Biographer Competes for Spot on (Business) Reality-TV

- By Melissa Nelson. Saanich News.

Joké Mayers will find out soon if she's won a spot on a CBC reality show about the business world.

When Joké Mayers' husband died suddenly three years ago, the bulk of his early life story was unknown to her and their two daughters. She knew that no one else would ever be able to tell his story the way he would have told it.

"That saddened me," she said, "but it also made me wonder if other people, seniors especially, who might be unable to do their own writing or were running out of time, would like to have someone help them write and preserve their life stories."

So, the Saanich resident, a former English teacher and business communication lecturer decided to make a business out of writing biographies for "regular people". She recently pitched the idea to a panel of business experts who were in town to audition local entrepreneurs for a spot on CBC television's Dragon's Den, described as "a fast-paced reality television show for the business world." Her idea came away with top honours, and the only prize awarded at the event.

"I found out through Business Victoria that there was a contest for entrepreneurs in Victoria to come and talk to a group, sponsored by the CBC," Mayers said. "This contest was towards getting venture capital, mostly for business expansion. When I got there I found out that a TV program was also involved. I did end up auditioning because apparently, that was the whole purpose." Mayers was interested in presenting to the panel to promote her idea and also to find out if others thought it was viable.

The overall process of creating someone's biography usually takes four or more months and costs the client roughly $20,000. depending on how long the biography is and how many pictures are used. Mayers begins with a consultation session, then "gently and patiently" collects her client's story through weekly appointments.

"We sit with them for about an hour or two and they tell us about their lives," she said. "We just record and write. We do this until it's done." Once it's complete, a client can order as few as 10 copies of the biography.

The fact that she's already been doing the work and has many books to show for it -- in addition to the abundance of seniors in Victoria -- led the panel to conclude that her (business) idea was ‘a go’.

"The panel liked it and the audience seemed to like it too," she said. "They told me to keep doing things the way I do them, and they didn't think I'd have any trouble at all with the final audition."

As a result of her successful presentation, Mayers won a combination of (prize) items contributed by local entrepreneurs. She'll find out in three weeks whether she has a spot on the show, which is set to air this fall.

If she does, she'll get national exposure as she competes with entrepreneurs from across Canada for venture funding from a panel of major league investors.

              - editor@saanichnews.com © Copyright 2006 Saanich News

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Entrepreneur Selected to Appear on Game Show

- By Amy Dove Saanich News Sep 01, 2006

Joké Mayers has been inspired twice in the last three years and her business is benefiting.

When the sudden death of her husband three years ago left holes in the family history Mayers was inspired to start a business as a biographer. It was her intent to capture the lives of people in print not only for themselves but for their families.

It’s been a roaring success. Her staff is small - she has anywhere from three to six freelancers working on one project - and most books are completed in four months. She has several already published and is currently working on more.

Earlier this summer, Mayers was selected to appear on a new reality show Dragon’s Den on CBC television. The show pits aspiring entrepreneurs against each other for funding to expand their businesses. The decision lies in the hands of the “dragons”, five already successful business owners who evaluate each project.

Mayers signed a contract saying she wouldn’t talk about the show before it airs in October, but she was inspired once again during the August filming, she said.

The “dragons” suggested she expand her approach beyond Victoria’s senior community into the business world for other individuals who might be looking to lock down their history on paper but don’t have the time or the skill.

Mayers does just that for approximately $20,000. which includes the writing and publishing of the book. An individual can order as few as 10 copies and each work is printed by local printers.

In order to reach more people, however, Mayers needs more money to hire more staff, something a successful run on the TV show would help out with - but her lips are locked as to who the winner is. Being surrounded by other business owners was inspiring on its own, she added.

“I was fascinated by them. I didn’t realize that people have such interesting ideas to turn into businesses,” Mayers said. “Getting validation from others who have already succeeded didn’t hurt either”, she added.

The show had a Canadian flavour to it, Mayers said. “(They were) very nice people and very polite people,” she noted, adding that while most reality TV shows come off a bit harsh, this one was a very positive experience. Whether she wins or loses, there is one thing Mayers learned from the whole ordeal.

