Book Reviews | New Work Revolution

Ep 260- Book Review: The Body Keeps the Score

Most business owners that I know are big time value creators that are driven to make a difference. That drive that pushes them to unbelievable heights doesn't always come from a great place. Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely endeavor. Most people don't understand you and that starts with your own family and friends. This is why it's so important to take care of your mental health and why I am talking this week about the book The Body Keeps the Score.

After spending the last two years working through my own trauma, as well as witnessing far too many past friends take their own life, I wanted to offer you a small piece of hope that you are not alone and that there are people that care about you.

This is a new format that I am bringing to the podcast where I go back and share books that I have recently read. Let me know what you think.

To subscribe and review the show, visit Apple Podcasts and make it happen.

Ep 238- Beyond Default Interview

by Brandon Allen

Podcast: Download

Great strategy is essential to sustainable business. Unfortunately, strategy isn't something that come naturally to many people, business owners included. Don't despair. I have brought in experts who live, eat and breath strategy to talk about how to change the trajectory of your business to the outcome that you want versus the outcome that you are currently headed towards.

David Trafford and Peter Boggis wrote the book Beyond Default to assist leaders in creating the thought process and the implementation of their strategic direction.

The topic resonated with me from the standpoint of intentionality. In our concept and model, Total Experience Design (TXD), we teach business owners to create a business by design versus one by default. Beyond Default does much of the same with respect to strategy. Whether you are aware or not, your business is headed towards a specific direction and outcome.

The question is, is it the outcome you want?

Beyond poking at Blockbuster video a bit we also touch on:

Leading new strategic direction in your business
How to keep employees from burning out in the change process.
What companies get wrong and why when it come to setting their direction.

Check out the book and other things that the authors have to offer at Beyond Default. The book is smart, insightful and will make you a better strategist for having read it.

In addition to the book, make sure you subscribe to the podcast and rate the show in iTunes.

Ep 235- Blueprint to Business with Michael Alden

by Brandon Allen

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It's been a year or so since I have had Michael Alden on the podcast. The response to the interview we did about his book 5% More was so positive that I happily accepted to have him on the show again to talk about his new book Blueprint to Business.

Blueprint to Business give business owners the real deal on what it takes to start and grow a winning business. I appreciate the honest and no nonsense approach that Michael brings to the topic.

I love to have people on the podcast that you can learn from. Michael has the experience and know how that a business owner can learn from and implement in their own business.

Click here to get your copy of Blueprint to Business.

You can listen to this week's podcast by clicking the player above or you can subscribe in iTunes.

Ep 229- Hard Truths in Leadership with Michael Tomlin

by Brandon Allen

Podcast: Download

“Definite speech means clarity of mind” Quote from Cecil and the Shark by Mark Twain

The above quote is just one of the many powerful principles shared in the book Hard Truths by author and trainer Michael Tomlin. I was fortunate enough to get an advance screening of the book and loved it. I reached out to the PR firm for Michael to see if he would be willing to join me on the podcast and he graciously accepted.

In our 25 minutes we cover:

Balance and when to let distractions get in your way and when to have firmer boundaries.
The power of intentionality as a leader.
Power and how to use it correctly.
The importance of a belief system in your leadership journey.
Handling conflict.

Leaders. These are the topics that keep us up at night as we lead teams. Check out the interview by clicking the player above. If you haven't subscribed in iTunes, you can do so here.

Ep 181- Be A Serial Winner (Interview with Larry Weidel)

by Brandon Allen

Podcast: Download

You have to figure out your life, there is no formula. ~ Larry Weidel

One of the many things I love about having a podcast is the opportunity to meet great people doing great things. I recently interviewed the author of Serial Winner, Larry Weidel, on the New Work Revolution podcast.

Winning isn't a sometime thing, it's an all time thing. That doesn't mean that you are going to win all the time but it does mean that you strive to maintain the right attitude regardless of your circumstances.

Larry has been wildly successful in his 40 years in business but it didn't always start that way. Larry shares his principles for winning that are applicable to anyone listening. Check out this week's show and if you aren't subscribed in iTunes and Stitcher, do it now!

Book Review: Gotcha! The Subordination of Free Will

by Brandon Allen

I have had the pleasure of reviewing a couple of Eldon Taylor's books in the past. What I have found with Eldon's books is that they will make you a little uncomfortable and they will make you think about reality a little more closely. Gotcha! The Subordination of Free Will is a book that fits that previous mold.

There is no shortage of information and messages that come your way on a daily basis. I read not too long ago that they average person consumes the equivalent of 178 newspapers per day worth a content. That's a lot of damn content.

With all the messages that you are being presented with, how do we discern between what's real and what isn't? I don't know about you but I seem to get inundated on Facebook with so-called truths.

Here's the quote: “It is not necessary to believe in God to be a good person. In a way, the traditional. Notion of God is outdated. One can be spiritual but not religious. It is not necessary to go to church and give money — for many, nature can be a church. Some of the best people in history do not believe in God, while some of the worst deeds were done in His name.”

I have seen this show up on Facebook a dozen times with people getting excited about this but the fact is that Pope Francis never said this. How many people believe that he did?

Gotcha! is thought provoking although I found the book a little scattered feeling. It tends to feel a little too all inclusive of issues that we need to think more about as society and it's not a highly focused book. I actually think his older books that I have reviewed Self Hypnosis and Subliminal Technology and Choices and Illusions are little more focused and a little better written.

If you don't love the state of politics and the general behavior of Americans in the United States, I think this book will really resonate with you and will be something that you enjoy.

The Rehearsal that Makes a Lifetime Difference

by Brandon Allen

Excerpted from Choices and Illusions by Eldon Taylor. I have previously reviewed the book, Choices and Illusions. They are currently doing a promotion for the book and I thought you may find an excerpt valuable.

Within every human being exists a propensity for greatness. The gifts may vary, and the greatness may live out in a vast array of alternatives—say from carpentry to rocket science—but the gift that gives one true self-respect, lifts the spirit from “same old, same old,” resides within. It is our ability to do our very best with our talents in every thing we do. This potential resides within each one of us—but if so, then why is it so often denied?

The Management Playbook: Be The Common Denominator Of Success

by Brandon Allen

You are, no doubt, familiar with the term, “people are assets”. Saying it is one thing believing it is another. I agree that people are assets but people aren't assets without help.

Are Your Selling Tactics Outdated?

by Brandon Allen

Podcast: Download

You know that sales is the lifeblood of your business. Your business can't survive without selling. There are many people who you sell during the course of running a business.

You sell employees. You sell customers You sell vendors. Partnerships. You get the idea.

With all the selling that you do, how do you know that what you are doing is working? What if your selling tactics are outdated?

This week's New Work Revolution podcast features author and coach, Derick Van Ness, who explains the most commonly made mistakes that people make in sales today and why these old tactics make you sound more like a creepy dude in a bar than a serious business professional.

Feed The Startup Beast- Interview With Drew Williams

by Brandon Allen

Podcast: Download

I have been a little quiet over the last three weeks but that's about to change. I am going to start things off by telling you about a great book that I read last month on marketing your business called Feed The Startup Beast.

This is one of the best and most practical marketing books that I have read in a while. Most of the time when I read a book on marketing, I walk away with a feeling that I learned that I need to hire the author to get the marketing work done that I need for my business.

Feed The Startup Beast is different.

The book starts with giving you a really simple tip to find out how great your product/service is and what your customers really think about it. Sounds terrifying right? The insight to be gained from this process is invaluable as many of you already know