Th e M a r k e t i n g M a g a z i n e f o r E n t r e p r e n e u r s , Bu s i n e s s L e a d e r s , a n d I d e a - M a k e r s
M
Issue #31
A
G
A
Z
I
N
E
Summer 2015
$4.99
tips
6 brain sells
for
Guest columnist Scott J. Manning
effective stage selling
on the psychology of sales
12 spring shots
Closing Questions 14
A photographic look at the second quarter of
Advantage Author
2015 at Advantage
Carlisle Richardson
n e w r e l e a s e s .... 5 n o i s e m a k e r s .....
7
c a l e n d a r .........
10
on his new book, his island heritage,
and publishing as an outlet for
FREE
your limitations. TAKE the stage.
CREATE
How
one-to-many selling can
leverage your expertise in a powerful way.
| p. 8
your own...
advocacy.
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In this issue... 8 | Deliver with Passion and Purpose
It takes a long time to become a proficient public speaker. But those who have no fear when it comes to stepping out on the stage and speaking to a group have a valuable sales tool at their disposal.
By Christina Wells
4 | Adam’s Advantage
The revolutionary step Advantage is taking to make its Team Members' dreams a reality. By Adam Witty
DEPARTMENTS
6 | Publicity Speaks
Flash and confidence are important, but don't ignore the cerebral side of sales. By Scott J. Manning
14 | Closing Questions
Advantage Arrivals 5 New releases from the second quarter of 2015
Noise Makers 7 A look at recent print, radio, and digital media hits for Advantage clients
Advantage Team 7 Meet Advantage's editors
Carlisle Richardson's prevailing sense of pride for his homeland of St. Kitts and Nevis and a passion for the rich cultural and economic landscapes of the world's island states led him to pursue a career with the United Nations. He discusses his work's purpose and his goals for his newly published book, Island Journeys.
Event Calendar 10 Dates of note and client anniversaries in the upcoming months
Advantage People 12 Between authors, awards, and additions, winter gave us plenty of reasons to celebrate
Authors on Books | 10 percent inspiration... "Success is dependant on the glands. The sweat glands." — Zig Ziglar
Opening Number: Preparation is key...
90
Number of hours presenters should spend preparing, building, and rehearsing a successful one hour presentation http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/34274/7-Lessons-From-the-World-s-Most-Captivating-Presenters-SlideShare.aspx
843.414.5600 advantagefamily.com ADVANTAGE MEDIA GROUP
We help busy professionals Create, Publish, and Market a book to Grow Their Business
Follow: f t l
/advantagemediagroup /advantagefamily /company/advantage-media-group
CEO
Director of Publi shi ng
Editori al Di rector
C opy E di t or
Editor & Art Di rector
Marketi ng Edi tor
Guest Contri butor
A ssi st a nt Desi g ner
Adam Witty George Stevens
Advantage Magazine Issue 31 Summer 2015 © Advantage Media Group. All rights reserved. Trademarks used by permission.
Patti Boysen
Christina Wells
Scott Neville
Scott J. Manning
Nate Best
Katie Biondo
S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 3
Adam’sadvantage Having dreams is essential for any person to prosper.
K a r s o n P h oto g r a ph y
When dreams become reality
I
In the second entry of a two-part series, Adam reveals the unprecedented steps Advantage is taking to make its Team Members' dreams a reality.
n 2014 I read a book titled The Dream
actively work to help you make those dreams
The more of your time you spend helping
Manager. In the book, the author makes
come true. Finally, what a dramatic differen-
people get what they want, the more they will
the point that if you help your employ-
tiator! I am not aware of any company in our
help you get what you want. It is a simple law
ees achieve their dreams, it creates a
industry or in the state of South Carolina that
of reciprocity. It is win-win. But that’s not all.
level of enthusiasm, excitement, and loyalty like
does this.
Can you imagine how much fun it is to see your
nothing else…something more than money,
So now that we have the dreamboards, and ev-
employees achieve their dreams?
ery Advantage Team Member has gone through
Having dreams is essential for any person to
the exercise of defining their dreams, wouldn’t
prosper. Dreams give us hope. Without hope
it be cool if Advantage actively worked to help
and dreams to strive, we cease to have any rea-
them achieve their dreams? This is where I bor-
son to live.
rowed John Ratliff’s "Dream On" idea.
