Hello friends,
I apologize for the length of this list – perhaps my interests and perspectives are too diverse!
PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH ANYONE YOU THINK MIGHT BENEFIT!
Free Stuff
In my efforts to explore ideas and society, to learn from others, and to share what I learn, I have produced a great deal of material:
Entrepreneurship and Other Videos here and here.
Newsletters and thought pieces here.
All my writings, book reviews, and much more here.
Classes Start Next Week!
On September 20, I again start my 8-week course in Entrepreneurial Thinking, which takes place Tuesday nights in South Austin. This course is for anyone who has a business, is interested in starting a business and learning how to be an entrepreneur, who wants to learn how to discover market opportunities, who wants to run a better organization, or just understand business. Hundreds have taken the course and some have started their own successful companies. I am extending my early discount price of $499, one of the lowest I have ever offered. To see details, reviews & testimonials, and the complete list of classes, click here.
Three of the most popular individual classes are also available for just $99 each: How to Become an Expert in Any Company or Industry; Learning Through Observation Experience; and The Numbers Made Simple: Everything a Leader needs to Know About Financial Statements. Each is only three hours long. To find out dates and details, click here.
On September 24, Saturday, from 1 to 4:30, I will repeat my session Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Retailing. I am fascinated by every industry, but retailing is my first love. Only $99, this is ideal for anyone working in retailing, thinking about opening a store, or selling technology, products, or services to retail companies. Click here.
Books
My book The Art of Enterprise, over 300 pages in PDF form, covers a multitude of ideas, a new thought on almost every page. Only $10! Click here and scroll down.
This summer I put together a complete 200-page PDF report on retailing, which covers the key ideas that make for successful retailers, the current trends including projections for ECommerce, and detailed numbers and data on America’s largest retailers: who is rising and who is falling. There is nothing quite like it on the market. Only $30. Click here.
Speeches and Custom Workshops
I have done a wide array of talks and workshops all over the world. Each talk or workshop is customized to your audience. Here are some that may be of interest:
Keynote Speech: The Eight Keys to Building and Leading Successful Enterprises. This fast-paced, information-packed 30-60 minute talk has earned praises around the globe.
3-Hour workshop “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Retailing.” I have given this workshop or versions of it to technology companies selling to retailers, and to anyone interested in retailing.
3-hour workshop in Entrepreneurial Thinking. I recently gave this workshop to the top management of one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers. This session will inspire your team to more innovative thinking, whether at a startup, a big company, or a nonprofit organization.
Lessons from the Greats talks. I love business history. Our failure to learn from the past and the great entrepreneurs costs our economy billions. I have one-hour highly visual (requires a big screen) talks on the automobile industry, the retailing industry, the computer industry, the airline industry, the movie industry, and the media industry. Most were originally presented when I served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. I can provide customized presentations on the history of any company or industry. These talks have been among my most successful. People do not know what to expect, but they walk out energized and inspired, seeing the world in new ways.
To book me for a speech, call your favorite speakers bureau or reach out to me directly. For more information, click here.
Tours and Experiential Learning
One of my core ideals is “getting outside and looking at the world.” Too often we try to get all our learning in the classroom. While of course that holds a critical place, great learners and doers go out and see the world and observe.
The $99 class mentioned above, “Learning Through Observation,” takes place in a shopping mall in Austin.
I have led numerous groups on “Retail Walks.” Those selling products, services, or technology to retailers get an inside look at the mind of a retailer and see stores through my experienced eyes. I recently led some tech thinkers through a local Walmart, Target, and JC Penney. Each participant had a small assignment to observe. After comparing notes, they will never see retail stores the same again. Foot or van tours of stores can be set up in any city, domestic or abroad.
For those willing to go further afield, I have led several small group tours, usually 5 but up to 12 people, of US cities and Latin American locations. The experience of walking through a city with me, and observing society, looking for ideas and opportunities, is unique. I plan the hotels, restaurants, and an agenda. I can do this in almost any city, US or abroad. One of my favorite cities, very thought-provoking, is Mexico City. You can read my review here. It is a safe city, it has more museums than any other city in the world, it is full of life, and extremely affordable to visit. The New York Times named it the world’s #1 tourist destination in 2016. This spring, I led a group of 5 San Francisco tech executives on a long-weekend tour of the city, and am eager to do it again. I charge a modest fee for organizing these experiences. If you would like to discuss a custom tour for your group, in your city or anywhere else, just reach out to me directly.
Consulting
I do a limited amount of consulting on corporate strategy, retailing, entrepreneurship, and innovation. I charge $600 for a comprehensive business plan review. If you need a mentor, let me know.
Notes on Me
As I review what people have said about me and my classes, I believe what I bring to my presentations and experiences is an unusually broad understanding of most every industry. I started subscribing to Fortune Magazine 53 years ago, at the age of 12, and have since then pursued an understanding of what makes for successful businesses, and even nonprofit organizations. My experiences range from studying under Nobel Prize winning economists to picking stocks on Wall Street to being a retail entrepreneur then a serial entrepreneur, co-founding the first chain of giant bookstores and the company that became Hoovers.com, one of the world’s top providers of information on companies and their leaders. My 57,000 book reference library and visits to 45 countries, as well as mentoring thousands of entrepreneurs in every field, further broaden the base of knowledge which I share with anyone who will listen! More testimonials here.
Thank you for your time and attention.
