Archive for August, 2007
Posted on August 11, 2007 - by admin
The Power of Mentorship
An Interview with one of the Co-Authors, Dr. Letitia Wright
{mosimage}
Lauren Smith: Why did you write this book?
Dr. Letitia Wright: I became a co-author because it provided me an opportunity to talk to women entrepreneurs about the one thing I see them do that causes failure. Business schools do not really talk about it and time management people act like it's something you can just time manage away. I wanted to share what successful women were really doing.
Lauren Smith: Why do you think it's important that women get mentoring?
Dr. Letitia Wright: Mentoring is the fast track to Mastery. A mentor can show you how to do it, hold you accountable and show you the tools that you need. The relationship will cause you to grow faster. More importantly, you do not have to re-invent the wheel.
Lauren Smith: Why don't women get mentored as often as men?
Dr. Letitia Wright: Women do not ask for mentoring and when they do, they do not really have an idea of what the parameters will be. So they wind up in relationships that become inappropriate or actually cause them a setback
Lauren Smith: How can someone find a mentor?
Dr. Letitia Wright: First determine what you are seeking from a mentor. Then when you meet with that person, you can address your expectations in terms of time and performance. Then look for people who excel in the areas you need to excel in. astly, ask!
Lauren Smith: What tips can you offer to women hoping to start a business?
Dr. Letitia Wright: Understand who your market is. I have too many conversations with people who believe their product is for everyone. Unless you are selling air, its not. Pick a market and work that market, do not take on the entire world.
Lauren Smith: Can you tell us about your work?
Dr. Letitia Wright: I am the host of the Wright Place TV show, a weekly 30 minute broadcast television show for the woman entrepreneur. My guests talk about what is working now, not stories of success from 20 years ago. I host people like Mark Victor Hansen, Dottie Walters ( when she was alive), Stedman Graham, Robert G. Allen, T. Harv Eker and many others.
This summer I am producing and directing a movie called The Power of Mentorship. t's due out December 6, 2007. My hope is that it will give people everywhere real examples and encouragement to create success in every area of their lives.
(more…)
Posted on August 11, 2007 - by admin
Fly with the Mourning Dove
An Interview with the author, Velda Brotherton
{mosimage}
Lauren Smith: As an Arkansas historical author, what inspired you to write Fly With The Mourning Dove, a book about living in New Mexico?
Velda Brotherton: My Dad was a great storyteller, and all my life I'd heard him talk about some relatives of my grandparents who had homesteaded on the high desert in New Mexico. He'd talk about a woman who lived alone for an entire winter in order to prove up the homestead. About the snow being higher than the roof, and how she'd managed her day to day chores. The stories fascinated me and I never forgot them. Then, I went to a writer's conference in Albuquerque, remembered that the daughter of this woman lived near Taos and called her. I ended up spending a week with her. She took me all over that breathtaking country, so different from Arkansas. I especially enjoyed an overnight visit to one of the ranches, which she still owned. There were no modern facilities. At night the stars rested so close to the ground they could almost be touched. The desert and its monochromatic vistas mesmerized me; I couldn't get enough of it or her stories about growing up there. I continued to visit with her every year, and one day, as she was talking about having read one of my historical romances, she said casually, "When you write a book about me, I hope you don't write it as a romance." So there it was, the challenge no writer can turn down.
Lauren Smith: What was it like to write about someone who is still living?
Velda Brotherton: Scary and difficult. I didn't want to present her personality in a way that would offend her, yet I had a definite perception that she probably wasn't aware of. Are any of us really aware of how we come across to other people? Sometimes I would get too carried away telling some of her deepest thoughts and emotions and she would ask me to leave out something, but for the most part, we got along well in that respect. I was still very nervous when I sent her the completed manuscript after more than a year of working long-distance on it. When it came back with a post-it note on top saying only, "I'm satisfied," I breathed a sigh of relief.
Lauren Smith: What surprised you most about this process?
Velda Brotherton: That she could be so honest with me about the way some of the difficulties of her life affected her. I'm sure she held back a few things, wouldn't any of us? Yet she revealed things about herself that were very private. I think they come across well in the book and present her as she really is.
Lauren Smith: What were you fascinated to learn about Edna's life?
Velda Brotherton: How strong she was, and still is. She had her 93rd birthday this July, and is still very active physically and mentally. She keeps up with current events and has strong opinions that are well thought out. Her understanding of the political and emotional situations while she was growing up is amazing.
Lauren Smith: What do you hope readers learn from Edna's journey?
Velda Brotherton: That no matter the trials and tribulations in life, we can make our way safely through them and remain who we always wanted to be. She's the epitome of the western woman who stands up to adversity with a serene strength that is admirable.
