Beth Fitzgerald FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Beth Fitzgerald

BIOGRAPHY

Beth Fitzgerald is an author, certified life coach, certified John Maxwell Coach, Master EFT Practitioner, Positive EFT Practitioner, international speaker, and trainer.

She brings years of experience from her time working on Wall Street at a small boutique hedge fund, then at Prudential Financial in the Portfolio Management Department, and finally in The World Trade Center where she managed the internal sales force for Oppenheimer Management. In addition to her corporate experience she has twenty plus years as the mother of four children. For over six years now she has been working with corporations, coaching individual clients, leading workshops and seminars, writing her daily blog and her book, The Wake Up Call. She has worked with every client from recovering drug addicts to Wall Street executives.

When she’s not working, you will likely find her doing something outdoors with Doug, her husband and BFF of 27 years and her fabulous four children who range in age from 18-24. She’s an avid tennis player who admittedly hates to lose. She has two big dogs, Sophie and Ella, whom she adores. She loves to hike in the mountains and to travel, especially anywhere that’s historic or unusual. Beth Fitzgerald

BOOK SUMMARY

In The Wake Up Call, Beth Fitzgerald provides the reader with a year’s worth of inspiring and thought-provoking teachings that touch on everything from career success to everyday happiness. These teachings will challenge our perspectives and prepare us for the days and the year ahead.

Built on Beth’s trademark witty storytelling as well as her unique and straightforward approach to helping us see things in a new way, The Wake Up Call takes us through an entire calendar year of teachings on how we can confidently step forward in every aspect of our lives. In addition, each day comes with its own action step, empowering us to move forward courageously.

These daily readings, made up of her distinctively entertaining and deftly profound reflections, will take us on a transformational journey that will inspire and motivate each one of us to make positive life changes so that we will live a happier and more successful life than we ever thought possible. Beth Fitzgerald

BOOK HIGHLIGHTS

#1 :: THE HIGHLIGHT REEL

I had a revelation recently. I was working with my teenage son in preparation for a big lacrosse tournament. I decided part of his mental prep should be to watch his highlight reel. His highlight reel is approximately four minutes of him excelling at the sport of lacrosse. He does everything correct, he wins every face-off, and scores on every shot he takes! Pretty sweet, huh? There are no errors and no missed shots; there is nothing but perfection.

After about three nights of watching this with him I thought, “Wow, I wish I was watching my highlight reel every night!” Instead, I have a habit of playing my blooper reel. I replay (and regret) the words I should or should not have said, the phone call I did not make, or the cake I should not have eaten.

Not anymore! I am done with the blooper reel. I now know the impact of a highlight reel, even when it was not my own, and it is very powerful. I may not have physical footage of my days, but I certainly can remember those things I did exceedingly well. I may not always have four minutes of reel, but I will always have some highlights I can play back for myself before I go to sleep at night. I am going to feed my subconscious the highlight reel from now on. The blooper reel will be left on the cutting room floor.

Action Step: Keep a journal by your bed. Every night jot down the wins for the day. If you do not have a bedside journal, then go through the various wins in your head. There should be no better way to prepare yourself for a good night’s sleep than by reviewing your highlights! Beth Fitzgerald

BOOK HIGHLIGHTS

#2 :: WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

This is a very good question. America ranks 108th out of 140 countries on the “Happiness Index,” according to the Happy Planet Index. So my guess is that depending on where you call home, your answer to the question “Are you happy?” might be, “Meh.” Translation: not so much.

Here is the Paradox of Happiness: Wanting to be happy may actually make you unhappy. Happiness will come as a by-product in pursuing meaningful activities and relationships. It is a give-get relationship.

We all say we will be happy when we get the dream job, the higher salary, the great relationship, we lose the weight, etc. Our happiness tends to be laser-focused on getting but happiness is within our reach right now by giving. When we give, we receive. Happiness is always a by-product of a life that is meaningful and fulfilling.

