Pivot for Success

Inspiring stories and success secrets from business leader and entrepreneur Amy Hilliard

Pivot for Success tells business leader and entrepreneur Amy Hilliard’s stories of success, struggle, and sustainability to inspire you to become resilient. Hilliard offers her hard-won perspective on what it takes to "make it" in American business and in life. She talks about the tough stuff, the stuff that most people who rise to her level of accomplishment aren't eager for others to know. Few women, and few women of color, have created multi-million-dollar brands in senior corporate positions, legendary entrepreneurial environments, and start-ups. Hilliard’s fearless honesty in revealing her experience can help you find your way forward, even if you face obstacles in today's business environment.

While Hilliard is a Harvard Business School graduate, Pivot for Success contains lessons not taught in school. Her perspective on success and the failure it often takes to succeed are invaluable. In this book, you will learn the 10 Pivot Points that have led Hilliard to where she is today, including Purpose, Passion, Perseverance, Positivity, Priorities, and more.

The 10 Pivot Points you'll learn in Pivot for Success have been tried and tested, and even endorsed by Michelle Obama. In this book, Hilliard shares her impactful life lessons. No matter who you are or where you are in your life’s journey, you’ll need to gain vision, shift your energy, and make moves in order to get where you’re going. Through Pivot for Success, you’ll find that you can succeed, even when you think you've lost it all.

• Gain inspiration from Amy Hilliard's rise and resilience to multi-million-dollar success
• Leverage the 10 Pivot Points to best fit your goals in business and in life
• Learn to recognize when you’re on the right track or bounce back if your situation calls for a change of outlook and strategy
• Build the courage to take risks, shift your perspective, and discover new opportunities

As the owner of three businesses, Amy Hilliard knows what it takes to hustle and get there. In Pivot for Success, she shows you how.

Introduction xiii

Part I Hone Your Vision 1

Pivot Point # 1 Finding Your Purpose 3

Pivot Point # 2 Believing in Possibilities 17

Pivot Point # 3 Defining Your Priorities 33

Pivot Point # 4 Envisioning Prosperity 49

Part II Shift Your Energy 67

Pivot Point # 5 Getting Prepared 69

Pivot Point # 6 Having Patience 85

Pivot Point # 7 Seeking Positivity 99

Part III Make Your Move 113

Pivot Point # 8 Honoring Your Passion 115

Pivot Point # 9 Maintaining Perseverance 129

Pivot Point # 10 Managing Perceptions 145

Epilogue: Pivot for Success 159

Acknowledgments 167

About the Author 171

Index 173

AMY S. HILLIARD is a former corporate executive, an entrepreneur, and owner of three businesses: The Hilliard Group, Sugarless Sweetness, LLC, and the ComfortCake Company. She regularly consults for Fortune 500 clients including Nielsen, Pandora Jewelry, IBM, BET, American Express, HBO, the Art Institute of Chicago, and PepsiCo.
www.amyshilliard.com

“Making it” in business, and in life generally, is a tough objective to realize. That’s especially true for women and people of color who face obstacles that are largely invisible to, or unacknowledged by, the rest of the population. Few women, and few women of color, have created multi-million dollar brands in senior corporate positions, legendary entrepreneurial environments, and start-ups.

In Pivot for Success, accomplished serial entrepreneur and seasoned executive Amy Hilliard describes how she overcame those hurdles and rose to become an inspiring leader and enduring success story. Her perspectives on success and the failure it often takes to succeed are not taught in school, but the author’s academic credentials, corporate, and professional experience as the owner of three successful businesses grant her a perspective rarely seen before.

She explains the 10 Pivot Points that have led her to where she is today, including Purpose, Passion, Perseverance, Positivity, Priorities, and more.

You’ll learn to recognize when you’re on the right track and just need to keep trying to move forward, and when you need to change course and consider a new outlook or strategy. You’ll also discover that, no matter who you are or where you are in your own journey, you’ll need to find and maintain vision, energy, and adaptability to get where you want to go.

