Get Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Author: David R. Portney
Publisher: Kallisti Publishing
Genre: Marketing / Public Speaking
ISBN: 978-0-9761111-7-7
Pages: 260
Price: $24.00

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Attracting clients to your business can feel like an overwhelming task. You can try email or traditional mail, word of mouth, and advertising. But these techniques can cost a lot of time and money, and often bring in very little new business. Or you can try a different approach – seminars and public speaking.

David R. Portney has over 20 years experience in running seminars, and he has distilled his wisdom in Get Your Money Where Your Mouth Is. In his easy-to-follow 30 day plan, he’ll show you exactly how to set up your own seminars and bring targeted clients to your doorstep.

People can think of many reasons why they wouldn’t be successful as a public speaker. Stage fright, lack of expertise, and the inability to plan for a speaking engagement hold them back from tapping into the incredible power seminars offer. But Portney shows us that we can easily get past these self-limiting beliefs by following his simple plan.

If you’re ready to move in a powerful new direction and reach out to clients eager to do business with you, you would be wise to read this book. Seminars and public speaking will be just what you need to bring in more new clients than you ever dreamed possible.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

The Fun Minute Manager

Author: Bob Pike, Robert C. Ford & John W. Newstrom
Publisher: Creative Training Techniques Press
Genre: Business / Management / Human Resources Development
ISBN: 978-1-935291-04-6
Pages: 107
Price: $21.95

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Are you having fun at work? Many people could probably say they like their work and get along with their coworkers. But fun? Work isn’t supposed to be fun. Well, not according to Bob Pike.

Following the format of the popular One Minute Manager, Pike takes us through the thought processes of a manager who comes to believe work can be fun. In this fictional story, Bob listens to an inspirational speaker on the subject of fun in the workplace. Then he meets with several other managers who share their experiences and knowledge of how to implement fun practices.

Besides the obvious benefits of just being happier coming to work, fun, if structured properly, can also benefit the company. But as Bob found out, fun has to be handled in a way that doesn’t hurt anyone and also doesn’t hurt the corporate image.

Especially now, when economic times are tough, fun in the workplace can really make a big difference to employees’ states of mind. If you’ve ever thought about bringing more laughter, joy and happiness to your office, The Fun Minute Manager will be a terrific guide. Work doesn’t have to be a drudge – it can be fun, too.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Awake at the Wheel

Author: Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff
Publisher: Morgan James
Genre: Business & Economics / Entrepreneurship
ISBN: 978-1-60037-295-7
Pages: 117
Price: $13.95

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Og has an idea. A really Big Idea. But what is he going to do about it? Awake at the Wheel shows us how Og conceives of an idea and then attempts to bring it to the tribe for acceptance.

Like many of us who’ve come up with big ideas only to have others shoot us down, Og makes some mistakes. But in the end, he presents his “wheel” to the tribe so they can all benefit from it.

This motivational book is divided into three parts. First is the humorous tale of Og and his Big Idea. Next are the things Og learned from his experience. And last is a set of tools that will guide you in your own Big Idea generation.

If you’ve got a really Big Idea already – or if you just want to come up with one right now for your business – Awake at the Wheel will show you what you need to do to get your idea “rolling.”

Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff is the founder of Idea Champions, specializing in leading creative thinking and team-building sessions. This fun and information-packed book shares some of the techniques he’s developed in his years of experience working with Fortune 500 and mid-sized companies. I highly recommend it for any business person who wants to be more creative and successful in developing new ideas.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Lead Like a Pirate

Author: Christopher Novak
Publisher: Cornerstone Leadership Institute
Genre: Business / Team Performance
ISBN: 978-0-9798009-1-7
Pages: 88
Price: $14.95

Cornerstone Leadership Institute website
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Ahoy, mates! Lead Like a Pirate is about to take you on a team building pirate adventure. Comparing a pirate ship to a business unit, five key business areas are covered. These are: Captain, Crew, Mission, Strategy, and Treasure.

A brief summary of a pirate ship’s take on these key areas is presented in a fun and light-hearted way. Then the group is asked to read three possible scenarios to determine the best fit for each area. A scoring system determines who’s next in line to be promoted to Captain.

The team leader is encouraged to make this exercise fun by having employees dress in character and role-play. Pirate-themed movies can also be viewed and discussed, to see how each of the key elements appears in the movie.

Although there’s not much new material presented here, this approach is novel and interesting enough to help participants see these concepts in a different way. If you work for an organization that welcomes unique team building ideas, this book would provide a fun learning experience.

Reviewer: Alice Berger