Allsorts

“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears”

Les Brown

I decided to chuck my fear of rejection out the window and ask Jo Seagar to write the forword for my book. Jo was a NZ tv cooking icon who gained her reputation in the 90’s with a cooking show with a liking for the “easy peazy” approach. My book had a cooking bent with how I mastered “cooking without looking” as well as a recipe for my infamous truffles at the back of the book  so – when I thought of who in the cooking industry I would like to write my forword she was my first choice.

I emailed her. A week later I got a response saying “jo was interested” and could I supply more. After many phone conversations and emails to her PA Lyn, I opened my inbox two days before the book’s deadline, to an email containing a forword from Jo herself. Not only had she read the book and written the foreword but she had also loved the book. I was blown away.

A week later I got to give my thanks in person as my sister and I attended her chocolate demonstration in Dunedin as part of our annual chocolate festival. As we queued up at the end of her performance I could hear a voice saying “is that Julie?” Jo’s eyes had spotted me and my ears her.

As I approached Jo she bounded forward and I was greeted with the sound of “mwa” “mwa” with her landing a kiss on both of my cheeks! She clutched me to her bosom and we separated ourselves from each other.

“Thank you so much for writing my magnificent forword” I spluttered..

“We’ll be seeing more of you Julie” she stated.  

And then without further announcement she said

“And this is just the beginning”

I stood flabbergasted. Not only was Jo Seagar communicating her belief in me but the words she had used were more than familiar to me.

They were also the words of the last dedication in my book from one of my 78 sponsors. The words read “And this is only the beginning – Ron Esplin”

Thank you Jo, Thank you Ron.

”Risking a ’no’ is better than risking nothing”

Julie Woods
Professional speaker and coach