It's that time of year again. Below you'll find our list of favorite reads (and listens) of 2017. Some were published this year, some many moons ago. Some are business-focused, others flagrant fiction. So, without further achoo, here's our list of Essential Reading (and Listening) for the Small Business Owner. Most of these are my rec's, but Seth, David and Corey snuck in a few as well.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (Mark Manson) ... Business. Life. Love. And all those gnarly in between bits. I actually drops a whopping $4 / month for the premium content on Mark's blog as well.
The Lost Art of Closing (S. Anthony Iannarino) ... Changed the way we think about taking clients from strangers to trusted partners. Breaks the sales process into a distinct chain of commitments. Required reading for B2B hustlers.
Be Obsessed or Be Average (Grant Cardone) ... everyone's favorite Scientologist. Kidding. Sort of. Seriously though, Grant's narration in the Audible version is off the hook, guidance spot-on and energy off the charts. Shattering the hustle paradigm.
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World (Cal Newport) ... this critical perspective on productivity separates shallow work from deep work (with its flow state) has transformed our busy work days into a lifestyle of massive impact.
Re-reading: The Obstacle is the Way (Ryan Holiday) - best crash course in Stoicism out there.
The Bobiverse Series (Dennis E. Taylor) ... What happens when the brain of a dead, snarky software engineer is uploaded into a robot and becomes sentient and saves the universe? The Bobiverse is what happens.
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself (Michael A. Singer) ... 2017 was an awe inspiring and fear inciting year for me. One of my clients, Chris Mahne, insisted I listen to this audio book. A bit woo woo, but the best translation of eastern philosophies into something digestible by former Western bible thumpers like me.
Norse Mythology (Neil Gaiman) ... A master class in storytelling. On their own, the Norse myths are fantastical tales of Odin, Thor, Loki and a myriad of strange creatures. Retold by Neil Gaiman (the audio book is also narrated by him) the are elevated to a whole new level. My favorite story involves the human boy who challenges a giant to a footrace.
The Gone Away World (Nick Harkaway) ... Nick made my list for two of his books last year, so I figured I should read his first novel. Holy. Effing. Shite. On its own, the story of two best friends plunged into a messy war is perfectly told. Then it gets weird - mystical, surrealistic, post apocalyptic, crazy.
Rewire: Change Your Brain to Break Bad Habits, Overcome Addictions, Conquer Self-Destructive Behavior (Richard O'Connor) ... a perfect companion to the untethered soul, this dense, compact self-help book will reveal why you keep f---ing up your life ... on a scientific level. And bonus - it covers why the people you love piss you off so much.
My Struggle (Karl Ove Knausgaard) ... This series has dominated Seth's reading list for the bulk of 2017. Here's his blurb about it: It is hard to imagine a series of books more rich in detail and unapologetic human-ness than this. In a refreshing turn in the digital age, the author offers no apologies or rationalizations for his own behavior, even/especially when he must paint himself as a villain. The result is a human life, with all the failures, mistakes, and occasional triumphs however small captured on the page. How does a book that spares no detail, even when the author is not doing anything more than cleaning a bathroom or cooking dinner, become something magical? I don't know. Maybe ask Karl Ove. Props to the translator Don Bartlett for bringing this magic into the English Language with finesse.
Welcome to Night Vale ... This podcast and its sibling members of the Night Vale Presents family are consistently weird, creepy, and entertaining. If you like dark humor, or you just want to hear Charlie Day's version of Macbeth, you'll find a lot to love.
Hello from the Magic Tavern ... Seth turned me onto this whimsical podcast hosted by a smattering of improv comedy veterans from Chicago playing Arnie and overweight nerd, Chunt a shapeshifting talking badger, and Usidore a wizard with a really long name.
Small Biz Happy Hour ... yeah, we are *that* narcissistic. That being said, it's a good listen. Insightful, Delightful and Uncensored (we even had to add the E for Explicit to the podcast feed to stay out trouble with the media).
NOTE: David represents the segment of our family that's allergic to books apparently. Here's his tuneful addition:?
If you work a sedentary gig and are a self-proclaimed "Jimmy Legger" like me, then you know all too well that you've gotta keep something moving. Usually, it's my right foot, jumping up and down and tapping my heal against the floor like a never-ending drum solo. The beat moves through my leg, up my torso and inevitably into one of my hands to continue the rhythm and mix up the sound, usually tapping my desk or the plastic on my laptop.
"But David, why don't you just try sitting still?". "Oh, I guess I could give that a shot" - he said with heavy sarcasm. Fact is if you're like me, sometimes the mannequin challenge is just not possible.
