Book Title:

Website URL: 
http://elmstreeteconomy.com

Facebook: 
http://www.facebook.com/paulofelmstreet

LinkedIn: 
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/paul-robert-edwards/3/612/15a

What is your book about?

The Working From Home Encyclopedia provides the most comprehensive current advice on everything you need to know to live and work under the same roof including setting up a home office, insurance, legal matters, money, tax, and time management, family issues, avoiding loneliness, and getting plenty of business to come to you. Whether you’re looking for what kind of work you can do to secure an income, already know what you want to do to use your home as a workplace to do, or just use it as a base because smart phones and tablets enable you to work anywhere, the Working From Home Encyclopedia will give you the information and access to the resources you need.  Prior to evolving into an Encyclopedia, Working From Home was published in five print editions and sold over half a million copies. The Encyclopedia integrates other of the Edwards’ print books to create a complete compendium.

What inspired you to write your book? 

Sarah began our experience working from home after she went to a meeting in a consultant’s office, which turned out to be his home. This inspired her to think about opening a counseling practice in our home. At the same time, I started a consulting practice, having both a downtown and a home office. I then  combined the offices and work at home, too. People were curious both about our both working at home and how we did it. Since both of us had wanted to write a book since childhood, we decided to write our first book Working From Home, which was the first book of its kind from a commercial publisher.

How did you come to do what you’re doing today?

I (Paul) have always been intrigued with encyclopedic references and when I was eight years old, I began reading an encyclopedia page by page. So after Sarah and I wrote more than 17 books, I decided to combine them into an encyclopedia reference. Sarah has always been curious, which is one of the things that attracted us to one another. So, we support one another’s efforts and for many years have worked together.

Can you describe a typical day in your life?

Our day begins with breakfast in the kitchen of our home. After breakfast, I go to our home office on the lower level of our home. Sarah either goes to her counseling office where she sees clients or goes into our home office to do administrative work. During the day, I see or talk on the phone with several consulting clients and do research and writing. We work until dinner after which we watch a few TV shows, exercise, and then read novels to one another.

What do you most enjoy about what you do?

Both of us are intrigued with both learning and then sharing what we know with others. We have done this in many forms – face to face, speaking, teaching, writing, having our own radio and TV shows.

Are there any people and/or books that have inspired you along your journey?

Many of the people we have interviewed – some people are well known like Victor Frankl, Norman Cousins, Al Reis, Olympic Gymnast Tim Daggett, Steve Allen, and many more. We read many books and eBooks – both fiction and non-fiction. Some of the non-fiction writers that I have found great value in reading include Malcolm Gladwell, William Strauss and Neil Howe, James Gleick, Al Reis, and Jack Trout, and many more.

 Can you share some business tips for our readers?

These tips are tailored to people who want to work from home:

• If devoting full-time, expect to work 50+hours week
• If part-time schedule weekday hours not just weekends
• Set up a firm schedule – firm for you and others
• Begin each workday the same way such as by checking e-mail
• End each workday the same way such as by planning the next day
• To be more productive  take mini-breaks each hour
• Put family and free time on your schedule
• Know yourself – Do you work better under pressure or relaxed?
• Offer a customer a discount if the customer will link to your web site or include your brochure in a mailing.
• Have a separate telephone line for your business.  Always answer the telephone with a pleasant greeting
• Line up a lawyer, accountant, and computer consultant before you need them.
• Let technology save you time and money

What’s next for you?

We’re interested in localization – being able to work from home is key to people having enough time to be involved locally. So Sarah and I established a non-profit, Let’s Live Local, whose purpose is to help our community remain viable by making it possible for more people to earn their livelihoods, shop, play, as well as live in the community.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We now teach workshops and webinars on Finding a Sustainable Livelihood and training for communities and organizations in how to encourage localization. 

We are taking our content into onto online education venues.

Book Title:

Website URL:
www.PublicDynamics.com

Social Media Links:
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/miloshapiro
Facebook: www.facebook.com/IMPROVentures
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/miloshapiro

What is your book about?
Simple steps and tips that can help make you more engaging and dynamic when speaking while avoiding the pitfalls that can leads to awkward moments or bored audiences.

What inspired you to write your book?
Quite honestly, I was looking for a good book on the topic to recommend to my own public speaking coaching clients and everything I picked up was just plain boring. I love that subject, but if I couldn’t get through the books, how could I recommend them? I wanted to write something that would be such fun to read that people would actually read it all and get the value throughout.

How did you come to do what you’re doing today?
I had been doing team building and motivational speaking since 2000 but around 2004 people started coming up to me and saying, “I need to be more lively like you in front of the groups that I speak in front of…would you be willing to work with me?” At first I said no, but when the fourth person asked me, I finally said, “Let’s try this!” And now I love working to help others as much as I do doing it myself.

Can you describe a typical day in your life?
Nope. Haven’t had one of those since my last career! I could be working with an author or a doctor or a salesperson on their message, delivery, or PowerPoint. I could be flying to or giving a motivation speech or one about presentation skills. I could be customizing and rehearsing a speech. I could be working with groups from 10 to 50 using my improv work in a team building course. I could be optimizing my website to bring in more business. I could be at a networking meeting to get more feet in the door.

And the next day could be something completely new. The only thing that’s typical is working a lot more than the eight hours I did in my previous career.

What do you most enjoy about what you do?
When I see the light bulbs going off. Whether it’s a self-realization or something you just figured out about how your co-worker processes information or seeing someone ace a section of a speech, that smile that comes with it lights up my whole day. Not to mention how good it feels getting notes later on how something went better than expected after working with me.