To entrepreneurs, you can build a company
On December 25, 2014, while everyone was
where people say “Thank goodness It's Mon-
In August of 2014, I set out to help all Advan-
waking up Christmas morning, Advantage
day!” To city and state leaders, these are the
tage Team Members define their dreams. We
Team Member Patti Boysen was unwrapping a
types of entrepreneurs and leaders you want in
asked each person to write down their personal
once-in-a-lifetime, all-expenses-paid eight-day
your community. This is how you acquire the
and professional dreams using categories like
tour for two of Ireland’s most famous castles…
very best talent and ensure that you all have the
family, financial, fitness, spiritual, travel, career,
one of Patti’s biggest dreams. She said she was
time of your lives. And most importantly, this is
and fun. We designed and printed two 2’ x 3’
screaming so loud, just shaking with excite-
how everyone wins.
dreamboards per Team Member, one for the of-
ment. She couldn’t stop telling me how much
fice and the other to hang in their homes.
she loved Advantage and how excited she was to
So why dreamboards? When you share your
make 2015 our best year yet.
dreams with others, they actively help and mo-
This is just the beginning. Going forward,
tivate you to accomplish them. And when your
Advantage will help fulfill the dreams of team
manager knows your dreams, he or she can
members every year.
perks, and big fancy titles can ever achieve. I also met a man named John Ratliff, the founder and former CEO of Appletree Answers. He went on to create a program called "Dream On" where his company actively granted the dreams of his employees. This blew me away.
4 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M
Adam D. Witty, Founder & Chief Executive Officer awitty@advantageww.com
Advantage arrivals New releases from Advantage Authors
feat u r ed r el ease
Island Journeys
The Impact of the Island Way of Life at Home and Abroad
Second Quarter, 2015
C arlisle R ichardson Exclusive interview with the author: p. 14
Title
Author
Getting IN by Standing OUT
Deborah Bedor
Stop Trying to Keep Up with the Joneses
Brad Berger
Freelance Nation
J. Melissa Cooper
Aditude
Peter Daboll
An Entrepreneur is for All Seasons
Bruce Douglas
Paychecks for Life
Charles D. Epstein
Detour
Steve Gilliland
All The Way Up
C. Stephen Heard, Jr.
Chelation and Other Vital Detox Methods to Save Your Life
Edward C. Kondrot
The Ultimate Sales Revolution
Steve Lishanksy
Ignite Your Selling Potential
Susan A. Lund
Marriage in Modern Life
Anne Brennan Malec
Improv Is No Joke
Peter A. Margaritis
How To Build the Dental Practice of Your Dreams (Without Killing Yourself !) In Less Than 60 Days
David Moffet
Dialing for Dollars in a Digital World
Christopher Noon Matthew Noon
The Power of EQ
Karen D. Nutter
Life-Changing Medical Invention
Jack Pacey
The VIP Principle
Michelle Pasco Dave Stoughton
The Hero's Ideal 401(k)
Dan Pinkerton Gary Pinkerton
Finding Your Money's Greater Purpose
Patrick Renn
Optimize Your Wealth
Stan Webb
Results
RJ Lewis Scott Weintraub, et al
Quickly & Easily Hyper Grow Your Business & Dominate Any Market
Adam Witty
The Busy Doctor's Investment Guide
David Yeh S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 5
publicityspeaks | Scott J. Manning A Mind for the Sale
E
The Ultimate Selling and Psychology Checklist
nhance all of your marketing and selling. After years of experience, I have realized that the power and influence that you have over your prospect, as an authority, is instilled emotionally as you communicate. Use my proven checklist along with your selling presentations and make sure that you have sufficiently covered each strategy. Remember that being "sufficient" is doing what you think is enough. Double that standard. Overemphasize to your prospect your positioning. Get creative as you apply each to your own business. 1. The A / B (or C) Offer: This usually comes in the form of "basic" and "premium." Make clients decide "A" or "B" (or "C"); instead of simply "YES" or "NO".
5. Arrive Pre-positioned, Prospect Pre-sold: Your Credibility Package: This is often thought of as a Shock-n-Awe package, the use of authoring a book for positioning, or sending testimonials in advance. The easy shortcut to this is to make sure that from the time the prospect comes in contact with you, you achieve immediate differentiation and separate yourself from all others by going above and beyond to prove credibility.
