Review of my book in the Australian Career Book Award
Hunter Leonard
Strategy Guy, Fractional CMO and Story Teller- We will help you become a better business owner. The reputation of Blue Frog Marketing is built on smart strategic advice that works plus super fast and friendly service.
Reprinted from careermelbourne.com with thanks.
Hunter Leonard, Generation experience: 8 steps for mature-age business success
An excited traveller once said: ‘That’s one small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind’. Good oratory, but a little late to reverse that decision!
Hunter Leonard’s Generation experience starts with ‘STEP 0 ARE YOU BUSINESS READY?’ This starts the reader asking the right questions before significant resources have been invested, and major risk incurred. It’s only then that readers move on with STEP 1 STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP and then to the other steps in the book.
The community need for structured advice for the target group of ‘over 40 and thinking about starting a business’ is high, and the need to focus on the legal and practical aspects of running a business rather than engaging in a hobby is essential.
The recurrent structure of the book is to present the relevant information and then conclude each major step with a set of questions or reflection points enabling the reader to remember or revise the advice given – good teaching technique. These regular check-ups are good for the book and good for the business lives of the readers, as they are never allowed to drift unsupervised, and think that they’ve read the book if they’ve just floated through. If readers can take in the information, reflect on it, and operationalize it, they will be well-placed for business success. The success test promoted is one that is as visionary as it is mathematical:
Several years ago when I was formulating our annual business plan, I wrote a couple of paragraphs describing what the business looked like when I closed my eyes. I described not only the revenue numbers, but also the office surrounds, what the staff were doing (active and productive), what sounds there were (phones ringing, happy banter) … A year later I was reading this business plan again when I suddenly realized that everything in my statement was actually occurring.
The success test for different readers will be different, but by following good practical advice in the book they will be successful from the first small step. Before readers take that small step that becomes a giant leap, they should start with Generation experience – STEP 0.
Lawrence Arnold
Melbourne Careers Counsellor & Employability Coach - professional employment Australia
5 年In interviewing the writers of the finalist books for The Australian Career Book Award - supported by the Royal Society of Arts in Australia & NZ I've been able to hone in on aspects of the different books that set them apart on the bookshelves. One of our award criteria is 'researched' i.e. is a book only an intuitive exercise, or is there a substantial research base to it? Intuition is essential in any creative exercise, and if the writer links it to research then there's a powerful validation of the work. Hunter used some 10 000 surveys of businesses done over ten years to extract the key themes addressed in 'Generation experience'. This gives confidence to the readers who may be basing their business and life decisions on the book's advice.
Melbourne Careers Counsellor & Employability Coach - professional employment Australia
5 年In my book review for 'Generation experience' I targeted in on Hunter's discussion of the success test for when you know you're on the right track for you. I liked that it wasn't just about the numbers but about 'the vibe of the thing'. If your new business has a physical location, what are the sounds you like hearing in the background, staff chatting, phones ringing etc ... Hunter expresses it better than I do - so read it in 'Generation Experience'.