On My Way To #50Books

My goal to read 50 books has been a daunting one.  But I must say, it has been HUGELY impactful to me as a business owner and a person.  People have asked me all year, "Where do you find the time?"  That is one of the lessons I have learned.  We all have time.  Maybe you don't have time to read 50 books (maybe).  But you probably have time to read more than you do.  It's your call.

Here is my list so far.  Getting close to 50!

Start by Jon Acuff:  Great book to start off the new year!  I like Jon's style and it's a great motivator if you want to get yourself going!  Love the line "Punch Fear in the Face!"  (Side note:  Since I wrote this I saw Jon speak...awesome.  If you get a chance you should see him!  He has a new book called Do Over!)

Switch on Your Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf:  Not a bad read.  Ties bible lessons to science on happiness and productivity.

The Self Made Billionaire Effect by John Sviokla and Mitch Cohen:  Not bad but probably my least favorite so far this year.

Transform by Jeff Haden:  Really liked this one.  Lots of Jeff's best stuff in one place.  Great book to read one chapter per day.  Jeff was also nice enough to spend some time on my web show! 

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz:  Love this one!  Several times I felt like he was following me around!  :)  Highly recommend this one for anyone who has a business.  This has really changed the way we account in ours.  Mike was also a great guest on Delivering Marketing Joy! 

What To Do When It's Your Turn by Seth Godin:  Really good reminder that it's always our turn to step up and make a difference.  Quick read...great one to share!

Scaling Up by Verne Harnish:  This was a good one but I should not have gotten it on audio.  This would have been better as an actual book.  Great things to make me think...but would have gotten more out of it if I could see the references.

Pumpkin Plan: by Mike Michalowicz.  This is another great book for those trying to figure out how to grow your business.  "The riches are in the niches."  I really like Mike's books.  Recommend for sure!

Mastering Monday:  by John Beckett.  This is a good reminder that Monday does not stink if your work (and your life) have a purpose.

New Rules of Sales and Service:  by David Meerman Scott.  If you are not a believer that you can make a huge difference in your business by "giving first," read this one.  He lays out a great case for being a content leader.

The Automatic Customer:  by John Warrillow.  This is another game changer for me this year.  This one opened my mind that nearly any business can be a "subscription business."  I am getting ready to launch a new business and the idea came from this book!  Love it.

Duct Tape Selling: by John Jantsch.  The beginning of this and New Rules were similar.  But I liked that the 2nd half dug into the "how" a little more.  Good one.

Invisible Selling Machine: by Ryan Deiss.  It's a quick read for sure.  But if you want to become a real pro in email marketing, this has some weight.  I use Infusionsoft and I am going through this book to make sure I am setting sequences better.

Train Your Brain For Success: by Roger Seip.  Love the tips in here on how to read faster and remember more.  Once you get through that, good tips on being more successful in life.

SCRUM:  The Art of Doing Twice The Work in Half the Time:  by Jeff Sutherland.  Scrum is a concept created in software development.  If you are getting ready to create a new company or launch a new project, this is a great read first!

Awesomely Simple: by John Spence.  So many times in business, we over think.  We over analyze.  In reality, business success is simple.  This book highlights the down and dirty truth about success in business.

The Undefeated Mind: by Alex Lickerman.  If you are struggling with any issues in life, this book is a great resource to show you how to be resilient.  Dark at times...but shows real life examples on how to overcome.

The Power of Money: Several Speakers.  I thought this was a book but was actually a compilation of teachers.  There are always nuggets of wisdom in any book (and this one had them) but it was not what I expected.

Mastermind Dinners: Jayson Gaignard.  This one was definitely short and sweet.  Jason takes networking to the next level by curating Mastermind Dinners.  Interesting concept for sure.

Nail It Then Scale It: by Nathan Furr and Paul Ahlstrom.  Real similarities to the Scrum concept.  The book says the way we create businesses is broken.  I enjoyed this one.  It's on my mind as I ready to launch a new project.

