Business Books provide "practical magic" to PR Firm

This time last year, I wasn't baking cookies, shopping for holiday gifts or doing anything remotely holiday related. I was getting ready for the challenge of my life -- launching my own firm.

I would love to be able to claim that the minute I walked away from a steady paycheck and a job I'd devoted a decade to, that I slipped into the CEO's chair with a flourish. But as with so many things in life, it didn't work quite that way.

I'd say that the enormous thrill of being in charge lasted until about lunchtime on day one. The giddy feeling of accomplishment that came with writing "president' in the title line of my email signature was like bubbles in champagne -- great, and gone quickly. By afternoon, I realized that I actually had to do something to dig in and get my public relations firm in gear. I had to turn my great business idea into the semblance of something that actually, well, did business.

Lucky for me, I had a solid ten years of reading business books in my favor. What's more, I actually got paid to read some of those books that I turned to in year one, when I provided PR support to the authors. This came with the huge fringe benefit of tucking the pieces of wisdom into my back pocket for the day that I needed them. And it quickly became empty-the-pockets time. While I had taken some small steps toward my own firm, on January 1 this year it was, as my favorite-CEO Larry Bossidy would call it, "execution time."

Here's what I learned:
From The E-Myth by Michael Gerber, I was reminded that I now had TWO jobs. One doing the PR work I was familiar with and one was running this thing called a company and involved things like payroll and tech support.
From First, Break All The Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, I learned that I could flout conventional wisdom in selecting and rewarding my team.
From Seduced by Success by Bob Herbold, I learned not to get giddy with my company checkbook when my first clients climbed on board.
From The Middle Class Millionaire by Russ Alan Prince and Lewis Schiff, I learned that entrepreneurs who stayed with their line of business even in the face of setbacks and failures, are the ones most likely to succeed. I also learned to worship Ben Franklin, but you won't understand why until this book actually launches in February!
And in the aforementioned Execution by Larry Bossidy, I learned that the best leaders have the confidence and power to push their plans into reality.

I realize this is anecdotal evidence of the power of business books, but it comes from everything I do and see every day.

Year one has been quite the ride. The end of it finds me very grateful for everything I've learned and with a heart full of thanks for my team, Dennis Welch, Sara Schneider and Lew Campbell, who never hesitated to do anything and everything it took to move us ahead.

And for those of you who also have not purchased your holiday gifts, consider a business book? You really can't go wrong.

Windy City Hosts Writers

I rarely need reminders about why I love what I do. Since the day I was four, learning to read perched on my father's lap, his patient fingers running under the headlines of The Chicago Tribune, I was hooked. The day I could read those headlines to him, we headed down the block for my first library card, a trip we repeated every week until the day I headed to college.

My love of books has never wavered and I've never earned a dime doing anything that wasn't connected to words, first as a journalist and then in publishing.

But this week, I had the rare experience of falling in love all over again. Leaving balmy Austin for the windy city, I was off to my second annual "Pow-Wow", a conference run by 800 CEO READ where roughly 50 people from all walks of the publishing world gather. So nervous about my duty to discuss publicity and marketing, I admit I didn't give much thought to the grander purpose at hand -- the rare opportunity to spend two days with people who write, publish, edit, market, distribute and sell business books.

It didn't take long to get swept away. In a day and time when social networking is the hottest buzz word and "relationships" are things that can happen virtually, it is a rare and amazing thing to spend face time with people who share a passion for books that collectively capture the best business ideas of our time. Gathered together in the kitschy, 1950s decor at Catalyst Ranch. we plopped into armchairs, around chrome dining tables, grabbing sodas from the old Frigidaire in the back of the room, got comfortable and started to learn from one another.

Nick Morgan of Public Words gave a captivating talk about how ideas can go from good to great. Susan Williams, publisher of Jossey-Bass, took us inside her world of acquiring and advocating books as they come to market. Ben McConnell and David Meerman Scott were among the experts who gave a great insider's guide to the brave new world of blogging, while Todd Sattersten of 800 CEO READ served as host, moderator, interviewer and tour guide. There wasn't a session where I didn't see people taping away on their laptops to capture what was being said or waving their hands like eager third graders to ask a question. When was the last time you had THAT experience at a conference?

In a world where cut throat competition is celebrated and civility too often gets lost, it truly was magic to watch people who compete for contracts, shelf space, and media time, willingly reach out to those around them to offer insight from their own experiences that would help their colleagues. I'm guessing that no one left this two day session without learning at least one thing about publishing that had never crossed their mind.

Just as it was so famously suggested that it takes a village to raise a child, it sure couldn't hurt to have this kind of community around when you next release your book into the world as a permanent record to be viewed, judged, bought, and read. Everyone can benefit from a hand at their back and this week, I think 50 people just got a safety net as they go bravely forth to bring us great books.

Thanks to Jack, Todd, Kate, Rebecca and the rest of the gang at 8CR for pulling off a great event!