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BOOK OF THE MONTH: SELF MADE BY NELY GALAN




When you live a rich life
You feel Empowered,
Self-reliant,
Self-actualized,
And Free. –Nely Galán



Spiegel & Grau
Inspiring. Empowering. Every woman should read this book--- from woman driving Uber to pay for her college education, to the Mom needing to support her kids, to the woman looking to get back into the job market, to the woman looking to make a change.

SELF MADE: Becoming Empowered, Self-Reliant, and Rich in Every Way by Nely Galán challenges you to look deep within yourself and dares you to be better.  But this is not just a tell-don’t-show book. Nely has filled her book with exercises and charts that readers can ponder and complete at their own pace.  There are also wonderful portraits of other Latinas who have changed their lives and become self-made like Kathy Cano-Murillo (The Crafty Chica), Melissa Paz, Maria Villar and Monica Maldonado.

Nely boldly proclaims that Self-Made is a Movement for something, not against it.  “It is a movement that hits on every level: personal, communal, cultural, political. It is inclusive, supportive, collaborative. It is entrepreneurship for the rest of us.”

The road to Self-Made is not easy and Nely doesn’t pretend that it is.  In fact, she tells you straight out that it is all up to You.  You have to have a vision for your life and be prepared to sacrifice to achieve it.  In fact, “you have to sacrifice and then sacrifice some more.”

But don’t be afraid.  You have the power to change your life, to shape it.  Yes, it may take time, and yes you are going to need support from family and friends, but it can and has been done.  You just have to have faith in yourself and the strength to follow through.

Nely has so many wonderful adages in SELF MADE that you want to make memes out of all of them.  Here are the ones that resonated with me:


Kill Prince Charming – we have to kill the fantasy of some man taking care of us because it keeps us small. We can rescue ourselves.

Choose Yourself – invest in yourself. When you do, people will notice you and they will choose you over and over again.

Power is taken, not given – all about empowerment. You can do it.

Life is about your mission and your money -- money must come first, in order to fulfill your mission and pursue your passion.

Embrace sacrifice – what are you willing to give up to fulfill your dreams, your goals?



I will say it again—every woman needs to read this book and ask herself if she is ready to join the Self Made Movement.  It’s alright if you can’t join now, but be aware of the endless possibilities that await you.

After reading this book, I strongly believe that Nely Galan’s overall message is universal – YOU can change your life.  It is always up to you.#



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Dubbed the “Tropical Tycoon” by The New York Times Magazine, Nely Galán is a woman’s empowerment advocate, an Emmy Award-winning television producer, and the owner of Galán Entertainment, a dynamic, multicultural media company that has created more than 700 television shows in English and Spanish and helped launched 10 channels around the world.  The first Latina president of a U.S. television network, Telemundo, Galán is also the founder of the Adelante Movement, a national motivational tour and digital platform that united and empowers Latinas socially, economically, and politically.  Learn more about Nely at www.nelygalan.com, becomingSELFMADE.com, Facebook.com/Becomignselfmade, @beSelfMadenow.


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