A summary of things to know about Wade Danielson and The Entrepreneurs Library:

Introduction

In this special episode of The Entrepreneurs Library serial entrepreneur and CEO of VoterSnap, Patrick Stevens, guest interviews Wade Danielson on his entrepreneurial journey and this show.

Since the launch of The Entrepreneurs Library, Wade has been asked so many questions that relates to his entrepreneurial life and the driving force behind his idea for this unique resource. The goal of this episode is to give you a more personal look into the life of Wade, the failures and successes along his journey, what led him to creating a book centric resource for entrepreneurs, and how his first company got listed #786 on Inc’s Fortune 5000.

AFTER YOU LISTEN/READ: Whether you are a subscriber to the show or a brand new listener it would be very humbling if you left your feedback about this show by commenting on this post.

A Summary of The Interview

Will you give those that don’t know you a bird’s eye view of yourself? (6:30)

WADE: I was born and raised in Nebraska, moved around the Midwest a ton due to my father working for the railroad. I ended up back in Nebraska for college and then met my future wife and decided to move back down to Texas where I currently reside. As of recently we now have two boys, two years and eleven months old.

A little background on where it all started was as a college kid I got in front of an awesome group of people, an education system that taught me the importance of reading which completely changed my life. I had big goals and dreams and it was the education I was looking for. That led me to starting my own company, Guardian Network Solutions, at the age of 25 which I still run today and about to have our five year anniversary. We found a niche for something that was missing in the network security industry and decided to fill it. Every day we focus on helping small business owners keep their network secure. Over the years we grew organically and started to add people little by little to join our team and help us reach our goals as a small business. Our fourth year in business we hit a little over four million in revenue and have huge plans for the next couple of years and in 2016 we are looking to be a 10 million dollar company.

If Mark Cuban or Donald Trump were to introduce you, what would they say? (11:50)

WADE: I would hope that they would talk about me being someone who is more of a time crusader, someone who is always looking to maximize the most out of life. I’m a big believer in focusing on putting more years onto your life and then putting more life into those years that you have. I am someone who knows that he’s never going to be perfect but is always in the pursuit of perfection.

What was one of the first main defining moments in your life and reasons that made you make a decision to become an entrepreneur? (13:45)

WADE: One of the big things for me was getting married. I realized I was ok as a single guy being fairly broke and living at a friend’s house on a half inflated air mattress. But when I really got serious about proposing to my wife, the thought of bringing someone else on, I knew I was never going to bring someone else to live like that. So getting married was a huge part of it and it was the first time that made me think at a level that I’d never thought before. Another thing that motivated me was one Christmas I had asked my boss for an unexpected day off in order to drive up to Nebraska to spend time with my family before a big storm hit. I knew that if I didn’t leave the day before expected I would never make it there. So I called my bosses and could easily tell that they both weren’t supportive of it at all. It was then that I realized I was not in control and I knew that entrepreneurs have more control of not only time but more money. Those were two extremely big moment in deciding to become an entrepreneur.

What was your mindset in taking the leap from working for a company fulltime to actually starting a company where you have all the responsibilities to think about? (18:30)

WADE: I am glad this question was asked because mindset is such a massive part of winning and losing in the entrepreneurial game. Your kids are an excuse not to start a business or your kids are the reason to start a business and that’s the way I thought about it. Even though I didn’t have kids at the time but I worked really, really hard for that future child. The thought process was it was a bigger risk for me to actually keep working a job than it was for me to be an entrepreneur who bought back his freedom because that time as an entrepreneur allows me to focus on my marriage rather than working 11 hours a day.

You’re coming up on your five year anniversary at GNS and knowing that around 90% of businesses don’t even make it to the five year mark, let alone be as successful as it is. So what from your perspective are the reasons why Guardian Network Solutions has been so successful and made it this far? (24:50)

WADE: My personal belief is that most people fail in business because they are so specialized in what they do but they don’t know the business side.

Being a podcaster and in this specific niche within personal development, what’s the primary content that you’re seeing most successful entrepreneurs are consuming right now? And how do you see that changing over the next five years? (27:42)

WADE: From what I’ve seen I think the predominant sources are still books, blogs, magazines, and audio books. I think you will eventually see a large shift to audio-on-demand.

