Black Journalist Tells Her Story of Going from Welfare to MultiMillion Dollar Business Owner in New Book
"From the Pits to the Palace"

Carrie Johnson

Framingham, MA - March 11, 2009 - From the Pits to the Palace tells the intimate journey of an African-American mother from welfare to multimillion dollar business owner. It is two stories told in parallel. One is Carrie Johnson's personal story of sexual abuse as a child, struggling with issues of low self-esteem that lead to drug and alcohol abuse. With nowhere else to turn and three children to support, she starts a cleaning service with the help of two friends. How a three-person cleaning service grows to a multimillion dollar contract cleaning company is the second story. The author offers a combination memoir and business case study targeted to women of all ages. The book, released by Infinity Publishing, will be available March 2009 through InfinityPublishing.com, Amazon.com, Waldenbooks.com, and Borders.com.

Ten percent (10%) of each book sale will be donated to the Center for Women and Enterprise (CWE). CWE is a nonprofit organization that is part of a national network of women's business centers focused on empowering women through entrepreneurship.

Women, especially African-American women, face many issues in society from abusive experiences to cultural messages that slam their self-esteem. From the Pits to the Palace is about one woman business owner who finds her way through being dogged by stereotypes that block access to capital, by negative images of black women, and by lack of support. On her journey she learns to thrive economically and finds her own magnificence.

"Carrie's journey with Sparkle Cleaning was not only about providing for her family, it was about proving to herself that she was worthy," said Andrea Silbert, co-founder of the Center for Women and Enterprise (CWE) in Boston, MA. "Knowing that we are worthy should be a starting point for all girls and women in our lives, not an ending point. That is what makes Carrie's journey and Carrie's story so important to share as broadly as possible."

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