📚 My What If Year by Alisha Fernandez Miranda 📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a funny and inspiring memoir about a nearly 40 wife, mother of 2 and successful CEO who takes a look at her life and realises it is missing something. To regain the passion and enthusiasm she used to feel about life, Alisha decides to take a year in her life to explore the fields and careers that she could have taken. She takes the bold decision to tackle those ‘what ifs’ and see what happens. Little does she know that a global pandemic is also going to have to factor in her explorations…

I really enjoyed this memoir! I loved the courage and determination it took Alisha to put herself on the line and become a beginner again in the fields she chose to explore. I loved the behind the scenes look at different industries such as Broadway and the art world and I laughed out loud (with her!) at some of her missteps. I found it a highly entertaining memoir that also made me think about the definition of success and fulfilment.

📖 Pick this one up if you want a light-hearted read that will allow you to fantasise about different career paths and wonder how to add more sense of fun and daring to your own life.

This is coming out on 02/07 so just a few days away!

This is the very first @ which is so exciting! Thanks to @ and @ and @ for the free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

QOTD: What do you do for fun… that’s not reading 😉

AOTD: Chatting with friends and going out to restaurants so nobody has to cook!

My What If Year was one of my first books of 2023, and was a wonderful reminder of what can come when we get a little curious, and also a little uncomfortable! It was charming and also had so many laugh out loud moments, while also reminding the reader, we truly are never alone.

One of the things that has been a roadblock for me in the past was "But what if I fail?!" And of course, sometimes (often!) I totally do! But trying new things has also led me to so many amazing places, and that is what I am trying to hold on to. My What If Year was a wonderful way to start 2023 and I really enjoyed this title.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zibby Books for my gifted copies.

Ah, all the lives we might have had! Alisha Fernandez Miranda takes a (pandemic!) year to explore and brings us all along for her adventures. Theater (with Broadway royals, no less!), health, art, hospitality (in Scotland!)! She writes in a very conversational, easy way, like friends chatting over coffee. This book is a quick and fun read, and will make everyone who reads it think about roads not taken and lives unlived (and in different parts of the world). Most of all, the author reminds us there are many facets of who we are, and that life is short -- keep growing, learning, stretching, and living! Thanks to Netgalley and Zibby Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

My What If Year is a humorous, witty memoir.
“Whatif”
Last night, while I lay thinking here,
Some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
And pranced and partied all night long
And sang their same old Whatif song.
Shel Silverstein

Alisha “had it all.” An expanding business, a family, a dream life in London. She thought she was happy, but she really, really wasn’t. She was stuck.
Hurtling towards forty during the pandemic Alisha Miranda feared turning into a middle-aged woman whose best years were behind her. As CEO of I.G. Advisors, she and her husband helped connect companies and foundations with charitable organizations, like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and UN Women! So yes, Alisha was successful, but unsatisfied, riddled with guilt. During a much needed night out with her friends, Alisha admitted she wasn’t sure she was “living the dream.” What resulted was a conversation centered around becoming an intern in careers she had harbored in her dreams. All the “what ifs.” The year of 2020 became Alisha’s “what if year.”
The internships included a Broadway theater, a virtual fitness studio, a London art gallery, and a luxury hotel in Scotland. Learning life lessons along with Alisha during her four internships are treats to be treasured. Just a few: How to be uncomfortable in not being the expert in the room, how to do small tasks carefully and find joy in completing them, pay attention to intentionally seeking joy, look for right brained, creative activities, find confidence in applying skills in completely different fields. And many more!
Be entertained and enlightened. Read Alisha Miranda’s My What If Year and know:
“It’s never too late to say yes to second chances and explore the roads untraveled throughout your life.”

This memoir is an extremely interesting read that will make you laugh and examine the choices that you have made in your life.

Alisha is living in London and is a wife, mother of twins and the CEO of her own consulting firm. She is totally wiped out and needs to recharge!! She will embark on a journey that will have her doing 4 different internships that she dreamed of when she was growing up and these jobs will push her to her limits. She will work on Broadway, in a hotel restaurant, at Christie’s dealing with very expensive artwork and a fitness instructor.

Along the way, Alisha will find that hard work, determination, and failure will all make you stronger!! Her What If Year allowed her to travel the paths that she had not taken and proved to her that you are always learning and growing.

This will be the first book published by Zibby Books and it is a strong first book!!! Highly recommend!!!