It Takes More Than A Big Smile, A Good Idea and a Twitter Account: by Wes Schaeffer.  This has some real nuggets.  It's a compilation of blog posts from Wes.  Great for sales professionals and sales managers.

Procrastinate on Purpose: by Rory Vaden.  I really liked this one.  Good for anyone that is trying to "manage time."  Not easy!  Good insights in this one!  

The Talent Code: by Daniel Coyle.  Coyle studies the "talent hotbeds" of the world and discovers that the secret is not in their DNA, it's in a chemical inside our brains called Myelin.  Really interesting stuff about how to get better at ANYTHING.  Really.

The 10X Rule:  by Grant Cardone.  I had actually read this before.  But this is a no nonsense kick in the pants kind of book.  Need a reminder to work harder?  Here it is.  You are not thinking big enough or working hard enough.  Grant reminds you!

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur by Mike Michaelowicz.  This is a no nonsense book for people interested in being an entrepreneur.  

The Art of Social Media: by Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick.  Want to know some real no b.s. tips and tactics for doing social better?  This is a good one and a quick read.  Recommended.

Bold:  by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler.  I will say that this one started slow.  But I was really glad I stuck with this one because that last 2/3 of the book really got me thinking!  I love that!

Creativity, Inc.  by Ed Catmull.  From the very beginnings of his career to running Pixar and Disney Animation.  Some great lessons here, especially on managing creative companies.

 Relentless (From Good to Great to Unstoppable) by Tim Grover.  Not bad.  Good if you need a kick in the pants and motivation.  Got a bit repetitive after a while.  But some interesting stories from the trainer of Kobe and Michael!

Difference by Bernadette Jiwa.  Short and sweet.  I liked this one.  Reminds you that if you want to be a succesful business today...you need to strive to make a difference!

The Innovators by Walter Isaacson.  This one was a struggle for me.  I bought it thinking it was a business book...but it was history.  Great if you are into that...but not what I was expecting or looking for.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz.  I liked this one (though sometimes it was a little dark).  But it talked about the many challenges a CEO faces...with no sugar coating.  Good insights into growing a company.

Brandscaping by Andrew Davis:  This was an interesting take on how to grow your business by creating great brand partnerships.  Interesting for sure.

 Everybody Writes by Ann Handley.  If you want to write better, but want a book that is read-able, I think this might be a good solution for you.  We are all creating content.  Ann just gives us ways to do it better.

I WILL by Thomas Rainer:  Very simple concept for Christians that remind us if we want a better church, we need to be a part of the solution.


The Virgin Way by Richard Branson.  Branson is such a cool cat.  He spins a great yarn about his experiences, and I think, gives great insights along the way if you are paying attention.  What a great entrepreneur to look up too!

The Real Life MBA by Jack and Suzy Welch.  This one was very tactical.  I liked it because it dug right in.  I changed my company's goal structure based on this book.


The Purple Goldfish by Stan Phelps.  If you want your company to stand out, you can do it with that Little Something Extra.  Stan does a great job with examples that everyone in your company can relate too.

If You're Not First, You're Last by Grant Cardone.  Grant Cardone is the perfect antidote for apathy.  I think this is a great kind of book to listen to each morning to give you a kick in the pants.  You have to go get it!  Grant reminds you!

Learn Spanish with Paul Noble:  This audio book was a total departure...but really interesting.  Great way to learn.  I am hardly fluent...but better!

Make Me by Lee Child:  I know.  I know.  This is the one fiction book of the bunch!  I promised to read things that made me better.  Reading these make me want to be like Jack Reacher...and that is better.  :)

So You Want to Start a Brewery by Tony Magee.  This was a really interesting book that tells the tale of how Lagunitas Brewery got started...and succeeded.  It was weird, interesting and cool.  I have a feeling Tony is too.

The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge.  If you want to create a sales process born in today's business environment, this book is a good place to start.  Great, process driven sales book.

