What Is Sandi Reading This Week?

The Art Of The Start 2.0 by Guy Kawasaki 

When I first interviewed Guy in 2011, not only did I know we'd probably be friends for a long time, I also knew I wanted to read every book he's ever written. I did just that. In my office is every book he's ever written (or at least the ones I could find on Amazon!) and they are some of my favorite reference books on the topic of business, writing, working with people and more.

Guy is an amazing man, the real deal. He's genuine, kind and let me say this here and now, EXTREMELY generous. He selfishly gives of his time and his expertise as often as he can. As a matter of fact he's coming to Kansas City in October and we're trying to figure out how I can lock him up in our corporate offices for a few hours to do some videos together! Be sure to let me know if you'd like to see that happen by commenting on this post!

Guy's latest book, The Art Of The Start 2.0  should be in EVERY small business owner's library. I'm on my second time around reading it straight through. My copy is written in, highlighted and post it noted nearly to death! 

 The Art Of The Start 2.0 is written in such a way that you'll feel like you're having coffee with Guy and he's standing in front of a whiteboard, casually but powerfully teaching you all that you need to know to really get your business off to a strong start. 

The book has sections in it where 'common questions small business owners might ask' are referenced and he gives his best answer. For example:

Q: I admit it: I'm scared. I can't afford to quit my current job. Is this a sign that I don't have what it takes to succeed?

A: It doesn't mean anything. You should be scared. If you aren't scared, something is wrong with you, and your fears are not a sign that you don't have the right stuff. In the beginning, every entrepreneur is scared. It's just that some deceive themselves about it, and others don't.

You can overcome these fears in two ways. First, the kami-kaze method is to dive into the business and try to make a little progress every day. One day you'll wake up and you won't be afraid anymore- or at least you'll have a whole new set of fears.

Second, you could start by working on your product at night or on weekends and during vacations. Make as much progress as you can, try to get some proof of your concept, and then take the leap. Ask yourself what's the worst thing that could happen. It's probably not too bad.

Page 26-  The Art Of The Start 2.0

The Art Of The Start 2.0 will guide you through marketing your product, leading others, such as employees or volunteers, how to make the tough decisions every business owner must make and understanding your audience. In the chapter entitled: "The Art Of Bootstrapping" Guy will teach you how to get going quickly. 

Building a team, fund raising, pitching your product or service, socializing on social media and at local events are covered in depth, with some practical tools you can use today to get off to a strong start. 

The thing I like the most about  The Art Of The Start 2.0 is that it's written in such a way that I can pick it up anytime I want, get the information I need on a particular topic, and be on my way. While I do recommend you read it cover to cover, I also recommend you refer to it often as an reference book.

You can grab the  The Art Of The Start 2.0 on Amazon, in hardcover, Kindle, paperback and the audio book. I have the hardcover, Kindle and audio book. I love to listen to the audio book while I'm driving, cleaning or doing something else that doesn't require me to sit at my desk. 

Get the book and set a goal to read it in less than two weeks. Then head over to my Facebook page and let me know what you learned that helped the most!  The Art Of The Start 2.0  is a book every small business owner should add to their library today!

Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online, graphics-design service, trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation, and executive fellow at the Haas School of Business at U.C. Berkeley. Formerly, he was an advisor to the Motorola business unit of Google and chief evangelist of Apple. He is the author ofThe Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and ten other books. Guy has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

With love,

Sandi Krakowski