Best Books for Entrepreneurs Focused on Massive Growth — Q4 2016
I try to read one book per week. I accomplish this goal by combining paperbacks and audiobooks. I enjoy listening to audiobooks while I exercise, via the Audible app on my iPhone. I call it the #LearnAndBurn and doing this allows me to get about an hour of quality reading done each day.
As we approach the end of the year, it’s important to keep the momentum going and stay focused before the holiday season arrives. Here are my top 3 must reads (or listens) to keep you motivated this season, so you can crush the last quarter of 2016.
#1 Be Obsessed or Be Average by Grant Cardone. I’ve shared this book with many founders and entrepreneurs in the Bay Area and they are always skeptical because of the cover — which reminds me of the old adage, “don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Best-selling author, sales guru, and mega entrepreneur, Grant Cardone goes all in with this powerful follow-up to his previous best-seller, The 10X Rule.
The overarching theme of this book, if one can even simply call it a book — I prefer manifesto or life-changing guide, can be boiled down to one lesson that’s reiterated throughout — “If you can, you must.”
Grant Cardone discusses how his life he has achieved every ambitious goal he has set for himself by simply being obsessed with results, challenging the status-quo, going his own way and proving all the “experts” and haters wrong in the process. He opens up our minds to the fact that there is risk in anything you do, whether you’re investing in a new business, working for someone else, or doing nothing — you are still taking massive risk, so why not go all-in and do something you’re fully obsessed with?
He also explains quite bluntly that the American middle class has been brain washed to strive for average, play it safe, and to diversify their investments in order to reduce their risk. Ideas such as these are often dangerous, if you want to achieve massive success in life. Grant goes on to explain how he has been able to amass wealth, quiet the naysayers, and become fully obsessed with what’s important.
#2 The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage by Daymond John
Written by Daymond John, the creator of the $6 Billion brand, FUBU and one of the sharks on Shark Tank, the Power of Broke is all about what really makes people successful — pure hunger and the complete lack of quit — not necessarily money or the right connections.
The most powerful lesson from this book is, when your back is against the wall and it seems that you no longer have any options, you really only have one option — which is to succeed! There is a real difference between having the choice to do something, and not having any choices but to do something! Choice is a luxury and can distract you from achieving the highest levels of success.
Great quotes and thought provoking facts from the book:
“23% of undergrads have part-time jobs. ”
“8 out of 10 businesses fail within eighteen months. Why? When the money runs out, nature runs it’s course.”
“Set a goal. Know where you’re headed. Be realistic and take the time to get it right. Think about what’s in reach, and reach a little more.”
“You will never create anything new again, just a new way of delivering it.”
#3 Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
Shoe Dog tells the story of athletic shoe empire, Nike, straight from the company’s founder, Phil Knight. This powerful autobiographical memoir takes us on the journey from the beginning, and shows us what it meant to start a business in the 1960’s.
Truthfully, I bought this book hoping to read about some of the legendary sponsorships of athletes like Michael Jordan, and what I got was so much more.
This book does a deep dive into the days of the early team members who created the Nike brand, and recalls from those days the hard work that was required to grow the massive brand, and eventually go public.
When Knight didn’t find anything in the market that met his needs, he became obsessed with trying to provide runners with the best shoe in order to beat the clock. The Oregon native, Phil Knight, took his obsession to an inspiring level, eventually becoming the Nike brand, which has become a household name all over the world.
Any entrepreneur who reads this book will think about this story and be thankful that we live in a world where the business landscape is truly global, companies can file for IPO in far less time, and we are progressing in nearly every industry at rates never before seen.
By far by favorite quote of the entire book; “Life is growth. You grow or you die.” — Phil Knight.
For more insights, inspiring and hard-hitting stories, and even some funny and relatable anecdotes, you’ll have to buy the books. Self educating is one of the most rewarding and inspiring things you can do. It promotes and encourages new ideas, new methods, and reiterates why we do what we do. So get inspired, be obsessed, and have a great fourth quarter!
