The Power of Ownership

Book excerpt: The book is about building a career and a business while being honest and treating people fairly and still being successful. It says the average person can succeed in life with a plan. The book follows my 40+ year business career that culminated in me starting my own business from scratch and building it into a $5-million firm within 12 years and surviving and thriving in the very tough economic times of 2008 and 2009. The book shares the lessons I learned in my 40+ year business career that will help anyone building their career and business. there are many humorous and funny anecdotes that bring the book to life and are entertaining. But, I do speak honestly about some of the negative lessons learned along the way many from people who did not follow my code of honest and ethics. Can we be honest and succeed? Absolutely! I share how we fired our largest clients/customers three years in a row and yet managed year to year growth until 2008. The importance of planning and life-long learning is critical to success. I share what I learned -both good and bad - from some of the mentors and people I worked with that will help readers see that doing what is right, and being honest, is the ONLY policy. I talk about my years as providing public relations services to The Stroh Brewery Company and have a 50 page history entitled: The Rise and Fall of Stroh's beer as a major brand, 1975 - 1999. It is a history of Stroh's beer during those years. I also share some of the major business experiences such as chairing the national effort for drivers in America to wear safety belts while driving. This effort was named by one publication: The most significant change in American attitudes of the 20th century. The book also shares the story of getting the state of Michigan to be a "Smoke Free" state to eliminate smoking in public places. At my company, John Bailey & Associates Public Relations, not once did a woman make less money than a man in the same or similar position. The Power of Ownership is about not just owning a business but owning yourself. You own yourself so go out and make YOU the best you can be. It is up to you but, The Power of Ownership: How to Build a Career and a Business will help.