SAMPLE OF READER’S COMMENTS
Rob—
Congratulations on writing a superb book! I just read it and found your words instructive, moving, and fun! Your story is authentic, pitched to ordinary mortals like me, and a remarkable disclosure of yourself. Most of us have difficulty in telling our own story. Especially most of us with Scandinavian background find it hard to let others know what we are like on the inside. I was also pleased at your strong witness to the power and forgiving love of Christ. My copy goes next to my son.Thanks,
David W. Preus Bishop Emeritus American Lutheran Church
Hi Rob
I so enjoyed your book. I believe instead of a survival guide it is more like a Life Success Guide. What a great gift for your children. You are a remarkable man and you should pursue the marketing of this book. At least that is my opinion.
<smile>Thank you so much for sharing your story with me.
Donna
Rob
I read your book on my trip over the pond last night. It was rough at the start however the last half resilient. The message is clear. I am sending it to my daughter in college. I really liked education is overrated reading is underrated. The other good tip was networking and transferable skills. I want my younger one to expand herself through reading. I like succinct and this was. Thanks a lot. I’ll be looking for my Africa.
Jim
Hi Rob
I am from Deephaven, bought your book at Beanhaven and passed it on to my brother that just lost his business.
Do you have a phone number of someone that could help me work out my finances. Not a loan, just some sound advise. I signed up for a financial seminar at my church but I believe it may be too late. I should have taken the course years ago.
Appreciate your help!
Your kids are lucky!
Jerilyn
Rob,
I just wanted to let you know I just finished you book.. I have read it about 3 times and every time I have read it I get something else out of it.. After spending many years drinking I chose the path of recovery and have found my higher power.I know there is something bigger for me out there and am trying to take my time until the opportunity comes to me. We have a mutual friend and that is how I was able to get your book. I just wanted to let you know I enjoyed your book take care and god bless..
Bryan
Hi Rob,
Please excuse the tardiness of my note back to you! I have been enjoying some vacation time this summer with my family back home in Minnesota and with my kids. The summer has just flown by!
Thank you for sending me your book. It’s always great to hear good ideas from fellow Minnesotans.
I am getting ready for O’Reilly tonight. It’s so much fun doing his show.
I wish Fox and Friends wasn’t on so EARLY in the morning … especially for central time people. My parents live in Arizona in the winter and have to tape my show each day.
Thanks again,
Gretchen Carlson
Fox and Friends
Rob:
I truly enjoyed and benefitted by reading Connecting Peace, Purpose and Prosperity. I sat down with the intention of reading a few pages the first night, and read the entire book at one sitting. And I will read it again. Thank you for including the CD of vocal music from the other members of the talented Severson family. While I have not yet played the CD, I intend to enjoy the music during this week.
Best regards,
John
PS: I think you might be on to something as an author!
June 11th, 2009
Surely enjoyed reading your book, Rob! What a great thing to do, and that way you have memorialized for your adult children, grandchildren, and others, to boot, your values and your sojourn.
Very impressive.
I didn’t know you had an alcohol issue. That you overcame it is now
inspiring me to drink less. Then, I wasn’t aware you were certified.
Yes, a CPA professional designation is a giant step, and you capitalized on that. You were honest in that you needed to sit for it 2X.
I believe I know Pastor Don Sollie and his wife. Sue and I met with them, and shared a meal. In 2005, Sue and I went to Ecuador, on a mission trip. The Sollies lived there quite a while, as I remember, and were deeply involved for Jesus Christ in a living, active mission work project.
So you are a Luther grad. Your tale of undergrad, uh, deviations got a chuckle.
Rob, I do recall that you and I sat down together when you were involved with the Nehemiah project for Amundson. Maybe I had related to you that one of our daughters was a post-college Tentmaker. Also, we hosted a separate Tentmaker young man a few years later, here in Apple Valley. Come to think of it, I did share all that with you, as we saw one another in 2007 at the Tentmakers annual banquet fundraiser in the N. suburbs..
Your math and logic was interesting to read about. Those gifts came through to me back in the late 1970’s when you explained some audit software stuff to me and a few of us old-time credit examiners.
