Arianna Mastrandrea| inMark Media | Graphic Designer Most of us want to be our own boss, not limited to a typical 9 to 5. Sophia Amoruso made it happen, all while coining the term “Girlboss”. #Girlboss is an autobiography about how Sophia created Nastygal, which then lead to her other business endeavors. She started Nastygal as an eBay store selling clothes that she operated from her bedroom, into a growing business being named the “Fastest Growing Retailer” in 2012. I chose this book because I wanted to learn more about Sophia’s journey and the lessons she learned along the way. From being fired from her day jobs and relatively broke, to building a #Girlboss empire, and really coining a term that everybody uses today and empowers women. I heard of this book through Sophia’s podcast “Girlboss Radio” and I also follow her on Instagram where she promotes her projects. I’d recommend this book to anyone in need of motivation to jumpstart his or her career or own business. Sophia’s tone throughout the entire book is relatable, comical, inspiring, and motivating. She shares her story from being at rock bottom to reaching the top, and how she was the same person throughout the journey, now she’s just wiser and way more experienced. “Treat your mind like your money; don’t waste it.”This quote is so simple yet so powerful. People don’t like wasting their money, but live their lives filling their mind with pointless fillers to pass time. Don’t waste it! Use your mind to better yourself and learn something. Learning is always a priority for me. After reading #Girlboss, I keep in mind a lot of Sophia’s lessons. She always did what it took to complete the job. She went the extra mile when necessary. This book inspires me to be confident in my ability and to stay true to who I am, and who I want to be, as a businesswoman and an individual. #Girlboss means being the boss of your own life, which is why I posted a #Girlboss image above my desk on my vision board as a constant reminder. At the end of the day, your choices are what create your reality. Find inspiration anywhere and everywhere. Sophia landed on the name “NastyGal” one night when she heard lyrics by Betty Davis. Working at inMark Media, what I want anyone to takeaway from #Girlboss is to be open to learning. Whatever you do, you can always learn. Sophia as an entrepreneur, had to wear many hats. She learned on the fly, and had to do whatever it took to make it happen. Arianna Mastrandrea Arianna has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Advertising from Pace University, and is putting it to great use here at inMark Media. She is one of our graphic designers and like everyone else, is a crucial part to our success. She enjoys the creative freedom of graphic designing but not as much as her dog, Taylor Swift, and her iced or hot coffee. Source: http://smallbookclub.com/reviews/girlboss/ from https://smallbookclub1.wordpress.com/2017/11/16/girlboss/
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Think and Grow Rich The introduction was only the beginning. Carnegie ultimately became Hill’s advisor. And, with Carnegie’s guidance and connections, Hill conducted a philosophy of success that he illuminates in his book Think and Grow Rich. The book includes success stories from many prosperous individuals and entrepreneurs such as Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, among others. A large part of Hill’s book focuses on the habits of his interviewees. He molded the lessons from his interviews into a step by step procedure to success that includes daily habits, choices and the importance of your surrounding company. Hill’s overall lesson boils down to this: spend time around people you aspire to be. After reading this book, I noticed my own development after working closely with successful CEO and COO of inMark, Franco and Marco respectively. Focusing on your immediate company stuck out to me the most. I’m surrounded by Marco and Franco who are successful entrepreneurs. I aspire to be a successful entrepreneur myself one day and run my own clothing company. So, their habits are important to my future. Surrounding yourself with good company is sometimes difficult enough, but figuring out which company you aspire to be like may be a whole other challenge. The first step to establishing your goal is understanding your personal desire.It’s one of Hill’s first rules that gets the ball rolling on achievement. If you don’t have the passion you won’t give it your full attention. When you half ass something, you get half ass results. Once desire is accomplished, focus shifts to attainment. To accomplish your greatest goals, visualization of your desires is imperative. Basically, envisioning or believing where you want to be and what you want to do is real and achievable. For example, when first working with inMark, I found myself struggling with initial interactions. Speaking up was intimidating and I preferred sitting in silence in a chair over engaging in conversation. But, I knew what my goals were at the time, and after spending some time around Marco and Franco, my confidence started to grow. Marco and Franco’s good habits and confidence began to exude in me. I now have the confidence I need when I’m prospecting or on the phones. Even if someone says ‘no’ I know my goals are still attainable. Now you have the desire, the companionship, and the vision. All that’s left is the transition. Turning your goals into action requires proper strategic and organized planning. It’s not simple, but it is essential.And, that’s exactly why inMark implements monthly goal-setting meetings with all their employees. We set up a SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based) goal every month that helps us turn our professional and personal goals from desires to actions. Creating and accomplishing these goals means someone is always checking up on you. Hill’s procedure to success is essentially guaranteed. Whether your goal is financial stability, to create a 6 figure company, or achieve personal happiness, the step by step habits Hill introduces in his book can lead you there. No goal is too big, and no goal is too small. Leo Espinal Source: