The end of the year is always a business time and seems to fly by. Between work, grad school, family affairs and life, I haven’t had a chance to write a new blog. I have a subscription-based model blog in the works, it just isn’t where I want it to be. I want to provide more value to you all. I have no doubt you are just as busy. This will be my last post of the year, but don’t worry come January, I will start posting again adn new trends I see on the horizon for marketing. As this is my last post of the year, I hope you, your family, your friends and your furbabies have a happy holiday season. Stay safe, eat, drink and be merry!
In November, I chose to read books that focused on leadership, strategy and entrepreneurship (and I threw in a little fiction, too). With potential changes (for me) on the horizon, I really wanted to spend time considering the aforementioned topics to build on my professional foundation. I like to think we can choose to spend our time learning what we already know, or we can consider new perspectives and foster personal growth. Having more ‘tools’ in our ‘tool box’ is can’t be a bad thing; just ask my partner. He has so many tools, but (apparently) each serves a purpose.
1. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
Many of you know, I love innovation. There is something about dreaming, about advancing what we already do well that makes my mind come alive. This is just one reasons as to why I love marketing! You can dream, create and add a spin on something old. Elon Musk is someone I am intrigued by (for a multitude of reasons). Musk could be considered a real-life Tony Stark!
Vance uses Musk's story to explore one of the pressing questions of our age: Can the nation of inventors and creators who led the modern world for a century still compete in an age of fierce global competition? He argues that Musk - one of the most unusual and striking figures in American business history - is a contemporary, visionary amalgam of legendary inventors and industrialists, including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, and Steve Jobs. More than any other entrepreneur today, Musk has dedicated his energies and his own vast fortune to inventing a future that is as rich and far reaching as the visionaries of the golden age of science-fiction fantasy.
2. Stories: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences and Transform Your Business by Kindra Hall
While much of this book was a slight refresher for me, there were components I had not considered as it relates to the digital advertising I oversee. In Stories That Stick, Kindra Hall, professional storyteller and nationally known speaker, reveals the four unique stories you can use to differentiate, captivate, and elevate:
· The Value Story, to convince customers they need what you provide;
· The Founder Story, to persuade investors and customers your organization is worth the investment;
· The Purpose Story, to align and inspire your employees and internal customers;
· And the Customer Story, to allow those who use your product or service to share their authentic experiences with others.
Telling these stories well is a simple, accessible skill anyone can develop. With case studies, company profiles, and anecdotes backed with original research, Hall presents storytelling as the underutilized talent that separates the good from the best in business. She offers specific, actionable steps listeners can take to find, craft, and leverage the stories they already have and simply aren't telling. I would recommend this to anyone, because you will either consider your approach or you will learn something new!
3. The Giver by Lois Lowry
This book has been on my ‘to read’ list for MONTHS (actually over a year). This was the only fiction book I read this month. The Giver has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Think of this book like George Orwell’s, ‘1984’ novel. You will want to read this one. I have been touting this book to everyone I talk to. And… it is such a quick read but leaves you with so many questions. I learned there are more books in this collection, but haven’t had a chance to research them further.
4. The Culture Code: The Secrets of highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle
Over the past few years I have seen how culture can affect teams – positively and negatively. I have been fascinated to watch leaders handle and manage change. The author unlocks the secrets of highly successful groups and provides tomorrow's leaders with the tools to build a cohesive, motivated culture. The reason I choose this book came from my current desire to bring out the best in people (friends, family, my partner, my employees, etc). If we aren’t lifting other up, I don’t believe we are fully unlocking our humanity.
Where does great culture come from? How do you build and sustain it in your group, or strengthen a culture that needs fixing? In The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle goes inside some of the world's most successful organizations - including the US Navy's SEAL Team Six, IDEO, and the San Antonio Spurs - and reveals what makes them tick. He demystifies the culture-building process by identifying three key skills that generate cohesion and cooperation, and explains how diverse groups learn to function with a single mind. Drawing on examples that range from Internet retailer Zappos to the comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade to a daring gang of jewel thieves, Coyle offers specific strategies that trigger learning, spark collaboration, build trust, and drive positive change. Coyle unearths helpful stories of failure that illustrate what not to do, troubleshoots common pitfalls, and shares advice about reforming a toxic culture.
I would really recommend this book to leaders starting with new companies, anyone experience significant change in their organization and also anyone looking to develop/influence culture. There is much to be learned from this book.