Perfect for anyone looking for inspiration to fuel their own journey through the difficult terrain that is business in America, Pivot for Success will earn a place in the libraries of business students, working professionals, those seeking career transition or advancement, and business owners alike who hope to gain perspective on what it takes to truly succeed.

praise for PIVOT FOR SUCCESS

"Amy Hilliard brings the same passion, wisdom, and vision to everything she’s done in the business world to her invaluable book, Pivot for Success. Like Amy, this book is brilliant; it is a masterclass on how you can find your calling and create a plan to succeed not just in your career, but in your entire life."
—SHERYL SANDBERG, COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.Org and OptionB.Org

"As an alumna of Howard University, where we teach students to live by truth and service, Amy Hilliard does her Alma Mater proud. Not only has she found her life's purpose, but in Pivot for Success she is teaching others how to pursue theirs. Her diverse array of experiences in the C-suite, as an entrepreneur and within the boardroom, have endowed her with the confidence needed to fulfill her unique mission and inspire her readers to follow her lead."
—WAYNE A.I. FREDERICK, MD, MBA, Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery, 17th President of Howard University

"Amy S. Hilliard's Pivot for Success is an extraordinary gift. More than a book, it is a masterclass in finding the clarity and power within ourselves to trust our dreams and fulfill them. With surprising transparency and wondrous detail, one of our most admired corporate leaders and innovative entrepreneurs offers this treasury of lived experiences and practical tools for navigating the challenges of personal and professional growth. Here is the inspiration, determination, resilience and courage—the enthusiastic embrace of life—needed to honor our authentic self and chart our own course. Pivot for Success is the good news we need right now, the wisdom laid out in chapter and verse for turning leadership potential into leadership practice. This is a read worthy of your time. Savor it as I have, and it will linger in your heart as it does in mine."
—SUSAN L. TAYLOR, Founder and CEO, National CARES Mentoring Movement, Editor-in-Chief Emerita, Essence Magazine

"Pivot for Success by Amy S. Hilliard is a wonderful and inspiring read that will take you to the centermost part of yourself and help you identify those principles that make a successful life possible. We're talking about purpose, priorities, vision, and possibility. Well done, Amy!"
—DEBBIE ALLEN, Producer, Choreographer, Actor

"Historically, the principles of rigid resolve and fierce intractability have been baked into the nation’s DNA. Now comes Amy Hilliard with Pivot for Success, in which she draws on her own character-building personal and career experiences to convincingly re-enforce the counterargument that, in today's fickle and fast-moving environment, the inability or unwillingness to pivot can easily lead to unfortunate and unfixable results. This book is based on the most solid kind of research: the kind derived from the real-life story of a highly accomplished, keen observer of human behavior. It says that we must all learn to dodge the curve balls that fate will invariably throw at us, and that life is not going to adjust itself to custom fit our masterplan. This book supplants the sin of certitude with the positive power of pivotability."
—Tom Burrell, Founder, Burrell Communications

"In Pivot for Success, Amy Hilliard provides a step-by-step guide of how to not only survive but thrive in corporate America. From defining priorities—to having patience (my personal favorite!)—she does a masterful job of sharing the lessons learned throughout her storied career."
—Mellody Hobson, Co-CEO and President of Ariel Investments

"With bracing candor and boundless wit, Amy Hilliard's Pivot for Success offers inspiring stories of invention and re-invention drawn from her own remarkable life and career and provides concrete guidance about how to create a life of purpose and fulfillment by transforming difficulty into opportunity."
—Phylicia Rashad, Actor/Director/Producer

"I love this book! Amy is one of the country's great thought leaders. She is also an excellent businesswoman with an abundance of diverse experiences. This book successfully melds those two attributes, thought leadership and realistic experiences, with the result being a pragmatic tool for success."
—Steven Rogers, Harvard Business School, Senior Lecturer (Retired)

"Powerful, Clear, Dynamic, and Impactful. These are just some of the reasons that make THIS book so important. It is based on true experiences and fortified with the knowledge gained from the life experiences and helps the many people Amy has mentored.

I have seen her apply each of the 10 Pivot Points and obtain extremely successful results over and over. I have literally followed Amy for years. As her sister, I assure you each chapter will give you a place to identify yourself and use and gain effective ways to steer your career and life in the direction of your dreams."
—Gloria Mayfield Banks, #1 Worldwide Elite Executive National Sales Director - Mary Kay, Inc., International Success Strategist, CEO, Gloria Mayfield Banks, Inc.

