Meet Judith Briles: The Book Shepherd and Author Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Judith Briles and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Judith, how do you think about risk?
Without taking risks, stagnation occurs. Curiosity is stifled. Growth slows and may reverse. Throughout my years, I’ve taken positions to speak up and out; to engage strategies that went against the grain of acceptable positions in starting my first business, to my publishing as well as speaking on the platform that took me to 50 states and over 20 countries.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Writing. Books. Nothing is easy … it’s a learning process and long term. The writer I was in the 1980s is nothing like who I am and how I create today. The single best advice is to just keep writing. Stretching how I would illustrate a key concept with my words. If there is a single thing I’ve embedded in what I do going forward is to always remember that my personal actions and the words I choose to say and write matter. That my words have impacted countless in the topics I’ve covered. Before the summer of 2021, I will have the draft of book #38 done–The Author’s Guide to Book Marketing. Working on it in my head as I share this, gathering up the countless blogs I’ve written on book marketing and influence building, I’m looking forward to diving into the process.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
With friends, we always start in my kitchen and deck. I’m a foodie and a cook. What better way to settle in and plan our week together? Depending on the season, we would explore any festivals that are open. A visit to either our local Barnes & Noble or Tattered Cover bookstore would be part of the plan. Typically, I would host several dinner parties that would be peppered with evening guests that had similar interests as my best friend. In the summer, depending on the special event, an outing to the Botanical Gardens would be on the list or the Denver Arts Museum. If my guest loves plays/musicals and there is something live in town, we will venture out. If eating out, and fish is a favorite of my guest, of course we will have lunch or dinner in the patio of Pappadeaux’s. But mostly, we stay put, eating in. The driver will always be conversation. Always.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
In the 60s, I was a secretary at a regional brokerage firm. Al Pierce was my primary boss and one of the top brokers in the firm. Each day, he slotted time to teach me about the stock market and investing. In the 70s, I was fired from another branch of the firm because I was going through a divorce. Five of the clients of the firm took me to lunch, handed me an envelope with money, an air ticket, and appointments for interviews. One of them landed me in one of the offices of EF Hutton and David Nee who hired me as a stockbroker, seeding my entrepreneurial spirit. Eventually leaving EFH and starting my own firm, Yvonne Clinton was at my side as my eyes and ears as we built a new company in the late 70s. With the publication of my first book in 1981, platform speaking came into my life. My speaking cronies encourage my “fearless” factor as I went forward: Dan Poynter, Susan RoAne, Marilyn Murray, and Patricia Fripp. Publishing opened up a new world and opened the media portal that has landed me on over 1500 TV and radio shows. Role models for how to host entered my life. Phil Donahue was the master of how to treat both guests and audiences. The members of the AuthorYou.org and TheBookShepherd.com communities plus other publishing organizations that I’m a member of have added to my knowledge and skill base exportentially.

Website: https://TheBookShepherd.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judith.thebookshepherd
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judithbriles/
Twitter: @MyBookShepherd
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/BookPublishingHelp/