Creating A Bu$iness You’ll Love: Top Entrepreneurs Share Their Secrets

Toward the end of 2011, I received a copy of a new book in the mail. The book was Creating A Bu$iness You’ll Love: Top Entrepreneurs Share Their Secrets edited by Mark Chimsky-Lustig. The book features essays from a wide array of entrepreneurs including Howard Schultz of Starbucks, Tony Hsieh of Zappos, and Craig Newmark of Craigslist. One entrepreneur on the cover of this book caught my eye in particular though—Jake Harriman of Nuru International.

I’d like to give a review of this book that was completely unbiased, but because I know Jake fairly well, that will be a bit difficult. So I’m balancing this post between the book as a whole and Jake’s contribution.

As a whole, I was really impressed with the book. The essay authors and their styles vary considerably, and make this book a very enjoyable book to read either as a whole, or by reading an individual essay.  I’d have to say the most creative essay in the book was Tony Hsieh’s “Everything I Know About Business I Learned From Poker”—It was extremely brief, fun, and engaging.

The book consists of several chapters that include a brief author bio and then a short essay about some of the pivotal decisions they made that helped them  to start and grow successful businesses. As I mentioned before, some of the authors include folks like the founders of Starbucks and Craigslist. I think it is wonderful that so many have contributed a nugget of wisdom from their experience as a contribution to this book.

Separate from the book as a whole, I love the fact that this book has given Jake an opportunity to share some of the experiences that served as the engine for what would become Nuru as well as sharing some of the challenges he has overcome in seeing this dream become a reality (including contracting malaria twice, getting struck by lightning, and being attacked by thieves). At the close of his chapter, he offers five practical pieces of advice for anyone who wants to start a business or social enterprise.

One piece of advice in particular that I appreciated was Jake’s suggestion to develop a “getting out of bed” answer. What drives you to get up each morning and do the work that you do? What compels you to push forward. I think the reason that this particular passage struck me is that I believe that this is the key to participating in any endeavor. When times get tough, what is going to motivate you to keep pushing  ahead? What is going to be your reason to not give up, when giving up is the easy route?

There’s a ton more in the book, across all of the essays, and I highly recommend you pick up a copy, and give all of these essays a read. This book would be a great inspiration for pushing your dreams forward and taking them from ideas to reality.

As The Sun Prepares to Rise on Another Year

Today I'm sitting in a Starbucks in Morgantown, WV, far from the view pictured above. I just finished a brief conversation with one of my old roommates, Joel Setal, and started re-reading a really cool book my friend Pavi suggested to me a few years ago. The book is called The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel. I highly recommend it.

Earlier today, Jamie and I took a walk across town to get a little exercise, and because she is going through orientation for a new part-time job. She's going to be teaching aquatics classes at a local fitness and rehabilitation center called Healthworks. I'm excited for her to launch into this new endeavor because I think she is incredibly gifted in both aquatics and with people. Her bosses are being incredibly flexible with her, and have built into her schedule time off to travel with me when I need to be on the road for Nuru.

This year has been incredible, and in the near future, I'm looking forward to posting more details and highlights from the last twelve months. Life seems like it has been speeding up steadily over the last twelve months, and one of my passions that has suffered has been my blog. This year marks the fewest posts I have been able to put up on this blog since I started it in 2005. It's probably the fewest since the first year I started blogging which was 2003 (Unfortunately, those old blog posts are no longer available--the site was taken away).

Over the next couple of days, I'm hoping to spend some extended time writing, praying, reflecting, planning, and resting as I prepare to welcome in the new year. Jamie and I have had a wonderful holiday season, and have had the privilege of being able to spend quality time with many members of our family, as well as many friends. I think we are both just craving more time with everyone (including the people we didn't get to see). As much as technology has made our use of time more efficient, and opened up opportunities that were never before possible for staying connected, I find myself always craving more time with people.

I imagine that craving will never be satisfied on this side of the veil, and I imagine I'm not alone in my craving. As 2011 winds to it's end, and the sun rises on a new year, my hope is that you and I will be able to savor every moment, and make the most of the time you and I have been given.

16 oz of delicious goodness

tea-w-legs, originally uploaded by Elan Photography.

Ok, I normally wouldn't blog about something like this, but it is soooooo good. I'm currently in Ann Arbor Michigan at a conference. But, on my way to the conference I stopped at a Starbucks in Canonsburg, PA for a little java for the journey.

So I asked them the big question--are they serving chai eggnog lattes yet? The answer was YES!!! This is like my all-time favorite seasonal coffee drink. Literally it just tasted soooo good when it hit my lips.

It tasted so good that I had to call someone. So I called my mom, just to tell her how good this drink tasted. I was in pure ecstasy with one drink. I highly recommend this drink if you get the opportunity to partake of it.

And while I am on the subject of delicious drinks. Is there anything that you have ever eaten or drunk that has taken your tastebuds into a virtual party? As I slowly sipped this drink (you don't want to drink it too fast--it's hot, and plus you want to savor the flavor), I thought to myself, I bet there are lots of chai eggnog lattes to be drunk in heaven. I can only hope.

But now we see in a glass dimly. So that means that whatever we enjoy in the present, things are going to be even better when the Kingdom is fully realized. I'm looking forward to it for sure, but in the meantime, I've got two months to enjoy these chai eggnog lattes!!!

Goodbye Starbucks

Goodbye Starbucks, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Saturday morning commenced the long trek back to West Virginia for me. Before the last of us Mountaineers left O-town, we had to make one last stop in Starbucks. This was one of my stomping grounds for the summer, and a primary place of contact for meeting people.

Behind my right shoulder is Kateland. She was one of my favorite Barista's over the summer and a great new starbucks amigo! I made friends with quite a few staff, but she was one of the very few working when we left Saturday.

Arrival

After dealing with the transmission, I commenced my journey southward toward Orlando Sunday Afternoon. Along the way I was able to connect with many friends and supporters of the ministry I am doing in West Virginia. I arrived at approximately 7PM, and by 8PM I was sitting in a local Starbucks engaged in spiritual conversation with one of the barista's as well as a patron who God brought through the doors that night.

After a long day on the road, it was cool to be able to pick up in this new location and begin making connections with local people. Only time will tell what will come from these new friendships, but I look forward to seeing what direction they take over the coures of the summer