Michele Howe Clarke

An Interview with Michele Howe Clarke: Author, Poet, Entrepreneur & Cancer Survivor  

Sylvia: Hi Michele, it is such a pleasure to interview you.  Please give our readers a brief introduction of yourself and a little about your book. 

Michele: Thank you Sylvia. My name is Michele Howe Clarke and I became a thriver through my life-transforming experience with head and neck cancer.  This crisis led me on a spiritual journey I share in my book: “Face Forward: Meeting Challenges Head on in Times of Trouble” which help readers do just that!

I am a MBA and with nearly two decades of experience in investment banking, I am also a seasoned real estate investor, a serial entrepreneur, and a dedicated writer and poet. My lifelong love of learning has led me to countless hours of study in Self Help/Inspiration/Motivation to develop resources that will allow you to transform your life into one of brilliance. My Receive Believe message for all is – “Ask, then allow yourself to Receive and Believe you can. Your choice holds your power – constructively decide and step into your brilliance!”

 

Sylvia: Exactly what do you do as a Certified Cancer Thriver?

Michele: A Certified Cancer Thriver is someone who has demonstrated that even when thrown in the brambles the will continue to grow and prosper.  Life sometimes certifies one by the trials they have navigated successfully.

 

Sylvia:  So true! What inspired you to write your first book?

Michele: There is not much out there giving inspiration for those facing cancer.  I am a Certified Cancer Thriver and will flourish no matter the choice by being proactively attractive. My goal is help open that ‘thrive space’ for others so they can free up their lives with choices and begin living their best life now.

 

Sylvia: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Michele: Receive Believe –Be proactively attractive, flip your script and make the thrive choice!  We all can stand our power and step into our brilliance, by mastering the art of vibrational alignment.

 

Sylvia: How does one make the ‘thrive choice?’ 

Michele: When I speak of the thrive choice, I mean that we remember not to forget that you are a powerful creator in your life.  Your focus holds your power, when you actively decide and act on what you want you are creating a way for yourself to Face Forward.

 

Sylvia: Very interesting! Do you have any advice for other writers?

Michele:  Please let your light shine and release your words for others to share in. There is so much opportunity to get your voice out there from word press blogs to article writing to eBooks to self-publishing. Believe in yourself release your gift for the world to be enhanced.

 

Sylvia: What marketing techniques have you used to sell your books and which ones have been most successful?

Michele: My book was published in March 2012. We are doing radio interviews, author blog tour, writing a blog, hosting a teleseminar series, and speaking to small audiences, print reviews, partner campaigns, Joint Ventures… and much more to come!  So far I would put Joint Venturing at the top of list.

 

Sylvia: Why should we buy your book?

Michele: The book is a resource, first it shines light with a living example of swinging the odds in your favor and then backs it with practical tools that you can start using today to improve your perspective, stand in your power and step into your brilliance.

 

Sylvia: Is there a special place that you prefer when you write?

Michele: I like to write in the country, but I am a city girl, so I can get into the flow by listening to baroque classical or mantras. I am a late night writer as I have two children and one is a toddler.

 

Sylvia: What projects are you currently working on?

Michele: We are focused on the emerging ReceiveBelieve community of thrivers who are proactively attracting their best life now. We are focused on providing ever current best practices and tools to our community.

I am working on a facilitator coaching program based in Face Forward the book. It a train the trainer program by which allowing coaches to have a platform to deal with a deep level of immediate crisis. It also provides coaches with a core program for new coaches to begin their coaching business.

 

Sylvia: What is your POWER WORD? THRIVE! Why this word?

Michele: To thrive is to prosper in any situation, to be able to flourish and grow to your full potential, enjoy your true abundance.

 

Sylvia: Share with us “Face Forward: The Story?”  

Michele: When I turned 33, I was 40 days into living with head and neck cancer. The right side of my face drooped down: slack and paralyzed. My reality was distorted. The appearance of my savaged face was shocking. My right facial nerves were cut out from deep within the facial muscle. My ‘right’ face now sagged. It was sacrificed for my chance to live.

I was gifted with an abrupt ending so that I could begin again from scratch. I shed layers of wasted self like the skin of an onion being peeled away. If I wanted a future I had to control my thoughts, today and every day. When all this was taken away, I believed a new beginning had to be found. I turned inward to discover that I was the source of all things. With my purpose rediscovered I began to Face Forward. 

 

Sylvia: This is such a powerful testimony… one of survival and kicking the odds in the butt!  I commend your strength, your spirit… your passion to reach out and connect with others.  Who was your source of strength during the times you didn’t feel so strong?  

Michele: I would listen to my heart and know that I was connected to all living things.  I would focus on that love that emanated from my heart beat reminding me that I had a choice.  I met myself where I was with compassion and love but fueled it with a passionate proactive choice to be present. I owned my authentic No and Yes and used it liberally in my life.  I chose to look for inspiration and remind myself that me fully expressed was a gift so I was okay if I had a bad day. I learned to lean on forgiveness in times of trouble; in forgiving I opened myself to gratitude. I valued myself enough to ask for what I needed.  I also allowed myself to image myself as I wished.

 

Sylvia: Michele, wow, you are such an inspiration to all women. Thank you for sharing your story with us.  How can my readers learn more or buy your book?  

Michele: Thank you Sylvia. My contact information is below:

Website: http://faceforwardbook.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FaceForwardBook
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/michelehclarke
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/FaceForwardthebook