August 4, 2010
The Three Strategies of the Unstoppable Woman
Britt Santowski
Aviva Publishing (2010)
ISBN: 9781935586111
New Book Provides Women with Formula for Unstoppable Success
Britt Santowski is the voice of the new Unstoppable Woman. Bridging the gap between women of the past and present, from women who were victims to women who are successful and empowered, Santowski uses her personal story and that of many other successful women, along with practical examples, inspirational stories, and a good dose of shrewd common sense to enlighten women about the requirements for success. “The Three Strategies of the Unstoppable Woman” is that book women have long awaited—a surefire guide to finding the required balance in life that leads both to goal-achievement and happiness.
Having experienced violence and abuse, and having seen it in the lives of the women around her, Santowski makes a strong point early in the book that while violence exists in our world, women cannot accept the role of “victim.” Santowski has no problem taking on what does not work for women. While education is fine, she points out the educational system’s limits, and she provides practical ways for women to determine what is the right goal, field of study, or career for them by exploring their passions and natural inclinations rather than doing what other people or society at large expects is best for them.
At the heart of “The Three Strategies of the Unstoppable Woman” is the invaluable point that women need to support one another. Santowski encourages women, once they know where they want to go in life, to collaborate with each other rather than simply envy one another. She teaches women to transform their envy into the fuel to ignite their dreams. “Envy is not a bad-news indicator that reflects something awful about you. Rather, it is a great-news indicator, telling you that you too can achieve this particular aspiration. All you have to do is to step out of your comfort zone and start moving toward it.”
One of my favorite sections of “The Three Strategies of the Unstoppable Woman” was the discussion of forming mastermind groups with like-minded women. While I have heard of mastermind groups before, I appreciated Santowski’s simple guidelines for creating such circles, based on her own experiences participating and forming mastermind groups. As a male reader, I felt this information and so much more in the book was directly relevant to my own desires and goals, so I did not let the book’s title stop me from absorbing all the priceless information included.
Another favorite piece of advice I found was Santowski’s statement that we need to change “if” to “when” in terms of what we desire. We need to assume something we want will happen and then imagine and plan for it. I especially appreciated her example in this case because she helped one of her male clients believe he would receive custody of his child, a situation that did become a “when” not an “if” and it illustrates that Santowski is understanding of men, rather than seeing them as the enemy. She makes a point of saying that she did truly believe in this particular situation that the child would be better off with the father. There is no man-bashing (or woman-bashing) in this book, but rather a sense that people can work together, regardless of sex or background, to make what they want into reality.
Throughout the book, Santowski provides “Call to Action” sections to challenge the reader toward becoming unstoppable. The end of the book is filled with several excellent appendices, not just the usual list of references, but also inspirational quotes from such women as Eleanor Roosevelt and Helen Keller. My favorite appendix is the “Famous Failures” section that illustrates how people (men included) like Walt Disney, Betty Grable, Joan of Arc, and Benjamin Franklin, might have experienced perceived failure but still succeeded. As Santowski points out, failure only really happens when you give up. Everything else is merely a setback.
So, what are the Three Strategies of the Unstoppable Woman? I’m not giving anything away by stating that they are Accountability, Collaboration, and Initiative. It’s learning how to apply those strategies that makes this book worth reading. Let Britt Santowski teach you, male or female, how to become unstoppable.
For more information about Britt Santowski and “The Three Strategies of the Unstoppable Woman” visit www.thethreestrategies.com.
— Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D., and author of the award-winning “Narrow Lives.”