"If they like
you, they DON'T
want to say no."
2. Make It Free to Buy: This means that the purchase pays for itself. Every business can show how "this purchase" is free (or at least highly discounted). Compare time saved, money spent, replacement costs, vacation days. Anything that you can give a dollar amount factors into your customers savings. 3. Add Social Pressure: This combines copy, testimonials, pictures, social media, and any other proof you've got. Your goal is to make the customer believe they are the only ones who haven't bought this. No one wants to be left out. If you are selling a private or exclusive item—the same theory applies but reverse. 4. Eliminate All Risk: This becomes more important every passing day. People are losing trust and rightfully so. You have to assume all risk in the purchase. Use trial periods, full refunds, warranties, guarantees, and insurance—all to create reassurance for the buyer. 6 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M
6. Establish Trust through Affinity: This is perhaps the most important one, if there had to be a priority placed on it. Trust is everything. People buy because they "trust" what you say. They "trust" that transplanting their money with you will give them the desired result they are hopeful of. You get trust by showing them that you understand who they are and what they are going through. You need to resonate or build rapport with customers so they believe you are the right person for the sale. You must
"connect" with your prospects. Share your personal story. If they like you, they don't want to say no. 7. Create the Problem and Expand the Gap: You must make the reason they are buying immediate, eminent, and NOW. This has to be done by over-embellishing their current situation and the COST of NOT BUYING or staying the same. Use examples, case studies, and testimonials to paint the picture of life without you. And most importantly, you have to make the problem they are facing so real and so vivid and so painful that it is unhealthy for them to not buy. Guilt is good. 8. Sell for the Future Vision Tied to Immediate Benefit: There are really only three reasons why people won't buy: One, they don't like, trust, or believe you. Two, they don't like, trust, or believe themselves. Or three they just don't actually have the resources or aren't the decision maker. The best people get number three out of the way with their marketing strategy and sales process and certainly very early on in a conversation. Number two is always an issue because people operate out of fear and belief that everything will go wrong. They know that everything ends that way. You must emotionally engage them and bring them to a reality that they do not yet have— you must create the perception of how things will be once they are "living in the future." Make their investment a MORAL VICTORY, a MORALE BOOSTER, a right of passage to get to where they want to be, next, in their life. Relieve the pain now, sell the vision of tomorrow, and as the song goes, 'it's only a day away'—success must be eminent and believable for them. Overall, the most advanced piece of your checklist is teaching the prospect how to decide. Each of these triggers is a power point for key influence and persuasion over your potential prospects.
noisemakers | Advantage Authors in the headlines Tia Footman-Brewer
Organized The McDonald's Choir Showcase for the Music Ministry Summit.
Melissa Cooper Co-hosted the "Share Your Story with the World" reception with Advantage at the WPO conference in Phoenix.
Nick Baucom
Presented the keynote speech at St. Joseph University’s Veterans Entrepreneurship Jumpstart Program Graduation in April.
Rodger Friedman
Was interviewed on The Maggie Linton Show on Sirius XM in May.
Jan Bowen
Contributed as a Featured Writer on YourTango.com, a media website focused on relationships. Have you been making noise in local, regional, or national media? Let us know, and we’ll feature you in next issue’s Noise Makers! E-mail: jash@advantageww.com
advantageteam |
Nate Best
Helen Harris
Editor
Editor
Advantage Team Member Profile As editors, Nate Best and Helen Harris ensure that all Advantage publications follow publishing industry standards for grammar, spelling, and format. Nate and Helen work closely with Authors and Project Editors to refine the book's text while maintaining the Author's distinct voice. On any given day, you will likely find them with their noses stuck in a style manual or a future Advantage book. Learn more about the various products and services that our team can suggest for your business. | p. 2 S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 7
How to Deliver With
PASSION & PURPOSE Tips to Effectively Sell From the Stage
S
peaking is no big deal.
