Ron Thurston Leveraged His Second Book to Secure Spotify Sponsorships and Interview Sarah Jessica Parker

When Ron Thurston published his first book, Retail Pride, the result was a massive career shift. He went from a corporate Vice President of Stores to a recognized thought leader, launching a speaking career that took him across the country.

But five years later, Ron saw the conversation shifting. As he traveled for speaking engagements, he noticed a new, overwhelming focus on Artificial Intelligence. At every conference, the keynotes were dominated by AI, efficiency, and automation.

The “human” element—the connection and empathy that had defined his career—was getting lost in the noise.

“It became almost a joke of how often you could say ‘AI’ in a 30-minute keynote. We love the shiny object, but the impact on people was becoming more clear—and not necessarily in a positive way.”

Ron realized that his message needed to evolve. He didn’t just need to talk about retail anymore; he needed to talk about humanity in a digital world. He saw that people were fearful about their futures, from veteran executives to green students just entering the workforce.

He knew he had another book in him. But this time, he wanted more than a manuscript; he wanted a media empire too.

Ron Wanted to Scale His Brand (But Needed a New Business Model)

Ron had already tasted success working with Scribe on his first book, but he wanted to go bigger. He and his husband had a wild idea: could they sell everything, leave New York City, and live on the road?

They envisioned a nationwide tour, traveling city-to-city to promote the new message. But the logistics were daunting.

“We spent $100,000 to buy an Airstream. That was a real investment. But then the question became: How do I build a business around this? How do I get someone else to pay for it?”

Ron didn’t just want to sell books one by one; he wanted to create an ecosystem of content, speaking, and travel that generated revenue before a single copy was sold. He needed a book that was strong enough to attract major corporate partners.

Scribe Helped Ron Refine a Message Worth Sponsoring

Having worked with Scribe on Retail Pride, Ron knew the power of a professional editorial team. For his second book, Human Pride, the goal was to create a resource that was “half for the job seeker, half for the leader.”

The writing process allowed him to organize years of organic knowledge—LinkedIn posts, speech topics, and questions from his audience—into a cohesive framework.

“That’s what having a good editor as part of your book journey is for. It gets so much easier to prune what needs to be pruned. You realize you can just repot it in a new pot rather than throwing it away.”

With a polished, high-quality book in hand, Ron didn’t just pitch himself as an author, but as an entire brand.

The Result: Major Sponsorships and a Sarah Jessica Parker Exclusive

The launch of Human Pride didn’t just result in book sales; it unlocked a high-level sponsorship business model that most authors only dream of.

• Secured Major Corporate Sponsorships (Including Spotify) Armed with the credibility of his book, Ron secured three major corporate sponsors for his tour and podcast, including Spotify and Yubi. These sponsorships covered the costs of his tour and allowed him to produce high-level  content without scrambling to sell ad slots or individual books to survive.
• Landed a Sarah Jessica Parker Interview The sponsorship model created a network effect that opened doors Ron couldn’t have opened alone. Because Sarah Jessica Parker’s shoe brand was a client of one of his sponsors, Ron was able to negotiate an exclusive interview. “I can’t just call Sarah Jessica Parker’s people and say ‘Hey, want to be on my podcast?’ They would say, ‘Who are you?’ But because of the sponsorship connection, we filmed it with a full crew in front of a live audience. That would never have happened without the business model the book supported.”
• High-Volume Speaking & Bulk Sales Ron used the book to streamline his speaking revenue. Instead of selling books individually at the back of the room, he now writes bulk purchases into his speaking contracts. “I almost always put it into the contract for X number of books. I’d rather you just buy 100 copies, and I’ll show up and sign them. It changes the dynamic completely.”
• Expanding to New Audiences While his first book was strictly for retail, Human Pride has begun to find an unexpected foothold in education. Ron is now fielding inquiries from high schools and colleges using the book to teach students how to tell their own stories and navigate the modern job market. By treating his book as the foundation of a business rather than just a product, Ron turned Human Pride into a six-figure media tour, a Spotify-sponsored podcast, and a vehicle for human connection in an AI-driven world.

In Ron’s words, “It’s taken five years to get here, but I’m proud of the work. Now, it’s just fun.”