Posts by Cathy Davis

Smaller books are the new “calling card” for authors, speakers, and trainers. As content powerhouses, their smaller 4×6” or 5×8” size makes them easy to customize, quick to read, and most importantly, AFFORDABLE. Publishing industry trends show the smaller, printed book outsells the e-book and audiobook (even for Millennials!)

TAP INTO THE BENEFITS OF A DynaMighty BOOK!

• Receive a sense of achievement upon completion
• Gain confidence in sharing your message with more people
• Be the speaker/trainer who always offers MORE
• Generate additional revenue by adding a DynaMighty Book to your offerings
• Get your book and message to your audience faster
• Open the door to relationship building
• Increase your credibility ratio by being able to include a book with your next engagement
• Stand out as an expert when used as a marketing tool
• Emphasize your WHY and draw attention to your mission and message
• Promote the smaller book as a synopsis of your larger book, containing more robust content
• Replace handouts with a compact all-inclusive synopsis of your talk
• Customize the front and back covers to more specifically target your next audience
• Leave the audience with a concrete takeaway, leading them to want more
• Offer your own bulk discounts for larger orders
• Share real stories to support your message and help your audience relate to you better
• Make getting in touch with you so much easier by including your contact info with EVERY book
• Placed in each attendee’s seat, your DynaMighty Book will get picked up before sitting down (helps to fill the front row seats!)
• Create a series of DynaMighty Books to generate interest in getting the “complete collection”
• Sell your book from your website to gather emails and create long-term relationships

“I LOVED how easy they made the process!”

You’ve been thinking about writing a book . . . but might not be sure where to begin . . . start with a DynaMighty Book! The DynaMighty Book is your chance to motivate the masses by sharing your Mission and Message . . . and we make the process easy for you!

“They answered all my questions . . .
even the ones I didn’t even know to ask!”

Perfect for professional service providers, especially the “HELPERS, HEALERS and HOW-TO-DO-ers” . . .

As a life coach, mentor, therapist, physician, educator, speaker, trainer, or any other professional service provider, a DynaMighty Book helps you engage a larger audience. If you are speaking in front of an audience, you need a DynaMighty Book!

• Establish Your Credibility
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CLICK HERE to learn all the details!

Contact CATHY to reserve your DynaMighty Book spot on our project list and learn more about how you can become a published author at an easily affordable rate!

A True Story About the Kindness of Total Strangers in St. Louis!

My friend “B” was recently volunteering for a downtown non-profit. She was told to park in one specific multi-level garage where they would validate her ticket so she could park for free.

I worked in downtown St. Louis and parked in one of those multi-level garages for over 12 years . . . they can be quite scary, especially if you are navigating the elevators and stairwells alone. It also does not help that STL has recently been dubbed one of the most dangerous cities in the United States.

When it came time to exit the garage, B had her validated ticket in-hand and proceeded to “swipe” the ticket in the reader to no avail. The security gate did not budge, and she was stuck. There was no human within eyesight, and the “squawk box” to her left found her trying to converse with a difficult-to-understand static-filled voice.

With no one in line behind her, B backed up into an empty spot, got out, locked her car, and proceeded to walk around a bit looking for help. She spotted and walked up to one of those city worker-bee trucks and proceeded to ask for help in getting out of the garage. The two employees (a man and a woman) in the truck explained they worked for the St. Louis City Schools and weren’t sure if they could help. (NOTE: I know you are thinking it, so allow me to answer . . . B is white and the workers were black.)

Frustrated, B started walking back to her car to figure out her next best step when she noticed the two city workers following her. The woman asked to see B’s validated ticket to see if she could possibly help. That’s when they all noticed the ink on the ticket was so weak, there was no wonder why the reader couldn’t read the ticket so B could get out.

The two STL workers stayed with B and continued to “talk” with the person beyond the “squawk box”, reading the numbers on the ticket the best they could . . . trying to convince the voice on the other end to open up the gate. Their efforts eventually proved successful! They even asked the growing line of cars behind the security gate to back up enough so B could pull her car through when the “squawk box” voice finally agreed to open the gate for B.

