Founder of The Best Ever You Network and Success Strategist Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino is teaching us how to be successful in her new book, The Success Guidebook: How to Visualize, Actualize, and Amplify You. I had the privilege of interviewing Elizabeth and learning about how she achieved success and guided others to visualize, actualize, and amplify themselves to achieve success.
Inspiration for the Book
Kyle: What was the inspiration for The Success Guidebook?
CEO of The Best Ever You Network: Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino
Elizabeth: The inspiration for The Success Guidebook comes from years of working with people at Best Ever You who often seek assistance for change and success. I believe the two are closely related. People usually feel trapped by obstacles or like they are spinning their wheels for a concept of success that is mainly outdated and often feels unattainable.
Success is more than data or dollars. Instead, it is reflected in the intention and actions of being our best in each moment. I was inspired to create a book on success to help seekers, dreamers, thinkers, doers, believers, challengers, changers and those who want to be their best. The book helps people find an alignment to purpose for what they truly love and to visualize, actualize and amplify, and to see it, be it and do it to understand living a life authentically filled with endless possibilities.
The Success Guidebook helps people feel proud and valuable rather than searching and seeking thing after thing and constantly feeling less than others. I aim to help people curtail the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual disconnect that traditional measurements of success often create on many fronts.
Engaging Your Online Community
Kyle: The stories from members of The Best Ever You Network are helpful regarding motivation. How motivated were your members in supporting your work. What tips do you have to create an engaged online community?
Elizabeth: The Best Ever You Network members are just the best! Our network shows up and keeps showing up to help each other both in person and online. When we or others launch books or have other news or endeavors, we have thousands of people who will cheer us on, leave reviews, tell someone about us and more.
Tips to Engage Communities
Engaged communities take fun and work. It’s not fun to be part of a community where someone always tries to sell you something, or you feel pressured to participate. A few tips for creating an engaged community are to keep things real and ask people about their lives. Then, be careful not to divide your audience or disrupt it with issues not relevant to your topic. Keep it positive.
Relating to the Members of The Best Ever You Network
Kyle: Did you and your members find some connection or relatability with each other based on your stories? And if so, how did the connection help share said stories?
Elizabeth: Generally, most contributors know each other in one way or another through the network. However, each contributor was asked to share their story separately from anyone else’s story. As the project began to take shape, the group of contributors has been getting to know each other better. I share a connection with each contributor and look for those willing to be vulnerable with themselves and their story to show how to overcome obstacles and redefine success.
As I read the book into audiobook format, I had a moment to re-read and be re-inspired by each contributor’s story. The book features stories of 20 remarkable individuals who embody these principles, including Olympian Mitch Gaylord; the U.S. President of UPS Nando Cesarone; former professional NFL player Merril Hoge; New York Times Bestselling Author Jack Canfield; Georgetown University Baseball Head Coach Edwin Thompson; actor Michael McGlone and more.
Writing the Most Difficult Factors of Success
Kyle: Of the ten factors for success you shared in the book, which one was the most difficult to write about and why?
Elizabeth: Oddly, the last chapter was the most difficult–Celebrate. You would think that would be easy. However, I have a different idea of “Celebrate.” I lead the reader on a path of abundance, peace, and contentment. We learn to celebrate wins of all sizes and have a TOAST for success. I aim to keep the book’s momentum to the end, help readers give themselves internal high-fives and external hugs, and let their superpowers shine!
I want readers to remember that consistent personal growth, coupled with ongoing successful results, requires leveling up in the following powerful yet critical inner-character traits:
- TRUST. You have faith in yourself by living beyond your level of trauma and reducing or removing fear and wounds as an excuse not to trust.
- OPEN-MINDEDNESS. Being open to learning as new perspectives can open pathways to infinite opportunities, success and peace.
- ALIGNMENT. Connecting to our authentic self instead of our egoic self allows us to follow our heart, truth and higher energy authentically.
- SELF-WORTH means realizing that you’re enough—you always have been and always will be. It means leading with an awareness of and connection to your value, intelligence, creativity, and ability to learn in a worthy and deserving way.
- TRUTH. Embrace and face your authenticity to understand that things have happened in your life FOR you, not TO you. Be generous in sharing these lessons.
It’s finally time to overcome anything holding you back and harness the power of YOU to move forward with alignment, clarity, purpose, and incredible confidence.
The Most Fun Factor to Write
Kyle: Which factor did you have the most fun working on?
Elizabeth: That’s a tricky question! It’s a toss-up between “Chapter 1: Imagine” and “Chapter 7: Collaborate.” I had an absolute blast working on both!
“Chapter 1: Imagine” features Jesse and Emily Cole, the founders of The Savannah Bananas. I interviewed Jesse Cole for the book and my podcast and met The Savannah Bananas in person with an all-access media pass when they came to Portland, Maine.
“Chapter 7: Collaborate” shares the story of me and a group of women going to the Taylor Swift Eras tour on night one—Gillette! I will never forget those moments, and they have changed our lives.
