It Started with an ASK …

It Started with an ASK …

It started six months ago. I had just finished my Friday morning coaching call with a call to action: Ask for what you want to happen. 

Thinking about it, I asked myself, What do you want to happen with your cookbook? Myself responded, I want it to be featured in Costco. Noodling my response, the next question was, How do you make this happen? A response bubbled up, Just ask.

Sitting in my writing chair, the new question became, Who would that be. And the answer was obvious … the one who can make a decision.

Now I had action to follow. Who would that person be? Google had the answer. Who is the CEO of Costco and how do to contact? Was entered into the search—and Tadah … I had the name, phone, address, and email in seconds.

Over the next two hours, I composed a letter to

Ron Vachris, CEO

Costco Wholesale

P.O. Box 34331

Seattle, WA 98124

Hello Ron,

I am a 40+ year super fan member of Costco, starting with the Price Club in Redwood City, California in 1984. Those were the days out-of-towners came into town, the Price Club was a must-experience adventure.

At the time, I was a business owner, author, speaker and mom to two daughters. Now living in Denver, I moved here in 1989, immediately found the closest Costco to connect  with. Few in Colorado knew about Costco, yet, and I did my best to do the shout out when I arrived. Now the stores are packed—when I first walked in, a bowling ball could have been rolled down the empty aisles.

Little did I know that I would continue to write, to publish and create 48 books to date—I’m now working on the next two. Earlier this year, I wrote and published Cooking with Judith—Comfort Foods Create WOW! Eating. I’m a cook, not a chef, and it consists of 50 of my concoctions that friends encouraged me to publish and share. My neighbors and friends are my Guinea pigs.

Costco is woven throughout where I recommend its products for ingredients. The next book will be on appetizers—I entertain lots. Costco will be in it, too.  I still work full time help other authors to write and publish and head up the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame.

Finally, in my email this morning was a” Congratulations … Cooking with Judith has earned a 5-star review and won the Gold Book Award from Readers’ Choice.” How cool is that? It made my day as I finalized the Gala Induction of the next 12 Colorado Authors Hall of Fame inductees that will occur this Saturday.

Then I started thinking. I always advise my author clients to let others know if they are mentioned or featured in their books. “You never know where and what  it could lead to,” is what I tell them. Cooking and Costco is featured the most in my little cookbook. So, here’s my thoughts and an ask: Sometimes the Costco Connection features a member … how about me?

I love Costco. I’ve spent many thousands of dollars over the years. I’m going to be 80 in February and still going strong. Heck, you might want to become a sponsor of one of the many programs I shepherd for literacy and celebrating the power of words and storytelling.

What say you? 

Judith Briles

303-885-2207

Judith@Briles.com

8122 S Quatar Circle | Aurora CO 80016

PS … here’s who I am …

Dr. Judith Briles is an encourager to authors and writers and known as The Book Shepherd. She is a Speaker, Author and Publishing expert, Host of the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast, and the Founder and the CEO of TheBookShepherd.com and Mile High Press. She’s the author of 48 books earning over 60 national book awards and published in 17 countries. She has sold over one million copies of her books, spoken in 20 countries and in all 50 states.

Judith was the first person to receive the Dan Poynter Legacy Award in Nonfiction. She was honored to be named a Woman of Distinction from the Girl Scouts and to be named an Author Laureate. She is the Founder of AuthorU.org, the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame and visionary for the Aspiring Authors Scholarship program.

Her books can be found at JudithBrilesBooks.com. The next major project she'll be working on will be to create the Getting Kids to Read program. Her websites are TheBookShepherd.com and JudithBrilesBooks.com.

PSS … I so miss the ability to buy books in Costco—rarely did I leave a store without at least one in my overloaded cart.

Here’s the full review from Readers’ Choice:

Reviewed by Alissa Deann for Readers’ Favorite

Cooking with Judith: Comfort Foods Create WOW Eating by Judith Briles is an exciting cookbook full of tasty home meals and party dishes with detailed, step-by-step guides on how to make them using simple ingredients. Judith brings together a wide variety of easy recipes prepared with love and creativity. She organizes the book into sections for appetizers, soups, salads, sides, mains (like poultry, pork, seafood, and Mexican dishes), and desserts, with detailed guides on how to prepare each of her recipes and tips for freezing or preparing ahead of time. Judith shares her favorite dishes, personal stories, and kitchen shortcuts while also laying emphasis on the use of accessible ingredients and the joy of sharing meals with others. This cookbook is a reflection of Judith’s love for cooking, entertaining, and making people feel at home at the table.

One of the things I loved about this book was how Judith poured her heart into her writing. I felt as if she was talking directly to me. Judith wasn’t just giving instructions; she was sharing parts of her life. I loved the writing style—very friendly, conversational, and full of positive vibes. I discovered some new recipes that I would love to try out. The fact that I read Cooking with Judith without feeling pressured or less confident in my cooking skills was admirable. Judith showed a creative approach to cooking, which gave me the confidence to try out new recipes and pantry ingredients. The pictures are eye-catching and help to bring Judith’s recipes to life. I loved the little stories she shared about recipes, like how her foodie friends reacted when she served them or how guests once begged for leftovers to take to another party. Cooking is a passion, and this book made me realize that food made with love always tastes better. I recommend it to people who love tasty home-cooked meals and also to people who enjoy sharing food with family and friends. This is a cookbook that left me feeling both inspired and hungry.

So … did I get a response?

Within hours, directly from CEO Ron Vachris, and copying two VPs with Costco. A personal note plus another thank you from the VP of Marketing:

Dr. Briles. What a great story. Thank you for sharing. You can expect to hear from someone from our editorial team in the next couple of days. If we can find a good fit in an upcoming edition, we will gladly give a loyal 40+ year member, author and cook a mention. 

Peter

It started with Ron … then to Peter … then to Peggy … and Peggy became my new contact and now editor for the Costco Connection membership monthly magazine … who let me know what recipe they wanted and photography. And to let me know when it would all happen.

US Distribution in March and Canadian in April.

Whew!

Where it ends … who knows. When it started … with an ASK.

 What’s in your ASK Wallet?

 To your author and book marketing success,  xo.

Dr. Judith Briles is the award-winning and bestselling author of 48 books and calls Colorado home. When she’s not in the kitchen or in the garden, she’s working with clients as The Book Shepherd, a book and publishing consulting and project management firm that works with authors at all stages of their book to create and publish a book they never regret! She’s the founder of the first Authors’ Hall of Fame exclusively dedicated to ensuring the legacy of authors connected in some way with Colorado.

Judith’s books have been translated into 17 countries with over 1,000,000 copies sold! They have been featured in over 2,000 radio and TV shows including repeat appearances on CNN, CNBC, and Oprah. She has worked with over 1,500 authors and created 500 plus bestsellers. Print publications include Newsweek, People, Time, The Wall Street Journal and … The National Enquirer! Her popular podcast, AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing is dedicated to authors and writers and their success and is ranked in the top ten in four categories on GoodPods.

©2026 Judith Briles – The Book Shepherd™ All Rights Reserved.