S1 E7: Breaking The Addictive Cycle

About the Author: A.D. BURKS is a native Texan and true Renaissance man who sang at Carnegie Hall and wrote a song entitled Renaissance Revolution. After earning a degree in Chemistry from Grinnell College, he pursued a music career while teaching in the Atlanta, Nashville and Houston public school systems. His strong sense of faith (and a little help from fate) provided him an opportunity to train and travel internationally under the same vocal coach as several Arista Records artists. A.D. has a Master’s in Business Administration from Rice University. Working in real estate development, he completed his own development projects and transitioned into corporate real estate for the world resource his state of Texas is known for: Oil. With Sex & Surrender, A.D. returns to his first love, and what he considers his calling—creativity creativity and spiritual growth. In this book, he hopes to share the experiences and life lessons he learned along the way.

S1 E6: Inside The League

About the Author: Terry has had the honor of working with Olympic gold medalists and professional athletes, but most enjoys applying what he has learned at the elite level to reach back and influence the common fitness enthusiasts. Terry believes that all people possess the capability to “live at world class” and seeks to be an inspirational vessel of life change. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master’s Degree in Health and Human Performance from The University of Houston, and a Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification from the NSCA, Terry combines his passion in the areas of fitness and media to impact the City of Houston and spread the message of wellness internationally with a broader social voice. Terry has been a professional nutrition writer for LIVESTRONG.com, a video personality for Quincy Jones’ fitness media group FeelRich, and is currently a featured personality in radio and television within the Houston market. Terry lives what he teaches, and he created our exclusive PAC(K) Training program from his personal workouts and those used with his athletes.

S1 E5: Behind The Pretty

About the Author: Among her many accomplishments since taking her fate in her own hands, Crystal Hadnott has run over 100 full and half marathons since October 2006 and on several different occasions, she has also run a 202-mile relay race. In addition, she is known to bike in the 150 miles in the MS-150 in support of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Crystal is an accomplished entrepreneur as the owner of Synergy Total Holistic Health & Wellness, a boutique fitness and nutrition company in Houston. As an advocate of health and fitness, she founded “Pavement Princess”, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization designed to combat childhood obesity geared to young girls between the ages of 7-13 years old. As health and wellness expert, she is a highly-sought professional speaker and a renowned media personality.

As a world-wide authority of fitness conditioning and strategic partnerships, she is the respected author of "The Finish Line was Just the Start: A Marathon Runner's Memoir of Relentlessness, Resilience & Renewal". She has also authored a running journal, Running Pretty, which is a compliment to her podcast show and blog site, “Running Pretty.” The highly anticipated coffee table book, "Behind the Pretty" along with her guidebook, "Haditudes: Road-Tested Principles for a High-Performance Business & Life" are set to release in the fall of 2018.

Crystal and her amazing journey has been featured in the best-seller’s People of Memorial Park book, EBONY magazine as well as several other noted magazines and newspapers. In additional, she has seen on CBS, ABC, NBC and CNN’s Headline News as well as heard on multiple radio shows and podcasts.

S1 E4: Exhibit Gray

About the Author: Enitan Bereola II has taken the classic concept of manners and made it tasteful, again! He penned the award-winning & bestselling books, BEREOLAESQUE: The Contemporary Gentleman & Etiquette book for the Urban Sophisticate and GENTLEWOMAN: Etiquette for a Lady, from a Gentleman.

As President of The Bereolaesque Group, cultural figure, celebrity ghostwriter, speaker & etiquette impresario, his voice reaches generations. He consulted and partnered with 20th Century Fox, Apple, Facebook, Salesforce, Visa, LINKEDIN, Yahoo, Jack Daniels, Crown Royal XO, I.W. Harper, Anheuser-Busch, BEVEL, Goorin Bros. & more. Bereola worked on projects with award-winning actors Hill Harper & Meagan Good, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child, Grammy award-winning platinum producer Bryan-Michael Cox & others. President Barack Obama & the First Family, Oprah Winfrey and Mark Zuckerberg are owners of his work. He exercised etiquette on FOX News & dished dating advice to NBC Niteside, BET, TV One & MTV. Enitan won The Power 30 Under 30™Award Presented by Porsche, BC Award for Greatness in Literature, Equanimity's: Best Story Told Award and “Man of the Year” Award from SHADES Wedding Magazine. He was selected as BLACK ENTERPRISE Magazine’s Young & Bold Business Leader. Bereola paired up with Beats By Dre's "Show Your Color" campaign to spread his gentleman message as well as Jay-Z and Steve Stoute's Translation, LLC marketing Co.

Enitan partnered with the Alice E. Foster Scholarship Program to sponsor scholarships for high school graduates exiting the foster care system. He paired with Autism Speaks through American Dreaming Magazine, who donates 100% of profits from POP displays at retailers. The author adopted his former high school – Piedmont Hills, to contribute 20% of his Bay Area Barnes & Noble book sales to help fund student programs. He supports The Bay Area After-School All-Stars and joined forces with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America to help their mission to fund research.

Enitan has been a keynote speaker & panelist at over 50 colleges & universities. He's been invited to speak at Harvard, Stanford & Tufts. His books are a required part of Bermuda College & Kansas State University's curriculum. The second book is a translated top-seller in Lithuania. Bereola is on a world tour.

S1 E3: Chasing Unicorns

Chasing Unicorns...  “Poetic stories of emotion” - K.E. Jones.

We were born too late to remember 8-tracks and too early to make playlists but we had mixtapes. We had College Club and AOL messenger accounts that we accessed through dial-up modems. Our first LOL happened over touch-tone phones rather than touchscreens. We had Blockbuster nights without Netflix and chilin. We were the last to see how it felt to make real-life connections yet we still find ourselves devoid of the ultimate connection. Never seeing love in real life, we fight to blindly define and create it. And though weary, we are still hopeful. This book is our all-too-common journey to love, happiness and wholeness. Hear the story behind the book by watching this weeks episode.

About the Author: Rachel Garrison is a native New Orleanian residing in Houston, TX with her children. This Early Millennial is a mother, educator, entrepreneur and poet. She began her writing journal as a shy high school girl. She has learned to channel stories and her life experiences into works that resonate with many ages.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

S1 E2: Navigating Courage

About the Author: “She believed she could, so she did.” On the surface, Dr. Martin was living the dream. She emerged from a childhood in public housing as a college basketball star who turned her talents to coaching and then to leading athletic programs around the country. She earned her doctoral degree and was elevated to one of the highest academic administration positions in a large, public, urban, research-intensive university. She was an expert in educational leadership, but under the surface, she railed against a meritocracy that demeaned and destroyed the hopes and dreams of so many of her peers. In her book, Navigating Courage, Dr. Martin bears powerful witness to failed systems and the pains they inflict. More than that, though, she also illuminates a path for academics and professionals of color who dare to aspire, as she continues to do. Hear the story behind the book by watching this weeks episode. 

S1 E1: Hello & Welcome

About the Show: Hosted by Tenecia Nicole, Beyond the Bookshelf is a show that asks the questions that readers are dying to know, but are afraid to ask. After working with a few high profile authors, Tenecia Nicole discovered the story behind the book was just as powerful as the book itself. She saw a void in the market for this type of content and filled it with Beyond the Bookshelf.

On the show, Tenecia has one-on-one conversations with high profile authors to discuss the backstory behind their books, how they made it in their respective industries and why they chose to write their story at this particular point in their career.  

Join her as she explores the unknown with your favorite author and unlocks the backstory behind their books.