5 Must-Reads for Entrepreneurs on National ‘Read a Book’ Day

Not every book you read will have a game-changing impact on your life or your business. But to be successful as an entrepreneur, you need to always be learning and adapting to new ideas. I’ve always believed experience is the best teacher, but sometimes you need to learn from the experts. In honour of National ‘Read a Book’ Day, here’s my list of the best reads for business and life as an entrepreneur.

Like a Virgin - Richard Branson

Here’s a little-known fact: 1-800-GOT-JUNK? isn’t in the junk removal business, just like Virgin Airlines isn’t in the aviation industry. In fact, none of Branson’s companies are what they appear to be on the surface. As he describes in his book, Branson (like us) is instead in the customer service business. Every one of his companies is focused on people, not product.

This concept has become a core tenet of our culture at O2E Brands, immortalized in our motto “It’s All About People.” We support our employees’ ambitions and empower them to take charge of their futures. In turn, they’re happy to take care of our customers and are ambassadors of our brand. It’s the modern-day equivalent of the Golden Rule, and it really is a win-win for everyone.

The 4-Hour Work Week - Timothy Ferriss

In 1-800-GOT-JUNK?’s startup days, I spent every waking hour growing the company. But when the business, my personal life and my health started to suffer, I realized I had to slow down. Now, I use Mondays as out-of-office ‘Think Days’ to focus solely on big picture goals and priorities. I also take Fridays off completely, to spend time with my kids or learn a new skill. I haven’t gone as extreme as a 4-hour work week (and neither has Ferriss, who always goes full throttle). But this book opened my eyes to how taking time away from work can be the best thing for business in the long run.

Unlocking Greatness - Charlie Harary

I recently had the privilege to receive an advanced copy of this book set to be released early next year. This is exactly the kind of book I needed in the early days of the business, when I hit a plateau and lost motivation to keep pushing forward. I nearly walked away but fortunately I realized what Harary’s book is all about: you already hold the keys to unlock your own potential. If you’re unhappy with your life and don’t know how to turn things around, this book will point you in the right direction.

Good to Great - Jim Collins

It took almost a decade of steady growth before 1-800-GOT-JUNK? hit its stride. But when we decided to franchise, we shot into a period of hyper-growth we never could’ve expected.

Jim Collins calls this the “flywheel effect”: the special moment after all your hard work when your business picks up speed and propels forward with the power of its own momentum. We saw this phenomenon with 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, and we’re on the verge with our other three brands. Though we’re still in startup, we know long-term gain starts with upfront effort — any moment now we’ll become unstoppable.

The E-Myth Revisited - Michael Gerber

When we opened our second location, I wanted it to look and feel exactly like the original. But I wasn’t sure how to decentralize our standards and practices. That’s when I came across Michael Gerber’s simple concept: “People don’t fail, systems do.”

This idea inspired me to create an operations manual so detailed that anyone could operate a 1-800-GOT-JUNK? business. We made continuous improvements year over year until we became so well oiled that the next step was obvious: franchise on a major scale. Systematizing our business took 1-800-GOT-JUNK? (and our other three brands) to the next level. Gerber’s book forever transformed the trajectory of the company.