As the co-founder and the CEO of the Endeavor company, Linda Rottenberg has served as an inspiration to many. She has made it her life’s mission to provide budding entrepreneursRead More
The post 5 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Linda Rottenberg appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.
]]>As the co-founder and the CEO of the Endeavor company, Linda Rottenberg has served as an inspiration to many. She has made it her life’s mission to provide budding entrepreneurs with the help that they need to turn their bright ideas into decisive action. Even if the person does not have a great deal of experience or a concept that seems outrageous, Rottenberg still takes the time to provide aid.
No idea is too crazy or out there for Rottenberg and her work serves as an inspiration to anyone who has been told that they cannot achieve their goals. After taking a dive into her book, Crazy Is A Compliment, these are the top five lessons I believe that every entrepreneur can learn from the works of Linda Rottenberg.
Whenever a would be entrepreneur comes up with a brand new idea, they are usually called crazy by people who cannot take the time to think outside of the box and see their vision. Rottenberg believes that anyone who is going to try something new and seemingly insane will experience blow back from a variety of sources. She is quick to tell her acolytes about the problems Henry Ford experienced on his way to the top and how Sam Walton’s Wal-Mart idea was considered crazy at the time.
It is important for an entrepreneur to realize that there are no physical barriers standing between them and success, their obstacles are purely psychological. One of the most enduring mottos that she shares in her work is that “crazy is a compliment.”
While most people see entrepreneurs as being wacky and adventurous types, Rottenberg is quick to tell her audiences that this perception does not always match up with reality. She is quick to speak about the importance of taking risks that may seem crazy to the outside observers, but are actually calculated in nature. A common piece of advice that she gives is to keep your day job while you are trying to get your business off of the ground.
Rottenberg speaks about how crucial it is not to bet the entire farm on one idea. Craziness and the ability to stomach risk taking are great qualities to have, but only when they are properly utilized. Even some of the biggest names in the world of entrepreneurs hedged their bets. Phil Knight worked as a tax preparation expert before Nike took off and even Richard Branson (who is seen as being wacky and nuts) talks about containing the potential for disaster. Rottenberg makes sure that these parts of the story are not left out.
Rottenberg takes great pains to dissociate people from the common mental image of the disheveled, rumpled entrepreneur who drapes themselves in old hooded sweatshirts, telling stories of women who launched successful enterprises in the comfort of their own kitchens at home. Despite what you may think, you do not need to be a young male clad in a sweatshirt in order to meet the stereotype of what an entrepreneur should look like.
Young males are no longer the predominant group of budding entrepreneurs. Statistics now show that an entrepreneur is just as likely to be an older male (over the age of 55) or a female. With more and more Americans being forced to work for themselves during this turbulent economic times, it is crucial to get with the current program or end up being left behind.
Many startups employ family members, not because they are the most qualified for the position, but because they have the time on their hands and are able to work for little to no money. That is why a startup prenuptial agreement is necessary. As your company grows, you may need to replace some of these beloved family members with people who have more experience in the particular areas of expertise that you require.
When you start your business, Rottenberg preaches the importance of coming up with a formal partnership agreement and having it in writing. The vision that you and your family members start off sharing for the company can change and in many instances, a family member may even want out, but be too timid to speak up. Avoid these circumstances by spelling out exactly what you expect from your employees and/or partners during the early stages.
Rottenberg often talks about her past as an extreme workaholic and attempts to teach her audiences about the importance of work/life balance. When you are a workaholic, not only is it difficult for you to maintain a normal lifestyle, but it can also be difficult to retain talented employees. Make sure that you get a life and encourage anyone who works alongside of you to do the same. After all, what good is success if you don’t take a moment to enjoy it?
The idea that you have to ignore your family or put the people you love on the back burner is a foreign concept to Rottenberg and she often speaks about the surprise in people’s voices when she mentions her daughter’s dance recitals or other family events. In order to be successful, your personal life does not have to fall by the wayside, a lesson that Rottenberg goes out of her way to preach.
