By Jay Flood
Bowling Green State University Alumna Amy Burkett wanted to help others grow not only as leaders but as people.
That intent resulted in two leadership books, The 7 D’s to Your Destiny: A Roadmap to Help You Fulfill Your Life’s Purpose and The Dirty F-Word: Lessons From Our Failures, with the intent of helping others grow not only as leaders but people.
Burkett graduated as a broadcast journalism major and had always loved to write. She knew she wanted to write a book one day, and even tried writing one in the early 2000s, but could never figure out what to write about.
“I tried writing a book and it was horrendous,” said Burkett. “Because it was all about me.”
About five years ago, Burkett taught a career pathways and leadership program to inner-city youth in Charlotte, North Carolina where she serves as the general manager of the PBS television station, and at the end of the seven-week class, she gave a graduation speech that included seven things they needed to do to succeed, all of which started with the letter “D”.
“I walked off that stage and knew I had my book because it was more about how I could help others rather than just about me,” she said.
Burkett professed her love and admiration for New York Times Bestselling Author, John Maxwell, who has written more than 70 leadership books.
“When I got my certification, he said that when we chase success it’s just another thing off our to-do list but when we chase significance about adding value to others, we feel fulfilled,” said Burkett. “And that was such a light-bulb moment for me and has been my desire and pursuit ever since.”
In 2012, Burkett got her certification as a John Maxwell trainer, speaker, and coach. When she was certified, she gave a speech called “The Dirty F-Word.” After publishing The 7 D’s to Your Destiny, she began writing her next book, The Dirty F-Word, based on her speech when she got certified.
Burkett wanted her books to feel personal so the reader feels like they’re being talked with rather than talked at.
“The greatest compliment folks will give me is that they feel like they’re sitting down beside me having a conversation when they read my books,” she said.
Burkett said she bonded with her second book because of her own struggles with the word “failure.” She recalled her own experience with failure, saying she had always wanted to be a journalist but failed the journalism entrance exam five times.
“I thought my career was over before it began,” said Burkett. “I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, I told myself I couldn’t do it and that I would never get to be a journalist because of a stupid test.”
She was called before the Journalism Review Board and they told her she has the one thing that proved she would be a successful journalist: tenacity. They eliminated the entrance exam because of Burkett’s impact.
Burkett said her greatest accomplishment is her longevity in the industry. She has been writing for 33 years, won regional Emmys, and led teams to success, but her greatest accomplishment is her consistency and that she never gave up.
Burkett encourages future journalists and authors to never give up or be discouraged by failure.
“Don’t give up, you’ll find your niche and make a great impact,” she said. “If it’s burning in your heart, it’s the right thing to do.”
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