Are there any people and/or books that have inspired you along your journey?
Sarita Maybin, motivational speaker, taught me that keynoting can be interactive. That made me realize I could do that, then. Doug Stevenson’s materials solidified what I already knew and share with clients about the power of “story” when speaking…so much more important than the data that people will glaze over during and can always read later.

Can you share some business tips for our readers?
Don’t underestimate the importance of SEO. For all of my marketing efforts, I’ve gotten more business from people hitting my website than everything else put together. And then responding fast and personally when they do write! Get those recommendations onto Yelp, Google Places, and the others as well.

Can you share something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
Despite my 20+ years of improv, my previous career was 15 years as a computer programmer. I did great work, but never quite fit into the mold.

Where I scored bonus points was in finding way more creative solutions than others did. But in the long run, I needed to work with people, not machines. No regrets! It gave me the understanding of the business world that allows me to speak to, work with, and coach the business community because I lived that world for so long.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The fear of public speaking comes from the misunderstanding that you are significant to that audience. You’re not. Your message is. When we stop focusing on ourselves and focus on delivering the message in the best possible way, it’s a lot easier to do really good work…and then you just happen to look good for having do that. So how are you going to work on making your material great and your delivery of it interesting?

Book Title:

Website URL:
www.xtho.com

Social Media Links:
Facebook: listeningimpact
LinkedIn: mjthier

What is your book about?
COACHING C.L.U.E.S. delivers real stories of real people successfully mastering tough business challenges. This practical guide is packed with coaching dialogues, skill-building exercises, and 12 unique, field-tested tools–everything you need to learn how to apply the subtle power of coaching to solve actual workplace problems and stretch skills.

What inspired you to write your book?
So many of my coaching clients asked me how they could learn to coach their employees that I decided to take my years of experience and share it with others.

How did you come to do what you’re doing today?
This anecdote is a partial explanation. I was facilitating a multi-week leadership program for a major car manufacturer. The head of learning and development said, “We have an executive team that’s a mess and you seem to be good with people so maybe you can work with them. Don’t work, you can’t make them any worse than they are.” That team improved dramatically and it launched that part of my leadership development practice.

Can you describe a typical day in your life?
I have two different kinds of life–in the road and in the office. When I’m in the office about a third of my day is spent coaching clients on the phone or via the computer (like Skype), another third is responding to emails and other inquiries, and the final third is spent writing, doing research, and marketing.

What do you most enjoy about what you do?
Seeing the growth in my clients. It is amazingly satisfying to be a catalyst for change in people who are earnest about stretching to new, dynamic and challenging heights.

Are there any people and/or books that have inspired you along your journey?
Dr. William Messner, the academic dean of the college where I taught saw my potential and inspired, goaded, supported me to go for it. The book, Things Fall Apart by Achebe made me want to realize I wanted to devote my career to helping people see the consequences (intended and unintended of their actions in forging the future.

Can you share some business tips for our readers?
1. Find your niche, no matter the size, and be relentless in filling it.
2. Don’t even think about balance-life has different requirements at different stages–don’t beat yourself up when the balance shifts.
3. Reward yourself and others when something goes well.
4. Ask for help.

Can you share something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
After saying I’d never write another book, I’m working on a novel and ruminating about one on listening–workplace related.  Oh, and I have a 1965 Austin Healey that brings great joy to my driving and exploring life.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Having an adult relationship with offspring at any age makes life easier and richer for all. I could never be who I am without their insights, honesty and guidance, and I imagine they’d say the same.

Book Title:

Website URL:
http://www.AimeeElizabeth.net

Social Media Links
Facebook: Aimee Elizabeth
LinkedIn: Aimee Elizabeth
Pinterest: Aimee Elizabeth

What is your book about?
I was a broke and homeless teenage girl, a throwaway kid at age fifteen. I was never in foster care, never received any government or charitable assistance, nor any money from family or friends. I was constantly malnourished and barely managed to finish high school. By the time I was twenty, I figured out I could never earn what I was knew I was worth by working for others, so I started my first business on a shoestring budget. I started three more businesses before I sold off and retired at age thirty-eight. I am now a multi-millionaire, successful real estate investor, business consultant, guest speaker and best selling author of the book “Poverty Sucks! How to Become a Self-Made Millionaire.” My book teaches anyone how they can go from rags to riches with no money and no formal education. It gives you an easy to follow, step-by-step guide on every aspect of starting and growing a business. It also teaches you how to buy and manage rental properties, as well as how to invest in paper assets and how to retire early.

What inspired you to write your book?
After what I went through as a teenager, and the rest of my life, I realized that anyone, even those with no money and no formal education, can do what I did. I realized I could give back to society by sharing my knowledge and expertise to help others. I want to teach people how to do what I did. I don’t want anyone to experience the poverty I did. I want to help eradicate poverty world-wide. I believe in the old adage, “If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he eats forever.” I want to have everyone in the world to have financial freedom. I want people on welfare, unemployment, food stamps, housing assistance and anyone else who is physically capable of working to reach for a better life for themselves. I want to give them the blueprint to regain their dignity, create true financial freedom for themselves and their families, and have the better life they deserve, rather than just barely getting by on government assistance. The poor would benefit, as they would no longer be poor, the taxpayers would save millions that would no longer be needed to be spent on these government assistance programs, and if the legislators would make my book required reading for all the people on these government programs, they would become true heroes of the American public. Win-win-win!

