Kate Paine | Most Empowering Women Leaders of the Year | Exeleon Magazine by Exeleon Magazine

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Emp o wering

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CONTENTS

12 KATE PAINE

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34 MORGAN GIST MACDONALD

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48 SUZANA DEMIR

COVER STORY

Kate Paine STANDING OUT ONLINE WITH

FOUNDER & CEO STANDING OUT ONLINE

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COVER STORY

In recent years, the digital landscape has become increasingly complex and cut-throat. It has become a place where attention spans are leeting, competition is ierce, and the lines between success and obscurity are often determined by a few clicks and scrolls.

Amidst these complexities, it's compelling narratives that cut through the noise, capturing hearts, minds, and, ultimately, the attention of online audiences.

Kate Paine is no stranger to this convoluted world and has established an impeccable reputation for her focus on storytelling to Stand Out Online.

As the Founder and CEO of Standing Out Online, Kate empowers entrepreneurs and executives to carve out a distinctive space for themselves in the digital world.

Through a strategic blend of personal branding strategies, storytelling, and targeted online positioning, she guides them in crafting an authentic and 14

compelling narrative that captures their unique value. According to her, this approach not only enhances their visibility but also establishes their authority and expertise, setting them apart in the crowded online marketplace.

Herein, we look into Kate Paine's journey as an entrepreneur, digital marketing, and LinkedIn expert, and as an empowering woman. THE EARLY ROOTS Growing up in Vermont, Kate looked up to her father, a successful insurance agent and entrepreneur. She admired his connections in her small town as well as his national prominence within his industry.

It was this admiration that planted the seeds of entrepreneurship and leadership in Kate's mind. She recalls, “I always thought I'd want to 'be like him someday' with my own business and traveling on business trips.”

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It’s not just about being seen; it’s about creating a memorable impact and leveraging your network to broaden your visibility.

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COVER STORY

During her junior high school years, Kate developed a keen interest in broadcast news. She remembers watching “60 Minutes” every Sunday night with her father, sparking her interest in reporting and broadcast journalism.

“That urge never left me and all through high school I was the class photographer, served on the yearbook committee, and even wrote for the school newspaper and radio station in college.”

After graduating from the communication arts program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Kate found herself at the crossroads of her career. Her internship at the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather was an amazing experience, one that revealed that corporate broadcast wasn't her ultimate calling. She eventually entered the Public Relations industry, and it went on to become the cornerstone of her professional journey. “The PR industry incorporated storytelling and marketing and I was immersed in both even up until I started my own business.”

A new Direction Kate's irst business venture was a PRfocused irm – Kate Paine Associates – wherein she worked with business owners to help them get earned media in radio, TV, and print.

Alongside her business, Kate served as the Executive Director of the Women Business Owners Network in Vermont for three years (2010-2013). She mentions, “During that time, women entrepreneurs would come to me to ask about marketing, having a presence online with a website, and other strategies to get their message out to attract their ideal clients.”

She quickly realized the need for small businesses to have a resource to create their brands, their brand messaging, and their overall image – both online and of line.

Inspired by this realization, Kate pivoted to establish Standing Out Online in 2014, with a renewed focus on branding, storytelling, and using social media as a marketing channel, especially LinkedIn.

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BALANCING LIFE Talking about her daily routine, Kate mentions that a typical day for her starts with self-care.

Having worked with multiple business coaches, she has ensured to inculcate habits of self-care in her daily life. This can range from attending a Pilates class or taking focused time to journal her thoughts in order to give her best to 18

her work and clients.

Kate further credits her incredible team who help her keep track of her business operations and client requirements, while enabling her to spend time with her friends and family. THE PATH TO EMPOWERMENT Empowerment, as Kate Paine de ines it, is about equipping

individuals with the tools, con idence, and platform to shine in their unique brilliance. It's about nurturing an environment where women entrepreneurs can uncover and articulate their personal brand and story, which are the cornerstones of their business identity. In her work with clients, Kate integrates this philosophy by guiding them through a discovery

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COVER STORY

Empowerment, to me, means equipping individuals with the tools, conﬁdence, and platform to shine in their unique brilliance.

process that uncovers their distinct values and strengths. She helps them craft a narrative that resonates authentically with their audience, ensuring their message isn't just heard but felt. This process often leads to a transformation not only in how they present themselves online and of line but also in how they view their own potential. It also builds trust with their audience or clients, which is critical to building connected relationships.

By focusing on their personal brand, Kate empowers these women to position themselves as the go-to resources in their marketplaces. According to her, it's about more than visibility; it's about creating a presence that is both impactful and lasting.

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fosters a sense of selfempowerment that permeates every aspect of their business. In doing so, they become beacons in their industries—visible, known, and respected.

This commitment to empowerment shapes Kate's leadership style. She strives to be a catalyst for con idence and clarity, ensuring that each client she works with feels emboldened to take their space in their industry and to do so with a voice that is unmistakably their own. ADVICE FOR EMERGING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

When it comes to making a mark in the world of branding and standing out online, Kate advises emerging women entrepreneurs the following pointers:

Prioritize Authenticity: Building a personal brand that genuinely re lects your unique values and personal story is paramount. Authenticity resonates with audiences and creates meaningful connections.

Maintain Consistency: Consistency across all relevant platforms is crucial. Ensure your online presence aligns with your values and industry. Engage with your audience consistently and provide valuable content.