When did you realize self-education was the way to real and lasting success for you? (31:30)

WADE: I think the first time I realized it was in college, 21 years old, and going to classes that weren’t very specific. I was learning business law and more interested in business and marketing. I was the person in college who said that I will never read again and believed that reading was so unbelievably boring. This was until I finally read a book that I was actually interested in which was Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. It was from that point forward that I became addicted to personal growth and that came through reading.

How did you come across podcasting? (37:00)

WADE: After reading The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, I began to do some research on him and ran across the podcast called Entrepreneur On Fire. It’s a seven day a week podcast that focuses on business owners and entrepreneurs. I fell in love with it real quick and started branching out and looking for other podcasts from there.

What sparked the idea of The Entrepreneurs Library? (38:06)

WADE: I was looking for a way to diversify from some of the other companies we own. I was always looking for my next great book but finding those is not always easy. I was using Amazon, Google, and trying to find a good, quick, clear, and credible way. I realized there was no podcast that helped people find their next great read and it was then that I knew I had to do something about it.

What separates other book review sites from The EL podcast? (43:00)

WADE: I think some of the biggest things are credibility, deeper dive, short and straight to the point.

What’s the “Why” behind The Entrepreneurs Library? (45:23)

WADE: The primary reason is to help entrepreneurs find that next great book that will change their lives. I want to help people find that next nugget that’s going to help them move forward. I also want to help the authors sell their book and I believe this is a great place for that.

What’s next for The Entrepreneurs Library? (48:30)

WADE: There are a couple things but the biggest is video. We are always looking at how to best serve the market and everyone likes different things. I have never been a massive blog reader but some of our audience is. What we are trying to do is really be able to capitalize on the different markets of helping entrepreneurs find great content. One of those things is we are launching a video podcast and more than anything it’s there to cover rapid reviews.

If you could write the perfect book for entrepreneurs, what would you title it? (51:00)

WADE: The End Game.

What is the one thing that you’ve implemented personally in your life that was an absolute game changer that you believe would add a lot of value to others? (51:36)

WADE: I call it Time Lining. I do this with my goals and use up a very long marker white board and draw out the next two years of my life. On that board I layout my goals, trips, action items, business idea, etc. From there my timeline gets even more specific as I break it down into months, weeks, and days.

Do you have a morning routine? (56:15)

WADE: After interviewing Hal Elrod on his book The Miracle Morning, I started waking up earlier, drinking plenty of water, and stretching. Then I wanted to take it a step further so now I wake up at 5am and the first hour is for me and the second hour is for my wife.

What is one habit you wish you had? (1:00:07)

WADE: Something I need to change and will change is that I need to eat slower.

If you could go back and redo anything in your entrepreneurial life, what would you change? (1:02:20)

WADE: The first thing would be the way we hired. We were really good at implementing systems and processes into the sales process but we didn’t include systems and processes into interviewing, hire, and firing.

What is the best advice you’ve ever taken from a book? (1:03:25)

WADE: I think the best advice from a book or point blank would be appreciation. Those that appreciate seem to live an unbelievably more fruitful life than those that don’t. And to go along with it, it would be time. Time is worth more than money.

If you were stranded on an island with only one book what would it be? (1:04:50)

WADE: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

More Information About This Episode

Download the full transcript here (coming soon)
Listen on iTunes, Stitcher , and SoundCloud

What did you like and not like about this episode? Fill out this one minute survey here.

If you were Wade Danielson, how would you make The EL better? Share your thoughts in the comments:

The post The Untold Story About Wade Danielson and The EL appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.

7 Recommended Books for Starting an Online Business

Do you really need to attend a business school to be a successful entrepreneur? While it may help you in certain circumstances, it isn’t a necessity, especially when you want to start an online business. Pete Cashmore began Mashable when he was only 19. And look at how amazingly successful it is today!

But the road to success isn’t easy. You need to gather adequate information, couple it with wisdom and imagination to make things work. And what could be a better source for all these than books! Just take your pick, read and absorb what the best have to say.

Here’s a quick look at 7 of the best books for starting an online business:

Will It Fly? By Thomas K. McKnight

Does your business idea have wings? Or will it fall flat? The 44-item checklist in this one will help you find the answer to this vital question. Do you have the right personal traits? Do you know where the exits are? You’ll find answers to all your queries and also evaluate your chances of success.