Luckily I've found myself a workaround wit music. If I'm gonna be working my fingers anyway (say, typing up this newsletter), I might as well focus my efforts. That leads us to my music choice of the...uh... year I guess. When I've got copy to write or anything that requires some form of thought, I prefer the Chill Step Playlist on Spotify. It's a mix of light drum and bass mixed with the occasional soft vocals. If I'm looking to power through a more monotonous task, I'll be cranking up the ALT Rock, ranging anywhere from Silversun Pickups to Queens Of The Stone Age.
Whatever gets you moving, just be sure you're going the right way.
These are the only newsletters we subscribe to anymore:
See 2016, 2015 and 2013 Versions of Small Business Owner Reading Lists
*** NOTE: Yes, we've got some juicy affiliate links buried on this post. Who knows, maybe we'll get a check for $5.66 from Amazon again.***
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It's that time of year again. Below you'll find our list of favorite reads of 2016. Some were published this year, some many moons ago. Some are business-focused, others flagrant fiction. So, without further achoo, here's our list of Essential Reading for the Small Business Owner.
*** Our Top Pick ***The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business (Charles Duhigg) ... hat tip to James Clear for recommending this gem. More than any other advice I've received this year, The Power of Habit transformed how I plan and execute my days and my life. It's even affected my parenting, helping build structure into my autistic daughter's life using habit stacking.
The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King (Rich Cohen)... Sam Zemmurri was willing to start actual WARS to grow his business. The best biography I've ever read, hands-down. From poor man, to businessman, to kingpin, this guy's story includes all of the do's (and don'ts) for true entrepreneurs.
Re-read: Pitch Anything (Oren Klaff) ... had a chance to work with Oren last month. A master class in presentation and negotiating.
Re-read: The 10X Rule (Grant Cardone) ... loudmouth, aggressive AND a Scientologist. What's NOT to love about this guy? For serious though, weed through the bombastic ego rambles, and there's some mega-valuable stuff in here for anyone who wants to really GROW their business.
Re-read: The Art of War (Sun Tzu) ... I find myself regurgitating his advice to clients almost weekly. Specifically, the importance of not engaging in 'fair fights' with your competition and the critical role of agility in business models.
Re-read: The Obstacle is the Way (Ryan Holiday) ... well, big surprise - I am (now) an unapologetic Stoic.
Something More Than Night (Ian Tregillis) ... an angel posing as a noir gumshoe in modern 'merica. Need I say more.
How to live safely in a science fictional universe (Charles Yu) thought I was getting a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy spin-off. Instead a tribute from a son to his father seen through the lens of a world where time traveling machines spurred an entire new class of blue-collar repairmen with daddy issues.
The Searcher (Simon Toyne) ... this guy writes like I wish I could. A classic story of a small town that turned to drugs to survive, that needed a mystical something to save them. Reminiscent of that 90's TV Show the Pretender, just way better and set in a scary beautiful desert.
Dark Matter (Blake Crouch) - didn't think it was possible to write a love story about multi-dimensional travel. This one got me thinking about love, life and quantum physics.
Angelmaker (Nick Harkaway)... about a clockmaker who saves the world. I think.
Tigerman (Nick Harkaway) ... Nick Harkaway is the only writer to show up twice in my list. And for good reason - he is GOOD. I found this gem on the recommended shelf at the semi-ghetto Butte County Library here in Chico. Semi-retired military man semi-stranded on a semi-populated island surrounded by semi-sane residents and a local volcano that spurs the semi-hero into action.
The Aeronaut's Windlass (Jim Butcher)... I've been a lover of steampunk ever since Billy Gold introduced me to it via one of my first product launches (Otaku Tea) many moons ago. Air pirates, giant spiders, romance, c'mon!
Welcome to Nightvale (Nightvale Presents) This podcast and its sibling members of the Nightvale Presents family are consistently weird, creepy, and entertaining. If you like dark humor, or you just want to hear Charlie Day's version of Macbeth, you'll find a lot to love. Not actually a book, though there are some Welcome to Nightvale books available.
Blogs, Newsletters, ShortsThese are the only newsletters we subscribe to anymore:
The Only Sales Guide You'll Ever Need - Iannarino, Anthony
The man behind one of my favorite newsletters has assembled his body of knowledge into a little red book. A bit on the dense, academic side, however, it is essential reading for anyone that finds themselves thrust into a sales role (which happens to EVERY small business owner at one point or another). The "chain of commitments" chapter is absolute gold.
Anything You Want
stolen quoted philosophy on 1,000 True Fans. Notably this book is the only one that has made an appearance in all of our reading lists.
Pitch Anything
Sell or Be Sold
The Fish That Ate the Whale
Leaders Eat Last
The Obstacle Is the Way
BONUS: this article by Robert Bruce helped pull me out a serious bout of small biz owner depression, and helped me learn to love my job again - Why Everyone Hopes You'll be The Hero.
