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Donna Flagg has over 25 years of experience in business working for companies such as CHANEL and Goldman Sachs.  She has been a speaker for The Conference Board, New York University and The Randy Foye Foundation through her seat on the Board of Directors.  Currently, she runs The Krysalis Group, a company she founded in 2001 that helps organizations create, develop and implement strategies in management, marketing, training and sales.  She is frequently sought after by the press for her workplace expertise and has generated a loyal following through her blog on ExpertBusinessSource.com, a division/title of Reed Elsevier Inc.

Thank you Donna for taking the time to answer some questions for us! To start, please tell us about the latest project you've worked on.

My first book on workplace communications came out on November 27th.  It’s called, Surviving Dreaded Conversations and it deals with all of those conversations that come up at work that we can’t bear to think about, let alone discuss.

Do you also do speaking engagements, or seminars?

Yes, my company, The Krysalis Group, started as a training consultancy, so I’ve been teaching and speaking to groups for years.  Naturally, Surviving Dreaded Conversations will have a primary role in our training programs and speaking engagements.

How has your education, profession or background helped you in your writing career? Or conversely, how has you writing success helped you in your profession?

I found that when I was in graduate school, my writing became much more fluent because there were so many papers we had to write.  That consistency in practice really greased the wheels of my brain and its ability to connect thoughts to words. 

What kind of other works (books, scripts, poems etc.) have you had published?

I was published under a nom du plume and I currently blog for Reed Business Interactive. I also was formerly the back page columnist for Empire Magazine.

Is there any aspect to your profession that gets you in touch with your readers directly?

My blog on Expert Business Source is probably the closest.  And then of course, the daily practice of our business, our website and promotion attached.

What will your next project be?

A novel.  In fact it actually predates this book.  I’ve been tinkering with it for years.  It’s basically done, probably just needs a bit of editing.

Who inspires you on a personal or business level?

All the people who taught me to never quit and who believed in me.  That includes my parents, my first boss and lots of supportive friends.

What type of work is the most rewarding or satisfying for you?

All types. I love working.  But probably I would say the part of a business that requires building. I love stacking strategies on top of one another and then watching how different support structures propel growth.

What can you recommend for writers who are just getting started and are trying to make a name for themselves?

Get yourself out there.  There are so many ways to build a platform, develop a voice and reach readers.

Collaborate as much as you can and find thinking partners to help vet out and develop your ideas.

Write.  Write.  Write.  It’s like any other muscle, the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes.

How did you get started as a writer?

I took a writing class at New York University.  At the end of the course, the teacher pulled me aside and said that she saw something in me that was worth developing.    She then suggested we work together and that it was not customary for her to approach students to cultivate their “talent” through private lessons.

Have you ever had a mentor, or someone who sparked your passion for writing?

A boyfriend who sparked all kinds of passion.  He was brilliant and wildly creative, a writer himself.  I loved the way he saw things.  Everything was colorful and everything was imaginative.

Who is your favorite writer/author?

David Sedaris.  I like to laugh.

Finally, a most important question: what was the last song you sang out loud when you were by yourself? :)

“Since You’ve Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson.

Thank you Donna! Congratulations on your new release Surviving Dreaded Conversations: How to Talk Through Any Difficult Conversation at Work!