Entrepreneurs ISBN: 9781793054586 The Expressive Press copyright and written by Pete Geissler.
Sub titled The Little Black Book for, and those who want to be, entrepreneurs starts with a list of his other series of books; About the Author follows where he is presented as a “Professional/technology writer, teacher professor of technical writing and an author/publisher of self-help books”. These 3 combined, he admits are infamous for creating more poverty than wealth, but they work for him and he loves what he does. A Forward explains: “Happiness is the ultimate goal, and you’re in the driver’s seat.” A Prologue describes who, and why you will benefit from this book. Ten chapters (Drivers) next, beginning with Know and Live your purposes; 2. Aim for competitive supremacy which puts you in charge of your destiny; 3. Live your big 4 behaviors (empathize, appreciate, articulate, connect – actually common courtesy); 4. Collaborate with your customers. Also branding or niche marketing important; Give them more than expected; 5. Nurture and value your talents and principles for they are your conscience. (Picasso reportedly received a complaint when he asked $1000 for a requested sketch he did in a few seconds. His answer – Hardly a few seconds; I worked a lifetime to be able to create that simple drawing. Similarly, this Author was paid $4000 for a few minutes work, but strategically let the recipient believe it was after a week’s work.); 6. Four rules for creating wealth –productive efforts create wealth; 7. Create your own cozy conglomerate, for it is your stability. (The author is in his eighties, still writes, teaches, writes/publishes his and a few other’s books and honestly believes “That if I stopped I would die of boredom and loneliness in six weeks. Crazy, eh?” He believes serendipity was the driving force behind his cozy conglomerate); 8. Avoid greed at all costs – it’s self-defeating. Don’t accept work that’s beyond your capacity to deliver the final product (and this reviewer might emphasize- ON TIME – as follows). Remember your time and abilities also have a limit which it is necessary to discover and recognize; 9. Be creative when planning your future, for it is your road map. (“If you don’t know where you’re going you can’t get there”); 10. Retain financial advisers you can trust for they are your security. Five rules are offered beginning with Never retain a friend or relative to be accountant or manager; 11. Nurture your most important asset: your mind and body; 12. Select the vehicle you’ll ride into entrepreneurship for it will influence your wealth and happiness. There is an Epilogue (Conclusion); PETE’S Punditry: Words to Play By; Further Reading on money, on work, communications and thinking; APPENDIX A – The root cause of Success: Humility; Appendix B – Root cause of failure: Arrogance; Appendix C – Your “intelniche” is your brand and your competitive supremacy (your intelligence, imagination, creativity is your only product).
Discussion: A few more ‘gems’ noted in this short treatise include “Knowing your life’s purpose(s) keeps you on the track you’ve decided is best for you. It shapes your decisions and prevents you from irrelevant, irritating and costly excursions that tend to hinder reaching your goals”. The author loves words and first went to work writing for many Fortune 500 companies that needed to communicate better. “I can pick my bosses and embrace those I like and pay my fees.” He can dress as he likes, can get into proper attire if necessary to attend a board meeting or other and otherwise work in shorts/t-shirt and work billable hours in the middle of the night, Christmas day, or whenever. He says everyone needs a statement of purpose that adjusts to life’s changes and here he offers steps to “put you in the driver’s seat” to follow yours because “Perhaps now is the time to redefine success to align with your expectations and encompass more than wealth. The drivers in this book, which are my contract with you, will help…….As you redefine, remember that every person holds in his mind a definition of success and that every person’s path to it is difficult, circuitous, and exclusively theirs. I am your guide, not your overseer.
Conclusion: This reader is an individual who long has embraced the idea behind the author’s recalled statement “If you enjoy what you’re doing, retirement is ‘a vile condition brought about by age and befuddled management’. He too is a ‘word lover’ of long standing who also still is enjoying similar activities. As such, this reviewer highly recommends reading and thoroughly considering altering your ‘work’ to be more in line with the suggestions offered here.
5* Highly recommended!!!