Leverage Your Network: Building relationships and connections is essential. Networking can open doors to opportunities and collaborations that enhance your visibility. Know Your Slice-of-Life Story: Understanding how your personal story relates to your work and

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resonates with your audience is a powerful tool for building connections and trust among your ideal clients. MOVING FORWARD

As Kate enters the ninth year of her business, she envisions signi icant changes ahead. She is in the process of building and expanding her team to oﬀer more targeted branding and digital marketing options to her clients. Moreover, she is excited about the reintroduction of her PR services for women entrepreneurs aiming to elevate their businesses. Over the years, Kate has realized that PR is her true passion and believes it plays a vital role in today's media landscape.

She explains, “PR isn't just a distributed press release on a newswire that you hope will be picked up by a media outlet; it is now more customized. Editors, producers, and podcasters want to be pitched by the people – the individual – that they want to feature in a story.”

Kate's new service equips entrepreneurs to pitch themselves eﬀectively to media outlets, creating opportunities for them to shine and build their industry authority.

Exeleon Shorts One Book Entrepreneurs must read – “Known: The Handbook for Building and Unleashing Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age” by Mark W. Schaefer. One Productivity Tool / App that you use – Click Up.

One Quote that Motivates you the most – “All things being equal, people want to do business with – and refer business to – people they know, like and trust.” – Bob Burg.

One Marketing Advice that you Follow – "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." – Simon Sinek. One Movie / Podcast / Show you recommend – The Mel Robbins Podcast.

Photo Credit - Tricia Turpenoﬀ of Turpenoﬀ Photography

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We Embrace Excellence! Exeleon Magazine features some of the leading players in business and shares their journey of excellence to inspire aspiring leaders across the globe.

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From ‘Nutritionist’ to Becoming CEO, My Fullling Journey Through the Nutrition Industry

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K T

H O M S O N CEO | SQUARE BABY

hat moment you realize everything you've been through -- every lucky break, every failure, every disappointment, every open and closed door -- has led you to exactly where you're meant to be. That's how I feel on a daily basis.

Reminiscing on the memories of being a very picky eater growing up, I became determined to create a healthy life as a young adult. Despite my parents' best eﬀorts to get me to eat a more diverse diet, like so many 80's kids, I grew up on chicken nuggets, ish sticks, canned green beans, and plain pasta. As a teen W W W. E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E . C O M

athlete, I started to have an appreciation for how food fueled me and made me feel. And as I started to discover all of the amazing cuisines I was missing out on as a picky eater, I started training my palate to learn to love the foods I'd loathed like salmon, sushi, eggs, beets, anything spicy or non-Americana. This began my passion for 'palate development'.

MY BEGINNING AT STARBUCKS

In college, I pursued Pediatrics -driven by my combined appreciation for health and love of caring for babies and children. After I graduated from the University of Oregon with a Pre-Med major and

minors in Business and Chemistry, I decided to move to Seattle to pursue a Masters in Nutrition at the University of Washington. During my Masters and Registered Dietitian programs, I nannied for a wonderful family in our neighborhood, John & Karen Culver. John worked for Starbucks.

After I completed my education, John so kindly oﬀered to send my resume to the QA/Regulatory Aﬀairs teams at Starbucks to see if they had any need for a dietitian. And the stars were aligned for me that day as they'd just decided they needed someone to come help with Nutrition Analysis for their irst 25

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Beverage Nutrition Brochure. It was just a 3-week contractor role, but I was elated! I didn't care how mundane the work felt, I was working for one of the biggest and most respected brands. I completed the 3-weeks of work in 2 weeks. Begged to stay. And I did.

Over the course of the next 6 years, I'd create the irst 'Nutritionist' role at Starbucks as a full-time 'Partner'. It was the irst ride of my life. Knowing there was so much more a dietitian could do for a company than nutrition/data analysis, I took an early opportunity to present to the then-CEO, Jim Donald, and share my thoughts on the company's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

I talked about the health bene its of tea and coﬀee, and the nutritional impact that a daily latte can have on a population that is largely in need of calcium and vitamin D. I talked about the sugar, sodium, trans fat, and saturated fat across the food and beverage portfolio and recommended healthier options, smaller portion sizes, and a focus on communicating to the customer how to customize their beverage to meet their needs. LEARNING THE 'INS' AND 'OUTS'

I started my career on the Regulatory Aﬀairs & Quality Assurance team -- in charge of the accuracy of every nutrition facts panel and claim on the packaging. I learned from the best regulatory and legal specialists who trained me to understand the FDA's regulatory ins and outs as well as have an appreciation for and dedication to marketing and packaging that was 'truthful and not misleading'. Essentially, this work prepared me to 26

walk through a grocery store and see through the BS marketing that often plagued the aisles.

Over the next several years, I'd take on a strategic role in the company as Health & Wellness became one of the 4 strategic pillars of the company. I'd work alongside Marketing and Category teams to determine product priorities and with R&D chemists to reformulate existing food and beverages -- going to a Skinny Vanilla Latte taste testing was a fun 'meeting' to have on the calendar!

We made some incredible progress together as we created the irst Nutrition Guardrails (caps on calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, etc.) and Ingredient Standards (removing arti icial lavors, colors, preservatives, HFCS, and arti icial trans fat across the US and International food and beverage products.) Hundreds of products were reformulated to be better for you.

And dozens of new products were launched like wholesome smoothies, oatmeal, egg white options, and a beautiful assortment of salads and protein and veggie-packed bistro boxes. I also consulted the Strategy and M&A teams on retail assortment and potential acquisitions for the Starbucks brand.