Preview Crazy Is A Compliment with Linda Rottenberg herself
Buy Crazy Is A Compliment by Linda Rottenberg on Amazon today
Visit LindaRottenberg.com to learn more about Linda and her work
Visit Endeavor.org to learn more about Linda’s company
Follow Linda Rottenberg on Twitter and Facebook
The post 5 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Linda Rottenberg appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.
]]>A summary of things you should know about How To Quit Working according to Jeff Steinmann: Introduction In this episode Jeff Steinmann reveals all his insights on his book, HowRead More
The post A Preview of How To Quit Working with Jeff Steinmann appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.
]]>In this episode Jeff Steinmann reveals all his insights on his book, How To Quit Working, where shares a simple plan to leave your job for a life a freedom.
In his book Steinmann provides flexible strategies, examples, and step-by-step instructions on what it takes to create your own business with the smallest amount of repercussions as possible. The goal of the book is to teach you innovative strategies for becoming an entrepreneur, how to overcome typical marketing barriers, how to develop a business idea while working, and how to find your ideal market.
This book is perfect for aspiring entrepreneurs who are currently working for someone else and are ready to take their entrepreneurial journey to the next level.
I tried really hard to eliminate all of the business words and just talk in plain simple English. I try to be really practical and tailor all of the information in the book to someone who is working a full-time job and trying to get out and start their own business.
I specifically designed the book to be read from front to back.
The concept that I want the reader to take away is to get away from this whole thought of success and failure. You have got to start to think about everything you do in terms of a hypothesis.
The most important thing for those working a full-time job and trying to quit and start a business is changing the way that you look at starting a business. You have to get away from what I call the idea mentality and the idea mentality is perpetuated by shows like Shark Tank. You have to get away from that idea and move towards the concept of figuring out what it is that people are already gravitating towards you for and that’s where your business has to start if you want to be successful and remain sane. Once you come up with your idea you will need to get the word out via social media or bulletin boards or church groups or any other way you see fit. From there you will want to figure out what problems people have with that particular topic and find ways the meet those needs and fix those problems. Now that you have that hypothesis you need to go out and test it and the way you do that is by asking people if they want to pay you money to do it. Your hypothesis is not proven until someone offers you money and it isn’t until then that you know you have an idea that is worth something.
NOTE: That was just a summary. To get the full deep dive, play the audio clip at 05:01
“If social media is changing your life than you are on it too much.” – Jeff Steinmann
I am kind of like everyone else in that I went to high school and college and I thought there was no better option but to get a job. So I fell into a career in technology and did that for about 15 years and tried many times to escape the gravity of the corporate world and was unsuccessful many of those times. April 15, 2012 I was finally successful and I have been doing business in marketing consulting, real estate investing, and also building this great platform around how to help people quit their jobs and start a business.
The inspiration was to share the difference in terms of mindset, approach, and all those different kinds of things when wanting to quit your job and start your own business.
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Buy How To Quit Working by Jeff Steinmann on Amazon today
Visit HowToQuitWorking.com to learn more about Jeff and his podcast
Follow Jeff Steinmann on Facebook and Twitter
Download the full transcript here (coming soon)
Listen on iTunes, Stitcher , and SoundCloud
Related books:
The Art of Resignation by Steven Feiner
Lifestyle Entrepreneur by Jesse Krieger
Crazy is a Compliment by Linda Rottenberg
Relevant advice and tips:
7 Signs That You Have What It Takes to Be An Entrepreneur
7 Reasons Why You Should Quit Your Job
What did you like and not like about this episode? Fill out this one minute survey here.
The post A Preview of How To Quit Working with Jeff Steinmann appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.
]]>A summary of things you should know about The Business Model Navigator according to Michaela Csik: Introduction In this episode Michaela Csik takes a deep dive into her book, TheRead More
The post A Preview of The Business Model Navigator with Michaela Csik appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.
]]>In this episode Michaela Csik takes a deep dive into her book, The Business Model Navigator, where she shares 55 business models that make up 90% of the most successful businesses in the world.
