Why Entrepreneurs Must Publish a Book (and How-to)

So you quit your job, you’re working on your startup and your old co-workers basically see you as unemployed. Not a startup founder. Investors aren’t taking you seriously because they’re asking why you think you are the right founder to take your idea to market. Aren’t others more qualified? You know where I’m going with this, right?

Writing and publishing a book related to your niche will elevate you to level of credibility that will ease the stress and hurdles of your newly launched entrepreneurial journey.

So first, let’s talk 3 benefits of writing a book before you have a profitable startup.

1. You have an excuse to ask big dogs their opinion. While I was writing my book, I had a strong reason to build my relationship with venture capitalist Brad Feld, while simultaneously showing him I was able to execute ideas. His opinion is incredible valuable — I had interviewed only 17 people before Brad on the video series and his lessons confirmed many of the themes on how successful entrepreneurs build personal relationships with mentors and their network.
2. You truly learn more about your niche. Although the founder of Ibotta, Bryan Leach, didn’t have time for a formal Handshakin interview, he did make time to answer my questions via email. Ibotta is one of the 20 most frequently used mobile applications in the US. Bryan is 2015 EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year. Including your community leader’s opinions in your book will teach you extremely valuable lessons related to your niche.
3. You can show your community your ability to execute. In writing your book, you’re going to want to get a lot of people involved. This provides the perfect opportunity for you to build relationships, helping others gain credibility by inquiring for their expertise on things like editing or design. As you write, re-write, edit, re-edit, and finally publish your book, you will not only show your ability to see a project through and work with others to do so but, you will have also increased your network and personal relationships.

Next, let’s talk the best strategies on ensuring you crank your book out quickly and do indeed publish it in a timely manner.

• Past Handshakin Guest Andre Durand told me that ‘the entrepreneurs job is to create environments that hold him or her accountable.’
• So put some money on the line and sign up for Self-Publishing School by Chandler Bolt (or just watch the 4 FREE videos)
• Ask the individuals contributing to hold you accountable to your work and see if they need support doing the same.
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• Publish a short read before you publish your book. There’s nothing more comfortable than publishing a book on Amazon when you’ve basically already done it with a ‘short read.’ I packaged six of my blog posts into a book format, gave it a dedication and book cover, and published it here. That way, I knew what to expect when attempted to submit my first real book, here.
• Create an Author account on Amazon and use their pre-order feature. The ultimate Minimum Viable Product (MVP) also gives you a deadline to work with. Warning: They allow you to push it back a little, but if you miss that deadline, they’ll tell everyone who pre-ordered it that you didn’t make your deadline. I bet that’s a situation Andre Durand would create to ensure success.

Are you the type of entrepreneur that can execute publishing a book on your niche? We’re looking for individuals of your commitment and we want to help you launch your startup. Apply to the Handshakin Pre-accelerator today.

If you wanted to check out my book, go here.

Check Yourself (Before You Wreck Yourself)

Searching out entrepreneur tips is like doing a search for any generic term--you're going to get a ton of results. The problem is that how do you know which are really going to apply and make a difference for you? Some of these depend on external factors and others might seem vague in regard to your particular business type. Most importantly, they should be ACTIONABLE tasks.

There is one thing you can do that is guaranteed to help you get results, no matter how many other tips you put into action. This is a to-do item that is completely under your control and it's going to increase your consistency at the same time. Considering that most goals are not achieved because of a lack of consistency, you'll see the results of increasing this almost immediately.

Writing a journal may not have occurred to you before for a variety of reasons. You may not think you're a great writer, you may not have the time, you may not want others to see what you've written--it can be any number of issues. However, all of these are addressable and non-consequential when you look at the benefits of a productivity journal.  For example, ff I would have written one with my real estate company back in 2012, I would have remembered to celebrate the fact that I owned 2 houses by the time I was 25, instead of worrying about only being able to pull out $275/month to live off of.  That would have refueled me to keep my momentum and energy, instead of letting my stress increase.

Break it down:

1.) You don't have to be a great writer. You're not putting together a novel or anything that is meant to be enjoyable for another person. This is about you, stating your goals, putting them down in black and white and then being accountable to yourself about how you're progressing towards them each day. It's powerful to see goals on paper, and it gives you a mindset change that doesn't happen simply by telling someone else what you want to achieve.  Plus, Simon Sinek says you release "feel good" hormones, like dopamine, when you check things off a list, upping the chances you'll do it again because it happens to be a highly addictive hormone.

