Advantage Media Group - Winter 2015 by Advantage Media Group

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

ADAM'S ADVANTAGE or of the Y 4 Auth ear 201

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

$4.99

Winter 2015

ADVANTAGE ACTIVITY

BEST SELLERS, NEW RELEASES

PUBLICITY SPEAKS

IVY SLATER ON GOALSETTING

Nate Dapore FROM UNPUBLISHED CEO TO AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR...IN SIX MONTHS | interview p. 14

ADVANTAGE MEDIA GROUP AdvantageGROUP Media Group is an international publisher dedicated to entrepreneurs, ADVANTAGE MEDIA business leaders, and professional speakers. We help clients Write, Publish, Monetize, and Market their books and content to grow their businesses. Advantage has one mission: to help our clients and their constituencies Learn & Grow™.

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PUBLISH MONETIZE MARKET

Your Book

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Quickly and easily publish your book for ultimate authority, celebrity, and expert status

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Create passive income by converting your book and content into online learning

A turnkey, done-for-you branding, positioning, and marketing system for authors and experts

TELL US HOW WE CAN HELP YOU BEST 843.414.5600 advantagefamily.com

In this issue... 8 | World-Class Service

Average companies provide average customer service. Avoid "average." Create raving fans, get repeat business and rake in referrals by transforming your company into a world-class customer service organization. By Christina Wells

4 | Adam’s Advantage

Profits are important, but making a difference is the core principal of business. By Adam Witty

DEPARTMENTS

6 | Publicity Speaks

Goals are the seeds of success. With 2015 upon us, how high will your garden grow? By Ivy Slater, guest columnist

14 | Special Feature

Advantage Activity 5 New releases from the fourth quarter; print and eBook best seller lists

Noise Makers 7 A look at recent print, radio and digital media hits for Advantage clients

Advantage Team 7 Meet Advantage's new Editorial Manager

Nate Dapore, CEO of PeopleMatter, has been named Advantage's 2014 Author of the Year. In an exclusive interview, we get his reaction to being named the fifth

Event Calendar 10 Dates of note and client anniversaries in the upcoming months

recipient of the award, learn what his book has meant to

Advantage People 12

his business' success and find out what the future holds.

Costumes, conventions and authors in action—it's fall in photos at Advantage

Authors on Books | Teddy knows best... “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.” — Theodore Roosevelt

Opening Number: One and done...

Percentage of unhappy customers that will not willingly do repeat business with a company. http://www.helpscout.net/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/

843.414.5600 advantagefamily.com ADVANTAGE MEDIA GROUP

Publisher of Business, Self-Improvement, and Professional Development Books and Online Courses

Follow: f t l

/advantagemediagroup /advantagefamily /company/advantage-media-group

CEO

Director of Publi shi ng

Publicity Edi tor

E di t ori a l Di rec t or

Editor & Art Di rector

Marketi ng Edi tor

Marketi ng Assi stant

Guest C ont ri but or

Adam Witty George Stevens

Patti Boysen

Christina Wells

Jenn Ash

Katie Biondo

Denis Boyles Ivy Slater

W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 3

Adam’sadvantage The object of life is to make your vocation your vacation. – Mark Twain

K a r s o n P h oto g r a ph y

More than money

ast night I had a drink with an entrepreneur that wanted my advice. He had a business that he was running day-to-

day, that didn’t require more than 10 hours of his time per week, and was profitable. He was launching two additional businesses in 2015, both of which sound promising. The hesitation in his voice though was palpable. It was clear to me that he was happy, but not truly fulfilled. It was evident to me that his passion for the business was lukewarm at best. Rather than growing and expanding that business to massive proportions, he was more interested in starting another business. It was evident that there was no grand purpose behind the business, with the exception of making money.

too often, at the number of businesses,

members looking for just a paycheck, we want

both big and small, that have no real,

team members that see this as a calling.

tangible purpose, with the exception

As we enter 2015, I ask you to take inventory

of turning a profit.

of yourself and your business. Check the pas-

At Advantage our core purpose is to help

sion level. Is there a core purpose that guides the

our authors share their Stories Passion, and

business? Do your team members know that

Knowledge to help others Learn & Grow.