"I've known Amy for 30+ years and witnessed her marketing acumen and brilliance firsthand at the Pillsbury Company. As much as I thought I knew about her journey, I learned so much more by reading her honest, no holds barred account of successfully overcoming adversity. For all who clamor for the keys to living richly, envision prosperity and dig in for a revealing read."
—Jerri DeVard, C-Suite Executive and Corporate Board Director

"Whether we know it or not, we’re all about to pivot—out of a year that has changed our lives and our world, forever. Whatever you’re facing, with Amy Hilliard’s Pivot for Success, you got this!"
—Caroline Clarke, Founder & Former Chief Brand Officer, Black Enterprise Women of Power, SVP, Content Strategy & Thought Leadership, Nielsen Media

"Amy Hilliard has written a very good new book that essentially recalls ancient wisdom: vision, resilience, and perseverance matter still. Every generation faces the same problems in different settings. She reminds us that no matter the circumstances, personal character will ultimately determine one’s ability to survive and thrive in spite of the challenges. This book allows us to follow her own journey, and I recommend it to you."
—Carol Moseley Braun, U.S. Ambassador, U.S. Senator (Retired)

Pivot for Success is a book that is so needed in these times and in this environment. As we all try to establish what’s normal in today's world, Amy lays out several guidelines to get anyone back on track. This book will inspire you to push through your difficulties and refocus your efforts in a very strategic and tactical way that’s also easy to understand."
—Louis Carr, President of Media Sales at BET Networks

"Amy can talk about success because she has been extremely successful in many roles and businesses. This book couldn’t be more timely. Being successful in this new world mandates the ability to ‘Pivot!’ This is the manual on how to do it."
—Charles Jenkins, Filmmaker, Businessman, Multi-Award-Winning Songwriter/Artist

"I first met Amy over 10 years ago. Having both learned from and worked directly with Amy, I've been blessed to see her gift for inspiring others to push past what's possible up close. Her uncanny ability to genuinely connect with almost anyone has opened doors and broken down barriers, serving as a true testament to the validity of what she exhorts (or in other words, she most certainly practices what she preaches!).

I believe Amy's effectiveness comes from the fact that she truly lives the principles outlined in this book every day. Amy’s approach brings practical and tangible steps for continuing to move forward. Both uplifting and challenging, Pivot for Success strikes a great balance of what we all need, similar to the qualities of a great coach. Throughout the book, Amy establishes a clear ‘why’ for each step of her well-honed process, supported by both personal stories and valuable anecdotes from the amazing 'Who's Who' of her personal network.

Given our current context, this book and its insights could not be more relevant. If ‘unprecedented’ has become the universal condition for the world in which we live, ‘pivot’ absolutely should be the universal remedy we all adopt."
—Karla Davis, Vice President, Integrated Marketing & Media of ULTA Beauty, friend and mentee

"From corporate leader to entrepreneur, Amy Hilliard delivers a compelling framework for 'believing in your possibilities,' and showcasing why 'pivots create purpose.'"
—Bonita C. Stewart, VP, Global Partnerships, Google, coauthor, A Blessing: Women of Color Teaming Up to Lead, Empower, and Thrive

"Amy S. Hilliard has been an agent of change throughout her career. After a year like 2020, this book could not be better timed. Pivot for Success is a roadmap that can be your guidepost to success, no matter where you are in life or your career. Follow the 10 Pivot Points and manifest your success... Bravo, Amy."
—Brenda Lauderback, Chairman, Denny’s Corporation, Past President, Nine West Footwear Group

"Amy has had a fascinating career as an intrapreneur, entrepreneur, and a pioneer in diversity marketing. She has leveraged her skills to inspire and innovate, and in this book, she provides insightful guidance on how anyone can navigate the successes and challenges of your career and personal life."
—Linda Darragh, The Larry Levy Executive Director and Clinical Professor, Kellogg Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative, Kellogg Business School

"Amy is a gifted storyteller and so very relatable. One might read the title and say, ‘Oh my goodness, not another book about pivoting,’ and yes, in these tough times of a once-in-a- generation pandemic and economic collapse, pivoting is what we must do. But this is a story that goes beyond that; it is a quintessential American story told through the eyes and heart of a Black woman entrepreneur from Detroit whose words leap out at you and hold your hand as a guide, navigating you through your own personal journey to success. I thought I had heard and seen all the business advice/motivation one needs in a lifetime, but this is truly a unique approach to success, self-realization, and personal revelation. I strongly endorse Amy S. Hilliard's Pivot for Success."
—Terrez Marriott Thompson, Retired, Coca-Cola, VP Global Supplier, Diversity Founder & Chair, Powered By Zerret, Incorporated