Welcome to the opening chapter of Utopian Frontiers — http://www.utopianfrontiers.com
Chapter 1
A throng of people filtered into a wide central plaza and gathered in a knot outside the locked front gates of a huge grey and white building, where a forklift truck was parked. Within minutes, the crowd filled the space, fed by other streets, until the swollen gathering reeked of some unspoken intent, pulling in more people from the sidewalks like a whirlpool. Tension built in the air and drifted like the vapour of baked bread into the surrounding buildings, summoning people to their windows. Two streets back, the faint sound of a barking dog set the percussion to the unfolding scene, adding an incidental but dramatic edge.
Two men watched the scene with interest from inside a black car. They knew what was about to happen, and were not surprised to see an individual at the head of the group, a bald man in his mid thirties, being raised above the crowd on a wooden platform attached to the forklift. The older of the two men pulled a device from his pocket and inserted a journal entry: 12:31 p.m., video footage, Vendiez. March 3, 2009. He released a clip on the side of the device, and attached it to the wing mirror while linking a cord to the dashboard. The appliance raised itself vertically above the crowd on a telescopic, retractable pole, and a clear image of the front of the crowd filled the inside 
face of the windshield. After a few automatic adjustments, the image of the short, bald man dressed in a velvet suit and tie could be clearly seen inside the car. “Are you sure that’s him? He looks different,” said the younger man.
“It’s him.”
The sharp tone and crackle of a portable PA system came through concealed amplifiers, and the crowd quietened.
“The pillars of this striking façade,” began a voice in Spanish as the image of the man inside the black car turned to point directly at the imposing columns behind him, “are the teeth that have bitten to the marrow of our economy. Investment banks like this one, and many others around the world, have brought the global economy to its knees by gambling our money away on an enormous Ponzi scheme the likes of which we can never imagine. Men in this bank, and other institutions like it, have accumulated hundreds of millions of pesos of ill gotten gains selling stocks with our money—money they never owned, and had no right to speculate on. And after two decades of this filth, the system has come crashing down, doubling the national debt and throwing countless millions of working people around the world into unemployment and poverty.”
His voice rose several octaves on the last two words, causing the dog to bark even louder.
“We stand here today, outside this bank, as patrons of this land and citizens of this world, and we demand restitution. We demand justice for all those people who are suffering while the fat cats lick cream off their whiskers. We demand these bankers pay back their bonuses into the economy. And we demand action NOW!”
The crowd erupted into a roar, drowning out the dog and the approaching sirens of police vans and the diesel engines of large media vehicles. By this point, the area outside the bank was at full capacity, and more people poured in at the back, unfurling the tail of the crowd down the long boulevard. Printed canvas banners were lofted above heads, and the brightly coloured t-shirts of several universities could be seen in block groups. The two men in the car knew that this had been planned for months, but had no idea that he would attract such a crowd. It was a testament to Vendiez that he could do such a thing.
One of the media trucks nosed into view, and a reporter emerged in the corner of the image on the windshield.
“This is Katie Kemp reporting for CNN in Caracas, Argentina. I’m standing outside the Buenid Investment Bank in the city central plaza, which is the scene of a burgeoning protest led by Gerard Vendiez, a Ph.D candidate in informatics at the University of Caracas. We’ve just arrived on the scene where what looks to be
close to a hundred and fifty thousand people are petitioning the directors of the investment bank to return their bonuses and assist in the economic recovery of Argentina’s failing economy. This is a scene we have witnessed in major cities across the world over the last year, on every continent.”
She broke off the report and looked skyward. Rain clouds filled the open skies above and threatened to unleash their load. But the crowd continued to surge regardless, flowing down the boulevard like a flood, facing off against an ever silent bank. From some- where inside the midpoint of the crowd, a flare went off, closely followed by a firework launched from a first floor window directly at a police car. The crowd was too big to manage, and the police were becoming agitated. This was all the excuse they needed to storm in from both sides of the midsection and disburse the crowd. Whoever had unwittingly fired that flare had turned the tide of the event. Vendiez continued his monologue, but the front rows were more distracted by what was happening behind them, and he was lowered to the ground and disappeared down an alleyway leading into a cobbled side street.
The black car turned into the same street. “Where’s he going?” asked the younger man.
“El Faro. It’s a coffee house, a meeting place for people like Vendiez. The police won’t go in there. It’s better if you follow him on foot, Paulo. Don’t lose him. He’ll lead you there. I’ll be parked out front when you arrive.”
Paulo exited the car and caught up to within fifty metres of Vendiez, making sure to keep a distance. After a while, Vendiez stopped by a fountain to light a cigarette, and looked around before entering an eating house with some cast iron chairs and tables outside. Above the doors was a brown marquee with ‘El Faro,’ written in faded white letters. Paulo could see the black car parked up ahead in front of a newspaper stand, and saw Tomas crossing the far side of the street towards him.
“Well done,” Tomas said. “Let’s go and say hello.”
They entered into a dark, smoky room which opened out into some side compartments along either wall. In the far corner booth was Vendiez and two other men.
“Just act casual,” instructed Tomas. “We don’t want to draw any attention to ourselves. Most of the people in here are radicals.”
They walked to the far end as if they were looking for an empty table, and subtly stopped next to Vendiez’s booth.
“Mr. Vendiez? My name is Tomas Krayle, and this is my associate Paulo Dupell. Please excuse our intrusion.”
Vendiez was hunched over the table in heated discussion with the other men. He turned to face the men standing there.
“What do you want?” he said in English.
We were watching your rousing speech outside the bank. I assure you, we wish you no harm,” said Tomas. “We merely wish to speak with you in private, if we may?”
“I see,” replied Vendiez. “Well, you may as well sit down and tell me what you want. These are my friends Miguel and Osvaldo. Whatever you wish to say to me, you can say to them.”
“Very well,” said Tomas, and they sat down inside the booth. “Mr. Dupell and I are representatives from an international
research initiative. You’ve probably never heard of us because we’re not a public or a private entity—but we are, in essence, a combination of both of these things. Our research facility is within the confines of a national park. We’re a transglobal operation. You have amassed quite a following, Mr. Vendiez.”
“I have no interest in fame, notoriety, or anything close to it.” “We know,” said Tomas. “That’s one of the reasons we’re interested in talking to you.”
“Well, you’re talking to me. So what do you want?”
“We are interested in having you come work with us. We have a facility in Buenos Aires, and my associates are extremely interested in meeting you.”
“And why would I want to do that Mr. Krayle?” said Vendiez, laughing to his friends.
Tomas waited patiently for the laughter to subside.
“Because we are trying to do the same thing as you are.”
~*~
For information about Utopian Frontiers, the book, the organization or the music, visit http://www.utopianfrontiers.com. To learn more about the book and to get your copy, visit http://www.amazon.com/Utopian-Frontiers-Story-Drew-Tapley/dp/1927005124/.
