Business | Book Spectrum

S3 E05- Bew White Reveals His New Outlook on Life After Recovering From a Near-Fatal Disease

What does it mean to live a truly substantial life?
How does a visionary entrepreneur repeatedly overcome risk and rejection?
Is there more to a life well lived than the sum of a person’s successes and failures?
A Summer Classic: The Bew White Story explores these questions and more through the life and eyes of William Bew White III, the founder of Summer Classics, a manufacturer of luxury outdoor furniture.

“When you start a small business and grow it, you go through a lot of trials and tribulations,” observes Bew. “This really is sort of a modern re-telling of the Jimmy Stewart It’s a Wonderful Life movie.”

The biography, written by Christopher Taunton, delivers a detailed chronicle of Bew’s childhood, college years, early professional life, the successes and failures that got him to where he is today and how he overcame a health condition which nearly killed him as he makes the most of his life on Earth.

The high costs and sacrifices behind this success make A Summer Classic compelling and instructive, a gripping illustration of the saying, “One step forward, two steps back.” Bew’s career was beset with “hurdles, challenges, sleepless nights, poor health, things that didn’t work, (facing) the recession” and the twists and turns of a life spent doing business with a host of people. Trustworthy business partners were hard to find, and those who did not share Bew’s commitment to faith, character caused big problems along the way. At each obstacle, his creative thinking, foresight, and leadership helped the company to move forward with its vision that people might look at Summer Classics furniture and see “beautifully furnished spaces where they might share memorable moments with their friends, family, and loved ones.”

Bew White III is the Chairman of the Board of Gabriella White and its brands, Summer Classics, Gabby, and Wendy Jane. He graduated from Auburn University in 1972 with a degree in textile engineering. The phrase “outdoor living” had hardly been coined, as outdoor furniture was simply known as a table and chairs you would find on a basic patio deck
At just 28 years old, Mr. White left his job at his family-owned business, Avondale Mills, and started a sales representative company in 1978 called Vista Corporation, specializing in selling outdoor furniture. In 1987, Bew started multiple companies in an effort to expand from selling on the road to building a national brand. One of those companies was Summer Classics, which was created around Bew’s thought of designing and manufacturing products that he would want for his own backyard. With a business model based on creating products that were consumer driven, would stand the test of time, and would not go out of style, Summer Classics officially took off in 1987.
Born in 1950 in Birmingham, Alabama to William Bew White II and Gabriella Corner White, Bew is the great-grandson of Braxton Bragg Corner, governor and then senator for Alabama, as well as the founder of the Alabama-based Fortune 500 textile company Avondale Mills.

Business Non-Fiction Success

S3 E04- Jotham Stein’s Unique Guide to Negotiating Like a CEO

What does it mean to negotiate like a CEO? How important are employment agreements? How can you learn to protect yourself and your family if the worst does happen? These are all questions Jotham Stein addresses in his book Negotiate Like a CEO, with the goal of equipping employees, executives and entreprenerus with the tools they need to safeguard themselves.

A lively, engaging read, Negotiate Like a CEO outlines how employees, executives, and entrepreneurs have protected themselves in the past, and gives readers eye-opening advice on how to make sure they won’t get taken advantage of. The book describes best practices, common pitfalls, and sky’s-the-limit possibilities at any career stage, whether you’re just out of college or you’re gunning for that C-suite job.

Business Lifestyle Success

S2 E14 – Mark Lazar’s Pathway to Prosperity

Is it possible to change one’s financial destiny and legacy? Do get-rich-quick schemes work? Are there proven principles that lead to financial security? Why is good time management important in building wealth? Mark Lazar tackles these questions and more in Pathway to Prosperity: Your Guide to Money and Economics, a comprehensive financial literacy program that takes the mystery out of money.

Lazar knows this from personal experience, with a childhood marked by financial stress and uncertainty in a family that lived below the poverty line and struggled to make ends meet. While not a promising start, these early experiences gave him perspective, drive, and the motivation to change his future. He began working at age twelve, achieved financial independence early on, and was a millionaire by age 40. In Pathway to Prosperity he shares the common sense principles, values, and strategies that led to his success.