purpose? Do you live it every day? Do they live

We are guided by five Core Values, one of which is to Make a Difference. Helping our authors make a difference is what drives me. It is what gets me out of bed every morning at 5:45am. Our authors use their books to grow their businesses. When their businesses grow, they hire more people; they have more profit to give to charities; and they have greater personal satisfaction, which often results in a happier home life. Our authors use their books to impart vital knowledge to their audiences. When this happens, people learn &

Now before you get carried away thinking I

grow. Making a Difference is what gets me all

have really lost it, I am the first to recognize

giddy. When we interview potential team mem-

that business must make a profit. Profit is oxy-

bers, we specifically quiz them on why they are

gen to a business. Without profit, businesses

drawn to Advantage and why they are motivat-

die. With all of that said, I am alarmed, all

ed to Make a Difference. We don’t want team

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

it every day? Does living that purpose give you energy and motivate you to get up every morning with a ‘hot damn, I get to go to work today’ attitude? If not, something is off. As I finished my beer with my friend, I shared the Mark Twain quote you see above. Appropriate, I suppose, that this little guiding light of mine is from one of America’s most influential authors. May 2015 be your most purposeful year yet! As always, let us know how we can help. Thank you for being a part of the Advantage family.

Adam D. Witty, Founder & Chief Executive Officer awitty@advantageww.com

Advantage activity n e w r efrom l Advantage e a s Authors es

The Meat & Potatoes Guide to Business Survival

If You Can't Act, You Can't Sell

A Handbook for Non-MBA's & College Dropouts

Captivate Your Audience by Connecting Theatre to Business and Life

E d B asler 130 pp.; paperback; $14.99

Save America, Save!

Another Boring, Derivative, Piece of Crap Business Book

The Secretes of a Successful 401(k) Plan

Make the First Basic Leap in Work in 100 Years, Laughing All the Way

C harles D. E pstein 132 pp.; paperback; $14.99

B ernie C ronin

M ike V eeck A llen F ahden

272 pp.; paperback; $16.99

342 pp.; hardcover; $23.99

Distribution Land A Retiree's Survival Manual for Transitioning to a World of New Rules & Unexpected Dangers M artin V. H iggins

Engineering Business Success

Proceedings of the 7th Annual Microcurrent Case Conference

Essential Lessons in Building a Thriving Company

Sin-Seer Leadership A Light-Hvearted Guide to Morality in the Business World

E ward K ondrot

H erb J ohnson

R aj D. M ohan

100 pp.; paperback; $34.95

224 pp.; paperback; $14.99

140 pp.; paperback; $14.99

184 pp.; paperback, $19.97

No Mission, No Margin

Worry Free Business Success

Creating a Successful Hospice with Care and Competence

How to Break Free of Feeling Overworked, Overwhelmed, Frustrated, or Like a Prisoner to Your Business

P atrice C. M oore 136 pp.; paperback; $14.99

O limpia Z uccarelli 183 pp.; hardcover; $32.99

D ouglas G. P feiffer

168 pp.; paperback; $14.99

Title

Being Zuccarelli: Cooking, Eating, Living

Simple Lifestyle Changes to Set Your Life on the Path to Health and Wellness

D aniel M urphy

Advantage Best Seller List: December 2014

A Chair at My Table

Dr. Pfeiffer's Guide to a Longer Healthier Life

170 pp.; paperback; $13.99

Advantage eBook Best Seller List: December 2014

Author

Title

Author

Hyper Sales Growth

Jack Daly

Hypothroidism, Health & Happiness

Steven Hotze

Hide Your Goat

Steve Gilliland

Not By Chance

Tim Thayne

Happy Belly

Nadya Andreeva

Making a Difference

Steve Gilliland

Allan Milham Kimberly Roush

Safe & Sound

T.S. Krupa

8 Hypothyroidism, Health & Happiness

Steven Hotze

The Power of a System

John Fisher

9 Hide Your Goat

Steve Gilliland

Enjoy the Ride

Steve Gilliland

Tim Thayne

Wading Into Chaos

Bob Holdsworth

1 Happy Belly

Nadya Andreeva

2 DistributionLand

Martin V. Higgins

3 Hyper Sales Growth

Jack Daly

4 Clarity

Steven Cesari

5 Making a Difference

Steve Gilliland

6 Imagine Living Without Type 2 Diabetes

J. Murray Hockings

7 Who Are You...When You Are BIG?

10 Not by Chance

W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 5

publicityspeaks | Ivy Slater, guest columnist The art of the goal

Eight simple steps to get you focused and working towards your goals

t’s that time of year again, the time when we create our New Year’s resolutions.