The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau

Is it really possible to build a million dollar business on a modest budget? Guillebeau brings forward a series of case studies to prove his point. A pleasant read, this offers great value if you are on the lookout for a book that helps you understand why you should do what you love – and how to do it too.

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

Being an entrepreneur isn’t exactly similar to being the mythical hero it is often cut out to be. If you wish to get the entrepreneurship facts straight, this is the book to read. It also illustrates the distinction between working ‘on’ your business and working ‘in’ your business.

The Barefoot Executive by Carrie Wilkerson

Want a little inspiration? Take up this book and glimpse Wilkerson’s journey to become a home-based entrepreneur. An entertaining read, this helps you understand the ways in which to tackle the core issues – identifying the target market, creating marketing strategies, building your brand, and so on.

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Creation and assessment of business processes may not be an easy task. And it is where this book can be a handy guide – when you are planning to start an online business, especially a software startup, this is one of the must-reads. And the best part, it comes from his experience.

The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

Well, flexible work hours are one of the chief points that drive individuals to begin their own businesses. This book explores the opportunities that you can get when you decide to take the plunge. And the way the author relates the points in a fun and motivational manner makes it all the more interesting.

Lucky or Smart? by Bo Peabody

Bo Peabody was an online multimillionaire in his twenties. In this book he answers the important question – was it luck or was he smart enough to do it? He illustrates the way you can cultivate your perception and identify when he was plain lucky. Smart for him to do it!

No single book can be your only guide; read up on as many as you can before you take a step.

Recommended Books on Growing an Online Business:

Zero To One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters
Digital Bacon by Alex Rodriguez
The Suitcase Entrepreneur by Natalie Sisson
The Startup Survival System by Kurt Won
Virtual Freedom by Chris Ducker

What books for starting an online business would you recommend to online entrepreneurs? Share your books in the comments below:

The post 7 Recommended Books for Starting an Online Business appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.

A summary of things you should know about Charisma On Command according to Charlie Houpert:

Introduction

In this episode Charlie Houpert takes a dive into his book, Charisma On Command, where he shares his personal story on how he went from extreme introvert to an extrovert all on his own.

In his book, Houpert gives you an in depth action guide to improving your social skills through conversing, presenting, and conveying positive feelings.

This book is perfect for all types of entrepreneurs who are introverts trapped in a comfort bubble when it comes to socializing with others or extroverts who need to polish their social listening skills and charm.

The Book’s Unique Quality (2:57)

I think a lot of books that are about charisma or leadership tend to be written by researchers. Mine comes from the perspective of having lived this transformation myself. Also, roughly 1/3 of this book is dedicated to an action guide and this is something I thought was missing in everything else that I read before.

The Best Way To Engage (4:41)

It’s a book that needs to be read from beginning to end.

The Reader’s Takeaway (16:41)

Engage and interact with the people around you that you might not normally such as your cab driver and the guy behind the register. This will make them laugh, improve your energy and do the things that you want. This will keep you in a positive mood so that when you do see the investor or the CEO you are not star-struck because you are used to interacting with people on a human level and not treating people as functions of their position.

A Deep Dive Into The Book (6:53)

The first part of the book I quickly talk about and make the argument that charisma and social skills is something that can be learned.

The second part of the book I dive into what have been the three charismatic principles that are most important. This is not just for my own life but also a lot of analysis and research of the most charismatic people in the world. The first principle that I have found that is most foundational to charisma is having conviction. Conviction in everything you say and do is absolutely critical and I talk in this part about 12 charismatic convictions that will make everything you say more affective. It’s doing what you want while acting with integrity between what you’re thinking, saying and doing.

The next charismatic principle is energy and the importance behind it. We have all come across people in our lives that are absolutely energy sucks. A lot of people do this without realizing it. It is important to convey a positive feeling not only in your words but the way you speak. If you see someone feeling an emotion you are likely to feel it too.

The third charismatic principle is the presentation. This is about the body language, eye contact and how to do all of it in a way that is engaging and attractive to other people. One of the biggest things to consider from eye contact is to maintain it while you’re speaking.