How did you come to do what you’re doing today?
I have been retired since I was thirty-eight. But that doesn’t mean I can sit around and watch soap operas all day! I need to have a purpose in my life. And I just love helping people and teaching people. After the housing bubble burst and the economy tanked, it just felt like this was the right time to write my book, which has been rattling around in my brain for years. NOW is the time that everyone needs to create their own income stream, by starting their own businesses and relying upon themselves , instead of being dependent upon the whims of a boss or company who needs to downsize. So I decided to write my book so that people can follow the easy directions to create their own financial security. My book gives you all the information you need to succeed, but some people still sometimes lack confidence. And so I also offer ebusiness consulting, in case anyone wants me for mentoring, consulting or to bounce ideas off of. I know it’s scary to start your own business, so that’s why I offer ebusiness consulting on my website as well. I also do guest appearances, again to share my knowledge and expertise with people so that they can create their own better life and financial freedom. It’s all about helping people. Which gives me great joy.

Can you describe a typical day in your life?
A typical day in my life starts with me waking up whenever I feel like it, usually around 9am – 10am. Then I feed my cats & turtles, answer some personal emails from the internet dating websites. I’m divorced and still looking for Mr. Right, so if you live in Las Vegas, feel free to send me an email and picture of yourself. Go to my website and use the “Contact Me” button – you never know! Then around 11am I have breakfast and read the newspaper. Then I check my computer for any business consulting questions, interviews or guest speaking events and make those arrangements. Usually sooner, but not late than 2pm, I am done with all that. Then I go have lunch and then I work out for an hour. Then I check snail mail, pay any bills, check and answer personal emails and make any plans for the evening. Then I clean up, have dinner, and either go dancing, shoot pool, go bowling, go for a walk or go on a date. And if I feel like staying home, then the cats and me will watch a few select tv shows I enjoy. And I’ll stay up as late as I want, anywhere from 11pm – 3am, depending on how tired I am. Sometimes I’ll just take a nap in the middle of the day. It’s a delightful way to live – busy doing things I love, but entirely relaxed, and always at my pace.

What do you most enjoy about what you do?
I get the most satisfaction when people share with me the specific ways in which my book has helped their lives. Or when they talk to me with great excitement about their new business plan. I also love the letters I get from satisfied and successful ebusiness consulting clients – they are posted on my website under the “Success Stories” page, and they are all written by legitimate, licensed business owners on company letterhead. It gives me great joy to know I have impacted their lives in such a positive way. I love helping people reach their dreams and goals.

Are there any people and/or books that have inspired you along your journey?
When I was still a broke and homeless teenage girl at age fifteen, I saw a book in a window of a store called “How to Get Whatever You Want Out of Life” by Dr. Joyce Brothers. I couldn’t afford it, but I spent the $9.95 plus tax to buy that book – I needed hope for my life and food for my soul more than I needed food in my belly that day. It was money very well spent! Dr. Brothers and her book have repeatedly inspired me when I have hit bumps in the road, and at age fifteen, that was the biggest bump in my life. I have read her book many times, the dust jacket is crumbling, the pages are faded and yellowing, but it is still one of my most prized possessions. Thank you to Dr. Joyce Brothers for the inspiration and excellent advice your book gave to me when I needed it the most!

Can you share some business tips for our readers?
I have “A Rule of Five” for all business ventures that your readers might be considering. These are my five basic criteria for any potential new business they may want to start up. If you follow these simple rules, your chances of success are tremendous. If you ignore these rules, your chances of failure are very likely.

1. Never have a partner. A partner is often someone without money or expertise just hanging onto your coattails, hoping to gain from your hard work and success. And if you find yourself saddled with such a partner, you have a costly legal boondoggle – it’s much like divorcing a spouse. The time and money and stress you will spend to get rid of a deadbeat partner is just not worth it. Just say NO to partners!

2. Never have retail space. You have no idea how fast or how slowly your new business venture may grow. You don’t want to cripple yourself with high overhead payments when you don’t even have a customer yet. Run your business from your home, and re-evaluate down the line when you are a success. I’m pretty sure we have at least a few self-made billionaires in this country who started their businesses in their garages. Take a lesson from their success!

3. Never lack confidence in yourself. This goes hand in hand with not having a partner. If there is a skill set you need for your business but don’t possess yourself, don’t get a partner, get an employee or temporary help with that skill set. If the employee doesn’t work out, you can easily fire them and get a new one. But don’t lack so much confidence that you saddle yourself with a partner. If you still feel like you need a helping hand, sign up for my ebusiness consulting, and I can mentor you, consult on your ideas, hold your hand. Sometimes we all just need someone with experience to say “yes, you’re doing it right” or “just tweak this a little” to give us the confidence to proceed. Nothing wrong with getting competent help to help build your confidence as I set you in the right direction.

4. Only do a business that produces residual income. Residual income is money that you continue to earn for years and sometimes decades after the original sale. A perfect example is an insurance agent. He spends an hour with you at that first meeting, selling you homeowner, auto, health, life and disability insurance. And then year after year, at renewal, he earns another commission on you – without doing any extra work! So while his workload decreases, his income increases. This is the beauty of residual income.

5. Only do a business that allows you to hire someone else who can duplicate your work. This way, when your business is profitable enough, you can hire someone to do your job and just kick back and count the money – sounds a lot like early retirement to me! This is also known as “business systems automation” or “putting the business on auto-pilot.” For all of my businesses, I did this, and was able to not work at all if I didn’t want to. I didn’t work for the business, the business worked FOR ME!

