FAILURE DISRUPTED

Garmon offers a motivational and practical guide to success in business.

In this entrepreneurial primer, the author takes readers through his “Milestone Map,” which includes 11 markers that will guide them through the process of having an idea to building a business that runs smoothly without them. Garmon draws upon his personal experience of starting from scratch, suffering huge setbacks, and taking projects from failure to great success to showcase how his methods can lead anyone to the same results. The Milestone Map starts at the very beginning with “Set the Foundation,” which outlines taking an idea from a nebulous thought to a solid base for a future business. Once the budding entrepreneur knows what the mission is, it’s time to move to the next part of the map: “Trust the Jump.” This step focuses on assessing assets and connections and expanding one’s dream “into a team.” From there, the author moves onto the challenges that will arise in any business and the ways in which one can prepare for, and learn from, those situations (“no honeymoon phase lasts forever. There is no denying that one of life’s golden rules is that where there has been success, there will always come a test”). To round out the Map, Garmon teaches readers how to “Make it Sustainable,” keeping the business running smoothly into the future, even without its founder. The book breaks down the author’s concepts into fairly short, easily digestible chapters. At the end of each section, Garmon helpfully provides key reflection questions and follows them up with “Take Action” sections. Personal stories add a humanizing touch to the hard facts, and it is clear the author values his team (as lifting them up lifts the whole enterprise). Readers seeking a practical guide to entrepreneurship, business success, and true leadership will find helpful counsel here.

Quotable and easy to follow, this leadership book reframes classic concepts to guide future entrepreneurs.