Meet Sharon

Sharon Schweitzer is an internationally recognized cross-cultural business expert, author, speaker and the founder of Access to Culture.

She is an award-winning entrepreneur that has worked with brands such as Hilton Hotels, Lexus and JPMorgan, as well as professional athletes and student leaders to provide practical techniques for improving business communication and increasing revenue.

As a global citizen, Sharon has lived, worked and traveled to over 80 countries spanning 7 continents. Her specialty is providing leaders with the tools they need to develop global acumen, problem-solving skills, adaptable thinking, and cultural competency.

Sharon’s book, Access to Asia, was named a Book Excellence Award Winner in 2018 in the multi-cultural non-fiction category. Published by Wiley, the book provides a practical framework for building successful and long-lasting international business relationships in an easy-to-understand, engaging manner.

With stories from 80 regional experts in 10 countries, including China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, and Korea, the book highlights critical people skills leaders need to understand to drive global business success.

Like many authors, one of the biggest challenges Sharon faced was a lack of time. As a successful business expert, trainer and speaker, Sharon had to balance family, business and international clients, in addition to marketing her book.

To assist her with her book marketing efforts, Sharon hired a book publicist and decided to include book awards as a part of her marketing plan.

Sharon selected the Book Excellence Awards because of the marketing and publicity opportunities available to winners and finalists.

“I was impressed with the Book Excellence Awards…I know several authors who have received the award and been thrilled with the marketing and PR. This awards program stands out from other awards programs because of their expertise in marketing my book, increasing visibility, and adding credibility to my business brand.”

Becoming a Book Excellence Award Winner

When Sharon received word that she had been named a Book Excellence Award Winner, she was extremely excited.

“I jumped up and tried to breathe calmly so I could share the exciting news with my husband… He started laughing because I could barely speak!”

The Book Excellence Awards helped Sharon increase visibility for her book and gain international exposure.

“Due to the Book Excellence Awards, my phone started ringing nonstop and my website traffic picked up with media requests from all over the globe.”

Sharon’s Success

Sharon’s success lies in her remarkable ability to cultivate an awareness of domestic and global cultural differences while fostering an appreciation for diversity, business etiquette, and international protocol.

Sharon’s book has received noteworthy acclaim including being named one of the Best Books of 2015 by Kirkus and receiving a Kirkus Star. With many glowing 5-star reviews, it’s clear the book has had a deep and personal impact on readers. It’s no surprise that the book has topped best-seller charts, hitting #1 on Amazon in both the International Business and Business Etiquette categories.

The book is also used as a valuable resource in thousands of organizations including: academic offices and programs in the US, UK, Denmark, Australia, China, Singapore, and more; Federal government organizations; Libraries; Legal firms; and global organizations such as APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperative), the Global Thinkers Forum, JP Morgan and more.

Sharon has also had multiple book signings at Barnes & Noble, the Austin Women’s Club, the Austin Chamber of Commerce and Westlake Chamber of Commerce.

For her work as a sought-after expert and corporate trainer, Sharon has appeared in major media interviews on NBC, FOX BBC World News and NPR.

She is the resident etiquette expert on two popular lifestyle shows: ABC Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend and CBS Austin’s We Are Austin. She is regularly quoted by BBC Capital, Investor’s Business Daily, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and more.

Sharon was also featured as a Chinese Ceremonial Dining Etiquette Specialist in the documentary series Confucius was a Foodie, on National Geographic People.

As a powerful and engaging speaker, Sharon has been invited to speak as an expert in cross-cultural business at conferences and events including ALA, the Big Ten Academic Alliance, and South by Southwest (SXSW). Sharon also sits on the Board of the Global Thinkers Forum, South Texas College of Law, and the Austin Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee.

To contact Sharon, you can visit her website and follow her on social media. To purchase her book, visit Amazon.

Sharon’s Advice

For authors and publishers interested in learning how applying to the Book Excellence Awards can help them, Sharon shares her experience:

“Applying to the Book Excellent Awards was one of the best things I have done to market my book, increase visibility, and add credibility to my business brand.”