As she approaches her 40th birthday, Alisha realizes that despite numerous successes in her life and career she is not feeling fulfilled. With the support of her husband and children, she leaves her job to take on a series of internships ranging from Broadway to group fitness. It is through these experiences that she is able to carve out a role for herself in each place and to learn what makes her happy in terms of career. She explores all of the "what ifs" of her career and life.

I found this to be such an interesting memoir. It was able to show that despite what we may believe is a successful life and career, we never know what someone actually feels on the inside. We learn that by embodying the "spirit of the intern", the author is able to make some decisions about her career going forward. We learn that it is never too late to make a change and that it is important to check in with ourselves from time to time. I feel that everyone could use a what if year at some point in their life - a chance to try on different jobs and experiences.

I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir. Alisha is almost 40, has twins and a wonderful husband. She is also a successful CEO, but is wanting more in her life.

She leaves London and gets to explore many “small unpaid internships” with the blessing of her husband. Alisha gets to explore the What if’s in her life. The path not chosen that are close to her heart.

With grit, determination, passion and humor she gets to intern in hospitality, fitness, art and music. I loved the part where she interned with a Broadway legend. I love Broadway musicals and to get to go behind the scenes would be a dream come true.

She was blessed with the resources and supportive family to explore part of herself during the pandemic and life changing as we know it.

Thankful for Zibby Owens for introducing us to powerful authors. This book is February 7, 2023 available.

What happens when your life looks perfect from the outside but on the inside you’re not quite sure what you’re doing anymore? Well, Alisha found herself in that very spot and through her memoir, My What If Year, she takes the reader on her journey of finding happiness and fulfillment.

There are a lot of funny moments in My What If Year mixed with a healthy dose of self-depreciation. As a mom of twins and a CEO of a company she helped found, Alisha decides it’s time to try something new through the power of the unpaid internship. From Broadway moments before it goes dark, to the pandemic shifted fitness world, the art world she isn’t sure she’ll get into and hotel hospitality, Alisha experiences a lot of ups and downs. One thing she is sure of though, she’s ready for a change.

This is a book that made me think and while Alisha comes from the privilege (which she acknowledges a lot) to take this leap of faith, it still felt relevant. Also, I agree with Alisha completely…JC IS the best member of *N Sync!

Thank you to Zibby Books for providing me with this ARC to review.

Don't we all wonder "what if" we had chosen a different career? Alisha Fernandez Miranda chose to intern for a year to do just that. The fact that she was about to turn forty, had two young children and a successful career makes her story even more intriguing. We follow along as she pursues different jobs and in the midst of a pandemic and lockdown! She tells her story so well we feel we are right there with her on this journey. This story will make you re-think your own "what if" question.

Alisha Fernandez Miranda could quite possibly be my favorite role model of all time. Certainly she represents the me I have seen in dreams for years. While I had only dreams and an inescapable fear of stepping away from the comfort zone, she summited mountains. Haven’t many of us considered trying a new vocation?
What better way to approach the unknown than via the safety of an internship. Juggling family, pandemic and career isn’t necessarily easy, luckily for readers, Alisha Fernandez Miranda shares a year of her life in an informative, amusing, whirlwind, exceptionally documented memoir. Often self-deprecating, always honest and transparent, Ms. Miranda presents her version of how to navigate life when the roads are blurred. My What If Year is the handbook for pursuing dreams no matter what. A most enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

What happens when you follow the rules but the results don't yield as promised?My What If Year: A Memoir, a memoir by Alisha Fernandez Miranda explores our cultural idea of success by choosing to starting over in her 40s and intern at a variety of her dream jobs.

Fernandez Miranda explores the ideas of success, happiness and manifesting one's destiny by asking herself a simple, yet complicated question: "What if?"

What if she unlocks a new way of envisioning what she wanted to do with her life? What if she sheds her safe, reliable yet unfulfilling career and tries out new professional paths? What if this journey leads to a job she never envisioned having? What if it doesn't and she ends up feeling more lost than when she started? What if?

The concept of this book, a woman hits the pause button on her very successful career to spend the year interning at a variety of jobs, could be a put off to a reader. After all, how many people have the means to do that? I appreciated that Fernandez Miranda both acknowledged her privilege head-on and reflected on its roots in relationship to the American Dream.

In Fernandez Miranda's case, her grandparents were immigrants and worked tirelessly to give their children a better life. In turn, Fernandez Miranda's parents did the same. As a third generation U.S. citizen, Fernandez Miranda applied the fierce work ethic she learned from her family to build a remarkable career. Yet it wasn't a career that brought her satisfaction.

