On the Shoulders of Giants
Nexstar Network is a member-owned organization whose mission is to provide everything the independent residential plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical contractor needs to succeed.
With the 25th anniversary of the organization rapidly approaching, CEO Jack Tester realized there was no one place where the organization's deep history and innovative philosophy was articulated.
Book Concept Development
The mission of On the Shoulders of Giants was to change that. Its goal was to drive home two major messages:
As a service contractor, you deserve to make a great living because of all you do for society. You are worth it!
Those who are successful have a responsibility to invite others to climb up on their shoulders so they can see what is possible when you apply the principles outlined in the book.
Developmental Editing and Co-Writing
Writing is not a chore for Jack Tester but he realized writing an entire book was a different animal. He needed someone who had the ability to keep the project moving so he could get it over the finish line in time to deliver the book by the September 2017 Super Meeting, where it would be distributed in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the organization.
The engagement began with a diagnostic "road map" project to identify and confirm the big idea and quantify what was wanted and needed.
We then proceeded to the full engagement, which included development of the controlling idea, table of contents, and a series of interviews over a period of six months during which time I drew out the information over the phone, assembling it into a draft manuscript, which was then presented to the author for review.
Seeing his words assembled into a cohesive manuscript energized the author, who then went through the manuscript to fine-tune it. The author also wanted to include the voices of some Nexstar members and so he solicited stories from them and I edited them for clarity and sometimes length. Once the author approved the manuscript. We worked with professional editor Candice Fehrman to review it and prepare it for layout. A special members only 25th anniversary cover was created for the initial print run (1,000 pieces).
Audio Book Project Management
The author also wanted to do an audio version of the book so Helena researched and found Davis Sound, a local studio in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area that specializes in recording audiobooks. Jack went to the studio and recorded the book in two sessions, and Davis Sound guided us in creating all the elements required for successful submission of the audiobook to Audible.
The book was published by Nexstar Network and is available on Amazon in paperback ($19.95) as well as in ebook ($9.95) and audiobook formats.
Impact
“The idea of writing a book was daunting. I had never authored anything other than a few trade journal articles. However, Helena made writing a book not only less daunting but fun. She helped shape my thoughts and put the content in a logical order. From structure, ghostwriting, editing, layout, design–even printing and creating an audio version–Helena was there to assist and bring in experts when needed. There is no way I could have created a book while still working full time without her expertise and counsel. I can’t encourage potential writers enough to partner with Helena on your book project. It will be twice as fun and get done in half the time.”
Jack Tester, Business Coach and former CEO, Nexstar Network Inc.