Dr. Angela Jackson is the CEO of Future Forward Strategies and a recognized authority on the future of work. A lecturer and researcher at Harvard University, Dr. Jackson is a widely published expert, with articles in Harvard Business Review and Stanford Social Innovation Review, and she is regularly featured in media outlets such as Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, BBC, Fortune, and The Economist. A sought-after speaker, Angela has delivered keynotes at TED, South by Southwest, and ASU+GSV.
In The Win-Win Workplace, the key to driving equity and skyrocketing profits is simple: hand over control to your workers. Based on research from over 1,200 companies, including WalMart, Google, and JPMorgan Chase, this book follows real-world cases from companies where employees evolved from silent contributors to masterminds steering corporate strategies. Dr. Jackson’s work has quantified the financial impact investing in people can have on an organization—the first reliable calculation in the literature of talent retention.
When asked what contributed to the book landing on the New York Times bestseller list, Jackson said: “Beyond writing a book with a compelling and timely message, the success of The Win-Win Workplace came from a strong, intentional platform-building strategy.” Jackson focused on four key elements to achieve this: deep audience engagement, strategic partnerships, pre-sale momentum, and community driven advocacy.
For audience engagement, she focused on speaking engagements, LinkedIn thought leadership, and industry events to directly reach her book’s audience of leaders, HR professionals, and employees navigating the future of work. She fostered collaboration with organizations—such as companies, academic institutions, and workforce development groups—that align with the book’s mission and credited these partnerships for amplifying the book’s reach. Further, the pre-launch campaign focused on bulk sales, book club selections, and media features that helped to drive demand. Jackson had a history of top-tier placements prior to the book, and early coverage for the book included Fast Company, Forbes, and Success.
“From early reader reviews to corporate reading groups, The Win-Win Workplace became more than just a book—it sparked conversations about transforming workplace culture,” Jackson said. With a defined audience, an author can hone in on the communities that will be most passionate about the topic.
To other authors seeking bestseller success, Jackson advises, “Books that thrive have a clear purpose and audience. Define who your book serves and speak directly to them.” Further, she advises starting thought leadership efforts before launch on platforms like LinkedIn, op-eds, podcasts, and speaking engagements to build credibility and to align with organizations, influencers, and communities who share the book’s themes. And, she says, make the book an ongoing conversation. “A book’s success isn’t just about launch week—it’s about sustaining engagement. I continue to share insights, case studies, and lessons from The Win-Win Workplace to keep the momentum going.”
Emily Wenstrom is a freelance writer and platforming expert and writes award-winning speculative fiction for teens and adults as E. J. Wenstrom.
E. J. Wenstrom believes in complicated heroes, horrifying monsters, purple hair dye and standing to the right on escalators so the left side can walk. She writes dark speculative fiction for adults and teens, including her new release, a young adult dystopian novel titled Departures (August 10, 2021). When she isn’t writing fiction, E. J. Wenstrom is a regular contributor to DIY MFA and BookRiot, and co-hosts the Fantasy+Girl Podcast. Learn more at her website.
