The Entrepreneur's Guide to Keeping Your Sh*t Together


Book Description

Learn how to stay sane and ensure both you and your business thrive for years. You run a business. And running a business is hard. It can ruin your health. It can ruin your relationships. It can ruin your life. But only if you don't equip yourself for the journey. The responsibility, stress and loneliness of being an entrepreneur are a far cry from your friends who work salaried jobs. The path of least resistance is to let the stress and isolation of starting, running and growing a business infiltrate most aspects of your life. Over and over we've watched our fellow entrepreneurs succumb to the mental toll and chaos of running a business. We've also experienced it firsthand as we've launched and grown our own businesses. Odds are good that you've been overwhelmed at some point. Maybe you've read self help books only to find that books about stress management typically don't take into account the unique experience of entrepreneurs. Or they're 'lifehacks' written by a blogger with no formal training, offering advice based on anecdotes. Why do I need this book? You want to invest in yourself (and consequently, your business). You want to learn proven strategies, tactics and techniques to overcome the challenges that cause you heartburn and headaches. You want to get off the treadmill of stress, anxiety and isolation that entrepreneurship brings. You want to prevent burnout, depression, isolation, and the emergence of damaging coping strategies and self-sabotaging choices. Every aspect of this book is a pairing of psychological expertise with decades of entrepreneurial experience. Author, Seth Godin calls it, "A personal, generous and incredibly useful guide to staying sane and changing the world at the same time. Read it before you think you need it." Here are just a few things you will take away: New ways to deal with the responsibility and fear that go along with being an entrepreneur Why knowing yourself and where you came from is crucial to your success How to succeed as an entrepreneur no matter your personality type How to keep stress from ruining your relationships Dealing with depression, anxiety, burnout, ADHD and other common psychological burdens How to get more things done - and faster - by dealing with procrastination, distraction and muddled priorities How to deal with overwhelming (seemingly) massive failures How to find personal calm in the midst of chaos And much more... Love the book? Read a review! And join the conversation by joining our Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/zenfounder/




Start Small, Stay Small


Book Description

Start Small, Stay Small is a step-by-step guide to launching a self-funded startup. If you're a desktop, mobile or web developer, this book is your blueprint to getting your startup off the ground with no outside investment.This book intentionally avoids topics restricted to venture-backed startups such as: honing your investment pitch, securing funding, and figuring out how to use the piles of cash investors keep placing in your lap.This book assumes: You don't have $6M of investor funds sitting in your bank account You're not going to relocate to the handful of startup hubs in the world You're not going to work 70 hour weeks for low pay with the hope of someday making millions from stock options There's nothing wrong with pursuing venture funding and attempting to grow fast like Amazon, Google, Twitter, and Facebook. It just so happened that most people are not in a place to do this.Start Small, Stay Small also focuses on the single most important element of a startup that most developers avoid: marketing. There are many great resources for learning how to write code, organize source control, or connect to a database. This book does not cover the technical aspects developers already know or can learn elsewhere. It focuses on finding your idea, testing it before you build, and getting it into the hands of your customers.




Killing It


Book Description

The former CEO of Clif Bar, Co-founder of Plum, and serial entrepreneur offers insights about launching and growing a business while maintaining a fulfilled life in this practical guide filled with hard-won advice culled from the author’s own sometimes dark, raw experiences. With a foreword by Steve Blank. Aspiring entrepreneurs are told that to launch a business, you must go all in, devoting every resource and moment to making it work. But following this advice comes at an enormous personal cost: divorce, addiction, even suicide. It means sacrificing the intangibles that make life worth living. Sheryl O’Loughlin knows there is a better way. In Killing It, she shares the wisdom she’s gained from her successful experiences launching a company from the ground up (Plum), running two fast-growing companies (Clif Bar and REBBL), and mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs (Stanford University). She tells it like it is: If you don’t invest in your wellbeing, your business will not succeed, nor will you. Sheryl knows firsthand the difficulty of balancing the needs of her growing family with her physical and mental health, while managing other work and life challenges. In this warm, honest, and wise handbook, she gives you the essentials for killing it in business—without killing the rest of your life. Filled with real-life examples and anecdotes, Killing It addresses common questions including: How do you prepare your significant other for your business venture? How do you time launching and growing your business with the ebb and flow of family life? How do you find joy in the day-to-day? How do you maintain meaningful, supportive friendships? How do you walk away and start again? The ultimate life and business course, Killing It gives entrepreneurs the tools they need to start their enterprise and thrive—both in the office and at home.