In her book, Csik and her co-authors provide the blueprints you need to revolutionize your business and implement powerful change. The goal of the book is become a toolkit for you to adapt and innovate your business model and to understand what other business models are, who invented them, who uses them now, and how to apply them to your business.
This book is perfect for entrepreneurs who are creating a brand new business or are simply looking to reinvent their current business model in order to deliver the results they need.
What’s unique about our book is that we don’t just provide a process but we also provide the recipes that entrepreneurs can use. We provide business model designs and patterns that can be used by anybody to design a breakthrough business models in their own industry or market.
There are different ways to jump into the book. We have three main part of our book and the first part covers the basics of business models and business model innovation. So if you want to start with the basics you can start at part one.
There are two concepts that are given as inspiration to entrepreneurs and can also be used in practice. The first one is the business model innovation map which can be found on the inside front cover of the book. This map gives in one picture all of the 55 different business model patterns. It’s a very simple and catchy illustration of the 55 models. The second concept is the pattern cards which are explained in the book. The pattern cards are a tool that we developed of how those 55 models can be used.
We have three main parts in the book. The first part is providing the reader with our introduction to our business model concept. We help the reader in providing a framework and we say that business model is based on four main dimensions, the what, who, why, and how. We also introduce the business model navigator which is the process that entrepreneurs and companies should follow when they want to design a breakthrough business model. In the core of The Business Model Navigator there are concepts and patterns which are explained more in depth.
The second part of the book is the heart and the core of the entire book which introduces the 55 business model patterns. For each pattern the reader will find an explanation of the origins of the pattern. We show you which company or entrepreneur was the first to ever use this pattern and we give a background of the pattern itself. We also explain and introduce examples of innovators or companies that have used these patterns in the past to generate the business model in their own industry. Also for each pattern there are different recommendation of when and how the patterns should be applied and what the entrepreneur has to take in to account.
In the third part of the book we give tips and tricks about how an entrepreneur or company can really implement our concepts of the 55 models together with The Business Model Navigator.
“90% of all new business models aren’t actually new; they are based on 55 existing patterns.” – From co-authors of The Business Model Navigator
I am working as an Innovation Manager at Holcim Technology, one of the world’s leading suppliers of cement and aggregates and there I am mainly responsible for new business models. Before that I worked at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and during that time I had the chance to work with Oliver Gassmann and Karolin Frankenberger on The Business Model Navigator book.
We see a lot of companies that are ahead of the competition. So business model has become in the last 10 to 15 years a major driver of success. It’s not enough to be just good in product innovation anymore but in a way the business model is becoming more and more important. The paradox is that most companies don’t have the right tools to be anywhere different when it comes to their business model so there is a huge gap between importance of business model innovation and the tools that are available to be innovated in this particular area.
Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim
Buy The Business Model Navigator by Michaela Csik on Amazon today
Visit BMI-Lab.ch to learn more about the book and the tools that come with it
Follow Michaela Csik on Twitter
Download the full transcript here (coming soon)
Listen on iTunes, Stitcher , and SoundCloud
Related books:
Crazy Is a Compliment: The Power of Zigging When Everyone Else Zags by Linda Rottenberg
The Risk-Driven Business Model by Serguei Netessine
A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas by Warren Berger
What did you like and not like about this episode? Fill out this one minute survey here.
The post A Preview of The Business Model Navigator with Michaela Csik appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.
]]>A summary of things you should know about Crazy Is A Compliment according to Linda Rottenberg: Introduction In this episode Linda Rottenberg takes a deep dive into her book, CrazyRead More
The post A Preview of Crazy Is A Compliment with Linda Rottenberg appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.
]]>In this episode Linda Rottenberg takes a deep dive into her book, Crazy Is A Compliment, where she highlights the proven techniques to achieve your dreams.
In her book, Rottenberg combines inspiring stories, original research, and practical advice to create roadmap for starting a new venture. The goal of the book is to teach you how to think bold, execute smart, and be adaptive to the market through the most iconic entrepreneurs that she has advised from all over the country.
This book is perfect for CEOs, small business owners, or aspiring entrepreneurs who have a dream, but don’t know how to turn their dream into a marketable business plan.
