“The only thing that ever sat its way to success was a hen.” – Sarah Brown

Love that quote. And I love this book. If you’ve never heard of Carrie Wilkerson before, let me tell you – she is not a hen. This woman is a total firecracker. And it’s amazing how well she puts her personality and high energy into written words on the pages of this book. It’s so easy to read – and you feel totally motivated every time you get through another chapter. This is rockstar stuff here, ladies.

“None of us can change our yesterdays but all of us can change our tomorrows.” – Colin Powell

I would have loved to have come across Carrie’s book a year ago, when I was making my big life changes. Most of you know my story of how I went from a high-paid position in Retail Management to an unemployed new mom – It was pretty stressful stuff. I had no job, it was a totally crummy economy, I was a totally unprepared new momma, and still a full-time online student. Those factors all combined to make finding a new job really difficult. Plus – I had unexpectedly lost a great job that I loved just a few years before that too. It was a new branch of a fast-growing online sales company, and I was one of the companies top sales people. Then one day they said – “Grab your purses and coats, and you can come back in two days to get a box with the things from your desk. We’re closing the site immediately.” And just like that, I was unemployed. Total shock. So now that this was my second unexpected job loss in less than 5 years, I realized that having a “safe” job just wasn’t really all that safe anymore. It was time for me to find a new plan….

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen R. Covey

I realized that just like Carrie talks about in her book – now that I was a mom, my priorities had shifted dramatically. It no longer seemed so important to be putting in those long hours, hoping for that next advancement – store manager, then regional, and more… No, what mattered most to me now – more than money, or titles, or recognition – was flexibility. I wanted the ability to raise my baby myself, and stop worrying about finding a safe and reliable daycare facility. I wanted to be a part of family functions again. I didn’t want to miss the birthdays, and holidays, and school events that I’d been missing due to always having to work. I had no tech knowledge, but was studying for a Marketing Degree – so I decided to jump into the world of blogging, freelance writing, and social media, and see what I could do. If you’re in that same early stage, this book will save you countless hours  – The Barefoot Executive is packed with amazing steps to help you figure it all out. If you’ve already started your journey, and are in the process of building a business of any type for yourself, this book will help YOU too!

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that. The really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.” – Mark Twain

Carrie’s spark and enthusiasm for helping others achieve their dreams comes though loud and clear in her book. One of my favorite sayings in business has always been – “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” – and it’s so true! Over 30% of new businesses fail before they reach their second year, and most of that is not because they didn’t have a great idea, or because they didn’t work hard enough – it’s because they didn’t have a plan! It’s the whole, “Work Smarter, Not Harder” idea – and Carrie is going to walk you through the steps on how to do that as you read through this book. She covers the basics in a really powerful way –

1. Who: Are you? What are you good at? What skills, education, and experience do you have? {Never worked? Doesn’t matter. As a best friend, a sister, a daughter, a mother, or a wife – you’ve gained skills. This book helps you figure out what YOU can do better than anyone else.}
2. What: Best suits you? What types of work are you most successful with? Detail or number oriented? People person? She’ll help you figure out what you do best.
3. Why: Do are you doing it? Why is this important to you? Why is this your passion? You’ll need to hang on tight to that when your working so many hours, to remember what your building towards.
4. Where: Do you want to go? What goals do you want to reach? What does your ideal future look like?

How are you going to get to your dreams if you don’t have a clear picture of what they are and why you want them, right?

“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.” – Johann von Goethe

This is more than just a motivating book – although it will leave you feelin’ pumped. This is more than a self-help book – although it will help you realize so many new things about yourself. Where this book really gets set apart from all the other books I’ve read to help me build my business, is that it includes action. Once Carrie does more than just help you figure out who you are and what you want – She also helps you get there. She gives you tips on how to stay focused and ignore distractions. How to find support. She breaks it into actionable steps for you – Why to start a business. How to start it. And how to make it work for YOU.

“Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.” – Spanish Proverb

Don’t put it off until you “have time” – We’re all incredibly busy women, and none of us is ever going to get “more time”, lol. Get this book today. Order it right now, and when it arrives on your doorstep, take it out and get started. You will be so glad that you did. Get Carrie’s book on Amazon.com – The Barefoot Executive: The Ultimate Guide for Being Your Own Boss and Achieving Financial Freedom. It is going to knock your socks off ladies. Guaranteed.

Want More: Connect with Carrie on Facebook and Twitter, or check out some video clips of her speaking events on her site too!

{Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from LivingMyMoment.com – so that I could share an honest opinion of it with you great ladies. All opinions, & overuse of exclamation points, are 100% my own – this book rocks.}