Name: Margery Miller 
Book Title: Great Girls Network Series: Confessions of a Recovering Helpaholic
Your book’s Amazon purchase link:
Great Girls Network Series: Confessions of a Recovering Helpaholic
What is your book about?
From the book description on Amazon: If you have any sense that you may be a helpaholic, this book is definitely for you! The author takes a 12-step approach to help you understand why you do what you do and the steps you need to take to start setting boundaries and making yourself a priority in your own life. For example, you’ll learn the importance of proactively waiting, how to actively receive, and how to do things differently, so you only do what you love! It’s time to be kinder to yourself, so start reading!
What inspired you to write your book?
Years of experience as an executive and personal life coach (45 years), plus my added experience of running a successful business for 29 years and spending the last 33 years also doing business consulting—all of these at much of the same time! I have had to learn the hard way what works and doesn’t work for me, and am pleased to share the wisdom I have accumulated along with honest descriptions of how I learned it.
Can you describe your writing process?
I’m an inspirational writer, not a journey-man writer. I write when I feel inspired to share. I feel like I am having a conversation with the reader, so I guess you would say my style and process are very personal. Once if have thought through basic ideas, they seem to flow out of my fingers at the computer. For this reason, I truly love writing and am thrilled to have this outlet for creativity.
How did you come to do what you’re doing today?
I started studying metaphysics in 1970, just before I went to school to become a Montessori teacher. That education enabled me to become an inspired business leader, so when I joined a family business in 1977, I utilized Montessori principles and my cosmic viewpoint to build a business where, as the employees grew, so did the business and vice versa. I had already been doing coaching on the side since 1973, and I added business consulting in 1985. By 1992 I was able to average 4 to 10 hours a week in my sales agency, and spent the rest of the time coaching and consulting with an international clientele, along with continuing my study of metaphysics. When two of my sales guys wanted to buy me out in 2006, I realized it was the best thing for the business, so at the fairly young age of 59 I “retired” from my manufacturers’ sales agency and began to devote full time to coaching and consulting through PeopleBiz Inc. (my company). I spent a few years working part time in NYC as the Executive Coach of the Make Mine a Million $ Business program, before coming back home full time to Dallas to assist in the care of my mother who was gravely ill. Once I got her on her feet and into a retirement community, I continued my coaching and consulting, also joined Social Venture Partners in Dallas where I became deeply involved in growing that organization plus assisting non-profits in creating more business-oriented processes to expand their capacity. I took in a foster child in 2014 and spent the next 4 years raising her from 11 to 15 ½, until she decided to leave. That sharply curtailed my outside business activities, so I mostly coached people and now do less business consulting. During that period, I created the Great Girls Network to enable women from all walks of life to build more meaningful networks and expand their horizons. The age span of that group is 20s to 70s and we are now a thriving, growing organization. Once we created a website for GGN, I started writing blogs again as I had previously done on my PeopleBiz website, and this book actually came from what became a series of 12 blogs on helpaholism. The response was so positive, I decided to put it in book form, hired an editor and published it on Amazon.
We call it the Great Girls Network Series because I already have 3 more books in the works to follow up this first one. So today, my time is devoted to my own continuing personal development work, coaching clients, writing and enjoying time with friends and family.
Can you describe a typical day in your life?
I get to sleep in if I don’t have early appointments, so I go to bed around 11 or 12. When I wake up, I spend time meditating, thinking about things I’ve been working on. Lately I’ve been reading inspirational books in the mornings. I am on the Plant Paradox diet so I usually just drink water all morning. I do some basic exercises to get my neurotransmitters in gear, then I either get ready to go out for appointments or I work at my computer, catching up on emails, trying to relate to the social media demands of GGN, etc. Sometime after noon I make a green smoothie, then may sit down and write for a while, or run errands, or talk to friends on the phone. I am so grateful to be 71 and not live by a demanding schedule. Once I am on fire with ideas, I find I have to sit down and write, I just don’t force myself to do it. By midafternoon, unless I’ve had a lunch appointment, I make a really healthy meal, then go back to my office and work on things. By 6:30 or so, I’m usually ready to wind down, so I may go out with friends, watch some TV or continue reading. I love time alone, I love time with friends—I especially love to make dinner for a friend then sit and visit after. I take the Dallas Morning News and usually get around to reading the parts that interest me by sometime in the evening when I’m watching TV. I like to work crossword puzzles while I watch TV so I have a stack available for that. Somehow the time really goes each day, which makes my life feel really full.
What do you most enjoy about what you do?
That I get to do only what I love to do every day.
Are there any people and/or books that have inspired you along your journey?
Probably too many to mention, so I’ll try to name some of them: Angeles Arrien: The Four Fold Way; Thomas More: Care of the Soul and Soul Mates; Ann Patchett: This Is The Story of a Happy Marriage; Brene Brown: Dare to Lead; Daring Greatly; Rising Strong; David Whyte: Crossing the Unknown Sea; Don Miguel Ruiz: The Four Agreements; Nell Merlino: Stepping Out of Line: Lessons for Women Who Want It Their Way; Michael A. Singer: The Untethered Soul; John G. Neihardt: Black Elk Speaks; Kahlil Gibran: The Prophet; Carl Hiaasen: just about everything he’s ever written!; Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey: A Woman of Independent Means; Life Sentences; Joanna’s Husband and David’s Wife; Elizabeth George: just about everything she’s ever written; Susan Isaacs: just about everything she’s ever written; Jennifer Weiner: just about everything she’s ever written….. I could go on……
And people? Michelle and Barak Obama; Hillary Clinton; Maya Angelou; Oprah Winfrey; Angeles Arrien; Brene Brown; Meryl Streep; Barbara Jordan; Ruth Bader Ginsberg…. I could go on……
Can you share something that people may be surprised to learn about you?
I was once wanted by the FBI for incitement to riot (during the student radical days of the late 60s)
What’s next for you?
Keep growing Great Girls Network; keep working on this series of books; stay open for new adventures! And keep working with clients that really want to grow and change.
Is there anything else you would like to add? I am grateful to find NFAA, as the Dallas chapter seems really active and will be very helpful in expanding my writing. So thank you for existing!
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