Have you been thinking of writing your own story? Entrepreneur, executive chairwoman, and leadership mentor Cindy Monroe recently released her first book, “More Than a Bag.” Here she shares her insights on how to go from an expert in your field to actually sharing that expertise in a book.
BE REAL
First, consider that no one wants to hear a success story rooted in privilege and wrapped in the shiny gauze of only the high moments. The best success stories are those that carry a raw description of the ups and downs.
Cindy Monroe was perfectly aware of this when she wrote her ground-breaking book. As a young wife and working mother of two, she recognized that while she had no background running a business, she believed in starting a company that could empower other women to succeed. Daring to open up, Cindy shares the learning curves, failures, and breakthroughs she navigated while taking the company from her basement in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to nearly $800 million in sales, more than 100,000 independent consultants in the U.S. and Canada, and over 1,000 employees.
MAKE IT ACTIONABLE
When writing your story, consider your audience and answer the question all readers silently ask: “What’s in it for me?” Go beyond telling your narrative and make your words actionable or inspiring in some way for your readers.
Cindy accomplished this by organizing her book into 31 chapters, each highlighting a separate principle gleaned from her professional and personal experiences that can guide other female business leaders and entrepreneurs.
BE RELATABLE
You also want to draw your readers in by being relatable. Cindy makes her story accessible to other women in business by capturing the realistic side of running a company, while striving to be present for her family.
“Everyone loves an overnight success story—but that’s not my story,” says Cindy. “This book takes readers through the highs and lows of building a successful company and the leadership principles that guided me as founder and CEO. But ultimately, I hope this book inspires and empowers other ‘unqualified’ women, like me, to believe they can make a difference in their homes, in their work, and in their communities – one relationship at a time.”
Looking for insights into writing your story? Grab your copy of Cindy’s book by clicking here.