“People should be brave about taking advantage of the opportunities out there. I think we should try out for more things, because good things can happen if you are just a little brave.”

The show airs weekly beginning Oct. 4 on CBC-TV. news@saanichnews.com © Copyright 2006 Saanich News

For more information about J. Mayers Group Publishing, contact Joké Mayers at Email: j.mayersgroup@yahoo.com or by Tel: (778) 365-1720.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

News Article From Sooke P News.  

The J. Mayers Group - Publishing.

Featured Entrepreneur: Joké Mayers

(Joke Mayers' Biography Writing & Publishing Business.) Posted on June 15, 2015, by SPNews

The J. Mayers Group: Helping to Preserve Legacies, One Book at a Time.  -by Phil N Rossner

“Read no history – nothing but biography, for that, is life without theory.” – Benjamin Disraeli

Have you ever wondered what your parents, or a distinguished relative, thought about when they were young? Or what kinds of challenges they had in their life and how they overcame them? Or perhaps you are at a stage in your own life where you would like to get down your thoughts for posterity before the winds of time catch up with you and all is lost.

Ms. Joké (pronounced Jo-kay) Mayers has been in business for over 12 years and the focus of her enterprise is to transfer the stories of our lives, whether we be rich, poor, famous, or infamous, into the pages of a book – our very own biography!

Having been a teacher of English, as well as a business communications lecturer, Ms. Mayers finally decided to take her passion for the English language, along with her love of books, and make it into a tangible business and J. Mayers Group was born.

Ms. Mayers enlightened me on the main difference between her company and other publishing houses, “we have a mandate to present the story the way the clients want their stories told. The clients always have 100% control of the content, thereby giving them exactly what they want; rather than in the case of other publishers, what the market needs.”

Enter the Dragons

In 2006, after an email prompted her to attend a contest for entrepreneurs set up by Business Victoria, Ms. Mayers found herself at Bear Mountain Arena with a large number of other entrepreneurs, all chomping at the bit to get their turn to make a presentation on their respective businesses. Curious as to why there were a number of cameras in the room taking video footage, Ms. Mayers proceeded to present an overview of her business to a panel made up of venture capitalists. Noticing that some of the others gave elaborate submissions, including PowerPoint presentations, Ms. Mayers had just brought along a few of her published books.

Long story short, when all the pitches were done and after some deliberation, Ms. Mayers was chosen as the person having the best and most viable business presentation. As such, she won a number of prizes, as well as being offered the opportunity to appear on CBC’s Dragon’s Den in Toronto. While she didn’t come away from “the Dragons” with any offers of financial support, they did commend her, saying that it was a "feel-good business” and that those, are hard to find in today’s corporate world.

A Vision Made Good

Ms. Mayers moved to East Sooke in 2011 and has been running the business out of her home office. While conducting the interviews with clients herself, she contracts writers and editors to help her put together the collected material, including photos, into a book format.

Her entrepreneurial spirit goes back over twenty years and she states, “I have remained self-employed, both by choice and also by necessity, at different periods.” Family support was key in her start-up phase and continues to be important.

As for advice to new entrepreneurs, Ms. Mayers recommends “Have and keep the faith that it will work out. Get started, put in the required hard work, but also know when to quit and try a different path.

Motivation is obviously a huge issue with regards to keeping a business on track and moving forward. As Ms. Mayers reflects, “Faith that I can make a useful difference in my own life and in the lives of others keeps me motivated. I enjoy the path that I have chosen and that brings great satisfaction and self-confidence. I could do without the worry, but it seems to be part of the entrepreneurial psyche and it keeps me moving forward, with some urgency.”

Asking her if, in retrospect, she would have done anything differently and would she take the same path again, she states emphatically, “Not much would have been done differently, and I certainly would do most things again, because they worked!”       - By Phil N Rossner   - SPNews.  Posted on June 15, 2015 

------------------------------------------------------------