Or maybe that should be, “December 007″–as in James Bond.
You’ll find out why in a moment. I’m going to share with you a fabulous, exciting author bio that I didn’t write–but one that inspired me to completely redo my profile on Speakermatch.com.
Sandra Shepard (a lawyer, no less!) generated a perfect bio to ceate interest in her book, fEmpowerment: A Guide to Unleashing Your Inner Bond Girl–its sassy, sexy, and well-credentialed, and it makes me at least want to read the book even though I’m far from the target demographic. And no, you don’t need to be an expert shooter or drive $200,000 sports cars.
In my new profile, I hope to create some of the same kind of excitement and strong credentials that will make people hire me to speak. And likewise, your bio should not only establish your expertise, but invite readers in.
One change I would have suggested if she’d been my client: don’t bury the most interesting part. To me, the bio really kicks in with “Sandy’s life experiences include…”–that’s the part that makes me say “Wow!” But it’s pretty far down, below the more academic/professional but less interesting stuff. She needs the credentials, of course, but I’d play with the whole order.
This is what Sandy wrote:
Sandy Shepard, B.A., M.A., J.D. is passionate about helping women weave sensual femininity into their daily lives. A successful businesswoman and lawyer for well over a decade, she has first-hand experience with the personal/professional balancing act required of every woman, every day. Sandy worked in the Business Affairs department at LucasArts Entertainment, and as counsel for Mindscape/Broderbund software during an era when one could work for four different companies in three years, without once changing desks. She helped with due diligence and other issues during Mattel’s $3.5 billion acquisition of The Learning Company software, then left Mattel for the “dot com” arena in the late ‘90s to ultimately form her own law firm (www.GoodSolutions.com).
Sandy believes that women can be confident, empowered guides by developing their authentic selves, mastering internal and external congruence, and taking charge of their own sensuality. Sandy is the ‘go to grrlfriend’ every woman should have in her grrls-only Little Black Book. Sandy leads fEmpowerment® seminars and workshops; her students rave that learning from Sandy is ‘like having a knowledgeable, fun big sister’ with answers to all the questions they have been dying to ask!
To balance her left-brained business and attorney activities, Sandy is also a certified massage therapist. Moreover, she uses feng shui principles to help people feel comfortable and healthy in their home and work environments. She has incorporated some of these principles into her new book: fEmpowerment: A Guide to Unleashing Your Inner Bond Girl (Mollydooker Press). Sandy’s life experiences include Marine Corps boot camp; organic farming and draft horse training with the Amish in Sugar Creek, Ohio; flying biplanes at the Flying Circus Barnstorming Airshow (flyingcircusairshow.com); driving cattle through Australia’s Snowy Mountains; and hiking the length of the French Alps with her ‘James’ and making sure he had a cold cocktail at the end of every trail! She has an Associate degree in Sex Education and is completing her degree in Clinical Sexology at The Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, and holds certificates in authentic movement study and practice from the Authentic Movement Institute and in advanced bartending from the San Francisco School of Bartending (a member of the World Bartender Training Association). Sandy is a member of the National Speakers Association, and also of the Association for Coaching, a non-profit dedicated to promoting excellence and ethics in coaching. She is co-inventor of a patent-pending art registration system, occasionally trains first-time triathletes, and has crewed hot air balloons. Sandy is also an enthusiastic member of several non-profits, including two local land trusts and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, and she volunteers as a California State Park docent as a Civil War re-enacter and baker on Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay.
I know about this book, by the way, because she cited me as an expert on having fun cheaply, and sent me a copy. Being quoted or cited in other people’s books is almost always a very good thing.
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