Someone somewhere (I'm sorry, I don't remember who!) said that an idea gets just a little bit more real when it is written down.  Once something is written down, it's way more likely to turn into an action.  Those are the steps you can take to success. Plus, there is the ever so famous principle called 'Commitment & Consistency' which basically states that you are more likely to be consistent with your actions when you commit to them. Writing it down physically is a commitment.

2.) Time is not an issue. You can set a timer and have this done in five or ten minutes. It's not about sitting down for a long session and doing personal therapy. It's about stating what is going to occur and what has occurred on paper, because again, that is more powerful than simply stating those same facts. It can be a quick process and everyone can squeeze in five minutes.

Just do 3 bullet points right now if you think it would take too much time - it wouldn't even take 5 minutes

3.) If you're worried about someone else seeing it, then STOP IT.  When other people see your goals, you are creating a situation in which you are held more accountable which will help you reach your goals faster.  Past Handshakin Guest, Andre Durand, the Founder of Ping Identity (350+ employees, 1 Founder), says, "The entrepreneurs job is to surround themselves with people and situations that hold them accountable."

One of our favorite tools is Trello, which allows you to organize tasks by creating categories. Our favorites columns? To-Do, Doing, Done & Urgent. You can share this board with other people working on projects with you, or create a personal board. You can add due dates, checklists per items and really zero in on where you are at - plus, if you download the app you can elect to get notifications on your phone. Sign-up now.

Entrepreneurs are constantly looking at themselves to learn how to be better individuals, how to be more efficient and productive and how to work around their natural instincts to sabotage themselves. Keeping a journal lets a person identify these problems, avoid them and become more profitable and effective by creating new habits. You might even find that you start listing other tips you've put into action in these entries, and this can help you focus your efforts more effectively.

Need help identifying goals and implementing plans to see them through? Check out our Pre-Accelerator to see how we can take you to the next level. 

Actionable Tips for First-Time Entrepreneurs

So you have a great idea for a start-up business and some cash (hopefully some time, too) to put into it. Those are essential first steps for any entrepreneur, but they are far from the only things you need to be successful. Here are quick entrepreneur tips that are especially geared towards first-time, young entrepreneurs who are just getting their feet wet in the world of start-up businesses:

Network by getting involved with your community

You undoubtedly already know that you need to network in order to get further in business, but networking shouldn't be limited to just people in your industry. And you shouldn't be only focusing on networking with the big-wigs (although that can prove useful). Start getting involved with your community as another way to network. Join a group that is based around your interests and entrepreneurship. (Check here to see if there are any small business meet-ups in your area). Volunteering is another great way to meet people at the same time that you help your community.
-Your community involvement will get your name and business recognized within the community, and you will also be making your area a better place to live and work. It's a win-win situation.

DON'T quit your day job

Unless you're ready to dive into your new small business for 60 hours a week, oftentimes without pay, it's a good idea to keep your current job, or at least work part-time somewhere, so you can have some cash reserves ready in case your small business isn't as profitable as you planned in the first year. If this isn't possible for any reason, then at the very least be frugal with the cash you do have.  Sign a cheaper lease, or buy a house and rent it to roommates.
-Decrease your burn rate so you have more time to turn your business profitable.  Most should be prepared to lower their standard of living temporarily--for the promise of a future, much greater standard of living.  

Get specific help from friends, family, and your newly found community

Don't think that being an entrepreneur means you have to do absolutely everything by yourself. In fact, you'll fail if you believe that.  Just ask past Handshakin Guest John Paul DeJoria.  He says, "Success unshared is failure."
Ask for help when you need it, and take help when it's offered. Ask other business owners for advice, ask your techie friend to help you figure out your new software, ask your parents if you can move in for a few months so you can avoid paying rent while you're still figuring things out, ask for anything you need help with to get your business up and running.  Oh, and make sure to GIVE help a shit ton to increase your ability to seek help. Then, network more to increase the caliber of people giving you help.  It's easy, go shake some hands.
-You might hear no a few times, but the more likely scenario is that you will hear yes, and those yeses will help your business more than you can imagine.

Starting a new business is exciting, and the perks that go with entrepreneurship are definitely worth the risks. But that doesn't mean it's an easy road. Start preparing now for what's ahead. Make local connections, save aggressively however you can, and ask for help when you need it.
​-For more information on what you need to know as a first-time entrepreneur, apply to the Handshakin Startup Pre-accelerator.

