anticipated and challenging as it involved translating the research from academic writing to storybook form in anticipation of public readership.
As many inquired about how to achieve success, I wrote Success Strategies Workbook to show them how. I was then recognized by the University for writing books based on my research as an example to other doctoral students. I was later invited to advise Doctoral students on the process I followed.
Community Leadership Initiatives
Along the way, I got involved with the Institute of Caribbean Studies in Washington DC doing work within our community, and was appointed as Chief Judge for the 30 Under-30 Millennial Change-makers. It was an initiative held at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) annually.
Same Goal–Different Paths
I subsequently published Books on Motivation to encourage New Entrepreneurs and individuals along their Career Success Journey. A few years later, I went on a slightly different path and published GreenLight, a book which contains stories of encouragement, inspiration, and exhortation. In response to reader request, I obliged and converted GreenLight into my first Audiobook. A different path but the process was enlightening and boosted my creativity.
Book Coach
As my writing journey progressed, aspiring new and longtime authors reached out asking for help. It transformed by role as coach for organizational Managers, employees, and Career Changers into my most enthusiastic role as Book Writing Coach as I responded to private and public calls for help. I also became a member of the writers community of South Florida for Authors of Color.
Satisfaction From New Authors
It brings me great joy and satisfaction as new writers experience novel personal growth when their first book has been released. My greatest pride is having worked closely with Reggae Music Matriarch Patricia Chin as she wrote to leave her legacy of a lifetime contribution, initially working close to Music Icons like Bob Marley while nurturing the careers of artists, Maxi Priest, Shaggy, Beenie Man, Sean Paul and more.
With more books on the horizon, my Writing and Book Coaching Journey continues. Thanks for allowing me to share my journey with you. Do share yours.
Cheers!
Living Your Life As A Mask…
We have all been placed on this earth to discover our own paths and we will never be happy if we live someone else’s idea of life.
A new writer shared her Instagram name. It was nowhere close to her real names . I beckoned to her… smile in tow…”you do make it hard, don’t you? In haste she retorted “it’s so my employer can’t find me”.
I smiled.
Our Lives In Compartments
How many of us are like that? We live our lives in compartments trying to separate our true selves from what those around us see publicly.
To Hide To Be
It’s a hard choice but sometimes you have to hide in order “to be“. I pray one day that you will be able to just be. To reveal your true identity and just be the you that you want to be.
Cheers!
Wanna Getaway? 5 Workation Hotel Stays You’ll Love…
Workation is the concept of a place to getaway for business and pleasure.
Forbes Travel Guide which gave 26 Ideas of Workations to take right now. It’s not really a new concept as I have always traveled for business. However, in my workaholic haste to return home, I regret not taking the time to chill and relax after my meetings and/or conferences….essentially, to smell the coffee.
Enter the advent of the worldwide COVID Pandemic. Hotels suffered grave hit as travel took an unfortunate plunge. As creativity stepped in, hotels have had to come up with innovative ways to stay afloat as individuals stay indoors to do the traditional yet now expanded survival work-from-home strategy. Unfortunately, as this tactic has becomes more common, misery stepped in at the end of the day. So this is a cute idea to take a deliberate action to getaway, work, relax and play after. Who can beat that 3-in-1 deal? I’d only suggest you ensure there’s WiFi! To give you a push start, here are 5 hotels that I have worked from which drove my own writing passion.
1. Disney’s Contemporary Resort
2. Sundial Beach Resort and Spa
3. Sonesta
4. GalleryOne DoubleTree Suites By The Hilton
5. Hutchinson Island
Hope these selections have opened your appetite to change things up a bit. But be very careful and disciplined with your selections. Your productivity may be compromised.
Happy Workation and keep Safe!
To Read Or Not To Read The AudioBook Way? 5 Benefits…
The book club. It was the first. The apologies came in droves. Oh I started but couldn’t finish. It was the kids, the husband, household chores and so much more. Who has time to read anyway?
My secret and I remained silent. I had ordered the required paperback to be read by the time the group met. But delivery time would be a few days before the meeting. For sure I would have barely started much less finished reading.
Audiobook Rescue
Then the idea came to me. Why not order the audiobook version online and start listening immediately? Then by the time the paperback arrived I could finish my reading with the hard copy. And that I did.
