What if the thing everyone told you that you shouldn't try was actually the thing you were meant to build your life around.

CreativePreneur is Diane's memoir and business playbook in one: the story of how the tools she picked up on stage became the same tools she used to build companies, survive a recession and a pandemic, and turn creativity into a career, a calling, and a legacy.

In this book, you will learn:

  • The D.R.E.A.M. framework — a step-by-step approach to turning a creative idea into a real, sustainable business.

  • How to use "The Tools of the Arts" — as transferable business and leadership skills, whether or not you've ever set foot on a stage.

  • Why visibility (not talent alone) creates opportunity — and how to build credibility and community on purpose instead of waiting to be discovered.

  • How to "pack your own parachute" — Diane's philosophy on preparation, ownership, and confidence for anyone about to take a leap in business or life.

  • How to lead with H.O.P.E. — and why purpose-driven leadership builds something that outlasts any single win.

Your creative side is calling; time to answer.

What people are saying...

"A rare business book with heart. Strand's journey
from Hollywood soundstages to founding a nonprofit arts academy reads like a
story you can't put down — and a strategy you can't ignore."

Los Angeles Tribune Magazine

"This is the book every working artist wishes someone
had handed them before they walked away from their day job"

San Francisco Daily Press

"Part memoir, part masterclass, CreativePreneur proves
that the same instincts that build a great performance can build a great
business."

Atlanta Post

“Diane Strand argues something most executives rarely hear
made well: the arts aren’t extracurricular, they’re foundational. CreativePreneur’s
frameworks were lived before being taught. After twenty-five years in
consulting, I know her eight tools of the arts are what corporations pay
millions for. Read it twice if anyone called your gift a hobby.

Craig Bruce

Founder and Managing
Principal, Evolve Advisory Group 

"Diane Strand proves creativity isn’t business’s “soft”
side, it’s a strategic advantage that sharpens leadership, communication, and
impact. In CreativePreneur,
she offers a practical path for turning big dreams into action. Through stories
and her philosophy, she shows success is about who we become and serve. A book
for anyone ready to trust their

gifts and act."

Lady Jen Duplessis

5x #1 Bestselling Author, International
Speaker, & 5x Podcast Host

"CreativePreneur is more than a business book, it’s
Diane Strand distilled onto every page: creative, generous, practical, and
committed to opening doors for others. Through DigiFest, she builds a
stage that honors work too often overlooked. Diane doesn’t just talk about inclusion,
she lives it. A must-read for every creative and entrepreneur."

Justine Reiss

Voiceover Professional
& Consultant

"Diane has built her work around one powerful fundamental:
impact lives by giving. That spirit fills every page, offering practical
frameworks turning creativity into purpose and prosperity. Her D.R.E.A.M.
framework and H.O.P.E. philosophy aren't taught, they're lived. This book
carries that legacy forward."

Carol Register

Entrepreneur