Bob and Susan Karcher
Name:
Bob and Susan Karcher
Book Title:
Who Are the Joneses Anyway?
Your book’s Amazon purchase link:
http://www.amazon.com/Who-Are-Joneses-Anyway-Becoming/dp/1630477494/
What is your book about?
At one time or another, most of us have heard the expression “keeping up with the Joneses,” referring to a legendary family that has the world trying to keep up with them. They’re mentioned in tweets, movies, newscasts, articles, blogs, books, and more. They’re mysterious. They seem to be everywhere, but no one appears to have actually met them. Why is that?
Who Are the Joneses Anyway?
You have likely heard of them, too, but have you met the Joneses? We have, and we would like to introduce them to you. We think you’ll be just as surprised as we were by who they are.
Too often we measure success by our accomplishments or the stuff we have accumulated. But life should be about so much more, like discovering who you are, why you are here, and the legacy you create.
Think of the possibilities if you started living your life more intentionally, doing more of the things that matter most, and less of everything else. Could life be less hectic? What if you spent more time doing things today that could lead to a better tomorrow, instead of just trying to survive each day? What if you could live more simply, yet more fully?
In Who Are the Joneses Anyway?, you are led on your own “Joneses Journey,” asked relevant questions, and encouraged to be brave enough to seek the answers. The real-life approach and practical resources will help you get from where you are to where you want your life to be as you begin thinking less about your “what” and more about your “who.”
What inspired you to write your book?
Our life experience provided the inspiration and background for this book. After living a certain lifestyle for a long time, and feeling like it was required to do so, we discovered there are things much more important in this world than trying to keep up with culture’s expectations.
Can you describe your writing process?
We wrote as a team. We worked first to create a clear vision and mission for our work and this book, from which we set goals we wanted to accomplish in our content and writing style. We were clear on what our message was and how we wanted to share it.
Once we had an outline we were happy with and initial research completed, we started writing, one chapter at a time. We included two rounds of beta-readers to ensure we were on the right track and connecting with our readers. Doing two rounds of this at different stages was the one most-important step that we believe helped us get to the strong product we have today.
How did you come to do what you’re doing today?
Bob has been coaching individuals and teams his entire career as an operations executive in the publishing and advertising for-profit sector and, later, the nonprofit sector. The people side of life has always driven the most fun and impact. Bob decided to make the bold decision to discover how to help others be all they can be on a full time basis. He now spends 100% of his time as an author, speaker, and coach.
Can you describe a typical day in your life?
A typical day includes scheduled opportunities to connect with others on a variety of platforms, whether it be through coaching, individual meetings, connecting, writing, and other communication channels. Mingled throughout our days are times for self-development, relaxation, family time, hobbies, and dreaming time. Nowadays, much time is devoted to the launch of our book. We wrote our book to have impact. The greater success the book achieves will directly correlate to a greater level of impact.
What do you most enjoy about what you do?
We most enjoy living out our mission: “Helping others discover who they are and why they are here so they can lead the intentional, authentic lives filled with passion and purpose they were created for.” That’s it. If we are focused on and accomplishing this, we are having a great time.
Are there any people and/or books that have inspired you along your journey?
Bob Buford and his book Halftime, as well as the organization he founded, Halftime Institute.
David Platt and his book Radical
Bill Hybels and his book Holy Discontent
Francis Chan and his book Crazy Love
Can you share something that people may be surprised to learn about you?
We are both from very large families … we each grew up in families with nine kids. Along with that, we have well over 100 first cousins between us. This large family is all we know and drives a lot of how we spend our free time.
What’s next for you?
We are launching much more than a book. We are launching an all-new effort to engage people in a dialogue and plan to launch several strategies to support this effort to include a companion discussion guide, an all-new website, blog, and podcast. Then, book #3. We are very excited.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
If you have a book inside of you, get it “on paper!” We can help.
