Book Review Snippet on Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie - Chief Shoe Giver, TOMS

*Michelle here: I'm copying pretty much word for word here from the book.

From Chapter 3: Face Your Fears

Effective ways to live with fear until I could overcome it:

1.  I remembered to live my story.  I went back to my core question: Why am I doing this?


2.  I surrounded myself with interns.  The wonderful thing about interns is that they are so enthusiastic and new to everything that they don't waste time being fearful.

Having a group of enthusiastic people around you, all busy working towards the success of your enterprise, gives you confidence, makes you feel legitimate, and, ultimately, helps make whatever idea you are trying to create a reality.

3.  I surround myself with inspirational quotations.  This easy-to-follow piece of advice has played  huge role in my being able to get past my own fears and insecurities throughout my entrepreneurial career.

When I started in business, I was often lonely, so I placed favorite quotes all over my apartment.  They made me feel like I was never really alone.

"Success is the ability to go frmo one failure to another wih no loss of enthusiasm."

- Winston Churchill

 4.  I read biographies.  Because I left college to start a business and never received my degree, much of my education came from books that I found on my own, not the ones assigned to me by professors.  My favorite books have always been biographies of successful entrepreneurs and other inspiring people.

5.  I also remember to think small.  It's best not to regard your next step as a tremendous risk.  Think about it as one small step on  along journey.  Thinking big always sounds good, but it's a common mistake shared by lots of people starting a business.  We started TOMS with 250 pairs of shoes in three duffel bags - that's it.  I didn't quit my job immediately.  I didn't invest tens of thousands of dollars.  I just made 250 pairs of shoes and tried to sell them.

By starting small, you can work through your story, try out your idea, and test your mettle.  There's a Japanese concept known as kaizen, which says that small improvements made every day will lead to massive improvement overall (Michelle here: also known as The Slight Edge).  

6.  I would also write down my fears and look at them.  When fears stay stuck inside your head, your imagination can go wild, torturing you with all the carious negative possibilities and outcomes.  But when you write them down, you clarify exactly what you are afraid of, and soon the power they hold over you will fade. 

7.  My final fear killer is to seek as much advice as I can.

*Michelle here.  Great stuff, right?  Now, I want a pair of TOMS shoes asap!  haha.  Read the book.  It's awesome.