WOW–Finalist in 3 Categories for the American Business Awards–Thanks to You

When Melissa Sones called to tell me I was a finalist in three categories for The American Business Awards, I was blown away.

The American Business Awards are the nation’s premier business awards program and I’d been hoping for maybe one award but it looks like two of those award categories have only 3 finalists, which means each of us will win something–gold, silver or bronze at the Awards Ceremony in NYC on June 18.

And there is a whole community of people to thank for this honor–so, thank you.

The three categories?

* New Product or Service of the Year – Media & Entertainment – Service

* Executive of the Year – Media

* Marketer of the Year

New Product or Service of the Year – Media & Entertainment – Service: The Service is my Bring Your Book to Life Program. And I think what makes this book writing program so amazing–enough to be a finalist in this prestigious national business competition, where companies far larger than my own, with far more resources compete–is the quality of the program–and the kind of powerful results participants have with it–books like the award winning Step Ahead of Autism.

And what makes the quality of the Bring Your Book to Life Program? Every single person who participated. The CDs include edited recordings of people in real live classes who gave their permission for me to share their on-the-call participation. Participants shared their biggest challenges and were willing to be coached to a breakthrough.

These authors shared their insights and great ideas that worked for them–and that all became part of the classes I offer. It makes them so powerful that most participants end the 8-12 week program with a solid first draft or what I like to call “a first draft with holes.” Some have even self-published by week 8 and others end up publishing with a major house.

There is also an amazing team who helped make the course materials so fabulous–Geri Lafferty, Virtual Assistant Extraordinaire, Jamie Levitt who, with Anthony Centore, Jr., spent innumerable hours on weekends and late into the night editing the audios so that we had only the best material on each CD or audio download, Rachel Horwitz who designed the workbook materials, Dorothy Campbell, a tireless proofreader, who also offered ideas for clarification. And Stuart Horwitz who offered insights about writing memoir.

And Jen Senecal, who helped me create the very first set of course materials in its incarnation before Bring Your Book to Life, Karen Taverner who made the covers beautiful and coherent, Shelton Interactive and Boomtown Internet Group who created a beautiful and accessible website (and thank you Sue McCrossin and Clay Simmons at Boomtown for talking me into a WordPress CMS, without which I would not have been able to get my audio files and PDF’s online all by MYSELF for the American Business Awards judges at the 11th hour).

And my friends and affiliates who have spread the word so that the program attracts such a high caliber of people committed to writing a first draft of their book in a short period of time, getting that book published and making a difference in the world. Thank you Linda Joy (who taught me what a joint venture can be), Susun Weed, MaestroConference, Judy Ann Foster and Ken Foster, Ginger Moran, Stephanie Straight, Patricia Raskin, Jamie Levitt, Morgana Rae, Louise Crooks, Donna Mac and everyone who has sent these inspiring and committed authors my way. Thank you to all my friends on the 6-Figure Tel. Facebook Group–Eli Davidson, Kate Beeders, Louise Crooks, Kit Furey, Debra Zimmer, Dianne Crampton, Alison Grimston, Sasha Sabbeth, Laurie Cantus, Beth Grant, Amethyst Wyldfyre, Chellie Campbell, Adalia John, Michelle Nightengale, and any of you I inadvertently left off…love you all and our supportive community.

Thank you to Julie Silver, MD and all the fabulous agents and colleagues at Harvard Medical School’s CME publishing course who have provided a stimulating environment to grow in and share our love of book-writing, publishing and getting the word out–Jeanne Fredericks, Regina Brooks, Deirdre Mullane, Rebecca Gradinger, Albert LaFarge, Linda Konner, Don Fehr, Randy Kamen-Gredinger (Dr. RKG), Susan Aiello, Martha Murphy. To Rusty Shelton for first suggesting me as a workshop facilitator to Julie and has done so much to help my book writing clients build their platforms–before and after getting published.

And my mastermind group held a special call to help me with title and other questions as I developed the materials–thank you Tomas Nani, Sue Landis, Richard Banta and Bob Korman. Ken Foster‘s “hot seat” provided invaluable input. And the coaches in my life who helped me over the years in many different ways: Teri Scheinzeit, Wendy Keilin, Belinda Fuchs, Morgana Rae, Dennis Rebelo–you’re all amazing and I’ve learned so much from each of you. Julia Griffin, you are an amazing mentor. Melissa Sones–WOW, Thank you.

Finalists were chosen by more than 140 business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging in April and May. More than 150 members of 10 specialized judging committees will determine Stevie Award placements from among the Finalists during final judging, to take place May 14 – 25.

The list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.stevieawards.com/aba.