With a heart full of gratitude and new-found friends, B proceeded safely out of the garage!

We all cross “intersections” with people in our lives on a daily basis, most of whom are total strangers. At any given point we have the choice to trust and reach out, taking the chance that one of those strangers might actually become a friend. Quite often, we get exactly what we expect.

The kindness of strangers is alive and well in St. Louis, and I personally expect to encounter more of these KIND of people.

So, whenever I hear someone use the phrase, “Stick with your own kind,” I cringe. Maybe it’s not about the color of your skin . . . or your national origin . . . or your political preferences . . . or where you celebrate your spirituality . . . or where you park your car . . . perhaps it’s simply about the KINDness in your heart.

______________________________________

IT’S TIME TO BE KIND . . . BIG TIME.

BE KIND TO YOURSELF. If you are no longer willing to “play it small” and find yourself ready to attract a larger audience through the power of publishing . . . give us a call, 888-598-0886.

We’ll kindly help you create that BIG author-brand connection you’ve been dreaming about.

BE KIND TO OTHERS. With Amazon/KDP publishing more than a million titles each year, it’s easy to get lost in the DIY Dead-End. Step out of the DIY publishing traffic jam and let our concierge team connect you with the resources you need for Global Distribution, Bestseller Campaigns, and National Media Exposure.

Find Your Voice. Tell Your Story.
Make a Difference.

LET THE WORLD KNOW IT’S TIME TO BE KIND . . . BIG TIME.

I am often invited to speak about publishing and this past June we planned a road trip around an invitation to speak in Cedar Falls, Iowa. According to Google Maps, we could make the drive in an easy 4 hours. We packed the car (Jack and our dog, Chewy, went with me) and headed out a day early, ready for our grand adventure.

I have always loved road trips . . . there’s something about being able to drive where you want to go and stop when you want to stop. As a young child, my step-father was a traveling salesman, so our Summer Vacation usually meant my Mother and I would travel with him and we would “vacation” while he worked. I spent many a Summer Day in a Holiday Inn pool, from Little Rock to Albuquerque, to Denver and back home to Tulsa.

Around the age of 10-11, once such road trip found me playing water volleyball in a Denver-area hotel pool with two young boys about my same age. My mother later explained that their dad was the TV star of Sea Hunt, Lloyd Bridges. Yep . . . unbeknownst to me at the time, I was hanging out with Jeff and Beau while their Dad read a newspaper by the side of the pool. I had no clue we were in the midst of mid-century TV royalty . . . it probably took me another 10 years, once Jeff and Beau began their own Hollywood careers before I even made the connection.

Needless to say, road trips have always meant adventure, excitement, and the thrill of “something new” just around the next hill or curve . . . kind of like finding the rainbow on the horizon. I can vividly remember my excitement as a child, wondering what great adventure we’d encounter next.

Our Summer 2019 road trip TO Iowa was fairly uneventful. If you’ve ever driven north out of St. Louis, up highway 61, past Hannibal into Iowa, you know you get to see LOTS of agriculture fields and not much else. Chewy LOVED his first road trip and immediately fell asleep in the back seat as soon as the car hit the highway. It was the drive home, two days later, that brought the excitement.

The sky was overcast as we left Cedar Falls and Chewy had settled into his preferred sleep zone in the back seat when we realized we had missed our exit. The grey skies and misty rain prevented either of us from noticing that we were headed straight east, rather than the more direct southern route home. At about 45 minutes into our trip, Jack mentions, “I don’t remember seeing any of this on our way up here,” which immediately prompts me to check our maps app to see exactly WHERE we are.

A quick U-Turn and a sharp left got us headed in the right direction without too much time lost, yet we found ourselves driving into a thunderstorm. The skies grew darker, the rain became more intense, and out my passenger side window, we could see a very dark, rolling shelf-cloud, with 7 (albeit tiny) little “tails” dropping down. Having grown up in Oklahoma, I knew very well that any of that 7 tiny whispers-of-a-tail could immediately turn into one grand tornado.

Again . . . we are in the IOWA plains, so there’s not too many places to hide from a potential tornado.