Do you remember what you committed to last January? Was it the additional income you were going to bring in? Were you going to start speaking to promote your book? Create workshops? Write more articles to share? These are all great ideas, and great commitments to make to yourself and for your business for 2015. The problem is, most people forget their New Year’s resolutions by midFebruary, and yes, I am being generous. So how do we change this pattern? First, let go of the resolutions. Let’s start by creating some actionable goals. I am going to walk you through eight simple steps to get you focused and working toward your goals. Step one is understanding SMART goals:

ÜÜ MEASURABLE: Is the goal measureable? There are many measureable goals; time, revenue, frequency, etc. ÜÜ ACHIEVABLE: This is where the action plan comes in. Ask yourself, what are you doing differently, that will be the action behind achieving your goal? ÜÜ REALISTIC: This is a great opportunity to review your goals with a colleague, or coach to make sure the plans you’ve put in action can and will work. ÜÜ TIME-ORIENTED: Your goal must have a deadline. For example, I want to increase my bottom line by $100,000 by May. Step two is to write your goals down. This theory goes back about 100 years in Napoleon Hill’s book Think and Grow Rich. In fact, there have been studies by Harvard University showing the success of writing down your goals. I know when I write them down, I’m closer to successfully achieving them.

Let go

resolu of tions.

Creat es

action

ÜÜ SPECIFIC: Is your goal specific? Making more money or growing your business is not a specific goal. Adding $100,000 to your sales is.

ome

able g

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

oals.

Step three is to understand WHY this goal is important to you. There is a great expression that says, “If the why is big enough, you figure out the how.” It was less than a year ago that I was putting two kids through college at the same time. My husband and I committed to pay for their undergraduate education. We did not

anticipate $100K a year for the two kids. This was a big WHY, we figured out the HOW, stayed committed and this year, with only one in school, we feel like we are on cruise control. Step four: This is where those excuses and obstacles come into play. There are so many reasons that come up in business about why things did not go a certain way. You cannot turn your excuses into reasons; challenges and obstacles are meant to be navigated. Step five is to create great habits. If you want to increase your sales, you create great habits around steps to increase your sales. For example, you can commit to doing five reach out calls to prospects per day. Step six is simple: Support. Don’t do this alone; you do not build a profitable business without support, you cannot grow your business alone; support comes in many fashions, full time, part time, virtual. Don’t let your ego get in the way of your success, ask for help. Step seven: Reach a little and impress yourself. One of the early goals that I was trying to reach was a monthly sales goal. I kept trying to reach it and I kept missing it. When I stretched, let go of what was safe, and impressed myself, I achieved it. Step eight: You need to have a vision. Napoleon Hill says it best, see your goal as if you have already achieved it. Some people create a vision board, some people see how their life will be once they achieve their goals. For 2015, I encourage you to get specific about what you want in your business, use these steps and create the action plan you need to build your business and live success on your terms. Ivy Slater is the founder of Slater Success Coaching. She is dedicated to helping women business owners achieve their success on their own terms, creating the life they want to live and creating the business that supports their life. For 20 years, Ivy owned a 7-figure printing business in New York City, and now works with women business owners, through coaching, speaking, and her book, Conquering Your Fear of Money: A Woman's Guide to Business Success.

noisemakers | Advantage clients in the headlines Marty Higgins Earned the distinction of #1 Amazon Bestseller among Mutual Fund Investing titles.

Adam Cufr Selected to be a featured monthly columnist in Retirement Advisor Magazine.

Sue Meitner Shared her story in Inc. Magazine, which lists her company as #64 on the list of fastest growing companies in America.

advantageteam |

Nick Baucom Featured in Washington Post, highlighting the launch of his Two Marines Moving business.

Jennifer Carroll Featured in Ebony Magazine.

Melissa Cooper Honored with a gold Stevie award, recognizing her as the Female Entrepreneur of the Year. 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

Advantage Team Member Profile As Editorial Manager, Scott Neville brings a wealth of writing and editing experience to Advantage’s publishing team. Scott educates and guides Advantage authors through each step of the editorial process to transform their ideas into professional products. From suggesting blockbuster titles to making sure every line on the back of the book shines, Scott’s here to help.