Generating sales and maintaining a profitable business definitely contributes to stress for all sales people and business owners. So we are always on the lookout for ways to lessen our stress level – while maintaining the bottom line.
Sue Kasson works to help business people lessen their stress level, while maintaining and growing their business. This book covers 5 options that Kasson considers to be “no 
fail” strategies. They include:
- A Website – every business and product needs an effective online presence, starting with an optimized website and an active blog
- Building Your List – the money is in the list – if you haven’t heard that before, you need to learn why online marketers all make that statement
- Profitable Teleseminars – teleseminars are more popular than ever and are a fantastic way to reach your target audience and showcase your expertise
- Article Marketing – blogging, guest blogging and article writing are fantastic ways to spread the word about your business and show your expertise
- Joint Ventures – networking has been an effective promotional strategy for centuries and the internet offers more ways than ever to use joint ventures
Then the book concludes by explain how to use these strategies to create an effective system for your business and utilizing your abilities, knowledge and resources.
These are 5 strategies that I use – and they are definitely things you should try for your business. If you are unfamiliar with these options or for people who need a refresher on what these options include and how to implement them – this is a great handbook to give you the details on how to use these strategies in your business. It is a quick read and will help you discover or re-discover these five ways to promote your business and your expertise.
If you would like more practical sales and marketing strategies, visit Zero Stress Selling today. Sue is known for her relaxed and authentic customized client enrollment and sales conversion training. Find Sue Kasson’s books at www.amazon.com/author/suekasson
Susie Bright is a vivid and clear voice in the sex positive community – a community that is growing each month. While we are glad to see this community growing and new niches being added to it – we need to think about the “battles” and “struggles” that led to the place where we are today. One of the outspoken and unconventional women that was a part of those struggles – is Susie Bright.
This memoir is divided into three main sections – First Bites, The Red Tide and All Along the Girl Tower. If you skip forward to The Red Tide, you will be missing key background information that will help you understand how a young woman could have all the unusual experiences that Susie Bright had – many before she got her GED. This section also provides interesting insights in the situation in various parts of the United States in the 60s and 70s. It’s a very interesting contemporary history lesson sprinkled with plenty of sex.
All Along the Girl Tower is the section that shares many details of Bright’s life story – feminism, sex toys, female sexual freedom and so much more. If you want to learn more about the history of women’s sexual awakening and rights in the US – I think you will find her story very interesting.
Each of the women in the 21st century owe a debt of gratitude to the women who came before us and who blazed the trial for us – Susie Bright is one of these women. This is a fascinating way to understand more of the details about how women got the chance to come out of the shadows and join the sexual awakening that men have always had access to – won’t you come along on the journey?
Read more about Susie Bright – http://susiebright.blogs.com/
Big Sex, Little Death on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Big-Sex-Little-Death-Memoir/dp/1580052649/
Let me start by saying there is plenty of sexual and erotic content in this book – of many types. Whether its orgasms, spanking, or even raspberries – you’ll have to read it to find out about that. But – anyone who said this book is only about sex, and maybe types of sex that make your uncomfortable, missed the point of the book in my opinion.
The author is a woman who is like many of us – she has battled her weight her entire life, she has people around her who mention he weight in a negative way, she’s married to the man she fell in love with years earlier, she’s only had sex with him, she has a career that she is very proud of – but there’s something missing.
Actually, maybe I should say there are some things she needs to get rid of. You know what I mean – that baggage of uncertainty that we carry around about our weight, our appearance, those nagging doubts that challenge our self-confidence and there are also her best friends who are looking for more sexual fulfillment in a variety of way. But the book still isn’t all about sex.
If you think the book is just about sex – go back and re-read the second paragraph on page 106. For those of you who haven’t read it yet – “My sister Nadine didn’t get it. Not really. I thought I’d been so clear about what my work with Markus meant to me, how many old injuries I was finally understanding and repairing. I’d explained how embracing my sexual, sensual side was making me whole in ways that no other therapy had been able to achieve.”
Ladies – and the men and women who love them – if you know and love a woman who has these negative thoughts and past hurts that need to heal, you should get this book for her. I was in a similar place as the author – a couple of years ago – and while my love coaching training was the catalyst for my journey to self-discovery, it also gave me a much more positive outlook on life and made me feel whole for the first time.
Did I mention that this self-discovery is also a fantastic way to get in touch with your sexual, sensual side? That doesn’t mean you have to do things sexually that don’t appeal to you and it doesn’t mean that you forget your current partner and relationship. But you can feel good about you – the mother, wife, daughter, and the sexual woman that may be buried deep inside.
The final thought I want to share is that however you take your personal “shameless” journey – read this book, understand the deeper message and do this for yourself. Like the commercial says – “You’re worth it”.
To keep up Pamela’s latest info, visit http://www.beingshameless.com
Losing Your Only by Dr Debi Yohn
Just about everyone I know has had a number of losses in their life in the last couple of years. My family has had our share and so have friends. Each person has to deal with their losses in their own way – but many people have no idea how to even begin to handle the loss of a loved one.
Dr Debi Yohn has written a book that is a blueprint of the things she learned during her journey after the unexpected and sudden death of her only child, Levi. She shares information that will help any parent and person facing a loss – but she also deals with the unique situations a parent faces when they lose their only child. As more and more people choose to have smaller families and some countries limiting the number of children a couple can have – the information she shares is more and more important for us.
Dr Debi begins this journey by going back to the time before Levi was born and the time when she realized that she wanted to be a mom. She shares pieces of her life with her son and their love and joy together is clear. Then we read about the day of the accident that took her Only.
She shares the tools she used to deal with his death and to find out what that loss meant for her life. Helping us see how to handle the variety of things that happen in our everyday lives and those special occasions that are important in our families.
There is a section with those common things people say, “life goes on”, “you will get through this” and on and on. At this point, she shows the ways she learned to handle this and to start building the foundation and beginnings of her new reality. These steps on the journey are very valuable when you go back to work, run into friends who don’t know what happened, and move ahead with your life.