Within your chapters, I believe I could figure out who a few of the “players” were, but I trust you know I won’t even think of trying to confirm that through you. Those matters rest.
Again, you have done a service for the world, Rob, by writing a book.
Plus, thank you for personalizing it for me.
Most sincerely,
Mendal Mearkle
Subject: The blessings of your book…
Rob,
I read your book last night and I am sincere when I say…Thank you!
Your mom’s favorite verse, Phil.4:13 struck a note with me. My ex-wife had given that verse…framed…to me as we approached what became the end of our relationship. She, like your mom leaned not on her own understanding. I would, as you mentioned, have liked to meet her.
I had recently mentioned to some friends that happiness takes courage and the memories will last a lifetime. I see that clearly in your life, your family and your career.
I am glad our paths have crossed, I pray it is the beginning of a long and healthy friendship.
I would to go with you sometime to Tentmakers if possible. What a great impact you had on that young boy…this is what helps make our lives the abundant life He promises.
In my prayers…always,
Jeff
I finally found time to read your book today! It was very enlightening. I could relate to many things in your book. I laughed, I cried and I reflected on my own life. What a wonderful thing to do for your kids. I keep journals…..maybe one day I can put my ramblings into a book. You have
Inspired me!
Peg
Thank you! I can’t wait to give them to my son’s for their b-days next week! I just finished reading your book, put a lot of things in perspective…….I live with a very “self centered” person, which has created bad relationships with him and his children, (and stressful for me) maybe I can get him to read your book! My father passed away 6 weeks ago, which really made me take a good look at life and its meaning. . My kids and myself adopted salvation army familys last year at x-mas instead of getting each other gifts, which was a great experience for us all. I’m comfortable with my financial status, (more money would buy more things, but it won’t buy love, friendships, and “purpose”). Now, I just need to work a little bit more on the spiritual aspect. Being raised a strict Catholic, somewhat steered me away from all of that. But I’ve been going to Church with my mother lately, and notice that “Church People” seem happy and content with their lives, no matter how much or little they have!
So I think I understood all your “messages” and hopefully share them with my kids, family members & friends!
Thanks again for writing this book!
Paulette
Rob,
I’ve read your book and found it to be great.
I can’t remember if I’ve ever read another book where
I agreed with almost everything in it.
Hopefully George will enjoy his copy as much when
I give it to him next month for his birthday.
Best Regards,
Richard
Rob:
I finished your book and very much enjoyed it. It is a perfect read for someone with ADD such as me. I felt a kinship as I followed your walk with the Lord growing closer, as you got some of your ego out of the way. That is a very similar story to mine. (I am certainly a work in progress!)
A suggestion—my opinion only— there were several times in the book where I thought, “Rob is talking to me”, to then be reminded that you wrote the book to your children. Sure, you spoke to me anyway, but I wonder how it would read with the slight change that you are addressing all your readers directly.
At any rate, I hope those bits of info I gave you a couple weeks ago are of some help in your marketing campaign. Please let us know if Cindy or I can ever be of help to you or your family.
I’ll pass the book on to someone who will hopefully appreciate it.
Mark
Rob,
I read your book yesterday afternoon. All I can say is “Inspirational”. Great job on telling your life story. I hope there are many more chapters to come.
Humbly,
Kevin
Hi Rob,
Thank you for the opportunity to read your book. I enjoyed it very much; I identified with many of your experiences as well as your thoughts and feelings about those experiences.
You speak quite softly and humbly in your writing, yet your message is so powerful.
I can relate to your references to AA and the Twelve Steps. The whole program is based on the principle of helping others. I would like to think I live my life in this manner, but I would not be telling the truth (not 100% of the time anyway). You also reminded me how important it is to try to maintain that conscious contact with God and to pray only for knowledge of his will for me and the power to carry it out. There is much to be said for living life on that basis, and I also agree that when I do things work out as they are supposed to, rather than exactly the way I think they should. As I think I may have said to you before, some days the best I can do is to remember that I am not God and that my will is not necessarily the will of God.
