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How to Write an Empowering and Inspirational Business Memoir
From the office of Jeffrey A. Mangus, Professional Ghostwriter
“Memoir writing: cut deep until your blood gushes out. The writing must be that honest.” ― Cathryn Vogeley, I Need to Tell You.
I regularly meet entrepreneurs and business leaders who have reached the peak of their success. Whenever I meet a successful leader, I am reminded that they were also once beginners. Before becoming leaders, they faced tough challenges and conquered great obstacles to achieve success. It always serves as a reminder that there are countless routes to success. Life doesn’t follow a linear path, but the journey becomes jagged once you bring it into focus. The lessons learned become empowering and inspiring in those moments of jaggedness, triumph, and making mistakes.
Over my nine years as a ghostwriter, I’ve loved carving out the leader’s unique path to success. My role as a ghostwriter is to engage in storytelling, uncovering their experiences and translating them to the written page. When leaders bravely share their journeys, it serves as a powerful reminder for all of us to do the same. The elements that shape a leader’s narrative are the seeds of empowering and inspirational memoirs, where authentic stories are born and shared, inspiring others.
If you’ve considered penning your life story, you might have pondered how to craft a powerful, inspirational memoir. But be forewarned. Writing an inspirational memoir is a rugged, demanding path that won’t be a leisurely walk in the park. Yet, nothing truly worthwhile ever is. Despite the difficulties, your memoir should resonate and leave a lasting impact as you come to realize that a story in your life is meant to be shared.
You may ask, what’s the secret to crafting a powerful and motivational business memoir? At first glance, it seems simple—easier than writing fiction. You don’t need a made-up story or characters; you’re the hero. You’re the protagonist. This is why memoir writing is challenging and rewarding: it allows you to share your unique story. When you write a memoir with a ghostwriter, you are the main character as you reflect on your life events. It’s a unique opportunity to step inside your mind, reliving things from a new perspective, and you may discover shocking revelations. This process is about writing a book and embarking on a journey of self-discovery and growth.
So, let me start with a big question: What is an empowering and inspirational business memoir? An empowering and inspirational memoir is a book and a time when you share personal stories, offer insights from your professional journey, and highlight your lessons as a business leader. Here you’ll find my guide on how to write your empowering business memoir:
Write to Your Audience:
Are you targeting aspiring entrepreneurs, seasoned business leaders, or a broader audience? Know your crowd and think about who you want to read your memoir. Are you aiming for up-and-coming entrepreneurs, seasoned pros, or anyone looking for motivation?
Nail down your message:
What do you want people to take away from your story? It could be about bouncing back from failure, thinking outside the box, or the power of good leadership. What key message or theme do you want to convey? This could be resilience, innovation, leadership, or personal growth.
Outline Your Journey:
Look at your memoir, the time you want to explore and write about it, and think about delivering it chronologically. Also, look at the theme of your book and its structure. In the beginning, figure out whether to write your memoir chronologically or around specific themes, such as how you overcame challenges and pivotal moments. What key milestones or significant events in your life and career shaped you as a leader? Embrace vulnerability, and don’t let fear hold you back from sharing your successes, failures, and turning points. Be
Willing to Share Personal Stories:
Warning. It can hit hard. But the lesson is always beyond the pain, and writing a memoir is worth the effort as you relive emotions and experiences and share them on the page. Here is where your guts and grit take over. Dig deep. Write candidly. Be bold and unyielding. Write about your experiences and deliver wholesome authenticity by sharing personal anecdotes illustrating your journey and the lessons learned. Don’t let fear of exposure stop you. Show the reader your vulnerability and discuss your struggles and failures. This will add depth to your story and make you relatable.
Even though it is hard, the experience will change you. As a top-tier ghostwriter, I guide my authors through the process with empathy and understanding. I know when, how, and why to ask the right questions to inspire deep reflection and bring out the most authentic and compelling stories. Reliving those moments in the depths of our past, seeing the mountains conquered and the memories, is the only way to experience true healing transformation.
Highlight Key Lessons:
Brainstorm and self-reflect by examining key lessons from your experiences and presenting them so readers can apply them to their own lives. As a professional ghostwriter, I know the right questions to help with this self-introspection and guide you through the book-writing journey. As a skilled ghostwriter, I work tirelessly to give your memoir a unique and extreme perspective that will enhance it. I know how to structure memoirs, keeping the reader turning the page.
Working alongside my authors, I help organize thoughts and memories to bring out the emotional depth of the authors’ stories. One of my specialties and unseen abilities is capturing raw moments and emotions in ways many new authors struggle to do. I enjoy it because, more than anything else, you are preserving a legacy as you delve deep into the events that shaped your life.
An empowering memoir captivates the reader with engaging stories that relate and resonate. As a ghostwriter, I am responsible for bringing this to the page through solid storytelling skills and understanding the nuts and bolts of story structure, arcs, and even characters to bring your experience to life on the page. It’s also my job as a ghostwriter to help my authors write a compelling narrative. As the author, I know how to help you create vivid scenes and relatable characters, including yourself. Through descriptive language and rich word usage, I help the author bring descriptive language to paint a picture of your experiences, making it easier for readers to connect with your story.
Along with your stories, bringing in informative concepts and industry insights inspires and educates your readers to help them grow. Grounding your personal story in a larger context and showing them how to excel and improve their business and life is key. When you touch someone and inspire them, your book will empower them beyond your expectations.
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If you are a leader and have a book idea you would like to discuss, please contact me and get on my schedule.
About Me
“My name is Jeffrey A. Mangus. I work with powerful executives, leaders, entrepreneurs, and new authors who have incredible, life-changing stories and want to put it all into writing their business books or memoirs. Authors I work with have beaten adversity down, survived gut-wrenching challenges, and overcome them to reach the top. I love rags-to-riches stories that show tenacity, grit, and determination. I partner with individuals committed to motivating others, going the extra mile, thinking innovatively, and leaving a lasting impression.
Jeffrey A. Mangus is a 5x #1 Amazon bestselling ghostwriter and author with thirty-five (35) award-winning and bestselling books to his credit. Jeffrey has written for several major publishers, including: Harper Collins Leadership, Harper Collins Focus, Rowman & Littlefield, Tantor, Blackstone, Highbridge Audio, and Audible.