{"id":3069,"date":"2024-04-19T17:48:24","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T21:48:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chistell.com\/africanamericanfiction\/?p=3069"},"modified":"2024-04-19T17:59:22","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T21:59:22","slug":"why-your-dreams-are-worth-the-climb-book-lovers-haven-newsletter-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chistell.com\/africanamericanfiction\/why-your-dreams-are-worth-the-climb-book-lovers-haven-newsletter-feature\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Your Dreams Are Worth the Climb: Book Lover’s Haven Newsletter Feature"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MEET AUDREY SNYDER<\/strong>:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Audrey Jane Snyder is an enterprising professional who spent 40+ years in the corporate sector in the fields of human resource management and customer and community service. Audrey\u2019s experience and expertise are in strategic leadership skill development and team building. Audrey\u2019s years working as a Director of Customer Service, Personnel Director, and an Adjunct Professor are incorporated in her memoir, Worth the Climb, published in 2012.  Audrey\u2019s adjunct faculty position at DeVry University teaching interpersonal skills, team building, and diversity training helped to further her success in corporate America. Retired now, she spends her days authoring works. Audrey has moved on to write fiction. Her novel The Organization, is her first work of fiction. It was published in 2019. The sequel is in the works. Both books were award finalists in their genre at Pittsburgh\u2019s Author\u2019s Zone.  Audrey has been a guest speaker at numerous professional organizations. She holds a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Business Communication and a Master\u2019s Degree in Professional Leadership from Carlow University. Audrey is a member of PennWriters, Inc., Sisters in Crime, Three Rivers Romance, and Mindful Writers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BLH:  Where did your passion for working with corporate teams spring from?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AS:  I\u2019ve always worked in a team environment. My first job was working in a steno pool, where we worked as a team dividing up work to complete assignments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teamwork is all I know. Most of my jobs with other companies included working in teams. I worked in call centers\/customer service areas where I was either part of the customer service team or managing the team. I\u2019ve had much success with the teams I\u2019ve participated in and the teams I\u2019ve managed. I like the diversity of ideas that comes from working in a team. I have found that teamwork sometimes allows for work to be accomplished faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BLH:  I admire your courage and vision to climb to the management level instead of remaining at an entry level. Based on your experience, do you see more diverse applicants enter the corporate world at management levels? Why do you think this is?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AS:  I believe it\u2019s difficult for diverse applicants to climb the corporate ladder without a mentor or role model. When one of us strived to move to the next level, we were often told that we didn\u2019t meet the guidelines without telling us what we needed to do to meet those guidelines. I like many others, was raised not to expect to achieve anything other than an entry-level position, so, we didn\u2019t strive to do more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I moved through my journey, it was always up to me to determine what I needed to move to the next level. When I moved into a management position, I always made sure to bring others along with me. If I couldn\u2019t promote them, then I would mentor and let them know what they needed to do to move to the next level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want more? Subscribe to The<\/a> Book Lover’s Haven right HERE<\/a>! It’s FREE! <\/strong><\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BLH:  What inspired you to write Worth The Climb: A Black American Woman\u2019s Pursuit of Corporate Success<\/u>?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AS:  I was frustrated with the position I was in at my job. I had done everything that was required to move to the next level. I met the required qualifications, yet and still, I watched many move up who did not have those qualifications. They had the essential qualification, which was blond hair and blue eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I decided to manage my frustrations by writing my feelings in a diary. I was so angry and filled several diaries before I thought about publishing a book. The movements up the corporate ladder were slow and difficult. I ran into many pitfalls and with each, I had to develop a strategy to overcome the obstacles. I included these strategies in my diary as well.  After several years of writing and small successes, I decided it would be a good idea to turn my diaries into a book. I wanted to share my experiences with others who were struggling. I believed in the words I often heard on my journey – \u2018Each One Teach One.\u2019 It was time to inspire, motivate and achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wanted to inspire and encourage others to believe in themselves to accomplish their goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I found a book coach who encouraged me to focus on the successes and how I achieved them. She helped me to see this book would be a book of encouragement rather than a book of anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BLH:  Please give us a brief overview of your book Worth the Climb:  Black American Woman\u2019s Pursuit of Corporate Success.<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AS:  Worth the Climb tells my story of struggle and success in White corporate America. It describes how I moved from a secretary to prominent business success in the face of racism and discrimination. It reveals the layers of complications I experienced in a corporate setting and details the roadblocks I faced and the strategies I used to overcome them. As I tackled increasingly greater responsibility at work, I found my skin color put me into a category unrelated to my ability to perform my job. I found myself conflicted and hampered by the constraints of being a black woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My book paints a vivid picture of what life in corporate America was like for young Black Americans trying to find their way up the corporate ladder. The reader learns what excited me and why I chose to go after the success I deserved. The story tells how I remained positive, pushing away anger, bitterness, and despair, clinging instead to excellence, perseverance, and the need to open doors for Black Americans who would follow. Through it all, this book shows how I drew upon my strength of character to stay focused on the goal of corporate success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BLH:  Is the book fictional or an autobiography? If the book is autobiographical, how tough was it to revisit the past and retell your story?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AS:  This book is autobiographical. It was very challenging for me to revisit the past and retell my story. It was difficult to push away anger and keep things in perspective. I had to do a self-assessment and ask myself if I would I be happy if I didn\u2019t feel successful. I wondered if I should settle or challenge. If I accept the challenge, have I developed a plan to ensure commitment to my success. If I settle, how do I live with the results?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BLH:  Describe those early years of working in corporate America.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AS:\u00a0 It was the late 60s and 70s and I was trying to find my place in the corporate world. The Black power movement was in full swing. I was frustrated with my lack of progress to meet my goals and changed jobs every three years, hoping to move up the corporate ladder. Although each move afforded me new experienced that I could add to my resume, I wasn\u2019t making the progress that I needed. Most moves were lateral moves. As each obstacle occurred, I met it first with anger. It seemed like the challenges were insurmountable, designed to dim my self-confidence. I was a goal-oriented person with high goals. I couldn\u2019t let this stand. Much later, I learned my worth and was unwilling to let others define me. I realized that I was enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BLH:  \u201cThe whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be\u201d is a quote by Oprah Winfrey in your book. While working in corporate America, how did you stay focused so that you continued to evolve?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AS:  I celebrated the small wins along my journey with my family and friends. My daily diary documenting my obstacles and my strategy for overcoming them were great inspirations. I used my goal statements and crossing each goal off my list put a smile on my face. Each new contact I made went into my diary. Each new course I took went into my diary. My diary was filling up. My brag book was getting thick with certifications. At the end of each entry, I asked myself if I had done everything to further my goals. \u201cThe man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others\u201d This quote is a Hasidic Proverb pasted on the cover of my diary. If you read my book, you\u2019ll see I am fond of quotes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BLH:  Share three tips on ways to navigate internal politics at corporate offices.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Internal politics is unavoidable. That job you know you\u2019re qualified for goes to the friend or relative of the manager. No use fighting it. Acknowledge it and move on. I wanted a management position, but I had to wait until all the friends and relatives were placed. In my book, I talk about positions that I created for myself. After researching the department and determining what positions were needed, I created a position of an Incentive Manager, defining the benefits for the company and my qualifications to fill that job. I presented an airtight case and was moved into my first upper-level management position with my office and name on my door. \u201cYou cannot know the sweetness of success unless you have tasted the bitterness of failure,\u201d rang true.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n