Can you share something that people may be surprised to learn about you?
I’m not actually ambitious, I’m lazy. I joke (but it’s not really a joke) that “work” is actually the worst four-letter word in the world! I never actually tried to become a millionaire. I just wanted to work as little as possible and at the same time make as much money as possible. I wanted to have a big financial security blanket so I would never be homeless or hungry again. So I designed all my businesses so that I never worked more than two to four hours a day, and no more than four days a week. And once I had my businesses on auto-pilot with my automated business systems, I didn’t work at all if I didn’t feel like it. So I have actually been what I consider “semi-retired” since I was twenty. Then I went into full blown retirement at age thirty-eight. But most people are confused by the use of my term “retirement.” For me, retirement means I no longer have to work for money – and I don’t. But that means I am free to pursue whatever my passions are – whether they are profitable or not. One of my passions is dancing – it doesn’t make me any money, but it sure makes me happy! My other passions are business consulting and guest speaking and helping people and writing. And so while money is no longer my overwhelming goal, I find that when I follow my passions, I am like the Pied Piper, but instead of rats, money follows me wherever I go, whatever I do.

What’s next for you?
What’s next for this lazy retired multi-millionaire who avoids work like the plague? Nothing much – I want to do a weekly, nationally syndicated financial column, with questions and answers for everyday people – the 99% who need my help, not the 1% who don’t. I would also like to do a weekly television show along the same lines as the column – with weekly guests, who are everyday people, on the show with me, telling me their financial problems and me advising them on how they can solve those problems. I really just love helping and teaching people, it’s my passion, and this is certainly my area of expertise, so I really feel I could be an asset to both the newspapers and the television stations and especially to help their audiences. I haven’t yet decided on more books, that’s a possibility, but in order to keep to my lazy schedule, I’ll need to get my column and tv show up and running first and then assess how much time I have available for more books. But it’s a definite possibility.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
The two most important ingredients to financial freedom and startup business success is to follow your passions, and to NEVER EVER QUIT!!! There are plenty of broke geniuses in the world. There are plenty of trust fund kids and lottery winners who have lost everything because they never understood the value of money because it was all handed to them. But if you follow your passions, you will love what you do, and when you love what you do, you give it your all, and talent and reputation precede you and the money starts to pour in. And if you never ever quit, you will also succeed, because no other option is acceptable. In my book, I have a chapter on winners and on losers. Losers say “I’ll try” or “I can’t” because in their heads, they have already decided they will fail, so they never even try. Winners, on the other hand, say “I Will” and “I Can” – those are words of commitment – if you believe you can, and you commit to it, you will succeed. Because you won’t ever quit until you do succeed.

Book Title:

Social Media Links:
Website:  www.conversationtransformation.com
Twitter:  @SAVI_Talk
Facebook:  Savi Training Partner

What is your book about?  

Conversation is what binds us; it is also what separates us. We all have some conversations in our life and work that leave us worse off than we’d be if we never opened our mouths. Instead of solving problems, they create new hassles. Instead of helping us reach decisions or understand one another, they breed confusion and anxiety. And instead of strengthening our relationships, they alienate us from the people we care about most. Worst of all, these failed conversations have a strong tendency to repeat themselves. We may find ourselves in the same frustrating meeting or explosive personal argument over and over again. Until we understand what causes these breakdowns, we have little chance of getting better results in the future.

In Conversation Transformation: Recognize and Overcome the 6 Most Destructive Communication Patterns (McGraw-Hill Professional; March, 2012; PB, $18.00), we clearly explain exactly why and how conversations fail, as well as what it takes to bring about positive change. Then they go one step further—providing practical tools and skills to convert even the most bitter, longstanding disputes into productive dialogues.

What inspired you to write the book?

Everything we do in our lives is rooted in communication.  I have spent the better part of my career teaching, lecturing and coaching professionals on how to effectively communicate.  Over the years, my co-authors and I recognized that there are several conversation patterns which people often unconsciously fall into that are damaging to themselves and others.  The purpose of the book is to shine a spotlight on these patterns, help people recognize when they are using these phrases in their conversations and offer alternatives that can be practiced and mastered.  We all want to be heard and understood and these exercises can help everyone feel good about what they say and how they say it.

How did you come to do what you’re doing today?

I consider myself a serial entrepreneur and over the years, I’ve led many successful ventures, from founding and leading a highly respected vocational school to creating webinar distance learning programs that are attended by hundreds of participants each week to coaching executives about improving communications through the SAVI method.  I always considered myself a good communicator, but like so many leaders and managers, I discovered my own perception was not reality when it came to the way that I communicated.   By becoming aware of my own leadership and communication style, I was able to change my interactions with employees and create a comfortable and productive business atmosphere and I want to share those lessons with others.

Can you describe a typical day in your life?

At the start of every day I take a hot tub on my porch then I eat a good breakfast. The thing I like about my days is that there is no such thing as a typical day. Every day is different. I might brainstorm ideas with my staff, work with my training partner to create a new communications exercise on what you do when someone attacks you or complaints to you, I might do a coaching session or a day-long training, write an article, or have lunch with a friend. I believe in taking a mini vacation during the day or evening everyday whether it’s a movie or a visit with a friend. Someone once told me to do something wonderful for myself every day. And I try to do that as often as I can.

What do you enjoy about what you do?

