Super Mario by Jeff Ryan

If you’re interested in business, gaming, or just good stories go pick up Jeff Ryan’s Super Mario. In it he details the story of the rise of Nintendo. It’s a crash course in the history of the modern gaming industry. Jeff brings forth the people that led Nintendo and who developed, arguably, the most recognizable video game characters in the world.

Worth the Read

One thing I love to do is read/hear stories of people who started their own business, especially businesses where a person is making their own products. I ran across a story that combined both of these. Not sure what lead me to click on a headline that involved the phrase “Jewelry Empire” , but I’m glad I did. The article told the story of jewelry retailer Kendra Scott. She started in her apartment and will have 38 locations by the end of the year. Her hard work, grit, and failure-is-not-an-option attitude are inspirational. If you’re contemplating starting a business I think it’d be worth your time to read. you can find the article here.

If Only I Had a Great Idea

Raise your hand if you’ve heard someone say,”If only I had a great idea, then I would start a business,” I’m sure if we were all sitting together we would look around and see everyone raising a hand. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this. It seems that in the age of Facebook, Google, and Apple everyone thinks that for a business to be successful they have to have some revolutionary new idea or product. Having a great idea may help, but it is not necessary to starting your own business. The only great idea you need to start a business is the idea that you want to be your own boss.

Enter the Arena

One of my favorite quotes is from President Teddy Roosevelt’s Citizen in a Republic speech that he delivered to the Sorbonne in Paris, France. The speech focuses on his view that a republic depended on the quality of its people for its future and success. In this speech he says:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

To me there are so many points to take away from this, but I want to focus in on one aspect: failing is part of succeeding.