Scott Neville Editorial Manager

Learn more about the various products and services that our team can suggest for your business. | p. 2 W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 7

The

Standards of

Service Excellence

Creating World-Class Customer Service Through High-Touch Interactions

oday’s most successful businesses share one common theme: world-class customer service. No matter how you look at it, an organization is only as successful as its clients, and although success comes in many different forms, experience and service are likely at the top of your clients’ lists.

Think about it…you could offer the best product or service in the world but provide little to no consideration for the clients who purchase it. With a fleet of unhappy, disgruntled clients, your chances of sustainable, long-term success are likely non-existent. Today’s consumer is afforded ample platforms to choose from to share just how unhappy they are. Not to mention, with the old adage that an unhappy customer will share his sentiments with 10 others, service has got to become a top priority for your organization to thrive. World-Class customer service requires that a set plan or process be in place. This plan enables you to develop a cohesive, consistent mission for your team to rally behind. Your plan should focus on internal and external mechanisms to boost the overall service and experience aspects of your business. Consider the following service standards when reviewing your plan: 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

The main reason a client comes to you is because they need support from experts to accomplish a goal. As an entrepreneurial organization, we know that a lot of our core audience is CEOs, business owners and serial entrepreneurs looking for guidance and expertise. Because of this, we place a heavy focus on offering support to our authors, meeting them where they are. What does this mean? We create systems and roadmaps so our clients know what to expect and are informed about our service and process. We also ensure that our clients know our team and who their point of contact is for questions, requests and comments. In fact, with another year of incredible growth, we’ve brought on a team member who is dedicated to customer service and success, acting as an ally and guide to assist clients throughout their journey.

Education is key to building a thriving relationship between service organizations and their clients. Although much of what you provide is based on the education and expertise of your team, creating supplemental materials to educate your clients will enable them to take full advantage of the services you offer. Client education can come in many shapes and sizes but some opportunities we rely on include our quarterly magazine (which you’re reading now!), weekly blog posts, monthly teleseminars, periodic webinars, annual summit/boot camps and our full-day immersion sessions where clients visit our office, meet with key team members and participate in sessions on book writing, editorial, graphic design, marketing and so much more. Because everyone learns differently, offering a wide and varied approach to providing client education enables you to hit all marks for all client types.

Respect in business means just as much to the service provider as it does to the client. Building mutual trust and respect enables both parties to forge a strong bond and open dialogue to work toward a mutually beneficial result. One key to maintaining respect with your clients is to embrace diversity and know that no

two clients are alike. Treating each client with consideration, care and commitment shows how much you value their support. The saying goes that diversity leads to stability, which rings true to your client base. Along with respect is the sentiment of appreciation, showing your clients that you value their support and their feedback. It might sound silly, but business relationships are very much like marriages and I’m sure we can all agree no marriage is safe without a foundation of respect.

v Validation for a business is knowing that your clients are satisfied, that the work delivered was quality and that they ultimately made the right choice. By creating and maintaining confidence from your clients, you are reinforcing the values and services that were sold to them. This sense of confidence enables your clients to see your relationship in less of a transactional way and as more of a long-term partnership. One way to reinforce this sense of validation is to continuously affirm your client’s choice in working with you, both verbally and also through the physical deliverable. With a focus on this standard, you will naturally improve the quality of your deliverable or product, simply based on the commitment you have to your client’s sense of satisfaction.

Inspiration comes in many forms, but is always an underlying factor in the investment of a client, both in time and finances. To build partnerships, an organization must offer insight, direction, advice and solutions, all of which are rooted in the client’s specific goals. Providing words of wisdom and challenging clients to continue to excel all enable your organization to become a beacon of inspiration. Many find stories as sources of inspiration, especially during the research phase of sourcing a new service organization or vendor. To set the bar early for a prospect, leverage the success stories of your clients, through testimonials, video profiles and case studies, and soon you will see that social proof goes a long way in inspiring your clients, both prospective and current.

c If you look at technology giant, Apple, singersongwriter, Jimmy Buffett, or author, Robert Kiyosaki, although widely varied businesses, all have created a cult-like following. In that following are communities of fans and followers who come together to support a common interest. How cool would it be to create that for your customers? Easier said than done, huh? Maybe not. Some of the ways you can build community around your product or company is to enable your clients to communicate with you and other clients. Some of the most exciting stories of experience come from one client sharing their successes with another; this dialogue is priceless. In order to cultivate your client base, commit to creating opportunities both in a live sense and online, that offer interaction, sharing and general dialogue. Examples of activities to accomplish this are webinars, teleseminars, live events, online forums and social media.