Rather than pull over, we decided to pick up speed and continue southward as I kept my eye on the rolling clouds. We essentially out-ran the scariest of the clouds and as the rain dissipated the sun began to peek out, casting rainbows all around us. The thrill of not getting caught in a tornado, along with the thrill of seeing a full-arch, double-rainbow along the driver’s side of the car was only surpassed by noticing the rainbow in the back-splash of the big truck in front of us. We were literally driving through a rainbow!

So, wherever your travels may lead, may your personal road trips of life always bring you rainbows!

 . . . and when you are ready to find your voice, tell your story and
write that book you’ve been thinking about, we can help.

Our clients hire us to use the power of publishing
to build their brand, grow their business, and make
a difference in the lives of the people they reach.

The Science of Music and the Music of Science: How Music Reveals Our Brain, Our Humanity, and the Cosmos

Science and music—scientists and musicians—are inseparable and symbiotic. For over 2,500 years, music has inspired scientific investigation and progress. In return, science has provided musicians with untold numbers of valuable insights into their art and craft, as well as many powerful technologies.

The last 25 years have witnessed an even more intimate connection. Neuroscience now possesses new tools to image living human brains in real time as our brains engage in specific tasks. In using these powerful tools, neuroscientists have discovered that nothing demands more of human cognitive abilities than music-making and consequently, neuroscience now relies frequently upon music as an amazingly effective research probe.
During this same period of time, physicists and mathematicians have investigated the fundamental nature of reality, discovering the musical nature of the Cosmos itself. Quite remarkably, the equations and concepts of music theory are similar to the concepts used for our best ideas about Nature.

This book describes these scientific advances accessibly and without jargon, but entertainingly and accurately. It provides the reader with an easy and graceful insight into basic music theory, the biology of the brain, the use of music as brain therapy, the psychology of music, the tools of the composer, the importance of music education for our children, and finally the story of our search for the fundamental nature of reality itself–leading ultimately to a better understanding of our humanity. It is written for anyone interested in music, science, the well-being of our children, and the best aspects of our humanity as we live in this magnificent Cosmos.

You can buy the book HERE.

We’re all on this planet for a reason. No matter our faith, philosophy, or fears . . .
we are here on this Earth-ship and it is up to each of us to make a “go” of it.

SO-O-O . . . What do you STAND FOR? What will you NOT STAND FOR?

How will you spend the rest of your time on this planet?

Do you walk the path of FEAR in order to just survive?

Do you walk the path of LOVE and eagerly learn to thrive?

What I know for sure . . .

No matter where you are on your journey, you have gifts to share.

You have wisdom learned from a life well-lived, and wisdom to share.

Wisdom not shared with others is wisdom lost forever.

It’s time to share your wisdom.

Are you ready to write that book you’ve been thinking about?

Reach out . . . give us a call . . . we’ve gotcha covered. We can make that happen.

“I hardly know where to start thanking you
for pulling me out of that stressful situation with Amazon . . .
it’s like a new day has dawned!” — Another Happy Author

I see a lot of what I call “Talking Heads” throughout social media. The video messages on Facebook and LinkedIn are EVERYWHERE . . . each claiming to have the PERFECT solution to what THEY perceive as my immediate need.

It reminds me a lot of the “Carnival Barkers” I encountered as a child at State Fairs. It was the job of the Carnival Barker to convince you to come play THEIR game and win THE prize of a lifetime. They too, made it sound like they were the ONLY solution to make my day better.

The Dangling Carrot . . . or was that a Giant Blue Teddy Bear?

Unfortunately, as a 10-12 year old child, these were the games where I ended up spending all of my allowance just for the CHANCE to win the 4-foot-tall, giant blue teddy bear. I had a spot all picked out for it in my bedroom. I never won that blue teddy bear . . . and eventually stopped believing I could. I suppose I never really NEEDED that blue teddy bear, but it would have been really cool to have bragging rights for a few days . . . or weeks.

