This review first appeared in PR Week, July-August 2015
An inspirational guide to starting your own business, Mission is a must-read for anyone thinking of stepping out of corporate lift and ‘giving it a go’. It pulls no punches, taking the reader on a whistle-stop tour of what it takes to make it as an entrepreneur. The authors have followed their own advice, building a business with a singular focus. This gives them credibility and real-world experience. And you can hear those hard-won lessons throughout the book.
They draw inspiration from a truly diverse group. As you might expect, Richard Branson, along with the titans of Silicon Valley, are here but more surprisingly, they cite influences from Eminem to Ronald Reagan, from Marx and Engels to Charles Dunstone. They save the best until last. Their chapter on growth is raw and deeply personal, full of excellent advice that anyone running a growing business could benefit from. These two are rooting for their readers – advice spills with infectious enthusiasm. If you didn’t feel like giving it a go before you read it, I think you will once you’ve put it down.
They avoid the mistake of many ‘how to’ books – by not making it sound easy. Full of practical advice, excitement ripples across the pages but so does the visceral fear of failure. If you’ve been thinking about scratching the entrepreneurial itch, this will give you a great framework. It is well structured, allowing you to focus on subjects you are interested in, but also reads well cover to cover. A few commuter train journeys should do it – as you plan your dream.
Reviewed by Sally Costerton FIPR, chairman, MHP; founder, Sally Costerton Advisory