The Art of “Reinvention”—Across a 60-Year Career

Episode Description:

Many people talk about “reinventing” themselves over the course of their career, but few do it like Patricia King. At age 9, Pat decided she wanted to be a novelist, and while she would eventually achieve her goal—some 60 years later—she was first hired as a technical writer for a large insurance company. One job led to another, and Pat evolved into a corporate trainer, not only teaching plain-English skills, but opening up a major Wall Street bank to affirmative action programs for women. And then, as a single mother, she decided to leave the corporate nest to start her own consulting company, from scratch. Over time, Pat built up an international management consulting company, and along the way wrote five nonfiction books on business subjects include Never Work for a Jerk, which landed her on the Oprah Winfrey show. And then she left again, for another entrepreneurial venture. This is Part 1 of Host Ron Roel’s conversation with Pat King, as she recounts her extraordinary journey.

Featured Guest: Patricia King

 Contact: pk@patriciaking.nyc

Patricia King has had a long, extraordinary career —and she continues to evolve with new projects and pursuits, even as she turns 80 this month. Pat spent 25 years as an international management consultant, working with Fortune-fifty companies like PepsiCo, Chase Bank, and Pfizer. Her five nonfiction books on business subjects include Never Work for a Jerk, which landed her on the Oprah Winfrey show. After “retiring” as a consultant she helped launch and manage a small , highly successful direct marketing company. During these entrepreneurial years, Pat was also working toward the launch of yet another career as a historical mystery writer—with the pen name, Annamaria Alfieri. Her early mysteries, all set in South America, have garnered critical acclaim. The Christian Science Monitor chose her Blood Tango as one of ten must-read thrillers. The Washington Post said of her debut novel, “As both history and mystery, City of Silver glitters.” Pat is also author of the Vera and Tolliver series of historical mysteries set in British East Africa. Described as Out of Africa meets Agatha Christie, Strange Gods, The Idol of Mombasa, and The Blasphemers are stories that capture the beauty and the complexities of imposing a culture on a foreign land. A world traveler, Pat takes a keen interest in the history of the places she visits and writes about. She lives in New York City and is a member of the board of trustees of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival and a past president of the New York Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.

You can find information and reviews of Patricia King’s historical mysteries (written under her pen name. Annamaria Alfieri) at her website, www.annamariaalfieri.com