It’s summer and that’s usually a time when more reading is done. Given that I thought I’d depart from the topic of newsletter marketing to share some of what’s in my library. In no particular order, here are seven titles that have helped me grow both personally and professionally…here is what I am feeding my mind! 

1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
2. The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren
3. No BS Direct Marketing by Dan Kennedy
4. Success Is an Inside Job by Lee Milteer
5. Raise the Bar by Mike Vance and Diane Deacon
6. Today Matters by John Maxwell
7. First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman 

Since I’m a little off topic today I also want to share with you something that has had perhaps the greatest impact on my business — joining a mastermind group. What is a mastermind group? It can best be described as one part board of directors and one part peer-advisory group. A mastermind group is a group of like-minded individuals who come together to contribute to each others’ success in a spirit of harmony and partnership.

The POWER of the mastermind experience is that it can lift your mind and vision to enable you to see things that you otherwise could not, most likely because you are too close to your business. Here’s the real secret — great minds don’t always think alike! That’s why the best leaders turn to mastermind groups. Just imagine sitting around a table with successful people from many different fields and walks of life, and having them freely, openly, and confidentially share what they would do to grow your business. My mastermind group is responsible for me starting my third business, which I will tell you about in the near future.

So what’s in your library that you’ve enjoyed reading? Drop me a note and let me know; I’d appreciate your recommendations.

On one of my early morning paddles on Marsh Creek Lake, I was inspired by a movie I saw called The Invincible. The movie is about Vince Papale who played three seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles after a rare walk on try out. As I paddled I was amazed at the lessons I saw in the movie, lessons that could be applied in both life and business. In fact, I was so inspired that I turned on my trusty video camera and shot the following video.

Enjoy!