DOUBLE BONUS: Seth prefers more fictional and, um, weirder books than what you'll typically find me reading. Here's his short list, fiction and non-fiction, and why:
The Maddaddam Trilogy
Reality Hunger
CodeinWP - Transparency Reports - it is so rare to see a company reveal the epic fails (and associated fixes) in their business. CodeinWP's Transparency reports have helped us (and by proxy our clients) to shift towards more data-driven business, versus just winging it.
The Sales Blog - "boring gets results" "move the big rock" "sales is a series of commitments" ... These phrases have become part of my daily vocabulary because of S. Anthony Iannarino's daily blog. Some of his stuff is focused a bit on corporate sales, but the vast majority of the content applies perfectly to small business owners.
James Clear - "incremental gains" is my favorite takeaways from this writer / productivity expert's weekly essay. His essay on Sisu (a.k.a. grit) is incredible.
Nerd Fitness - I'm not even a nerd (more of a geek), but this newsletter is just so damn enjoyable to read. The benchmark for building a human community via digital channels.
Uncensored Advice for the Small Biz Owner - Seth has transformed our boring little newsletter into a sweeping epic of hard earned advice punctuated by epic (and sometimes public) fails. "Happiness is a Warm Bun" is my current bookmarked fave.
BONUS: New Poems on The Page, various authors. According to Seth, poetry is the study of words in their most memorable combinations. That's not the definition of poetry I've heard so he probably made it up. Want your product name, slogan, website copy or label copy to be memorable? According to Seth, you should read some poetry sometime. The Page is a blog where you can find links to new poems by today's modern masters of the craft.
I'm a flagrant plagiarizer.
Violently pulling other people's witty quotes into conversations, sales pitches, training calls, emails, job posts and articles, my filthy habit has been catching up to me:
"Nate, I loved that bit about not leaving any interaction on the table."
"Oh really?"
"Yah, it really helped me pull it all together. You know, like glue"
<awkward pause ............ guilt sets in and I start sobbing uncontrollably ... on the inside>
"IT'S NOT MINE. I totally stole it from Gary Vaynerchuk. I know, I know. I'm a FRAUD!"
Then a few weeks later I resume my thieving habits until guilt once again gets the better of me. So I'm gonna do something about it - publish my reading list, my fountain of inspiration. I'm sure I'll slip up a bit, but I can always salve my conscience by letting folks know,
"Yah, I wrote about my unknowing mentors on my blog" and sleep well that night.
Anyways, enough rambling. Here 'tis (disclaimer: none of the links are affiliate - an unwillingness to drop a few bucks for a few centuries of collective knowledge is ridiculous. If you are really hard-up I can use the Amazon Kindle Loan program to let you read my e-copy. Just shoot me an email and ask nicely. I'll certainly give you shit for being a cheapskate, but I'll still hook you up):
Gary Vaynerchuk's Keynote @ the Inc 500 conference - it's long but worth watching all the way through - twice. And if you are hungry for more, snag a copy of his book The Thank You Economy, which directly inspired my oft-used (and proudly un-plagiarized) principle - INJECT HUMANITY BACK INTO YOUR BUSINESS.
Anything You Want ($5.99 Kindle) by Derek Sivers. Essential reading for those struggling with merging their business and their lifestyle with minimal mental, emotional and/or fiscal injury. Calling this book life-changing would be an understatement. Here's a great piece by Derek to give you a taste of his refreshing approach to business. And while you are at it, read Kevin Kelly's frequently stolen quoted philosophy on 1,000 True Fans.
Rework ($11.99 Kindle) by Jason Fried. Written by the founders of 37 Signals - the company that makes Basecamp (which we are super-fans of here at Small Biz Triage), this business book pulls no punches and takes no prisoners.
I Will Teach You to Be Rich ($9.39 Kindle) by Ramit Senthi. The king of the side-hustle and a magician with money. A good place to start if you are considering starting a business. And while I'm at it, Here's a some cool guides I've collected over the years on bootstrapping your business. And speaking of bootstrapping, check out this hilariously raw piece on Parasite Enterpreuneurism by Po Bronson - he's the Bear Grylls of bootstrapping.
Everything I need to know about startups, I learned from a crime boss
Sebastian Marshall's Blog (free) - epic stuff on productivity. Can be a bit heavy for beginners, so consider starting with Leo Babauta's Zen Habits as a warm-up. Or you can just skip to the ninja-level stuff with Sebastian by reading his philosophy shattering article: The Million Dollar Question.
Chuck Blakeman's Blog (free) - read ALL of his blogs. Seriously. If you are pressed for time start here to learn what nearly all of my clients get wrong (until they get it right - with a little nudge)
*** NOTE: Yes, we've got some affiliate links buried on this post. Who knows, maybe we'll get a check for $5.64 from Amazon again.***
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