I love the moment when someone realizes what their contribution has been to the poor communications they have been blaming on others. It’s like a light bulb goes off in their head and they have a new awareness and a new goal. They realize they can actually do something different rather than feeling like a victim of other people’s behavior. I’m also really satisfied when a team or individual I’ve been working with comes back and tells me how their interactions have changed as a result of the work they’ve been doing to change their communication habits.

Are there any people and/or books that have inspired you along your journey?

One book I recommend to everyone is, The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. It reads like a movie not like a science text and explains how we can change up until the day we die. Another book that had a profound influence on my thinking about the world was Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. This book brought home to me how poorly people have been communicating for thousands of years. It gives you a history of the last 4,000 years and 400 pages and some perspective.

Can you share some business tips for our readers?

 Three of the most difficult conversation patterns that cause hard feelings and anxiety in the workplace are:   “Yes-Buts,” “Leading Questions,” and “Negative Predictions.”

1.  Yes-Buts:   These are often referred to as “polite fights”.  What they represent is a token agreement followed by a differing opinion.  Imagine this conversation with a colleague:

I really want to purchase these new computer systems for the office.  It’ll make our jobs easier and the doubling monitors on every work station will increase our productivity.

“Yes, getting new computers would be helpful to staff, especially those with older computers, but we have so many expenses over the next few months I can’t see how we can make it happen.”

The problem with this conversation is that no one hears the “yes” only the “but”.  Since the conversation seems to be at a stalemate, nothing gets done.

2. Leading Questions:  These often have two components embedded within them: – an opinion and a question.  The opinion makes it clear what the “right” response to the question is.

What if your boss said, “It won’t be a problem for you to work overtime today, will it?  Clearly he/she expects a “no”.  Asking these types of questions put you in a bind; if you said, “Actually, it would be a problem for me to work overtime tonight,” it might feel risky that you might offend your boss, damage your chances for promotion, etc.

3. Negative Predictions:  “I’ll do it your way, but it’s never going to work…”  Making a prediction without knowing the real outcome is another scenario you should avoid.

This kind of an exchange can really illustrate that you’re not a “can do” type of person, and in a business world where perception is reality, your reputation can precede you.  On the flip side, an employer who engages in this type of communication will become known as micro-manager with tunnel vision who never takes a risk.

​Bottom line?  Next time you find yourself in a conversation that appears to be headed in the wrong direction, try to identify which part of the interaction is actually failing, and do your best to rectify it.  After all, you might not realize what’s at stake until it’s too late.

Test out how effective your own communications skills are by taking our pre-test

http://www.conversationtransformation.com/the-book/pretest/

Can you share something that people might be surprised to learn about you?

I couldn’t read until I was 14, I play African drums and I’m a pretty wild dancer.

What’s next for you?

I want to be part of a communication revolution. In school we learned how to read, write and do arithmetic among many other intellectual things, but we don’t learn how to communicate or collaborate with other human beings. This is one of the most essential skills to learn and in order to have a successful life. If we don’t know how to cooperate and work well with others we will be much less likely to have a successful career or successful relationships with other people. I’d like to spend the rest of my life bringing this method of communication skills around the world. Making it an essential part of everyone’s education.

Book Title:

Website URL:
www.readysetbooks.net

What is your book about?

Ready Set Work! and Ready Set Supervise! are books about how to navigate successfully in today’s work environment. Specifically, Ready Set Work! is a guide for new workers for conquering job jitters and becoming the employee everyone wants to keep. It covers how to handle hundreds of the most common and most sensitive work situations effectively and confidently. It gives new workers a centralized source of information with a common sense approach that quickly deals with the issues and gets them back on track comfortably. It helps take the fear out of working so people can just concentrate on doing a good job and keep that job in today’s economy.

Ready Set Supervise! lays out the most common problems that supervisors run into at work, explains them in a way that makes sense, and enables supervisors to work more confidently all while projecting an air of maturity and dependability. Even if they have to fake it. It helps readers become the supervisor everyone wants to work for. Ready, Set, Supervise! goes a long way towards taking the fear out of supervising. Sane people are afraid of supervision. It can be scary stuff given the number of legal and policy issues supervisors have to deal with. And, once you throw in the need for gigantic heaps of common sense, enormous physical and mental stamina, and the fact that supervision means being responsible for the actions of other people, it’s a wonder anybody ever wants the job.

What inspired you to write your book?
Quite honestly, I wrote the books because I constantly saw the need and there was nothing else out there that covered these same topics. I spent over thirty years working as a line-worker, a supervisor, a manager, or an executive, and these were the topics where I most often saw people having difficulty.

My overall goal was to produce books full of information that would help people be comfortable in their work environment and succeed in their careers. I wanted them to be a fun, light-hearted approach to real-life topics, easy to read and understand.

How did you come to do what you’re doing today?
I have been involved in various aspects of human resource management for many years and love the workplace dynamics. People are incredibly complex and endlessly entertaining. As a long-time mentor and career counselor, it became evident over the past several years that with the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation, there is a significant gap in knowledge in younger workers regarding how to handle a wide variety or work situations without losing their sanity or going home and kicking the cat.

Can you describe a typical day in your life?
In the morning, I get up, I suck down a pot of green tea and I write. Sometimes I reverse the order. Some afternoons I teach at the local university or attend business meetings. I spend considerable time talking to folks about their work and their careers. Usually I write again in the evening until I fall face down into my keyboard.

What do you most enjoy about what you do?
I love love love sharing true stories about work situations that illustrate a bigger, broader point. Who doesn’t love a good story? And, if the story can teach a valuable lesson, so much the better. I also love sharing my insight and experience with younger workers who are just starting their careers and have this, “Holy Moses, what should I do with this situation?”look on their faces.