With all of these product launches and nutrition initiatives, I started to have the opportunity to act as a spokesperson for the Health & Wellness Agenda -- doing TV, radio, and print interviews as well as numerous desksides. I found that I loved storytelling, especially on behalf of a brand I was so proud to be a part of.

ANOTHER TASK ADDED TO THE CHECKLIST Everything -- and nothing -- changed when I became a mom in 2008. Everything changed in that my focus shifted from Frappuccinos and breakfast sandwiches to baby purees and infant cereals. And nothing changed in regard to the fact that I was always focused on creating healthy solutions for customers and was a champion for transparent, authentic brands and truthful marketing.

As a new mom, I cruised the aisle for baby food options and was fed up with what I found — many baby foods were unbalanced, lacking premium proteins and healthy fats, and misleadingly marketed. I saw a sea of uninspiring, shelf-stable, muted lavors. And rows and rows of unrecyclable pouches that don't encourage the important motor development skill of spoon-feeding.

So, I left my dream job at Starbucks to set out to create a better solution for parents. FILLING UP THE BABY AISLE

We didn't want the next generation of babies growing up on so much applesauce. Did you know many baby food pouches have the same grams of sugar as a bowl of LUCKY CHARMS? Babies deserve better.

I was determined to solve mealtime for parents. To take the guesswork out of feeding baby balanced meals. To oﬀer a variety of foods, lavors, and textures without spending hours in the kitchen. So, I put in the work. I dove into the

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research surrounding infant nutrition -- understanding the developmental milestones and important nutrients like iron + vitamin C, calcium & Vitamin D, zinc, biotin, choline, probiotics, omega 3's, healthy fats, iber, protein, etc.

I developed the Square Meal System™, the irst-ever customizable meal plan service that oﬀers 100% Daily Nutrition. That means any 2 or 3 Square Meals per day (depending on babies' age) oﬀer 100% of the baby's daily recommended servings of veggies, fruit, whole grains, and protein-based on USDA and AAP recommendations. After several years of nutrition research, recipe development and baby taste testing (the best part!), developing a business plan and model, and creating our brand -- I moved to the Bay Area in 2014 with my husband and 2 kids, Nolan and Jackson who were 2 and 5 years old at the time. Everything changed when I met Kendall.

THE PERFECT BUSINESS PARTNER

She was one of my irst friends in my new town of Orinda. We both had kindergartners and a passion for health and wellness. Together, we volunteered in our community to raise money for local children's hospitals and organizations, start a nutrition education program at our elementary school, revamp the School Lunch Program, and more. I quickly learned that Kendall was the perfect business partner for me -- a solutions-based operator and executor and a born leader. She's also insanely smart and accomplished with a Masters in Biophysics & Molecular Genetics. W W W. E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E . C O M

Kendall started her own business by the age of 30 -- the irst private Perinatal Practice in San Francisco.

In 2017, following one of my insistent gut instincts, I asked if she would join me in launching Square Baby. To my surprise, she accepted! We got to work reviewing and re ining all of the research and business plans and developed our go-to-market strategy. This was a turning point in my life.

In July 2018, Square Baby was born. SOLVING THE HUNGER OF PARENTS

We created Square Baby to solve for every pain point we had when feeding our kiddos. To solve all of the fears and questions we had when irst feeding our own children. How do we know we've given him the right amount of the right foods? Is he getting enough protein, veggies, and healthy fats? When is he ready for gassier foods like beans and 27

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cauli lower? And how about herbs & spices? How do I help prevent food allergies? And how can I assure he'll grow up to be an adventurous eater who loves beets and sushi -- and not a picky eater who demands chicken nuggets and plain pasta?

Everything I'd learned and experienced as a young picky eater, at graduate school, and at Starbucks helped me design premium and safe products with the most optimal nutrition, a trustworthy brand with transparent packaging, and a solution for parents that was always laser-focused on the customer 28

experience.

We are so proud of what we've built with Square Baby. Our organic meals are made fresh in small batches and delivered frozen— giving you as close to 'homemade' quality & nutrition as possible. And we are the only brand that oﬀers 100% Daily Nutrition and a comprehensive Allergen Introduction Menu. THERE'S A LOT MORE TO COME

We are beyond excited to announce that our regional, bootstrapped brand is growing! West Coast

parents have been loving our meals and service and we quickly outgrew our Bay Area commercial kitchen. We are scaling into a new state-ofthe-art facility and expanding nationally with our direct-toconsumer service in early 2022.

Any entrepreneur will tell you that launching and operating a startup is a crazy roller coaster - to put it mildly. But there's one thing I know for certain: I'm doing exactly what I should be. And I'm so grateful every day for the opportunity to chase this dream and make an impact on the next generation. E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E

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Cornerstones of a Positive Work Culture Having a positive work culture is one of the key aspects of a successful and productive organization. Here, Nina Vaca, the Founder of Pinnacle Group, shares the secrets behind the same.

hen I founded Pinnacle Group, I set out to create a place where people wanted to come to work, where our associates would be supported in all areas, and, as a result, would never want to leave. I truly believe the most important thing you can provide for someone is a job. We’ve seen tremendous growth over the years as some of our interns have become trusted associates and later executives while other associates have changed roles, developed new skills, and truly driven their careers forward. On the personal front, we’ve seen so many of our associates start families, buy houses, and truly flourish in all aspects of their lives while working at Pinnacle Group. Witnessing these stories is by far the most rewarding part of what I do. As we’ve grown over the years, I have worked diligently to preserve and develop our culture — a culture that is focused on putting people first. It has made all the difference and is one of the cornerstones of Pinnacle Group’s enduring success. Culture starts at the top, so I take my responsibilities as keeper of our culture very seriously. The power of the silent example cannot be overstated in both business and life.

