SHOCEO^® Reading for Success: Five (5) Minutes.

For this edition in the She’s Her Own CEO^® interview series, we bring you Dorie Clark.

Dorie helps individuals and companies get their best ideas heard in a crowded, noisy world. She is a keynote speaker, adjunct professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and the author of Entrepreneurial You, which was named one of the Top 5 Business Books of the Year by Forbes. She also wrote Reinventing You and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of 2015 by Inc. magazine and was a Washington Post bestseller. The New York Times described her as an “expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives.”

A former presidential campaign spokeswoman, she is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, and is a consultant and speaker for clients such as Google, Yale University, and the World Bank. She is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, a producer of a multiple Grammy-winning jazz album, and a Broadway investor.  

If you haven’t yet met Dorie, we’re so excited to introduce you to her here on She’s Her Own CEO®! If you are already familiar with her writing and speaking work, here are more of her insights.

 

 

Kathryn Brooks, She’s Her Own CEO^®:  Dorie, please share with us one personal experience that shaped you into the successful CEO you are today.

Dorie Clark, Author:  Unofficially, perhaps the most important thing that shaped me was growing up in a very small town in North Carolina that felt stultifying, and my desire from a young age to escape and go make something of myself and live a life with more options than what were around me.

 

Kathryn Brooks, She’s Her Own CEO^®:  Tell us your favorite example of how you Lead, Provide, and Create in your professional and/or personal world.

Dorie Clark, Author:  I’m a big believer in lifelong learning, and this year, I’ve really gone into ‘beginner zone’ by entering a two-year program (run by BMI, the music publishing company) to learn to write musical theater. Most of the people in the program with me are Juilliard graduates, or have master’s degrees from NYU or Northwestern, which are some of the best musical theater programs in the country – so starting out, I know a lot less than they do! But it’s been a great learning experience and I love watching myself improve, and it’s true that when you gain expertise in one field, parts of it are very transferable, so I’m able to apply my business writing skills in new ways that makes the learning process go faster.

Kathryn Brooks, She’s Her Own CEO^®: Being the CEO of your world can take many forms (for example, volunteering in your community, holding a formal corporate position, engaging in creative pursuits, or being a reliable mom/sister/daughter).  In your opinion, what is the best way to achieve success and to become the boss of your world?

Dorie Clark, Author:  In today’s fast-moving world, we all have to be nimble and adapt quickly to changing circumstances.  But that’s not an excuse not to have goals. I think it’s essential for all of us to be working toward something, even if we later change or adjust that. Having focus and direction ensures that we are conscious of the choices and trade-offs we’re making, and don’t get carried away by someone else’s vision or plans without considering that carefully.

Kathryn Brooks, She’s Her Own CEO^®: Any additional advice you can share with motivated ladies with high aspirations who are looking to build their side hustle?

Dorie Clark, Author: One of the most important things women can do for themselves is to build financial security.  To that end, my most recent book, Entrepreneurial You, is about how to create multiple income streams in your business. I have a free resource – the 88-Question Entrepreneurial You self-assessment – that helps you think through how to develop multiple income streams in your own business, and therefore build more security and options in your own life.

 

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xo Kathryn