This is the table of contents, to show you the scope of topics that are included:
Chapter One: The REAL Journey Begins
Always Parents, Life with Levi, Rethinking the Future & The REAL Journey
Chapter Two: A Word on Spirituality
A Higher Power, Helping Hands and Hearts, The First Signs, A Perfect Day & The Ultimate Test
Chapter Three: The Reality of the Loss
“This isn’t happening”, Funerals, Vigils, and Celebrations & The Importance of Ritual
Chapter Four: Experiencing the Grief
“Life goes on” Syndrome. “You will get through this.”, Healing steps &
The Foundations for a New Reality
Chapter Five: Adjusting
Parents of the Heart. Dealing with Other People, The Business of Dying. Parting with the Past, Other Memorials, Loss is Part of Living. One Day at a Time
Chapter Six: Living in Your New Reality
Finding Your Purpose, Only Human, Moving On, Back to Work, The Right Connections. “Do you have children?”. Traditions and Celebrations. Find a Place for Your Only in Your Life
Chapter Seven: The Parental Partnership
Fathers, Mothers, Give It Time
Chapter Eight: Filling the Void
Another Child, Extended Family, Friends, Spirituality & Moving Forward
Chapter Nine: Life Lessons
Be Grateful, Get Closure, Stop and Smell the Roses, You Are Not Alone, Grieve Well, Parting Words & Life Is Different but Life Is Good
A Generation of Only Children—a Global Perspective
This is one of my favorite excerpts –
Finding Your Purpose
This is the most difficult part of the grieving process to complete. However, as you do so, you slowly find the ability to emotionally invest in life once more. You don’t forget your child, but you do gradually find joy in life again. You figure out how to start moving forward while keeping your Only in your emotional life. In a way, you give yourself permission to resume living in this world.
It is easy to stall at this stage and choose to hold on to the past rather than going forward. The loss may cause you so much pain that you feel you can never give life another chance. Professional counseling can help here, as can getting involved in an activity in memory of your child.
Your Only will remain in your heart forever, every day, every waking hour. But although your life will never be the same again, you can find happiness. With time and appropriate grieving, the pain diminishes and you find a new purpose.
You can read my interview with Dr Debi here – http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/211704
About Losing Your Only – Thank you for your interest in Losing Your Only, by Dr Debi Yohn. This is a very personal story which helped Dr Yohn discover her purpose – to motivate and support parents and others to live life to their highest potential. The digit version of the book is currently available at http://losingyouronly.com/get-the-book/. If you would like to be notified about the upcoming print and audio release, please visit this page and send Dr Debi your name and email address. For full tour details, visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/12/02/losing-your-only-by-dr-debi-yohn-virtual-blog-tour/
You have been invited to share your promotional experience with others.
Your Name: Barbara Weaver Smith
Nikki Leigh – Where you are from and where are you now?
Barbara Weaver Smith – I lived for many years in Indiana, most recently in Indianapolis, but in the spring of this year I relocated to Scottsdale, AZ. We moved our company to Arizona last year.
Nikki Leigh – How did you get started writing?
Barbara Weaver Smith – I have always loved to write. As an English major and later as a professor, I wrote all kinds of academic papers, research papers, essays—the typical academic things. But after I founded The Whale Hunters, it became very important to write the first book—Whale Hunting: How to Land Big Sales and Transform Your Company. Your first book is a required “calling card” or credibility factor for a consultant, speaker, coach and trainer. I also write articles, newsletters, a blog, and curriculum and instructional materials to teach other people how to implement The Whale Hunters Process™.
Nikki Leigh – What do you do when you are not writing?
Barbara Weaver Smith – I work ON my business, The Whale Hunters. We are a team, and we address our business development strategy and all of the concerns of a growing business. I also manage The Whale Hunters website and our online community, Pier9.
When I am not working, I like to swim, golf, eat out, hang out with friends, sit on the balcony and watch birds, read, and watch movies on my new iPad.
Nikki Leigh – What would readers like to know about you?
Barbara Weaver Smith – After working in bureaucratic organizations for many years (universities and a statewide nonprofit), I found that I loved being an entrepreneur. I have had my own business since 1996 and founded The Whale Hunters in 2004. Building a company, as opposed to just being an independent contractor or consultant, is the most challenging work I have ever undertaken. Through my experiences, I have become inspired by America’s small business entrepreneurs who I help, teach, and encourage. The founders and owners of independent businesses will be the saviors of the American economy. I have a passion to help them succeed, to grow, to excel.
Nikki Leigh – What inspired your first book?
Barbara Weaver Smith – Whale Hunting: How to Land Big Sales and Transform Your Company was my first book. It was inspired by the true story of the Inuit whale hunters, who live on the far northwest coast of Alaska, and who prepared all winter for an amazing whale hunt each spring, when the whales were migrating north to colder waters. The Whale Hunters Process that we teach to business owners, executives, and sales people is derived from that process. Since in its early days The Whale Hunters was a consulting company, it seemed important to write a book to explain our methodology.
Nikki Leigh – How many books have you written?
Barbara Weaver Smith – I have now written seven books, with number 8 nearing completion.
Nikki Leigh – What are the titles of your books and what genres are they?
Barbara Weaver Smith – All of my books are nonfiction books about sales process and business development.
They include:
Whale Hunting: How to Land Big Sales and Transform Your Company
Winning Whales with an RFP
Whale Hunting Women
Mind of a Hunter: Cultivate Your Company’s Strategic Sales Mentality
The Hunt :Strengthen Your Sales Process to Accelerate Business Growth
Riding the Whale: Adapt Your Sales Strategies to Close Big Deals
The Whale Hunting Culture: Engage Your Entire Company in Business Development
Nikki Leigh – Why are you specially qualified to write about this topic?
Barbara Weaver Smith – As you know I’ve had some interesting career transitions. How did an English professor and university dean become the champion of small business sales development? In some ways that you would probably not have predicted, some of my formal education was extremely relevant to selling. I was a student of rhetoric—the original sales training, art of persuasion—and also a student of writing. So I learned early on how to be persuasive and how to get into the head of my audience – which is a critically important sales skill. But it was really after I started my first company that I began to apply this knowledge to the business arena. I did a great deal of consulting on big messy collaborative projects that involved universities, businesses, schools, philanthropic organizations, and governments. These were economic development projects, or regional planning projects, or new buildings or research facilities or joint ventures of all kinds. And through that work I learned a lot about how to manage collaboration and how to manage change. I invented a detailed change management process, which is now the foundation of The Whale Hunters methodologies.
Nikki Leigh – Tell us about The Whale Hunters? 
Barbara Weaver Smith – The Whale Hunters is a strategic sales coaching company that helps small businesses grow fast by making bigger sales to bigger customers. We define a “whale” as a new, targeted account that is 5 to 20 times large than your current average account.
Here’s how we deliver our services. We have Certified Partners in (x) markets around the United States and even around the world. They offer community workshops, for a variety of people from different companies, and private workshops, for your team alone. They also offer chapters, where 12 – 15 entrepreneurs/owners/senior executives from noncompeting businesses come together monthly to learn and implement The Whale Hunters Process™ and to provide peer-to-peer deal coaching for one another.
Nikki Leigh – What are some unique methods of marketing you have used? Which were the most successful?
Barbara Weaver Smith – Our overall marketing strategy is built around “Free” – giving sample ideas, information, resources, materials, and experiences to our audiences. We have three distinct marketing methods.