The last section is putting it all together and here I give you a 30 day action guide to follow. The point of this action guide is to give you small habits that you can do to actually make this a new normal in your own life.

Notable Quotes From The Book (19:21)

“Charisma is learned and a skill.” – Charlie Houpert

The Credibility/Inspiration Of The Author (0:34)

I grew up on the east coast, lived in a bunch of different places but right now I am living in Vegas. I run a company called Charisma on Command with my best friends and co-founder. The whole point of this company is to teach people to be more charismatic and to do it on command.

I grew up incredibly shy, voted the shyest kid in my high school class of over 500 people and lived that way through college. At some point I got fed up with it, went abroad and dedicated myself to reinventing who I was. I dove into books, put myself in uncomfortable situations, took a bunch of improv classes and now people come up to me surprised how outgoing and comfortable I am. This has transformed my life more profoundly than anything else I’ve done and something I really enjoy sharing with other people.

Other Books Recommended By The Author (21:04)

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

Six Pillars of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden

More Information About This Book and The Author

Buy Charisma On Command by Charlie Houpert on Amazon today

Visit CharismaOnCommand.com to learn more about Charlie and his book

Follow Charlie Houpert on Twitter and Facebook

More Information About This Episode

Download the full transcript here

Listen on iTunes, Stitcher , and SoundCloud

Related books: Habit Stacking by Steve J Scott | Third Circle Theory by Pejman Ghadimi | The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

Relevant advice and tips: How to Become an Effective Communicator in the Business World

What did you like and not like about this episode? Fill out this one minute survey here.

What do you think about Charlie Houpert’s book, Charisma On Command? Share your review in the comments below:

The post A Preview of Charisma On Command with Charlie Houpert appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.

A summary of things you should know about Traction according to Justin Mares

Introduction

In this episode Justin Mares shares his book Traction which is a guide for entrepreneurs and business owners who need help getting customers. The purpose of this book is to place business founders ahead of the competition no matter what kind of business they are running. If you are starting a business and do not have a ton of budget, this book is for you.

The Book’s Unique Quality

Our book, unlike any others out there, provides you with what we call the bull’s-eye framework which is a five step framework that helps companies determine what traction channels can work for them to acquire customers.

The Best Way To Engage

We provide the framework and the approach in the beginning of the book and then we do a deep dive on every potential channel that a startup could use to get traction, in the remaining 19 chapters of the book.

The Reader’s Takeaway

If you’re starting a company and don’t have a ton of budget, what you need to do is try and find a new platform or a new way to acquire users, that is not already saturated and really expensive.

A Deep Dive Into The Book

In The first chapter we introduce to you that traction is now the most important thing that startups need to focus on. The next four chapters take you through the bulls-eye framework; a framework that helps founders, marketers and entrepreneurs figure out what channels makes sense for them and shows you how to run quick tests in each of the channels. We also talk about something that we call the traction split. Early stage companies fall into this trap where they think if they build a great product, people will naturally flock to them. We explain to you that early stage founders and companies should be spending half of their time on product development and the other half on traction.

After the introduction we take you through a deep dive into Viral Marketing, Public Relations, Unconventional PR, Search Engine Marketing, Social & Display Advertising, Offline Ads, Search Engine Optimization, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Engineering as Marketing, Targeting Blogs, Business Development, Sales, Affiliate Programs, Existing Platforms, Trade Shows, Offline Events, Speaking Engagements and Community Building. After covering all of these channels we wrap with a conclusion with how to think about it, we provide more resources and give founders a cheat sheet for how they can think about, approach and get traction through whatever channel works best for them.

The purpose of the book is for this to be a must read for startup founders so that no matter what kind of company you’re starting, you pick this book up, you’re automatically ahead of most individuals and then you can find the type of business/traction channel that works for what you’re doing.

Notable Quotes From The Book

“The number one reason that they pass on entrepreneurs that they would otherwise like to back is that they don’t have a good distribution strategy.” –Marc Andreessen

“Most companies don’t fail to build a product, they fail to get traction.” – Justin Mares

The Credibility/Inspiration Of The Author

I co-founded two companies, one was acquired and the other a bust. Most recently I was director of revenues at a company called Exceptional Cloud Services who got acquired by Rackspace about a year and a half ago now. I recently left Rackspace and now I’m launching Traction Book which is a startup guide to getting customers and that will be coming out August 26, 2014.