A few things make it different. Number one is I look at the entire journey of the entrepreneur; I divide it up in to three sections, get going, go big, and go home. I think a lot of people look at just the startup phase and I look at not only the startup but the scale up. I also really wanted to showcase lots of different examples. I feel like so many of the books and lessons about entrepreneurship feature the same companies and I tried to showcase so many different stories. It’s really about how entrepreneurship today is a skillset and a mindset and it’s not just my own journey but it’s the journey of thousands of people I’ve lived and worked with around the world.
This book is meant for jumping in and jumping out. I write like I talk so I imagine myself having a coffee conversation with the reader. I also have an audio tape so you can hear me talk it out if you would rather download it. It’s about meeting you wherever you feel you are stuck and giving you the inspiration and tools to get unstuck.
It would be that any dream can be made possible if you give yourself permission to think big and take the initial risk and then spend the rest of your time de-risking that risk.
What I’ve learned working in 22 countries around the world where I personally thought that the biggest barriers to getting going with an entrepreneurial idea would be financial, structural or cultural. And I was wrong on all three counts. The biggest barrier to getting going and being an entrepreneur is psychological. We hold ourselves back and don’t give ourselves permission to launch our ideas because we are worried about what other people will think. It turns out that the first person we have to convince to move forward is the hardest one and it is ourselves. So I tell a lot of stories about how people can overcome their own fears.
I think eventually you have to go all in but not at the beginning. I think some of the best entrepreneurs are the ones who keep their day job for a while until their ideas take off. I found that some of the biggest mistakes people make are that they rush to the boss and rush to create a business plan or they rush to build a power point too quickly. The people that I studied who were successful at launching a new product or new initiatives inside companies went stealth, committed maybe 10 or 20% of their time, didn’t do it with very much money at all and they started amassing proof points. So the lesson there is stop planning, start doing. I think that the beginning phases are about not letting the best ideas die in the mind but rather giving yourself permission to move and then moving pretty quickly but also figuring out how to minimize your risks as you go. The next real phase in the book is about bumping into walls. I’ve come to believe that stability is really the friend of the status quo and if entrepreneurship is about disrupting the status quo than actually some chaos is what we need.
From there I move into the Go Big phase which is really what my organization Endeavor is known for. We focus on scale ups, not start ups and at the scale up phase I have a lot of sections about knowing your entrepreneur personality. This is really important because what I found working with entrepreneurs is that as they make the shift from startup to scale up they have to move from being a startup founder to building a team and being a leader. Those are very different skill sets and I think that often people try to model themselves after Steve Jobs or iconic entrepreneurs and it’s a mistake. Really what they need to do is know themselves, know what their own strengths are and also what their own weaknesses are. I have found that if you can uncover that, you can build a team around you that accentuates your strengths and also covers for some of your weaknesses. I spend a lot of time talking about that and lessons on leadership. I think most leadership books are written for corporate titans.
That leads to the third part of the book which is about going home. So many people I meet today want to have thriving professional lives that last but want to combine that with the people we love. I really believe that the best companies of the future are going to be those that allow people to balance their family as well as being producers.
I dedicated the last chapter of the book to my twin daughters. And they gave me the best advice I’d ever got which is that you can be an entrepreneur for a short time but you are a mommy forever. I think that’s really important because I think that sometimes we talk about entrepreneurship as if we are only dealing with one side of a person. I think that being able to combine our dreams and passions with going home are what really aligns people’s passions and values.
The reason my book is called Crazy is a Compliment is because I think that every dreamer I know at one point has been called nuts. If you are not being called crazy you are probably not thinking big enough.