Are there any people and/or books that have inspired you along your journey?
I have to admit that absolutely everyone inspires me in one way or another. I am a dedicated lifelong learner and watching the way people do things and the results they get is endlessly fascinating. I learn as much from their mistakes as their successes. The mistakes inspire me to do better, and the successes inspire me to replicate their actions.

Can you share some business tips for our readers?
1. Do the job you were hired for.
2. Think critically.
3. Learn to get along with people.
4. Express gratitude and loyalty.
5. Speak so they listen, listen so you understand.

Can you share something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
I have few surprises. As a child, I attended one of the country’s last one-room schools. It was a blast. Eight rows of kids with eight grades being taught. I still feel sorry for the teacher.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I have a series of articles published at articlesbase.com that your readers might enjoy as well. Just do a search with “Jeanne Miller Rodriguez” and they pop up. Topics include “Fifteen Ways to Make Your Boss Wish You Worked Someplace Else” and “The Three Things All Employers Want but Never Really Tell You.”

Book Title:

Website URL:
http://www.hrichardsteinhoff.com

Social Media Links:
Twitter: twitter.com/#!/richsteinhoff
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100001457873344
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/rich-steinhoff/6/a40/27a

What is your book about?
Real Estate Myths, Fact or Fiction: An Insider’s Guide is a “one source” text filled with comprehensive information, answers, and tips to guide homeowners, homebuyers, and investors through these turbulent times. It provides real solution to real problems from an insider’s viewpoint “in the trenches.” It will also reveal secrets to protect and build wealth.

What inspired you to write your book?
Real estate is a disaster. Millions of people are losing their homes to foreclosure or are resorting to a “short sale.” Home prices have fallen 30-40%. It is difficult for buyers to obtain financing to purchase a home. People need good, reliable information so they can make good decisions to protect their interests, and what they are getting is misleading and often times downright wrong advice.
I decided to do something to help. The best way to reach millions of people was to write a book, so I wrote, “Turning Myths Into Money: An Insider’s Guide to Winning the Real Estate Game.”

How did you come to do what you’re doing today?
I had a friend who just got her real estate license and asked me to help her with a sale. Then, another friend asked for help. My realtor friend suggested I get a real estate license. I took the required courses, and passed the real estate broker exam, and became a real estate broker. We interviewed with several real estate offices and I decided I couldn’t work for them so we opened our own office which we operated for 20 years.

Can you describe a typical day in your life?
I work from home. First thing in the morning, I check the Book Scan website for a summary of my book sales and their location. Then, I check my business and personal emails, and respond as necessary. Next, I check various commercial websites for any new listings meeting my buyer’s requirements and send them to the appropriate clients. I  usually follow up with a phone call. I then check on my listings for any new activity. After lunch, I call all my active clients to keep them informed, and follow up with a hand-written note.
The next two hours I spend on book marketing. If there are media requests, I provide the information they require, or make appointments for interviews. I post data to my social media sites and to my website and blog. I talk with my publisher and reporters.
I usually end my day at 4:00 pm because I attend the many sports my grandchildren play.

What do you most enjoy about what you do?
I enjoy making a difference in people’s lives by providing quality information and advice so they can make better real estate decisions.

Are there any people and/or books that have inspired you along your journey?
Brian Bufffini, my coach for 14 years
Jim Rohn, philosopher and speaker
Brian Tracy, author and speaker
Rick Frishman, my publisher
Peggy McColl, author and speaker
Tom Antion, author and Internet guru
Dan Hall, author and trainer

Twelve Pillars of Success –   Jim Rohn
The Seasons of Life         – Jim Rohn
Success Principles       – Jack Canfield
Think and Grow Rich      - Napoleon Hill
The Aladdin Factor  - Mark Victor Hanson
Maximum Achievement    -    Brian Tracy
The Magic of Thinking Big - David Schwartz
The One Minute Manager  - Ken Blanchard
Smart Talk  – Lou Tice
Oh, the Places You’ll Go  -    Dr. Suess
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People – Steven Covey

Can you share some business tips for our readers?
1. Now is the best time to buy real estate.
We call it the “Buyer’s Perfect Storm.” We have historic low interest rates and low prices at the same time, which never happens.

2. It is also a great time to become a real estate investor. Start small, like a duplex or fourplex, to get your feet wet.

3. Always use a Realtor when buying or selling real estate

4. Never, ever make a lowball offer. You will lose every time.

5. Always get pre-approved, not pre-qualified, for a loan before you make an offer. It will enhance your chance for success.

6. Never try to sell your house on your own. Especially in this market.

Can you share something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
I love magic!  I am an amateur magician. I love to go to the Magic Castle in Hollywood. David Copperfield is my idol and I was fortunate enough to meet him.

Every year at Christmas, our entire family puts on a magic show. Everyone  participates, from the youngest grandchild to the oldest grandparent, a total of 21 of us.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
My next project is to write a seven book series, one on each section of my current book.
After that, I will write a book on magic.
I am currently writing a novel which I want to turn into a movie.

