Have you ever looked around and wondered why some businesses seem like the popular kids in school? They appear to be wildly successful overnight. They are in all the magazines, seem to have more business than they can handle, and everyone is talking about them. Author J.Nichole Smith has spent over a decade building and studying this type of stand-out brand in the pet industry. She calls these outliers Million Dollar Dog Brands. In this book she outlines the exact formula petpreneurs can follow to craft their own. In the Million Dollar Dog Brand, Smith shares exclusive in-depth interviews with the founders of 10 of the most pioneering, market-leading Million Dollar Dog Brands, including BarkBox, Ruffwear, Planet Dog, Honest Kitchen, P.L.A.Y., Zee.Dog, Harry Barker, Victoria Stilwell, PetHub, and her own co-creation, Dog is Good. The pet industry has just surpassed $100 billion in value worldwide. Building a pet business is more appealing than ever. Opportunity leads to intense competition, which means building a sustainable, profitable business in this market can feel like an impossible job. This book is the essential field guide to do exactly that: to start or grow a pet business in a way that is irresistible to customers and opinion leaders, resulting in more demand, more profit, and more influence. This book is packed with inspiring, battle-tested strategies that any petpreneur can use immediately to improve just about every metric that matters in their business. From dog walkers, trainers, and groomers to pet bloggers, pet photographers, pet product manufacturers, and pet retail store owners, anyone operating in the pet space will profit from learning and implementing the Million Dollar Dog Brand formula.
Perfect for fans of Lizzy Legend and the Baseball Genius series, this quick-paced, heartfelt, and zany novel follows a speedy kid from an unconventional family who will do whatever it takes to win an international track contest. Grant Falloon isn’t just good at track; he’s close to breaking the world record 100-meter time for his age group. So when the mega-rich Babblemoney sneaker company announces an international competition to find the fastest kid in the world, he’s desperate to sign up. But not so fast. Nothing’s ever that easy with the eccentric Falloon family. Turns out, his non-conformist parents never got him a legal birth certificate. He can’t race for the United States, so now if he wants to compete, he may just have to invent his own country. And even if that crazy plan works, winning gold will mean knocking his best friend—and biggest competitor—Jay, out of the competition. As unexpected hurdles arise, Grant will have to ask not only if winning is possible, but what he’s willing to sacrifice for it.
I took personal pride in composing this book on personal branding with a purpose of reaching entrepreneurs who are interested in enhancing their personal self image in parallel with the image of their businesses, for working professionals who are on the fast track up the corporate ladder and may wish to gain an edge on the competition, and for college students who are preparing for a professional life after their academic journey. Personal branding is not new, but has become increasingly important for many professionals in recent years who seek a competitive advantage over their counterparts to stand out and be noticed among a plethora of talented candidates. This is even more imperative now than a few years ago as we are faced with 10% national unemployment, with over 7 million workers laid off since the recession began back in December 2007. In some U.S. cities, unemployment is over 50%, with the unemployment rate in some states exceeding the national rate. With so many professionals out of work fighting to get re-employed in a job and career commensurate with their skills and education, the task has become increasingly challenging, leaving many unemployed individuals hopeless while confronted with life changing decisions. Trying to stand out and be recognized in a dense pool of qualified candidates is not as easy as it may have been in the past, with companies directing millions of candidates to their websites on which to post resumes and create lengthy and time intensive profiles. The job search has become a faceless and mundane process with very little success, and with increased frustration to many who continue to sink into an abyss of debt and personal despair. With this situation looming, those out-of-work professionals will have to think outside the box on how to get noticed, be recognized, and make a positive impression on recruiters and hiring managers constantly searching for suitable talent. Candidates will have to market and promote themselves as a BRAND, a successful personal image that translates quality, success, integrity, impressiveness, reliability, and bringing value to the company of their interest. Personal branding will ensure that companies identify you with the strength and true worth in what they look for when considering candidates. For those who are fortunate to still be employed, personal branding is just as