WEST VIRGINIA, (Hinton News) – Things I Wish You Knew, written by a West Virginia native, launched for purchase on Saturday, October 29th. Author Stacey Bowen published her first book, Things I Wish You Knew: A Manual for Future You, with New Degree Press. The book is a coming-of-age guide for students transitioning to young professionals navigating new careers, changing friendships, new relationships, financial planning and other life lessons.
Things I Wish I Knew is a guide for recent graduates providing a road map into adulthood with experiences learned by Bowen and interviews with other leading professionals. The book focuses on the areas of finances, relationships, and health. Things I Wish I Knew is a tool for young professionals to thrive in the workforce, relationships and build confidence in the tidal wave of decisions that life brings in your 20s.
Bowen’s inspiration for writing Things I Wish I Knew is based on the gaps of advice she felt as she transitioned from a student to a young professional in her 20s. As Bowen surveyed her close friends and colleagues, she realized she wasn’t alone in the void of guidance in this transition.
“I can remember feeling so confused and alone in my first few years after graduating college,” said Bowen. “As I got older, I realized I wasn’t the only one who felt this way in my 20s. This was the inspiration for the book.”
This project is a labor of love for Bowen. As her first published book, the transition into an author also followed with a transition into the role of mom.
“Completing this project at the same time I have become a mom has been such a surprising and unexpected experiencing,” said Bowen. “I wrote this for her, I wrote it for the next generation to have a guide and to be smarter and more aware of the their decisions in the first part of their career because they have impact, financially and professionally. The confusion during that time in your life is unspoken and something no one seeks guidance or community on. I hope this book becomes a form of community for those starting their adulthood journeys.”
Things I Wish I Knew: A Manual for Future You will be available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes and Noble on Saturday, October 29th. Bookstores can purchase through Ingram Sparks and Kobo.
“My hope is that, in reading this book, those with little to no experience in managing personal finances, successful relationships, or healthy lifestyles will discover the motivation they need to better their lives,” said Bowen. “Ultimately, this book is a tool to help young adults who are surviving to transition into thriving and confident adults for their best futures.
Bowen is a former Charleston resident now residing in San Francisco, California. She is a 2005 graduate of Sissonville High School and holds her B.S. in Organizational Communication from Marshall University and M.B.A. from the University of Charleston. Bowen is the first college graduate of her family.
