Dr. Michael Provitera, DBA, is the President of Motivational Leadership Training, an executive leadership training business. His books and training program, Level Up Leadership, Mastering Self-Motivation, Transformational Leadership, and his latest book The Pandemic Strikes Home, are the impetus behind Motivational Leadership Training.
In his leadership, Mike blends his experience as an executive in the financial industry, leadership trainer, and university professor of leadership, and entrepreneur. Mike has been featured on Podcasts around the world, local television, and is quoted by many leading reporters representing a vast array of social media.
- Executive Leadership Training: The City of North Miami – A six-session 18-hour certification program
- Leadership Development: A Community Event featuring a new 3-hour Leadership Certificate Program in Hollywood Florida – 1600 Home Community
What is it about you Mike and how did you end up writing a book?
My mom worked at a college in my neighborhood, and as a young boy, I was living the college dream. She encouraged me to visit the campus, go to plays, homecomings, and I fell in love with the college campus.
When I met my first mentor, Dr. DiPaolo, at The City University of New York, I got inspired to not only develop a vast business savvy and practical understanding of management under his leadership but also an active acting discipline. I ended up double majoring in management and marketing based on his suggestion.
My minor in economics was my impetus to get my first junior executive job. Right out of college, Merrill Lynch, a huge investment bank, hired me, which is why I pursued my MBA in Finance. Leaving Wall Street to be a professor and management consulting was a good mix for me, allowing me to use my business acumen and academic rigor to light up the training platform.
In 2000, when I became a Doctor of Business Administration, I founded Motivational Leadership Training.
I often joke that I am a triple threat — executive by trade, academic by nature, and consultant through practice. Motivational Leadership Training was my passion for writing in my field: Motivation and Leadership. I noticed that when people were promoted to leadership positions that they had very little training. I saw this as a failure. That is exactly why I wrote my first book, Mastering Self-Motivation, to fill a gap between going from staff to supervisor.
When I began training executives in leadership, I focused on six factors, which became the impetus for my recent book Level Up Leadership, which encourages leaders to reach forward, reach back, and inspire everyone that they encounter. When I lost my wife in 2019, I found a reason to write more creatively to help my children deal with the current pandemic, which led to The Pandemic Strikes Home, a book about living, managing, and surviving the COVID-19.
While I’ have always liked to write journal articles, each book came about naturally as if they were ingrained in me from birth. I was writing articles to support my field and encourage growth in my students and clients, and I ended up having more to offer in the form of book writing.
With my children’s book, my daughter Janet at ten years old wrote some awesome poems, I told her that her poems could be a book and encouraged her to write more. She wrote four and then had to return to her school studies. I wrote our first book with her based on those poems titled “Happy Go Lucky.”
What do you hope your readers take away from your books?
I would like readers to develop a passion for life. Giving them the impetus to be what they were meant to be with no holds barred. To help others while developing themselves.
Leaders must make decisions that influence their lives but more importantly, the decisions they make impact everyone around them too. My focus on motivating people has been extremely successful not only in terms of accomplishments, but also in terms of promotion and being in a position to help the community, their families, and the poor. Motivated employees produce great leaders, so I would love my readers to spread the love and start their own practice to help their followers.
I am a firm believer that people are entitled to success, success is imminent, and all you have to do is go out and get it. Setting stretch goals, going on strengths, and securing opportunities is my motto. Actually, a motto I use often is “Give the store away and you will always have customers willing to buy.” This idea is enfolded in my free workbooks, my philanthropic work with the orphans in Tanzania, Eastern Africa, and in my free trainings that I do in the community.
The knowledge in my books are inexpensive – they cost practically nothing. Happy Go Lucky offers entrepreneur ideas. Mastering Self-Motivation offers a motivational mindset. Level Up Leadership gives an entire platform for creating a training organization for the price of the books. As long as the reader is motivated to take time and put energy and the wherewithal into developing themselves, it can transform not only any environment, but also an entire village.
What are the top three tools you are currently using to write, publish, and promote your books?
LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and appearing on podcasts have been the most helpful in terms of promoting my books. Being the editor for a leading publisher has pushed my books into the hands of leaders across the globe.
Business Expert Press is in Harvard Libraries to local colleges. From the start of my charge as an editor, I signed renowned authors such as Jim Clawson and Michael Edmondson. A new book about to hit the shelves is going to be another big seller titled “Best Boss.”