important to achieving success in the work place. Companies are constantly looking for ways to “trim the fat” and become lean in their operations. Hence, operational efficiency is their ultimate goal. Akin to this effort of process improvement is doing more with less, which often influences the elimination of human labor. This occurs when companies experience a reduction in profits, have less retained earnings to expand operations and invest in growing the business, and realizing diminishing returned value to their shareholders. Oftentimes, workers must be let go, if they are determined to be part of non-producing or non-revenue generating functions of the organization, or if they themselves are perceived to be adding little value to the organization. If a company believes it can do without you, it will let you go in a layoff or downsizing. It is not a personal matter, but a business decision that companies, large or small, are confronted with on a constant basis. It is all about the bottom line and keeping the doors open. Working professionals have to determine how they are identified by their companies. How strong is your personal BRAND, and how valuable are you to your employer? What differentiates you from your peers that make you stand out? What type of impression are you making on your company? Are there any weaknesses that you have to strengthen? These are some of the questions that you must honestly ask yourself and answer. Performing an honest assessment on your personal BRAND will capture the things that make you valuable to your employer, while at the
DIVPuppyhood showcases adorable puppies in life-size photographs taken at six weeks old. The book itself is oversize at 13 by 11 inches, allowing enough space to bring each of these little ones to life. Twenty-five breeds are captured in engaging photographs, showing all the details that make puppies so irresistible, from their pink bellies to their tiny teeth, soft ears, and oversize paws. The book features the most popular breeds, including the French bulldog, Labrador, golden retriever, and Parson Russell Terrier. Puppyhood is a unique gift book for dog lovers everywhere. Praise for Puppyhood: “So sweet it’ll cause cavities, this delightful marshmallow of a coffee table book compiles 100 shots of pure and mixed-breed puppies at actual life size of six weeks of age sleeping, curiously studying the camera, playing, and resting.†? —Publishers Weekly “A bold bid for most-adorable animal book of the season.†? —USA Today “Simply stunning.†? —Dog Fancy “Want cute? Here’s cute on steroids.†? —The Chicago Tribune online “When it comes to coffee table books, Puppyhood tops the list for irresistible subject matter.†? —Modern Dog “Everyone who sees it seems incapable of passing it by. ‘Aw-w-w-w!’ they say, as they obsessively page through this magnificent visual essay on cuteness.†? —The Asbury Park Sunday Press “J. Nichole Smith’s Puppyhood could melt the frozen heart of Cruella De Vil.†? —Houston Chronicle “It’s as close as you’ll get to the real thing (without the wee wee pads). “—RealSimple.com “Puppyhood makes a perfect gift for any fido aficionado.†? —AmericanProfile.com “[A] charming new coffee-table tome.†? —Florida Weekly/div
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From one of the stars of ABC’s Shark Tank and QVC’s Clever & Unique Creations by Lori Greiner comes a hands-on, nuts-and-bolts guide to getting a new product or company off the ground and making it a success. Turn your idea into a reality. Become your own boss. Make your first million. Achieve financial freedom. Lori Greiner shows you how. Invent It, Sell It, Bank It! is a hands-on, nuts-and-bolts guide to getting a new product or company off the ground and making it profitable. Sharing her own secret formula and personal stories along the way, Lori provides vital information and advice on topics that can often intimidate, frustrate, and stump aspiring entrepreneurs. Offering behind-the-scenes insights into her experiences on ABC’s Shark Tank and QVC-TV’s Clever & Unique Creations by Lori Greiner, as well as valuable lessons learned from the mistakes and triumphs of her early career, Lori proves that, with hard work and the right idea, anyone can turn themselves into the next overnight success. Lori covers such topic as . . . • Market research: Is your idea a hero or a zero? Don’t be so fixated on the end result that you forget to make something that people actually want to buy. • Product design: I have an idea, now what’s next? From concept to prototype to final product: How do I make it and where do I start? • Funding: Although loans, investments, and crowd-sourcing are great ways to access cash, first tap into your own resources as wisely as possible. • Manufacturing: Seeing your final product roll off the assembly line is a magical moment, but there are things to watch out for so you get there in a cost-effective way. • Protecting your idea: To patent or not to patent, and other things you can do to safeguard your idea. • The secrets to selling successfully: You got the product made, now learn how to get people to buy it!
