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Book Description

Unleash your entrepreneurial spirit with a counterintuitive approach to starting your own venture or taking your career to the next level

Start Before You’re Ready offers entrepreneurs an inspiring new roadmap to success — one that runs against nearly everything you’ve ever been taught about business. Author Mick Spencer is living proof that success doesn’t always rest down the traditional path of formal education and deep pockets. At the age of 22, with nothing to his name, he founded ONTHEGO Custom Apparel (www.otgcustom.com), a customised apparel and uniform company. Since then he has built a worldwide network of movers and shakers and raised millions in venture capital. His company is now a multi-million-dollar player on the international stage, disrupting the slow-moving industry with a modern blend of technological disruptions and social responsibility. In this book, he presents a solid case that analysis paralysis and endless ‘preparation’ won’t get you anywhere — you have to take that leap and do what you really want to do. Indeed, start before you’re ready.

Spencer challenges you to get outside your comfort zone and, although intimidating, his approach forces you to learn ‘on the go’ and focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t. Engrossing personal anecdotes coach you through the frustrations and challenges, while vital tools and clear strategies give you a concrete plan for making every day count, many of which have been taught to Mick by billionaires, global CEO’s and highly sought after founders.

  • Chart your own path to success — even without a university degree or financial assets
  • Focus on what you can do right now to achieve your goals
  • Master self-reliance, overcome adversity and discover your true purpose
  • Learn positive habits and build confidence to overcome challenges

Starting your own venture or pushing the boundaries in your career is always a leap of faith. It’s saying ‘yes’ before figuring out how to deliver. It’s moments of self-doubt followed by fiery adventurousness and courageous optimism. You are at once inspired, vulnerable, motivated and proud — and you are capable of extraordinary things. Start Before You’re Ready equips you with the inspiration and practical advice you need to succeed in today’s entrepreneurial environment.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title page
  3. Copyright page
  4. Foreword by Hap Klopp, founder of The North Face
  5. Acknowledgements
  6. Introduction
  7. Part I: My story
    1. Chapter 1: Conquering challenges from an early age
      1. Life outside of my comfort zone
      2. From one passion to another
      3. My moment of truth
      4. Moving on from school
      5. Every day matters
    2. Chapter 2: Making dreams come true
      1. Ten T-shirts and 400 jerseys
      2. Shark Tank: Why I passed it up
      3. You only live once
  8. Part II: Design your life for success
    1. Chapter 3: Shaping your future
      1. What legacy will you leave?
      2. Find your purpose
      3. Love what you do
      4. Believe in yourself
      5. Trust that the dots will connect
    2. Chapter 4: The 4 Ps philosophy
      1. Purpose
      2. People
      3. Planet
      4. Profit
      5. The perfect balance
    3. Chapter 5: Making every moment count
      1. Actively learn
      2. Make your habits support your future
      3. The birthday call
      4. Sleep
      5. Time competes with time
      6. Daily break-even analysis
      7. Coffee currency
      8. Add a touch of healthy pressure
    4. Chapter 6: Be bold about your personal vision
      1. Self-promote
      2. Be coachable
      3. Believe passionately
      4. Change it up
      5. Learn to network
      6. Back it up
      7. Ignore the naysayers
      8. The tall poppy syndrome
      9. Self-promotion never ends
      10. Promote, but be wise on social media
      11. Social media do’s and don’ts
    5. Chapter 7: Hard-hitting truths
      1. The smarts you need (and they’re not what you think)
      2. Fake it
      3. Build your parachute
      4. Hard conversations
      5. You’re not in sales? Think again.
      6. Learn to negotiate
      7. Get a person from ‘no’ to ‘maybe’, and ‘maybe’ to ‘yes’
      8. Believe the sale is true before it is
      9. Rejection
      10. Fear and self-doubt
      11. The imposter syndrome
      12. Give less fucks
    6. Chapter 8: Give life your all
      1. Get shit done
      2. Get and stay connected
    7. Chapter 9: The power of less
      1. Sacrifice
      2. Money money money
      3. There’s nothing wrong with being a tight-arse
      4. Friend currency
      5. Debt: the good and the bad
      6. Investing
      7. Where are you now? Where do you want to be? How do you get there … and what do you need?
    8. Chapter 10: Shoot for the stars, get mentored and make it happen
      1. The road to the dream
      2. Be transparent
      3. Get mentored
      4. Have someone to answer to
    9. Chapter 11: Street smarts
      1. Think fast on your feet
      2. Understanding human nature
      3. Be loyal
      4. Be cool. Be calm. Be focused.
      5. Put yourself first — it’s not a bad thing
      6. Begging, borrowing and stealing
    10. Chapter 12: What it takes
      1. Digging deep
      2. Go the extra mile
      3. Other people’s rules
      4. Get it done
      5. A partner in crime
      6. Here’s to your success
  9. What’s next: Going global
  10. Index
  11. EULA
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