Central to maintaining our unique blend of entrepreneurial spirit and family feel is to create an environment where no work is beneath anyone. We maintain a fairly flat corporate structure, meaning that anyone can jump in and perform any task that needs doing. I say it all the time and I truly mean it — if I need to grab a broom and sweep, then get me the broom! There’s an old saying that if you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers. We embrace that idea at Pinnacle Group and make sure that we integrate the wellness and career development of our associates into our business model. This is what differentiates us from many other companies and allows us to attract and retain the best talent. Our people-first approach manifests itself in so many ways, from customary health and financial benefits, to fun things like theme weeks and contests, to health fairs and wellness activities, to training opportunities and so on. One thing that may sound frivolous, but we find is so important and appreciated, is our snacks. It’s hard to top Pinnacle’s snack game! While that might seem silly, it’s a fact that people work better and feel happier when they are well-fed, and it shows how much we value our team

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We want our associates to be lifelong learners, so we put a lot of time, energy, and financial resources into training and helping grow their careers. While I’m the entrepreneur that started Pinnacle Group, everyone at our company can be an entrepreneur (sometimes called an “intrapreneur”). Part of being an entrepreneur within a company is growing and developing yourself. To help with this, Pinnacle provides many different resources, from in-house training, to an online platform associates can use to access thousands of online courses, to industry certifications, to training programs, to college tuition reimbursement. There is no ceiling to anyone’s opportunity for growth and development if they are motivated to take advantage of the resources we provide!

members when we listen to what they like and adapt to provide it. Although snacks are fun to talk about, you could have a well-fed workforce that accomplishes very little if you’re not investing in the future of work as well. We invest in technology to automate as much of our routine tasks as possible. This allows our associates to focus their creativity and judgment on solving problems and growing their part of the business. When people’s days aren’t taken up with mundane tasks, they are free to use the talents and skills for which they were hired in the ﬁrst place, like creativity, service, and entrepreneurial drive.

‘‘

ime and t e h t l l a t I say i need to I f i — t i n a I truly me weep, s d n a m oo grab a br e broom! h t e m t e then g

‘‘

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To thrive and help the company thrive, employees need a strong, inclusive, positive work culture. They need an environment that allows them to develop a sense of ownership in the work they produce and in the organization as a whole. That entrepreneurial attitude permeates our company. We want everyone to feel a sense of ownership. Some associates really feel that way because it was their original idea that got us involved in the part of the business that they run, or it was their outside-the-box thinking that helped us leap over a hurdle that was in the way. And our associates know that each of them may be the next person with a great idea or a great fix for a problem we are facing. When associates feel empowered to take chances, innovate, and constantly seek improvement, the entire company flourishes. One key element to our success is that we work with our associates and put them first. We understand that each person has a set of unique needs and skills, and we work together to find how these can best be addressed and utilized. Because, in the end, we are all a part of the same mission. And we listen to our associates as they work closely with our customers. If a customer has a problem that needs to be solved, our associates are the ones who hear about it first. So, everyone at Pinnacle is in constant communication with both the customers and other team members to make sure that everyone is heard, and every potential problem is solved quickly and efficiently. We pride ourselves on our responsiveness, agility, and creativity.

IN – FOCUS But none of this would work if we weren’t hiring the right people from the start. Indeed, finding people that fit your company culture is one of the most important and difficult things to do. We have a rigorous hiring process that doesn’t just consider technical skills and accomplishments (though, those are important), but takes into account culture fit and attitude. Is the candidate driven to be excellent at what they do? Can they move at the pace of our fast growth? Do they have a sense of humor? Are they a lifetime learner? We consider all of these factors when bringing someone on board at Pinnacle. Like I said, we want to be a place that no one wants to leave, and, on the flip side of that, we bring in people that we’d like to be here for a long time, too. Today, I can proudly say that Pinnacle Group is a company whose work culture radiates innovation, entrepreneurship, and appreciation for our staff. This extends beyond the HR department and is carried throughout the organization by leaders at all levels. We are committed to preserving and promoting our culture throughout the company. We focus on it and invest in it. Our executive team places a high value on making sure that everyone believes in and contributes to a positive culture. Diversity in the workforce is another of Pinnacle’s values and one of the cornerstones of our success. We are a certified-minority- and women-owned business committed to seeking talent from all backgrounds while developing a robust and diverse supply chain. And when

I say “diversity,” I mean it in every sense of the word. This includes diversity of thought, diversity of experience, and diversity of background. We hire successful and talented people from within our industry, but we also look for people who are excelling in other fields, whether that is technology, HR, legal, project management, or any other field where we find excellent talent. Our workforce is also incredibly diverse in another sense: over 65% of our corporate employees are women and 40% are minorities. They come from over a dozen countries and all over the United States. Why do we spread such a wide net when looking for talent? Because we are in the business of providing and managing top talent in a rapidly changing business environment in which new technologies are released on a daily basis. We have to stay ahead of the game at all levels, and we need the best people in every single role. We continue to grow year-over-year, and I sincerely believe that our success can be credited first and foremost to our dynamic and hard-working team. Of course, every company is different and will thus need its own carefully-crafted culture. But in any industry, it’s important to remember that company values and philosophies significantly impact the way employees think, act, and perform — and that all starts from the top. Originally Published in Medium

Nina Vaca is the Chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Group, a leading global workforce solutions provider. In addition to her business leadership, Vaca is also a civic leader and philanthropist, working relentlessly to expand opportunities for minorities and women in business and for women and girls in STEM ﬁelds. Her dynamic leadership over the past 22 years has propelled the company from a niche IT services ﬁrm to the workforce solutions powerhouse it is today.