http://smallbookclub.com/reviews/think-and-grow-rich/ from https://smallbookclub1.wordpress.com/2017/09/22/think-and-grow-rich/ Leadership and Self-Deception When you read “Leadership and Self-Deception: getting out of the box” you experience a paradigm shift. You experience an improvement in the way you think and the way you perceive. The shift? Realizing that leadership is self-deceiving and betraying when you’re acting in, what The Abringer Institute calls, your “box.” The book relies on one single concept: every person, male, female, young and old, has a natural human instinct to help humanity whether it’s helping an elderly woman cross the street, letting a car switch into your lane last minute, or allowing someone to have the last cookie. If, when faced with a situation, you don’t act on your initial helpful instinct, you begin justify your inaction. Parenting is one of the most basic examples of inaction the book highlights. Pretend you have a child with your wife, and at three o’clock in the morning the baby wakes up crying. Your first helpful, humanitarian, compassionate instinct? Get up and help your child. After all, that is your baby, and you obviously do not want him to suffer. But, many people will wait past that first instinct and, instead, employ inaction. They’ll begin to justify their inaction and ask “Why should I be the one, who has to work all day, to get up right now?” “I got up last night it’s her turn,” “What’s wrong with her; how come she’s not getting up?” Instead of helping your child, you create false realities and images for not only your wife, but for yourself. I can definitely attest to having experienced the dependency of success in business and life on working outside your box first-hand. Self-deception from your inactions and inabilities is the true cause of problems. Acting appropriately allows you to make wise and helpful decisions.This is especially relevant in a work and leadership environment. A coworker or subordinate may need to complete a project before a deadline or contact a client who isn’t giving them the time of day. Their progress may halt if they reach a difficult situation that they can’t get out of. Now you, as their manager, have a choice. Either you help them or work from a place of inaction. If you chose the latter, you’ll refuse to assist them, even if its your area of expertise, because it’s “not your job.” But, that’s not where the adverse consequences of inaction end. You’ll also automatically apply negative characteristics to the subordinate or coworker you’re unwilling to help. The justification of your actions you’re fabricating in your mind may lead these characteristics to stay with that person. Bottom line inaction prevents you from being successful, and prevents you from getting results or even having happiness in a marriage or a healthy relationship. It’s this self-betrayal when you start to justify your inaction because it leads to a form of self-deception. You’re focusing on the negative, the false reality you created, rather than accomplishing the desired goal and turning it into a positive. You don’t have to be perfect. You just always have to try to do better, the book suggests.Constantly redirect your focus on your own progress, on your own actions, on getting out of your own box, instead of using your focus to judge and ridicule others. Regardless of your goals, your daily energy and effort should be motivated by your personal growth. Simply put—ensure you’re staying out of your box, and the rest will fall easily in place. When you develop that culture, you improve all of your relationships. The culture you surround yourself with becomes the coup d’etat of business culture where everyone is working diligently to move the company forward, move the team forward. With the camaraderie of teamwork which we have at inMark, people will always try to help other people regardless. It becomes part of your culture. So, don’t look for boxes when they’re not there. Just always stay out of your box. It’s not about the individual. It’s all about the team and how you can help. Timothy Pucilowski Source: http://smallbookclub.com/reviews/leadership-and-self-deception/ from https://smallbookclub1.wordpress.com/2017/09/22/leadership-and-self-deception/ Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable One of the of the most influential books I’ve read that impacted me, both personally and professionally, is “Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable” by Tim S. Grover. Tim Grover was an athletic trainer for many of the most successful basketball athletes including Michael Jordan, Dwayne Wade and Kobe Bryant. Grover’s trainees were all exceptional basketball players who were destined for the NBA, but even among them laid a hierarchy of skill. Grover realized that even the greatest had levels to their abilities. There were the good, the great, and the unstoppable, as the title suggests. Grover calls these people the coolers, the cleaners, and the closers. The cleaners are the top of the top. They’re the relentless. Even when they achieve success, such as championships in sports, they aren’t satisfied. They constantly want to reach a new level of success. Why? Because, “if you’re good, that means you don’t stop until you’re great, and if you’re great, that means you fight until you’re unstoppable.”One of my favorite quotes was, “Never stop until you get what you want. Then keep going till you get what’s next. Then you go for more. Relentless.”I think since reading that, it has really played a direct role in my professional life. Ultimately what I gathered from it was that staying in your comfort zone makes you just good. It’s when you get out of that zone and refuse limitations, you become great and discover the power within. But I think the lessons of his book apply to all aspects of life. No matter what type of “best” you want to reach, it is attainable. The state of mind that Grover promotes strengthens you to achieve at a higher level, to achieve and to survive when others are giving up. This book is about a way of life. You have to really sacrifice for the life you want. The book offers great insight into what might be the defining factor of extreme