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Leadership & “Rise & Find: An Ambitious Woman’s Guide to Building Her Dream Life”

Rise & Find book cover
20 Dec

“Rise & Find: An Ambitious Woman’s Guide to Building Her Dream Life” by Tanis et al (2024) is my co-authored book that released this month! It is a personal development book focused on providing women with inspiring stories and actionable advice in the categories of finance, life organization, emotional and health support, and career moves. 13 female experts came together to share what they’ve learned over the years so you can avoid common mistakes and pitfalls on your way to living a fulfilled life.

Overview: Each of the 13 chapters contain anecdotes and a succinct playbook to help you master their craft. From productivity using tech tools (my chapter, Chapter 2) to rising above grief to growing a career up through a ladder or as a “mompreneur,” you will find yourself inspired to take action towards the life of your dreams. Because guess what? These women are.

Key Message:  The key message and theme of this short 180-page read is that you need to take care of yourself first. There is no shame in it and “no” is a full sentence (thank you Marsha Clark!).
Areas of Strengths:  I was brought into this book project through my wealth advisor and did not know any of the other authors prior to beginning the writing process together. Not only do I feel like I know them each intimately after reading the finished version of the book, but I also think the editor did an amazing job at distinguishing our voices, yet blending the tone to create a seamless work of art. This type of women’s anthology is the future of collective writing communities and I do believe that women of all ages can benefit by picking it up.
The most powerful quotes I found and pulled from each chapter:
  • Chapter 1: Does it need to be done by me, or does it need to be done right?
  • Chapter 2: No is a full sentence.
  • Chapter 3: You will never be the old you. She is no longer there.
  • Chapter 4: What kind of person comes and spends less than 15 minutes with a dying loved one to then ask about a death certificate…?
  • Chapter 5: This child has two parents. Please alternate calls. And its his father’s turn.
  • Chapter 6: To rise up and become our truest selves, we need to take charge of communicating all these needs.
  • Chapter 7: It’s so amazing that everything on this planet gives off energy.
  • Chapter 8: True freedom comes from taking control, not only of your life but of your financial future.
  • Chapter 9: Someone recently asked me “what do you do for work?” I answered…but the very first thing that came to my mind was whatever the fuck I want.
  • Chapter 10: This “languish” is not new – the sense of mundane and a need for more.
  • Chapter 11: Figure our your direct manager’s goals and how to measure them, then try to connect your job and those measurements.
  • Chapter 12: I could not have a choice and be a chosen one as a woman. So I chose myself and a BFA degree.
  • Chapter 13: If you’re looking for a way to make a trip more exciting, traveling with a theme is the ticket. (e.g. sporting events or family history trips)

Supplemental Information:

Where it Falls Short:  While well rounded, the book could have improved by incorporating a chapter on investments as well as a chapter on exercise.

Overall Assessment & Why: I rate it a 8 out of 10 in terms of a personal development book. The content was well balanced with four chapters oriented around life organization (chapters 1,2,5 and 13), three financially motivated (chapters 4,6 and 8), three career oriented (chapters 10,11 and 12) and two emotional/health related (chapters 3,7 and 9). Some of the authors were stronger writers, others had stronger messages so my feedback to the production studio would be work more with the less seasoned authors.