Anyone with a functioning voice box can do that. Professional speaking, on the other hand, requires practice, polish, and purpose. Although this article relays tips for effective selling at live presentations and speaking engagements, don’t put the cart before the horse. You must first refine your ability to speak publicly before you can leverage it into sales. To bring context to the power of selling from the stage, consider the following scenario. Imagine you’re the CEO of a large consulting firm that specializes in marketing services for small businesses. You have a vibrant marketplace to tap into and a slew of tradeshows and conferences that draw in your intended audience. You work for years to finesse your speaking skills and have been a featured speaker at dozens of events. In fact, you’ve even been paid for your engagements. That’s something to be proud of on its own. But now imagine
8 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M
that even with all of your efforts and all of the education you’ve provided to those audiences over the years, you’ve only landed a handful of new clients. Why? There is a marked difference between speaking to educate and speaking to sell. If you’re like the CEO of the consulting firm in the aforementioned scenario, you’ve been giving away free consulting to audiences but haven’t given reason for them to enlist your services. It’s time to leverage your audience and your expertise into sales. Consider the following ingredients to effectively sell your products or services from the stage:
1. Deliver with Passion. No matter the intent of your presentation, delivering your message with
passion is critical to not only capturing your audience’s attention but also making them believers in the solution you’re providing. A lackluster performance on stage will be the difference between driving sales and not. In order to convince listeners to take action you have to urge, encourage, and guide them through the pain they are experiencing and the relief your product offers. Delivering your message with passion will ignite the emotional connection between you, your company, your product, and your audience.
2. Authenticity Trust is everything in business. Why do people choose to work with one company over the other? Trust. All initial efforts with potential clients are designed to build trust. Speaking is no different. You have to work through your presentation with both confidence and clarity. Your audience can sense when they’re being sold to and no one enjoys that. To ensure your audience gets the truest version of you, be candid. Share examples and case studies. These elements will bring validity to your presentation and provide a sense of trust to audience members who may be interested in your service.
3. The Undeniable Offer Every great sales pitch has to have an undeniable offer, one that no one can turn down or refuse. When speaking at a live event, this becomes all the more critical to deeming it a success. You have to create a sense of urgency in your audience. An incredible offer must include three key elements. The first element is time sensitivity. There has to be an expiration date on your offer to drive people to purchase that day. Otherwise, human nature takes over and your audience will allow itself to overthink things, perhaps consult a friend who wasn’t privy to your message, and ultimately walk away. The second element is exclusivity. In order to make your offer customized and enhanced for the audience to which you are speaking, package your product or service with an added bonus only available to event attendees. As a word of caution, you don’t want to just throw anything away. Just as hard as you worked to build trust and authority with your audience, this bonus has to represent how much you value that customer’s purchase. Reward purchasers with a bonus that provides exclusive access, content, or additional services. Give serious thought to what the bonus is, as it can be the deciding factor for many people to move forward or not.
4. Guarantee
The third and final element is, of course, the almighty dollar. Incentivize attendees to purchase by incorporating a discount into your offer. To arrive at what your discount should be, consider how much you’d be willing to pay to It’s time acquire a new client on-site at the event. This number should help you gauge how much more you’d be willing to spend to add to your client roster immediately. and your Using this as the basis for your expected costs, combined with any hard and soft into costs of your product or service, align this with your anticipated profit and adjust to a number that is both comfortable for you and highly enticing for the prospect.
to
leverage your
audience
expertise
sales.
If you knew you could get the same product or service for a limited time, available to only a set number of customers, and at a discounted price, would you turn it down?
This is not meant to be some gimmicky guarantee with the microscopic print at the bottom of the page. This is the guarantee that assures your prospects that what you are offering is backed up by the highest level of confidence. Removing someone’s ability to question his or her decision is the exact intention of the guarantee. Some things to consider when crafting a guarantee include the language: It has to be short, sweet, and succinct. Don’t create a laundry list of items and actions the customer has to complete in order to qualify for the guarantee. Be direct as to how the customer should reach out regarding the guarantee and with whom they should speak. Remove the guesswork, and the path becomes clear.
Christina Wells is Director of Infrastructure at Advantage Media Group, leading the company’s efforts in systems administration, processes, onboarding and training of Team Members. If you would like to connect with Christina, you may reach her at cwells@advantageww.com or 843.518.6788.
