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The Power of Hero Workouts Page 1 Rehband Shares Sales Secrets The Heroic Story of Lt. Michael P. Murphy Page 2 Affiliate Spotlight: Tony Koens Don’t Take This Crucial Business Relationship for Granted Page 3 Insight Into Nike’s Success Page 4
‘SHOE DOG’ PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO NIKE’S SUCCESS
“We wanted Nike to be the world’s best sports and fitness company. Once you say that, you have a focus. You don’t end up making wing tips or sponsoring the next Rolling Stones world tour.” – Phil Knight This book is one of my all-time favorites. I had no idea Phil Knight launched Nike out of the back of his car or that he encountered countless struggles in his decades-long journey to build Nike. At the risk of sounding foolish, his origin story and setbacks reminded me a lot of our own at O2. Growth ain’t pretty. When an entrepreneur or company becomes massively successful, the general public often constructs a narrative that makes that success seem like destiny. They look back on the past with rose- colored glasses, interpreting every decision as a stepping stone to inevitable victory. Of course, real success stories are never this linear. Honest accounts of what it takes to dominate an industry are hard to come by, which makes Nike CEO Phil Knight’s “Shoe Dog” a refreshing change of pace from the standard business memoir. This is one of the O2 book club’s favorites by far.
He’s also not afraid to admit when luck was the deciding factor. Take the story of the famous Nike swoosh, for example. These days, it’s universally regarded as one of the greatest logos ever conceived. However, when an art student came up with the design — for the meager price of $35 — Knight’s response was, “It’ll have to do.” That’s not to say that Knight isn’t a visionary in many ways. In the early days of Nike, Knight hustled to an extreme degree. Even when he was selling track shoes out of his trunk, his belief never wavered. Signing Michael Jordan in 1984 revolutionized not just the athletic shoe industry, but celebrity sponsorship in general. He surrounded himself with smart, capable people, expanded sensibly, and never lost sight of his vision. If you want a book that gives you simple, cliché takeaways about how to become massively successful, “Shoe Dog” is not the book for you. If you’ve grown tired of trite business books, then check out what Bill Gates calls an “honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like.” With a personal perspective, suspense, and more than a few wild anecdotes, “Shoe Dog” soars in a way few business books manage to. But then again, that’s what Nike’s shoes have always promised.
If there’s one word that best describes “Shoe Dog,” it’s “candid.” Knight gives equal space to his successes, failings, and insecurities.
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