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The Secrets Behind Writing a Bestseller Learn the proven strategies and secrets of successful authors as Morgan Gist MacDonald of Paper Raven Books shares the path to writing bestselling books. From studying sociology to becoming an author to now launching over 100s of books through your publishing company. What has been this journey like for you? Growing a service-based business in an industry that is changing rapidly has challenged me to create entirely new best practices and success paths for my authors, from the ground up.

20 years ago, there was no such thing as a book coach. If you pitched an idea for a book to a traditional publisher and were accepted, you'd work with the publisher's acquisition editor while you were writing your book.

Once people were able to self-publish, though, they still needed that help in developing a manuscript, so they started looking for professionals who could help with actually structuring and writing a book. When I started, that's exactly what I was doing, helping people to organize, write, and develop the content of their books.

Then, my clients started asking me to help them publish their books. I knew how to write a book and how to edit a book, but I really didn't know anything about publishing and marketing. So, I wrote my own book and went through the self-publishing process, tried dozens of diﬀerent approaches to marketing, and I optimized the process as I went along. 34

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Morgan Gist Macdonald CEO, Paper Raven Books

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Now, I've developed best practices and systems and grown a team of editors, designers, formatters, marketers, and project managers, who all work together on the 50+ books a year we launch at Paper Raven Books. And with every single book we launch, we look at what's changing in the industry, what are still best practices, and what pieces can be optimized to create even better sales, rankings, and reviews for our authors' books.

Writing a book can be a daunting task and extremely overwhelming. Talk to us about your own experience writing your irst book.

When I started writing my own book, I'd recently had my third baby, so I was typically awake for a 4 am feeding. I would stay up and write from about 5am to 6am, when my other two children would wake up and be ready to start the day. I spent a couple of weeks just developing the structure of the book, and then I wrote the irst draft in those quiet early mornings for about two months.

Fortunately, I had worked with enough clients through writing their books that I felt fairly con ident that if I could get something like 30 or 40 hours of writing time in, that would be enough to develop a solid irst draft, that I could then revise and publish.

For most of the writers my team and I work with, if we can help them create a structure in the beginning, and then optimize each writing session, something like 40 hours to 80 hours of writing time is enough to write a irst draft that

would then go through a few rounds of revisions before being ready to publish.

As a irst-time author, how can one gain visibility and attract media attention to boost their overall sales? The place where most readers discover new books is the Amazon bookstore, so we recommend that irst-time authors focus on optimizing the book's sales page on Amazon. Choose a launch week, where you're going to put the ebook on promotion (free or $.99), and gather a launch team of 50 people who are going to download that ebook and leave a review during your selected launch week.

We also recommend reaching out to book promotion sites (like cravebooks.com) to let their lists of readers know about the new book that's running an ebook promotion.

When you can stack a couple hundred sales or downloads of an ebook in a short amount of time, it'll pop the title to the top of the category, which will increase the visibility of the book. Now, you'll want to select your book's categories carefully. In the Amazon bookstore, ebooks may select 10 categories, so we recommend irsttime authors ind very niche categories that are nested inside of larger, relevant categories.

For instance, if you're writing a book on leadership, you could launch the book in the very large, highly competitive category of “Business & Money.” The problem is that if your book is not doing well, relative to the other books in that

category, you'll fall in the rankings, and Amazon's algorithm will push your book to the bottom of the category.

However, if you launch your book in a smaller category that's nested inside of Business & Money, you'll have a better shot of doing well, relative to the books that are speci ically categorized there. So, if you could choose this category: Business & Money > Entrepreneurship & Small Business > Entrepreneurship.

Your book is then launched inside of the smaller category, “Entrepreneurship,” which only requires 91 downloads or sales to become a #1. Now, hitting #1 in a category is fun, and, more importantly, it triggers the Amazon bookstore algorithm to show your book widely in the next category up, in this case, “Entrepreneurship & Small Business.”

With this type of strategy, you're triggering the Amazon algorithm to show the book more widely in increasingly more competitive categories, so you can get visibility for your book in those larger categories.

Once your book has at least a thousand downloads or sales, a few #1 rankings, and 50+ reviews, now any additional promotion you do for the book is more likely to be eﬀective. Most people who ind your book online or hears about your book on a podcast will look at the Amazon sales page before they buy, so we want to make sure that sales page is a high-converting sales page that's stacked with sales, #1 rankings, and great reviews.

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What according to you are the three biggest mistakes authors make that impact their long-term sales and visibility? First, authors tend to forget to think about how readers actually buy a new book. These days, most readers are going to the Amazon bookstore to buy books. More than 70% of books (eBooks, physical books, audio books) are bought through the Amazon bookstore.

When authors are developing a book idea, they tend to go into what I would call an “untested market,” meaning they haven't identi ied what readers are searching for in a book like this. Reader's search patterns are especially important. For instance, when readers go to the Amazon bookstore and search for a book, are they really typing in something like “business book?” Or are they typing in something that's a little more speci ic to their situation, like “business lessons about failure.” Turns out, when you do the research into keywords, “business lessons about failure” is searched approximately 1,214 times per month, currently, with only 84 other books listed with that keyword phrase. One of the tools we use to do this is Publisher Rocket, and there are other tools, too.