S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 9
AUTHOR ANNIVERSARIES
Event Calendar MON
TUE
WED
jul. 1
5
12
19
THU
6
7
13
NSA Influence 2015 Conference
20
8
14
NSA Influence 2015 Conference
2
21
NSA Influence 2015 Conference
3
4
10
11
Book Marketing Blueprint Day
16
22
S AT
Independence Day
9
15
FRI
17
23
18
24
25
31
1
J U LY
SUN
NSA Influence 2015 Conference
Author Success University
27
28
2
3
4
9
10
16
17
29
30
aug. 5
6
7
8
11
12
13
14
15
18
19
20
21
22
AUGUST
26
Teleseminar—4 PM ET
Happy Birthday to AMG's
Steven Adam Sue Meitner William Riley Dr. Steven Hotze Pete Turpel Tom McCawley Dr. Namrita Singh Susan Lund Robert Russell Burrow Hill Leslie Van Romer Nasiek Dariusz Rick Eddins Peter Gilfillan Steve Gilliland Eamon Walsh Anne Newell Rick Sessinghaus Bette Tomaszewicz John Goodman Rob Berkley Thomas Helbig William Seidman David Glisczynski Henry Evans Ann Vanderslice Carol Shmidlin Gregory Ricks Ron Vierling Curtis Greco Adrianne Stahl Andrew Gonzalez Cathy Newton Dorothy Erlanger Frank Mears
Mitchell Gooze Katherine Miracle Tom Watson Andrew Sherman Dr. Michael Pincus Steve Sax Mark Platt Robert Harwood George Turner Kathy Murphy Pat Williams Erik Christman Matt Mountain Randy Davis Tara Kennedy-Kline Teri Johnson John Winthrop Rachid Zahidi Bill Glass Chris Hobart Elizabeth Lyster Christos Efessiou Amanda Wilson Dianne Gubin Peter Margaritis Tim Walker Donald Moore Michael Fling Raju Mohan Rod Stuckey Jeannette Bajalia Michael Broome Rajesh Jyotishi Richard Del Monte James Holloway Randy Nelson Al Katz Charlie Epstein Jofi Baldrich Bob Crumley Stewart Blume Carol Khouri Jim Trunick Allen Bohl Eric Pennington Michael Swanson
Helen Harris
24
25
26
27
28
29
4
5
Author Success University
AMG Team Member Anniversary:
Claire Watson
Teleseminar—4 PM ET
1
30
31
1
2
3
AMG Team Member Anniversary:
Harper Tucker
sep. 1
6
7
Happy Birthday to AMG's
8
Content Marketing World Conference
9
Content Marketing World Conference
10
Content Marketing World Conference
Jenn Ash
11
Content Marketing World Conference
12
Book Marketing Blueprint Day
Labor Day
13
20/27
14
21/28
15
16
22/29
23/30
Happy Birthday to AMG Team Member AMG's Anniversary:
Pat Hanlon Scott Neville
1
1 0 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M
Hyper Growth Boot Camp
17
EO Nerve Conference
24 Author Success University Teleseminar—4 PM ET
18
25
EO Nerve Conference
19
26
Happy Birthday to AMG Team Member AMG's Anniversary:
Alison Morse Pat Hanlon
3
SEPTEMBER
23
Jim Black Robert Lemon Forrest Walden Jill Koenig Gene Kelly Lee Milteer Tammy Stokes Dan Lok Michael Canet Bryon Spicer Jared Balmer Andre Palko Chris Mullins Chris Scalese David Dubeau David Fagan David Wong Diane Conklin Ed Clay Jon Keel Kevin Connell Mark Jackson Marlene Green Michael Gravette Mike Root Paul Champaneria Ron Rosenberg Suzanne Keyes Yar Zuk Allan Milham Kimberly Roush Mark Richardson Nate DaPore Neal Petersen Andrew Bachman David Lucca Rocio Martinez Robert Destefano Doug Pfeiffer Michael McFarlane Peggie O'Neill Barry Wells Dennis Hursh Misty Young Todd Garrett Catris Austin Bob Phelan Ron Brown Jimmy Bailey Julianne Steinbacher Steve Gavatorta
Book Authorship for personal or business promotion is the MOST PROVEN, MOST POWERFUL action a professional can take to create powerful lead generation magnets, to use in advertising, to secure FAVORABLE MEDIA ATTENTION and publicity, to promote a cause or philosophy, or for fun, fame, or fortune!