So as the group complained they finally asked and I told them what I did. The envy on their faces grew like a fiery furnace.
I shared that experience to acknowledge that audiobooks work. As an author of several books on Success, leadership, and career development, my last book was different. It was more inspirational. The book GreenLight is filled with anecdotes, uplifting short stories, prayers and exhortations. Readers share it’s encouraging benefits. Many inquired of its audio format. So I complied.
Audiobook Benefits
Not an audiobook reader? Here I share 5 advantages:
1. Better Time Management
2. Enjoy the convenience of multitasking. You can listen while working, commuting or running.
3. More than one one person can read simultaneously. Road trip anyone?
4. Greater reach for authors as consumers are given wider choices of eBook, paperback or audio. Whatever their reading style, there’s an option.
5. Ability to read more books in a shorter time.
So while some are skeptical, audiobooks is the fastest growing channel these days and offer great benefits to those still on the fence.
What kind of reader are you? Audio, paperback, eBook? Do share, we would love to hear!
Happy Reading!
Books: Readers Share Their Top Getaway Reads…
Readers Read. Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.
Anna Quindlen
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. ~Ursula K. Le Guin
We have all had our favorite books that we have read from a young age. Some have left an impact on our lives. On a B&N public forum, a reader asked “What Book has stayed with you long after you’ve read it?” Fellow readers poured in with responses. Here I share a few that may prove worthwhile for your vacation, getaway, or a mid-summer night’s read.
- Man’s Search for Meaning
- Pecan Man
- The Power
- We Were the Lucky Ones
- The Book Thief
- Before I Fall
- The Lovely Bones
- It Ends with Us
- The Sparrow
- The Lovely Bones
- One Hundred Years f solitude
- The Alchemist
- Harry Potter
- We Were Yours
- East of Eden
- The Chrysalids
- The Bible
- The Savage Song
- To Kill A Mockingbird
- The Notebook
- The Outsiders
- A History of Loneliness
- Tell Me Your Dreams
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11 Tips To Help You Start Your Writing Journey…
What do I need to write my first book? That is the question I am often asked. After researching the topics of leadership and Success, I published over 6 non-fiction books, people figure that I am doing something right. Here I share 11 tips for beginners interested in starting their own Writing Journey
Aspiring Authors Writing Tips
- Write. Keep writing.
- Read a lot so you understand how others do what they do
- Be yourself. Tell the story
- It takes a lot of sacrifice so keep going.
- Start writing. Just keep writing. Stand at a bus stop, look at a fence and …write. Sit in a cafe, get yourself a drink and write about the next person who walks through the door – not his description… but his life story, his family, his job. Just write
- Read the classics and discover why they are rated so highly
- If you don’t know what to write or have writers block, use writing prompts to get those creative juices flowing.
- Don’t shy away from criticism. Being critiqued doesn’t always feel amazing, but it always makes you a better writer. Every time someone tells you what they think of your manuscript, you get closer to an objective understand of your work, which is invaluable
- Don’t worry about perfection when you are writing your first draft. Good writing is re-writing
- Believe in yourself.
- Never give up.
Good luck as you start your journey.
Cheers!
Goals. The Path. When You Can’t See Clearly, Slow Down…
Goals. The Path. When You Can’t See Clearly, Slow Down or even Stop. ~ Dr. Shelly Cameron
The news reported sisters returning from a trip to Disneyland. The driver a mom in her early 20s, could hardly see due to immense fog and rain. She accelerated to get past the fog. Sadly, she drove head-on into another car that caused two fatalities. One family member said they couldn’t see clearly and that’s what caused the accident.
Innovation and Industry Disappearance
A friend shared with me a compilation of research that discussed the demise of Kodak whose name years ago was synonymous with photos. Gone. Disappeared. Artificial intelligence has taken over business. Before the pandemic, if we consider the likes of Uber, where a driver shows up at the click of a button to take you wherever you want to go. Airbnb vacation rentals has created disruption in the hotel industry. Social…
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Fear Of Dying With Unaccomplished Dreams…
My greatest fear is dying without accomplishing my own dreams.
A middle-aged woman was deeply depressed. She had helped her children succeed in life. When they bought their first house, she was there. When they had their kids, she was there. A child needed to be picked up, she was there. However through a series of events, she began reflecting. She got stuck and locked herself away from others. When we finally spoke, she shared that she loves her kids and was happy with their success, but her greatest fear was dying without accomplishing her own dreams.
