Overlap: Start a Business While Working a Full-Time Job
Sean McCabe - 2017
You use the stability of your day job to provide a financial foundation for building your own business on the side.When Sean McCabe started practicing hand lettering, he never dreamed he’d make over $500,000 from the craft. He always thought it’d be a hobby. But he learned that there are three specific ways to make money from any niche pursuit.Sean codifies and breaks down these three methods of making money in what he calls The Trifecta:• Client Work• Products• TeachingNo matter what you want to do, you can grow a thriving business using these three methods of generating revenue.But where you’ll get stuck is trying to find the time, motivation, and focus to do the work.• How do you get your family or spouse on board when they’re scared?• What if you come home from your day job feeling exhausted and ready to collapse?• What if you have many passions and you’re not sure which to focus on?Overlap will help you find your passion, develop your skills, get out of scarcity, and create the life you want.The results will not come overnight, but this book will help you get unstuck and give you a clear idea of exactly what to do next.Don’t Quit Your Day JobThere’s a notion that if you’re “really serious” you’ll quit your day job and give your passion a chance.That works for some people, but so does the lottery. I don’t think it’s a winning strategy.You want something more sensible—something that doesn’t involve crazy amounts of risk (and the high likelihood you’ll kill your passion for good if things don’t pan out).We all know people who quit their job to pursue their passion only to end up hating what they do.Or worse: they had to go back to the day job and, because they felt like a failure, they never got up the courage to try again.You’re here because you want something more practical: a systematic plan and logical steps for making a living from what you love.Overlap is for you.When you overlap, you don’t immediately quit your day job. You use the day job as a financial foundation to support your pursuit of something else.This does something incredible.Rather than feel immediate financial pressure, you are free to explore, do, and try.This exploratory phase is critical. It prevents burnout and helps you avoid killing your passion, which often happens when you’re desperate for money.Overlap is where you start a business while working a full time job.• This is the book you’ll wish you had years ago.• This is the book that finally gives you clarity.• This is the book you can give to your kids and not worry about their future.This is a sensible, practical, down to earth guide to making a living doing what you love, creating financial freedom for yourself, and getting your family on board.I’ve been working on this book for years.I’ve written the book, re-written it, and revised it based on hundreds of personal conversations I’ve had with people who want something more than the status quo.What I discovered is this:Most Books Are Addressing the Wrong ProblemsI found that the things holding you back aren’t necessarily lack of business knowledge, finance, or anything like that.In my conversations, I learned it’s these things that are holding you back:• Lack of support from your family.• Trouble finding motivation.• Not enough time.• Difficulty focusing.• Unsure of the right thing to pursue.• Feeling overwhelmed with the possibilities.I reverse engineered Overlap to solve every single one of these struggles.If you believe you were meant for something more, if you believe you can make it, if you believe you were destined for greatness…Overlap will help you get there.
The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you
Rob Fitzpatrick - 2013
They say you shouldn't ask your mom whether your business is a good idea, because she loves you and will lie to you. This is technically true, but it misses the point. You shouldn't ask anyone if your business is a good idea. It's a bad question and everyone will lie to you at least a little . As a matter of fact, it's not their responsibility to tell you the truth. It's your responsibility to find it and it's worth doing right .Talking to customers is one of the foundational skills of both Customer Development and Lean Startup. We all know we're supposed to do it, but nobody seems willing to admit that it's easy to screw up and hard to do right. This book is going to show you how customer conversations go wrong and how you can do better.
The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership
Richard Branson - 2014
He has taken on giants like British Airways and won, and monsters like Coca-Cola and lost.Now Branson gives an inside look at his strikingly different swashbuckling style of leadership. Learn how fun, family, passion, and the dying art of listening are key components to what his extended family of employees around the world have always dubbed (with a wink) the “Virgin Way.”This unique perspective comes from a man who dropped out of school at sixteen, suffers from dyslexia, and has never worked for anyone but himself. He may be famous for thinking outside the box—an expression he despises—but Branson asserts that “you’ll never have to think outside the box if you refuse to let anyone build one around you.”This is a unique book on leadership from someone who readily admits he has never read a book on leadership in his life. So expect the unexpected.
So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love
Cal Newport - 2012
Not only is the cliché flawed-preexisting passions are rare and have little to do with how most people end up loving their work-but it can also be dangerous, leading to anxiety and chronic job hopping.After making his case against passion, Newport sets out on a quest to discover the reality of how people end up loving what they do. Spending time with organic farmers, venture capitalists, screenwriters, freelance computer programmers, and others who admitted to deriving great satisfaction from their work, Newport uncovers the strategies they used and the pitfalls they avoided in developing their compelling careers.Matching your job to a preexisting passion does not matter, he reveals. Passion comes after you put in the hard work to become excellent at something valuable, not before. In other words, what you do for a living is much less important than how you do it.With a title taken from the comedian Steve Martin, who once said his advice for aspiring entertainers was to "be so good they can't ignore you," Cal Newport's clearly written manifesto is mandatory reading for anyone fretting about what to do with their life, or frustrated by their current job situation and eager to find a fresh new way to take control of their livelihood. He provides an evidence-based blueprint for creating work you love.So Good They Can't Ignore You will change the way we think about our careers, happiness, and the crafting of a remarkable life.
