Derek Lewis: My love for business books began in high school with a Brazilian missionary’s tattered copy of Quest for the Best.
It was love at first read.
While my peers read the 90s’ equivalent of Twilight, I devoured books on economics, biographies, success stories, business management, entrepreneurship, and anything else business-related.
I earned a degree in economics from Louisiana Tech and then a master’s in economic development from the University of Florida. My graduate thesis on micro-finance was based on my field research with Dominican loan sharks.
My professional career experience includes being the administrator of a non-profit that sheltered expecting and parenting teens. I was also the in-house business and marketing consultant for a $30 million company group, during which I assumed day-to-day operations of a $2 million company for months during a leadership crisis.
Burning with an entrepreneurial spirit, I left conventional employment to start an IT services company with a co-worker (who is still successfully in business). During the start-up phase, I supported my family by taking on copywriting projects. Once I realized I could make a living combining my two loves—business and writing—I decided to pursue a full-time career as a business writer.
Today, I’m one of the foremost authorities (in the admittedly niche field) of business thought leadership books. My clients include a Texas oil tycoon, a Turkish economist, an IT startup millionaire, a Brazilian attorney, and a Cajun colonel, among others.
Originally from Mayberry (a.k.a. Pitkin, Louisiana), I live in Baton Rouge with my wife, children, and a small zoo.
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