I loved the opportunity to live vicariously through Fernandez Miranda as she dove into a variety of internships that required skill sets she either hadn't utilized in decades, or skill sets she needed to learn on the fly. I couldn't help but imagine seeing myself in her various internships and wonder, how I would fare in her shoes?

MY WHAT IF YEAR is far from a straightforward account of one woman trying out new professions to see which is the best fit. It's a candid, unflinching and downright hilarious story of a woman who has the personal awareness to ask "What if there's more?" and the courage to attempt to answer her own question.

While I wouldn't dream of giving away the ending, I do hope Fernandez Miranda continues to document her life experiences. The last thought that came to mind before I finished the book was: "What if she writes a sequel?"

I hope so!

We have all had that moment, or several, where we have wondered: What if...? What if we had chosen that different major or did better at an interview. We wonder if we would be happier (even if we have a good life), more successful, or a better person. Well Alisha had that same conversation with herself and some friends one night. Even though she was a highly successful CEO and had what others would say is an envious life, something was missing. She wasn't happy, and this led to a year of internships (during the pandemic!) that would give her the chance to see: What if? This book is not only funny and relatable but may just spark something in you that has been dormant for a while. Did she find her true calling or was she right where she was supposed to be? Are you where you want to be? Maybe this will spark your own What if year!

This book gave me slight ‘Eat Pray Love’ vibes. I really enjoy memoirs like this that make you feel like you’re catching up with an old friend. I appreciated Alisha’s authenticity and admired her willingness to try new things. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Zibby Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Imagine taking a year off from your regular life and trying out a new career path? Alisha took that brave step as she was approaching 40 and tried out several internships to explore different career paths she had always been interested in but never pursued. I love this concept (and she admitted that it was indeed a privilege to have the financial ability to do this)! It makes a lot of sense to try anything on for size before you commit to it and why not do this even midway through a career?! You certainly have a lot more life experience to offer than someone just starting out and you can really hone in on a particular industry as you know yourself a bit better.

I found Alisha’s internships really fascinating. I loved getting an inside look at Broadway, the art world, an award winning restaurant and running a fitness business. I was really invested in the outcome of her “what if year” and I was rooting for her to find her calling. However, I couldn’t help but wonder if she hadn’t already found her calling - as a writer! Alisha has such a fresh writing style and brings a lot of heart to her words. I won’t spoil the ending of the book but I definitely hope writing continues to be something she pursues!

My What If Year is an engaging and compelling memoir of a successful woman, who decides to take a year off to explore the career choices she didn’t make. She sidesteps her CEO role, and finagles her way into unpaid internships to gain the experience of working at several of her fantasy jobs. This includes behind the scenes on Broadway, at Christie’s auction house, as an online fitness instructor and at a Michelin-starred restaurant and lodge in Scotland. I could completely relate to imaging about the roads not taken, and speculating what it might be like to do something completely different. It’s like a career romance novel. The candid funny, poignant experience of shifting from a position of power and expertise to doing much simpler things (and sometimes failing at them!) drew me in quickly and made me feel empowered to try new things, and to ask myself not only “what if?” but also “why not?”

I loved my first career, married a fabulous guy, and gave birth to three bouncing baby boys. Now that I am deep into my 40s, though, I can honestly say I sometimes miss when I was younger, and the future felt “wide-open”—endless possibilities. Alisha’s memoir is a grand reminder that those days actually still exist, and it’s never too late to make a change. The future is as bright as you make it, and it’s time to seize the day! ⁣
⁣
Alisha is happily married and a mom to twins while being the CEO of her own company…That was until she decided to shake things up. Like so many of us, Alisha hit a wall. She was exhausted from balancing the daily grind of work with raising a family. The spark she once felt for making the grade disappeared, and she found herself at a crossroads. Stay the same but without any shine or take a leap of faith and discover what brings her joy. Alisha decided to spring forward, hit pause on her successful career, and embark on an experimental year working as an intern in four different areas. Each one of these experiences put an end to the lingering question— “What if?” and gave the idea of “success” a brand new meaning. ⁣
⁣
Alisha’s openness and honesty reveal that human growth, happiness, and experiences never stop evolving…even after you turn 40. I connected with her writing because it felt like we were a couple of mom friends having a cup of coffee in the middle of the day, processing our lives out loud. Alisha’s story is about pushing through uncertainty to see what could happen. I loved how I laughed my butt off and pondered my future all at the same time.
⁣
I adored reading 𝘔𝘺 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐𝘧 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳. It was a much-needed chat with a good friend at the end of a l-o-n-g week. Alisha’s memoir is the ultimate travel guide to second chances, a much-appreciated ode to self-care, and a classic nod & wink to reignite the joy in your life at any time. Make this book happen!