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Inside this toolkit, you’ll discover nine exciting, different ways to make money and
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Your Grow Your Business With a Book Toolkit includes:
Adam Witty, Founder and CEO
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Visit advantagefamily.com/toolkit to claim your FREE Grow Your Business With a Book Toolkit
Advantagepeople
1
2
4
5
SUMMERTIME IN THE SOUTH:
1: In May, the Advantage Team welcomed
their newest member, Editor, Helen Harris. 2: Advantage Author, Carla Moore, spent some time at our headquarters touring the building and meeting the Team while she was in town for the Speaker U Master Series. 3: After hitting the Q1 goals for the company-wide Fast & Furious campaign, the Team enjoyed lunch served by the local food truck, Outta My Huevos. 4: In April, we welcomed Linda Marshall from Canada, to our offices in Charleston for her Author Immersion Workday. 5: Every Spring, Advantage Team Members participate in the annual Peeps Diorama competition. This year, the winning display emulated Nick Baucom's On The Move. 6: Team members celebrated St. Patrick's Day at the Bay Street Biergarten with green beer and festive party favors. 7: After a day full of learning, attendees worked on their blueprints during one of our Book Marketing Blueprint Days. 8: [L to R] ROI Guide, Brette Rowley, Founder & CEO, Adam Witty, and Director of Marketing, Jenn Ash participated in a panel discussion during May's Book
3 1 2 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M
Marketing Blueprint Day. 9: Founder & CEO, Adam Witty toasted the attendees for their hard work after successfully completing their marketing plans and beginning their journeys as Authors.
6 7
8
9
For a full slate of new releases from the second quarter of 2015, turn to page 4.
CLOSING QUESTIONS Carlisle Richardson is a man well-traveled but an islander at heart. It's a prevailing sense of pride for his homeland of St. Kitts and Nevis and a passion for the rich cultural and economic landscapes of the world's island states that led him to pursue a career with the United Nations. He spoke with Advantage Magazine about his work's purpose and his goals for his newly published book, Island Journeys.
Discuss your work with the United Nations and how it led you to write a book on island culture and heritage. At the UN, I work on sustainable development issues with a specific focus on Small Island Developing States. It's the process of pursuing economic development initiatives while ensuring that the preservation of the environment and the protection of the societies is maintained and promoted. Small Island Developing States were viewed as special cases in sustainable development due to their particular structural, economic, and environmental challenges, which impacted their societies. 1 4 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M
Island Journeys evolved quite naturally from my work focus as I became much more in tune with the island issues during trips to several islands as we were preparing for the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States. I found a very strong connection to these islands that were so similar to my own despite being in different parts of the world. This was the impetus of Island Journeys: the desire to tell the island story as seen through the eyes of an islander, visiting and experiencing these islands for the first time.
times of only a cursory glance at the true beauty and real challenges of islands, and I hope to bring much more focus to these. In addressing the potential of islanders, I hope as well that this book could lead to the establishment of the Island Foundation, which will aim to promote education, the arts, sports, and innovation in the islands, while preserving island culture and heritage. Too often the potential is lost due to limited opportunities avail-
Now that you are a published author, how do you intend to use your book? The hope is to use this book to generate greater awareness of island issues and the potential of islanders. I get a sense some-
Island Journeys
2015, Advantage Media Group
able, but there are sources and avenues that can be explored. The hope is that the Island Foundation can help to bridge that gap and create more opportunities for islanders to realize their full potential.
Talk about the publishing process. What were the challenges? What was your favorite part? The greatest challenge of course was finding a publisher. At times when you have a different perspective the doors don’t necessarily open. I remember telling myself, “I just need one person to see the potential in what I am trying to say.” I was very fortunate that Adam Witty and the team at Advantage saw that potential. Once I was with Advantage, the rest of the publishing process was easy and fun. For me, I enjoyed the creative process: the editorial process; seeing the art for the cover; the back and forth; the different views and opinions on the best way forward; and the teamwork. I felt that every step was making it all better and was a step closer to realizing my goal. The absolute most satisfying part was seeing the finished product for the first time; holding this book in my hand with the beautiful art of George Stevens and my words and thoughts inside. It was amazing.
Complete this sentence: “No matter how many copies I sell, it will have all been worth it if…” If the book inspires some islanders to pursue their dreams and remain connected to whom they are. If islanders can be inspired to make that positive impact on their islands and the world, without losing sight of where they came from, then it would all be worthwhile.
