D
uring the past year, Don Green ’61 has whittled decades of banking experience, financial wisdom and the power of positive thought into his newly published book, “Everything I Know About Success I Learned From Napoleon Hill: Essential Lessons For Using The Power of Positive Thinking.” Anyone acquainted with Green quickly learns of his immense appreciation for the written word. An avid reader and collector of philosophical and self-help texts, Green has blossomed into an author himself. A quick peek into his office at the Napoleon Hill Foundation reveals a fraction of his many collected pieces. Then again, Green has always been a collector of sorts, squirreling away coins, books and other items that peaked his interest. Books, however, have always been those most treasured. In 2000 as CEO of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, Green began to morph from a banker into a storyteller, detailing his rags to riches tales for live audiences across the globe. While he did not have book publishing experience, Green knew how to run a business and had always been partial to the teachings of Napoleon Hill. From early beginnings as a young zoo owner to becoming a bank president at 41, Green shared the things that amused and inspired him. Lessons learned from past failures were told in the hopes that others might benefit from his experiences. At speaking engagements, he was often asked if he had considered writing his own book so that attendees could revisit his anecdotes and advice. “Initially I did not feel my experiences were truly worthy of writing about,” Green said. “I had many requests over the years to share my experiences and this book is a way to fulfill those requests, but more importantly, it is my way of giving something back to the community and to the College that helped shape me into the person I am.” All proceeds from the book go to the Napoleon Hill Foundation to fund scholarships for individuals at UVa-Wise, Green’s alma mater. From the time he was in elementary school, Green read just about anything he could get his hands on. “Reading is for discovery and wisdom,” said Green. “I was always learning something new. During my school years, my mother would always say to me, ‘Mark my word, you are going to go blind from reading so much.’ But I didn’t care, I loved to read.” In 1961, Green graduated from the College with a degree in business. He went on to get his B.S. in accounting from ETSU and a banker’s certification from U.Va, followed by a graduate degree in banking from Stonier Graduate School at Rutgers University. “Sometimes we have to make our own opportunities,” said Green. “You can’t expect success to fall into your lap. Life rarely works that way.” Green started his banking career as a collector for a finance office and worked his way up to becoming a bank CEO and president, a position held for 20 years. Drawing upon decades of practical financial experience and meshing it with the power of positive thinking, Green writes in his book how success is defined and what it took for him to attain it. His book is full of stories of well-known individuals who have followed the strategies of Napoleon Hill such as Dolly Parton, Jeoffery Gitomer and Joe Dudley, Jr. Green’s book offers advice and inspiration on a wide array of subject material, including desire and discipline, goals, habits, frugality and self-reliance. “Everything I know About Success I Learned From Napoleon Hill; Essential Lessons For Using The Power Of Positive Thinking” is published by McGraw-Hill and can be found Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and other retailers.
“Reading is for discovery and wisdom.” -Don Green ’61
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