I was first introduced to Erika Lyremark when a friend invited me to join her in taking Erika’s coaching program, The Morning Whip. I politely declined after checking out her website. I was terrified. The last thing I needed as I was still in the throes of grief was someone standing over me with a whip.

Fast forward 8 months or so and I was still terrified, but ready to take a tentative first step. I booked a 15-minute call with Erika. Two minutes in my fear of her vanished and I knew I was in kind, capable hands. What I came to understand about Erika as I worked with her is that in addition to a ton of business savvy and her whip-mistress persona, she has a huge heart. My full disclosure is that I adore her as a human being, I highly recommend her programs to anyone who is ready to pursue their “Red Carpet Dream” and I received an advanced copy of her book to review. Here are my thoughts on Think Like A Stripper: Business Lessons to Up Your Confidence, Attract More Clients & Rule Your Market.

After hearing snippets of the book and making my way through two of her coaching programs, I wondered if there would be anything new to read. While a few of the sixty-eight tips were familiar, there were many that had me nodding my head, underlining madly and laughing out loud.

Each of the short sections is divided into the Stripper Tip – a short story from her nine years on the pole, and The Strip-Down – a distillation of the story into a business-building tip. It’s a fun, easy, deceptively simple read. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes glimpse into an unfamiliar world and appreciated the way Erika shared her story through a “lessons-learned” lens.

Some of the tips resonated more than others. With sixty-eight to choose from, you’re guaranteed to find a handful that you’re excited to put into practice. A few of my favorites were: #9: Serve. Don’t Sell; #25: You Only Need Two Bikinis; #26: Always Be Seducing; and #51: Become a Mistress of Patience. (Sound tantalizing? You’ll have to pick up the book to learn more).

The tone of Erika’s writing is sassy and contemporary, peppered with made up words like “striptastic” and plenty of stiletto talk. As a writer (and an editor in a past life I think), I would have loved one more edit, but its real strength lies in the content, not the writing style. Erika shares her hard-earned wisdom with humor, honesty and integrity. There are no get-rich-quick promises here. She writes in the introduction (which is a great read in itself): Some of the Stripper Tips demonstrate how to do business your way. Others offer  suggestions to increase productivity and efficiency so you can gain measurable momentum in your business. And some of the tips will propel you to be a more creative and resourceful problem solver. If you apply and practice these tips in your business, you will up your confidence, attract more clients and rule your market.

Think Like a Stripper has a number of strong endorsements, with good reason. If you’re someone with a dream and the desire to make it come true, working through this book will make a big difference in your results. And if you’re simply curious about the life of a smart, driven young woman who paid for two college degrees by getting naked in front of thousands of people, then you’ll like this book too.

P.S. For more info on Erika, the book and to get a free chapter, click here.

P.P.S. To watch Erika’s Transformation Talk interview, where she talks about the death of her friend Chad who was helping her write the book, click here.