“The Banker Who Saved His Soul”

Last summer I had resigned to the idea that in fact there were two books within ‘The Banker Who Saved His Soul’. So, one Saturday morning I sat down and started working on the conversion into the two books. Somewhere between my first sip of coffee and the beginning of the second chapter I had another realization. Yes, there are two books here but neither of those books mean anything without the story. The story has to be told first.

Years ago while I was running the MetroActive Writer’s Club at the University of Toronto I had discussed my book with a number of successful authors. My challenge was that I had designed the structure of the book in such a way that it didn’t really fit any particular classification. I was continuously being told that there was too much in the book. My reply was, and still is, that there is plenty in life. The Banker’s story is a journey that is more about life than anything else.

It just so happens that the Banker’s journey takes place in a corporate environment that amplifies the journey that we all experience in life. Every aspect of the human journey from the dynamics of relationships, to the challenges of work-life balance, to the imperfect decisions we make, to organizational politics touches us all. It is how the Banker deals with these challenges internally and externally that holds the lessons for others to leverage.

Yes, there are two books in ‘The Banker Who Saved His Soul’. Actually, there are more than just two books. Inside this story, is a book about how banks work, a book about how to be a better entrepreneur, a book about how to succeed in a corporate career without selling yourself out, and a book about the consequences of our decisions and behaviours.

In the end the lessons are learned through the Banker’s story. Therefore, it is the Banker’s story I will publish.

It wasn’t the first time I received this feedback, in fact within myself I knew there were at least two books in “The Banker Who Saved His Soul”. Having heard it from an independent third party once again was perhaps what I needed for it to finally sink in.

Okay, so now I finally admit it to myself and to you. After much contemplation and discussion I’ve decided to go through a major rewrite that will produce two books. The first book will be about life success for corporate employees, especially bankers. The second book will be for bank customers and entrepreneurs who would like to understand what really happens in the banking world. Both books will be based on my experiences as a banker and will contain never before revealed wisdom.

The biggest challenge for me is finding the time to write these two books given a full-time career, community involvement and significant life changes. I welcome your words of encouragement to proceed with this in a timely manner now more than ever.

Perhaps this is meant to teach me about patience…or drive me nuts.

I had just returned from being out of Canada for a week and out of communication when I found myself replaying the voice mail.

‘Judee passed away last week’. That’s what I thought I had heard the first time.

Judee Regan passed away on December 19, 2008.

Over the last few years I had shared many deep and intense conversations with the furious whirlwind and my friend who I call Judee. And I must say that these conversations have had a positive impact on my life and also impacted the way I have shared the stories in my book.

Thinking back over the last year at our conversations and following the books that Judee had last written it is obvious that she was preparing herself for her passing. They say that old souls are in tune to major life changes. Yes that must be it. Afterall she did live a long and full life. And her legacy lives on through her children and grandchildren.

Judee did have the opportunity to do some proofing on ‘The Banker Who Saved His Soul’ and in more than one way her energy is carried in the book.

Judee may you rest in peace and remember that you’re invited to my book launch.

This week I’m sending my book for proofing. After some thought and discussion Judee Regan will be helping me with the proofing. Judee is working on her next book and needs a couple of months to do get the job done, but atleast I know she understands what the book is about. Judee has followed the growth of my book for years.

Over the last few months my career has progressed quickly and presented some wonderful challenges. You can read about the resulting travels and adventures on my personal blog at http://www.baldominaudo.com . For this reason I have taken the summer away from my book editing and let it air in my mind and heart. The book is now ready to be sent out for proofing.

It has been 10 years since I first started writing this book. The journey has truly been one of self-exploration and discovery. Every time I tried to push or force the book along the universe would find a way to slow it down. What I realized was that the book has its own life and that its not so much a product of me and my experiences as it is a channel by which some very important message is to be shared with others. I’m hoping that the world is now ready for the book. Continue to carry this baby does require energy, attention and resources.

