2015-06-09


About Marcella Bremer:

I am an author, culture & change consultant and “inspirator”. I’m on a mission to help more people make a difference at work and transform those Dilbert-like workplaces into 21st century spaces based on:

• positive leadership (encouraging abundance and opportunities while staying realistic),

• “natural” organizational change (including everyone and allowing for unexpected, positive emergence)

• organizational cultures that foster openness, trust and kindness to boost innovation, agility, collaboration and thus results.

• New structures of organizing and collaborating.

Let’s move away from employee disengagement, office politics, top-down control and command, stifling micro-management and bureaucracy, scarcity, work pressure and burnout. It’s time to engage, to energize and to empower ourselves and others – to help develop the world through our workplaces.

That’s why I started publishing the digital Leadership & Change Magazine, including a free member’s area with book summaries, white papers, and webinars. I’ll do my best to help you make YOUR difference.

I also co-founded OCAI online (that provides Cameron & Quinn’s validated Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) online) and teach fellow consultants and leaders how to utilize this tool and I consult with organizations in change around the globe.

I published several books: “Nieuwe Helden” (New Heroes, in Dutch) and “Organizational Culture Change: Unleash your Organization’s Potential in Circles of 10” in addition to the Positive Leadership, Culture & Change Collections based on the magazine.

I have an MScBA degree from Rotterdam School of Management and I’m on a permanent personal and professional development journey through workshops, courses, and training. I’m married with three sons and live in the Netherlands.

What inspires you to write?

My vision inspires me to write – I am really surprised about the number of workplaces where people are still suffering, or in survival mode. Holding back their true potential and contribution to the world – because the culture is toxic, the structure is stifling, or the organization’s purpose is not uplifting, or they don’t see the whole picture and are hindered by their survival mindset (and all its associated fears). If I share what I did about it – and what others can do, too – I can more people make their difference! We can do much more about and with our lives and workplaces than we think.

It’s also part of my vision and mission to be brutally honest. Let’s move away from shame and dare to share, care to share. I want to share what I found difficult, or scary or awkward, and help others by being genuine and authentic. It can be such a relief to find out you’re not the only one… Some things are difficult and hard. The world is not glossy. Let’s get real. Here’s my story – my mistakes – my way. That can help you find yours – with confidence.

Apart from my vision – I love language. I love reading and writing – so I’m someone who’s always writing and taking notes. It’s my style, it suits me, it’s me…

Tell us about your writing process.

I create a rough outline – but only after getting started. The inspiration and energy to write is first and most important.

I sit down and start to write – and when the writing happens to have energy – I’m curious to find out where the writing process leads me. I have no idea until I write it down. I listen to a part of myself and learn while writing. It may go in all directions, but I let that flow, enjoying the journey.

Only in the editing process I sketch an outline and start to create more structure and logic or my readers would get lost. That’s a must, of course, having published primarily nonfiction so far.

A long time ago, I wrote a novella and several short stories, and my writing process was the same. Intuitive. Feeling, listening, tuning into what wants to emerge. What inspires me. Follow the energy of an idea, a plot, a vision….

What advice would you give other writers?

Follow your energy! Follow the energy of an idea. Follow your urge to write (even though your inner critic may get in the way….) Enjoy the process. If you do enjoy it, keep writing – no matter what the output is. Don’t criticize the output. Enjoy the flow of writing. After having done that for a while, put on your (critical?) editor’s hat and assess what you want to do with your words.

How did you decide how to publish your books?

I simply didn’t have the patience to wait for a traditional publisher. It was clear from the start. I wrote down my cases and insights regarding culture change and my clients, students, prospective clients and fellow consultants simply needed to read that book – to help them see what matters and how organizational change and culture could work out well…

What do you think about the future of book publishing?

Hmmm, difficult question. Everyone’s a publisher these days. That’s great but also a problem when you can’t see the forrest for the trees. Everyone is sending information – not receiving. Do we still have time to read the works of others? How will I find quality?

The Indie trend is here to stay. The established publishers need to upgrade to this century and redefine how they add value.

What do you use?: Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers

What genres do you write?: nonfiction, business, literary fiction

What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print

Website(s)
Marcella Bremer Home Page Link
Link To Marcella Bremer Page On Amazon

Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.

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