Content Machine: Use Content Marketing to Build a 7-figure Business With Zero Advertising
Dan Norris - 2015
By teaching the fundamentals of content marketing, how to create great content and how to stand out from the crowd, it simplifies the otherwise challenging process of creating content with impact. Since the purpose of content marketing is to build a great business, Content Machine focuses heavily on how to create a high growth business off the back of your content. Author Dan Norris shares his story about how he grew his WordPress support business from scratch to over $1m AUD annual run rate in 2 years, spending only $181.23 on advertising. The lessons learned form a framework for building businesses and scaling content marketing, that are documented throughout Content Machine in terms any entrepreneur can understand. The book outlines the #1 biggest mistake that kills content marketing efforts and how the best content marketers in the world have built their audience, their content and their business. It provides downloads and frameworks to help the reader with every aspect of content marketing, from idea generation, to writing guidelines, to hiring and scaling a content team. Whether you are a blogger, content marketer, entrepreneur or marketing manager, Content Machine will help you see the return you deserve from your content marketing efforts.
Work Less, Make More: The counter-intuitive approach to building a profitable business, and a life you actually love
James Schramko - 2017
It's not 80/20, it's 80/20 squared. Every few pages, James punches you in the face with an instantly actionable hack.
~ Perry Marshall, Author of 80/20 Sales & Marketing, Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords, and Evolution 2.0
James gives massive value in a fun and easy-to-read book. Real, actionable ways to cut your hours while increasing your income. Want to know how to do it in your own business? Get this and find out!
~ Jonathan Mizel
In Work Less, Make More, James proves that keeping your business strategy simple produces far greater success (and happiness) than if you focus only on 'hustling'.
~ John Reese
James possesses a 'no-holds barred' approach to business which frees him to think outside ingrained assumptions regarding one's current realities and future opportunities. His candid advice in Work Less, Make More provides bold and practical wisdom for any person, of any vocation, who wants to lift the lid on their creative potential and move into unexplored territories of freedom and opportunity.
~ Ian Freestone
I found Work Less, Make More--part memoir, part how-to guide--to be truly extraordinary! James brings his unique analytical insights about how to think regarding complex issues in business. He describes the systems that he has designed to shape both meaningful work and relationships,as well as, a life worth living. Now isn't that what we all want? So many authors attempt to "motivate" you,without giving any real instruction. I find that James provides both. Every page is full of so many principles, wisdom and insights--and I love how James incorporates his history and his life in such a thoughtful way. His book has already changed how I think about making decisions in my life and in my business. It's a must read. Highly recommended.
~ Tim Papadopoulos
---- In 2006, whilst working in a full-time job, James Schramko wrote this in a notebook: MY GOALS … create automated income so that I am independently wealthy and enjoy my life passionately. Within three years, he’d built his own business and achieved those goals. At which point he set about helping his coaching clients do the same. Leveraging his knowledge and experience, they were able to make more money while reducing their work hours. Significantly. This freed them up to spend more time living. It’s easy to think working less and making more is something available only to a blessed few. But James has proven over and over again that this is not the case. All you require is: • An open mind, • The ability to focus on what’s important, • An understanding of business models, and • A willingness to challenge your assumptions. Work Less, Make More will break down all the barriers standing between you and the above. It will teach you how to effectively leverage yourself, your team and your business via: • Increasing your personal effectiveness • Planning and goalsetting • Learning focus and the power of 64:4 • Building a team • Creating an offer that converts • Leveraging the Profit Formula to boost cash flow • Understanding the importance of Customer Lifetime V
The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to go from $0 to $100 Million
Mark Roberge - 2015
Everyone wants to build the next $100 million business and author Mark Roberge has actually done it using a unique methodology that he shares with his readers. As an MIT alum with an engineering background, Roberge challenged the conventional methods of scaling sales utilizing the metrics-driven, process-oriented lens through which he was trained to see the world. In this book, he reveals his formulas for success. Readers will learn how to apply data, technology, and inbound selling to every aspect of accelerating sales, including hiring, training, managing, and generating demand. As SVP of Worldwide Sales and Services for software company HubSpot, Mark led hundreds of his employees to the acquisition and retention of the company's first 10,000 customers across more than 60 countries. This book outlines his approach and provides an action plan for others to replicate his success, including the following key elements: Hire the same successful salesperson every time — The Sales Hiring Formula Train every salesperson in the same manner — The Sales Training Formula Hold salespeople accountable to the same sales process — The Sales Management Formula Provide salespeople with the same quality and quantity of leads every month — The Demand Generation Formula Leverage technology to enable better buying for customers and faster selling for salespeople Business owners, sales executives, and investors are all looking to turn their brilliant ideas into the next $100 million revenue business. Often, the biggest challenge they face is the task of scaling sales. They crave a blueprint for success, but fail to find it because sales has traditionally been referred to as an art form, rather than a science. You can't major in sales in college. Many people question whether sales can even be taught. Executives and entrepreneurs are often left feeling helpless and hopeless. The Sales Acceleration Formula completely alters this paradigm. In today's digital world, in which every action is logged and masses of data sit at our fingertips, building a sales team no longer needs to be an art form. There is a process. Sales can be predictable. A formula does exist.