importance. It is all about the mindset and the factors which made these athletes relentless, unstoppable and the best in the field. Debora Kenny Source: http://smallbookclub.com/reviews/relentless-from-good-to-great-to-unstoppable/ from https://smallbookclub1.wordpress.com/2017/09/22/relentless-from-good-to-great-to-unstoppable/ The Magic of Thinking Big The idea of a changed mindset is exactly what The Magic of Thinking Big by Dr. David Schwartz explores. Through the power of belief, things can and will be done. This idea of flipping your mindset has inspired me both in my professional and personal life, and I share it with as many people as I can who I believe will truly benefit from it. I didn’t exactly find this book. In a way, it fell into my lap. I was on Facebook looking at my son’s profile when I noticed a status he had posted. He was asking his friends for recommendations on books for self-help and motivation. The most liked comment on that post was one that mentioned The Magic of Thinking Big, hands down. Seeing everyone support it so much made me decide to read it. After the first few pages, I quickly realized why it was so well liked. Not only was it full of information and credible sources, but it was written in a way that was easy to follow. This is especially important to me as I am always on the go, running from one place to another. There’s no need to re-read certain sections in order to comprehend its ideas, although I did enjoy re-reading sections based solely on their content. I’ve always believed that the mind is a powerful thing, but reading just how it could affect not only your performance, but your results, was eye opening to say the least. Something that really stands out in my mind was when Schwartz said, “Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find the ways to do it. Believing a solution paves the way to solution.”Ultimately, this is a book about having a positive approach to every aspect of your life and aiming above what you think you are capable of. The only way to do the things you never thought you could do is by trying new things you’ve never done before. In more elaborate words, Schwartz is telling people to not only be positive, but also to normalize ambition, for “Belief triggers the power to do”. This is an important book because the theory it provides can be applied to any industry. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the medical industry like me, or if you are a busboy at a restaurant. Every player of your team creates a mindset for themselves, whether it’s positive or negative. When people think big, big things happen for them. Schwartz uses an example of a salesman who didn’t necessarily have any special skills or advantages over others. In fact, he did not have the same work ethic as others either. However, because he thought big and lived ambitiously, he was able to get big results. He was the top salesman because he simply expected to be. A lot of people can relate to the issues brought up in the book , which is ultimately that people feel they are living lives that fall short of their dreams. The solutions offered are free and realistic to execute, which is why people should read it- or at least consider it. When you think small, you’ll perform small. When you perform small, you will get small results. The obvious solution here is to change thinking ‘small’ to ‘big’. When that changes, everything else that follows will also change. Yet why do so many people struggle to change their ways? Yes, maybe routine is comfortable and it’s easier to be average. However, easy is not always right. I recognize that it’s not easy to change your mind and how you view the world. But when you overcome that first week of doubt, you’ll find that you won’t want to go back to how you lived life before. Believe it can be done, and it will. When you do that, you’ll see just how much the world can change by saying, “Yes I can. Yes I will”. Source: http://smallbookclub.com/reviews/the-magic-of-thinking-big/ from https://smallbookclub1.wordpress.com/2017/09/22/the-magic-of-thinking-big/ The Thank You Economy Gary Vaynerchuk, an entrepreneur famously known for his keen social media and internet skills, generated exponential career growth after capitalizing on the internet at a young age. Vaynerchuk was first introduced to the internet while working at his father’s wine store. Upon his introduction, he noticed how powerful the internet could be and envisioned a substantial opportunity to launch an online version of his father’s store. The online version, Wine Library, educates his customers about flavors, brands, prices and types of wine—it’s an online store and a virtual customer service outlet. In just about 5 years, the Wine Library grew his father’s store from a $3 million business to a $60 million business. Essentially, Vaynerchuk has become the pioneer who understands touching base with customers and branding companies and individuals through the internet. Vaynerchuk’s book “The Thank You Economy” illustrates local businesses successfully engaging with their target audiences through, not just the internet, but Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Vaynerchuk’s teachings became an essential lesson for me. With logo design, using social media gives us the opportunity to share with customers what we do and are capable of. It allows us to give back to our customers which creates a loyal audience. In his book, Vaynerchuck preaches quality, not quantity. In particular, he emphasizes that views, retweets, and followers are not as essential to business success as responses and engagement. As a business owner, it’s very easy to fall victim to the numbers. But, if you focus on maximizing social media as a way to communicate with customers on a customer service level, you’re valuing it on a much larger degree. I believe that InMark has capitalized on social media too. All of inMark’s outlets, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, have become exhibitions of inMark’s uniquely motivational cult. I’ve learned that social media allows your community or even country to see your business’, owners’ or employee’s personality, heart, and soul on all levels of