Writing a Business Memoir: Knowing Your Core Message

As a professional ghostwriter, I have written over thirty books and have enjoyed every one of them, getting to know the authors and bringing their skill sets and knowledge to the public. Throughout the past eight years as a ghost, I’ve learned so much about the lives of others through my research on varying topics and genres. With each book, I walk away smarter, enriched, and informed. It is humbling and inspiring to be in the front row with some of the greatest minds and people in the world. The last four books I have written have been a combination, a hybrid mesh of memoir and business. The books were story- and experience-driven, supporting the leadership aspect to help others achieve success, and I have found that writing these books is at the heart of my business. I love writing them and have found my true calling in the ghostwriting and writing worlds.

For one author I worked for, the book’s initial focus was a memoir, but it shifted from memoir into a hybrid memoir and business book portraying the author’s hard-lived life through their business. This hit home with me. As leaders, most of you agree that the challenges of growing your business have intertwined your life and how you live it. It’s a fine line. Following a passion or dream and growing the business can be attributed to success at any level. Along the way, the business grew in parallel to living a life of sacrifice, setbacks, challenges, and even failures that paved the way to success.

This has inspired me to share the details of knowing your core message when writing your business memoir. A business memoir is more than just a timeline; it’s a powerful way to document the journey of entrepreneurship, the tribulations and triumphs, and the lessons learned. It is an invaluable resource for readers seeking guidance, inspiration, and a personal testament to your business journey. Creating a business memoir allows you to weave together personal stories and professional milestones to create an instructive and personal narrative. This form of writing is effective for leaders and entrepreneurs aiming to establish a legacy and personal brand.

To do it right, especially when working with a ghostwriter, the first step is to identify the core message of your business memoir, focusing on your intended audience and reader. It’s vital to nail down the core messaging theme guiding your narrative because it is the heartbeat of your memoir. It provides cohesion and resonance that binds your story’s disparate elements. … How do you do this?

With your ghostwriter, brainstorm and reflect on pivotal moments in your life to find and decipher your core message. Ask yourself: What was the Nucleus of Your Business Idea? What inspired or happened that pushed you to plan the business idea? How did it happen? What led to the formation of the initial concept? Do some self-reflection and examine that first major setback or challenge that prompted the lessons you needed to beat the odds.

In his many books on writing fiction, author James Scott Bell (one of my favorite authors) talks about characters having that “Mirror Moment” in their lives. What was that moment that changed things, either inside or outside yourself? In life, we all have those mirror moments—a significant pivot or insight of clarity that defines us and sets us on a new journey or different pathway. What was your pivotal or mirror moment? Brainstorm and nail it down. Doing so will help you and your ghostwriter focus on experiencing the same challenges. Write about it. Describe the emotions you had and how you overcame them. Talk about the lessons you learned and how they have shaped your life. What was your toughest to most challenging decision that changed things? Once you understand and have these things in front of you, you and your ghostwriter can tailor the message to target your business audience.

Understanding your core message when writing a book starts with looking at your failures, taking an honest assessment of that moment, and asking yourself what you learned from it. What lessons shaped your direction? Defining these things helps shape your narrative to stay on point and laser-focused. But no one ever achieved great success without experiencing failure. It may be an epic failure. Or a series of failures, such as Edison’s 10,000 attempts to invent the light bulb or Henry Ford’s automobile plant and production failures, where he famously said, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” Whether we don’t want to admit it or let anyone know about your failures, your core message should be transparent, showing your failures turned into triumphs. It’s a vital part of your core message because, whether or not we like it, failure is a necessary steppingstone to achieving our dreams.

Why is finding your memoir’s core message crucial for your book?

Finding your core message is vital. Creating an interesting core message that resonates with your target reader will set your book on the right path to success and impact many in your circle and beyond. Defining your core message requires a deep dive into your business life, emotions, challenges, and personal growth. This is where some of my most prominent skills lie as a ghostwriter. Not only do I write the book’s narrative, but I also use my other valued skill, human interaction, to help you, the author, explore your memories and pull out the gems that resonate with your readers. I’ll help you structure the essence of your experiences around a thematic thread that not only resonates with your readers but also captures their attention and keeps the pages turning. Remember, the goal with your business memoir is to not only recount your business journey but also offer insights and strategies that readers can apply to their entrepreneurial endeavors. Your story should be engaging, providing readers with practical advice and tips they can apply to their businesses. It should also inspire and help motivate readers to achieve success.

Do you have your core message mailed down with your book idea? If not, allow me to guide you in every step to define your core message, making your business book a genuine success. [email protected] or reach out at www.jeffreymangus.com.