The Entrepreneur's Guide to Getting Your Shit Together


Book Description

As soon as the Web became viable for entrepreneur marketers in the early 2000's, John Carlton surfaced as the go-to teacher for writing everything required to find prospects and persuade them to become eager customers...... as well as being The Dude for solving almost any biz problem holding things up. For decades, he was a notoriously-successful freelance direct-response copywriter with a global reputation for creating ads that brought home the bacon in almost every possible media (particularly direct mail, magazines and newspapers). And his street-savvy, close-the-deal style of salesmanship has now helped mobs of new entrepreneurs dominate niches online.This book is a collection of his best (and most recent) lesson-dense private articles to insider colleagues. What you're about to discover is the timeless advice and first-choice strategies that can help rookie entrepreneurs murder their competition, and veteran marketers re-establish dominance in their niche. No theory here. Every lesson is from the front trenches of the business world, where fortunes are won or lost through your ability to craft superior marketing in crowded business environments... and produce jaw-dropping results regardless of the economy, the competition, or any problem currently holding you up.If you have a great product or service, then shame on you if you don't learn and use the reality-tested, results-proven toolkit of advice and tactics packed into this sizzling tome. It's your best First Step to becoming an awesome entrepreneur, no matter where you are now or what your experience is or how broke/disadvantaged/clueless you are. You start here, and the greatest adventure of your life can finally begin in earnest.About the author:John Carlton's notorious 30-year career has become something of a legend among modern marketers. Just some of the highlights:He started out as the "bad boy" freelance copywriter snuck through the back doors of Los Angeles advertising agencies to do the hard-core sales jobs their staff writers couldn't pull off (because they didn't understand street-level salesmanship)... He penned game-changing packages for the largest direct response mailers in the world (like Rodale Press)... while single-handedly also completely transforming the way print ads worked in a number of markets (through sizzling long-copy ads the magazine owners hated, but which worked like crazy)... And he pioneered the now-common use of killer "old school" persuasive ad-writing models for online markets when the Web finally became a viable vehicle for entrepreneurs. John's been called "the most respected and ripped-off copywriting wizard alive", because so many of his ads are still used as templates by other marketers. (Yes, even the ads written before the Web became a viable marketing medium.) And for over a decade now, John has been the "go-to-teacher" for helping entrepreneurs learn how to craft ads that get results. His first book, "Kick-Ass Copywriting Secrets of a Marketing Rebel", is still cited as a primary resource by the best writers working today.




Touching Two Worlds


Book Description

A trauma psychologist explores the inner workings of her own grief—and leaves an invaluable guide for those seeking hope in the aftermath of loss. As a therapist, Dr. Sherry Walling knew all the “right” things to say to help people through grief. But when she lost her father to cancer and her brother to suicide within six months of each other, she had the unfortunate chance to encounter two types of mourning up close—the slowly unfolding terminal illness and the sudden and stigmatized death by suicide. She realized we’re getting grief all wrong. In Touching Two Worlds, this trusted expert dares to open the inner workings of her own grief—and in the process, provides an invaluable resource for those seeking hope in the aftermath of loss. Written with honesty, gentle humor, and deep understanding, this book was created to bring comfort to friends and family when there are few helpful words to say. Dr. Walling grieves as a sister, daughter, mother, and mental health expert. She shares moving personal stories while offering a broad range of healing strategies and exercises derived from neuroscience—like how to heal through movement, how to cry in public, how to talk to kids about death, and how to cope with survivor’s guilt. These are tips from someone who has been there, as well as approaches informed by professional expertise. Touching Two Worlds is a story of love, sadness, and renewal. Whether your loss is recent and sharp or old and familiar, Dr. Walling delivers wise and tender guidance to help you carry the weight of grief while finding your own path forward.




