Ballsy | TotalPicture Radio - The First Podcast for Career Advancement, Employment Trends, Recruiting, and Leadership Development

Ballsy

Monday, 19 June 2006

Ballsy - This Woman Has ‘Em, With Energy to Spare

Karen Salmansohn

“The purpose of your life is to find and do the purpose of your life.” Karen Salmansohn

Karen Salmansohn is a best-selling author, career coach and motivational speaker with 28 published books, Including How to Be Happy, Dammit and How to Succeed in Business Without a Penis.

In our exclusive 21 minute interview, Karen says more, and more succinctly, than most people can say in three hours - or maybe three weeks. If she writes anywhere near as fast as she talks, it’s no wonder she’s been able to write - and get published - 22 of her books in just 4 years! Her latest book is titled, Ballsy - 99 ways to Grow a Bigger Pair and Score Extreme Business Success. (HOW Books, 2006). Tip #39 from her book; “Hunt Your Own Head. Never depend solely on headhunters or agents for work. Nobody has as much self-interest in your success as you do." I’m sure you’ve heard that New Yorkers talk fast. Well here’s a prime-time example.

21 min:

Download Now!

“If at first you don’t succeed, you’re doing something stupid.” - Tip #6

About Karen Salmansohn
Source: The FAQ section of Karen's website

In the late 1980's early 1990's while I was still in advertising I began freelancing for all the major TV networks as a consultant and image promotion creative director, coming up with those cool little 30-second filmettes that come up in between videos or TV shows...or try to excite you to watch specific TV shows. I built up relationships with all the networks that allowed me to feel safe that I'd have freelance work when I left my ad job...then I left my ad job. I worked for MTV, Nickelodeon, Lifetime, VH-1, Comedy Central, ABC. FOX, CBS, NBC, E!, CNBC...pick a bunch of letters, any letters, I worked for them all ... and won lots of awards.

Because I had my foot in the door in the image consulting department, I was able to walk down the hall to the TV development department...and soon enough I got a TV development deal with Nickelodeon for an original show idea (called Welcome to Now) in 1993 ...the same year my novel came out.

Then in 1995 I got a TV development deal with MTV (for an original show called Talk Girl). Next came 3 books, two of the three instant best sellers.

Next I sold my novel to Miramax in 1996 to be a movie starring Marissa Tomei. Then in 1997-1999 I sold an original TV pilot idea to FOX (called What If) and an original TV pilot idea to NBC (called He Said, She Corrected Him) and got a TV development deal with Miramax to come up with reality TV shows.

Then sometime in 1999 I returned back to NY to pursue more packaged books and wound up selling 22 books from 2000-2004, with 7 books and one perfume (called Unavailable sold to a super cool company called Blue Q) all coming out in the year 2003.

In between I also continued to make money as an image consultant, not only for the TV networks (helping Oxygen, in particular, during their first big toe dipping into the water beginnings) but also being hired by a lot of beauty companies like Revlon, L'Oreal and Avon...doing all sort of creative consulting, including coming up with names for products (like Pleasantly Plum or Pinkorrigible!).

Anyway, that's just the tip of "my career story" iceberg.

Basically, people who know me are always telling me, "Karen, geez, you are sooo disciplined." But I'll let you in on a little secret. It isn't discipline that keeps me working long hours . . . it's passion. (Oh, and coffee.) It's like this: Because I love what I do, I don't mind doing it, and so I keep on doing it . . . and doing it . . . so I get a lot done!

Resources:
Karen’s Website