Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassandra Houston.
Hi Cassandra, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I always wanted to fulfill one of my dreams which was to write and publish a book and become a best-selling author. I recently was afforded that opportunity with Best Seller Publishing. I thought about the different topics to write about and I decided to write about Leadership. Over the years, my experience in leadership and being led by leaders who were effective and some that were ineffective, I realized that leadership goes beyond external skills. Having internal skills is crucial to being an effective leader. In order for a leader to see the best in others, they must be the best for others. I wanted to share my experiences and skills to create positive influences for others.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Going through difficult times in your life, you go through a series of emotions, doubt and self-reflection. Having put everyone else first and yourself second you tend to lose yourself and your dreams. While writing the book, I realized that writer’s block was real and I began to doubt myself and my ability to complete the book. Working long hours took a toll on my ability to focus on content and the level of stress I was feeling became a barrier. The key is looking past those distractions and challenges and moving forward, and having faith within your abilities and practicing self discipline.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve been a Senior HR Professional for over 20 years in several industries. I’ve served on Boards, Committees and Focus Groups. I am well diverse in every aspect of the Human Resources field. I started on a journey and have succeeded in many areas. The journey never ends and therefore, you must always strive for excellence.
I am most proud of my #1 International Best Selling Book (Leading from Within- Leading With a Purpose) which was #1 in 10 categories in Business Management and Leadership in several countries including the United States. It is sold on Amazon and is doing fairly well. I would love to conduct speaking engagements to share my experiences as a leader and to assist organizations with training and development of their leaders. The book has many challenges to complete in which the reader will be able to apply what they’ve learned to guide them on their leadership journey.
What sets me apart from others is that I wrote a book in less than 1 year, all while working 50-60 hours per week, dealing with the death of my wonderful father and other life challenges. I decided at the age of 40 to pursue a BBS and MBA degree, all while being a wife and mom working 60 hours a week and attending my son’s sports functions. I earned 60 BBA credit hours in one year and earned my Master’s in two, I learned that if you want to accomplish anything, you must have the Lord’s Savior in your life, have faith, be persistent, never give up, be patient and above all be dedicated to pursuing your dreams. It is never too late to pursue your dreams. I refuse to look at myself at a lesser value. I manifest greatness and pursue my dreams to reach my goals I’ve set for myself.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My advice is to never settle for where you are in life if you want to accomplish a goal or dream. There will be obstacles and challenges to overcome. Just take those obstacles and challenges and turn them into learning tools; perhaps you can help someone overcome their obstacles, Don’t worry about how others see you and what they think of you. They do not control your destiny, because your path is already written, you just need to be willing to take the journey. If you are going to write a book, start a business, or start a new profession, write about something you are passionate about, believe in your business and believe in yourself. Take note of things that are going on around you; you may obtain valuable content. Don’t panic. Take yourself out of your current environment and give your mind a chance to breathe. Set mini goals for yourself along the way. I set a daily goal of how many words I was going to write. If I did not meet that goal, I did not stress over it, I just encouraged myself to become better. Everyone has some type of value to contribute, you just need to know how, when and where to contribute. Don’t waste your energy on people or things that do not boost your value. What I mean about value, is your self-worth. When you value yourself, your success is unyielding.
The one thing I wish I knew before starting out is that you need to have plenty of patience when writing a book. You get so excited about writing a book and getting to the end, but you must have a lot of patience. The process is detailed and has a lot of moving parts. It takes a lot of energy to market your product. Therefore, diligence is a key factor.
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