The beauty of social media is that I can manage my own presence while building upon others. I call it circular reasoning. Reporters contact me, I am quoted, and then I publish their work across social media. It works like a charm. I do have a niche market, but why stop there. If I can help someone in any discipline become a better leader, why not reach out and help him or her become the best they can be.
I love marketing, and I feel it is probably the most powerful tool in the business, but mastering social media is free and just takes time each day to reach an abundance of people. My press releases have still resonated with the public eye, and I am happy to help people prosper.
Were there any mistakes you made publishing your book what did you learn from it them?
Luckily, I have been learning as I developed my publicity platform. The biggest mistake I made was that I paid excessively much for my first book cover and the inside flap. Once I learned the trade, I was able to develop the content, pay for a cover, and move to the next project.
I have three or four books that I am working on right now. One will have the post-pandemic highlighted to help us all recover from such a devastating time in our history.
When will you consider your book a success?
Personally, any book published is a success to the person writing it. Books are not supposed to be a career breaker but a career-enhancer. I run a seminar for executives and sell books in the back of the room. Offer it upfront with the price of doing business.
Books are extended business cards. Take Amazon, for instance, a book can be at 2.5 million on the bestseller list. Sell five in one day, and it is in the top 500. Then there is the bookstore. Getting in a bookstore is advantageous, but it usually is not going to make or break a book’s success.
When you are considered an expert by anyone but yourself, your book is a success. Building a better world in which we live and work is what a book should do. Whether it be a novel, business book, how-to-book, self-help, or autobiography, it has to help someone somewhere. A book on your desk is impressive. Top leaders ask followers what book they are reading. They had better have an answer, and it had better be good.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
Nay Sayers. I do not feel that anyone should ever hold another person back from achieving his or her destiny. There are always going to be critics. Faster writers, better-connected people, rich pockets for publicity. A typical book publicity program costs $5,000 per month or six weeks and it is worth it. People with connections and money can succeed in the book-selling business. However, I did not let money hold me back, and you should never let that challenge hold you back.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before publishing your book?
Time is of the essence. Do not waste time thinking about it. Just do it. Set up a schedule and jump in. Start with an outline or no outline. Begin with the end in mind. Create chapters. Take notes. Carry a recorder. Interview everyone. Anyone can be a great source of the material. I really wish I started earlier. My daughter wrote her first book at ten years old. That was not too young. Create a mindset of goodwill and just go for it.
Can you share some of the marketing techniques that have worked for you when promoting your book?
My idea of giving the store away is probably my best idea yet. People can literally get information free today. Buying books is a luxury. People usually buy a book because they like the author or they want to give it away or impress someone.
Sometimes, a book is read and handed down throughout a hallway of people. If everyone reads it, the author is lucky. Some authors offer the first book free to build a following. Once someone reads one of your books, they will probably read all of them. Continue to support a network of scholars, practitioners, authors, and people in and around the same business.
I love being connected with editors, production teams, marketers, reporters, publicity experts, and podcasters. You really have to make yourself available to the public eye.
If you had the chance to start your career over again what would you do differently?
I probably would have lived in a big city. When I look at my history, I enjoyed the small-town feeling. I liked having neighbors and communities that are similar. Success happens in big city living. Finding the best fit for you at the right age is the best way to start, keep, and finish a career.
My second career idea is to live where you like to vacation. When I realized this, I began to really enjoy my career. Imagine working and living where you like to vacation.
If you only had 1000 dollars to promote a new book, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
I would send 1,000$ worth of books to Tanzania, Eastern Africa. My work with the orphans there will never cease. They are such wonderful children, and they need people like me to help them read, learn, grow, and live a nice life.
What is your best piece of advice for aspiring and new authors?
Never give up. Begin with the end in mind. Just one idea can make you a fortune. If you think about it hard enough and long enough and do not do it, then someone else will. Write. Write articles, blogs, tweets, posts, books, journals, white papers. Cross over.
My biggest fun is writing for children. However, my biggest success is writing for executives. Why stop there. From a child coloring a book to the C-Suite, writing needs to come naturally to you. Write when the spirit moves you. On planes, in the back yard, in the kitchen, under a fireplace, when it snows, rains, with candles, with a lover. Write.
How can we get in touch with you?
I would love to connect with readers at my website docprov.com – you can find me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If you want to send a direct message, email me at docprov@msn.com.
Author Interview: Diane Helbig, Author of Succeed Without Selling