“The bad news is there is no magic formula or get-rich-quick scheme,” states Lazar. “The good news, however, is that by building your wealth the right way—by understanding and incorporating sound financial principles into your everyday life and doing a handful of things a little better—over time you will become financially secure.”

Business Lifestyle Self-Help Success

S2 E11 -Top Entertainment Lawyer Norman Bacal’s Advice for Young Professionals Post-COVID

What is the difference between an average career and a successful one? Why are stellar communication skills critically important? What is grit and why does it matter more than innate natural ability? How do some people pull themselves out of poverty and into the ranks of successful entrepreneurs and professionals? Top Entertainment Lawyer Norman Bacal, in his clear and insightful book Take Charge, faces these questions and challenges young professionals to build the skills which can empower them toward professional success.

“You can float along, hoping everything works out; or you can take charge of your future beginning right now. There are tools you need to survive and thrive,” says Bacal.

The founder of prestigious Canadian law firm Heenan Blaikie and an attorney, Bacal has decades of experience and learned wisdom to draw on. Across the span of his career, Bacal noticed a void between what he was taught in law school and the practical skills he later developed that actually made a difference in building a successful career. In Take Charge, he provides a guidebook which gives back to the world of budding professionals, helping students and young entrepreneurs find their way toward success.

Norman Bacal is a retired attorney and the founder of the Toronto law office Heenan Blaikie. While building and leading this firm, he also became a widely sought expert in tax law for the entertainment business. He has represented studios such as Warner Brothers and MGM, and served on the Board of Directors for Lionsgate while they were producing the Hunger Games film franchise.

Upon retirement from practice in 2015, he took up writing, authoring the Globe and Mail bestselling memoir, Breakdown, as well as his Amazon bestselling fiction novel Odell’s Fall and a soon to be released second novel, Ophelia. Bacal actively mentors young professionals and is a frequent keynote speaker at universities, firm retreats, and conferences. Bacall holds a third degree black belt in Shotokan Karate and is an avid golfer. He currently resides in Toronto with his wife, Sharon.
Visit his website at www.NormanBacal.com

Business Issues Military Non-Fiction Technology

S2 E09 – Julie Willis: Conceal Reveal

Did you know the U.S. Military’s technical and defensive capabilities are not exactly up to the level it should be? Why would that be? Did you also know there are a lot of business opportunities for entrepreneurs to work with the Defense Department?
This week on Book Spectrum, Julie Willis, CEO of DEFIANT Communication and author of Conceal Reveal: The Space between Entrepreneurs and the Defense Industry, discusses both aspects of military contracting: the opportunities and where national defense is lacking when it should not be,
Willis reveals the dysfunctionality of military modernization and the environment built around it, why we should be more advanced, tech-wise, than we are and potential openness to espionage.

In the book, you will find out:
What is blocking the disruptive technology our warfighters need to protect and defend our country
The true cost of research and development
How you can contribute to the success of our military in 2028 (and beyond)
How DEFIANT Communication pivoted to serve the community of disruptors at the heart of defense innovation

Julie Willis is an entrepreneur, longtime military contractor and CEO of DEFIANT Communication. Find out more about Julie on her website: https://www.defiantcomms.com/
To pick up Julie’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Conceal-Reveal-between-Entrepreneurs-Industry-ebook/dp/B08Q3H57WR

Business Non-Fiction Success

S2 E08 -Leena Patel and Raising Your Innovation IQ

Leena Patel is an innovator, leader, philosopher, CEO and yoga guru who is also one of the nation’s most sought-after speakers.
Learning much of her ideals and principles from her grandfather. a direct disciple of Mahatma Gandhi, who mentored her from a young age, Leena offers insights in her new book, Raise Your Innovation IQ, far beyond what a normal business tome would. Drawing from her grandfather’s teachings, life lessons and entrepreneurial acumen, the founder of Sandbox2Boardroom and best-selling author will teach you how to tap into your own inner innovator.

Leena has trained and consulted for leaders from USA, England, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Scotland, India, Kenya, and Thailand.

