Elaine Zelker is her own brand, and she can show you how to make a brand of yourself.

“Zero Limits: Breaking the Boundaries That Hold You Back” (157 pages; Bright Communications; paperback $19.99, 2013) is an A to Z guide for people who want to fulfill their goals.

There is a chapter for each letter of the alphabet, including “E” for Empowerment, “H” for Habits, and “J” for Joy.

At her photography studio in Easton’s Simon Silk Mill, Zelker radiates positive energy. The first thing she talks about is her “passion project,” the fundraiser “Yes, Chef!” It will feature at least 20 Lehigh Valley chefs demonstrating their preparations at tables, with photographs of them on display. Proceeds from the Dec. 10 event and a related “Behind the Apron” calendar will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank.

“The book was seven years in the making,” she says. “Seven years ago, I changed my branding. I didn’t want to be pigeonholed.”

Zelker began her photography business in 2010 following a career as a nurse. After having studios along Northampton Street in Easton, she was the first tenant in the then new Simon Silk Mill.

She went from general photography to developing a specialty in headshots and visual promotions for businesses. She expanded into mentoring, consulting, public speaking and giving workshops.

“Once I found out what my personal mission was, everything fell into place. I want to help people make their own mission statement.”

Thus, her book, “Zero Limits: Breaking the Boundaries That Hold You Back.”

Zelker decided to use each letter of the alphabet for a chapter in the book because “there is meaning to each of those letters. People can go to any chapter for a specific topic.”

The first is “Accountability Partner.” This describes finding someone who will support you, but will also give you constructive criticism if you are not moving forward. If a spouse or family member is not the best choice, the book gives suggestions about finding one or more accountability partners.

When she was ready to write the last letter, she says, “The phrase ‘Zero Limits’ came to mind. With Zero Limits, you can achieve anything.”

The book gives Zelker a way to offer her entrepreneurial clients something physical for reference. In “Zero Limits” and her consulting work, she combines business advice with suggestions for personal growth.

“I love to help people. To make people feel better about themselves, and help people discover who they are.”

In many of the chapters she includes a “Personal Sidenote” about the many guidelines in the book that were inspired from her own life. In the chapter on Fear, she writes that in the early 2000s, she lost both of her parents and was divorced as the mother of three daughters. She describes how she overcame her fears and followed her passion.

In addition to running her own business, Zelker and her second husband Zeke are co-owners of “Zekraft- Curators of Taste.” which does catering and home-meal delivery.

Elaine Zelker was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Willingboro, N.J. She lives in Forks Township, Northampton County, with her husband Zeke. She graduated from Rutgers University in 1993 with a degree in business and psychology, and from the Charles E. Gregory School of Nursing in 1997.

In 2015, she published “The Hand-Some Journey: Portraits of Elders Reflecting on Their Life Journeys,” based on her time as a hospice nurse.

She has written four books about journaling, including one for children.

Information about the “Yes, Chef!” fundraiser, Elaine Zelker books and her other projects: www.elainezelker.com

“Literary Scene” is a column about authors, books and publishing. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com