The Selfish Few
Aren’t we like that at times? We are always there for others to the detriment of our own dreams. Those who step out and go after their dreams without considering others are termed selfish. The challenge is for us to find the right balance. The balance to remember our own goals, dreams and aspirations while assisting those we care about with achieving their own.
Dream Home
Lets take for example buying your dream home. Consider what it would take. Search the requirements for you to qualify for a mortgage with a lending institution. Start searching. What location would you like to buy your dream home? Does it need to be close to your job or are you willing to relocate and move to a different area? Out of state or instate? Out of the county or within the county? Next, consider what would you like to have? Two, three or four bedrooms? How many bathrooms? Do you work from home and therefore need an office? Questions, questions, questions. You’re right. Answer them all. The progress will enlighten.
Dream Job
Is it that you would like to change careers? If so, start researching careers that interest you. Do you need to get an education or certification to get into that field? If so, what education do you need? How will you afford the training? Will you need to get a part-time job to help boost your finances? Will your company cover the training expense? And if they do, will they expect you to stick around after you graduate? There is also the option of scholarship or student loan if you qualify.
Aspiring Author
What about a hobby? I’ll use writing because I love to write. Have you dreamed of becoming an author? What will you write about? What are you interested in? Fiction, non-fiction? Biography? If so, where do you start?
The point of these examples is to emphasize that there is always hope for those who dream. They can still come through despite your age, finances, and anything else that you consider a stumbling block. Simply start with clarifying the dream, the goal. Create a timeline. It will help you track your progress and boost your psych as you accomplish each step. Once done, dig deep into making them real. Disregard anything negative that will distract you. Many have accomplished dreams no matter their age. There is always hope. George Foreman regained the heavyweight title at age 45. Colonel Sanders franchised Kentucky Fried Chicken at age 62. The media recently shared a 99 year-old woman who decided to get a tattoo and a daredevil bike ride simply to cross it off her bucket-centennial-list. She is definitely still dreaming.
Today, I encourage you to go after your dreams. Whether you are young or more mature, don’t let age stop you. After all, age is just a number.
Need help? Lets connect.
Cheers!
Have You Ever Been Afraid?
One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.”
— Henry Ford
Ever been afraid? I have. I lived with my grandmother in a nice house when I was growing up. When I was 10 years old, I passed the entrance exam to attend a prestigious high school. It was located close to where my parents lived so I moved to live with them instead. The only problem was… the house was old and antiquated. Being close to school I did not want the students to see where I lived because I feared they would tease me. So for all my high school years, I hid from them. Only close friends knew. The other challenge was that I was well known at school because I was active on the track team as well as other extracurricular activities which made it worse. I ‘really’ had to hide.
At the end of high school, we were evicted when the house was condemned which as it turned out was kind of a good thing. People love to stay in their comfort zone. My parents had no choice but to move.
Since then there were many other times when I was afraid. Such as having my first child, making my first presentation to a big audience at work both locally and internationally. Not to mention the time I jumped out of a plane doing a sky dive! So as most of you know, I have never let fear stop me from doing anything I want to do. I do things even when afraid. Fear is my driver. I guess I owe that to that old house.
Over 20 years later and after a career dedicated to managing people in organizations, I now spend my time
- Helping organizational leaders giving them advice and solutions on how to manage their people problems
- Helping individuals who wish to make a career change but are afraid to take the leap
- Helping aspiring authors write their first book
Essentially, if you are stuck in fear and afraid to do what you want to do for many reasons, lets connect. I can help you get pass your fear because I have been there.
Cheers!
7 Essential Steps To Busting Career Barriers…
It’s the most devastating news! I sat across from Kate with her manager. We shared the news that today was her last day. It was nothing she had done wrong. It was simply a change in business due to the crisis. Over 70 percent of employees had to go. Kate was one. She cried. Begged. Pleaded. She had kids, and was the sole provider. But there was nothing we could do. She had to go, as did the others. It was a uniform strike across the board.
Have you or anyone you know ever been blindsided by such horrific news? You worked hard. You were a diligent worker who went above and beyond the call of duty. Yet, it was now your time. You wonder how you will survive. Life seems insurmountable. I am here to tell you that you can survive. Here are 7 Steps that will help to…
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