Roy Moëd, co-founder of the world’s leading private autobiography business, LifeBook Memoirs, has dedicated the latter part of his career to turning personal and corporate histories into beautifully bound treasures. Today, his autobiographies and memoirs grace coffee tables across the globe, providing families and organisations with a unique way of celebrating their stories. But how did a dyslexic airline caterer come to create such a profound legacy of his own?

From meals to memories

A trailblazer in his field – he talks of building not just a company but a new private autobiography sector – Moëd’s back story could hardly be less likely. He began, in his own words, as “a failed academic” working his way through 29 different jobs by the age of 25 and often being shown the door on his way out. It was in 1978, during a recession, that Moëd found his spark and became a serial entrepreneur. Pourshins, his fledgling airline catering company, set out by adding slices of lemon to flyers’ gin and tonics but grew to have a global workforce and a turnover of £100 million. Moëd was the driving force behind Pourshins’ success, but, after selling the business, he was a man in search of a more purposeful life.

Inspiration arrived from a source closer to home than he might have imagined. With his elderly father, Jules, blind, depressed and nearing the end of his life, Moëd hit upon the idea of interviewing him about his life to reignite his sense of purpose. His assistant recorded Jules recounting his stories, which were then compiled into a book. The process uplifted his spirits and eased his sense of isolation. It also unveiled family stories previously unknown to Moëd.

Preserving and prospering

The profound value of preserving personal histories – as both a way of documenting lives and a means of bringing purpose and connection to lonely individuals – was evident. “At that stage of life, you start shutting down and becoming isolated,” Moëd observed. “You’re not listened to, not heard, and often have no one to talk to.” Research and proof-of-concept testing with Cogniciti, a brain health company in Toronto, reinforced his belief and revealed that regular, meaningful engagement can play a significant role in combating cognitive decline.

Less clear, at that stage, was how to translate this awareness into a workable, scalable business model that combined traditional storytelling with modern business practices. Moëd worked at it and had a breakthrough when he realised that uncoupling the roles of interviewer and writer would allow him to pair customers with local interviewers – essential for face-to-face conversations – and with skilled writers with similar interests and backgrounds.

Moëd and his wife, Yvette, raised capital, built a team and, in 2010, launched the first LifeBook projects. The road ahead of them wasn’t always smooth – refining the process, overcoming scepticism about the concept and finding the right people to execute his vision took time. There was also the not-insignificant issue that Moëd wasn’t so much building a company as an entirely new sector within the publishing industry. This presented a further challenge: convincing people to buy a product – a private autobiography – they hadn’t even known existed.

Under his leadership, LifeBook Memoirs met these challenges and has prospered, expanding to operate in more than 40 countries. The company provides a comprehensive white-glove approach that includes interviewing, ghostwriting, editing and producing premium-quality, hand-bound books that will last for generations. This preserves personal narratives and legacies. It also enhances the well-being of customers by engaging them in meaningful, therapeutic reflection. Evidence of this can be seen in the fact that many customers form lasting bonds with their interviewers and project managers.

Moëd might not sell hundreds of thousands of copies of his books, but that was never his intention, nor was it his company’s reason for being. LifeBooks are private-circulation volumes that allow individuals to document their lives for their families and friends. It is, as Moëd says, “the opposite of the New York Times Best Seller List.” With that noble goal in mind, it is quite something that more than 15,000 people around the world can lay claim to owning a LifeBook. 

Success, for Moëd, however, isn’t measured just on the P&L statement; he judges it based on the feedback he receives from customers and their families. One married couple remarked that their autobiographies were “the capstone of our lives”. Another commented that “besides rekindling dormant memories, LifeBook Memoirs has led me down paths that are influencing my present and my future.” Such feedback justifies Moëd’s intent to help people preserve their stories and their legacies, to stimulate their minds and to find meaning and purpose in life.

What was that all about? A life lived in full

Moëd was once asked what title he would give to his own LifeBook. His jocular response was “What Was That All About?”– a fitting sentiment for a man whose personal life is as dynamic as his professional achievements. Beyond building an entirely new sector in publishing, Moëd has pursued passions that reflect his adventurous and generous spirit – polo, flying, mentorship and charitable endeavours all playing central roles in his life.

It is, however, Moëd’s belief in the importance of personal history, legacy and embracing life in all its fullness that continues to drive him on. “We’re all going to have a legacy,” he says, “whether we like it or not, but is it one that you’re going to be happy with?” In helping people tell their stories, Moëd’s own legacy will be one rooted in purpose, connection and the celebration of life.