Leave Your Mark
Aliza Licht - 2015
A global fashion communications executive, she is the voice behind the wildly popular @DKNY PR GIRL twitter feed that now boasts over half a million followers. Known for her chatty and intimate tone, she has also become beloved for her top-notch career advice and her enthusiasm for mentoring. Thousands of online conversations have led to many a coffee, mentoring strangers. But who can have coffee with everyone who asks? LEAVE YOUR MARK is her way of grabbing that coffee.Now, in her first book, Aliza is here to tell her story, complete with The Devil Wears Prada-esque moments and insider secrets. Drawing invaluable lessons from her experience as a top fashion publicist, Licht shares advice, inspiration, and a healthy dose of real talk in LEAVE YOUR MARK. She delivers personal and professional guidance for people just starting their careers (“ ‘To Whom It May Concern’ never concerns anyone”) and for people who are well on their way (“Don’t just learn your job, learn everyone else’s”). With a particular emphasis on communicating and building your personal brand, something she knows a thing or two about, Aliza is your sassy, knowledgeable guide to the contemporary working world, where personal and professional lines are blurred and the most important thing you can have is a strong sense of self. PRAISE FOR LEAVE YOUR MARK AND ALIZA LICHT AKA @DKNY PR GIRL:"I can't think of a better mentor to help get you going at work and in life. Read it, be inspired- then go out and own your passion." – From the foreword by Donna Karan"Aliza was one of the first people in the fashion industry to embrace the potential of social media and the importance of engaging with followers and, in so doing, changed what it means to work in public relations. Any professional who wants to be powerful, yet accessible, with a voice that is authentic, unique and engaging, should follow her lead.” - Nina Garcia, Creative Director of Marie Claire and Project Runway Judge"With this book, Aliza teaches you to smoke the competition with grace and honesty, excel in your career with wit and hard work, and be an overall kinder and more thoughtful human. If you want the job of your dreams, read this book."-Stacy London, TV Personality & Style Expert“Aliza Licht is a pioneering PR maven, a powerhouse of perfection, a commander of communication, a fierce fashion woman and now an awesome author …LEAVE YOUR MARK will help you do more than that - it is an indispensable guide to success and celebration of the self. Learn the rules then go ahead and break them!!" - Kelly Cutrone, New York Times Best Selling Author of IF YOU HAVE TO CRY GO OUTSIDE"Smart, savvy and sophisticated, LEAVE YOUR MARK is the new professional must-have. No matter what industry you work in, Aliza's insider tips from career to personal branding, will help you make your mark and then leave it!"-Joe Zee, Editor in Chief of Yahoo Style“Sassy, classy, and smart, LEAVE YOUR MARK is more than just a juicy look behind the laptop of DKNY's PR genius, Aliza Licht; it's also a best friend in book form, the kind who'll tell you what you need to hear rather than just what you want to hear. –Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, creators of GoFugYourself.com and the authors of THE ROYAL WE
She Means Business: Turn Your Ideas into Reality and Become a Wildly Successful Entrepreneur
Carrie Green - 2017
. . but she also knows the challenges of starting and running a business, including the fears, overwhelm, confusion, and blocks that entrepreneurs face. Based on her personal, tried-and-tested experience, she offers valuable guidance and powerful exercises to help you:Get clear on your business visionMove past the fears and doubts that can get in the wayUnderstand your audience, so you can truly connect with themCreate your brand and build a tribe of raving fans, subscribers, and customersManage your time, maintain focus, and keep going in the right directionCondition yourself for success . . . and so much more!If you’re a creative and ambitious female entrepreneur, or are contemplating the entrepreneurial path, this book will provide the honest, realistic, and practical tools you need to follow your heart and bring your vision to life.