My friend and colleague Judee Regan author of several books, including ‘World of Work…The Entrepreneurial Way’ has been a good person to speak to about the progress of my book. She’s the one that has helped me appreciate the influence of destiny, force and flow. Now if I can only find the time to work on what needs to be done before launching ‘The Banker Who Saved His Soul.’

For the last month I’ve been working on the latest edits to the book. In the process, I’ve realized just how far the book has come from the first days of writing. The stories themselves have not change, but I have.

In the continued evolution of the banker’s soul, the messages within the stories have become more impactful and clear while and yet the facts remain the same. It is a testament to how much of a difference personal energy can make when sharing experiences.

Picture if you will, how someone would share their experience about a tornado while they are in the underground shelter in the middle of the catastrophe compared to how they would share the experience ten years later.

I’m enjoying making the last edits even more than I enjoyed writing the manucript. And I’m sure you’ll enjoy the book equally as much.

The Universe continues to work its mysteries. My preferred editor has unexpectedly become available again and has started to work on the book.

I had written in a previous entry how I felt that the Universe had brought about some circumstances in order to align things so that the true mission of The Banker Who Saved His Soul could be achieved.

Well, there was quite a bit of thought and shifting that took place over the month that followed that blog entry. It seems that over the last two months the book has undergone its hardening, not unlike how metal is hardened. It seems now, that it was a necessary phase to go through and that there was really no other way to go through it.

It is ironic that the very editor that was not made available to me was suddenly made available once the book itself was slightly shifted and hardened. If there is no such thing as coincidence, then this has to be a sign of universal intervention.

It was over a year ago that I had decided which editor to go with for my book. I had interviewed quite a few individuals that were all highly recommended. But, only a couple really got what my book was about and I felt held the philosophy and values that are inherent in my story. The editor I chose was a lady with extensive experience in the publishing industry and who had worked with some of the world’s leading firms.

Well, due to various reasons it took over a year before the book was ready for her involvement. So finallly last month I took her for dinner and we talked about having the book completed within about six weeks. I waited for the work agreement for weeks and it never came, each time monitoring the calendar.

Finally, when I had a heart-to-heart chat with the editor she admitted that the Television show she was working on was taking much more of her time than she planned. So, that explains why it was taking her so long to return my messages. When she told me that the earliest she could have the book done by was mid-December, I still didn’t panic. I just asked her to send me the agreement and we’ll get started.

But as more days passed and I didn’t receive the agreement I decided I had been accommodating enough and I wasn’t willing to put my book at jeopardy. As it stands now the book will be launched in the Spring, later than the fall launch I was hoping for.

Fortunately, since I had invested so much effort in finding the right editor, I had many that I had met. So, I called the person I had originally met who was my first choice for editor. She is a woman I highly respect, best-selling author, very talented, ethical and reliable. Turns out she is still very interested in working on th ebook and is looking into whether she can make changes to her schedule to work with me.

So, I wonder if all that has happened to stall the book hasn’t been the Universe’s way of aligning things the way they should be for me so that the book will be what it is meant to be.

The Banker Who Saved His Soul will first be available in e-book format. Print versions will be available shortly thereafter. I’m planning to have a launch party for the book and will have 100 autographed copies of the printed book available. These will of course be the first copies, numbered and presented as collector’s items.

The book makes an excellent gift for corporate employees or entrepreneurs that want to better understand the corporate world and how to work with them, especially how to work with their bankers.

You can get invited to the launch party by joining “The Banker Who Saved His Soul” group on www.facebook.com. Or you can email us at info@thebankerwhosavedhissoul.com asking to be included on the invitation list.

I was indulging in some Fish and Chips at a local pub yesterday with my friend Dr. Kollias.  After contemplating the economic and social situation that Baltimore finds itself in, we started exploring what could be done to turn things around.  As it turns out, all the ideas we came up with rooted back to the fundamental message in my book. 

I thought to myself, if I could only get the people to understand the this fundamental message, it would make the world of a difference for Baltimore and its citizens.  Now I need to do is help the Mayor see the light.  Okay, so maybe it may not be so easy, but it is an idea and all great things begin as an idea.