By Tammy Reese
Step into the extraordinary journey of Josias Jean-Pierre, a beacon of inspiration and now a nominee for the International Award in South Africa for Author of the Year! In this exclusive interview, Josias shares the profound moment when he learned of his nomination, attributing all glory to a higher power. His humility and commitment to empowering others shine through as he discusses future projects, including a national book tour aimed at helping authors leverage their work.
Discover the essence of Josias’s impact-driven writing philosophy, where success is measured not just in awards but in transformed lives. Gain insights into his powerful books, each a testament to overcoming challenges and finding purpose. Josias delves into his journey as a 5X author and Amazon number one best seller, shedding light on the strategies that have amplified his reach.
As we explore Josias’s creative process, learn how he navigates the delicate balance between creativity and commercial success, staying true to his artistic vision without succumbing to external pressures.
Please enjoy our interview!
First of all, congratulations on your nomination for the International Award in South Africa for Author Of The Year! It’s truly an impressive achievement. Can you share with us how you felt when you received the news of your nomination?
All the glory and honor goes to God who’s the head of my life. I was speechless, I was in tears, I was astonished, all I could say was thank you Jesus. I looked at my wife because I didn’t feel deserving of this and she had to remind me, you deserve it all and much more. When God gives you a gift, the gift will make room for you.
In light of this nomination, are there any specific projects or goals that you have set for yourself in the near future?
I am currently working on a project for a national book tour to take place in the near future. Help other people leverage their book or even get a book out. I see so many people with books but don’t know how to leverage their book. One of my goals is to help others get their books into the hands of their prospective audience.
How do you plan to build upon this achievement and continue growing as an author?
The planning to build upon this achievement falls in the direction of where God wants to take me. This journey started with God and it’s going to continue with God. I’m still going to write books, still going to speak and go down the elevator and empower people.
Given your passion for impacting lives through your writing, how do you measure success as an author beyond awards and accolades?
That’s a very good question. I never thought about the measurement of success beyond accolades and awards. I will say this; when I hear the lives of others change let me know that it’s successful. I write to impact and when I hear testimonials from others throughout that tells me how they were impacted by the books and their life change because of it, I will measure it that way.
What impact do you hope to have on your readers?
The impact I hope I have on readers is for them to understand and know that they were born on purpose, for a purpose, and with a purpose. I want each reader to know that they are not an accident and if you’re still breathing it’s because there’s more in you. When you breathe in that’s potential but when you breathe out that’s purpose. And it’s time to live out what you’re breathing out which is purpose.
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Can you tell us about the journey that led you to become a 5X author and an Amazon number one best seller? What strategies or approaches have you found most effective in promoting and marketing your books?
My journey of being a 5X author is through life struggles. I am a self help inspirational author that shares my story that can impact and shape others. My first book, “The power of your words,” came out in 2016. People throughout the years had told me to give up on my goals and dreams of being a speaker and being someone of impact. People tried to plant seeds of destruction but I never let those words take root in my life. People let how things looked in my life to determine the final outcome of my life. As a preacher’s kid, we were rooted in understanding what God says about you. So when people started to see that I was hitting milestones after milestones, they were asking me how I achieved this or that especially with the words that people were telling you? And that’s when the power of your words came out.
In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic my second book came out, “What Is Your Why Behind The Drive? I started seeing people get burned out on the very thing they say they wanted to do. Folks were asking me, how do you have the fuel to keep on going? How do you have the energy to do what you do everyday? And that’s when the title came out, “What Is Your Why Behind The Drive.” If you don’t have a why that makes you cry, it will be easy for you to give up. If there’s no why to why you do what you do, you need to reevaluate what you’re doing. This book is not just about purpose and how to obtain that purpose and keep the fire going but it’s also about movements that happened and understanding the why behind it. 2020 was also a year of unrest where we saw injustices happening. And In this book I also addressed those components also. As an activist, someone in the front lines, a member of the NAACP, there’s things that were happening that were not in the news. I shed light to things that the news didn’t shed light on in this book. I do that because I want people to really understand the why? I didn’t know this would be the book that will grab major media attention and lead me to write my 3rd book, “Our Cry For Justice.”
Our cry for justice is a poetry book that I wrote that goes back from Emitt Till to Breonna Taylor. As an activist and someone in the front lines and someone at the table, I was trying to figure out how I could differentiate my writing. As a spoken word artist I chose to write a message via spoken word where people can feel the raw emotions, the similes and metaphors and just imagine with their eyes closed while the words deliver. This book was inspired by 2020 events and it was released in December of 2021 where it hit best seller in 8 different categories. If I can be candid with you, my wife who was my girlfriend at the time made it happen. She made sure the book was released, she made sure it got out there. She was committed to making sure it was out there. What led me to become Amazon number one best seller is because of my queen Areale Jean-Pierre.
My 4th book is called, “My Hurt Taught Me But My Pain Motivated Me.” This book is a book of my life story and my life journey on how I got to where I am at. I lay it all down in this book. From setbacks to bounce backs. From battling battles that nobody couldn’t even see to now traveling throughout the nation delivering a message that helps people to bounce back from their setbacks and be empowered and equipped so they can elevate fully into whom God created them to be.
My 5th book is a collaboration book called, “Come Back From Betrayed.” This is a collaboration book with other authors throughout the country sharing their betrayal story and how they healed from it. Lot of people see the glory but don’t know the story. In this book the collaborators talk about the hurt and how we heal from it.
When it comes to strategies or approaches that help me promote my book, I say leverage. Understanding your audience, where your audience is at, and getting the books in their hands. I leverage my book through speaking engagements, events, podcasts, and much more. I was a public speaker before I stepped into the authorship world. I already had an impact as a speaker so when the books were being released, it provided more credibility which brought the word out more often.
How do you balance creativity and commercial success when it comes to writing? Do you feel any pressure to meet certain expectations or do you prioritize staying true to your artistic vision?
When it comes to balancing creativity and commercial success, I say it’s very balanced. I am just me and I stay true to my artistic vision. I don’t have expectations, I prioritize my authentic self.
What else are you up to as of late?
As of late I am working on putting a collaboration book together that will have 7 authors in the book sharing their story on how they turned their pain into purpose. This project is going to be a project that will help people get their story out with the opportunity of being recognized in media outlets as a contributing author when the book gets released. Pretty soon the announcement will be made on who wants to join the collaboration project.
With such notable accomplishments in your writing career, what advice would you give to aspiring authors who are just starting their own journey?
My advice I would give to any aspiring author Is this, write that book. Don’t compare your work to other people’s work. Remember, the book inside of you can change the lives of those who are connected to you.
Follow Josias Jean-Pierre online: @coachwith_josias
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TAMMY REESE
Tammy Reese began her career as a theater actress performing in 60 live stage shows a year with The Media Unit TV and Stage Production Company. She also directed the weekly live TV show Rough Times Live.
Eventually, she went to Empire State College to obtain her degree in media studies. After graduation, she did more theater and wrote and produced her own videos to spread awareness on social issues through the arts.
Tammy is an award-winning journalist and is best known for her legendary interviews with Sharon Stone, Angela Bassett, Sigourney Weaver, Phylicia Rashad, Billy Porter, Luke Evans, Geena Davis, Morris Chestnut, Amerie, Nelly, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Leon, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Giancarlo Esposito, Meagan Good, Jennifer Connelly, Laurence Fishburne, Vivica A. Fox, Omar Epps, Joseph Sikora, Ryan Coogler, Carmen Electra, Tom Arnold, Donell Jones, La La Anthony and many more.
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