“Stalking is an underrated startup strategy.” – Linda Rottenberg
“You don’t need a hoodie to be an entrepreneur.” – Linda Rottenberg
I grew up in Newton Massachusetts and I would say I grew up in a pretty traditional household. My parents met as high school sweethearts in Rhode Island and my dad went on to be a lifelong lawyer, my mom raised three kids. I went to Harvard and Yale for law school. I arrived at law school and pretty quickly realized that I had no interest in practicing law. That search for something different and that I would find something more fulfilling set me on this journey that I’m on now. Close to 18 years ago I cofounded an organization called Endeavor that supports high growth or what we call high impact entrepreneurs around the world. We are not based in New York City but operate in 22 countries. We’ve screened over 40 thousand entrepreneurs and selected 1,000 entrepreneurs from over 650 companies and helped them grow their businesses and today they are generating over 7 billion dollars a year. It’s been my lifelong passion to work with entrepreneurs and to help them get unstuck whenever they get stuck.
I mentioned that I work with over 1,000 entrepreneurs in 22 countries and so part of the inspiration was just the idea that I’ve seen the same patterns and pitfalls of entrepreneurs. Not necessarily at the startup phase but at the scale up phase and what I call the go big phase. Part of the inspiration was trying to see if I could sit down and capture all the lessons. I didn’t just want to write for people who were involved in high growth companies because I started realizing that everybody needs to think and act like an entrepreneur today. I wrote this idea because I feel like we all have dreams but we all hold ourselves back. Beyond anything else Crazy is a Compliment is sort of this manifesto for how we can give ourselves permission to go forward with our own crazy dream.
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Personal History by Katharine Graham
Buy Crazy Is A Compliment by Linda Rottenberg on Amazon today
Visit LindaRottenberg.com to learn more about Linda and her work
Visit Endeavor.org to learn more about Linda’s company
Follow Linda Rottenberg on Twitter and Facebook
Download the full transcript here (coming soon)
Listen on iTunes, Stitcher , and SoundCloud
Related books: Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters | Vision To Reality by Honoree Corder | The Innovator’s Method by Nathan Furr
Relevant advice and tips:5 Important Things That Every Entrepreneur Needs To Know About Starting a New Business | 5 Steps to Promote Innovation in the Workplace
What did you like and not like about this episode? Fill out this one minute survey here.
The post A Preview of Crazy Is A Compliment with Linda Rottenberg appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.
]]>Latest Books For Entrepreneurs in October 2014 The Entrepreneurs Library presents the latest books for entrepreneurs in October 2014. These books are brand new to the market and the authorsRead More
The post Latest Books For Entrepreneurs in October 2014 appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.
]]>Latest Books For Entrepreneurs in October 2014
The Entrepreneurs Library presents the latest books for entrepreneurs in October 2014. These books are brand new to the market and the authors are in line to share their insights with me. Stay tuned this month for the release of the interviews with these great books and the authors.
In Scaling Up, Harnish and his team share practical tools and techniques for building an industry-dominating business. These approaches have been honed from over three decades of advising tens of thousands of CEOs and executives and helping them navigate the increasing complexities (and weight) that come with scaling up a venture.
Scaling Up is the first major revision of this business classic. The goal of this book is to help you turn what feels like an anchor into wind at your back — creating a company where the team is engaged; the customers are doing your marketing; and everyone is making money. To accomplish this, Scaling Up focuses on the four major decision areas every company must get right: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash.
“The idea of guiding a company from the small tide pools to the big seas of business can be exhilarating, but also daunting without a detailed set of directions. Scaling Up provides those directions, along with a remarkably detailed map for how to get there safe and happy.” – Robert B. Cialdini, best-selling author of Influence
“Fast-growing companies — not small ones or big ones — create almost all the jobs and innovation in our economy, and Verne has been an invaluable guide to leaders of such companies, like me. Scaling Up helps us put in place the disciplines critical to building a significant business.” – Graham Weston, Chairman and CEO, Rackspace
Learn more about Verne Harnish | Buy Scaling Up on Amazon
In this groundbreaking book on high-stakes leadership, Co-founder and CEO of Team Rubicon and former Marine Sniper Jake Wood, shows how to apply hard-learned lessons in leadership and teamwork from the battlefield and disaster zone to your professional life.
While most of our jobs don’t involve leading a tour of Marines through an ambush, or rushing into a relief zone just decimated by a hurricane, in today’s fast-paced, hyper-competitive business environment, we are ALL on the front lines.