The same discretionary deflection skills I could have used when I was 10-12 years old on the Carnival walkway are the same skills I need today when navigating my way through the great American bi-ways of social media. You think you are simply out for a calm, relaxing, Sunday afternoon stroll through social media, only to find yourself being bombarded with . . .

“Step right up!” . . .  “Put your money here!” . . .

“Everyone’s a winner!” . . . “Your life will suck if you don’t buy now!”

Yep . . . guilty.

• Guilty of buying into the notion that if I don’t buy into “this” or “that” program that my life/business/future will be doomed for eternity.
• Guilty of thinking I had to do the exact same thing . . . “bark” out my UVP (Unique Value Platform) to any willing listener.
• Guilty of hoping my barking would resonate with at least a few who might call me.

NOPE. NADA. NOT GOING THERE NO MO . . .

I LOVE dogs, but I’m not a barker. It’s actually quite the contrary. You see, my personal mission in life is to “create positive ripples.” This is the foundation for our business. As your Author Brand Connection, we help you Find Your Voice, Tell Your Story, and Make a Difference . . . which ultimately helps you GROW YOUR BUSINESS.

It’s really that simple.

“I never knew there were so many steps and details.
I can’t believe how easy your team makes the entire process . . .
I couldn’t have done it without you!”

So, if you’re ready to grow your business AND make a difference . . . give us a call.

We are ready to help.

Right now, I’m going to go let the dog in . . . he’s barking.

During a networking event last week we were given an “ice breaker” conversation starter of, “What super hero would you like to be and why?”

I met plenty of people claiming Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Batman, and Superman . . . but oddly enough, I was the only one who claimed “Tinker Bell.”

As a small child, that was one of the nicknames my Mother and older siblings would call me. What I knew at an early age was that Tinker Bell could fly, sprinkle magic fairy dust with her wand, and make people happy. That sounded like a pretty good gig to me.

As I got older I learned, as a “Tinker,” it was also her job to “fix” things. Isn’t that what super heroes do?

Kind of sounds pretty much like what I do now!

Clients call us with their problems and we “fix it”!

Our clients are referred to us when they want the best . . . and we introduce them to our M.A.G.I.C.!

• M = MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION. They want their book to reflect the same level of quality as does the rest of their brand.
• A = ATTRACT THE FINEST. As small business owners, they want to attract new, highly-qualified clients who are eager to work with them.
• G = GO FOR THE GOLD (fairy dust). They won’t settle for less, and they expect the best.
• I = INTENTION. They intend to succeed and more often than not, THEY DO!
• C = EAT THE CAKE AND THE ICING TOO! They have worked hard to establish themselves as an expert, and having a book to showcase their knowledge is the “icing on the cake.”

As one new client recently mentioned . . .

“I wanted to work with the best , so I asked around.
Everyone I spoke with told me I needed to work with you!”

No matter where you are in the process of writing or publishing your book, we can help.

We even have a magic wand . . . we share our magic fairy dust . . . we make our clients happy . . . and we fix things!

It’s a pretty good gig!

Ready to join us?
Give me a call.
888-598-0886

I spent most of the 1970s in either high school or college. My taste in music ran the gamut from Moody Blues and Queen to Kenny Rogers, Carol King, and Jim Croce. Pretty much the story-tellers of music in the ‘70s.

I was not all that surprised when, as I awoke this morning, this song was playing in my head . . .

“If I could save time in a bottle . . .
The first thing that I’d like to do
Is to save every day
‘Til eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you . . .

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them . . .” (Jim Croce)

SO . . . if you’ve been wanting to publish that book you’ve been thinking about . . . NOW IS THE TIME.

If you are planning on publishing in 2019, NOW is the time to reserve your spot in our line-up.

You will want your book out in the public arena BEFORE Thanksgiving so it doesn’t get lost in the hub-bub of the December holidays.

No matter where you are on your publishing path, WE CAN HELP.

• Got an idea in your head for a book, and need help writing it down? WE CAN HELP.
• Is your manuscript ready for editing and proofreading? WE CAN HELP.
• Are you ready for a professionally-designed cover and interiors? WE CAN HELP.
• Do you need guidance to set up your trusted vendor accounts? WE CAN HELP.
• Have you been thinking about an Amazon Bestseller Campaign? WE CAN HELP.
• Looking for additional publicity and marketing support? WE CAN HELP.