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Malcolm Gladwell - 2000
Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.Gladwell introduces us to the particular personality types who are natural pollinators of new ideas and trends, the people who create the phenomenon of word of mouth. He analyzes fashion trends, smoking, children's television, direct mail, and the early days of the American Revolution for clues about making ideas infectious, and visits a religious commune, a successful high-tech company, and one of the world's greatest salesmen to show how to start and sustain social epidemics.
That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea
Marc Randolph - 2019
Late fees were ubiquitous, video-streaming unheard was of, and widespread DVD adoption seemed about as imminent as flying cars. Indeed, these were the widely accepted laws of the land in 1997, when Marc Randolph had an idea. It was a simple thought—leveraging the internet to rent movies—and was just one of many more and far worse proposals, like personalized baseball bats and a shampoo delivery service, that Randolph would pitch to his business partner, Reed Hastings, on their commute to work each morning.But Hastings was intrigued, and the pair—with Hastings as the primary investor and Randolph as the CEO—founded a company. Now with over 150 million subscribers, Netflix's triumph feels inevitable, but the twenty first century's most disruptive start up began with few believers and calamity at every turn. From having to pitch his own mother on being an early investor, to the motel conference room that served as a first office, to server crashes on launch day, to the now-infamous meeting when Netflix brass pitched Blockbuster to acquire them, Marc Randolph's transformational journey exemplifies how anyone with grit, gut instincts, and determination can change the world—even with an idea that many think will never work.What emerges, though, isn't just the inside story of one of the world's most iconic companies. Full of counter-intuitive concepts and written in binge-worthy prose, it answers some of our most fundamental questions about taking that leap of faith in business or in life: How do you begin? How do you weather disappointment and failure? How do you deal with success? What even is success?From idea generation to team building to knowing when it's time to let go, That Will Never Work is not only the ultimate follow-your-dreams parable, but also one of the most dramatic and insightful entrepreneurial stories of our time.
The Magic of Thinking Big
David J. Schwartz - 1959
Dr. Schwartz presents a carefully designed program for getting the most out of your job, your marriage and family life, and your community. He proves that you don't need to be an intellectual or have innate talent to attain great success and satisfaction, but you do need to learn and understand the habit of thinking and behaving in ways that will get you there.
The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success
Darren Hardy - 2010
No Hyperbole. No Magic Bullet. The Compound Effect is based on the principle that decisions shape your destiny. Little, everyday decisions will either take you to the life you desire or to disaster by default. Darren Hardy, publisher of Success Magazine, presents The Compound Effect, a distillation of the fundamental principles that have guided the most phenomenal achievements in business, relationships, and beyond. This easy-to-use, step-by-step operating system allows you to multiply your success, chart your progress, and achieve any desire. If you’re serious about living an extraordinary life, use the power of The Compound Effect to create the success you want.
Ultimate Guide to Link Building: How to Build Backlinks, Authority and Credibility for Your Website, and Increase Click Traffic and Search Ranking
Eric Ward - 2012
Who links to a site and how they link to it is one of the most important factors that search engines rely on when ranking results. But how do marketers control this? Link building expert Eric Ward provides the answers.Sharing little-known techniques for link building via social media platforms, blogs, partnerships, public relations, articles, and more, Ward teaches marketers which link-building techniques will maximize the quality links that point to their site, allowing them to charm both search engines and customers and which methods to avoid.This one-of-a-kind guide details a variety of link building tools, tactics, and techniques illustrated by case studies, expert interviews, and resources. Ward leaves no opportunity unexplored, and no link-building questions unanswered.
Start Something That Matters
Blake Mycoskie - 2011
That’s the breakthrough message of TOMS’ One for One movement. You don’t have to be rich to give back and you don’t have to retire to spend every day doing what you love. You can find profit, passion, and meaning all at once—right now. In Start Something That Matters, Blake Mycoskie tells the story of TOMS, one of the fastest-growing shoe companies in the world, and combines it with lessons learned from such other innovative organizations such as Method Products, charity: water, FEED Projects, and TerraCycle. Blake presents the six simple keys for creating or transforming your own life and business, from discovering your core story to being resourceful without resources; from overcoming fear and doubt to incorporating giving into every aspect of your life. No matter what kind of change you’re considering, Start Something That Matters gives you the stories, ideas, and practical tips that can help you get started. Why this book is for you: • You’re ready to make a difference in the world—through your own start-up business, a nonprofit organization, or a new project that you create within your current job.• You want to love your work, work for what you love, and have a positive impact on the world—all at the same time.• You’re inspired by charity: water, method, and FEED Projects and want to learn how these organizations got their start. • You’re curious about how someone who never made a pair of shoes, attended fashion school, or worked in retail created one of the fastest-growing footwear companies in the world by giving shoes away.• You’re looking for a new model of success to share with your children, students, co-workers, and members of your community. You’re ready to start something that matters.