One of the most critical steps to creating World-Class customer service is to engage with your client base through a variety of means. Initiating conversation is the base principal of engagement, but the sophisticated methods to open dialogue go beyond phone calls and emails. Every opportunity you have to touch or connect with your clients enables you to show how much you value them, and not just their business, but their support and feedback. Whether you’re recommitting to focus on service in the new year, or just looking to finetune what has made your organization one of unparalleled service, the above seven standards are examples of ways to create a plan, build a mission, and rally your team around enhancing the service and experience aspects of your business. Christina Wells is Corporate Marketing Manager at Advantage Media Group, leading the company’s efforts in both branding and lead generation. If you would like to connect with Christina, you may reach her at cwells@advantageww.com or 843.518.6788 W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 9

Event Calendar MON

TUE

WED

THU

Jan. 1

FRI

S AT

3 AMG Team Member Anniversary:

Megan Elger

New Year's Day

Happy Birthday to AMG's

Megan Elger

AMG Team Member Anniversary:

Charles Pollak, Mitchell Broderick, Michael Huh

JANUARY

SUN

AUTHOR

Author Success University Teleseminar—4 PM ET

Feb. Mar. Happy Birthday to AMG's

Happy Birthday to AMG's

Keith Kopcsak

Mitchell Broderick

Valentines Day

Happy Birthday to AMG's

Author Success University

Happy Birthday to AMG's

Patti Boysen

Presidents Day

AMG Team Member Anniversary:

Keith Kopcsak

Jonathon Jacobs

FEBRUARY

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Happy Birthday to AMG's

Daylight Savings Time Begins

Michael Huh

St. Patrick's Day

22/29

23/30

24/31

AMG Team Member Anniversary:

Alison Morse

AMG Team Member Anniversary:

Jonathon Jacobs

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

AMG Team Member Anniversary:

Patti Boysen

Happy Birthday to AMG's

John Witty

Author Success University Teleseminar—4 PM ET

MARCH

Christina Wells

Placeda Hall Richard Guyver Darshan Shah Jordan McAuley Lionel Shockness Peter Moore Rodger Friedman Manny Kagan Mike Petriella Greg Gentry Joseph Ash Julie Donnelly Dr. Jeff Hockings Sharon Still Felice Rollins JC Duarte Carissa Reiniger Ron Gelok Edward Kondrot Chris McNinch Stephen Frueh Adam Cufr Jennifer Nicole Lee Alnoor Kassam Anna Turner Rocco Carriero Todd Zaugg Lynn Moore Justin Struble Pat Healey

Christian Hogue Charise Penny Gary Kunnath Charles Martin Gerry Campbell Mike Veeck Robert Miller Dan Lieberman Gayle Abbott Stephen Chia Val Gokenbach Frank Maselli Greg Kozera Del & Barbara Spier Paul Thibeault Eustace Wolfington Kathy Scheuerman Scot Gray Kelly Carter Scott Young Mark Little Sumar Shahin Blair Reif George Brailsford Thomas Kachorek Linda Finkle

Teleseminar—4 PM ET

ANNIVERSARIES

Bob Holdsworth Colin Daymude Glenn Schmidt Grant Miller Moritza Para Scott Westermeier Linda Hancock Brian Evan Don Brewer Greg Taylor Jill Cody Robert Murray R. Palan Chris Abts David Johnson Craig Ballantyne Gary Lear Edith Moricz Matthew Scott Jeremy Alosa Sophfronia Scott Roy Jones Dana Cadman Brian Fricke Mark Maiocca Ann Mcindoo Pat Tedesco Terry Weaver Rebecca Soulette

From the Authors of More Than 30 Best Selling, Money Making, Business Building Books CLAIM YOUR COMPLIMENTARY COPY TODAY!

