‘Tis the season of making gift lists, double checking who’s been naughty or nice, and running around like a headless chicken making sure that the holiday season goes smoothly! That’s why we decided to Interview the author of 25 Tips to Stressing Down for the Holidays. Besides the calming (and funny) advice given by Ms. Franz, she also offers some tips about marketing your book during the holiday season. So, take a break from your hectic December and read on…

1. Why did you decide to write your book?

So many of the tips books assume that you have a perfect family and the only problem you have is how to double your almond crescent recipe. In the real world we have drunks, co-dependents and teens with attitude. I decided to write a group of tips that would be funny and help people with the real stressors of the Holidays.

2. How much research did you do to come up with the tips, were any of them from personal experiences?

I am a corporate trainer, certified in Myers-Briggs and trained in Non-Violent Communication with Marshall Rosenberg. I am hired to talk to staff about their Holiday stress while they try to finish year-end projects. My expertise tells me that today’s executives know how to produce and effectively communicate at work, but when they get home they can be run over by snarky relatives and old-style expectations.

Many of the solutions I suggest come from my personal experiences. For instance, one year I was working long hours into the evenings in December. I decided to make the old fashioned Gingerbread cookie house out of prepackaged cookies. No one even noticed. That was a three hour savings and about $10.00 saved in ingredients. And so my quest for time and money savings began. Another big time saver is gift bags and shopping online.

3. How influential do you think the tips have been for people? Have you heard feedback from readers who used the tips and were successful?

Yes, I have heard back and the main thing people are talking about is how great it is to know that they weren’t the only ones who were feeling pressured into unreal expectations. There are 3 expectations that create stress for working parents.

1. The expectation that you can create your Grandmother’s Holiday. The reality is she started in September, had many family helpers and a bigger budget if you consider everyone pitched in.
   
   
2. The expectation that dysfunctional families will for one week, or one day, or one hour…sober up, straighten up and get along. Not going to happen. Add to all those years of dysfunction close quarters, sleeping on the fold-out “ouch” couch, and sharing a bathroom with six other people, and well, that rarely increases the odds of ‘best practices’ behavior breaking out all over the place.
   
   
3. The expectation that money can buy happiness (and heal deep wounds that deserve an apology and new behavior). Listen to the ads; If you give a woman diamonds she’ll know you love her. No, bud, if you get off the porn sites she’ll know you love her. HELLO! Or “Nothing says lovin’ like something from the oven”…unless it’s not running up debt and going to ‘your AA meeting’.
   
   

The point is we expect too much of ourselves and others for our own good. No one thinks ‘magic and mistletoe’ will change things at the workplace. I wonder what happens to us when the holidays come. Maybe we’re like the trees, all the sap starts running when it gets colder outside.

4. How have you marketed your booklet so far? Have you marketed it towards a female or family audience?

This is for men and women, especially for anyone who is in charge of making the holidays bright. I have placed an ad in Radio and TV Interview Reports, which has meant I have been interviewed on about 15 radio stations thus far across the country. I have also featured the Tips Booklet as a FREE giveaway for anyone who wants to go to: www.Babyboomertalkradio.com. Once there all you need to do is go to the Boomer Boutique (top menu bar), scroll down and click on the title, Stressing Down for the Holidays. It’s free because it’s a fun way to get to know me, my radio show and my other books.

5. What do you think is the most important when it comes to writing and marketing your booklet?

The first is to tie your ideas into a Holiday or theme. Write what others are looking for. Next, figure out how your audience receives their media. I wrote this booklet for busy career people. It had to be online and downloadable. Also, making shorter works FREE means people can sample your work and pass it on and you’ll get more exposure for when you want to sell other larger work.

6. What was most challenging for you?

Editing. I can never edit my own work. I’ve swapped editing with other writers. It’s a good way to get top rate editing from people who will tell you what doesn’t work. That is the best! If you are a new writer here’s a hint: Unless you are married to someone who works at Trident book agency, NEVER let anyone you are related to see a rough draft. They will either sugar coat their displeasure or cut you into ribbons and not the kind that goes on a holiday package.

7. If you could only give the readers one tip for the holidays, what would it be?

That’s pretty easy. Fill the next 31 days with gratitude. Before you eat breakfast, lunch, dinner or a bag of cheese doodles, stop and think of three (persons, places, or) things you are glad are in your life. That should be about 3 X 5=15 things a day. If you are a perfectionist, I will remind you I did not say 3 perfect things. Be thankful for an old washing machine to use, a beater car to drive, a bus to ride. Be thankful for a plant, a song you love to sing, or a person who cares about you. Gratitude is known to improve health, happiness and well-being. Also, it is highly contagious and the price is right.

We would like to extend our gratitude to Sally for taking the time out of her busy schedule to speak with us and pass along some great holiday advice. For more information about Sally Franz, and her book, visit www.BabyBoomerTalkRadio.Com

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