Cindy Childress, CEO of Childress Business Communication, won Gold in one of the broadest, most competitive categories in The 2021 International Business Awards®: Company of the Year - Business or Professional Services. Then it won Gold again – for Company of the Year – Media & Entertainment. In the American Business Awards for 2022, Childress Business Communication did it yet again, with a third Company-wide Gold.
How Cindy Childress did it is this: in a field packed with companies that offer writing and editing services, Childress brought a razor-sharp focus on entrepreneurs-as-authors instead of on the usual broad base of “anyone goes.” The company provides book-writing excellence in a business where editorial excellence too easily falls by the wayside; the compassion to get entrepreneurs through the editorial process without the usual stress; and, yes, the business savvy to make sure their books sell.
The recipe sets the company apart and the judges clearly took notice. As one wrote, “Amazing work by Childress to support people who have ideas but may lack execution.” And this, more than once: “Great job! Keep it up!”
Childress also won for the specific work she did during the “awards years” of 2019 through 2021, which included the all-important time period when Covid-19 ravaged the globe.
As Covid spread, Childress Business Communication had its biggest month ever thanks to the popularity of book-writing as millions the world over were in lockdown.
An expert in social media, Cindy Childress took to Instagram and offered her first Zoom Masterclass aimed at business owners. And so they signed up – in droves – from Japan to Europe to Los Angeles. Women all, many using books to create their businesses in the first place.
Then Childress offered an expensive add-on after the Masterclass: a book coaching program with a VIP Service where, in addition to the class itself, Childress reads your manuscript, chapter by rough chapter. The “droves” continued to sign up, no matter the cost, and grateful still for the hands-on help in launching their business from the ground up.
Then, via a new website, Childress went full-on comprehensive offering clients what they need to succeed, none more so than a brilliantly conceived “elevator pitch.” As Childress says, “Most CEOs can’t describe their businesses, causing what I know is serious damage to the bottom line.”
As for Ghostwriting and co-writing books - important services for entrepreneurs who are often too busy to spend 100s of hours writing a book - it was back in 2017 that Childress launched her company with those services in mind. Childress staffed the young company with a team of writers and editors only to discover that she herself was “a ghostwriting genius” who could pen a tome in less time and with more flair than most.
Against the recommendations of many others, she became “Ghostwriter-in-Chief.” During the awards period, the company worked on many popular books from the self-help “The Logical Law Of Attraction” to the timely tome on college admission aimed at moms and the likes of an African American author who knew Childress alone could capture her “Caribbean voice.” Real estate and financial books hit the Amazon bestseller lists.
Revenues went up 30%; newsletter subscriptions 300%. And, yes, a percentage of all sales went to underserved entrepreneurs, as has been done since the company began.
During Covid as well, the company offered one-of-a-kind “book rescues” to help clients bring clarity and “purpose” to books already written and tossed aside - as they often are - due to poor sales.
The company’s awards period(s) Amazon bestsellers include “The Money Tree”; “How Good Humans Sell” (debuted #1 in leadership); “Unlock Your Potential”; “Mailbox Money Mindset”, among others.
Major media came calling, too, including U.S. News & World Report.
The first website powerfully focused on Childress herself debuted, too. Often described as “stylish” and “charming, Childress has a Ph.D. in English, too. From Australia to Hong Kong. Europe, Canada, and Mexico writers saw that site and signed up.
While this CEO remained highly paid as always ($30,000-plus is routine for a ghostwritten book) while offering free 'Getting Started' courses and much-needed elevator pitch assistance to her entrepreneurial base.
A longtime supporter of women’s causes, Childress also knew Instagram audiences would be largely female – and that they would sign up for the Masterclasses, which they did. For them Childress had a unique warning: avoid “feminine writing.” “Women downplay their work. I teach them otherwise.”
The Stevie Awards chose Childress to host their 2021 webinar on corporate storytelling – to great success.
Visit www.cindychildress.com to learn more.
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