Customer Development for Entrepreneurs by Mike Fishbein.  I think this book would be really good for someone who has never started a company, but wants to.  Great short read for beginning entrepreneurs.  Not great for experienced business builders.

Content Inc. by Joe Pulizzi.  I really liked this (and not because Joe was nice enough to do my show!).  All joking aside, Joe is the master at Content Marketing and he shares his playbook here.  I highly recommend this one.

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy.  This is one that I would like my daughters to read.  The concepts of the Compound Effect are simple...but powerful.  Oh, and I said simple...not easy.  I liked this one.

How To Brew by John Palmer.  If you want to learn a LOT about homebrewing, and how to do it right, then this is a great book for you.  Hopefully the beer I brew will be better for it!  :)

So that puts me at 47 books so far for the year.  Now it's time to find some new ones.  Suggestions welcome. 

Want to keep up all the time?  Make sure to join our VIP List!  Our VIP's get an email with the latest content...and other special offers as well.  Join here.

What Your Kind Words Can Do

One of the people that inspire me in business is Seth Godin.  He is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, blogger and original thinker.  I read his blog every day.  It's one of the ways I put "good into my head" as I start the day. 

So back in March of this year, when Mark Graham invited me to sit in on the PromoKitchen podcast with Seth, I was more than elated.  Though I was nervous to chat with him, Seth could not have been more gracious.  He had plenty of insightful things to say in the podcast (you can check that out here) and I enjoyed the process thoroughly.

But that was not the most impactful part of it for me.

Just before the podcast went live, Seth told me "I really like the web show (Delivering Marketing Joy) you are doing.  Keep it up.  In 3 years, you will be glad you did."

What!?  Seth likes my web show?  He even went on to tell me about a specific show with Ted Rubin that he had seen...so I knew he had actually watched it.  I was blown away.

As you might imagine, that meant the world to me.  It's worth noting, that at the time of that conversation, I did not have my next show lined up.  Now, nearly 9 months later, because of his encouragement, we still have not missed a show.

What does this mean to you?  Simple.  Seth Godin took 2 seconds from his day to offer me a positive word.  It cost him nothing.  But that affirmation drove me to continue down a road that he knew I should be on. 

It cost him little...but meant the world to me.

What could you today to encourage someone?  Go...do it.

Oh...and thanks Seth!

Growth Begins...

One of the things I love about setting the goal of running a half-marathon (or a marathon) is that the person who is setting the goal CAN'T accomplish it.  The person setting the goal aspires to run that far.  But they can't get up and do it right now.  That's the point of setting the goal.

If you want to make your new goal happen, you have to change (both mentally and physically) into the person that CAN.  You have to work each day to move closer to that new person.  You have to grow into that person.  You need to change.

Many days you will be sore.  Often (even during training) your brain will try and sabatoge you.  It will scream at you "stop!" or "why are we doing this?"  But in overcoming the soreness in your muscles and the voices in your head, you move toward becoming the person that can run 3 miles (or 13 or 26 or...).  You realize that YOU CAN.

As Paul Kiewiet once said to me, "Growth starts just outside of your comfort zone."

Those words ring true to me whenever I am trying something new.  I am not the person that can do this...yet.  But just like in training to become a marathoner, I can get there.  It will be hard.  At times it will be painful.  But I CAN.

If we overcome the tired muscles and the voices in our head, we become THAT person.  We transform into the person that made it happen.

Time to hit the road today...and train.

Want to keep up all the time?  Make sure to join our VIP List!  Our VIP's get an email with the latest content...and other special offers as well.  Join here.

Have an Open Mind

If you want to have a full, educated, interesting life, you need an open mind.  You need to be open to experiences that make you uncomfortable.  You simply don't know what you don't know.

If you start these experiences with thoughts (or words) like:

Yeah but,

I won't,

I can't,

But,

It won't,

Never,

(or things like this)

You don't have an open mind.  You should change that.