Are you at a point where you are asking yourself the following questions about your career: Is this it? Am I done trying new things? Is this all I am ever going to achieve? Have I made all the big decisions I was going to make and taken enough significant risks? Will everything be the same?
Well, author Alisha Fernandez Miranda did. She took a chance and pursued her dreams.
She cleared her schedule for a few months to pursue the careers she always wanted to pursue … in the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Miranda created an internship relationship management spreadsheet, listed her hopes and dreams, and aligned them with people she knew who could help her pursue them. Then, she drafted a note that included an informational coffee invite to explain her pitch in person.
Her efforts worked. She garnered internships in a Broadway theater production, a fitness startup, a lucrative art auction house, and a renowned Scotland hotel.
While I suspect no one was inclined to tell a successful Harvard grad and CEO what to do, Miranda resorted to finding ways to make herself useful. For instance, she replenished water jugs at the theater for the cast and crew and incorporated the task into her daily routine. In addition, as a fitness and art gallery intern, she did market research.
The book overall is very inspirational. Miranda knows that she has a privileged life that allows her to go after her dreams. She also has a very supportive husband who supported her goals and looked after their two kids.
I did see some missed opportunities in her overall pursuit. For instance, it appeared she only mentioned her nanny in her acknowledgments. Knowing she had extra help and when would have offered more perspective on what's possible for those people with children. In addition, she often asked to get people coffee at her internships, which is very cliché, and offered to do menial tasks like picking up after people at the theater.
I believe it would have served her well if she had researched the activities of interns within the industry and then listed what she wanted out of her internships alongside her spreadsheet and emails.
While you may not have Miranda's lifestyle, it all comes down to planning. For example, if you can't do an internship, you can shadow someone in a job that interests you or volunteer at a corporate event to see if you like the company.
I found the book to be an intriguing read. It had excellent writing and exciting twists due to the events related to the pandemic. I recommend this book to anyone wondering, what if I tried something different?

My What If Year by Alisha Fernandez Miranda

For anyone who has ever spent time dreaming about the what-ifs of your past, this story is for you.

Alisha Fernandez Miranda, the child of Cuban immigrants, has everything she could seemingly want. A career as CEO of her own consulting firm. A loving family. A house in London, where she has always dreamed of living. She has reached peak success in her personal and professional lives by anyone’s standards, including her own. So why is she run down and exhausted and can’t help but think, is this all there is?

With the support of her family, Alisha takes a leave of absence from her job and sets out to explore the dream jobs of her youth by embarking on a series of unpaid internships over the course of a year. What follows is a warm and witty account of Alisha’s journey as she rediscovers the joy of having adventures, being uncomfortable, and learning new things.

My What If Year will show you that it’s never too late to explore the road not taken.

My What If Year by @alishafmiranda is available in bookstores everywhere on February 7th, 2023.

Thank you to @zibbybooks and @netgalley for the advance copy!

I love a good memoir! This one broke me out of the tragedy to triumph memoir mold. How many times have you wondered what would have happened if you’d pursued your real passion? Taken a chance rather than playing it safe? Alisha takes a look at her life & decides to explore the choices she didn’t make. From Broadway, to the fitness industry, hospitality, and finally the world of fine art, Alisha pauses her steady career to dabble in them all. She learns, grows, sweats and stumbles. Most of us don’t get this chance, but we can live vicariously through Alisha’s midlife internships. Her story is funny and real. I have to admit, I was a little jealous!

There’s a new publishing company and it’s @zibbybooks - a women led publishing company. And their very first novel is this memoir right here!

Alisha Fernandez Miranda is a successful CEO, happily married, mother of twins, but something is missing from her life. She decides to take some time and explore other industries as an unpaid intern to discover if there’s a better fit for her. From theater to fitness to art, Alisha gets her foot in the door - all while Covid-19 changes the world.

I appreciated Alisha’s subtle humor and references. It’s such a refreshing story to encourage others to try something new. It was relatable, fun and inspiring.