If you could offer one piece of advice for someone considering publishing, what would it be? Stay true to your dreams. Publishing allows your voice to be heard. It is your voice and yours alone. So try to stay true to the message you hope to share. Getting published is also a long and sometimes arduous journey, but the satisfaction of the end result is its own reward. So stay true to the desire to publish and never give up on that dream.
You are a native of St. Kitts and Nevis. What’s something our readers might not know about your home country? It is the smallest independent country in the Western Hemisphere, but it has had its share of influencing regional and global developments based on the activities of its people. For example, Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States and one of your Founding Fathers, was born in Nevis. St. Kitts is known as the Mother Colony of the British West Indies because it was the first British colony in the Caribbean. Sir George Stephen QC, a British solicitor, author, and anti-slavery proponent was born in St. Kitts in 1794. He also had a successful career in Australia after moving there from England. One of the first major worker’s rebellions that agitated for better treatment and more pay for the working class took place in St. Kitts in 1935. The Buckleys’ Riots as they were called helped to usher in a movement for workers’ rights and selfdetermination throughout the rest of the Caribbean in the 1930s. So even though we are one of the smallest of the islands, we have been actively involved in regional and international affairs for a very long time! S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 1 5
IT’S THE CURVES IN LIFE THAT MAKE US STRONG
Whether you are going through mild changes now or expect massive reorganizations in the future, change is inevitable for every successful organization. DETOUR contains remarkable insight on how to deal with change and provides solutions to reduce stress, eliminate fear and increase performance. Hall of Fame Speaker and best-selling author Steve Gilliland, who showed us how to Enjoy The Ride, now reveals how to handle change in a fluctuating workplace and navigate life’s turns when something sets you on a course that you never planned, into a future you never imagined. This book will help you develop the Mindsets of Recognition, Reaction, Reality, Resourscefulness, Receptiveness, and Resolution. People have an instinctive ability to adapt to most situations and often live by the adage “It is what it is.” Regrettably, while our ability to adapt is amazing, our ability to change isn’t. When you least expect it, life challenges your courage and willingness to change. In such moments, you can either accept it for what it is or make it what you want. Just as failure is a vital part of success, every DETOUR is a critical part of your trip and allows you to exercise creativity and resourcefulness by moving forward in ways you had not anticipated.
DETOUR STEVE GILLILAND
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2015 Authority Marketing Summit featuring
DAN KENNEDY
Register Now for just $1,495, the lowest registration fee for a Dan Kennedy marketing workshop in recent years. Reserve Your Seat Today:
AuthorityMarketingSummit.org
Two days of Advanced Business Growth and Marketing Strategies from America's #1 Marketing Advisor Dan Kennedy. This two day conference will teach you how to speak to sell products and services, influence from the stage, create an audience of buyers, and generate new leads. At the Authority Marketing Summit, Dan Kennedy will spend 2 days providing attendees the exact formula and blueprint for building yourself and your business as the authority in your industry, marketplace, or community‌.no matter the size of your business today. Registration is $1,495. This is the lowest registration fee for a Dan Kennedy marketing workshop in recent years. Advantage has subsidized your cost to attend to help you get the most out of authorship. Each primary registrant is invited to register one guest for an additional $495. The Summit is for Advantage Authors and non-Advantage Authors who are entrepreneurs, CEOs, and business professionals interested in raising their authority to grow their business.
Wednesday Nov. 11 - Thursday Nov. 12, 2015 Reserve Your Seat at AuthorityMarketingSummit.org
Book Marketing Blueprint Day BOOK
MARKETING BLUEPRINT DAY
Offered to Advantage Authors and a guest at no charge, this is one day to create your stepby-step Book Marketing Blueprint that will guide your book marketing efforts for the next 12 months. This day is an opportunity for you to let us create the most comprehensive and tailormade Book Marketing Blueprint for your business. You will walk away with more confidence and clarity with specific strategies in motion plus take home your own Master Plan Book Marketing Blueprint that will lead to you becoming our next Millionaire Author Success Story.
Friday Nov. 13 Reserve Your Seat at BookMarketingBlueprintDay.com
Questions about any of the upcoming events? Want to register by phone? Contact ROI Guide, Brette Rowley 843.725.7891 or browley@advantageww.com