Growing Up Ziglar by Julie Ziglar Norman

Julie Ziglar Norman often says her dad is the king of 'doing life right' and she is the poster child for 'doing life wrong.'
For over a quarter of a century she lived every day with regret, shame, guilt, and depression. But she was the daughter of the motivator's motivator, Zig Ziglar, and knew that she needed to be positive. So she gathered up all her negative self-talk and squashed it deep down inside where it couldn't ruin the bright and practiced smile she presented to the world.

'People might assume Zig Ziglar's daughter would automatically grow up to have a positive attitude,' Julie says. 'For a large portion of my life, I was just positive I was miserable!'

Her powerful and heartwarming story will move readers to laughter and tears. Mostly it will renew their faith in God's power to redeem all the wrong choices and bring them full circle to hope and healing. Julie urges readers not to settle for okay when God has true joy waiting for them. She shares tools to equip them to make the changes needed to find true freedom in every area of life.

Goodreads Summary



Julie Ziglar Norman’s memoir relates her childhood, teen, and adult years. She even mentions that often the child of a well-known person only writes to sensationalize complaints about their famous parent; but, Ziglar Norman does just the opposite. She recalls stories in which she fondly describes her parents’ help, support, and love. Included in the introduction is a quote from her father, motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, “You have to be the right kind of person to succeed in life.” The author admits to confusion over what it meant to be the right kind of person. She inspires readers by recounting stories of her teen and adult years – and the mistakes she made – before understanding what it could mean to be the right kind of person.
Although I have heard the name Zig Ziglar before, his speaking career and books are unknown to me. Through his daughter’s words, I feel that I now have a glimpse into the man and his work. However, the focus of the story is on Julie herself…on how it is possible to grow up with thoughtful instruction in a loving environment and still make many mistakes. Ziglar Norman writes that the mission of her book is to be “completely transparent”, so she can inspire others to realize that it is not necessary to be perfect in order to embrace God and know Him. As she expected, many of her revelations shocked me. I felt a little uncomfortable…and judgmental over the poor choices she’d made. Maybe I’ve led to sheltered a life, but her honest retelling of her life’s regrets and shameful moments are foreign to my experiences and (I think) to those of my friends. However, after reading her story, I am impressed at her ability to inspire others; and I am humbled by her faith. The book may get into too many personal details for some readers, but the author’s message is usually summed up meaningfully at the end of each chapter.

Three and a Half Stars

*Reviewed by Colleen*

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