- Partners. We are building a community of Certified Whale Hunters Partners in major metropolitan regions around the US, and soon to be in Canada and Europe. These Partners deliver Whale Hunters services in the form of chapter memberships, public workshops, and private (in house) workshops within their region.
- Strategic Alliances. The Whale Hunting strategy also involves identifying national and regional membership associations whose members could become whale hunters, and engaging them in our strategic alliance program where we offer free content and opportunities to their members in exchange for their bringing us visibility to their members. We have both for-profit and nonprofit strategic allies, and we are building every day.
- Social Media and Opt-In Email. The third strategy is built on our opt-in email list, social media presence, and web site where we continually try to attract more entrepreneurs to join/sign up for free benefits.
My first unique method of marketing was to engage you, Nikki, to host my first Virtual Blog Tour in 2008. That two-month tour greatly increased my online presence and introduced me to many bloggers and radio hosts who have remained friendly to The Whale Hunters.
We also offer “Virtual Preview Events” – free webinars each month to invite people to learn about opportunities to engage with The Whale Hunters. I host a free “Expert Series Call” each month, which attracts increasing numbers of people, so that they can sample the ideas and business development content that we promote.
Nikki Leigh – What do you have in the works now?
Barbara Weaver Smith – I’m devoting much of my energies to the continued development of our website, creating new content for the website, writing new books and white papers, and training new Whale Hunters Certified Partners.
I’m also working to develop online, virtual training programs for Whale Hunters practitioners that will be delivered entirely online.
Nikki Leigh – What does the future hold for you and your books?
Barbara Weaver Smith – We are going to continue to build The Whale Hunters online community—Pier9—and intend to influence 500,000 small businesses by 2015. I know that’s an ambitious goal, but it’s still less than 3% of the potential audience of entrepreneurs, just in the U.S. alone! And we get lots of interest from other countries as well.
I will continue to write new books and to work with other Whale Hunters who want to write. Our next project has the working title Whale Hunting at Work: Stories from the Field about Growing Small Businesses. Certified Partners are contributing the chapters; we hope to release it in January 2011.
Nikki Leigh – What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books and your business?
Barbara Weaver Smith – Promotion is a long, slow process. I think it starts with being well-networked, partially in person but also on social media. Invite people’s interest. Find ways to meet them where they are in their business or their life. I have continuing success in building an opt-in list for my newsletter. That list continues to feed all of the other offers and activities that we have.
Nikki Leigh – What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books and your business?
Barbara Weaver Smith – I have made many presentations to groups of business women, entrepreneurs, executives and so forth. These are always fun and I enjoy them, but they do not necessarily lead to new business commensurate with the time and travel spent.
Nikki Leigh – What makes your latest venture to launch The Whale Hunters special to you?
Barbara Weaver Smith – I love small business. I have never been happier than when I became the head of my own companies, nor have I ever been so challenged and, occasionally, so afraid. More important, in this economy, we cannot expect the big corporations to pull us out of the slump. The economic recovery rests on the back of America’s entrepreneurs, and The Whale Hunters want to do our part to support their business development and growth.
Nikki Leigh – What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own
creativity?
Barbara Weaver Smith – I am most creative when I have a disciplined goal. In 2004 I started writing an article to be delivered faithfully every two weeks as a free resource to readers. I’ve maintained that every two-weeks deadline for six years. To get the Whale Hunting book completed, I had a very aggressive deadline from the publisher that I had to meet. So as you can tell, deadlines help me. But also, writing regularly helps to build a lot of content that makes its way into books and other forms of presentation. I try to create some new content every day. That makes me creative.
Also I read advice about how to get articles, blog posts, eBooks and longer books finished. There’s a quote that I love: “Real artists ship.” That means they finish their pieces, sell them, and ship them out. To me, that’s the ultimate in creativity.
Nikki Leigh – The economy in the US is very strained at this time, what advantage or disadvantage do you think this economy offers to entrepreneurs?
Barbara Weaver Smith – Obviously the economy has been difficult for many if not most businesses. Entrepreneurs are not immune, and The Whale Hunters have many clients who have had to scramble to keep their doors open and, especially, to avoid laying off key employees. The biggest challenge my clients have faced is violating their target filters—bringing in whatever business there is in order to maintain cash flow and keep people working. Now, as the economy is clearly improving, they need to regain their sense of choice and suitability of their new customers.
Clearly, however, economic downturns historically have been times of great opportunity for small businesses and times of great innovation. Small companies are more agile, more inventive, and more creative than most big companies. Big companies are hurting more. They are laying off people, many of whom smaller companies have been able to hire. They are cutting R&D budgets and other costs that will be disadvantageous to them for a very long time. And they will find it much harder to recover.
For entrepreneurs, many of their competitors have gone out of business. They have a great opportunity to gain market share and/or to acquire smaller or floundering companies that have great products and services. Overall, a down economy FAVORS the entrepreneur.
Nikki Leigh – If a small business person thinks that your new website wouldn’t be of interest them, what would you say to convince them to take a closer look? I’m thinking something better than “Its the greatest website ever.” Give me something more specific 
Barbara Weaver Smith – Here are the questions I would ask:
- Do you want to grow your business and exceed the typical standard of growth in your industry?
- Is there anything you or your team might need to learn about approaching bigger customers or growing the size of your deals?
- Are you dissatisfied with your rate of growth, your pipeline, or your predictions?
- Would you like to have everyone on your payroll working together on business development?
If you answered “Yes” to any one of those questions, then you should visit this website for answers, resources, training, events, discussions, and mostly—practical, proven ideas about how to grow your business fast.
Nikki Leigh – Why does this topic interest you? Why would it interest business people? Give us a hook to reel in new people.
Barbara Weaver Smith – Very few companies ever become $10 million or $25 million or $100 million companies. The growth of their business often lags behind the development of their ideas, their products, their services, and their team. Whale Hunting is a truly proven methodology to help small business entrepreneurs and executives break through to a path of continual growth matched with continually increasing company capabilities.
I am passionate about helping entrepreneurs and small business leaders build their companies to their maximum potential. This is essential to revitalize the U.S. economy, and it is essential to many other economies that encourage entrepreneurship and private ownership. Entrepreneurship is probably also the best way to help people in developing nations to establish a viable economy, as evidenced by many micro-finance programs. The international community of entrepreneurs will continually build and rebuild global economic engines.
Nikki Leigh – If a blog visitor is thinking about buying a membership on your site as a gift for a friend, what would you tell them if you could speak to them for a few minutes?
Barbara Weaver Smith – Membership to The Whale Hunters site will help your friend to be more successful in growing his or her business. It will be a sign that you believe in them, that you support their business goals, and that you know they are ready to take their business to the next level.
Nikki Leigh – Did I miss anything you want to tell my blog readers?