The Early Hustle

In the beginning of any endeavor a lot of activity is going on behind the scenes.  There is a lot of activity, and often, a lot of money goes out the door.  You are spending hours working on things that will lay the foundation for future success.  It can be an exciting time. 

On the other hand, it is also the time when friends, family and outsiders will see a ton of movement with no initial pay-off.  They will see you spending a ton of time on your "project" with no reward.  You are probably not getting paid (or at least not much).  You are not gaining attention yet.  From the outside world's perspective, you are wasting a lot of time.

And some of them will tell you so.

Don't get me wrong.  Many of these folks are well-intentioned.  Some of them just want to see you more.  But make no mistake, they don't get it.

Not every project will work.  There will be times that you spend a lot of time and energy on something that fails.  But nothing really cool was ever created without laying the proper foundation first. 

So relish in the early times.  Continue the hustle.  The long term rewards will be plentiful.

You Can't Always See It...

Last night was the last game of my oldest daughter's senior soccer season.  It was an awesome game, really.  The contest was tied 0-0 after regulation (and only soccer fans know how exciting that can be).  The game went into overtime and the opposing team (Hiland) put in a goal with an incredible, turn around shot. 

It was just an incredible play.  Game over.  Season over. 

After the contest I was talking to another parent about how the girls played.  It's cliche to say, but they played hard.  As a matter of fact, I felt like this was the best they had played (from beginning to end) all season long.

"But they won't be able to see that right now," I said.  He agreed.  It's hard to see the positives in that moment.

That reminds of the journey many of us are on right now.  We are putting in the work.  We are embracing the hustle.  You are trying to build something, piece by piece by showing up each day. 

And then, suddenly, we have a setback.  It's so frustrating in that moment!  We want to scream or cry (or yell at a ref).  But what we need to remember is how far we have come.

So just remember, it's hard to see the path you are on, while you are on it.

Take a breath and remember...you can't always see it from here.   But push ahead, keep battling...the view will be better from the top.

P.S.  Congrats to the Lady Redskins on a great season.  You kept battling to the very end.  Proud of you.

Create Your Super Support Team

If you are going to try anything worthwhile in life, there will be stumbles.  If you are really reaching, there are going to be days that you feel like someone kicked you in the gut.  It's part of the journey.  Don't get me wrong, you SHOULD work toward your goal.  But you do need to know that it is not going to be all "rainbows and unicorns" along the way.  There will be setbacks.  There will be challenges.

It's important to know that in advance.  That way, they don't surprise you (more than they should) during the journey.  It's also nice to know, "it's not just me."  Tough things happen to good people on their way to success.

So what do you do on those days?  What do you do when you know you have a long way to go...but you don't feel like taking the next step?

On these days it's really critical to have a great support system in place.  That support system should consist of more than one person.  That way, if they are having a tough day, you have other people for support!  In addition, I find it's good to have more than more personality to lift me up.  You might need the:

The Listener:  This person will just let you vent, talk out ideas, develop your thoughts out loud.  They might be the person that asks insightful questions to keep you going.  Or they might be the person who "pushes back" on your idea to make you really think it through.

The Supporter:  This is the person that has your back...no matter what.  You don't need a lot of these folks (they can be a crutch).  But it's good to have at least one.  Think...Mom.

The Encourager:  This role should be filled by the "Captain Positive" in your life.  You will hear things like "you got this" from this person.  Sometimes you need a dose of this just to get you to the next step.

The Kick in the Ass-er:  And yes you need someone who will give you the tough love.  You need that person that holds you accountable.  This role will say "You said you were going to call X.  Why haven't you?"  Or they might be the one that pushes and says, "It's ok...but you can do better."  You may not want to hear it all the time...but its essential that you do.

Some people can fill all these roles at different times.  But make sure you have each of these positions filled...and continue to fill them on the journey.

Then, in a moment of strength, be these for someone else too.

Want to keep up all the time?  Make sure to join our VIP List!  Our VIP's get an email with the latest content...and other special offers as well.  Join here.