FALL BACK TO READING SERIES – Featuring Susan Friesen

 

This year, as the seasons change and we enjoy fall, I’ve launched my FALL BACK TO READING SERIES. The series will feature two dozen leadership and marketing experts, who will share their inspiration in both fiction and nonfiction, and hopefully, provide the impetus to read more. To quote New York Times Bestselling author Kristin Harmel, “If you give a person a book, you give him the world.” For today’s post, I’d like to introduce Susan Friesen.

Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of British Columbia’s premiere boutique web development and digital marketing agency, eVision Media. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she’s an expert in helping businesses to establish their online presence and create a strong brand identity. Her passion for empowering female entrepreneurs to succeed in the digital world has earned her a reputation as a leading authority in the marketing industry.

QUESTION: Which three business books have made the biggest impact on your career?
SUSAN FRIESEN: Over my career, I've read hundreds of books and I have found the "how to" books are great, but the personal development ones are even better. A lot of business success relies on having a healthy relationship with our inner thoughts.

Here are my top 3 recommendations:
[1] For mental health: The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed on Your Own Terms by Vishen Lakhiani.
[2] For personal branding: Dressing Your Truth: Discover Your Type of Beauty by Carol Tuttle.
[3] For Business Systems: The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber.

QUESTION: Who is your favorite author, and why?
SUSAN FRIESEN: I love reading Mark Schaefer's books. He has excellent insights into marketing and how we need to position our brands in order to be relevant and capture the interest of those we want to work with. Whenever he writes a new book, I'm one of the first to buy! I have copious notes and quotes on all of his books that I love to share to whomever will listen.

QUESTION: What book did you read in high school or college that, to this day, you still remember vividly, and why?
SUSAN FRIESEN: I loved reading Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I was fascinated by her unwavering point of view on capitalism and how it's not as evil as many make it out to be, with exceptions, of course! I should probably read it again, now that I have a deeper understanding of the book's concept. But I DO know that it helped me to understand that running my own business was a great path to take – so that I could guide my own destiny and fulfill a purpose that is meaningful to me.

QUESTION: Do you intersperse fiction with your business reading? If yes, what was the last work of fiction that you read, and what caught your attention about it?
SUSAN FRIESEN: Not in a long time! I find reading fiction hard to read. There is only so much time in a day, and I want to make the most of it so am always reading books either in the self-help, health, business, or marketing genres.

In saying that, my favourite nonfiction books are The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. I was glued to them in my younger years. I loved the storyline of a modern woman living 200 years ago and what she had to do to cope in that day and age. And of course, the romance – how can one not love Jamie! I never read them all but am thoroughly enjoying the TV series based on the books now!

QUESTION: If you created a nonprofit organization to promote reading to children and young adults, what would you name it, and why?
SUSAN FRIESEN: Ooh, good question! How about something like "Pages of Wonder," so it would appeal to those who love to explore their natural wonderment of the world? The pages would be in reference to reading a book while facilitating imagination in a positive and uplifting way.

SHARE THIS: Pages of Wonder would be in reference to reading a book while facilitating imagination in a positive and uplifting way. ~@eVisionMedia #BrandName #DebbieLaskeysBlog

My gratitude to Susan for participating in this year’s fall back to reading series and for sharing her inspiring recommendations!

Image Credit: Asterisk Kwon via Wordswag.

Connect with Susan at these links:
Website: https://eVisionMedia.ca
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susan.evisionmedia/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evisionmedia/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eVisionMedia
Free Branding Gift: https://www.facebook.com/eVisionMedia

Check out Susan’s previous appearances here on my blog:

Digital Engagement Tips to Attract Customers and Fans (November 2022)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2022/11/digital-engagement-tips-to-attract.html

The Importance of Brand Identity (November 2021)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2021/11/the-importance-of-brand-identity.html