Barbara Weaver Smith – The process to join Pier9: They should visit www.thewhalehunters.com and “sign up” for the free basic membership. This will ensure that they get our newsletter, invitations to all of the face-to-face and virtual events that we host (many are free), and have access to a limited but extensive collection of articles and forums.
When they have tested it out, they should UPGRADE to the paid membership and get ten times the material plus free access to all webinars for their year of membership—currently worth $600, for only $29.95 per month or $299 per year.
For a wealth of similar sales and business development articles, podcasts, webinars, training courses, and online discussions, visit www.thewhalehunters.com and join today! Basic membership is free.
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We want you to share your book cover with us. An attractive cover is a big element in the appeal of your book. We want the details about yours.
Did you design the cover?
No way. My drawing is limited to stick figures and the occasional house and tree.
Did your publisher design the cover?
I signed a contract with Guardian Angel Publishing. They have a group of artists they work with and I was asked to provide three possible artists I would be interested in. I was familiar with Eugene Ruble’s work from other Guardian Angel books, so I was thrilled when he accepted the contract for Little Shepherd.
Did you get to give any input about the cover design?
I provided Eugene with an idea of what I thought would be good for the cover, and he worked with that. It’s exactly what I had imagined.
Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.
Eugene and I have never met and we’ve never even spoken by phone. He’s not online, so once I signed my part of the contract, I mailed the contract off to Eugene with potential ideas for the cover art and the interior illustrations.
When the publisher told me she had a galley of the cover ready to send me, I have to admit I didn’t open the email attachment right away. I said a quick prayer because I wasn’t sure what I would do if I wasn’t happy with the cover art.
Who is the cover artist?
Eugene Ruble designed both the cover and the interior illustrations. I’m familiar enough with his work now that I can usually tell he’s illustrated a book without looking at the credit on the front cover. While he’s not online, you can visit the Guardian Angel Publishing website at http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/artists&books.htm and scroll down the list to see other books he’s illustrated.
Are you happy with the cover?
I love it! He took my idea and provided what I never could have in a million years.
If not, what would you change and why?
Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.
What I like best about the cover is that it captures the essence of the entire story. Obed is in the fields with his sheep, the wolves are howling overhead, and the angel is in the background surrounded by a glowing light.
Is there anything else about your cover that we need to know? Feel free to share.
There was a tiny bit of confusion over the title on the cover. The first galley I received showed the title of The Little Shepherd Boy, which was the original title. I went around promoting how my book, The Little Shepherd Boy, would be released in August. Then I noticed that the Guardian Angel website said Little Shepherd. We opted for the shorter title, but it caused bloggers a tiny bit of confusion at the start of my virtual book tour.
Please provide your website link.
My website can be found at http://ccmalandrinos.com/. I also have a blog dedicated solely to the book, which can be found at http://littleshepherdchildrensbook.blogspot.com/.
What is the link to buy your book?
Little Shepherd can be purchased from:
http://www.amazon.com/Little-Shepherd-Cheryl-C-Malandrinos/dp/1616330856
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/9781616330859
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/little-shepherd.htm
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781616330859
You have been invited to share your promotional experience with others.
Your Name: Cheryl C. Malandrinos
Nikki Leigh – Where you are from and where are you now?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - I’ve lived in Western Massachusetts my entire life. While I have moved around from city to town, I’ve never moved further than 30 miles from my childhood home. I currently reside in Wilbraham, which used to be part of Springfield until it became its own town in 1763.
I can’t imagine living anywhere else. We have the beauty of the four seasons, tons of great local events, and lots of open space.
Nikki Leigh – How did you get started writing?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - I’ve dabbled in writing since I was a kid. I still have some of those stories and poems in my hope chest upstairs. I didn’t begin to pursue writing as a career until I became a stay-at-home mom in 2004. I enrolled in the Breaking into Print program from Long Ridge Writers Group and I’ve never looked back.
Nikki Leigh – What do you do when you are not writing?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - We have two young children and a son who is married. Just for the record, kids never stop needing you, no matter how old they are. I volunteer at church and at the girls’ schools. I also read a lot and garden when I have time. I also love cooking and baking. The holiday season is quickly approaching, so my time in the kitchen will greatly increase.
Nikki Leigh – What would readers like to know about you?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - While I coordinate virtual book tours every day, this is the first time I’m putting together one for myself. It’s a very different experience and makes me appreciate those writers who coordinate their own tours even more.
I’m a founding member of Musing Our Children and Editor in Chief of the group’s quarterly newsletter, Pages & Pens, which is available as a free download from our website. I am also a regular contributor for Writer2Writer. My articles focus on helping writers increase productivity through time management and organization.
Nikki Leigh – What inspired your first book?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - Would you believe a song? I often use Christmas hymns as lullabies for my girls. Years ago, when Katherine was still a toddler, I would sing “The Little Drummer Boy” to her and get this feeling that I needed to write a book about a young shepherd who visits the newborn King on the first Christmas.
While the finished Little Shepherd ended up being very different than the idea God first planted in my heart, it all started with that song.
Nikki Leigh – How many books have you written?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - While Little Shepherd is my first published book, I have another children’s picture book manuscript ready to submit, a middle grade novel I am working on, and a completed first draft of a women’s fiction novel I co-wrote with my sister that is desperately in need of edits.
Nikki Leigh – What are the titles of your books and what genres are they?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - Little Shepherd is a Christian children’s picture book.
Nikki Leigh – Why are you specially qualified to write about this topic?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - I’ve been a Christian my entire life. I was baptized into the Catholic Church as an infant. I was confirmed as a teenager, but now attend a non-denominational church where I teach Sunday school and head up our Vacation Bible School program.
The Christmas story is one that has been retold many times, but this story of God’s love for us can’t be spoken of too often. It is a reminder to all that God keeps His promises.
Nikki Leigh – How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track when you’re writing a book?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - It’s hard because I work from home. I had this grand delusion that working from home was easier. It’s not. Your office is always right there calling to you and your family is always wandering in and out to distract you.
Right now I spend the 7 hours a day my girls are at school to work on virtual book tours and sneak in some writing. I’m most productive after the girls are in bed, so I stay up late many nights to complete projects, though I don’t recommend it long-term.
Nikki Leigh – Do you write to make money, for the love of writing or both?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - Money would be nice, but I don’t think anyone goes into it for the money. Not too many of us are going to become Joyce Meyer, Nora Roberts or Stephen King. Writing to me is like breathing—I have to do it or I die.
Nikki Leigh – What are some unique methods of marketing you have used? Which were the most successful?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - I doubt my ways are unique, but I recently sat on two panels at a writers conference and have a two-and-a-half month virtual book tour that started on October 4th. I’m also going to be signing copies of the book at our church’s annual Country Christmas Bazaar and Tag Sale on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Nikki Leigh – Do you sell through a website? If so, what’s the address? If not, why not?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - While I talk about Little Shepherd at my website frequently, I don’t sell books off of it. I figure more of my sales are going to come off Amazon and other online retailers than from someone visiting my site.
