Book 8 of 52 in 52: The Barefoot Executive by Carrie Wilkerson

Carrie Wilkerson is a star on Social Media, making her name in a myriad of ways, from network marketing to information marketing to coaching to weight-loss to parenting to speaking to - well, the list is long. I first ran across her on Twitter in 2008, when it seemed my 'New Foot Smell' would match well with 'The Barefoot Executive'.

We have never spoken, nor have we done business together, though we have been friends on Twitter and Facebook for some time, and she put me in touch with her friend Paul B. Evans last year.

That said, I first read her book 'The Barefoot Executive' in 2012 on Kindle, and was greatly inspired by it - enough to listen to it this year on Audible, straight from the Southern Belle's mouth. Again, I am greatly inspired.

'The Barefoot Executive' is built as a 'how-to' book - specifically how to succeed in business in today's online world. It's not too technical, not too specific, but neither too broad. She includes her own experiences as they pertain to various topics in the book, and also includes a case study at the end of each chapter of a third party who has had success in the specific area the chapter covers.

She starts by explaining why it's a must that many of us, if not all of us, have a side business, or home business to augment or replace our mythologically secure and regular income.

She covers the most common mistakes we make, including following someone else's dream, chasing too many rabbits, and chasing dollars. She owns up to her own missteps of pursuing real estate - something she had no experience in - because it seemed like the easiest thing to do.

She discusses various methods involved in choosing a business, from mind-set to masterminding to mentors, and more, and then talks about the various models available, including service-based, expertise-based, knowledge-based, goods-based, and referral-based, wrapping it all up with a healthy look at the old saw of 'multiple streams of income'. 

Finally, she breaks down the marketplace, helping you identify and reach them effectively regardless of your business model.

Yes, you can find a lot of this in a myriad of other books. What makes this book so inspiring to me is Carrie herself - the struggles she shares, the challenges she's faced, and her down-home honesty about it all. Stories about her father adding on to their house one 'how-to' book at a time, about her husband's longtime friendship with a man who taught him to fish, and about her own challenges in weight-loss and network marketing turn this book from a simple checklist book to a fully fleshed-out seminar-in-a-book.

Additionally, she offers links to many YouTube videos to accompany the book, going even further into various subjects. While this is clearly a marketing tactic - it is one that both offers further material and an object lesson into what we should be doing ourselves - creating an interactive experience that brings our audience to other aspects of our business, so they can find the solutions they need in the format they need them.

'The Barefoot Executive' is conversational, matter-of-fact, and to the point. If you're looking to start your business, or add a business to what you already do, whether it's a J.O.B. or another entrepreneurial venture, you'd be doing yourself a favor giving it a read.

5 Stars out of 5 - for both the kindle and Audible editions.

Y'all remember to Speak & Deliver, y'hear?

For a full reading list of my 52 in 52, click here.