Development of The Success Guidebook
Kyle: The exercises looked so creative! How did you come up with their designs and objectives?
Elizabeth: Anyone who knows me knows that crayons and markers aren’t too far away wherever I am. They know I am an artist who needs to keep a day job. However, I have found those who can decipher my chicken scratches and crazy sketches and turn them into actual graphics for a book. I’m very thankful to Larissa Henoch for being that person and to Jason, who has helped me with graphics on The Best Ever You for the past six years.
Kyle: There are many books about success and motivation. How did you decide which to include on your shelf?
Elizabeth: There are a ton of books, aren’t there? I choose books that resonate with my heart, and authors I know personally and who have been on my podcast. It’s great to hear these authors speak and learn about their books.
I tend to skip over books about making money and success, so those won’t be on the shelf. I have everything Jack Canfield and Dr. Ivan Misner wrote memorized, and those books are featured on my shelves. In addition, I think Gary Laney does a great job with his books and messages.
I also tend to trust certain publishers, such as HCI. I know the team making the decisions on which books to publish. They have a perfect pulse and sense of what is needed in the world.
Understanding your Target Audience
Kyle: Who is your target audience, and what helped you understand what they needed and wanted?
Elizabeth: I don’t write for a target audience. I like to see where the book goes and who needs it. It always amazes me. I’ve had people of all ages and places read my books, which makes me happiest. The covers and content of my books are designed intentionally so that anyone can read them.
Advice for Self-Help Writing & Writers
Kyle: Do you have any advice for writing a self-help book or guidebook?
Elizabeth: My advice for writing a self-help book is to understand the process of writing a book like this. We’ve got some Author Boost videos on my YouTube channel that can help at any stage. Overall, I love to see people write something they know and can talk about in front of a crowd without notes. Also, the purpose of the book—if you dream of having a book that acts as a calling card booster, if you want to become a New York Times Bestselling author, or somewhere in between.
Kyle: Do you have any advice for self-help writers who may struggle to achieve success? How can they prioritize themselves before helping others?
Elizabeth: I think just about everyone in any creative industry personally struggles with their definition and actions around the topic of success. We ask ourselves, “Are we reaching enough people?” “Are we selling enough books?” and on and on…
It is essential to feel whole and enough, and creating a practice that focuses on gratitude and compassion for yourself and others is essential. Rooting in these practices and the factors of success in the book will help you maintain a healthy perspective throughout your life in all endeavors.
Publishing Advice & Process
Kyle: Can you share a bit about the publishing process? You’ve worked with the same publisher before. What is that relationship like, and what makes for a fulfilling publishing relationship?
Elizabeth: My first book, PERCOLATE—Let Your Best Self Filter Through, was published by Hay House. My book coach, Lisa Tener, also assisted me in becoming an author for the first time. I was all over the place, LOL.
A considerable number of years passed between 2014 when PERCOLATE was published, and The Change Guidebook—How to Align Your Heart, Truths, and Energy to Find Success in All Areas of Your Life. I also moved from Hay House to HCI. My agent is Steve Harris, who lives in New York.
I cherish everyone at HCI, and we are like family now.
Kyle: Any publishing advice for our readers?
Elizabeth: The most significant thing people overlook about traditional publishing is the time it takes from idea to book release. It can take from 1-3 years. Self-publishing becomes a viable option for those without an agent. Those who don’t want to wait that long to see their book published.
Whichever route you choose, professional editing, front and back cover design, and a marketing budget are essential if you want to reach your readers. If you are a self-publisher, you need to act like a general contractor and hire the pros to get the job done.
Marketing The Success Guidebook
Kyle: How have you been marketing your book? What are you doing to reach readers?
Elizabeth: We started marketing The Success Guidebook several months before its release. I love the website successguidebook.com, which offers gifts with purchases. And we have an extensive online conference called Breakthrough to Your Best Success from June 11-15, 2024. The event is free when you order a book.
Getting the Foreword for Your Book
Kyle: Who wrote the foreword for your book?
Elizabeth: The foreword is written by Sophia A. Nelson. She is someone I admire and know personally—a bestselling author who wrote The Women Code and Be the One You Need. You’ll see her as a regular guest on CNN. So, when you read the foreword, you’ll be inspired to keep reading. Sophia doesn’t sugarcoat success; I think readers will relate to that!
About the Author
Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino is the Founder of The Best Ever You Network, bestselling author, and Success Strategist focused on change, success, gratitude, and helping people be their best. Her famous “4-4-4 Newsletter” is sent weekly to thousands of subscribers. Elizabeth and her husband of over twenty-five years, Peter, have four adult sons, three rescued cats, and two dogs. They can often be found in Maine in their gardens, pool, raking leaves, or, depending on the season, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. You can learn more about Elizabeth at https://www.elizabethguarino.com/mediakit.
For information about her book, you can visit https://www.successguidebook.com/about-the-book.