We talk about all of this and her many talents on this episode of Book Spectrum.

Find out more about Leena and her book, Raise Your Innovation IQ, on her website: https://www.leenapatel.net/

Business Non-Fiction

S2 E07: Scott Andew, The Rugged Entrepreneur

“Success is yours if you want it to be.” says Scott Andrew, who built more than thirty different national and international businesses in the multi-million-dollar playing field. Now he’s telling you how he did it.
In his new book, The Rugged Entrepreneur, What Every Disruptive Business Leader Should Know, Andrew reveals what it takes to achieve your dreams, and shares a wealth of personal stories to motivate and inspire.
Having gone from millionaire to broke twice, Andrew draws on his own personal stories of success—and failure—in the ventures that he and Daphne have undertaken over the years. The Andrews’ businesses include BoxDrop Mattress and Furniture, bioPURE, Royal Heritage Home Furnishings, Rugged American Spirits, Electric Productions, RSSCO Outlets, Sapphire Sleep, and more.
Andrew also shares his stories and anecdotes on the way up, down and back up again as he helps you become a Rugged Entrepreneur.

Adventure Business Success

S2 E04 – Cross Winds: The Business and High-Flying Adventures of SM&A Founder Steven Myers

Our guest on this week’s Book Spectrum can not really be categorized.
Is he a businessman? He did found S-M-and-A, led several companies and is what we call a “serial entrepreneur.”
Is he an adventurer? In 1992, at the end of the Cold War, Steven Myers became the first American since Charles Lindbergh in 1931, to pilot an aircraft into the Russian Kamchatka peninsula – to do business.
A life-improvement specialist? His dealings in Post-Soviet territories have made lives better for their populations.
Steven Myers is also a Mathematician and served in the Air Force… that’s a short list.
We wanted to learn more about Myers after reading his book: CrossWinds: Adventures and Entrepreneurship in the Russian Far East, so we invited him on the show.

For more on Steven Myers and his book, visit his website: https://stevenmyers.com/cross-winds/

Advice For Authors Business Creative Writing Writing

S01-E12 – PR Pro Scott Lorenz on finding the right title for your book

S1, E13: New on #Book Spectrum: #PR and #Publicity Pro Scott Lorenz, who has placed authors in national and international publications as well as #radio and #television stations, talks with host Chris Cordani about his book designed to help writers of their own books: Book Title Generator: A Proven System in Naming Your Book.
#Authors work hard writing, proofreading, and re-writing their books several times. Still, the small amount of words on the cover can make a huge difference between a best-seller and a missed opportunity.
Lorenz offers his experience and expertise in book promotion to help authors know what elements in a good title attract both readers and potential press. It is an important book for all those who want to compose a book. As a podcaster/broadcaster, I will add this book is also valuable for program, workshop and event creators.
Pick up the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2C2bHml
Scott’s website: https://www.book-marketing-expert.com/

Business neuroscience Self-Help Success

S01-E06 – Jamie DeNovo: I-M-Possible Muscle For the Mind

Jamie DeNovo, a successful businesswoman and visionary who came back from a nightmare traumatic event which threatened to destroy her company, family and life tells her story. When all seemed lost, Jamie learned how to use the power of #neuroscience and Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland to physically adjust her brain to set her mind to get take her life back and become successful once again. Collaborating with one of the world’s top neuroscientists, Dr. Bryan Kolb, Jamie wrote I.M.Possible Muscle for the Mind: The Power To Achieve Success When Success Seems Impossible.
Jamie talks with host Chris Cordani about the book, how she developed the I-M-Possible Mind Muscle concept and how you can learn to adjust your own #brain to soon achieve #success, even if it seems impossible now.

Jamie developed I.M.Possible Muscle for the Mind, a precedent-setting brain change program that will give anyone the power to scale mental walls and achieve successes that now seem impossible. With humor, compassion and insight, Jamie now uses the findings of neuroscience to equip others to reach inside themselves and achieve great things even under the most adverse conditions.

Jamie’s Website: https://www.imakepossible.org/
Find Jamie’s book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dNwkRU
The Companion Workbook on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3aDuotc