your business.Communicating transparently with your audience is one of the principal benefits of social media. Businesses can maximize their transparency by illustrating who they are, where they’re going, and how they’re going to get there, Vaynerchuk emphasizes. Whether you’re introducing a new project or product, keeping your audience in tune with news, updates, and technology, or addressing important topics, social media allows big and small businesses to communicate directly with their audience. It gives your company an opportunity to touch base. It makes having open dialogue between your community and business basically effortless. The overall theme and take away of “The Thank You Economy” is basically this: “you’re risking your business dying before its time if you don’t use social media.” I strongly agree and I think that inMark has learned and implemented a lot of Vaynerchuk’s lessons into our everyday work. Vaynerchuk is the social media god, which I say for good reasons. Source: http://smallbookclub.com/reviews/the-thank-you-economy/ from https://smallbookclub1.wordpress.com/2017/09/22/the-thank-you-economy/ “Be Obsessed or Be Average” I saw a huge gateway for change after reading Grant Cardone’s book “Be Obsessed or Be Average.” I always try to lead inMark with care and attention. But, Cardone’s book taught me to be more and to achieve more in all aspects of my life. Cardone’s lessons helped me create a work environment that generates both individual and business growth. The book had the biggest impact on our overall team desire for growth and learning. It’s what planted the seed. Motivation and Dedication The culture we have created at inMark focuses on team-building and both individual and company-wide motivation. These concepts are directly related to the lessons Grant Cardone elaborates on in his book. The book taught me that the culture of a company is dependent on the theme that the leaders wish to create.Whether it’s a strict, suit-and-tie, every-man-for-himself environment, or a team-building, motivational one like inMark, consistency will determine its success. Basically, Cardone preaches that you can create the culture you want if you are consistent, because that’s what builds trust within your team. And trust is exactly what we have worked so hard to build. Marco and I took the lessons from Cardone’s book and implemented them in managing our employees. We taught our team to take ownership and control of their individual tasks and projects by starting from step one: themselves. We hold ourselves to reaching our best versions by setting goals on a monthly basis, holding monthly meetings, and staying consistent with any of the cultural changes we’ve implemented. If your team knows you work hard and fast everyday, it raises the bar for everyone. Something great—not something perfect When we started inMark, we knew they had something great brewing—but not something perfect. Cardone’s book warns against perfection before release. Human nature yearns for a perfected product, project, company, or event before releasing it to the public. But, most of the time, perfect never happens. With help from Cardone’s book, we overlooked perfection and began our business instead. Specifically he [Grant Cardone] says ‘something done is better than perfect.’ Let’s create it. Let’s do it and get it moving. Don’t let doubt win Doubt is inevitable, whether it’s a product of your own mind or someone else’s. But, doubt becomes troublesome when it comes from those you’re close with, those you’re connected with and relate to. Cardone talks about the difference in a Hater and Naysayer in his book. The distinction is important to understand. Haters are outsiders. They’re people who talk negatively about your ambitions and progress. They’re the ones who are easily tuned out. Naysayers, on the other hand, are the people who care about you. The mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives who worry about your safety, your economic stability, and quality of life. Cardone has a lot of questions that make you think bigger. He has a section on being obsessed. If you want success you need to be obsessed with it. In any aspect of your life, a professional athlete, a great father. You can have it all The lessons I learned from Cardone’s book weren’t all business-related. When it comes to goals, you need to dream big, but not unrealistically. Cardone’s goal-setting technique “10x” introduces a concept that we have applied into our monthly employee meetings and also our individual lives. For example, something I started implementing daily that helped with focus and self motivation was starting and ending my day by writing 10x goals. 10x emphasizes the idea of dreaming bigger and refocusing on the things most important in all aspects of life before sleep and as soon as you wake up. At moments in my life I’ve had a lot of success in business at the detriment to other aspects of my life. This made me think of all the important things in my life. I have become a better husband, a better father, a better leader, because I focused on all aspects. I didn’t just focus on growing the business and sales. Who’s Grant Cardone? Grant Cardone is a classic started-from-the-bottom, self-made, mega-millionaire story. Since the start of his career, Cardone sold real estate and cars, was a sales professional and an expert marketer. After recovering from alcohol and drugs at 25, he began selling cars and instantly became obsessed with the success. His obsession created a spiral effect that led to continued success in other industries. Eventually he created Cardone University, a sales training service that is used by millions of people today. Source: http://smallbookclub.com/reviews/be-obsessed-or-be-average/ from https://smallbookclub1.wordpress.com/2017/09/22/be-obsessed-or-be-average/
New York Times BestsellerA deadly bombing takes Navajo Tribal cops Bernadette Manuelito, Jim Chee, and their mentor, the legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, back into the past to find a vengeful killer in this...
from http://www.booksfree.com/titles/Rent-Song-of-the-Lion-A-Leaphorn-Chee--Manuelito-Novel-Anne-Hillerman-Book-9780062391919.html |