And in an entrepreneurially-minded world where technology is constantly reinventing how we work, global competition is fierce, and industries are being disrupted overnight, success requires a new kind of leadership. This book is about how to become the kind of leader who gets results when the stakes are at their highest—how to take command.
“There are leaders everywhere. Parents. Entrepreneurs. Warriors. Executives. And people with big ideas. Wood relates to all of them with a humility and confidence that its uniquely American. If there is one book on leadership to read, it is this one. From his hometown to the battlefield of Iraq to Haiti and untold other natural disasters, to the boardroom and the factory floor, Wood gets it: the kind of leader you are shapes your outcome.” – Christine Romans, CNN chief business correspondent
“A must read for every aspiring leader. Filled with powerful stories and simple, straightforward guidelines, this is the new roadmap for leadership from the front lines.” – Dave Kerpen, NY Times Bestselling Author, Likeable Social Media, Likeable Business & The Art of People
Learn more about Jake Wood | Buy Take Command on Amazon
From Idea To Exit is an excellent summation of Jeff Weber’s entrepreneurial journey that should be a reference guide book on the bookshelf of all entrepreneurs. It is filled with insights that help organize familiar concepts in a logical way, and can be used again and again through all stages of building a startup. Jeff distills his learnings and catalogs them with the precision of a surgeon in the OR.
While most small business books cover niche components of the start-up model, From Idea to Exit takes a more comprehensive approach, tackling the entire entrepreneurial journey from the initial seed idea through a well-planned exit strategy. Through a persuasive narrative, the author draws from his own success a practical call to action for those who dream of taking that first big step.
By following the entertaining and informative true story of Jeffrey Weber, you’ll learn his proven methodologies for entrepreneurial success.
Learn more about Jeffrey Weber | Buy From Idea To Exit on Amazon | Listen to my interview with Jeff here
Crazy Is A Compliment by Linda Rottenberg
Rottenberg draws on her unrivaled experience to show you the proven techniques to achieve your dreams: from overcoming fear to facing down critics, from stalking supporters to exploiting chaos. Crazy Is A Compliment combines inspiring stories, original research, and practical advice to create a road map for getting started and going bigger.
She brings to life iconic entrepreneurs like Walt Disney and Estée Lauder and reveals how companies like MTV, GE, and Burberry found their best successes by breaking the corporate mold and embracing the entrepreneur mind-set. She also introduces us to some of the one thousand entrepreneurs she’s advised, like Leila Velez, who started a hair-care company in her kitchen sink in Rio that now earns $80 million a year. As Linda writes:
“Every day I meet people with a dream. Maybe you’re serving coffee and fantasizing about launching a microbrewery; maybe you’ve skipped college and yearn to start your own design firm; maybe you’re sitting in your cubicle and brainstorming a new idea that can improve your company.”
“Call me crazy, but I think Linda is onto something big here. She delivers powerful insights with her legendary wit and candor to show how everyone can think and act like an entrepreneur.”— Michael Dell, founder and CEO, Dell Inc.
“Crazy is what they call people who don’t fit in. And we need a lot more crazy like Linda is crazy. She is generous, curious, connected and driven to make a difference in the world. And this book captures all of that and more. Buy it, read it, live it.” — Seth Godin, author of Linchpin
Learn more about Linda Rottenberg | Buy Crazy Is A Compliment on Amazon
This is the story of a man who, despite a difficult family life and professional setbacks, developed the determination, drive and skills to create a successful business and happy life. Geoff’s skills and self-motivation gave him the drive, determination and tenacity to continue a journey through hardship to reach self-fulfillment and, ultimately, success.
Freedom After The Sharks shows how, even in a declining economy, a business can survive and even succeed. It covers some real-life experiences and offers some suggestions for dealing with problems and issues. It provides a guide to finding your way in the business world.
The book is suitable for entrepreneurs who might not be sure of the path to take or who want to benefit from other people’s mistakes and failures.
Learn more about Geoff Hudson-Searle | Buy Freedom After The Sharks on Amazon
The post Latest Books For Entrepreneurs in October 2014 appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.
]]>