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On this episode of Priority Pursuit, we're exploring a powerful key to business growth—never stop learning.
As a younger entrepreneur, Kelly admits that this advice went in one ear and out the other. But, looking back, she wishes she’d embraced it much sooner. After years of surrounding herself with incredible mentors who constantly seek out new knowledge and generously share it, she’s seen firsthand how transformative continual learning can be.
That’s why today, Kelly is excited to share five books that have had a significant impact on her life and business, helping her develop systems and gain insights that have fueled her success.
What if you’re not a reader?
Now, before you decide to stop listening simply because we said we’re going to talk about books and you’re not a reader—hold on a second. Kelly wasn’t either. She had to figure out what worked for her and then make learning a priority.
And, really, there are so many resources that can make it so much easier to explore books—like Blinkist.com and Audible.
Blinkist is Kelly’s favorite because this app gives you detailed summaries of hundreds, if not thousands, of books in what they call blinks, which you can either listen to or read. These summaries last anywhere from five to 20 minutes.
The reason that Kelly loves this is that she can listen to a blink about a book, get a really good summary of the overarching message and any techniques taught in the book, and then determine if it’s something that she’d like to read or listen to fully. If she chooses not to purchase the book, at least she got the jist of it with a few good takeaways.
Using this technique has saved her countless hours of reading books that she thought would be beneficial but really didn’t provide the insight or information that she thought they would. Plus, based on your search history, the app will recommend books you should consider reading which help you discover new authors and topics.
Secondly, you don’t have to sit down and read to actually get value out of a book. Hear me out—all you really need to do is find a book reader like Audible and simply listen while you’re working, sitting in your car waiting to pick kids up from school or practice, or while you're driving. Or you can pop your AirPods in and listen while you do just about anything.
You don’t need to make this hard—you just need to make it a priority.
Now, let’s review the top five books every small business owner should read.
1. Company of One by Paul Jarvis
First on the list is Company of One by Paul Jarvis. This is actually a more recent recommendation from Kelly’s friend Travis, who runs Honest Podcasts, and it is a game-changer—especially for those of us who feel pressured to constantly grow and expand.
This is because the author challenges the notion that bigger is always better. Instead, he advocates for staying small and lean, which can actually be more profitable and fulfilling.
While reading the book, Kelly felt like the author was saying everything that she had learned over the past 20+ years—especially about how staying “small on purpose” presented so much more opportunity to grow as a business, develop and support staff, and find a stronger work-life balance.
Kelly felt his words so deeply because every small business owner is taught or often assumes that scaling and expanding are the ultimate indicators of success. But, the reality of this isn’t true for all.
Also, for the record, there’s nothing wrong with scaling or building a big business if that’s what you want. We just want you to know that you don’t have to in order to be successful.
Kelly knows firsthand this because, in 2016, she tried the “growing exponentially” route by increasing staff and hiring a salesperson. She was looking to get to the next level but she really didn’t know what she was doing; she just thought that Treefrog needed to grow. And, it was the absolute wrong decision for Treefrog. Kelly talks about this journey in “Episode 155: Bigger Doesn’t Always Mean Better.”
And, we know many of you listening might feel that same pressure—like you need to keep expanding to be seen as successful. But, if you want to stay small, you can work to streamline your operations and focus on what truly matters to your customers—which will deliver better results, build stronger profits, and help you enjoy a better work-life balance.
Find Company of One by Paul Jarvis on Amazon or Audible.
2. How to Grow Your Small Business by Donald Miller
Next up, we have How to Grow Your Small Business by Donald Miller. If you’ve been listening to this podcast, you know that Victoria and Kelly are big fans of Miller’s StoryBrand framework.
And, this book is no different because it provides a clear roadmap for growth, focusing on practical strategies that you can implement right away.
One of the best parts of this book from a marketing perspective is the emphasis on identifying your ideal audience, clarifying your messaging, and then creating systems to effectively reach your best customers with content and offers they actually want.
And, if you’ve listened to even one other episode of this podcast, there is a chance that Victoria or Kelly brought up how important it is to clarify your messaging by creating Marketing Guiding Statements. You need to do this before you determine anything else, like which social platforms you should be on, how much money you should put toward Google ads, building a new website, or anything else marketing-related. Because, if you don’t clarify your messaging first, you’re literally wasting your time and money.
This book helps you understand the reason why we are so passionate about this. Plus, it gives a solid breakdown of how to build and sustain a small business.
Personally, Kelly found the financial portion of this book to be very helpful because as a small business owner, no one really breaks this down in an understandable way before you start a business.
Find How to Grow Your Small Business by Donald Miller on Amazon or Audible.
3. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
Moving on to Kelly’s third book recommendation, Profit First by Mike Michalowicz—which happens to be the financial framework that Donald Miller alludes to in his book, How To Grow Your Small Business.