In the context of bringing a new book to market, what this means is that if you tag your book with the keyword “business lessons about failure,” the book will be served as a search result to

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1,200 people every month—and not just people, book buyers who are actively searching for a book like yours!

Steven Adjei is an entrepreneur, healthcare consultant, author, and poet. When he released his book, Pay The Price, others had recommended he simply publish a business book and try to get it into bookstores, like everyone else. Steven had some innovative ideas in his book, including stories about ethics in entrepreneurship, passion and pain entrepreneurs encounter in their journey, plus motivational poetry woven in and a companion playlist available for free access. When we helped Steven publish and launch his book, we tested the market, searching for keyword phrases that would put his book in front of the right readers, keyword phrases that included “business” and “entrepreneurship,” yes, but also “ethics,” “passion,” “pain.” You can test the market of your book, ahead of time, by seeing what your ideal readers are searching for in online bookstores.

The second mistake most authors make is not having a clear way for the reader to become their customer, which I refer to as an “untested customer journey.”

In the book world, by default, the readers who purchase a book are customers of the bookstore. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and any independent bookstore will happily accept the payment and customer information from a book buyer and never release that information to the author of that book. For many authors, though, being able to contact those readers is the best way to grow an author brand 38

and base of fans. Whether you would like those readers to become clients for your back-end products and services or simply continue buying the books you release every year, it's so much easier for an author to grow when they have a tried-and-true customer journey from one book into the bigger business.

When Dr. Terry Pease published and launched her book, Love, Dignity, & Parkinson's, we helped her include a companion workbook and journal that a reader could access for free by scanning a QR code. Now, every person who scans that QR code and provides their email address, Dr. Pease is able to reach out to and oﬀer additional coaching to, inside her business. The third mistake most authors make is actually in the writing part of the process, especially because

most of us were never taught how to structure a book and write 40,000+ words that transition smoothly from chapter to chapter in a compelling narrative arc.

For many authors, writing a book is a little like dumping information onto a page and hoping the reader can follow. I call this an “untested concept.” The author has accumulated a lot of ideas, experiences, and stories, but putting them all in one book does not always make for a great reader experience.

When Dr. John Martin irst wrote his book, Psychology Con idential, he wanted to provide the reader with a collection of funny, poignant, touching stories from his career as a psychologist and professor. Many of his patients and students had had clarifying moments by learning psychological principles, and he E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E

wanted to create a story-telling version of that experience. To his credit, Dr. John had many, many stories that he could draw on. And where our book coaching team helped was to curate those stories and craft a compelling structure that guided the reader through a series of experiences, chapter-bychapter. Dr. John's book is a fantastic read, in itself, and he is frequently requested to campuses and events to tell more of his stories to students, faculty, and folks interested in how psychology informs life.

So, those three together, if you can test your market, customer journey, and content, will help any writer develop a book that will sell, grow your business, and create a lasting impression for your readers. How is Paper Raven Books helping authors gain visibility, market their book, and most importantly, ind customers?

At Paper Raven Books, we help our authors to self-publish professionally. Our team of book coaches, editors, designers, formatters, marketers, and project managers work with authors, oneon-one, to write, publish, launch, and market their books. Our authors are truly self-published, which enables them to retain the creative vision, legal rights, and pro its from the books.

And we bring our 8 years of experience and best practices, so that we can help the author get the most of their book. We help to make sure the book ful ills the author's intention to serve a speci ic type of reader, who could then work with the author in a deeper way. We help to create a customer journey, so W W W. E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E . C O M

that those readers can easily become a client or customer of the author.

We help to optimize the book for visibility on the Amazon platform, so that even people who are discovering the book for the irst time are eager to buy the book and leave a review, which builds the foundation for the books' long-term sales. We help our authors get on to podcasts and other peoples' platforms, so they can spread the word about their book, mission, and message. As the Founder and CEO of Paper Raven Books, what role do you play in the day-to-day proceedings of the company?

I am involved in architecting each piece of our customers' journeys, from the ads they see for our company, to being invited to a workshop, speaking with one of our sales reps, and then choosing a package that its their publishing needs.

I meet with a few clients each week, I host an all-client meeting once a week, and I meet with each department, to make sure they have what they need to serve our clients to the best of their abilities. What do you think is the future for the publishing industry? What role do you think modern technology will be playing?

I believe that direct-to-consumer sales is the future for most authors and readers.

and instantly, easily drop those eBooks to our e-reading device? That would massively disrupt Amazon's hold on the book market.

At the same time, I believe that many readers will still want to go to bookstores, not necessarily to purchase speci ic books, but for that experience of browsing through bookshelves and discovering something new, surrounded by the smell of paper, the sound of an espresso machine, and the buzz of being around other book lovers.

Right now, bookstores simply sell books. I wonder what it could look like to be a member of a bookstore, able to browse and while enjoying beverages, as much as you wanted. And when you ind something you like, scan a code and have it delivered to your device or your door at the same hour. Something like that could be very possible with open-source e-readers, audiobook apps, and print-on-demand. Not to mention NFTS, Web 3.0, and all of the technology that's allowing peer-to-peer exchanges. Much of that has yet to be proven in the broader marketplace, but there's a lot of excitement about what's possible with new and emerging versions of books and bookstores.

So, yes, I'm excited about the future for authors, readers, publishers, and bookstores—it's a whole industry, illed with people who love books.

