All of us have read or heard stories about people who turn lemons into lemonade. It is not often that we get the privilege of meeting such an individual.
Before her bout with breast cancer, Christine Clifford had definitely cracked the "glass ceiling". At the age of 40, she was Senior Executive Vice President for SPAR Marketing Services, an international information and merchandising services firm in Minneapolis, MN.
Once the top salesperson in the billion dollar service industry, Christine was responsible for accounts with Kmart, Toys 'R' Us, Walmart, AT&T, Mattel Toys, and Revlon, among others. Taking her company from a million dollar per year loss to over $54 million in sales, Christine signed the largest contract in the history of her industry with Procter & Gamble, doubling the size of her company overnight.
Diagnosed with breast cancer in December of '94, Christine went on to write a humorous portrayal of her story in a book entitled Not Now…I'm Having A No Hair Day! Her book was nominated in two categories including "Best Motivational Book" of 1996 and "Best First Book" by the Books for a Better Life Awards. It won "Best Health Book of 1995/96" and "Best Illustrated Book" from the Midwest Independent Publishers Association. It won "Best Cover Design" and "Best Self Help/How-To Book" from the Mid-America Publishers Association. Her second book, especially for children, is entitled Our Family Has Cancer, Too! It won a prestigious "Benjamin Franklin" Award for Parenting (Family Issues/Child Care) from the Publishers Marketing Association. Her third book, Inspiring Breakthrough Secrets to Live Your Dreams was published in December, 2001 (Aviva Publishing), and Cancer Has Its Privileges: Stories of Hope & Laughter was published by Penguin Putnam/Perigee (May, 2002).
Christine's fifth book, Your Guardian Angel's Gift, was released in 2005. Her sixth book, which she wrote with her husband Harry Beckwith has just been released. You, Inc. The Art of Selling Yourself (Warner Books, March, 2007) has been named a "Notable Book of 2007" by the American Booksellers Association.
That same year, Christine faced a life-changing experience, she began her own company, The Cancer Club. Today that organization is the world's largest producer of humorous and helpful products for people with cancer.
Christine is a contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Survivor's Soul, Chicken Soup for the Golfer's Soul, Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul, and is featured in the books The Courage to Laugh and The Triumph of the Human Spirit: Real Cancer Survivors, Real Battles, Real Victories.
She has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, MORE magazine, American Health, Golf Digest, as well as The Singapore Women's Weekly and the Hindu in India. She was a 1998 "Hero Award" finalist for Coping magazine, and appeared on CNN Live in 1998 as "one of the world's leading authorities on the use of therapeutic humor". She has also appeared on Lifetime Television Network's New Attitudes show, and the Leeza Show.
Host of The Christine Clifford Celebrity Golf Invitational, a benefit for breast cancer research, Christine's inaugural event raised over $100,000, making it the most successful first-year event in the history of the American Cancer Society. She has raised over $1,000,000 for breast cancer research and has received the Council of Excellence Award for income development from the American Cancer Society.
In July, 2002, Christine was awarded The Order of the Delta Gamma Rose from the Fraternity to confer special honor upon alumnae members who have made distinguished contributions to the nation or to the world through their individual efforts and talents and whose achievements have been given national recognition. It is the highest honor one can receive from the Fraternity.
July, 2002 Christine was awarded her "CSP" (Certified Speaking Professional) designation from the National Speakers Association. The letters "CSP" following a speaker's name indicate a speaking professional with proven experience who brings a proven track record of experience and expertise.
Less than 7% of the 5,000 speakers who belong to the International Federation for Professional Speakers hold this professional designation.
Christine serves as a Spokesperson for HealthEast Care Systems, St. Paul, MN and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington, DE. She serves on the Board of Directors of the National Speakers Association-- Minnesota Chapter and the Minnesota Oncology Hematology Foundation.
Christine is a member of the the National Speakers Association, the National Speakers Association-- Minnesota Chapter, the American Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, and the National Association of Breast Cancer Organizations. She is listed in International Who's Who of Professionals, International Who's Who of Entrepreneurs, and International Who's Who of Authors and Writers. She is also listed in Contemporary Authors and 2,000 Notable American Women.
She is married to speaker/author Harry Beckwith (Selling the Invisible; The Invisible Touch and What Clients Love) and between them they will have five sons: Tim, Brooks, Harry, Will and Cole, a daughter Cooper, dog Sneakers and cat Simone. Christine lives in Minneapolis.
"Best Motivational Book" of 1996 and "Best First Book" by the Books for a Better Life Awards; "Best Health Book of 1995/96" and "Best Illustrated Book" from the Midwest Independent Publishers Association; "Best Cover Design" and "Best Self Help/How-To Book" from the Mid-America Publishers Association for Not Now...I'm Having a No Hair Day!
Our Family Has Cancer, Too! won a prestigious "Benjamin Franklin" Award for Parenting (Family Issues/Child Care) from the Publishers Marketing Association, 1998.
July, 2002, Christine was awarded The Order of the Delta Gamma Rose from the Fraternity to confer special honor upon alumnae members who have made distinguished contributions to the nation or to the world through their individual efforts and talents and whose achievements have been given national recognition. It is the highest honor one can receive from the Fraternity.
July, 2002 Christine was awarded her "CSP" (Certified Speaking Professional) designation from the National Speakers Association.
May, 2005 Featured in Worthwhile magazine: http://www.worthwhilemag.com/currentissue/adversity.pdf
March, 2007 Christine's book You, Inc. The Art of Selling Yourself was named a "Notable Book of 2007" by the American Booksellers Association.
Not Now...I'm Having a No Hair Day! (University of Minnesota Press, 1996)
Our Family Has Cancer, Too! (University of Minnesota Press, 1998)
Inspiring Breakthrough Secrets to Live Your Dreams (Aviva Publishing, 2001)
Cancer Has Its Privileges: Stories of Hope & Laughter (Penguin Putnam, 2003)
Your Guardian Angel's Gift (Bronze Bow Publishing, 2005)
You, Inc. The Art of Selling Yourself (Warner Books, 2007)
Gold Member since 2004 