The Bookclub: The Barefoot Executive by Carrie Wilkerson
The Bookclub April 2019
The Barefoot Executive by Carrie Wilkerson
Something I have been craving since I made the decision to do this soloprenuer thing was community. I joined some networking groups online, most weren’t great. I joined some local networking groups and they have been wonderful, but I still felt like something was missing. I miss school and the act of learning alongside others. I also really miss teaching. That’s why I started The Bookclub. For me, I learn best by teaching others. I am so excited to learn along with other small businesses and share that knowledge with my business clients through my business book reports.
The first book we examined together was The Barefoot Executive by Carrie Wilkerson. Something I found frustrating when curating this book list was the lack of representation from women and people of color. I am happy we were able to begin with a book from a successful female entrepreneur.
Each meeting, I lead a short discussion and activity. I will attach all worksheets and group goals in each book report so you can follow along with us online. Although we’ll miss your in person smiles, I am happy to help anyone get the most out of these great books.
Takeaways from The Barefoot Executive
There are so many great takeaways from this book. Here are the few we discussed as a group.
Multiple Streams of Income
What do successful entrepreneurs and successful stock market gurus have in common? Diversification.
As a solopreneur, there is no one to cover you on sick days, so having a consistent stream of passive income is something we can all strive for as an eventual goal. We discussed ways we can all create passive income by building our list, selling online video courses, e-books, becoming amazon affiliates, etc.
Chasing Too Many Rabbits
As creative entrepreneurs, we have an even harder time with this problem. We tend to have lots of ideas, but the bandwidth of only one person. No matter how much tea I consume, I cannot write a novel, put together a photography collection for gallery display, learn to watercolor paint, give clients consistent service and get Cora to dance on time all in one day. That doesn’t mean I can’t do all of those things eventually, but right now, I need to focus on what needs to be done now. One thing I loved about her discussion of this topic, was her insistence that all ideas note-worthy. Literally. Get a notebook. Write an idea down. If you have free time in 3 weeks, look at the book. If it’s still a good idea, great. Now you have time. If it’s complete nonsense, use this time to take a nap. Clearly, you are sleep deprived.
The Why
Why do you do what you do? Is it the money? Is it the lifestyle you are trying to achieve? Is it the art?
Many women in our group discussed the importance of lifestyle in their why. Making your own hours, being in control of your income, being home with children, were all examples of the why.
My why? When I began, it was my daughter. I want to show her that hard work pays off. I want to show her that she can do whatever she wants. I want to let her know that work doesn’t have to mean a corporate office, and that staying home doesn’t have to mean being a 1950’s domestic goddess. Now my why includes my son, I want him to know that he can do whatever he chooses. To give them an example of what it means to take a risk. As long as it’s done with kindness, honesty and joy they will always have my full support.
Revisiting the Basics
Do you have a business plan? Proper licensing? Insurance? All the little things you need to be in business are touched on.
Do Your Research
Identify your target market, learn everything there is to know about them. One thing that was so great about this section was the reassurance that competition is a GOOD THING! If there is already a company doing what you want to do, that means there is a market there. Now use all the tools and knowledge available at your fingertips to deep dive. How do they do that they do? How can you do it differently? What can you add to the market? She also reminded us to SERVE your audience. Think about what they want and need, not just what you want to do.
Apply It
I want to learn all the things, and then DO ALL THE THINGS!
My goal for this group is to do more than talk about books. I created this worksheet and we went through this exercise together. Get your own copy of the worksheet here.
The List
Any Idea. All Ideas. Doodle. Draw. Your business. Your vision.
First, we did a brain dump. ANYthing you could do in your business that you could think of in 5 minutes. Honor all ideas. They are all noteworthy.
The Choice
Choose ONE thing you will focus on for 30 days. Don’t chase too many rabbits.
Then, we made a choice. What is the one goal I will put effort into this month? Make sure to choose something you can realistically achieve in one month.
The Motive
Why? To make money? To grow a list? To drive web traffic? To gain free time?
Ask yourself why you chose this goal and that is the overall vision or purpose. Don’t just choose a goal that’s easy or is something you’ve seen someone else in your industry do. Really think about how this goal will serve your overall vision for your business.
SMARTS Goal
Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Realistic. Timely. Serving.
Double check that this is a S.M.A.R.T.S. goal. Is it specific? Is it measurable? Attainable? Realistic? Timely? Serving your greater vision?
Click here for more details!
My Goal: Host a Creative Branding Mini Session Day in collaboration with a makeup artist.
It’s Specific: A day full of mini sessions, head shots only, for creative business professionals.
Measurable: It either happens or it doesn’t.
Attainable: I know I can organize a mini shoot day.
Realistic: Again, it’s something I have done before, and know if I put the effort in I can do again.
Timely: It will happen within one month.
Serving: It serves my overall vision in my branding photography business.
Group Goals
J: Add metatags to all photos on website to improve SEO rankings
R: Shoot 3 new families
C: Take new product photos of all completed inventory
K: Complete the marketing courses she purchased
B: Write and publish 1st ever blog post
C: Edit and schedule the 18 blogs posts she’s already written to publish
A: Curate the photos on her website to better represent her brand
I can’t wait to check in with everyone later this month to see how far we have all come.
Next up in the bookclub, Everybody Writes, by Ann Handley.
Read along with us!