From Rookie to Rainmaker and Over the Rainbow

Lesley Waterkeyn together with her sister Sandy van Dijk published an easy-to-follow reference guide for all those “what-ifs” experienced along the entrepreneurial gauntlet—from startup phase and on. We asked her more about her new book, The Entrepreneur’s Playbook: From Rookie to Rainmaker in Seven Steps.

You recently released the book The Entrepreneur’s Playbook: From Rookie to Rainmaker in Seven Steps. Apart from startup owners and rookies, who can benefit from your book?

It’s geared to all entrepreneurs in any stage of their business journey. We cover seven stages (seven colors), and each stage can be applied depending on where the entrepreneur is in the lifecycle of his or her business. From finding your passion and tackling marketing, to best practices in sales, leadership and finance—there is something for everyone, no matter what country your business is in or what stage you’re in.

How did you arrive at these seven steps?

We used the seven colors of the rainbow to explain the different stages of a business journey. Everyone knows that the pot of gold is at the end of the rainbow, but we believe the pot of gold is within you. You just need to unlock it.

Red: Find your passion, find your true north and live the life you were meant to.

Orange: Your marketing plan—how to build your promise, create credibility and trust for your brand.

Yellow: Sales—commit to action, back yourself and do whatever it takes.

Green: Cash in on your passion—make money doing what you love.

Blue: Leadership—think forward, create value and thrive.

Indigo: Your business plan—maximize and manifest abundance.

Violet: Make a difference, and pay it forward.

We’ve made the layout of the book visually appealing and easy to reference. We want our book to be a quick and easy guide for any entrepreneur.

Part of your book addresses how to meaningfully contribute to the wider business community. Why do you feel this is an important step in today’s entrepreneurial journey? 

I do believe that there is an awakening today. There’s a greater awareness among people about contributing to a wider cause—to do good and do well, and to be socially aware and solve global problems.

Is there any overlap between your experience as an EO member and the insights you share in this book?

Most certainly. I don’t think that I would have had the courage, wisdom, insights and experience to write this book without EO in my life. EO’s core values—which include Boldy Go, Make a Mark and Thirst for Learning—are some of the key values that drove me to accomplish writing this book.

Lesley Waterkeyn is the CEO of CWDi, a marketing agency based in Cape Town. She is also a member of EO’s Cape Town chapter. She says she credits EO with being fundamental to both her professional and personal development.

Categories: general Lessons Learned PR/MARKETING Productivity STARTUP WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

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