Smiths Notes: Business Book Summaries

This episode is to let you know the format is changing and there is a new podcast on the way!! Free audiobook at http://smithsbook.com

It has been a while since The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was released and this very short episode is intended to remind us how to be more effective. Recommended by Entrepreneur on Fire guests Eric Zimmer, Thom Singer, Mark Kohler, and Aaron Kahlow Get the Free Audiobook Buy on Amazon Also mentioned on The Tim Ferriss Show

This book has so much great information that I am going to make a few episodes from it so they are easier to grasp. I like the idea of learning 3 things at a time not trying to learn 10 at a time. You can get the audiobook at Smiths Book. I have listened to it at least 5 times and learn something new each time. Well worth buying. For those concerned about the religious aspect of the book, I doubt you will be offended. This book is not intended to convert you and the Jewish teaching are used to demonstrated how the commandments relate to people, not just Jews.  

In addition to The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, Ryan Battles has compiled 9 Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs. This book can give some insight into how some entrepreneur spend their most important asset, their time. Buy on Amazon Get the Free Audiobook

The Product Launch Formula can show how to optimize your launches and make more money than every before. The formula is simple but does require work. If you dont have an email list yet then you can get information of how to grow your email list and network at the same time. Recommended by Entrepreneur on Fire Episode 594 guest Jeff Walker Buy the book on Amazon Amazon Get the Free Audiobook

This book is all about Time Management. What is the one thing you need to be doing to make the most of your time and efforts? This book will guide you through the process of organizing tasks and more importantly determining what you should be doing and what you need to hand off to others.  Recommended by Entrepreneur on Fire Guests Monique Williams , Daniel Lewis , Brett Kelly , Rob Rawson , Heather Carson and Renee Warren Buy on Amazon Get the Free Audiobook

Do you know how to find out what your customers really want? The answer is you ASK them. Ryan has a great program to show you how to survey your customers (or future customers) and find out what problems they have that you can solve and HOW to solve them. They tell you their problem and how to fix it. Business from a survey? Recommended by Entrepreneur on Fire Guest Navid Moazzez Buy on Amazon Get a Free Audiobook

Have you ever wondered what a "gut feeling" is and why we have them? Where do they come from? This book addresses that and more. It has been recommended by Entrepreneur on Fire guests, Tim Ferriss, and numerous business professionals. If you have not read this one before then start with this quick podcast then go get the book from Amazon or get the Audiobook from Smiths Book Recommended by Mel Taylor , Vanessa Van Edwards , John Maddox  

This book is more of a biography than a How-to book but there is some great information in the book that will make you look at things different and appreciate the internet more. Get a Free Audiobook Buy on Amazon

I first heard about this book from Dave Ramsey. It is one of the book the is required reading but team members in his organization. Inside the Six Sigma framework is the 5 Why process, asking why 5 times to get to the root cause of a failure. QBQ takes a better approach by telling us WE are responsible for what happens and if we want something to be different then we can not rely on management to make those changes or provide us the proper training. We need to take it upon ourself to ask how we can help, what we can do, and we need to learn to improve. Recommended by Entrepreneur on Fire guest Nick Pavlidis Get a Free Audiobook Buy on Amazon

It started The Omnivore's Dilemma, then there was In Defense of Food. A few months later this book came out. I think all of Michael Pollans books are based on food which is great in a time where there is so much mixed information on what to eat and how to eat. The Paleo Diet tells us one thing while the Vegans and Vegetarians say that is wrong. But the Vegans and Veggies argue with eat other also. Atkins? Raw? Zone? South Beach? This book gives you a foundation for what we all need to be eating. Get a Free Audiobook Buy on Amazon

Very interesting book from one of my favorite authors. The fundamental question is when does a product reach the point when it becomes viral? How does it gain the momentum to grow at an exponential rate while other products, possible even better ones, fade and disappear? If you want to know how you can grow your business this book is for you. Recommended by Entrepreneur on Fire guests Thomas Smale ,Lara Ann Riggio , Greg Taylor , Michael Vigeant , Monica Hamilton , and Charles Friedman Get a Free Audiobook Buy on Amazon

Did he say $65,000,000 a month in sales? Wow, this is one hell of a story. I dont get into the details and storyline of books for the podcast so this is one of those that you will need to pick up for yourself. If a person from a background like Ryans can create a business valued at over a billion dollars then there is no reason the rest of cant create a life that we want. Get a Free Audiobook Buy on Amazon

From the founder of TOMS, TOMorrows Shoes, we get a book that address something we all think about from time to time. Am I doing what I am meant to be doing? I was once told dont ever do anything just for money yet that is exactly what a majority of the population are doing when they go to work. Blake talks about how hard it was to get TOMS going, why it was so important to him, how he found his first "employees", and why something bigger than yourself is the goal we should all work towards. Recommended by Entrepreneur on Fire guests Kimberly Palmer and Quinn and Jonathon Get a free audiobook at Free Audiobook Buy on Amazon

9 More ways to grow your Business Get a Free Audiobook Buy on Amazon  

From the founder of Duck Duck GO, a search engine that does not keep your information, we have a book that describes the many avenues you can take to grow your business. Some work best when you are starting out and some are better when you reach certain predetermined metrics. If you are an entrepreneur or manager this book can help grow your business and get you to those milestones much faster. Get a Free Audiobook Buy on Amazon

I only discuss one small detail of the book in this episode as it was the section I found most relevant to the other summaries I offer on this podcast. This is more on the philosophical side than investing side but it give a glimpse into the renaissance man or how a polymath would view life. Buy on Amazon Get a Free Audiobook

Most of us will never give a TED talk but there is a very high chance that we will give a presentation or stand in front of a group a people at some point and speak. While this book talks specifically about creating these high quality presentations, the secrets can be implemented into nearly all everyday interactions. Entrepreneurs, salesman, and college students can benefit from these simply ideas. Get a Free Audiobook Buy on Amazon    

  I do not remember the book which I got this information but I think it was the only decent idea within it. Some may argue there are other reasons we do the things we do but it seems those reason always seem to fall within one of these 4 categories. Finding and understanding our motivation is one of the best things we can do as a person. We all want the feeling of achievement and once we understand why we do what we do we can get there much faster. Get a Free Audiobook

It seems as though there were many books released in a short period of time that attempted to answer the same question in different ways, yet they all return to the same basic concept. Ask a potential customer if they would buy what you are selling then get them to pay for it. The approach that Pat Flynn takes in this book was far more interesting than what many other authors offered. His blog and podcast Smart Passive Income are very popular with people looking to get started with an online business so Pat probably has more insight to this topic that other. This is one of the few books I read from start to finish without stopping and the pages just flew by. Get a Free Audiobook Buy on Amazon