Our People
About Beyond Words: Our Story | Mission & Vision | Our People
RICHARD COHN
President & Publisher
Richard Cohn founded Beyond Words Publishing in 1983 and serves as the Publisher & President, overseeing Marketing, Finance, Editorial, and Special Sales. Having worked with many first-time authors and projects like The Secret and Hidden Messages in Water, he has established a reputation for producing inspiring, high-quality books that can help make a difference in the lives of millions of readers. He has helped Beyond Words expand as an information and media company, providing DVD, audio, online live-streaming, and product distribution.
A fifth generation Oregonian, Richard is a graduate of Stanford University and received his masters from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Richard is a motivational and inspirational speaker with a number of movie credits. He has coproduced several films and looks forward to delivering inspirational and spiritual content in innovative ways.
Richard is a treasure hunter, whether looking for the next bestselling book or movie, or finding a gem at an estate sale. He enjoys an active lifestyle with his wife Michele and spending time with his family and nine grandchildren. He has traveled and lived abroad and is fluent in four languages. He is immensely proud of the company that Beyond Words has become and the recent co-publishing agreement with Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, giving the company strong domestic and international distribution, as well as strong foreign rights sales.
MICHELE ASHTIANI COHN
Vice President & Acquisitions Editor
Michele Ashtiani Cohn began her journey at Beyond Words in 2005. Starting out as a part time sales associate, she quickly rose in the ranks and became Marketing Director in 2006. Her first big marketing success was The Secret book published by Beyond Words/Atria.
Michele now oversees adult acquisitions and is constantly looking for material that will help shift the consciousness of the planet. As Creative Director, she also makes sure that daily life at Beyond Words is fun, meaningful, and filled with purpose.
A proud Oregonian, Michele is a graduate of Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls. Growing up in the mountains of Southern Oregon has given Michele a sense of wonderment about nature and an appreciation and gratitude for the lives we are given.
Michele works daily with her husband, Richard, with authors and filmmakers, and has coproduced several films. She is especially dedicated to reach and touch billions of lives with Beyond Words’s inspirational spiritual content.
She is very proud to be a mother and grandmother, blessed with thirteen amazing grandchildren. When not working, traveling, or spending precious time with family, Michele can be found pulling weeds and planting organic vegetable and flower gardens at their homes in Oregon and Washington.
Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life. — Buddha
People who have helped along the way
Our first president Cynthia Black
Our first partner Robert B. Goodman
Our first printer Charlotte Liske of Dynagraphics
………
Richard T. Gallen
Rags
David & Dorothy Cohn
Robin & Heidi Rickabaugh
Rikki & Bronwyn Cooke
Dr. Masaru Emoto
Judith Curr
Ryan Lawrence
Bob Kabacy
Dr. John Gray
Jeanette Heinz
Charlie Winton & PGW
Harry Aldrich
Michelle Roehm McCann
Paul Owen Lewis
Karolyn Nearing
Larry Mihelich
Rhonda Byrne
Paulette Millichap/ Council Oak Books
Michael Thompson
Richard & Lisa Perry
Bank of Hawaii
U.S. Bank Portland, OR
First Republic Bank Portland, OR
Valley Bank, BBVA Bancomer
First Interstate Bank
Mark Patterson
Bob Millsap
John Rees
Monika Thaler & Gert Frederking
Will Arntz
What the Bleep Do We Know?
Jean Houston
Diane & Ward Powers
Kate Solisti
Dr. Ted Lehman
Jerry & Esther Hicks
UPS, FedEx, US Postal System
Bob Rainone
Becky Hubbard
Chip Forbes
Sunmark Publishing
Oprah Winfrey
God/ The Universe
Bill & Gail Weyerhaeuser
Book Nook Grand Cayman
Michele Cohn
Rick and Marcia Duff
Larry Sloan
Evelyn Georges
The White Bird Gallery
Richard Humphrey
Oregon Mountain Community
Billie Beiderman
Bess Myerson
Parker Johnson
Judy and Jerry Felsenthal
Roy Eisenhardt
Mark Smith
Sam Johnson
James P. Secord
Saltzman Family Trust
Gareth and Lucy Stevens
Graphic Arts Publishing
CYNTHIA BLACK—In Memoriam
The Beyond Words family was saddened by the loss of Cynthia M. Black, our president and editor in chief. She passed away in her beloved Hawaii at the age of 61.
As a long-time friend put it, “She was a woman on a mission and that mission was to help enlighten the world through books and film.” Cynthia had perseverance, hope, imagination, humor, and a vision of the future that helped Beyond Words, in partnership with Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, become one of the greatest publishing houses in the self-discovery genre.
Cynthia is best known for her work as the editor of The Secret, a book that has sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. Although she may be best known for that title, she worked on more than three hundred books in her lifetime and was always there for any author who needed help in developing ideas and concepts. She was so grateful to all of you as our partners in publishing, so grateful to collaborate over the years to produce cutting edge content that will help change the mindset of the world. She was a great mentor to many, and her presence will be greatly missed.
Over the past few years, Cynthia embarked on a healing journey. We are all blessed to have been part of that journey, and she wanted us to hold a memory of her spirit soaring. As we mourn the loss of this dynamic woman, we aim to take what we learned from Cynthia and move forward with the Beyond Words brand that she helped cocreate—just as she would wish. Our shared vision will continue to drive our decisions, customer interactions, and our passion for the possible in both life and work.
Beyond Words and the Black family wish to express our gratefulness for the love and support of so many who were touched by Cynthia’s life.
Sincerely,
Richard Cohn
Publisher
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