Right now, we buy eBooks through Amazon because so many of us have Kindles. What if we were able to buy eBooks from any website

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How Two Young Female Entrepreneurs Use Their Love for the Arts to Advance Their Community

he coronavirus pandemic inspired countless adults to reassess their careers and life choices and perhaps make some changes. But it was not only adults that felt they could have a greater impact. Two young female entrepreneurs felt compelled to share their love for the performing arts with their communities. Their goal: improve con idence and mental health among children and create performing arts opportunities for others. HOW MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES CREATED A SPARK

In the early days of the pandemic, stories about mental health challenges among kids and teenagers abounded. Uncertainty, lockdowns, and fear of the disease put additional pressure on young people who already felt the need to perform at school and beyond.

While external demands continued to mount, many felt their con idence drop, often because they were unable to express themselves, demonstrate their talents, and realize their potential. About one-third of high-school students reported mental health challenges during the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A Johns Hopkins survey found that nearly one in ive young people

suﬀered from an increase in depression.

While those igures are rightly giving cause for concern, they inspired two accomplished young artists. Elite dancer Madeleine Chen and award-winning musician Elizabeth Echt decided to use their love of performing arts for the bene it of young people in the wider community. They founded Vision for Con idence (V4C), a non-pro it with the goal of supporting aspiring artists on their journey and sharing the mental health bene its with their wider community.

HOW FINE ARTS SUPPORTS MENTAL HEALTH

For years, evidence of the mental health bene its of exposure to and participation in ine arts has been mounting up, both anecdotally and scienti ically. For example, studies have shown a connection between ine arts activities and increased mental health and well-being in those aﬀected by autism.

Madeleine and Elizabeth believe that every young person can bene it from easier access to ine arts activities, whether they are dealing with a disability or suﬀering from low con idence in general. One of their most recent target

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Madeleine Chen & Elizabeth Echt, Co-founders

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groups includes young people with rare diseases. Their conditions have been linked with a higher risk of feelings of isolation and other mental health problems, including low self-esteem.

Aside from these speci ic groups, the two entrepreneurs are looking to create performing arts opportunities for young children and teens who would otherwise have missed out. Although arts feature in many schools' curriculums, funding cuts in the public school system have made access to ine arts education and related opportunities more dif icult. As a result, talented children and teenagers have been missing out on an important creative outlet, and some are missing once-in-a-lifetime career opportunities. V4C is attempting to make up for the shortfall.

“We've been involved in ine arts from a very young age, and we realize that the resources that were given to us are not necessarily available to a lot of other kids outside of our own community,” says V4C co-founder Madeleine Chen. “That inspired us to create a program that supplies resources and monetary support to students who want to pursue the arts as a career when they get older.”

Since the non-pro it's inception, the team has been able to raise nearly $30,000 in scholarship funds and has started transforming lives. In June 2021, for example, V4C awarded a travel scholarship to an

exemplary young artist at The Dallas Conservatory. The scholarship allowed her to participate in the national inals of the New York City Dance Alliance (NYCDA), an incredible opportunity she would have otherwise had to miss.

The result speaks for itself. The scholarship recipient used the opportunity to win a $100,000 scholarship to PACE University's commercial dance program, successfully laying foundations for continued education and a career in the arts. A WIDER VISION FOR CONFIDENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH

With early success stories con irming that the organization is on a promising path, founders Madeleine and Elizabeth have not lost sight of their bigger vision.

“I think there is a direct link between con idence and success, and we want to help other children attain both of those things through performing arts,” says Madeleine.

Psychologists believe that projecting con idence helps people gain credibility, deal with pressure, and tackle personal and professional challenges. All of those could also be considered prerequisites for success. The V4C founders believe that performing arts can become a gateway to growing con idence for children from less privileged backgrounds, or those with disabilities or rare diseases. They

are poised to share their skills and passion not only by teaching the arts but also by establishing longterm relationships with scholarship recipients and others. The V4C founders believe that arts and self-esteem training can help children with disabilities or rare diseases participate more fully in society. While it may be easy for these children to become marginalized and somewhat trapped, performing arts and selfesteem training can help them step outside of their niche. As they grow their con idence, they will ind it easier to participate more fully and increase their quality of life in the long term. BENEFITTING ALL OF SOCIETY

Mental health concerns affect all age groups. However, mental health challenges in children and young people can be particularly detrimental as they may predispose the person to a lifetime of mental illness or mental health concerns. Using performing arts as a path toward improved self-con idence and mental health not only helps those affected by mental health challenges since the pandemic. Their changed mindset can make a big difference for entire families and our society as a whole. As the pandemic continues to recede, we all stand to bene it from a generation of healthier, happier, more con ident young people.

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About the Author Jessica Wong, Founder and CEO of Valux Digital, is a digital marketing expert and experienced PR executive with over 20 years of success driving results for clients. Using cutting-edge technology, Jessica and her team at Valux Digital helped corporations and startups achieve digital transformation and develop robust data-centric marketing campaigns. They strive to improve ef iciency, aﬀordability, rapidity, quality, and - most importantly - results. As a digital expert, Jessica was invited to publish thought leadership articles on Forbes as an

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of icial member of the Forbes Communications Council. She also provides business advice to millions of Entrepreneur.com readers. She was named the Most In luential CEO by CEO Monthly magazine.

The Women in IT Awards have named Jessica a inalist for the Digital Leader of the Year. MARsum USA has recognized her as one of the Top 100 Marketing & Advertising Leaders. In recognition of her work with Valux Digital, The Female CEO of the Year Awards recognized her as the Best Digital Marketing & Public Relations

Agency CEO. The Global100 Awards have also named Jessica CEO of the Year.