Nikki Leigh – Where can people order your books?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - Books are available at Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com, indiebound.org, and from the Guardian Angel Publishing website.
Nikki Leigh – What format are your books – e-book, print, audio etc?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - Little Shepherd is available as a PDF eBook, as an eBook CD, and in a printed version.
Nikki Leigh – Will you write more books?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - Already on that. I don’t want to lose the momentum of promoting this first book by not coming out with another book for a long period of time.
Nikki Leigh – What do you have in the works now?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - I have another children’s picture book set around Christmas that is more for a secular audience. It is about a young boy visiting Santa at the mall on Christmas Eve who learns the true spirit of season. I’m also twelve chapters into a middle grade historical that I simply love. I have a ghostwriting project in the wings, which would be a Christian chapter book. I’m waiting for the go-ahead on that one.
Nikki Leigh – What does the future hold for you and your books?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - Hopefully lots of great things. I’m determined to persevere and keep working to achieve my dreams. I’m looking to pitch the Christmas story I mentioned above to an agent next month. We’ll see what happens. If it’s meant to be, it will all come together. Only God knows what He has in mind for me.
Nikki Leigh – What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - That’s hard to answer since I’m just getting going, but I can say that I have concentrated almost 100% of my efforts online and have already seen some sales. Through local networking I have several people awaiting autographed copies.
Nikki Leigh – What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - I truly believe online promotion is where I need to concentrate. That will be my main focus. I’ve paid for some advertising spots on some blogs. Only time will tell if they were worth the cost.
Nikki Leigh – What makes this book special to you?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - Well, it’s special because it’s my first, but also because God planted this idea in my heart years ago. Every time I sang that song the shepherd’s story would come to me. When God has a plan, He doesn’t give up.
Nikki Leigh – What sort of comments have you gotten about the content of the book?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - What I’ve seen so far has been very positive. Kathi Macias, a Christian author whose work I greatly admire said, she would be delighted to read this book to her grandchildren. Dixie Phillips, a pastor’s wife and Christian children’s author called it a “gripping tale” that would “inspire and become a family favorite.”
Nikki Leigh – What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - As a Sunday school teacher, I’m always looking for new ways to bring passages of Scripture to life for little ones. Little Shepherd can do that. It’s important for kids to realize that God loves them, and that unlike others, God always keeps His promises. They need to know they can count on God for anything and everything.
Nikki Leigh – What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - Little Shepherd is good for kids who already believe and for those who are just coming to know the Lord. For those who have heard the Christmas story time and again, it’s a new way for them to experience it. For those who might not be familiar with the story, it shares the true meaning of Christmas in a unique way, with a character who experiences emotions they or someone they know has dealt with. Obed, might be a shepherd, but he’s also a boy who is in awe of seeing the angels appear while afraid of the unknown. His father encourages him to go see the newborn King with the others, but even then Obed isn’t sure the choice he makes is the right one. It isn’t until he returns to his flock that he realizes what a miraculous night it is.
Nikki Leigh – What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own
creativity?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - In this instance it was a song, but more times than not it’s my children. I make up a new story for them every night at bedtime. They’re disappointed if I claim I’m too tired or it’s too late. Having to come up with new stories every day certainly keeps the brain working
Writing prompts, timed writing sessions, and journaling are all good ways to spark creativity. I’ve used those in the past. I also like to go for walks and just let my mind wander.
Nikki Leigh – What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - Most people I know do it because they can’t not do it. I’m the same way. Writing to me is just like getting dressed. Of course, I don’t have to worry about getting arrested if I don’t write one day. More times than not, I have a plethora of ideas waiting to be written. I keep a little notebook with all of them so I don’t forget any.
Nikki Leigh – Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - Unusual isn’t really my thing. I’m very boring. Just ask my kids. What I recently did, however, is sponsor a website for a year. I’ve been a fan of this site for years. It’s how I met many of my online chums.
The cost was minimal considering what I could pay to promote my book online. The cover art for the book appears in the left-hand sidebar with a link to purchase it and a link to my website. It might not translate into many sales, but I didn’t have to mortgage my house to pay for it either.
Nikki Leigh – If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn’t interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I’m thinking something better than “It’s the greatest book ever.” Give me something more specific
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - I think it would depend upon why they weren’t interested in the book. Christian fiction reaches out to a specific market. If you’re not of the Christian faith, it might not be of interest. I would, however, encourage that person to think of friends or relatives who might enjoy the book. Even if someone doesn’t have young children or grandchildren, their church might appreciate a copy as a donation.
Nikki Leigh – Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers.
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - As a mother and a Sunday school teacher, I like the message of Little Shepherd. I hope families everywhere believe in miracles such as Jesus being born into this world so that He could deliver us from our sin. Little Shepherd shares this message in a new way and I encourage children to take the journey with Obed to visit with the Christ Child and His family on the very first Christmas. Witness how a young shepherd’s visit with the Holy Family and the divine protection of his flock leads him to realize what a night of miracles it truly is.
Nikki Leigh – Did I miss anything you want to tell my blog readers?
Cheryl C. Malandrinos - I would like to thank you for allowing me to visit with your readers today. They can find out more about Little Shepherd and my other work if they stop by http://ccmalandrinos.com/ I’ll be talking about my virtual book tour at my new blog, http://littleshepherdchildrensbook.blogspot.com/ They’ll also find a video trailer for the book in the right-hand sidebar of the blog. I’m also on Facebook and Twitter.
There is an exciting giveaway as part of the promotion for Little Sheperd – http://littleshepherdchildrensbook.blogspot.com/2010/09/giveaways-announced-for-little-shepherd.html
I had the opportunity to interview Ronald Alexander, PhD. He is the author of Wise Mind, Open Mind and I asked him about his practice, his background and his book.
First, I’ll share a little background – Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. is the author of the widely acclaimed book, Wise Mind, Open Mind: Finding Purpose and Meaning in Times of Crisis, Loss, and Change. He is the Executive Director of the OpenMind Training® Institute, practices mindfulness-based mind-body psychotherapy and leadership coaching in Santa Monica, CA for individuals and corporate clients. He teaches personal and clinical training groups for professionals in Integral Psychotherapy, Ericksonian mind-body healing therapies, mindfulness meditation, and positive psychology nationally and internationally since 1970. (www.openmindtraining.com) For more details about Ronald Alexander, PhD – visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/09/08/ronald-alexander-phd/
About Wise Mind, Open Mind: Finding Purpose and Meaning in Times of Crisis, Loss & Change – In his groundbreaking book, Wise Mind, Open Mind pioneering psychotherapist, Dr. Ronald Alexander shares his innovative program for using mindfulness meditation, creative thinking, and positive psychology to transform times of crisis or change into opportunities for greater personal awareness, clarity, and creativity. His original three-step plan includes, learning to let go of resistance to change, learning to tune in to your soul’s deep wisdom or core creativity; and then learning how to move forward based on your newly acquired insight. For more details about the contents of Wise Mind, Open Mind, visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/09/08/wise-mind-open-mind/.