Book Title:

Website URL:
www.successminded.com

What is your book about?
The book is a practical success guide that motivates people to figure out what they want, both personally and professionally, and to take action to go after it until they take their last breath.  Success is simple if you stick to the basics, which the book teaches.  It starts with Mindset and how to get past your own fears, beliefs and history to start life all over again.  Most people simply cannot get out of their own way to get things done.  Then comes Management, which covers how to plan and manage every minute so you maximize your time.  The third section covers Marketing, because it’s all marketing, whether you are marketing your skills in the job market or you are marketing products, services, etc.  The book utilizes simple step-by-step plans for everything from changing your personal habits to developing business processes to manage your business.  The subtitle, Achieving Greatness, refers to helping others by giving back.  I want you to have everything you desire, but you will truly find happiness by helping others.

What inspired you to write your book?
I meet so many people who are stuck in their life and they end up living a life of regret, because they fail to go after what they truly want.  I wanted to provide people with one book that gives them what they need in order to accomplish big things in their life, no matter their current situation.  If you are looking for a job or starting a global conglomerate the success fundamentals are the same.  I want people to think big, plan big and take big action!  I want them to be able to go as far as they want to go in this life with no regrets.

How did you come to do what you’re doing today?
I want to help people.  I was given a gift as a child by being in the right placce at the right time and helping save someone who had given up on life.  It gave me the ability to step back, observe and analyze life at a very young age.  That is where the writing comes from…from the observation of life.  From then on I looked at life as the greatest ride in the world and I want everyone to be able to experience it to the fullest.  No matter what your dream is you have no choice but to go after it and I will be glad to get you there.

Can you describe a typical day in your life?
Have you seen the juggler spinning all the plates?  That is who I am.  Beyond being a family man, I spend time working as an engineer/consultant, screenwriter, stand-up comic, author, success coach, etc.  I spend time on all of those in a typical day.  I start off my day looking for marketing opportunities for my book since it just came out in April.  If I am coaching clients then I like to start their day off with a bang.  If I do not have clients on that day then I pursue new clients.  I am currently writing 3 different movie scripts and preparing to shoot my stand-up comedy DVD/CD.  I spend time working an engineering contract as well.  I do not waste one minute.  It is amazing how much one can accomplish if they block their time for different activities and eliminate the distractions.

What do you most enjoy about what you do?
I love the variety of going after all of these different goals, especially helping others by coaching them.  I feel I am best at getting others motivated to go after their dreams.  I feel I can light a fire under most people and get them to go way beyond what they thought they could do.  It’s a matter of breaking people out of their comfort zone and getting them to realize there is no security staying in the pack with everyone else.  There is no greater feeling than helping someone else.

Are there any people and/or books that have inspired you along your journey?
So many!  Everyone from Henry Ford and Thomas Edison to Donald Trump and those young Internet gurus.  I seek out people from different industries in order to expand my knowledge.  I look for the tops in each industry.  You will be surprised what you will learn from people outside your own industry.  Even if you don’t like certain business leaders you can learn a lot from them.  Find out what made or makes them leaders.  Ask them what makes them successful.  Ask them about their failures.  Asking never hurts.  Most people never ask.

Can you share some business tips for our readers?
Smile at everyone and you warm them up.  Very few people smile.  Everything must be planned.  Plan for failure as well because you will fail, but it’s education if you learn from it.  You cannot separate your personal life from your professional life.  They impact each other so work on both.  The customer is always right…even when they’re wrong.  The key is to make them feel right at all times and move them in the right direction to benefit them without them knowing what you are doing.  Help them help themselves.  Leaders take the blame when things go wrong and give out the credit when things go right.  Treat your people well.  Treat the janitor as good as the CFO, etc.  In the end it’s all marketing.  Competition is everywhere, but you can separate yourself by treating people wonderfully.  Generate your own press.  The whole world is waiting for what you have to offer, because you can deliver it like no one else.

Can you share something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
I am comfortable feeling uncomfortable.  I like change and the feeling of not knowing what I’m doing and trying to figure things out.  It makes me feel alive.  I try to learn something everyday.  One more thing, but keep this a secret.  I like to put my ice cream in the microwave for a few seconds just to melt it a tad.  Don’t let this secret out.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
I want everyone to be able to chase after his or her dreams.  The biggest hurdle is their own mind and a fear of failure.  What most people don’t realize is that by not trying they are failing.  I call it slow failure.  At the end of their life they will look back and wonder what might have been.  Don’t be a member of that group.  Live every minute and go down fighting!  You can do it!

Book Title:

Website URL:
www.NetworkingStrategyGuide.com

Social Media Links:
Twitter: NetworkingStrat
LinkedIn: Konstantin Danilov

The book is a practical how-to guide for building and developing a strong professional network. It aims to help professionals, or entrepreneurs achieve their professional goals by guiding them thorough the process of developing and executing a networking strategy. That really sums it up – it’s a strategy guide to help you accomplish your professional goals through networking through a step-by-step process that can be applied to many different situations. From my experience, networking is not only about being smooth and polished but also about being strategic and analytical. It’s not about maximizing the number of people you meet at a networking event – it’s about setting your goals and understanding how to accomplish them, and seeing the long-term view.

A couple things make this book different from other networking books. First, my background is not in recruiting, or career coaching or even sales – the typical background of authors in this space. My background is in finance with some non-profit and entrepreneurial side-projects mixed in. Coming from a quantitative field puts a different lens on things, and helps create more rigorous, strategic approach. Second, there is an emphasis on providing practical advice, not just vague, generic recommendations. I’m not going to tell you to do something that I haven’t personally had to do a few times in my own career. If you’re reading this book as a student, a young professional, or a novice entrepreneur, you can bet that I’ve been in whatever position you’re currently in, or something very similar. Whatever advice I have for you is based on my own experience in that situation, combined with the benefit of hindsight.