"One of the most provocative entrepreneurs of our time, who started Eckō Unltd out of his parents' garage and turned it into a media empire, Marc Eckō reveals his formula for building an authentic brand or business. Marc Eckō began his career by spray-painting t-shirts in the garage of his childhood home in suburban New Jersey. A graffiti artist with no connections and no fashion pedigree, he left the safety net of pharmacy school to start his own company. Armed with only hustle, sweat equity, and creativity, he flipped a $5,000 bag of cash into a global corporation now worth $500 million. Unlabel is a success story, but it's one that shares the bruises, scabs, and gut-wrenching mistakes that every entrepreneur must overcome to succeed. Through his personal prescription for success--the Authenticity Formula--Eckō recounts his many innovations and misadventures in his journey from misfit kid to the CEO. It wasn't a meteoric rise; in fact, it was a rollercoaster that dipped to the edge of bankruptcy and even to national notoriety, but this is an underdog story we can learn from: Ecko's doubling down on the core principles of the brand and his formula for action over talk are all lessons for today's entrepreneurs. Ecko offers a brash message with his inspirational story: embrace pain, take risks, and be yourself. Unlabel demonstrates that, like or not, you are a brand and it's up you to take control of it and create something authentic. Unlabel is a groundbreaking guide to channeling your creativity, finding the courage to defy convention, and summoning the confidence to act and be competitive in any environment"--
The self-employment revolution is here. Learn the latest pioneering tactics from real people who are bringing in $1 million a year on their own terms. Join the record number of people who have ended their dependence on traditional employment and embraced entrepreneurship as the ultimate way to control their futures. Determine when, where, and how much you work, and by what values. With up-to-date advice and more real-life success stories, this revised edition of The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business shows the latest strategies you can apply from everyday people who--on their own--are bringing in $1 million a year to live exactly how they want.
Million Dollar Quartet’ is the name given to recordings made on Tuesday December 4, 1956 in the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The recordings were of an impromptu jam session among Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash.The events of the session. Very few participants survive. Includes interviews with the drummer and the sound engineer. A detailed analysis of the music played – and its relevance to subsequent popular music. The early lives and careers of the quartet – where they were in 1956. Relevant social and economic factors which meant that a massive audience of young people were keenly looking for a new kind of music they could call their own. The “reunions” of surviving members of the quartet. The emergence of the tapes, first on bootleg and then on legitimate CDs. The genesis of the stage show and its reception – the enduring appeal of the music.
The "$70k CEO" shares why he decided to pay a living wage at his company and urges entrepreneurs and other leaders to use their values to make better business decisions.
In this instant and tenacious New York Times bestseller, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight “offers a rare and revealing look at the notoriously media-shy man behind the swoosh” (Booklist, starred review), illuminating his company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands. Bill Gates named Shoe Dog one of his five favorite books of the year and called it “an amazing tale, a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like. It’s a messy, perilous, and chaotic journey, riddled with mistakes, endless struggles, and sacrifice. Phil Knight opens up in ways few CEOs are willing to do.” Fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed fifty dollars from his father and launched a company with one simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost running shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the trunk of his car in 1963, Knight grossed eight thousand dollars that first year. Today, Nike’s annual sales top $30 billion. In this age of start-ups, Knight’s Nike is the gold standard, and its swoosh is one of the few icons instantly recognized in every corner of the world. But Knight, the man behind the swoosh, has always been a mystery. In Shoe Dog, he tells his story at last. At twenty-four, Knight decides that rather than work for a big corporation, he will create something all his own, new, dynamic, different. He details the many risks he encountered, the crushing setbacks, the ruthless competitors and hostile bankers—as well as his many thrilling triumphs. Above all, he recalls the relationships that formed the heart and soul of Nike, with his former track coach, the irascible and charismatic Bill Bowerman, and with his first employees, a ragtag group of misfits and savants who quickly became a band of swoosh-crazed brothers. Together, harnessing the electrifying power of a bold vision and a shared belief in the transformative power of sports, they created a brand—and a culture—that changed everything.
