About

I have known for more than ten years that I would one day interview people and write a book, but being the “type A” personality that I am, I was always too busy.

Then I became very ill. After three and a half years, I was finally diagnosed with lyme disease. It was a very difficult time for me, but as I began my recovery, I was able to get in touch with my “dharma” or purpose in life, which I discovered is to motivate and help people become successful—especially those who use “street smarts” to get ahead.

I believe whole-heartedly that every experience happens for a reason, and the lyme disease provided me with the time to breathe and think about where I was going in my life. Over the past year and a half, I have been blessed with one person after another who volunteered to be interviewed for this book. Between these pages, you will meet some of those wonderful people.

To read a free chapter, click one of the links below…

Chapter 1 – My Story, Claudia Fox

Chapter 2 – Never Say No, Helen Gurley Brown

Table of Contents of “Degrees of Success”

Preface

i

My Story, Claudia Fox

1

Never Say No, Helen Gurley Brown

5

Passion Breeds Success, Steven Belmonte

8

Laredo’s First Lady, Elizabeth Flores

12

Make Lemonade Out of Lemons, Joe Izzo

15

Cultivate Your Talents, Maureen Chatfield

18

Fear Can Motivate, Catherine Del Spina

22

Comics are Serious Business, Len and Caren Katz

25

Contacts are Key to Getting Ahead, Liz Derringer

28

Create Your Own Luck, Fenton Soliz

31

Color My World, JoAnn Feder

35

Risk, Sean Hidey

38

Trust Your Intuition, Danny Goldberg

41

‘How to’ be Successfull

44

Give Back by Tithing

53

A Note from the Author

59

Claudia Logan Fox

60

“Degrees of Success” captures short inspirational stories of every day people who became successful without a college degree.

“Claudia Fox has written an enlightening book that will demonstrate to you, that although education may be the key that will unlock doors, with only dedication and desire, you can blow them right off their hinges.”
– John Roland, WNYW, FOX 5