Nikki Leigh – Where you are from and where are you now?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – I was born in Boston, MA and am now living in Los Angeles, CA
Nikki Leigh – How did you get started writing?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – I’ve been writing throughout my career as a psychotherapist with the publishing of twelve papers in professional publications as well as my professional and personal training programs.
Nikki Leigh – What do you do when you are not writing?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – I am a licensed psychotherapist, leadership consultant and clinical trainer as well as the Executive Director of the OpenMind Training® Institute in Santa Monica, a leading edge organization that offers personal and professional training programs in integrative mind-body therapies, transformational leadership, and mindfulness.
Nikki Leigh – What would readers like to know about you?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – I had a very wise mentor in college who taught me to meditate instead of using pharmaceutical drugs to help with some personal issues. After receiving my doctorate in Humanistic Existential Psychology from Ryokan College, I did 12 years of post doctoral training and education in the fields of family therapy, Integrative Mind-Body therapies, Ericksonian hypnosis, somatic psychotherapy and Gestalt therapy. In addition to my traditional training my meditation and yoga practice had sparked a keen interest in eastern philosophy. In order to fully explore this area of mind state I made many extensive trips to Asia and India where I studied Theravada Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism and Vedic (Non Dual) approaches. Through all this extensive research and studies, I developed my Mindfulness Meditation technique that I integrated into my private psychotherapy practice as well as my clinical trainings and workshops.
Nikki Leigh – What inspired your first book?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – I felt passionate about providing a map for alleviating pain and suffering and help people make positive transformations in their lives. I wanted to bring something fresh and original to readers who are searching for meaning and purpose in these painful times of personal, economic, and psychological change.
Nikki Leigh – How many books have you written and what is the genre?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – Wise Mind, Open Mind is my first book and it is self help and spiritual.
Nikki Leigh – Why are you specially qualified to write about this topic?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – I have been a leading pioneer in the fields of Somatic Psychotherapy, Holistic Psychology, Mindfulness, Leadership Coaching, Integrative and Behavioral Medicine since 1970. I am a long time extension faculty member of the U.C.L.A. Departments of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Entertainment and a lecturer in the David Geffen School of Medicine as well as an adjunct faculty member at Pacifica Graduate Institute and Pepperdine Universities. I am also an associate member of the American Psychological Association, a clinical member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and a Diplomate in professional psychotherapy in the International Academy of Behavioral Medicine, Counseling and Psychotherapy and the American Psychotherapy Association.
Nikki Leigh – How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track when you’re writing a book?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – I practice what I teach as I found that by maintaining my mindfulness meditation practice it helped me to keep focused and on track while I was writing my book.
Nikki Leigh – Do you write to make money, for the love of writing or both?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – Of course we all need to make a living but we also need to consider being in service, or seva, as we say in Sanskrit. At every step of the way you need to be helpful in some shape or form, whether it’s to somebody who can’t afford to see you or someone whose child has died. I think it’s important to see that we are all in this life together, it’s not about acquiring more stuff or taking care of what I have, but it’s about actively, in a social, political, spiritual way, contributing to the whole thing.
Think globally but act locally; act locally but then go and contribute globally. Seva helps to create meditation and compassion in action. It’s not enough to just sit on your cushion. In some paths it’s Okay to just spend your life at a monastery meditating for your own awakening because that will have a positive impact on the entire awakening of the world.
Nikki Leigh – What are some unique methods of marketing you have used? Which were the most successful?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – Today there are an extraordinary number of avenues available to market ones book including Social Networking such as Facebook and Twitter, publicity, blogging, email campaigns, newsletters, bookstore talks, keynote presentations, workshops and training classes. What I enjoy the most is being able to connect with potential readers as this allows them to better understand the passion that I have for my techniques and my commitment to help them.
Nikki Leigh – Do you sell through a website? If so, what’s the address? If not, why not?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – Readers can connect on my website at http://www.ronaldalexander.com/books.html.
Nikki Leigh – Where can people order your books?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – My book is in print and sold through Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, NewHarbinger.com and fine booksellers everywhere. Readers can connect with these outlets through my website at http://www.ronaldalexander.com/books.html.
Nikki Leigh – Will you write more books?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – Yes, I have two or three books in mind that deal with integrating mindfulness, creativity and leadership as well as mindfulness mind-body psychotherapies
Nikki Leigh – What do you have in the works now?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – At the moment gathering notes on creativity, leadership and communication for a book that will especially help woman in the workplace and in their relationships. I love the freedom to speak my ideas and enjoy the process of developing them into final prose.
Nikki Leigh – What does the future hold for you and your books?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – Well of course I would love to have a best seller but as well I have two books in mind on leadership and Mind-Body Psychotherapies that would be more technical and may not sell as well but it’s a labor of love…
Nikki Leigh – What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – I found that television and print interviews along with blogging are effective ways to promote my book. As well I participate in several email book campaigns that other authors are organizing to promote the release of their new books.
Nikki Leigh – What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – I discovered that it was important to be selective of all the Blog Radio shows that are available as many of them were not an effective outlet to sell books.
Nikki Leigh – What makes this book special to you?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – I have been helping people transform their times of crisis into opportunities for greater personal awareness, clarity and creativity for over thirty years now. Writing Wise Mind, Open Mind allowed me to share with readers the techniques that I have developed to help them alleviate their pain and suffering and bring meaning and purpose in these painful times of personal, economic, and psychological change.
The book focuses on the building of “mindstrength” — the ability to very quickly and easily shift out of a reactive mode and become fully present in the moment, experiencing the full force of your emotions even as you recognize that they are temporary and will soon dissipate. Through my unique three step process that combines mindfulness mediation, creative thinking and positive psychology readers will learn how to let go of their past; tune into the present and their core creativity; and move forward with passion and purpose.
Nikki Leigh – What sort of comments have you gotten about the content of the book?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – The response Wise Mind, Open Mind received from pioneering leaders such as Ram Dass, Lama Surya Das, and Dr. Judith Orloff plus many readers has been very positive and encouraging. For example, Ram Dass, spiritual leader, and the author of “Be Here Now” says, “We have the creativity in us that creates the universe – all we need do is be aware of it. This book provides a wise roadmap to the treasure within.”