5. Jay-Z: Made in America by Michael Dyson
Don’t judge! I love the King and Queen! If you don’t know who this refers to, I suggest you use the ‘Google Machine’! I didn’t know how in-depth Jay-Z’s lyrics went. Now that it has been pointed out, I can see it.
JAY-Z: Made in America encompasses a decade of teaching the work of one of the greatest poets this nation has produced, as gifted a wordsmith as Walt Whitman, Robert Frost and Rita Dove. But Jay-Z is a rapper, he's sometimes not given the credit he deserves for just how great an artist he's been for so long.
This book wrestles with the biggest themes of JAY-Z's career, including hustling, and it recognizes the way that he's always weaved politics into his music, making important statements about race, criminal justice, black wealth, and social injustice. As he enters his 50s, and to mark his 30 years as a recording artist, this is the perfect time to take a look at JAY-Z's career and his role in making this nation what it is today. In many ways, this is JAY-Z's America as much as it's Pelosi's America, or Trump's America, or Martin Luther King's America. JAY-Z has given this country a language to think with and words to live by.
As I have mentioned, you can learn from everyone. I am taking a few pages from Mr. Carter!
6. The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
Having been a fan of Simon’s for a Very. Long. Time, I was really excited to read this book. Again, if you are new to leadership or early on in your career this is a great book that you can leverage to get ahead. However, seasoned professionals will see this book as a reminder… a long-winded reminder. Simon Sinek offers a framework for leading with an infinite mindset. On one hand, none of us can resist the fleeting thrills of a promotion earned or a tournament won, yet these rewards fade quickly. In pursuit of a just cause, we will commit to a vision of a future world so appealing that we will build it week after week, month after month, year after year. Although we do not know the exact form this world will take, working toward it gives our work and our life meaning.
Leaders who embrace an infinite mindset build stronger, more innovative, more inspiring organizations. Ultimately, they are the ones who lead us into the future.
7. One Million Followers: How I built a massive social following in 30 days by Brendan Kane
This book was release on April 30, 2019 and it is ALREADY out of date. That was my biggest criticism with this book. If you are an experience digital marketer this isn’t a book I would recommend to you. However, if you are newer or just getting started in your digital marketing efforts there are definitely some good learnings. Kane flicks between building followers and sales, which will be confusing to new marketers. I would mention Kane spent $8,000 to build his following and leveraged emerging markets. So, yes, he did build a following but he spent a lot and used markets that aren’t truly relevant to building a business in the western market. He toggles between building a following and advertising which will be confusing to some. Putting this aside, there is some things digital marketers can learn. In One Million Followers, Kane will teach you how to gain an authentic, dedicated, and diverse online following from scratch; create personal, unique, and valuable content that will engage your core audience; and build a multi-media brand through platforms like Facebook.
Kane’s book will not help you develop strategies in the following platforms: Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, or LinkedIn.
8. Climbing with Mollie by William Finnegan
The lovely algorithm at Amazon offered me this book for free… who doesn’t like something free! For me this book was an ode to a daughter who challenged a father. Below is how Audible describes this book:
Finnegan takes listeners deep into the world of climbing–indoors and out, from climbing gyms to rock faces in Central Park, Mexico and Canada. Mollie, a wry and gentle soul who had shown no previous interest in sports, grows into a ferociously gifted climber, and she leads the way. What begins as a hobby for the father-daughter duo becomes an obsession, as they start taking every opportunity to slip on their climbing shoes, chalk up their hands, and attack problems, climber-speak for routes. They learn a new language of specialized moves and rock types, they seek tougher climbs and forge new memories–not just muscle memories. Through it all, they add a new dimension to their relationship.
9. Find Another Dream by Maysoon Zayid
Again, this was another freebie from my friends (term is used loosely) from Amazon. While it is interesting to learn about others, I can’t really recommend this book as a must read. This is how Audible describes this book:
The daughter of Palestinian immigrants, as a child she dreamed of one day dancing on Broadway. As a teen, a bubble-bursting choreographer told her to "find another dream," so she set her sights on becoming a soap star, undeterred by the fact that the odds were against her. While chasing fame, she found her voice in stand-up comedy, performing in multiple languages in sold-out shows all over the world.
Thank you for this year. Thank you for your continued readership. I truly appreciate your comments, your messages and your time! I hope I provided you value this year. See you in 2020!