Over the last couple of years we have seen an insurgence of women stepping up to the front and setting examples for others. Not since women were given the right to vote I don't think we have had such an impact on future generations than now. With the #METOO movement and the women heroes on the frontlines as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, Blue Angle Pilot, and many more, women have impacted all of us and I am proud to be a part of this movement.
I have always believed in empowering others and give them a platform and a voice. That is one reason over a decade ago, I started this blog. I felt I had something to offer. Today's author, Kirsten Blakemore, is another leader who I feel strongly about and her book, "Unleash Your Power: Women have settled long enough. Own your past, it's your story. Be empowered now. 3 steps to create your life according to you!" offers women sage advice. Take a look at the book and get to know Kirsten in her author interview.
Thank you Kirsten for writing such a powerful and meaningful book.
Unleash Your Power: Women have settled long enough. Own your past, it's your story. Be empowered now. 3 steps to create your life according to you!
by
Format: Kindle Edition & Paperback
Have you ever found yourself just going through the motions of life, wishing there were more? Are you spending your time at work as an inauthentic version of yourself, just to get the job done in peace or to bring home a paycheck? When you speak, do you feel your voice isn’t being heard? Do you feel bound by obligation and duty, only to come home at night, overwhelmed and exhausted from the day? In her work as a coach and a facilitator, Kirsten Blakemore challenges women to reclaim their lives through self-awareness and choice. Women who have felt shut down learn how to wake up their inner strength and creativity so that they can shake up their life and create the outcomes they have always wanted but never dared to dream they could have. In her book, Unleash Your Power, Kirsten outlines a three-step process to empower women to make a greater impact within the workspace. You will learn how to arm yourself to achieve your goals, to lead with authenticity, and to master self-awareness through these three simple steps. Women who embody resilience, compassion, and strength will learn how to tap into and embrace their inner wisdom to live their values. Kirsten continues to coach women who are ready to take the next step in their careers to create balance in an overwhelming world, to find their voice when feeling stuck, and to courageously own their worth.
Product details
- Paperback: 161 pages
- Publisher: Kirsten Blakemore (March 18, 2020)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1734532815
- ISBN-13: 978-1734532814
- Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.4 x 9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces
REVIEWS
It's actually as easy as 1-2-3 with this well-written, go-to guide to get back on track. Complete with mindful moments and exercises to practice what we are learning. - Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino, author of Percolate - Let Your Best Self Filter Through (Hay House)
The author is authentic and someone I could relate to. I found the 3 step process helpful. Book resonated with me on several levels.
A simple and straightforward approach in taking stock of your own strengths with tools to reflect and design the future you want.
Blakemore finds a beautiful balance between telling relatable stories and helping her readers dig deep in their own. A must-read!
Goodreads site: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53297029-unleash-your-power?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=1fwS5kKpcV&rank=1
Facebook: @unleashyourpowerwomen
Twitter: @KirstenBeMe
Instagram: @kirsteneblakemore
Tell your
readers a little about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where
you went to school etc. Let them get to know the personal you.
After growing up in a small town, Brunswick Maine, I
moved to New York City for a short modeling stint then on to Los Angeles, CA,
where I was a successful model and actor.
I decided quickly that I wanted to work on the other side of the camera. To break in, I interned for Oliver Stone’s
production company and then moved to the big-time agency William Morris. It was then that I knew the culture in
Hollywood was not my final destiny but only a stop in my journey. I left Hollywood a bit bruised by the
abrasive do-whatever-it-takes industry and landed a role in healthcare. That began my corporate journey over the next
twenty years in various sales, clinical affairs, and leadership roles. I managed to squeeze in a Master’s in
Psychology while having a toddler and a baby.
I like to say I had my mid-life crisis early and knew this was not my
final stop. My friend shared a coaching
school experience with me, and I signed up, and life changed in the direction I
finally feel resonates with my purpose. Working
with people, writing about life, business and the wisdom I have gained (though
not without bumps and bruises along the way) has been my love and quite
cathartic.
What
inspired you to author this book?
After many
mistakes, successes, reflections, a failed marriage, classes, meditations, and
yoga I found that first and foremost, I had to see and embrace my value as a
woman, mother, employee, leader to create the life I wanted. As a mother of two, I found duty, and the
responsibility to earn a living took precedence over what I may have “wanted,”
or heaven forbid, “desired” for my life.
After my 25-year unhealthy marriage ended and working for a company that
discriminated against women, I realized it was time to unleash my power and
build the life I always wanted because I deserve it! And so does everyone else. So that has been my inspiration in writing…to
serve as a platform for others to value and accept themselves and create their
dreams.
Where did
you get the inspiration for your book’s cover?
My
beautiful cover was created by Robin Vuchnich. Robin probes the authors she works with to
uncover the essence of the book and then designs the covers based on that. She nailed it with the unleashing of the
various color powders on my cover.
What were
your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?
My struggles have led me down the path to
self-publishing. But this journey
started in 2017 when I was working with a company that said they wanted to
publish my work. We went back and forth
with agreements and versions of the book for publication until finally, we
mutually decided this was the wrong fit, and we parted ways.
When I decided I was going to self-publish in December
2019, I realized I knew nothing about the self-publishing world – nothing! I became a sponge, asking a lot of questions
to published authors about how they did it.
I think I lost some hair and gained some grays, but after three months
of intense study, I published my book on Amazon. I have learned from my mistakes, but it’s
been absolutely worth it! So, for any of
you out there considering writing and self-publishing, you can do it!
Tell your
readers about your book.
Unleash
Your Power is a book
for women about really owning your worth and value and channeling your gifts
into the world. I provide three-steps to
creating a fulfilling life in which you are the active designer and director. The basis for this book begins with
self-awareness and taking full accountability and ownership for who you are as
a woman. Each chapter has thought-provoking
questions to help you to determine how you want to show up to impact the world
and those around you.
Who is
your target audience, and why?
Everyone could really read
this book. However, I targeted women because I have
worked with women who have accepted less than what they were worth, not knowing
their full value. I struggled with that
for years. But when I embraced my story
of who I am, what I have endured, and the value I bring, that is when I was
able to own my power truly. I have
included stories from various women to illustrate the major points of each
chapter. I used to give away my power
because I was fearful, I would make others uncomfortable if I really showed up
in strength. So, I shrank. This is for all the women in the world who
shrink, avoid or are unaware of their worth and their power.
What do
you consider your greatest success in life?
My greatest success in life has been learning to stand up for myself. It
required leaving my unhealthy marriage for a better life for my children and me. It required standing up to my former
employer’s leadership team who struggled to understand their bias was utterly
destroying their culture. And finally,
fearlessly standing on my own to pursue life as an author, coach, speaker, mom,
friend and daughter.
What one
unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?
As a writer, my words come from
my life experiences and from those women who have shared theirs with me.
Therefore, what sets me apart from other writers is simply the method I have
created based on the culmination of experiences.
For women who have been treated
as having less value, this book will guide you to empowerment. For any woman who has felt she has been the
object of bias and/or inequality, this book walks you through steps to
overcome. For any woman who has hidden
who she was, may these words guide you to finding your inner strength and
courage.
We all have unique gifts and
talents. By using them, we all can learn
so much from each other.
