Question: Who is the intended audience?
Answer: Written with young adults in mind, Get Your Assets in Gear! Smart Money Strategies by Jan Dahlin Geiger, CFP, MBA is a guide for launching and maintaining a lifetime of wise money management practices. While we assumed individuals in their 20’s and 30’s would be our primary readers, people in their 40’s and 50’s have become our largest group of buyers.

Q: What is the book about?
A: At mid-life, many recognize the urgent need to get their finances on track!

Fortunately for our older audience, it’s not too late to make significant changes.

After more than 30 years in the financial services business, Jan can testify that getting rich is pretty easy: You simply have to learn what rich people do to become rich and then do the same.

Conveniently, the formula for becoming rich involves three basic steps:

1. Get out of debt and stay out of debt.

2. Save money automatically.

3. Learn to invest wisely.

Given such simple guidelines, why do so few people become rich?

The answer is attitude. If you believe you can do something, then you will work to make it happen. If you believe you can’t, then you will not take the first step forward. Because most people believe that getting rich is hard, they don’t bother to pursue the goal.

In addition to the basics, you’ll find several bonus chapters that cover topics rarely discussed in personal finance books:

• How to achieve financial harmony with your mate with concrete, step-by-step guidance for peaceful financial togetherness.
• How to buy cars and how to buy houses.
• How giving money to others in need attracts even more money back to you.
• How to address your mental attitude about money—the deciding factor between achieving success or ending in failure.

Q: Why are you the best person to write this book?
A: Throughout this book, I repeatedly steer my readers away from get-rich-quick schemes. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Practitioner, I share tried and true practices as well as invaluable insights.

All in all, my gifts for making financial concepts clear-cut and for presenting them in a lighthearted manner have produced a book that is well-worth your time and money!

Q: How is this book different from other books on this topic?
A: This powerful book shatters all the silly ideas that hold people back from believing they can become rich. Essential are the easy-to-understand, step-by-step guidelines:

• Presenting practical solutions for getting out of debt and remaining free of debt, several chapters delve into ways to increase income and decrease expenses to build savings.
• Other chapters walk the reader through investment basics so that your newfound savings earn profits.
• An especially powerful chapter discusses the critical importance of using a spending plan.

Think about it: the behaviors we measure are those we improve. Likewise, most people can’t save money because they have no idea where every dollar goes. When they begin tracking their spending, almost all grow free of debt and start saving money within two years.

Though armed with workable, researched advice, I hesitated considerably before writing this book. After all, thousands of personal finance books are available. What persuaded me to put pen to paper was the feedback from people who attended my seminars. Individuals of all ages and backgrounds told me that I had to share my rare gift for explaining money basics.

Not only is my approach straightforward so that anyone can “get it,” but my style is positive and engaging. People respond to me. They are motivated to let go of limiting beliefs and, instead, accept this powerful idea that becoming rich is possible and easy.

Q: Is there anything else we should know about this book?
A: Since publishing the book, I have received encouraging feedback from my readers:

“You really didn’t say a lot that I didn’t already know, but you are the first who said it in a way that made me WANT to take action.“

“I read your book cover to cover and never got bored. I can hardly wait to dive in and get started.”

“My husband is great with money but I have never been. Your book is the first one I have read in 10 years that I enjoyed, and for the first time, I actually want to cooperate with my husband in building wealth rather than being angry with him for saving instead of spending.”

“Usually when I read money books, I feel terrible about myself and need some retail therapy to get over it! Your book is so empowering. You make me feel terrific about myself and you make me believe I really can do this!”

“Jan, you’re the first person I’ve ever met who makes money fun!”

The last comment about making money “fun” highlights the crucial difference between my book and others. Presenting money management in an enjoyable, interesting, optimistic format empowers readers to take action.

Most people feel terrible about their financial predicaments. They don’t need to focus on scolding commentary. On the other hand, words from a “you-can-do-this” coach are extremely beneficial:

“This is so easy!”

“Real people with really tough challenges are utterly successful with this process; there’s no reason why you cannot achieve the same great results!”

“Rather than fret about the past, be grateful for your mistakes—they have taught you what things not to do!”

“You can do it! Simply imitate those who have already achieved their goals.”

“It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3.”

Question: Who is the intended audience?
Answer: Senior managers and executives, human resources professionals, and anyone interested in understanding their financial personality

Q: What is the book about?
A: The book develops a new approach to analyzing the impact of financial decisions by executives and shows that all individuals have personal financial traits that express themselves through our financial decisions in characteristic ways. The expression of these traits reflects a Financial Signature® that each individual possesses. There are nine Financial Signatures and each of these will lead to a characteristic impact on financial performance reflected in the valuation outcome of an organization. By understanding our Financial Signature we can improve our financial performance and that of our organizations and align ourselves more closely with the valuation target of the organization we work within.

Q: Why are you the best person to write this book?
A: I have an extensive operating background at the CEO and Chairman level in both public and private companies so I have experience at the coal face on why people make or lose money. I have numerous publications in the area of leadership, human resources, management, strategy and technology and am a frequent speaker at industry conferences. I consult to CEOs, boards and senior executives on leadership and its impact on corporate financial performance and valuation. I am also the CEO and Founder of the Perth Leadership Institute, which works with senior executives to implement the Financial Signature concept at top US companies.

Q: How is this book different from other books on this topic?
A: The 3 Financial Styles of Very Successful Leaders delivers a unique approach which draws a direct link between behavior and the financial bottom line, something that other leadership books and models have thus far not been able to do. In fact, it opens up a new area of research within behavioral finance - a relatively new field of study which aims to explain the previously under-appreciated impact of behavior on financial decision-making. The book develops the concept of a Financial Signature possessed by all leaders and executives that drives the financial performance and outcome of the organization they lead. This book shows that the personal financial traits of leaders impact their organizations through predictable financial decisions and strategies. This issue is one that is being researched extensively by the Perth Leadership Institute and opens up a totally new perspective on leadership.

Q: Is there anything else we should know about this book?
A: Our Financial Signature approach has practical consequences and implications in real life. Coupled with our leadership assessments it enables us to predict the valuation consequences for a company of their particular leader. Armed with this knowledge we can show how strategies can be modified to increase company valuation and performance against competitors. This is a new and unique service that is possessed by no other company in the financial analysis or leadership areas. In addition, the book has been published in both traditional and simplified Chinese, and recently received an award as ‘one of the best imported books in China in 2006’, alongside notable books such as The Long Tail, by Chris Anderson, The World is Flat, by Thomas Friedman and The Toyota Way Field Book. For more information, visit www.perthleadership.org.