Nikki Leigh – What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – In my new book, Wise Mind, Open Mind I discuss a three step process that combines mindfulness meditation, creative thinking and positive psychology to help readers to let go of their past; tune into the present and their core creativity; and move forward with passion and purpose. This approach allows one to focus on the building of their “mindstrength” — the ability to very quickly and easily shift out of a reactive mode and become fully present in the moment, experiencing the full force of your emotions even as you recognize that they are temporary and will soon dissipate.
Nikki Leigh – What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – Anyone wishing to bring more clarity and passion into their lives or who need help to transition through some type of loss or challenge can benefit from my book. Wise Mind, Open Mind helps readers to be mindful of, and accepting of, the impermanence of life. Buddhism teaches that there are cycles of change. What is barren land will eventually provide delicious and ripe new fruit. The task is to accept the impermanence of our situations and not to fight against the losses or sorrows. If you watch a river, you’ll notice that it is always moving and changing. Something I find comforting is to tell myself that all my prized possessions are on loan to me while I’m on this planet. One day, we all must let go and return everything that we’ve held near and dear.
Nikki Leigh – What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own
creativity?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – I list many ways to access one’s core creativity in my book, Wise Mind Open Mind. One of the most effective ways though is through mindfulness practice, which is what I use. Mindfulness allows us to listen and pay attention to what we might otherwise overlook—whether it’s a fresh idea or a new way of perceiving a situation—enhancing our creativity and letting go of our obstacles to innovation. I also encourage my patients to dabble in the Arts. Simply dabbling in the fine arts, with no specific goals or intentions, awakens our ability to approach life with greater openness and curiosity. If you feel that you simply have no creative abilities, consider your dreams. Most nights, your mind generates at least a few fantastical images that you can recall upon waking if you slowly bring yourself back into consciousness with the intent of remembering your dreams. I often ask my clients to work with the images of their dreams by meditating on them, writing about them, and exploring them to see what ideas and insights they have to offer.
Another way to access your core creativity is through Mindful Movement. Disciplines such as martial arts, tai chi, and yoga are the most well-known ways of quieting the rational mind and opening up to the intuitive mind and its connection to the numinous creative force. Any physical activity that involves discipline and a slowing down of thoughts, from skiing to dance, actually creates new neural pathways in your brain that become roads to innovation. Finally you need to trust in the creative process. Artists are often seen as flighty, but in my experience the most successful ones are extremely disciplined. When blocked, they aren’t afraid to shift gears, to take a walk or a long retreat, to pick up a pen instead of a guitar, to break the formula of how they’ve always chosen to connect to their creativity by trying something entirely different. Trusting that they’ll tap into that flow, they persevere long past the point when others would give up.
Nikki Leigh – What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – I feel that most authors have a passion and drive to share their work with others. When an author writes with this type of motivation then their writing becomes a pathway to tap into their core creativity so that it becomes almost a spiritual expression and experience.
Nikki Leigh – Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – I created a website called the Open Mind Resource Center (www.openmindresourcecenter.com) that with the help of other innovative leaders is a place where people can come to get the support and tools they need to help them through a crisis.
Nikki Leigh – If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn’t interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I’m thinking something better than “It’s the greatest book ever.” Give me something more specific
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – If a reader has resistance to purchasing a copy of Wise Mind, Open Mind then they could believe in one of the four basic myths about Mindfulness Mediation. The first myth is that practicing mindfulness meditation will conflict with my religious beliefs, which in reality is free of religious and spiritual dogma. In fact, if you believe in turning to God for guidance, you can use mindfulness meditation to set aside distractions and listen to the divine wisdom that can be found only when you tune out the endless chain of thoughts your own mind creates. The second is that people are too restless and busy to learn to be quiet and practice any form of meditation. But with just ten to twenty minutes on a meditation cushion once or twice each day will cause you to need less sleep, be more productive and less distracted, and make the most of your time during the day. The third misconception is that mindfulness will put out the fire of one’s ambition and creativity. Mindfulness practice seems to ground restless people, transforming their energy from a chaotic, even manic, discharge to a more focused and heightened exuberance that then can be channeled into productivity. The fourth fallacy is if I practice mindfulness, what I’ll discover will be so upsetting that I will become paralyzed with fear. The fear of what will arise from the subconscious isn’t entirely irrational, but the chances of experiencing intense discomfort while mindfully meditating are slim. If you have been avoiding painful feelings and thoughts for a long time, you may need someone with you to support you in your process of uncovering this pain. A skilled psychologist or mindfulness meditation teacher can be enormously helpful in guiding you through these emotions and modulating their intensity.
Nikki Leigh – Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers.
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – Whether you know you’re ready to change or sense that you should, whether you’re struggling to accept that your circumstances have shifted or you’re feeling stuck or blocked by an unknown force and unable to move forward, it’s important to recognize that change is unavoidable. Life is continually in flux, and even that which seems immutable can be destroyed or altered in an instant. The Buddhists refer to this as the law of impermanence. Nothing stays the same, not even the rocks and the mountains, which rain, snow, and rivers sculpt over time. Each day, millions of your body’s cells die while millions more are born. Stasis is an illusion our egos create to fend off the fear of change.
When change is not your choice, you can’t avoid suffering, but you can choose to view the change as an avenue to personal evolution. You can push aside your perceived limitations and let go of the habits that have provided you with comfort, familiarity, and a false sense of safety, and go forth with fear in check, using creativity to illuminate new paths. You can break out of the dynamic of push and pull, of desire for change and resistance to it, and step past the boundaries of the known. You can recognize that while you may attain some comfort from the habit of trying to control the flow of your life, clinging to the familiar also breeds boredom and discontent. It prevents you from fully inhabiting your life and keeps you mired in regret. It keeps you small.
The secret to successful reinvention is to understand that you don’t have to greet change with apprehension and resistance, focusing on the potential for suffering, because if you take that route, you experience the very suffering you’d hoped to avoid. When it’s time for change, whether you’re losing a loved one, your perfect health, the job you loved, or the lifestyle you enjoyed, you have the opportunity to make your life even better than it is, as unfathomable as that may seem at first.
Nikki Leigh – Did I miss anything you want to tell my blog readers?
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. – No, I believe we have covered everything. Thank you for speaking with me and sharing my information with your readers.
Nikki Leigh Interviews Attorney, Author and Kramer Impersonator – Steve Ostrow at http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/188064
How To Sue A Telemarketer: A Manual For Restoring Peace On Earth One Phone Call At A Time is a tongue-in-cheek manual that shows the average citizen how they can fight back against a telemarketer by taking them to small-claims court. Half humorous and half how-to, the book combines comedy with savvy information about the legal system and step-by-step instructions on how consumers can take telemarketers to task.For more information about this virtual book tour, please visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/07/05/how-to-sue-a-telemarketer/ For more information about Steve visit his site at http://howtosueatelemarketer.com/ if you are interested in hosting Steve during his tour, please contact Margie@nikkileigh.com.