Action Step: Today, journal for a few minutes on how you are in your own way. Now that you know that, how will you get out of the way? Beth Fitzgerald

BOOK HIGHLIGHTS

#3 :: POVERTY OF THE SOUL

What brings you joy? What fills your heart? What makes you happy? Now go do it! Get off your phone, get off your computer, and create happiness. It is that simple. We live in a world where we allow endless demands on our time. Stop allowing the phone or emails to dictate your day. Take a few moments to answer these questions now: What brings you joy? What fills your heart? Who makes you happy? Set the wheels in motion to pursue these things or spend time with these special people.

We are rushing through life, which is a huge mistake. If we are spending a day with someone we love, let’s give them our undivided attention. Let’s turn off the cell phone. There is no tombstone that says, “I wish I had spent more time on my phone.”

Ironically, I am required to turn my phone off before a tennis match, but I do not require the same of myself during our family dinners. Please help me understand my own logic here! Well, that will not be the case anymore.

My phone/computer/email do not fill my soul. People fill my soul. Laughter fills my soul. Nature fills my soul. Balance is important and multitasking is the kiss of death. We need to choose, actively and consciously, to fill our soul.

Action Step: Step #1, answer these questions: What brings you joy? What fills your heart? Who makes you happy? Step#2, shut off the electronics! Tomorrow is never guaranteed. Enjoy everything about today! Beth PRESS Fitzgerald

Nassau Street-based life You will all be happy to hear, not only did we have pigs in a blanket at coach Beth Fitzgerald’s book, our wedding, but we have served them at almost every function since. “The Wake Up Call: Daily Eye Doug taught me a huge lesson that day. I love to be right and to win Opening Motivation for You any argument, but at what cost? If cocktail weenies are the concession to Live Your Best Life” was I make for a happy marriage, then so be it. It is a small cost. And published on February 17. The truthfully, can anyone be right about cocktail weenies? Action Step: Do book is full of motivational you have a “pigs in a blanket” story? If you do, let it go. Winning that anecdotes from Fitzgerald’s life, argument is not winning at all. I smile every time I serve or see this life one each day for an entire year. changing hors d’oeuvre What kind of a person has an Fitzgerald also offers ways to dig out of a de-motivated “hole:” anecdote for every day of the Dig yourself out of a hole: All of us are in some form of a hole. Some year, anyway? Fitzgerald grew holes are deeper than others, some people have been in their hole up in Stratford in south Jersey longer, but we all have a hole. Our hole is our story. Today I want all and graduated from Rutgers of us to stop digging. There is a beautiful quote I live my life by which with degrees in economics and English before beginning a career was shared with me years ago by my friend, Terry, “Life is happening on Wall Street. She worked for a small hedge fund, then Prudential for you not to you.” No matter what is happening in my life, I repeat Portfolio Management, before joining Oppenheimer Funds, where this quote to myself. If everything is happening for me, then everything, she managed a large sales force. She stayed at home to raise her four good or bad, is in some way a gift. Sometimes it is difficult to see the children and currently lives in Skillman. gift, but if we look deeply enough, it is there. In one of her chapters, Fitzgerald lays out how she learned the value of Yesterday would have been my mom’s 88th birthday. My mom had compromise early in her marriage: dementia. Watching her decline was perhaps the most difficult thing The basis of my marriage rests on … pigs in a blanket! I guess that I have ever had to witness. My mom’s dementia taught me how to be warrants an explanation. Twenty-six years ago, I was blissfully engaged intensely present and to love unconditionally, and it taught me how to to Doug. We were running about making every kind of marriage give from the deepest place in my soul. She may not have known what decision known to mankind. You might remember those decisions: I was doing for her, but I knew. It was the very least I could do for my china pattern, crystal pattern, linens, venue, band, etc. The decisions incredible mom. were endless, but all along the way, Doug simply deferred to whatever I I, ultimately, saw her dementia as a gift. Of course I would have wanted. At the time, I thought his compliance was fabulous. preferred no dementia, but the dementia gave me the gift of As the big day approached and the stress began to ramp up, we profoundly and unconditionally loving her. So today, stop digging. You arrived at the venue to finalize the menu for the reception. We were know your story and it is not an easy one. None of our stories are easy, analyzing the hors d’oeuvre options when Doug declared his desire to but life is happening for us. Find the gift. Look for the silver lining. have pigs in a blanket. It only took me a millisecond to shoot down When we stop digging and focus on the gift, we may find the hole that absurd idea. My reasoning was simple, “Cocktail weenies” are not just got a little bit smaller and not so deep. A hole or a gift? We get to sophisticated enough for a wedding.” choose. I was completely unprepared for Doug’s reaction. He dug his heels in Action Step: What hole are you in? Please journal for five minutes deeply and refused to budge. His argument was simple, “Everyone about the quote, “Life is happening for you not to you,” and how loves pigs in a blanket!” I, then, dug in deeper with, “They are not you can apply it to the current hole you are in. Find the gift; it’s there, what you serve at a wedding!” My memory gets hazy as to when and I promise. And keep this quote handy, it will remain very useful while where this argument was settled, but I am certain it was settled within you are here on this earth. 24 hours. I was wrong, and not just wrong about cocktail weenies! This Read the article online at the following link: https://princetoninfo.com/pigs-in- is when I realized marriage is all about concessions, meeting half-way, a-blanket-and-the-cost-of-being-right/?fbclid=IwAR2KwSsxB1x4Vij3mf and never needing to prove you are right. I wanted to impress others D9ksqmUAudd4WrwLJ7xDTUuaTA9rQku7aWNGf_rs0 and, in doing so, I did not want to hear Doug’s thoughts or ideas. Not a good basis for a marriage. Beth Q & A Fitzgerald