I understand the concept of powerlessness, but that does not mean that I am helpless. Quite the opposite actually; I believe that in accepting our limitations we have the ability to become extremely powerful in other areas, partly because we are not wasting unnecessary energy on things that we can not control. You illustrated this point in discussing your grand daughter’s “failure to thrive”. Nothing you did could have changed that situation, so you very wisely focused on supporting your loved ones and relying on the will of God. Like you, I doubt I will ever understand why God spares one life and not others. I sort of resolve the dilemma in my head by the thought that it may not be God’s job to interfere in the natural course of life. Instead, I believe that he provides us (humans) with everything we need to solve our problems.
The whole idea of developing a “Mission Statement” was new to me until I began coaching with John O’Connor. He refers to it as “Personal Branding”. Essentially they are the same. I was doing it for years; in fact, I have to credit AA and the great sponsors I’ve had over the years for instilling me with my “Brand”; I just did not label it as such and I really had not considered how important it is to my career until John pointed it out to me. As a point of clarification, to the best of my knowledge, John knows nothing about AA and the 12 Steps, he does, however, preach the idea of developing one’s personal brand and the importance of conveying that where it counts (Linkedin).
I’m sure I will relate to even more of your writing as I think more about it, but I want to speak to your question about marketing your book. Here are my thoughts:
Your story is quite personal; it reflects that which you have learned through life experience. God and AA have obviously had a huge influence on you, particularly with respect your thinking. Although I think you have a great story, your references to God and to AA narrow your audience.
You mentioned something about coaching. Have you thought about marketing yourself as a business coach to people in early recovery? Part of your deal with clients could be that they had to buy and read your book, which you would then use as the foundation for coaching sessions.
How about marketing yourself and your book to treatment centers?
You have a great message; a universal message in many ways, but also one that should appeal to people who have failed and/or are struggling in the financial business. Particularly those that have turned to alcohol and/or other drugs as a means of coping.
Churches – market yourself as a guest speaker for church groups and make sure you have a handful of books on hand that you can sell and sign after you speak.
I will keep thinking about it and drop you an email if more ideas come to me.
In the meantime, I want to thank you again for the book and for allowing me to get to know you better. I hope that you will consider keeping me as a contact and friend, even if I am a lot younger than you thought (by the way, your advice about keeping a current/up to date contact list at home is excellent).
Talk with you soon.
Peter
Hi Rob,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your book! It reminds me of so many valuable life lessons I learned from my parents and growing up in Decorah. You are right -it is easy to stray from those principles and it is good to reconnect. I would like to buy another copy for a gift and would appreciate your autograph. However, I have not decided who I am going to give it to so can’t ask you to personalize it. I will put a check in the mail for $14.00.
Thanks,
Mark
June 11th, 2009
Surely enjoyed reading your book, Rob! What a great thing to do, and that way you have memorialized for your adult children, grandchildren, and others, to boot, your values and your sojourn.
Very impressive.
I didn’t know you had an alcohol issue. That you overcame it is now
inspiring me to drink less. Then, I wasn’t aware you were certified.
Yes, a CPA professional designation is a giant step, and you capitalized on that. You were honest in that you needed to sit for it 2X.
I believe I know Pastor Don Sollie and his wife. Sue and I met with them, and shared a meal. In 2005, Sue and I went to Ecuador, on a mission trip. The Sollies lived there quite a while, as I remember, and were deeply involved for Jesus Christ in a living, active mission work project.
So you are a Luther grad. Your tale of undergrad, uh, deviations got a chuckle.
Rob, I do recall that you and I sat down together when you were involved with the Nehemiah project for Amundson. Maybe I had related to you that one of our daughters was a post-college Tentmaker. Also, we hosted a separate Tentmaker young man a few years later, here in Apple Valley. Come to think of it, I did share all that with you, as we saw one another in 2007 at the Tentmakers annual banquet fundraiser in the N. suburbs..
Your math and logic was interesting to read about. Those gifts came through to me back in the late 1970’s when you explained some audit software stuff to me and a few of us old-time credit examiners.
Within your chapters, I believe I could figure out who a few of the “players” were, but I trust you know I won’t even think of trying to confirm that through you. Those matters rest.
Again, you have done a service for the world, Rob, by writing a book.
Plus, thank you for personalizing it for me.
Most sincerely,
Mendal Mearkle
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