I think younger people – undergrad and graduate students, young professionals, first-time entrepreneurs – will probably benefit from the advice the most. However, there are concepts in there which would be really helpful to anyone who feels like they could use a bit of guidance or a fresh approach, even if they’ve been working for 20 or 30 years.

I think that there is a lack of substantive material on this very important topic. There is a large structural shift happening in the economy – we’re going to be recovering from the financial crisis for a long time, and its going to be much harder to advance your career or launch a business in this decade than in the past decade. Networking is going to become even more important – it’s going to be absolutely critical to success. Yet, most of the networking advice out there seems to be mostly clichéd maxims and generic advice from “networking experts” that is largely targeted at salespeople.

I’ve had many opportunities to mentor students and young professionals over the past few years, and I realized that I was giving the same advice over and over, so I decided to put it all together in a book. I wanted to create something that I could give to someone like myself – a young professional or a novice entrepreneur – and say “here you go, this is everything I know – if I was in your position, this is what I would do, step-by-step”.

From a professional perspective, I currently hold a senior position with an investment management firm, in a group that collectively oversees nearly a hundred billion dollars. Other than maybe manufacturing, the financial services sector has probably been the most difficult place to be employed over the past four years given what’s happened with the economy. I graduated college in 2005, and have held several positions the financial services industry since then – having to navigate this industry in these conditions has really sharpened my networking skills, as you might imagine.

Outside of work, after several years of serving on various committees for a local professional association, I went on to become the co-founder of another, where for several years I served as vice president. My latest project, which two co-founders and I launched two years ago, is an organization dedicated to fostering networking and career development for students and alumni of my alma mater, a large public university where I also currently serve on the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association.

I’ve also been involved in several entrepreneurial projects, but more as a hobby. As I have been working on this book, I’ve been thinking about the changes going on in the publishing industry and what that model is going to look like in the future. Once the book is done, I’m hoping to pursue some of them and maybe launch a book publishing startup.

Sure – I get up at 5:45 AM, spend a couple of hours working on the book. Then I head to work and spend the rest of the day looking at spreadsheets and financial models and sitting in meetings. After work, I typically work on the non-profit alumni organization that that myself and a few other people run. And, of course, I weave in some networking at every chance I get, whether it’s a quick phone call or an email, or meeting someone for lunch or coffee.

I am a huge fan of Tim Ferriss – I think he’s one of the greatest networkers ever. If you read his first book or his blog closely, his advice is really about how to network effectively to accomplish your goals. If he ever wrote a book that compiles all of his advice on networking, it would probably be the best book on networking ever written. You can definitely see a lot of the concepts he talks about like Parkinson’s Law and the 80/20 rule come up in my book – his work is very inspirational for me.

Another author who inspires me is Nassim Taleb, who often talks about how many of the things that happen in our career or life are largely dependent on luck and serendipity, and how we should position ourselves to take advantage of positive “black swans”, or unpredictable events that have a huge positive impact. The reason why networking is so important is that it puts you in the position to maximize your exposure random projects and opportunities that can have a huge impact on your goals.

I was also inspired by all of the networking books I read that really weren’t very helpful – this pushed me to write my own.

I still sometimes feel uncomfortable at networking events if I don’t know anyone there, especially if I don’t have a specific reason for being there. I never go to an event just to meet random people – I make it a point to be strategic with how I use my time. Some people think that you have to have the ability to “work a room” to be a great networker – I think that is just a minor component of the overall process.

The book “Networking: A Strategy Guide” will be out in the next couple of months, so stay tuned for that. Meanwhile, you can check out some of my articles on my website www.NetworkingStrategyGuide.com, and on Entrepreneur MO (www.mo.com) and follow me on Twitter @NetworkingStrat.

Book Title:

Website URL:
www.theessentialperformancereviewhandbook.com

Social Media Links:
Twitter: saanetwork

What is your book about?
My book is about the process that many managers dread.  The topic is performance reviews and my book is a one-stop comprehensive overview of the process.  I break the system down and leave out the stress and anxiety often associated with this management tool.

What inspired you to write your book?
I was an in-house HR professional for years and was in charge of this process.  I saw that there was a lot of anxiety on both sides of the desk.  I wanted to help eliminate that by providing a way to approach performance reviews that would provide benefits to all the stakeholders – the organization, the manager, and most important, the employee.

How did you come to do what you’re doing today?
After serving many years in HR offices, I opted to start my own HR consulting business 12 years ago.

Can you describe a typical day in your life?
I consult on HR challenges that my clients face and I refer other consultants who are better able to help them in some circumstances.  I also spend a considerable amount of time doing outplacement work.  Having recruited for years, I’m able to use that perspective when coaching clients in their job search.

What do you most enjoy about what you do?
The outplacement work has been very satisfying.  You join your clients on their journey to find the best fit for their skills.

Are there any people and/or books that have inspired you along your journey?
I’ve loved many management books:  First Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham; The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave by Leigh Branham; The Enthusiastic Employee by David Sirota; The 7 Levels of Communication by Michael Maher; The Power of Feedback by Joseph Folkman – to name a few.

Can you share some business tips for our readers?
My biggest tip for managers is to keep an ongoing workplace conversation going with your employees.  Talk about purpose and progress.  My biggest tip for employees is to seek out feedback as often as you can.  Be open to what you hear so you will continue to grow professionally.

Can you share something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
My great, great grandmother was full-blooded Cherokee Indian.