Through her extensive digital experience in pharmaceutical, healthcare and biotechnological, Jessica has been named as the authorized digital transformation advisor for the Rare Advocacy Movement (RAM), the irst community-based decentralized autonomous organization dedicated to the best interests of people diagnosed with life altering rare diseases and their families.

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SERVING COMMUNITIES WITH A PURPOSE Suzana Demir | Founder | Eko Gra iti

The medical equipment segment is witnessing an overhauling change due to the constant percolation of cuttingedge technologies like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and machine learning. Its impact is multifold. On one hand, the diagnostic sector is benefitting from advanced technologies as it is fast-tracking treatments and increasing the system's efficacy as a whole in unprecedented ways.

becoming an entrepreneur - to start a career where she can command her moves and guide others to a successful future. It was this passion that led her to the formation of her company Eko Graﬁti.

On the other hand, this change is opening up avenues for new entrants to try out their luck in the market and introduce innovations.

The market is quite densely packed with great names. It is very diﬃcult for any newcomer just to barge in and leave an indelible mark. In fact, a lot of companies have failed to move past the initial few years in the last two or three decades. It is because the market is constantly evolving, technologies are changing and, along with them, the demand.

The latter has a dynamic inﬂuence on the market. Innovations act as a catalyst that takes the market ahead but simultaneously, this makes the market competitive. Its subsequent results are always favorable for the market.

Suzana has rightly identiﬁed the factors that can help her grow a sustainable business. One of them is innovation and the other is adaptability. The more one can adapt with the change, the better is their chance of survival.

Industries need disruptions from time to time to keep the growth trajectories secured. Suzana Demir is aware of this fact and has hence put her steps forward in the medical equipment diagnostic market- to change, to impact, and to permeate more. These intents are now an integral part of Eko Graﬁti, a company founded by Suzana Demir.

The desire to become an entrepreneur fosters from the love for the freedom of decision-making and a path of relative independence. However, such roles often come with a massive bag of burden. It is especially disorienting when one realizes that the number of startups still active after completing 5 years in the market is not that high.

WHAT MOTIVATES HER? Suzana always had this plan of

Suzana was not afraid of such responsibilities. She knew it from the beginning that she has to work hard to ensure a benchmark for her company

by providing it with stability and quality. These are now a part of the company's belief system and these get reflected in its long-term goals and programs. THE COVID-19 CRISIS The initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic were a bit sketchy. Only a handful of people knew the exact scenario. But when the outbreak happened, people realized how inadequate the existing medical structure was, thereby triggering a global rise in demand for better tools to counter this pandemic. The first step was to get the right kit to determine the disease and its impact level. It was necessary to crack the crippling effect the pandemic had on various medical facilities. Suzana and her team increased their efforts to get a foothold in this situation. Their R&D team came up with one of the best rapid test kits for the coronavirus. The company took a stand to go beyond the limits of their home market with the kit and penetrate the European countries to have a lasting impact. Her step of taking out the business beyond its geographical limits was a conscious one as it helped her in earning a membership position at the Global Chamber of Business Leaders. This step has borne fruits for her in

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terms of creating opportunities and since then, she claims to be having a remarkable time. But the step was not only limited to expanding the reach and increasing ROI. Suzana also donated a substantial amount of the kit to various European countries on the grounds of compassion. WHY THE COMPANY STANDS OUT? The world has turned into a global village where reaching out to people is no longer a big deal. As an entrepreneur, Suzana is aware of this and her measured steps are always in sync with it. But others are also vying for the same, which narrows down the scope of having a real differentiating factor. That is why Suzana ensures that her clients remain satisfied with the products and services her company offers. Her team of researchers always tries to develop tools that are state-ofthe-art and avant-garde. They delve deep into the market for insights and understand the consumer needs to develop products accordingly. This step is crucial as it improves the company's credibility and helps in building a sustainable future. HER LEARNING STEPS Suzana is not a person who dwells in her past. Her decisions have left her with no ifs and buts. Whatever she is today is because of her past decisions and she is happy with her present. But just like any other leader, Suzana too faced roadblocks during her growing years. However, she got enough opportunities to learn from the mistakes made by others. Her field has so many peers; some are with decades

of experience, some are new, and some ﬁzzled out after toiling hard. She learned from what they have done so far and where they went wrong. Those insights have helped her immensely in avoiding errors in crucial turns. WHAT'S THE VISION? At present, the company is witnessing stability. There are new opportunities on the cards, which the Eko Graﬁti will soon explore to seek new possibilities. On a personal level, Suzana is waiting for this pandemic to get over and things to return to their normal state as it will help her plan and act in better ways. However, her own state as an entrepreneur will not change at all. In her words, “I certainly see myself in entrepreneurship, in what I do today and in what I want to develop and continue to grow personally.” HER TAKE ON LEADERSHIP

Suzana feels that self-discipline and determination are prerequisites for a good leader as these help set a reasonable goal. In addition, the leader should also know how to listen, he or she should have patience and pay heed to what others have to say. A leader's growth depends on the people he or she is surrounded with. “No one wants to educate followers, but future leaders.” When it comes to learning, helping others grow and bring new knowledge to the table positively impacts. It gives a leader some muchneeded insights and strength. However, Suzana feels the time is not really favorable for upcoming entrepreneurs and doesn't even have a real silver lining. But those who want to get into the groove can look for opportunities and try to explore them by adapting to the projects' needs.

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