From the Alleyway to the Louvre: How Author Gene Belcher Wrote His Way Out

Gene Belcher grew up in an alleyway in Binghamton, New York with a family of 10 and believed he would be dead by 30. Instead, he wrote a novel that is now in Detroit Public Schools, Detroit libraries, and earning five star reviews on Amazon.Gene Belcher, writing under the pen name JL James, is the author of "The Other Side of Color: Prejudice Is Not Always an Outside Affair," a novel exploring prejudice within the same ethnicity through the eyes of a light skinned boy named Frankie navigating two worlds. Gene is also a songwriter, businessman, and lifelong storyteller whose work has been recognized by Governor Whitmer and embraced by academia across Michigan.In this episode of Conversations That Count, David sits down with Gene to hear the full story behind the book, the music, and the philosophy that drives a man who turned a burning story in his belly into a published body of work while holding down a day job for decades.What you'll learn in this episode:The hedgehog concept for career fulfillment: find your skill, love what you do, and make money at it, and why most professionals are missing at least one of those threeHow Gene went from shoveling snow and shining shoes to self publishing a novel, and the sales and communication skills that made it possibleWhy the most powerful stories come from your own personal "alleyway" and how telling them authentically can open doors you never expectedGet the book: "The Other Side of Color" by JL James on Amazon and Barnes and Noble Watch "Soft Pillows" music video: YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn under JL JamesWatch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ConversationsThatCount-CTC Visit: https://ctcpodcast.mediaNew episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Follow on Spotify so you never miss an episode.Free Communication Playbook, 10 frameworks and scripts to communicate like a pro: https://conversations-that-count.kit.com/e7fa86a708