Why a Book Review
Before I start, I’ll answer the questions: Why a book review? And why this book?
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many of us to pause from our normal schedules – and, unexpectedly, provided the valuable gift of “extra” time. This situation reminded me of how Winston Churchill once famously said, “Never waste a good crisis.” Well, I’m taking his advice and I’m choosing to use this opportunity to broaden my knowledge on subjects through good old fashioned books. Reading for enjoyment and learning is something that I’ve struggled to keep as part of my daily routine because I “just didn’t have enough time”.
So, my goal is to read at least 24 books by December of this year on topics related to business, cars, data, finances, inspirational, marketing, motorsports, sales, and self-improvement. After finishing each one, I will share a book review with hopes that it may help you decide if it’s the right book for you or to pass over.
As the coronavirus crisis began to quickly affect our economy and businesses, it pushed me to search for other entrepreneurs who have gone through their own challenges and to learn from their experiences. As a CEO, my company, my employees, my family are all depending on me – leaving me feeling vulnerable at this uncertain time. So, when the title “The Naked Entreprenuer” came across my way, it spoke to me.
My top takeaways from this book:
- Impact of stress and the cost on your well being.
- Tunnel vision on only the business and the cost it has on your personal side.
- The impact of nutrition and exercise on the mind.
- Reminder of what I truly have control over, especially during the current pandemic we are facing with COVID.
Book Review summary:
Being an entrepreneur, I love reading about experiences others go through when starting a business, running a business, or just running themselves, in general. It gives me a sense that I’m not alone in the world. The focus of this book is to look inside yourself and be real as to what’s going on. Holding yourself accountable is the toughest thing to do, especially when pride or ego get in the way.
The two individuals in the book are:
- Troy Hazard: Troy is an entrepreneur who has founded 10 businesses over two decades, as well as a renowned speaker and consultant to some of the largest and most successful corporations in the world. This is his story about being burnt out and finding his way again.
- Maria Elita: Maria lived a seemingly great life by having wealth, stability and status. Then without expectation, that dream bubble burst. She began to connect to the spiritual world and gifts she remembered as a child. In this book, Maria serves as a consultant who helps Troy find peace and focus on his goals, which going through her own life journey.
Each chapter is set up to document Troy’s self-journey from a first-person perspective with a wrap up of Maria’s point of view as she interacts with Troy, while managing her own life. It sounds complicated, but the author does a good job of keeping the reader from getting lost. Like many entrepreneurs, Troy got to the point where he worked himself to near meltdown. The stress not only cost him his relationships with others, but also impacted his health and his overall well-being.
I, for one, can completely relate to Troy’s story. It’s very easy to get tangled up with business and life issues. One thing I did notice was how much I stressed over situations I had no control over, like COVID-19. As the CEO of a scaling business, all I crave is constant growth. My stress had to do with achieving the end result (new customers, new hires, define processes, etc.), rather than enjoying the journey.
After reading this book, I realized that certain situations are totally out of my control and I should learn to surrender to that feeling. By surrendering, I learn to move on to focus on what I can control. The other nugget I learned was how I put such importance on money and materials, instead of enjoying life and people around me. I was ingrained to define success by meaningless superficial beliefs, instead of valuing the quality of family, friends, and the simple things in life.
For anyone looking to be inspired by Troy’s story of going from burn out to find himself again, check out “The Naked Entrepreneur“.
Be on the look out for my next review posted here.
