A Decade in the Stacks
I can barely believe as I sit down to write this post that we are wrapping up a full ten years in business—a decade that, for me, has been the biggest learning experience of my life, filled with equal measures of excitement and fear. I suspect that makes me average in the annals of entrepreneurs.
Laughingly, I looked back at my journal and found an entry that read “the thrill of signing my emails CEO & Founder wore off by noon of day one.” I believe that was about the time I realized that being in business meant making things happen. Fortunately, I came to my desk with a Rolodex (literal and virtual) of author phone numbers, so I began dialing. Their wisdom, which frankly, I needed far more than congratulations or even clients, was exactly the impetus I needed to get started.
To my everlasting gratitude, day one quickly morphed into year one and from there the time sped by. As the publishing world tilted and whirled, facing one seismic shift after another, so did we at Cave Henricks. From our first days of selling one product—a six-month book launch—to today’s customized contracts which consider nearly every form of publishing deal, pub date, author need, and media demand—I am very proud to say that we not only survived, we flourished.
Naming every author is impossible, but I do feel compelled to personally thank two. The first is Tom Rath, whom I met during my longtime association with Gallup and whose book StrengthsFinder 2.0 became the company’s first bestseller (28 more and counting have followed). Tom’s enthusiasm for books, his abundant generosity, goodwill, and capacity for joy in this uncertain world will forever be a personal inspiration. And Peter Georgescu, Chairman Emeritus of Young & Rubicam, author of three books (most recently, Capitalists Arise!) has become my most trusted advisor, mentor, and I am proud to say, friend.
A lifelong bookworm, I also must say that a primary goal in starting this company was not only to serve authors, but also to give others the opportunity to have a career in publishing. Beyond the bestsellers, the media hits and bringing the unknown to the public stage, my greatest joy comes from the personal side of the business. In ten years, Cave Henricks has seen five marriages, four homes purchased, the birth of one “company” baby and a second due this spring.
So onward we go into 2018. We have an exciting line up of books already on tap and a brand new front door in the form of a newly designed website. Further, we’re about to welcome a new team member to Cave Henricks. (Stay tuned for the news!)