Nice Guys (and Gals) Do NOT Finish Last

NPR’s interview with Dolly Parton on success, faith, and hard times is a prime example of how God can catapult you to the highest heights from the lowliest of places.

My Grandmother used to tell me, “Where you come from has nothing to do with where you’re going.”  She also used to say, “Let your heart be your guide, but make God your compass.” Dolly’s life sums those sayings up nicely. Check out the interview by clicking on the link below:

Dolly Parton Interview on NPR

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A Lesson in Class

She’s baaaack! That’s right, I’m NOT dead.  Let’s give credit where credit is due: Thank you God!  Ok, now that we have that out of the way, let’s get down to business.

This illness of mine dragged me down, and when you’re down, it’s easy to get discouraged. When I’m recuperating, I watch old movies because I just love them. They have plot, dialogue, intrigue, romance, and a touch of class I don’t often see anymore.  Audrey Hepburn embodies class. If you’ve never checked out her movies, do so. Even in the worst movie, she shines with class and poise.

Speaking of class, when you’re not feeling your best or a bit discouraged, it’s easy to think people take short-cuts in life. It’s easy to think fortitude doesn’t exist in today’s culture.  If you’re unfortunate enough to click the TV over to one of the reality shows like “Keeping up with the Kardashians” it’s easy to think class is displayed only in old movies. Well, I’m here to tell you that I got a lesson in class this week that I won’t soon forget.

Renea Winchester is an author and public speaker.  She agreed to speak to my writer’s group even though she lives quite  a distance away from me, and we are something of a small group.  She’s written a new book, her second, “Stress-Free Marketing”.  After coming all that way to educate a few writer’s about how the publishing and marketing business works, the least I could do is feed her.

Renea came to my home with another author, Deborah Malone, for dinner.  We had a great time chatting and chowing down on chili.

I’ve seen Renea speak two times. Each time I come away with a lesson in class as well as knowledge.

Renea’s new book outlines how to succeed with hard work and class in a tough business. There are eight million plus books on Amazon as of press time. How is one to succeed without cutting corners, forgetting your manners, or telling white lies?  Renea has it all figured out, and cared enough about others to write it all down for the rest of us.

Why did she do it? She’s concerned that desperate people in desperate times are finally writing that book they’ve always had in them only to be ripped-off by people who have no morals and no class.  This is the kind of person Renea Winchester is: A classy business woman with a writer’s heart. She’s the Audrey Hepburn of the publishing world. Thanks Renea, for making the world a better place and doing it with class.