What I Learned Interviewing Billionaire JP DeJoria

For those of you don't know, JP DeJoria is the founder of Paul Mitchell and also Patron Tequila. He was also the first billionaire to join the Handshakin Video Series. I've shot about 45 interviews and there's been some common conclusions from interviewing today's most successful entrepreneurs here at the Handshakin Video Series.

Today, I want to share with you everything we've learned thus far.  JP realllllly nailed some key takeaways for aspiring entrepreneurs...

He said pay it forward from day one. Do it before you even start your business. He really helped conclude what the video series has been eluding to for some time.  We typically ask Handshakin guests about three topics: community, feedback, and mentorship.  Here's what has been concluded after having 45 filmed, in person interviews, including venture capitalists, a member of congress, and a billionaire.

What startup entrepreneurs need to know about:

Community- Join a community of entrepreneurs. As your progress in your idea, find more elite communities to provide value to.  Communities are for YOU to help.  Not to help you (although that often happens).

Feedback-  Seek feedback from everyone you know (and haven't met yet) to make sure your startup idea is actually something real that provides specific value to future or current customers.

Mentorship-  Accelerate your entrepreneurial career by identifying key mentors in your community.  Find a way to get an in-person meeting with them (check out my book for more on this).  Help them and understand how they gain value from the relationship.  Know relevant questions to ask them about your startup.

Go and join your first community today by applying to the Handshakin Startup Pre-accelerator.

PS Two favorite quotes from John Paul DeJoria:
"Successful people do all the things unsuccessful people don't want to do."
"Success unshared is failure."

Thoughts on Brad Feld's Founder Story at Denver Startup Week

For those of you who know me, you know Brad is one of my favorite past Handshakin Guests on my video series.  But, not everyday do you get to hear Brad's story as the CEO of Colorado Technology Association asked about it (he's smarter than me and should have his own video series, too).  Here's some fun facts and takeaways I've summed up for you :)

Brad Feld Fun Facts:
-His first successful company was actually his fourth company.
-Once, he had equity that went from $0, to $100 million on paper, to $0.  What an experience!
-He has subbed in as a CEO while being a full-time Venture Capitalist.
-His wife made him stop wearing t-shirts & he has Star War shoes.
-As long as he supports the CEO of a company, he works for them--even as the investor.

3 Takeaways for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
There's more.  You should read his blog.  If you're too busy, here's 3 takeaways that aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from Brad.

1.  Know your weaknesses.  Brad is incredibly human; he's vulnerable and humble.  Founders of startups need to be approachable, and always have their ears open.  They need to be able to seek and listen to all feedback and evaluate how the will play into the vision/journey of a startup.

2.   Be a fun person.  I think Brad is a stand up comedian who doesn't do stand up.  He also said, "Entrepreneurs have to be comfortable in their skin." Be fun to be around.  Joke around.  Make fun of yourself (and weaknesses).  Business is most fun when you can keep it engaging, informal, and feels like it's not work.

3.  Math & money shouldn't be your driver.  Brad says, "A person can't motivate someone else." But, he said he could create a situation that you would be motivated in.  Wow!  Mind. Blown.  Focus on what motivates you, and then focus on what situations your team members (yes, co-founders and employees) would be motivated in.  Brad says learning is one of his motivators.  It should be yours, too.

Whew, hope that helps friends, tweet me @handshakin with any questions or who I should blog about next.



PS  Denver Startup Week (#DENstartupweek) is the biggest free event of it's kind in North Amerca.  I've never seen so many resources, lessons, people, free swag, beer, food, and information available.  For free.

So if you're not convinced to move to Denver, CO to launch your business, I'd recommend there's one big take away aspiring entrepreneurial communities can take away from us.  Take-away:  Get entrepreneurs together in your city, and reach out to the busy, but highly successful business leaders for financial help.  Throw pitch battles, panels, netwrorking events.  Reach out to the press to help promote it.  And then Tweet me (@handshakin) if you have any questions or if I can help you.

Also, We asked some of the mentors and attendees so you can get a flavor.

Q:  What's your favorite part of Denver Startup Week?
"The biggest names and successes are available to give you a handshake."
-Mystery Murphy, Cooley, Mentor
"Denver has made it Founder focused.  It's authentic when programming is led by the community."
-Charlie Kelly, Silicon Valley Bank, Mentor

Q:  What was your favorite event and why?
"The event on Pearl's on Tuesday evening, because I met 4 people who can help me in purchasing my first company."
-Bill Eastman, Attendee