What made you decide to write The Wake Up Call? Which daily post is the “fan favorite”? When I had almost completed writing another book my daughter, The Highlight Reel. Devon, said, “Honestly mom, I think a better book would be if you compiled all of your daily motivational posts into one book How will reading this book for a full year change the reader? that would essentially coach the reader for a full year!” That was The daily action steps are critical to success. Committing to doing the beginning of my three-year journey. them each day means the reader is moving forward, therefore transformation is likely to follow. Who inspired you to write The Wake Up Call? My children. Every time I thought it was getting too difficult What are some of the key takeaways? and I wanted to quit, I would think of them and say to myself, Get out of your own way. If I can do this, so can you! Take some “How will I ever be able to look them in the eye and tell them I’m risk every day. Be brave. And most importantly, we got this! quitting?” I couldn’t, so I kept going! What advice do you have for someone watching/listening who What were some of the challenges you faced along the way? would like to write a book? Everything about this process was beyond my comprehension. Go for it! There will never be a right time and it will always take It felt like the learning curve went straight up. longer than you think, but do it anyway! When you’re holding the book in your hand, you will thank yourself for not giving up! What did you learn from the process? The process I went through sums up the whole book: You can Will you write another book? do anything you put your mind to. It was all perseverance, Absolutely. I have a few in mind already. determination, and grit.

Why did you self-publish? When I looked into publishing, I discovered the process could take 18 months or longer and that was provided the publisher accepted the book. Self-publishing proved significantly faster.

How did you arrive at the title The Wake Up Call? The title may have been the hardest part until a friend suggested I write a paragraph explaining exactly what the book would do for the reader if read from cover to cover. Immediately I thought, “It’s a wake-up call.”

Where do you get your ideas? My husband calls me and my thought process, the Seinfeld of self-help. They are every-day “water cooler” ideas we can all relate to.

Which daily post is your favorite and why? A few that are very personal like Sweet Serendipity and A Special Sign, but I love any that are about my mom, my dad, or my family. Beth Fitzgerald

CONTACT

Beth Fitzgerald [email protected] 908-510-1754 www.fitzgeraldlifecoaching.com beth-fitzgerald-9a348390 fitzgeraldlifecoaching

Beth Fitzgerald, author of The Wake Up Call, empowers you to be courageous and live your best life.