Hire Smart from the Start


Book Description

This book distills lessons gained from the author’s 20 years of experience, building out and staffing two enormously successful Internet startups and helping firms land the talent they need to reach their greatest potential. Don't rely on instincts alone. Hiring is king and while the lesson seems so basic, so many good companies stumble and lose their stride just when they were poised for rapid growth. Why? Their leaders treated hiring as a tedious chore. They posted an ad hoc ad. Took the first person with the right skills. Hired for immediate needs, rather than future flourishing. Whether you're a high-tech entrepreneur taking a startup public, or a food truck vendor with a concept that's taking off, Hire Smart from the Start offers a proven formula to help you: Find candidates whose values and working style fit your business Spot the 5 types of applicants you should never, ever hire Motivate "reach" candidates to leave their jobs and take a chance on your vision Develop meaningful incentives that make people stay Accelerate success: hire smart from the start. This book shows you how.




Build the Damn Thing


Book Description

The Wall Street Journal Bestseller featured in Bloomberg, Fast Company, Masters of Scale, the Motley Fool, Marketplace and more. An indispensable guide to building a startup and breaking down the barriers for diverse entrepreneurs from the visionary venture capitalist and pioneering entrepreneur Kathryn Finney. Build the Damn Thing is a hard-won, battle-tested guide for every entrepreneur who the establishment has left out. Finney, an investor and startup champion, explains how to build a business from the ground up, from developing a business plan to finding investors, growing a team, and refining a product. Finney empowers entrepreneurs to take advantage of their unique networks and resources; arms readers with responses to investors who say, “great pitch but I just don’t do Black women”; and inspires them to overcome naysayers while remaining “100% That B*tch.” Don’t wait for the system to let you in—break down the door and build your damn thing. For all the Builders striving to build their businesses in a world that has overlooked and underestimated them: this is the essential guide to knowing, breaking, remaking and building your own rules of entrepreneurship in a startup and investing world designed for and by the “Entitleds.”




Funded


Book Description

The venture capital world is often intimidating and hard to navigate, even for the most seasoned entrepreneurs. But it doesn’t have to be. Entrepreneurs who run effective fundraising processes don’t do it by accident. With this book, you’ll learn what it takes to successfully raise a round of funding for your company. Author Katherine Hague explains how the venture capital industry works, and walks you through each step necessary to plan, execute, and optimize your own fundraising round. Packed full of exercises, checklists, and templates, this book guides you through the process from start to finish. It’s ideal for entrepreneurs raising later rounds of capital, as well as those just starting out. Gain an understanding of core venture capital concepts and standards Learn how to develop and hone an investor pitch Come away with a plan to hit the fundraising trail for your company Develop the confidence you need to negotiate key terms in a funding deal Understand best practices in fundraising, and learn how to avoid the top 10 fundraising mistakes




