When discussing the success of entrepreneurs, it is common practice to do so as if it were a linear process. Entrepreneurship is not you start here, then here, and voila! You're a success story. Entrepreneurship isn't a straight line, it's a bumpy road with ups and downs. Most of the time, the downs outnumber the…
That's cool. Switching one letter means eyes eyes eyes… Once you're praised, everyone's watching you. All eyes on you. The eyes of your fans and critics are on you. That's a condition of saying yes. Wish you all the best, you got this.
Hand-washing prevents illness. Keeping fatty foods away keeps you lean. And digital provocation and habits make you productive [or crazy]: 1. Turn off your phone's email alerts and social media notifications. 2. Avoid reading any of the people's comments. Not on your postings, not on other people's posts, and not anywhere else. Nothing to do…
It's amazing how modest and unassuming individuals who have achieved great success can be. They don't exude a sense of arrogance or an air of self importance. Even if you didn't know it, they've accomplished so much. I was watching David Letterman interview Kevin Durant on his program My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with…
Shoe Dog is the finest business memoir I've read. It's refreshing that the book doesn't try to sanitise or stroke Phil Knight's ego or frame his personal brand in shiny sparkling light. Phil Knight's story is accessible because he tells it in a way that is authentic. You can sense the author's profound humility throughout…
Father and son 4 years: My Daddy can do anything! 7 years: My Dad knows a lot…a whole lot. 8 years: My father does not know quite everything. 12 years: Oh well, naturally Father does not know that either. 14 years: Oh, Father? He is hopelessly old-fashioned. 21 years: Oh, that man-he is out of…
I have a hard time reading biographies. There are times when biographies are so self-indulgent to the point that they read like a person's CV in book form. It is however possible to narrate a person's story in a biography without appearing self-absorbed. Phil Knight's Shoe Dog tells the story of Nike's founder in a…
Prospects, or addressing potential customers as prospects. Calling potential customers as prospects is always a challenge for me. They are living, breathing people, and they have the potential to become consumers. Calling them prospects seems to dehumanise them, if that makes any sense. There are several business books that encourage you to think about how…
Funny way to get across a serious message.
It is easy to be humble when one is poor. Not so easy to be humble when one is making money. Have a raise? Buy a bigger car! Have a raise? Buy a car! Have you received your bonus? Acquire a home! Have you been promoted? Buy new shoes! Sold your company? Buy a yacht!…
It's like one day it's all rainbows and sunshine, then the next it's dismal and raining heavily. The greatest news is that you have not given up, and ultimately, it is what will determine your success. Identifying and dismissing vanity metrics also helps you keep your eye on the prize.
As I was reading Shoe Dog by Phi Knight, he says something interesting: ____________________________________ At twenty-four I did have a Crazy Idea, and somehow, despite being dizzy with existential angst, and fears about the future, and doubts about myself, as all young men and women in their mid-twenties are, I did decide that the world…
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