Profit First completely transformed the way Kelly thought about business finances because the author introduces a simple but powerful cash management system that ensures you’re always profitable.
If you’re anything like Kelly—accounting is your nemesis. But, this book helps create a better understanding of how to simplify the complexities of small business accounting.
For the record, Kelly absolutely relies on her accountant and recommends you do the same—but the core principle of this book is to show you how to prioritize profit by allocating a percentage of your income to profit first, before paying expenses.
We know that sounds like an oxymoron, but just read the book and Kelly promises you’ll understand why his strategies make so much sense and will give you a clearer view of your finances to ensure you prioritize profit.
Find Profit First by Mike Michalowicz on Amazon or Audible.
4. Magnetic Marketing by Dan Kennedy
Now, let’s talk about Magnetic Marketing by Dan Kennedy. This book is packed with timeless marketing strategies that work, regardless of industry changes. If you’ve been in the marketing industry at all, you’ve heard of Dan Kennedy—but this book was actually a specific recommendation from Kelly’s friend Mark Dolfini of Strategic Boardroom.
The thing that she loved about this book is that the strategies the author lays out are in line with what we at Treefrog teach and do for small businesses every day, including:
- Clarifying your messaging to ensure you’re talking to the right audience and not wasting your time.
- Using sales funnels to delight customers to help them want to work with you.
- Creating systems that make your life easier—like automated follow-up series, customer gifts, and so much more.
Now, Kennedy’s no-nonsense approach to direct response marketing is both practical and effective—which is probably the number one thing that Kelly loves about his writing and system. This is because at Treefrog, our marketing coaching and done-for-you flywheel services are built to also be practical and straightforward.
If you’re a black-and-white kind of business owner, this book offers clear strategies that will help you create big wins for your company—including the importance of creating compelling offers and clear calls to action to help you generate leads and convert them into loyal customers.
Find Magnetic Marketing by Dan Kennedy on Amazon or Audible.
5. The Client Retention Handbook by Josh Nelson
Last but certainly not least, we have The Client Retention Handbook by Josh Nelson. Now, before we dive into this book, please note that it’s written for agency owners. However, there are mindsets and systems in this book that every small business can benefit from.
Kelly also has to admit that she was targeted with an ad on Facebook that convinced her to buy this book. So, the right social media marketing does work!
This was because he did a great job of grabbing her attention, clarifying his message, telling her what she’d get out of the book, and then telling her what to do. He happened to hit Kelly with the exact message she needed at the exact right time because she was looking for ways to enhance our customer experience.
To be fair, this book didn’t really offer anything that Kelly didn't already know, BUT it did outline a system that helps keep clients happy and loyal—which allowed her to talk with her team about ways we could improve our systems.
Kelly loved that the author shared actionable tips and real-world examples that help improve customer service and increase retention rates.
One of the key takeaways of this book is outlining the importance of communication and setting clear expectations with your clients—which is also one of the biggest lessons she had to learn the hard way as a small business owner.
And, if you want to dive in and listen to Kelly’s full story about this specific life lesson, you can check out “Episode 154: How to Set Boundaries & Get Your Clients to Respect Them.”
But, following through with the strategies from this book has helped Treefrog maintain a high client retention rate. By proactively communicating and exceeding expectations, we’ve built strong, lasting relationships with our clients. Kelly has even had clients tell her that those small check-ins and extra efforts made them feel truly valued, which is incredibly rewarding.
So, the takeaway from this book should be to create value-enhancing systems and set clear expectations with your clients from the beginning because it will help prevent misunderstandings and ensure that both you and your clients are happy and on the same page.
Find The Client Retention Handbook by Josh Nelson on Amazon or Audible.
And, there you have it—Kelly’s top five books every small business owner should read. Each of these book recommendations offers unique insights and practical advice that can help you grow and sustain your small business.
Remember, there are plenty of resources out there to help you find the time to explore and read, like Blinkist.com and Audible. So, you don’t really have an excuse not to get started.
Kelly promises your willingness to learn and implement new strategies will make a world of difference in your business and life outside the office.
Links & Resources Mentioned in This Episode
- Company of One by Paul Jarvis
- How to Grow Your Small Business by Donald Miller
- Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
- Magnetic Marketing by Dan Kennedy
- The Client Retention Handbook by Josh Nelson
- Blinkist.com
- Audible.com
- “Episode 155: Bigger Doesn’t Always Mean Better”
- “Episode 154: How to Set Boundaries & Get Your Clients to Respect Them”
- Receive 30% Off Your First Year of HoneyBook
- Learn More About Treefrog’s Small Business Marketing Resources & Services
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The Priority Pursuit Podcast is a podcast dedicated to helping small business owners define, maintain, and pursue both their personal and business priorities so they can build lives and businesses they love.
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