Book – Camille Nicita Higley

Open When

Open When is written for courageous, purpose-driven leaders: founders, business owners, and executives who believe business can and should be more than a financial mechanism.

It is for those who see their company and influence as a force for good: creating meaningful work, belonging, and outcomes larger than any one individual.

Financial results matter. In this book, however, they are treated as the outcome of meaningful goals, not the goals themselves.

What sets Open When apart is that it meets leaders in the moments that define them — when the work gets hard, hope wavers, or purpose feels distant.

Rather than offering leadership theory from a distance, it delivers situational letters grounded in Camille Nicita Higley’s three decades of lived experience building, growing, and ultimately selling a business, leading through succession and private equity transition, and advising executives across industries.

Reviews & Buzz

"Open When gets to the heart of leadership: the human moments that define whether a team thrives or merely functions. Camille has created a practical, honest companion – one that helps leaders see clearly, act with purpose, and bring out the best in others. Keep this book close; the moment you need it, the wisdom is there."

— Hubert Joly, Harvard Business School, Former Best Buy CEO, Author of The Heart of Business

"Joy in work and success in business come from the same place: leaders who intentionally build cultures where people can do meaningful work and contribute to something that matters. Leadership doesn’t follow a formula – it unfolds in moments. What makes Open When so valuable is that Camille organizes her wisdom around those moments. This is a book leaders will return to again and again."

— Rich Sheridan, CEO and Chief Storyteller, Menlo Innovations Author of Joy, Inc. and Chief Joy Officer

"Having had the privilege of working with Camille as an advisor to my own company, I can say this book is the next best thing to having her in your corner. Even as someone who has founded and exited a business, I found myself reassured by her core principles and feeling more confident in launching my next venture."

— Anne Dougherty, Founder The Ele Group and Illume Advising

Book Details

Open When is structured around the Flywheel Framework—a human-centered system for building a healthy, sustainable organization: Great People, Great Work, Great Clients, Great Impact.

But leadership rarely unfolds in a straight line. Beyond the Flywheel, the book also meets you in the defining moments that shape a business and the person leading it: times of reinvention, growth, transition, and uncertainty, including decisions around scaling, change, and even selling a company.

Each chapter is designed to meet you where you are, and includes:

Open When Letters: Timely perspective and guidance to help you navigate the moment in front of you with greater clarity and confidence.

Practical Tools: Simple prompts, playbooks, and frameworks that help you turn insight into action.

From My Journey: Real stories drawn from lived experience, offering perspective, encouragement, and hard-earned lessons.