Wherever you are in the process . . . WE CAN HELP.

We’ll make time for you.
Give us a call, 888-598-0886, or
email cathy@daviscreative.com

Prior to starting Davis Creative in January of 2004, I worked in corporate financial marketing for over a decade. There is not much I miss from that world . . . especially not the PUFFINS. If you have worked in corporate America, you know what I am referring to. Corporate PUFFINS have similar characteristics as the bird itself.

You see, the Puffin bird is known as the “clown of the sea” because of its colorful and comical appearance. It likes to strut about and “puff out” it’s chest in order to impress and intimidate the other birds. Although it is agile in the water and an excellent diver and swimmer, it is not as graceful in the air . . . often crashing and tumbling as it tries to land.

Now, please don’t get me wrong . . . I’m not here to bash corporate executives. I have many good friends still gainfully employed in the corporate arena. But, “back in the day”, there were a few corporate PUFFINS who DID strut about and try to intimidate others. NO one liked working with them, and they made everyone’s work-life miserable.

At the opposite end of the spectrum from the corporate PUFFINS, you have what I call the “PUFF IN THE WIND”.

The PUFF IN THE WIND is quite lovely to work with and it has been our goal, since starting Davis Creative, to attract the PUFF IN THE WIND peeps . . . especially as clients, team members, and vendors. The PUFF IN THE WIND personality is a gentle GIVER . . . they are here to share their knowledge, expertise, and gifts with the world.

How do you spot a PUFF IN THE WIND?

Much like the Dandelion, they have several characteristics to watch for . . .

• They plant seeds — they love sharing their wisdom with the slightest breeze
• They grow and multiply — they create positive ripples throughout the community
• They have deep roots — with strength and tenacity they are eager to spread their message in every continent on the globe

It’s their nature to nurture. The PUFF IN THE WIND sees value in giving, much like when a child harvests the Dandelion blossoms as their first “gift” bouquet.

So, if you see yourself as a PUFF IN THE WIND, and are looking to join a community of givers, give me a call . . . 888-598-0886.

In 2018, Bowker (the US registrar for all ISBN numbers) assigned a record-breaking 1,009,188 ISBNs to independent and self-published books. This number does not even include the books which are published by traditional publishing houses, NOR does it include the ISBNs assigned by Amazon/KDP (formerly CreateSpace).

Look Good. Get Noticed. Stand Out in a Crowd.

If you are in business for yourself, you know how important it is to look good, get noticed, and stand out in a crowd (in a good way). And, yes, writing a book can help you accomplish each of these three goals if you understand WHY you are writing your book.

Five GREAT reasons FOR writing a book:

• “I think it would help other people.”
• “I want to establish myself as an authority in this subject, and raise my visibility.”
• “I am starting a business around this topic and want to generate interest and clients.”
• “I really care about this and want to get the word out to other people.”
• “I want to switch careers and this will help me.”

So, allow me to repeat what I’ve said numerous times in the past . . .

It’s not about how well your book sells,
it’s all about how well your book sells YOU!^TM

Please don’t plan your retirement around the sale of your books. If your primary reason for writing a book includes any of the following, you may want to rethink your plan . . .

Five GREAT reasons to NOT write a book:

• “I want to sell millions of books and make lots of money.”
• “I want to be a famous, best-selling author.”
• “I want to live a writer’s life, in a bungalow, on a beach in Key West.”
• “I don’t care what anyone thinks, I just feel compelled to write this book, NOW.”
• “My competition has a book and I don’t want them to get all the business.”

Don’t let those other 1,009,188 authors intimidate you.

Every author-wannabe is just like the other 1,009,188 independent authors trying to look good, get noticed, and stand out in a crowd.

The best way to make that happen (and not get lost in the crowd) is to work with professionals who publish books on a daily basis. We know what it takes to help your book SELL YOU, and position you with the expert status you deserve.

Reach out. Let’s talk. We make it happen.