Very early on in my entrepreneurial journey, I learned that the only thing about my business that cannot be copied is me. The same is true for you. Whether it’s a product or a service, it can be duplicated. But there is only one you, and when the one and only you is integrated into…
Our January 2023 Indie Business Book Club selection is The Self-Employed Life: Business and Personal Development Strategies That Create Sustainable Success by Jeffrey Shaw. I have been self-employed for near a quarter of a century. Those of you who know me well will not be surprised at the selection of this book, which highlights and…
Our December 2022 Indie Business Book Club selection is The Richest Man In Babylon by George S. Clason. While it may seem like an odd choice for our book club, at nearly 100 years old, this book is regarded as a classic of personal financial advice. As entrepreneurs, how could we not take advantage of…
Our November 2022 Indie Business Book Club selection is Marketing: A Love Story: How to Matter to Your Customers by Bernadette Jiwa. The book is under 100 pages and can be read in an afternoon. It’s mainly about how to position your ideas to resonate with your target customers in ways that influence them more…
Our October 2022 Indie Business Book Club selection is Live What You Love: Notes from A Passionate Life by Bob and Melinda Blanchard. This book celebrates the fact that there is more than one path to success. And that’s why you have to read it. In this book, we will meet the authors, a married…
Our September 2022 Indie Business Book Club selection is To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others by Daniel H. Pink. At its core, this book is a reminder that we all spend a considerable amount of time and energy trying to convince others to do what we want them to do. •…
Our August 2022 Indie Business Book Club selection is YOU-NICORN: 30 Days to Find Your Inner Unicorn and Live the Life You Love by our Indie Business Network member, Danielle A. Vincent. YOU-NICORN is a 30-day, step-by-step program to help you get a better perspective on your thoughts, improve your relationships, clarify your goals, and find…
Our July 2022 Indie Business Book Club selection is The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life and Your Success, by Darren Hardy. I first encountered the author after I agreed to be a blogger for Success Magazine. Shortly after I signed the contract, Darren Hardy purchased rights to the Success Magazine brand and changed…
Our June 2022 Indie Business Book Club selection is Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur, by Derek Sivers, founder of CD Baby. Like many American Maker Entrepreneurs, Derek did not start his business “on purpose.” Instead, doing something he loved (making music) led organically to a business opportunity, which led…
For the March 2022 edition of the Indie Business Book Club, we read Get Different: Marketing That Can’t Be Ignored! by Mike Michalowicz. The book drives home the point that “different sells.” This article provides a summary of what we learned. If you’re not familiar with the Indie Business Book Club, you can click here for more…
Our May 2022 Indie Business Book Club selection is The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It, by Michael Gerber. Originally published in 1995, this classic book continues to be relevant and practical for entrepreneurs. In it, the author explores the critical distinction between working on your business…
As an entrepreneur, you must invest a considerable amount of time working both in and on your business. However, when the balance consistently tips too heavily in favor of working in your business instead of on it, you run the risk of living in a constant state of overwhelm. Of course, no one wants that.…
Our April 2022 Indie Business Book Club selection is Live Your Best Day Ever: Thirty-Five Strategies for Daily Success, by Anne-Marie Faiola. Everyone wants to live their best day ever every day, yet it often seems like a pipe dream. How can every day be a good day, not to mention the “best” day, when…
For the February 2022 edition of the Indie Business Book Club, we read Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, by Seth Godin. The premise of the book is that every business owner can and should bring together like-minded people to create and lead a tribe, or a community, around their brand. If you’re not familiar…
For the January 2022 edition of the Indie Business Book Club, we read Company of One: Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing in Business, by Paul Jarvis. The book stands the notion of traditional entrepreneurship on its head. It’s exactly appropriate for our Indie Business Network members, who hack new definitions of entrepreneurship and…
I am pleased to announce the March 2022 Indie Business Book Club pick: Get Different: Marketing That Can’t Be Ignored! by Mike Michalowicz. Do you sometimes feel like people don’t appreciate how unique and fabulous your products are? Does it seem like your brand is drowning is a sea of similarity, with no hope of…
The February 2022 Indie Business Book Club pick is: Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin. The reason I selected this book is because I am more persuaded today than ever before that your business success depends largely on your willingness to create, nurture, and lead community around your brand. Your products…
The January 2022 Indie Business Book Club pick: Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business by Paul Jarvis. Almost all Indie Business Network member businesses start out as companies of one. While all of them hire some kind of help as they evolve, the vast majority get a great…
I am pleased to announce the February 2021 Indie Business Book Club pick: On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam CJ Walker by A’Lelia Bundles. If you’re not familiar with the Indie Business Book Club, you can click here for more information. Authored by Madam CJ Walker’s great-great granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles, the book…
For the November 2020 edition of the Indie Business Book Club, we read 90 Days to C.E.O. by Rochelle Graham-Campbell. This book is combination of engaging storytelling and entrepreneurial tips that is especially useful if you need a CEO mindset adjustment where your business is concerned. If you’re not familiar with the Indie Business Book Club,…
I am pleased to announce the January 2021 Indie Business Book Club pick: The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) by Hal Elrod. This is not a new book, but it is definitely a timely oldie but goodie. If you’re not familiar with the Indie Business Book Club, you…