Joanne Broder, Founder of Dr. Joanne Broder
Name: Joanne Broder
Founder: Dr. Joanne Broder
In one sentence, what problem do you solve and for who?
I do writing projects with people who don't like to write.
What's your story?
My goal is to change the way the world tells stories and to grow my business. I joined this group with gratitude and excitement! Great to meet you all and I look forward to getting to know you, learning, and contributing.
I was frustrated with the terrible information the public received in topics of psychology and self-help, so after over 20 years, I transitioned out of the world of academia and psychology and into being writer, editor, and coach, where I help my clients with their book and other writing projects (mostly self-help oriented blogs, articles, white papers, bios, speeches/talks, etc.). I also developed my own memoir model, the Pop Up Psych Memoir.
I was a graduate school professor in Organization Development and Leadership at St. Joseph’s University, it was time for a transition. I had a gratifying career where I was a dissertation and thesis advisor, wrote the book that went with my course (Finish Your Dissertation, Don’t Let it Finish You!), was co-founding editor of a scholarly journal (Psychology of Popular Media), past president of the Society of Media Psychology and Technology, and served on several committees for the American Psychological Association (APA). I left academia because I was very frustrated with valuable research never making it to the public. I’m proud to be a fellow of the APA and long time blogger for Psychology Today Magazine. I also write blogs for my own website, Dose of Pop-up Psych. The goal of both blogs is for readers to feel seen, have solutions, and know where to go for extra support in topics in psychology.
What does BEING a FoundHer mean to you?
It means being in a collaborative space with other women who value each other's expertise and learn from another.
How do you support other female founders and women in business?
I become their client/customer and refer people to them.
Who is a female entrepreneur you look up to and why?
Like or hate her, I admire Kris Jenner because she knows how to push the boundaries and turn no's into yes's.
At what point did you make your company a full time gig? How did you know the time was right?
After I left academia, I realized it was the right time to start writing for the public, as well as piloting and putting my memoir model out there. I was very inspired by so many horrible celebrity memoirs that were basically dump sessions. I vowed that my model would not do that and the time felt right.
What lesson or skill did you take with you from a prior job to help you succeed in your role today?
I lightly "sprinkle" client drafts with a little data and theory to give the reader context. For example, for a veteran with PTSD, I would include a few statistics to highlight the problem.
What is something you do differently from the industry standard?
I was trained as a therapist, so I know how to ask questions and get people to talk. My writing process is "you talk, I write", so it's easy for them to tell their stories. When we get to the painful parts, I tell them, "I might not YOUR mother, but I'm A mother, and I will take care of you." People who do memoirs usually have a history of extensive trauma. The biggest compliment is when my clients tell me, "that wasn't so bad," when they go through something painful. I fiercely protect the other people in their stories and pull out their wisdom so it's not just a storytelling session.
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