The 12 Secrets of Highly Successful Women: A Portable Life Coach for Creative Women

by Gail McMeekin, Susan Boyce (Narrator)

Popular creative coach Gail McMeekin, author of the bestselling The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, offers a wealth of advice for the specific challenges creative women face today: thinking too small, underestimating the need for change, fearing the future, and lacking self-confidence. McMeekin combines interviews with some of today’s most successful women and her own proven success strategies to help readers transcend their “blocks” and achieve success. Women will discover how to: dismantle limiting beliefs; take positive, calculated risks; make career changes fueled by passion and purpose; and “Filter and Focus” to give their creative ideas time and space to evolve. As in her previous book, The 12 Secrets of Highly Successful Women offers hundreds of examples of how creative women entrepreneurs and business leaders have used these strategies for success. This is an inspiring book for women that shows what’s possible when you follow your heart and honor your gifts.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Business, Leadership

8 pages, Audio CD

First published July 15, 2011

About the author

I have been in the personal empowerment business since 1976 and feel grateful everyday to have had the opportunity to inspire and guide clients navigating the challenges of change for over 25 years. I began as a child and family therapist with a strong commitment to prevention programs. I then became fascinated with the concept of “why do so many people hate their jobs?” This question prompted me to pursue a certificate in Human Resource Management with a focus on career and organizational development.

I started my own business of career consulting, organizational workshops, and projects in 1982 called Guided Growth. After a challenging schedule of clients and training programs, it was time to slow down and begin developing learning products. At the request of many of my stress management workshop participants, I created my first product: a workshop-on-audiotape called Positive Choices: From Stress to Serenity, complete with a mini-workbook and visualizations, and enticing music by my talented brother.

My own creative renaissance unfolded and I started painting, writing, and studying the lives of creative men and women. I then became outraged that there were not positive, viable role models for modern-day, sane, creative women, so I wrote my first book, The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women: A Portable Mentor (Conari Press), which appeared in March of 2000 and sold out its first printing in 8 weeks, and has been a best-seller. In 2001, Conari Press published my second book, The Power of Positive Choices: Adding and Subtracting Your Way to a Great Life. Since then, I changed the name of my business to Creative Success, completed the training program with the Coaches Training Institute in California, began my monthly e-zine, and gained national exposure as an expert. I have since published 3 e-Books: The Path to Creative Success and Boost Your Creativity, Productivity, and Profits in 21 Steps, and the Creativity Courage Cards, which are both an e-book and a deck of printed cards. In addition to radio and television appearances, my work has been featured in Redbook, The Boston Globe, Health, Investor’s Business Daily, Boston Business Journal, Woman’s Day, Shape, One Spirit Bookclub, First for Women, etc., as well on the Career Center on AOL. I am a member of the Creativity Coaching Association, and the Association of Career Professionals.

I had two new books released from Conari/RedwheelWeiser this year: The 12 Secrets of Highly Successful Women: A Portable Mentor for Creative Women (Conari Press) and The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women Journal (Conari Press). I am very excited about both of them! I have also initiated a new program called VIP Days, for intensive work on a creative project or business.

Reviews

[Anita Dix-McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of the book offer sound business practices, while I am not into "new age" writing, some of the spirituality aspects are not in line with my beliefs.

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

A socially and culturally unaware hippy dippy waste of time. 10/10 would not recommend.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

"One of the things I see that really holds women back is waiting until everything is perfect before they launch something or change careers. Because of our intense fear of criticism, we are vulnerable to over-working and waiting too long to launch something new. When I help people either start a business or repackage themselves for another career, especially people who have "SF" as their middle letters on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, they have a hard time believing in themselves enough to try it, goof up, and master it... Take imperfect inspired action." Secret Four: Learn New Mindsets for Courage and Success

The 12 Secrets, such as, Heal Your Self-Esteem and Your Fears, Design Action Strategies That Work, Build Effective Body/Mind/Heart/Spirit Strategies to Nurture Your Success and Well-Being, etc. are laid out in ascending order. Gail has interspersed interviews from a wide range of Women in various businesses throughout, which adds a broader scope to the work. She offers Challenges in each section which allows you to personalize and activate strategies for your own needs and lists tips in a numbered format to enable quick reference. Due to the rapid advancement of technology and this having been Written in 2011, there are some outdated resource ideas, as well as coaching principles. I think the Author was too verbose with certain points, which could get frustrating. A decent read, which can definitely benefit someone looking for a game plan to build and or ignite their success, and if you keep the previously mentioned 'flaws' in mind this book may be suitable for you.

[Margot Note]

"Authenticity is a key dynamic in relationships and support systems of all kinds. People want to feel that they know who we are and what we are about. When we live a false life, it is tedious and unfulfilling, and can even be dangerous" (42).

"You cannot be successful if you cannot control your thoughts. You must tune into your passion, remember whom you are here to serve, eliminate negative programming and people, and change your internal dialogue--drastically" (55).

"So, as women, we need to unlearn our self-esteem issues around earning and enjoying money. We need to make connections with people in a meaningful way before we can expect that they will buy from us. Beware of people who will try to make you feel guilty as you become successful or who devalue your work and the fact that you are running a business" (84).

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read for all women, but as a professional and mother, I found great value in its message without being annoyed by unrealistic suggestions and outlooks as found in some other female self help books.

[Aida Saldana Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book!
It really inspired me to start my own business and focus on my creative interests... thank you!

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

It could have been more concise. Hit and miss. It's a collection of anecdotes stories. So more like magazine articles.

The advice is sound, though nothing ground breaking. I like the actual practices to try, and the last bit, it would be nice to skip all the chit chat and get right to business.

[Shar · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me this is a must on my bookshelf, a valuable resource I'll come back to again and again!

[M. Jane Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not a right fit for me, but I can see how it could be very helpful for other personalities... which makes it very difficult to write a review! The good: well organized, well laid out, easy to read. The bad: so much of the content is... well, obvious. To me. But it might not be to YOU if you're at an earlier phase of the journey, right? Related: this book did not have to be this long. This is my criticism of everything right now, and perhaps speaks as much to my social media-and-Internet-caused ADD as it does to authors' tendency to overwrite and pad... and publishers' tendency to think readers equate value with volume. (Newsflash: we don't!)

The worst: at times, it reads like 'here's another great thing about my successful friend, oh, and check out her book and the services on her website' ... which, I'll disclaim, is my interpretation of HOW the information/anecdotes/stories are presented rather than the author's intent.

Still. The world's probably a better place because this book (and Gail McMeekin) exist.

[Any Length · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did like this book as it has a lot of good things to say. However, I felt that it was sending women to have a bath and do exercise a little too often. I know we women need to make sure we do not turn into men, but a lot of the stuff suggested we do does not make a woman more effective but run even more ragged trying to find the time to actually have yet another bubble bath or behold the sunset.
Also there was an overemphasis on courses and networking. At some stage a woman actually has to start doing some work in her job, rather than always networking (chatting) with other women and doing yet one more course. The incessant taking of classes and doing courses is in my opinion a cover up for feeling uneducated, not good enough, or somewhat wanting and thus trying to "get better by taking yet more courses". It is encouraging women to forever chase their tails instead of just doing the work.

Also didn't like the reader. She pronounces words the wrong way.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the whole book and loved it. Now I am going back through and actually doing the challenges. I didn't want to stop reading to do the work. I recommend that you do the challenges as you go though!

[Cecelia]

Audio-somewhat overly deep & very crunchy, tree hugger-ish! I'm only @ connecting to spirit as we define it.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I thought it would be.