The ArtStars* Guide to Getting Your Sh*t Together


Book Description

Your essential guide to publicity, finance and career management with advice from the top. Including everything you didn't get in art school, and even more. • Are you making art but nobody seems to notice? • Do you find it difficult to make money or develop your network? • Need to add some skills to make your career worthwhile? Look no further. The ArtStars* Guide to Getting Your Shit together is the go-to ebook for any art student, art school grad or professional artist in or entering the contemporary art world with a goal of cashing in and making a splash in the public eye. Beginning from the core basics, this tell-all inspiration ebook covers every aspect of working as an individual artist – beyond the studio practice. Every successful, professional artist knows they must put in the extra effort to get noticed, and that means more than just sitting in your studio making your work in the dark. Since interviewing thousands of artists since 2003, the internationally-acclaimed arts journalist and celebrity interviewer, Nadja Sayej has written this book to help artists succeed with career management, publicity and finance. With a focus on recovering from your biggest mistakes, this must-have guide is built for visual artists who want to thrive, not just survive, in an increasingly visual-based society. There is No Business in BFA Art schools don’t train artists for media interviews, how-to price their work, or even ways to profit as self-made entrepreneurs. That’s why there’s an ebook to get you caught up on the homework you never got (and it’s cheaper than a MFA). Reality Check In the real world, there are many artists who get press but no sales. Hence, people in their 30s and 40s are totally well-known in their industry, but have nothing to show financially. This is totally unfair but totally possible to change. In fact, it’s never too late to change that. Career Advice from the Top Getting your shit together is about finding your own voice and managing your career in a time when you can’t expect other people to do everything for you. You can have a gallerist, an agent, a PR team and a studio, but if you’re not in control of your own life, you will not get results. The advice in this ebook comes from interviews with: • Marina Abramovic • James Franco • Yoko Ono • Genesis P-Orridge • Olafur Eliasson • Peaches • Hercules & Love Affair • Chilly Gonzales • … curators, artists, collectors, and more! What you’ll get in this must-have ebook: • How-to think beyond the artist statement and create a compelling vision • How to put together a press kit and the five necessary elements you need to succeed • How to get press from newspapers, magazines and blogs • How-to stay quotable and notable in a media interview • What to do if you get a bad review – or if they get all the facts wrong • The do’s and don’ts of an artist’s website • Where to put in the extra effort • Selling without selling out • Taxes, business tips and how-to create an effective sales plan • How-to gain a unique edge over competitors • Results-driven strategies for business networking • How-to make more money and how-to ask for more Ebook Facts • Over 42,000 words, 76 pages • Available in pdf, epub and kindle • This ebook is divided into five sections: Vision, Perfecting your Presence, Press & Publicity, Art & Finance and Networking Your Way to the Top • This third edition including never-seen-before material with new interviews, quotes and hot tips • Covers the breadth of publicity, finance and career management with advice from the top Once you take a thorough read of this ebook, you'll be on your way to a clear-thinking, focused art career with all your bases covered. Get your copy today!




Girl, Stop Passing Out in Your Makeup


Book Description

“Self-help meets memoir. Party girl meets wise sage. Beauty meets reality. Zara Barrie is the cool older sister you wish you had. The one that lets you borrow her designer dresses and ripped up fishnets, buys you champagne (she loves you too much to let you drink beer), and colors your lips with bright pink lipstick. She'll take you to the coolest parties, and will stick by your side and she guides you through the glitter, pain, danger, laughter, and what it means to be a f*cked up girl in this f*cked up world (both of which are beautiful despite the darkness). Girl, Stop Passing Out in Your Makeup is for the girls that are too much of a beautiful contradiction to be contained. Zara is a gifted writer—one second she'll have you laughing over rich girls agonizing over which Birkin bag to buy, the next second she'll shatter your heart in one sentence about losing one’s innocence. Zara is the nuanced girl she writes for—light, irreverent, snarky, bitchy, funny; and aching, perceptive, deep, flawed, wise, poised, honest—all at once. Perhaps the only thing that can match Zara's unparalleled wit and big sister advice is her candid humor and undeniable talent for the written word. Zara is one of the most prolific and entertaining honest voices on the internet—and her talent is only multiplied in book form. Girl, Stop Passing Out in Your Makeup is for the bad girls, honey.”—Dayna Troisi, Executive Editor, GO Magazine “Reading Zara's writing will make you feel like you're at your cool-as-hell big sister's sleepover party. You will be transfixed by her unflinching honesty and words of wisdom, and she'll successfully convince you to not only ditch the shame you feel about the raw and messy parts of yourself, but to dare to see them as beautiful.”—Alexia LaFata, Editor, New York Magazine “If Cat Marnell and F. Scott Fitzgerald had a literary baby it would be Zara Barrie. She’s got Marnell’s casual, dark, downright hilarious tone of an irreverent party girl. But then she also has Fitzgerald’s talent for making words literally feel like they sparkle on the page. I’ve always been a fan of Zara’s writing but Girl, Stop Passing Out in Your Makeup takes it to the next level. With shimmery words that make her dark stories sparkle, she seamlessly manages to inspire even the most coked-out girl at the party to get her shit together.”—Candice Jalili, Senior Sex & Dating Writer, Elite Daily