My co-author Gabriel Weinberg and I both noticed that today the challenge is not so much in building a product but that companies are struggling to get traction. The inspiration in writing the book was to provide startups with the framework and tools to focus on and get traction so that they can build successful companies.

Other Books Recommended By The Author

The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

More Information About This Book and The Author

Buy Traction by Justin Mares on Amazon today

Visit TractionBook.com to subscribe and get the first chapter of Traction

Visit JustinMares.com to learn more about Justin and his blog

Visit GabrielWeinberg.com to learn more about Gabriel and his blog

Follow Justin Mares on Twitter

More Information About This Episode

Download the full transcript here

Listen on iTunes, Stitcher , and SoundCloud

Related books: Lean Customer Development by Cindy Alvarez | Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal | Moving Targets by Gabriel Aluisy

Relevant advice and tips: 5 Simple Ways Entrepreneurs Can Attract Customers

What did you like and not like about this episode? Fill out this one minute survey here.

What do you think about Justin Mares’s book, Traction? Share your review in the comments below:

The post A Preview of Traction – A Startup Guide To Getting Customers with Justin Mares appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.

5 Reasons Why Every Entrepreneur Should Read Books

Be it a children’s fable, a book of poems for the hopeless romantics, or a how-to guide, a book is one companion you cannot do without, whatever stage of life you are in. But is it any good for an entrepreneur? The simple answer is – yes.

Whether you are planning to start a new business or are already managing one, reading can be a great habit. If you haven’t inculcated it yet, it’s high time to do so. Also, don’t let time constraints hinder you from reading. It will only do you good.

Why is reading a good habit for entrepreneurs? Here are 5 reasons for this.

Reason 1: It enhances conversational skills: Well, Dale Carnegie’s ‘How to Win Friends & Influence People’ remains a bestseller still today! Whether it’s in the personal or professional space, communication is of paramount importance for success.

And when it comes to entrepreneurship, a little communication error can lead to big trouble.

‘Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High’ by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler is another good example of how a book can enhance your conversational skills and help you win over challenging situations.

Reason 2: It helps understand leadership: Are leaders born? Or, are they made? What makes a great leader? What differentiates a good leader from a great one? A book can give you the answers you seek. And help you identify and hone our leadership capabilities.

‘Strengths Based Leadership’ by Tom Rath is an excellent choice in this regard.

Based on a broad survey of great leaders and their followers, this book is quite an eye-opener. Another good read is ‘Leaders Eat Last’ by Simon Sinek. Here he takes up the question of the way leaders achieve what they seek.

Reason 3: It offers business insights: Whether you need to craft an organizational blueprint, guide the people in your team or handle the numbers, the right books can help you attain the knowledge you want to effectively manage every aspect of your business.

A good example is the bestseller ‘Good to Great’ by Jim Collins.

In it, he elucidates what distinguishes a good company from a great one. And how a good one can become great by following the right methods such as identifying their best qualities, confronting harsh business realities, building and maintaining pace.

Reason 4: It facilitates work-life balance: When you start a business on your own, your entire focus is on it. And often your personal life suffers. This imbalance created by the pressures of work and life compelled Arianna Huffington to write ‘Thrive’.

In it, she redefines success, with the third metric of well-being, along with power and money.

Co-founder and President of Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington was the epitome of success, if you consider it from the perspectives of power and wealth. But her physical and mental self were suffering. That’s when she discovered the third metric of success – well-being.

Reason 5: It keeps you on track: ‘The E-Myth Revisited’ by Michael E. Gerber is a soul-stirrer for entrepreneurs. In it, he identifies the biggest myth of entrepreneurship – that it is something heroic, a superhuman effort to overcome obstacles and attain success.

It’s a reality check; it takes you through the stages of a business, from its birth to success.

Another superb book is ‘The 4-Hour Workweek’ by Tim Ferriss. If you don’t take the title quite literally, you can sure gain knowledge about how to work smart instead of how to work hard. And achieve success with this method too.

Just take your pick and learn from the people who have been there, done that.

The post 5 Reasons Why Every Entrepreneur Should Read Books appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.