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Judy PiatkusJudy Piatkus grew up in North London. At the age of 11 she won a scholarship to a local girls’ school but at 17 failed to get the grades she needed for the university place she wanted. Undeterred she gained experience in the publishing industry and went on to launch her own company, Piatkus books, which she sold in 2007. Since then she has gained a Diploma in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, and achieved an MA in Creative Leadership.
She is now a keynote speaker, an angel investor, and a coach and mentor to many small and medium start-ups. In 2011 she founded ConsciousCafe, a network which now has several branches, and which brings people together for connection and conversation. Her memoir AHEAD OF HER TIME is about her extraordinary journey as an entrepreneur. She did not come from a monied background and began her career as a secretary after failing to achieve a university place. By the time she founded Piatkus Books from her spare bedroom, she was married with a disabled small daughter and pregnant with her second child. Gradually she learned how to be both a publisher and a managing director and to combine that with her family life as she had become a single mother of three. A lot of mistakes were made but she also got a lot of things right. The company prospered, thanks to the risks Judy took in tackling new subjects in the marketplace and also her approach to running the company, which focused on transparency, honesty and trust and was rewarded by the loyalty of the staff, many of whom worked alongside Judy for upwards of twenty years. Throughout the book Judy describes her learning experience as an entrepreneur, what it really means to run a company, the many triumphs and the pitfalls, what worked and what didn’t, how the company learned to reinvent itself through lean times and how it felt to finally strike gold. Follow Judy on Twitter Follow Judy on Facebook Visit Judy's website |
‘Judy is a publishing legend who has written a riveting memoir. Graceful and witty, it opens a fascinating window on the entrepreneurial life.’ Julia Hobsbawm OBE
‘In sharing her experiences here, [Judy] will enable a whole new generation of female entrepreneurs to follow their dream of setting up a business of their own.’ Trisha Ashley
‘A fantastic and engaging rollercoaster ride ... A powerful memoir from a woman who stormed into the world of publishing.’ Malcolm Stern
‘This is Judy's honest, gossipy, fascinating story of how she created a multi-million selling book brand that sent the New Age mainstream. I loved it.’ Jessica Adams
‘An inspiring book, especially for anyone who has dreamed of building a rewarding business ... The implicit message is 'if I can do it, so can you!' Dr Dina Glouberman
‘A glimpse into the challenges, the successes, the inevitable mistakes, the risks taken and the rewards. A truly wonderful book.’ Anne Jirsch, author of Future Vision Your Working Life
'A must-read for aspiring female entrepreneurs' ITmanagement101.com
‘A cracking read’ The Belfast Telegraph
‘In sharing her experiences here, [Judy] will enable a whole new generation of female entrepreneurs to follow their dream of setting up a business of their own.’ Trisha Ashley
‘A fantastic and engaging rollercoaster ride ... A powerful memoir from a woman who stormed into the world of publishing.’ Malcolm Stern
‘This is Judy's honest, gossipy, fascinating story of how she created a multi-million selling book brand that sent the New Age mainstream. I loved it.’ Jessica Adams
‘An inspiring book, especially for anyone who has dreamed of building a rewarding business ... The implicit message is 'if I can do it, so can you!' Dr Dina Glouberman
‘A glimpse into the challenges, the successes, the inevitable mistakes, the risks taken and the rewards. A truly wonderful book.’ Anne Jirsch, author of Future Vision Your Working Life
'A must-read for aspiring female entrepreneurs' ITmanagement101.com
‘A cracking read’ The Belfast Telegraph