Saturday, November 2, 2013

People Who Make a Difference - Stories connect people


Writing a book is something that so many people long to do, yet many people never get their story onto paper. As a professional speaker, and author, I have learned the power of a story, shared verbally and through the written word.  Sharing your story takes courage, commitment, and connection and my dear friend, Jo-Ann Dibblee has done just that, and released her book, Frock Off. I imagine the title and cover has already spiked your curiosity....



Frock Off: Living Undisguised is a memoir...."With parents tormented by secrets, guilt, and shame, Jo Dibblee quickly learned to protect herself. Faced with her parents' alcoholism, drug abuse, and depression, along with the sexual assault and stalking of an "upstanding" foster parent, Jo began, early in life, to use a coping strategy she now calls frocking. With humor and hope, Jo shares the harrowing rollercoaster of her life story and gives the low-down on frocking—how she learned it and used it to survive, how she found it holding her back and what she had to do to, once and for all, Frock Off. Despite harsh truths, brushes with death and agonizing betrayals, Jo’s heart shines through these pages, offering promise, wisdom and inspiration to any reader who has learned to hide and longs to be free. For many years Jo wore frumpy frocks (a dress) to hide.... to survive... to not be noticed... and now, wearing a frock is not required... Jo is one of the most confident, giving and compassionate people I know, and it shows in every aspect of how she shows up in life.  I love that Jo has combined philanthropy and making a difference with her book, Check this out: 


I asked Jo to share some of her best learnings on the business side of a book, marketing... Here are the wonderful tips she is sharing with all of us:

1. Cultivate genuine social media friendships and in doing so be selective and willing to curate information that is both helpful and relevant. That said, not all social media platforms are the same with regard to your ideal reader. Understand your what drives your ideal reader what will your book do to fill their needs.  Marketing is about reaching your ideal reader; be laser focused.  Mass marketing is generic and therefore produces generic results.  

2. If the road to good in intention is paved with ... Be Intentional. Having just launched a book my strategy was to build a grassroots movement.  The day before the campaign we were ranked at  511,878 some books were purchased early in the am and we began the day at just over 2 million  by the end of day to were ranked  just over 1k. Which is a testament that  good old fashion marketing and acts of service build epidemics at the grassroots level.  The category I was in was large which impacts your overall ranking and so I am please with the over ranking.  (and I'll just add that by evening her book was number 788 in Amazon! WOW!)

3. During your launch acknowledge your supporters, be engaged in conversation and let them know the end result. 


Jo wraps it up by saying "I learned alot during this launch... and I am so grateful. By far the number one thing I took away is that YOUR story needs to be told!"

Congratulations Jo on your book, sharing your story, inspiring people everywhere... and for making a difference through your story.  Your work matters!

Internationally-acclaimed speaker, facilitator and entrepreneur,Jo-Ann Dibblee’s "frocking" adventure began in Ft. St. John, British Columbia. A proud mother of two and her bonus son Cylus , as well as a grandmother to two, Jo now resides with her husband, Michael in Calgary, Alberta. Besides maintaining a daily practice of frocking off, Jo devotes her life to service, philanthropy and freeing the voices of women worldwide.

You can follow Jo-Ann on her:
Facebook page – Frock Off
Twitter – FrockNoMore

 

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