Adam Witty

Dan Kennedy

Inside these pages, you'll discover NINE exciting, different ways to make money for your career, business or cause by being the author of a book. If you know you have a book or books inside you, here you will learn not only how to get that message and those ideas into the right book and get it published, but more importantly how to leverage that book for all it's worth. If, on the other hand, you question what you have to contribute to a book and find the idea of writing one daunting, this book will replace your doubts and questions with practical advice and motivation. INSIDE: • WHY a book is better than any other marketing tool. • HOW to build authority and expert status with a book. • Your book as The Ultimate Lead Generation Tool. • Your book as The Ultimate Referral Generation Tool. • Use your book to get interesting and profitable Speaking Engagements. • Your book as the key to the vault of Free Publicity. • A Proven Plan for Being a Published Author.

FAX ATTN: Christina 843-414-5610

MAIL Advantage Media Group 65 Gadsden St • Charleston SC 29401

EMAIL Christina at cwells@advantageww.com

Advantagepeople

4 LEGENDS OF THE FALL:

5 1: In September, the Advantage team celebrated the arrival

of our new Editorial Manager, Scott Neville. 2: Halloween at Advantage was a spooktacular time! Mitch Broderick, who was dressed as Data from StarTrek, won the company costume competition. 3: Advantage Author Chad Madden stopped by our company booth to visit with Adam while at the GKIC InfoSummit in St. Louis, Missouri. 4: Adam posed for a quick photo during the AUTHORity Marketing Summit with mentor, author and keynote speaker, Pat Williams. 5: Founder of the Hotze Health & Wellness Center and Advantage Author, Dr. Steven Hotze, participated in a Breakout Session titled Growing Your Practice,

Elevate Your Services, and Attract More Ideal Clients during the AUTHORity Marketing Summit. 6: Former Naval Submarine officer, Randy Nelson, visited our office in October for his Author Immersion Workday. 7: Jennifer Carroll celebrated her new book, When You Get There, with a launch party. Over sixty friends and family attended the momentous occasion. 8: Consultant and trainer, Bernie Cronin, visited our Charleston

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

headquarters in late August for his Author Immersion Workday. 9: Dr. David Yeh traveled from Illinois to participate in our Author Immersion Workday series in Charleston, SC.

6 7

E Presenting

the

or of th h t e Y Au e 14

CIA

E LF

R TU

速

Nate Da p ore A uthor

P E O P L E M AT T E R : Driving Productivity, Efficiency and Profits t h r o u g h H a pp i e r T e a m M e m b e r s

In just 速 six months, Nate Dapore transformed from an unpublished CEO to an award-winning author. 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

Q&A

ago I was in the planning stages of writing a book, and now, just six months after publishing it, I’m receiving Advantage’s highest honor for an author. Writing this book has been a life-changing experience, both personally and professionally. Receiving such an honor means the message of appreciating people, investing in people and using technology as a catalyst to support that investment, is really resonating. It’s what we do as a company, and I’m thrilled to see the book is helping others do that as well.

How has your book allowed you to grow your business and reach more customers?

Tell us about your journey toward becoming a published author: We have the best customers, and some of them have really powerful stories to share. Just like PeopleMatter, they understand that their people matter today more than ever. I knew that sharing not only our vision and values as a company, but also their inspiring stories about how to engage and motivate their team members, would make for a great reminder about why it’s so important to put your people first. I wanted to use my personal experiences, as well as those of our customers, to build a blueprint of how to create, change and grow the culture of workplaces, which in return, will help drive productivity, efficiency and profits through happier team members.

What does it mean to be Advantage's Author of the Year? I am both honored and humbled to be Advantage’s Author of the Year. Just a year and a half

We’ve used the book in sales pursuits, both large and small. To pass the book out at a trade show or send it to a prospective customer with a personal message from me, shows what kind of company we are, what we stand for and why we’re different from other companies. The book has served as a tipping point in the sales process because it has allowed the prospective customer to truly understand our mission, our vision and our values. The feedback I’m getting is that it’s a common sense approach to building people, performance and profits. The real-life stories have them thinking “I can do this...I need to do this...I will do this!” Having them realize that kind of empowerment is what it’s all about.

What does 2015 hold for you, your book, your business? We’ve seen a lot of momentum in 2014 and plan on carrying it into 2015. Moving forward, we’re focused on growing our business by building out our sales team and expanding our product portfolio with new additions such as PEOPLElytics™, a product released in May that uses the data within the PeopleMatter Platform™ to help employers make decisions on how to improve operations. I’m confident the book will continue to be an integral part of our business strategy, growth and expansion. W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 1 5

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