As most of my blog followers will know, the last few months have seen me working closely with my client, Joseph Valente, winner of The Apprentice 2015, to serve as his ghostwriter for his upcoming autobiography and business book.

The launch of the book in the next month or two coincides with the start of the 15th series of The Apprentice, where Joseph is keen to see who might follow in his footsteps.

In putting together the book you’ll hopefully be keen to read, Joe and I worked intensively in the period between his high profile split from Lord Alan Sugar as his business partner in Spring 2017, and the following Autumn’s airing of the 13th series of The Apprentice on BBC 1 – the show where Mr Joseph Valente first became a household name. To work at this pace was tough going, but Joe is the very definition of a hard worker, and he knew exactly what he wanted and needed to do in order to drive this project forward. His pathway to get where he is now has by no means been easy, but thankfully, writing the book about it all most certainly was.

In writing this book, the relationship with Joe always felt, and no doubt looked, like I was chatting with an old friend and simply helping him with his next big idea; and as this book will show, Joseph Valente has a lot of those to offer. A strong creative relationship was absolutely key in this intensive book-writing process, where we both worked hard to ensure that I could put Joe’s thoughts and experiences into relatable words as his ghostwriter, and present it all through his inimitable tone and trademark delivery. You can read more about how we first met here: The Ghostwriter’s Apprentice

In helping Joe write his book, I felt a responsibility whereby I needed and wanted to make sure that he was represented fairly and justly on these pages, and to make sure that his story would come across to readers in a way that showed his true virtue, achievement and professionalism. These qualities were important to champion in this book, as Joe will be the first to tell you that this isn’t just an autobiography – this is a book that can really hold its own in the world of business. I would sit with Joe whilst he worked methodically and with true emotion to get his story across to me; all whilst he kept one careful eye on his incredibly busy role as MD of ImpraGas – the company he built some years before the general public had even ever heard of him or come to recognise that famous moustache…

I look back on this whole experience with Joe with great fondness. We’d grab some food and a gin and tonic, and Joe would relay with absolute clarity the ‘defining moments’ of his life. I would sit and type in awe, and would sometimes get so caught up in his story that I would forget to make notes at all. I would question him and push for further details that I knew his readers would want to know all about; his success, his plans… and what really went on – in and out of the Boardroom – with Britain’s most iconic business mogul.

From a very personal point of view, when I first got involved as Joe’s ghostwriter, there was a worry that his expulsion from school and the link to his undeniable present success might fly in the face of everything I believed in as an educator, but right now, having learned so much about Joe’s pathway, I actually can’t think of anyone I know who is a bigger advocate for education, accountability and resilience in learning than this man.

We had heated debates at times regarding the book and what we should probably leave out – and what we most certainly should leave in! I hope that what we agreed on in the end appeals to all. Either way, something tells me you haven’t heard the end of Joseph Valente’s story. I hope you’ll enjoy Joe’s first book, and I hope you’ll take something from it. I think you will.

I could personally never sum up the man in question better than the person who features throughout the book as the reason Joe works as hard as he does today, so with that, I’ll hand over…

My dearest Joseph,
I know more than anyone how hard you’ve worked to get where you are today, and have witnessed your determination to succeed against all odds. You’ve come so far, and I’m so proud of the man you have become.
Mum x

You can pre-order the book from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Expelled-Classroom-Billionaire-Boardroom-Valente-ebook/dp/B0774VC2H3