New Book Reinforces Important Principles

Entrepreneur John P. Dortch shares lessons from his father in a new book -

“I’ve wanted to write this book for a long time… I wrote it from the heart.”

Literally decades in the making, John P. Dortch’s first book, In My Father’s House These Were The Rules, describes ten basic principles that lay the foundation for productive, thoughtful and spiritual living. Dortch says they are principles his parents instilled in him while growing up in the South. The new book is the product of the important lessons Dortch learned as a child as well as his later experiences that were shaped by those formative teachings.

“I would not be where I am today had I not grown up under those kinds of rules and principles,” Dortch says.

Raised in rural Alabama, Dortch was the youngest boy among 11 children. He considers himself blessed to have grown up in a home where he was loved and made to feel that he was somebody. He credits that nurturing of his self-esteem with keeping him away from crime and other negative behaviors. Although his parents, Clarence and Alice (James) Dortch, Sr. had limited schooling themselves, they made sure that all 11 children were well educated and spiritually grounded.

The principles outlined in the book are nothing new – keeping your word, being responsible and working hard are principles familiar to many adults, especially those of us beyond a certain age.

“We grew up in an environment where our parents and grandparents instilled those principles in us. Sometimes they didn’t have to say anything. With just a look that they gave you, you knew.”
However, Dortch believes that many of the problems people face in their lives today stem from the absence of those principles and the loss of that family support system to help reinforce the rules.

Dortch cites today’s rising rates of incarceration, low academic attainment and under-achievement as clear evidence that adherence to these important principles has eroded in too many homes. In a nutshell, we’ve become too lax as a community.

“I think we’re all guilty to a degree, and I put myself in that same boat,” Dortch explains. “What I see happening, primarily with young males – especially African American males – we’re losing them.”

Short of the more grave statistics of crime and violence, some of Dortch’s concerns about the state of young men comes from his experience raising his two daughters. He recalls the young males who knocked on his door when his daughters were dating.

“There was little understanding of what it meant to be responsible,” Dortch recalls. “Your word is your bond, but I often saw my daughters wait on guys who said they were going to come by at a certain time.

Dortch says the need to reintroduce and reinforce these age-old values is what inspired him to write his first book. He plans to follow it up with workshops aimed particularly to young boys and teens.
Not surprisingly, Dortch dedicates his new book to his father, Clarence Dortch, Sr., who passed away in 1983.  Dortch calls his father his “teacher, mentor, friend, confidante, and hero.” He credits his dad with teaching him everything he needed to live a spiritual, quality life. Dortch also dedicates the book to both his oldest brother, Clarence Dortch, Jr., whom John Dortch says he shared many conversations about their father’s teachings; and Kelly Eddins, Dortch’s friend of 40-years. Both Clarence Dortch, Jr. and Kelly Eddins passed away in 2008.

In the book, Clarence Dortch, Sr. is described as a disciplined, upright man who worked from sun up to sundown. Working as an inspector at a lumber plant, the elder Dortch labored hard to provide for his wife and 11 children while also looking toward the future. He managed to purchase a home and acquire dozens of acres of land for farming and livestock – property that remains in the family’s possession today. In fact, the family’s home is pictured on the cover of the book.

Although John P. Dortch achieved considerable success in corporate America and currently maintains several successful private business ventures, he laughingly describes himself as a “small town Alabama country boy.” While he might still be a country boy at heart, Dortch is also a self-described “type-A” personality – driven and always on the move. True to the rule Work Hard Every Day – Get Up Running, Dortch maintains a pace that would exhaust most people. He is owner and president of the Fort Wayne-based human relations firm The Preston Joan Group, LLC. Drawing upon Dortch’s extensive corporate HR experience, the company offers a wide range of services to help businesses large or small better manage their employees. Another business venture is Unique Touch Salon, an upscale barber and beauty salon. With its elegant appearance and professional atmosphere, the salon, which recently celebrated its first anniversary, attracts a diverse clientele from throughout the area. The energetic entrepreneur is also a partner in D.K.J. Holdings, LLC and The Pontiac Group, LLC.

In addition to serving on several local boards and commissions, Dortch’s business savvy prompted Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry to appoint him as an advisor. Dortch serves as co-chair of the Southtown Area Advisory Committee (along with Southtown McDonald’s restaurant owner Ted Williams), a group of business and community leaders looking for ways to jumpstart commercial and economic development near Southtown Centre.

In the midst of Dortch’s numerous business and civic endeavors, he still finds time for his church. Mindful of the rule Being Spiritual Keeps You Grounded, Dortch is a longtime member of Turner Chapel A.M.E. where he serves as president of the Sons of Allen, vice-chair of the Trustee Board, and teaches Sunday school.

While In My Father’s House These Were The Rules is his first book, Dortch is no stranger to writing. In addition to writing poetry, Dortch has written extensively for newspapers and business magazines in the region, and created and delivered presentations for companies and civic groups. Even so, he says the discipline required for  successfully writing and publishing a book along with editing, layout, graphics and other technical considerations took things to another level. So far, the response has been gratifying.

“Anyone reading this book will have a stronger foundation in all the important areas of life,” Win Moses comments about the book. The current Indiana State Representative and former Fort Wayne mayor calls Dortch “a careful observer of how discipline and hard work and thoughtfulness determine the paths of our lives.”

“I am getting outstanding comments about the book,” Dortch says. “I’ve been surprised.”

Currently Dortch is busily promoting the book through personal appearances and book signings.

In My Father’s House These Were the Rules by John P. Dortch is available for $9.95 at Community Care Pharmacy, 2700 Lafayette St., and Mitchell Books, 6360 W. Jefferson Blvd. in the Covington Plaza in southwest Fort Wayne. You can also order the book online at www.johndortchbooks.com